A New Obsession

Hanna Roselake || Half Elf Cleric of Aureon

[inathanna]

Rex‌:

“Oh, sorry I just assumed most people who hang around here are students you know? I have time for some tea If you don’t mind the company.” He’d been considering stopping for tea anyway. It’d be rude for him to deny Hanna’s offer now. He pulled a chair up to the table Hanna had been sitting at.  “I’m Rexly, don’t worry it didn’t sound like you were coming on to me you don’t have to be sorry.” Rexly sat down and ordered a pot of tea from a passing server. Hanna was a little awkward but Rexly found it a little endearing. It was a nice change of pace compared to the type of people he usually talked with.

“You been working at the university long?” Rexly asked as the server came back with the pot of fresh tea. Rexly carefully poured himself a cup. He poured in some milk and a teaspoon of sugar. Perhaps it would make him a little sweeter. 

Hanna wasn’t sure what it was about the tiefling man, but Hanna felt themself relax in his company. Maybe it was his calm demeanor or the easy way he spoke to Hanna as if they were equals. In any case, Hanna smiled as he sat and ordered a drink for himself, and they ordered another coffee to replace the one that had spilled across the ground.

“Rexly,” the repeated, committing it to memory. “It suits you.” Was that too friendly? Hanna cleared their throat and looked down at the table, gratefully taking a large sip of coffee once the server came back with their drinks. If Rexly thought they were being rude though, he was kind enough not to point it out.

“Oh, yes, for nearly a decade now. I went to school all over when I was younger, before the war, but after a while I settled here. It’s convenient, what with the temple to Aureon built right into it.” After a few seconds they gathered enough courage to look up again at Rexly. “What about you? Did you come here to study in the library?”

[inathanna]

Grim‌:

Grim hummed, somewhere between impressed and just no feeling, but at least it wasn’t taking money from him. He’d keep his nose broken, if he’d had to pay, and most of the time, that’s what he did. Still, he was impressed when this person, that reminded him a bit of a mouse, actually took a step forward and touched his face. He stood still, because he knew that if he so much as flexed, he would probably scare them off, but at least he felt better, and he could hear his nose snap back to where it should’ve been. Wasn’t fully better, but it was something. “Thanks…Okay, so now I owe you, hope you know that.”

Well. That had gone better than expected. A nervous burst of laughter bubbled up and out of them, though they quickly choked it down with a cough. “You uh. You really don’t have to worry about that. I’m just trying to get back to the academy in once piece. There’s this bioluminescent fungus that grows in specific areas of Khaggon, and it just so happens that the largest patch is near the uh…” Hanna glanced around, unsure if she was supposed to mention the next part, since it wasn’t exactly legal. “The fight club? But I needed to take some samples.”

Hanna hitched their satchel higher on their shoulder, trying to shrink down further into themselves. They nodded towards the way the half-orc had come. “Am I going to run into the um. The guys that did that to you if I go down that way?”

[inathanna]

Ventis‌:

“I am always careful. Confidence is key.” Ventis balanced the book on its spine, the air suspending around it as they winked at the person before them. “Just because I prefer to live, doesn’t mean I do not respect these books.” Ventis laid them down gently and steadied their company by the shoulder, dusting them off with a smile. “I don’t want to go to the academy. I find it too stuffy. I like small company…. private company.” 

Ventis sat down at the table and flipped open one of the books. “Are you going to help me? I would be greatly appreciate it.”  Ventis didn’t like to play desperate. It was strange to  let them self go there.

“I was in an accident that I don’t think was an accident.  I know it wasn’t. I lost a lot of people.” They wouldn’t get too personal yet. No, not yet, Ventis didn’t want to open up to someone like this. “I hope you consider helping me.”

Hanna stood rigid, watching the stranger balancing their books like they were toys. They spoke to Hanna in a condescending way that they were used to, but the sting of it had never truly gone away. And to make everything even worse, they reached out and touched Hanna, right on the shoulder, and it made Hanna flinch and take a step back as the stranger sat down at the table.

And now they wanted Hanna’s help? It was too much. Hanna had only wanted a calm afternoon with some coffee and their research. They needed to nail down their thesis and submit it to the board soon, they couldn’t sit around and add even more to their plate!

Except… An accident that wasn’t an accident. That snagged in Hanna’s brain. They thought of Arx and Professor Nigh.

After a long moment, Hanna looked from left to right to make sure no one was paying them much mind, then sat down. “I… I’m not saying yes. I don’t know you and you don’t know me, so I’m not really sure why you think I can help you. But…” Hanna sighed, then pushed up the frames of their glasses so that they were properly sitting on the bridge of their nose again.

“If you do want help, you have to tell me everything. And you have to be honest. I have a spell that can guarantee that, but I need you to agree.”

[inathanna]

Orphea‌:

Orphea had to dance back a step to avoid having her toes crushed by tumbling tomes. She’d intended to sidestep the mild disaster entirely and claim a table for her own, but the half-elf’s stricken look made her pause. With a petulant sigh she set her own cup of coffee down beside the stranger’s and ducked to carefully retrieve the books. She ensured all the delicate, yellowing pages lay flat before shutting the covers and stacking them up one by one. The covers were dusty, and perhaps some of them bore a few more scuff marks than before, but they didn’t seem to be particularly worse for wear. 

Orphea’s eyes widened as she read the title of the top book. “Oh, wow. That’s quite a topic.” She eyed the half-elf quizzically and straightened. She didn’t know much about academia, but the stranger seemed like the type. They didn’t seem like the diabolical academic, but looks could be deceiving. Maybe behind the cute wire-frame glasses lived a mind full of dark, dreadful machinations. Or they simply had breathtakingly odd hobbies. She presented the stack of dusty books out to their rightful owner with a bright smile. “What do you have all these for?”

Hanna shied away from the stranger that closed in on them as they started to gather their books, hearing the sigh and knowing what it meant. They wished she wouldn’t bother, would have just left it to Hanna and gone on her way if their help was only accompanied with the thick, gripping feeling of being a burden. “Thank you,” they mumbled so quietly it was probably hard for the stranger to hear. That’s what they had to say after all. That was the script people expected them to follow. Hanna dared a single glance up at the stranger and then immediately back to the ground as they took the books offered to them and clutched them like a shield to their chest. The stranger was the kind of beautiful that Hanna previously only thought existed in storybooks.

It took a few seconds for Hanna to process the words being said to them, their heart pounding in their throat so hard that they thought they might throw it up. They had to look down at the book at the top of the pile that she’d indicated, and their face flushed until they were nearly as pale as the stranger when they saw the title. ‘Aphrodisiacs, Hallucinogens, and Deadly Poisons: A Traveler’s Guide to Eating in the Feywild’ was one of the books Hanna had chosen not specifically for its relevance to their work, but because it was the latest publication of Annabelle Sharpe, an anthropologist that Hanna had been following closely since they’d been ten years old and reading of her exploits and adventure’s with their sister Delilah.

“It’s-“ Hanna stammered, taking off their glasses so that the world didn’t seem so sharp. “It’s for my thesis. I work at the Academy and I’m trying to acquire a research grant. But um. Things have been precarious lately. I mean they have been for the past two years, but ever since Arx-“ They were rambling. They snapped their mouth shut and swallowed. “Thank you for helping me pick my books up. Sorry I bothered you.”

[inathanna]

Efrain:

“Uh,” replied Efrain with utmost eloquence. “Necromancy?” He’d never met this particular half-elf, that much he knew. It wasn’t entirely unusual for the archivists to send researchers to the Crayhorn estate’s library and the frequency at which it occurred had steadily increased since Eobald’s demise (as he was generally reticent or outright hostile about loaning valuable books) and had spiked considerably ever since Efrain had officially joined the temple. He suspected Torlamarian had something to do with it. Still, Efrain had no idea who this person was. He regarded them coolly, letting his gaze drag over their attire and stance before finally landing back at their eyes. He felt rather than allowed one of his eyebrows to arch. 

All in all, they didn’t seem cruel or insane or, Aureon forbid, cruelly insane. Merely they appeared to be winded and excitable. They reminded him a bit of his servant’s children who would periodically sprint to their parents to animatedly tell them about the game of hide-and-seek or tag they’d just played between gulps for air and long stretches where words and proper grammar alluded them. He couldn’t help but like the strange, nervous stranger already. 

“You’ve skipped quite a number of steps,” he finally said. “What is your name? And why do you require anything of Duvak’s?” Slowly Efrain turned to continue on his way down the hall, but he left enough room beside him for the other to join him and walked much slower than he had been. “I have it, yes, among several others. What do you hope to glean from it?”

Hanna paused, trying to figure out how she should proceed. Was there really a need for absolute transparency? Did Hanna think that Sir Crayhorn would even understand their research or what it meant to them? Could she trust him not to misinterpret and therefore ban Hanna from the knowledge she needed? There was an instinctual reluctance to have to justify her want for knowledge, which Hanna thought should be free to anyone willing to go looking for it. Truthfully, the fact that this specific book could only be found in the private property of a well-known noble estate, stung. But Sir Efrain was already turning away, walking down the hall. While not dismissing Hanna outright, he was probably willing to continue on without her if need be.

So, Hanna caught up quickly, running the last few yards to close the distance until she was walking alongside him. “I’m Hanna. Um. Inathanna Roselake, but most people just call me Hanna.” That was a good place to start, right? Probably too much information. He likely hadn’t read any of the works she’d been noted as contributing to. He was a knight, which probably meant had more important things to focus on.  

They made their way down the stairs together. Hanna found herself looking down at the ground as they passed some of the other members of the academy. Things had been more awkward than ever since Nigh’s death. Some had offered their condolences, but Hanna was sure they had only been for politesse’s sake. Likely, they were wondering why Hanna was still here now that they had no one to follow around like a lost puppy.

“It’s interesting actually,” she began, still speaking to her shoes instead of Sir Efrain. “Duvak was largely unremarkable for most of his career. Or as unremarkable as any wizards aspiring to lichdom can be.” Hanna pushed the frame of her glasses back up the bridge of her nose before it could start to slip. “But he had the most detailed and extensive catalog of descriptions of dirt in and around the graves of fellow necromancers compared to any of his contemporaries. He’s the only reason we know why and how Corpse Flowers are brought into existence.”

Had that answered his question? Was he still worried that Hanna were trying to use this book as a way to unlocking the secret to becoming a lich? She should clarify. “I’m interested in the subject of the grave dirt. Not the necromancy. Does that answer your question?”

[inathanna]

Eamon:

As far as afternoons went, it had been a fairly quiet one for Abjurist Eamon Cleartide. He’d held an early guest lecture at the Academy of Arcane on how to understand the balance of an offensive spell and how to adjust the level of which to dispel or neutralize it. There had been quite a few eager students in the midst, and he had even - with permission from the institute, of course - been able to demonstrate it with the help of some helpful casters in the audience.

The lightborn’s daily life had certainly changed in the last couple of years, but he did find himself with a couple of routines still like his habit of going out for tea during lunch hours. It was a little late as far as lunch went, but today had been a long day.

As he walked down the streets away from the campus, he was met with the sight of books falling down the streets. That looked highly concerning to him, the book lover that he was. Either someone had a blatant disregard for reading or a very bad day. Feeling strange about staring without taking any action, he made his way over to the person trying to grab for the books.

“Oh, dear, that’s not good,” he muttered under his breath when he arrived. He bent down to put up the books closest to him, barely skimming over the titles before checking them over for any potential damages. One of them appeared to have a bit of bent spine, but a quick round of Mending had that corrected in no time. The titles made it clear that they were from the academy’s library, so this was likely a student or an associate with the university. “Quite the fall, wasn’t it? They do appear to be mostly in order, fortunately.”

He threw in a calm, comforting smile for good measure.

This had to be some sort of nightmare. That’s what Hanna thought when they looked up into the face of Eamon Cleartide, who was bending down to pick up the books they’d so carelessly spilled all over the ground like some kind of fresh-faced first year student. Hanna had only gone to a handful of his lectures, and always sat in the back, speaking only frequently but always listening intently. They’d read nearly all of his published works too, over the years. Nigh had cited him a few times in his experimentation, and Hanna remembered desperately wanting to take one of the rare courses he taught back when they’d been a student, and mourning the lost opportunity when scheduling conflicts had meant they couldn’t.

They knelt there, frozen for a few long moments, staring wide eyed at the man they’d only saw from across a lecture hall. How could they end this interaction in a way where he forgot their face immediately, forgot their mistake, forgot that Hanna was wasting his time with something so unimportant. “Sorry,” they choked out, their heart hammering in their chest as they gathered up the rest of the books and held them close to their chest. “I checked out too many. It was a stupid mistake. You don’t have to-“ They wathched him cast mending on the bent spine of a book and wanted to sink into the ground. Maybe they could. They’d prepared Stone Shape during their morning meditation. Hanna could create a tunnel and escape into the tunnels, never speak of this again to anyone, deny they’d ever even been at this café!

No. No Eamon’s word would surely be believed over thiers. They had to endure this interaction and escape as soon as possible before Eamon’s opinion of them worsened further. He really did look so kind. Maybe he’d understand? Nigh had always understood Hanna when they’d gotten like this and made stupid, avoidable mistakes. Hanna’s hands tightened around the books clutched to their chest at the thought. “I liked your lecture today. You probably didn’t see me. I was in the back.” They felt their face darkening with warmth and color. “I appreciated that you touched on the factor that time plays on the magic you’re trying to dispel. I’ve always found that the older the spell is the more effort I have to put into dispelling it. But um. You probably know more about it than I do.”

[inathanna]

Cinder:

Cinder blinked a few times. At first, he thought it was just going to be an easy job. She did appear to consider his rates, which no one has ever done, and what danger would there even be in accompanying a lost girl to a book seller in Heritage Avenue? Usually, those he would approach from out of the blue would only roll their eyes at him and wave him off. He’d try again to talk them into paying for his services, as flexible as they needed to be, and they’d wave him off again. Rinse and repeat for at least three more times, and Cinder’s new client would break under his annoying persistence, though they usually stood their ground on how much they’d pay him. It was a fair compromise, he believed. As long as he got paid, he would still be able to eat.

This time, though, it seemed he had found the perfect…employer. Not only was she considering his own preference for his payment but she was also considering just paying him without him even doing anything. At that thought, Cinder grinned, a twinkle in his eye showing. He could basically take her silver without even breaking a sweat. This wasn’t just an easy job, after all. This was the best job, and Cinder was going to milk this cow until she gets dried up like a freshly squeezed— Wait, did she say trouble? Did she think he was a hooligan, mugging her in the middle of the street without even considering stealth and a good story as a back-up plan? He was almost offended.

“Trouble? I’m not offering you trouble, milady…unless that’s what you’re into.” He feigns a cough, shaking his head. He should not go down that path again. The last time he allowed an employer to pay him for…trouble, he ended up unable to walk for three days. That was not a good time to be poor and hungry. He got paid, yes, and in a lot of gold, but how was he supposed to buy himself food if he couldn’t even walk to the tavern? That was a terrible plan and a worse decision. “What I’m offering you is my protection! I’ll see to it that no harm come to you, fair maiden. Not even an insect bite.”

At this point, Cinder had grown too confident, that he was even promising miracles. How the heck could he even prevent an insect from biting the woman. It’s not like he could use his magic to keep them away from her precious, gold-having skin. Oh, wait, he probably can. But that would cost her more. It should. It’s definitely one of those services that no other hunter in this city can provide. At least he thinks that’s true. Overconfidence often clouds one’s better judgment. Or better wits. If he even had any. 

“…and all of that for the measly cost of one, two gold pieces?” He watched her reaction to his price. Maybe he can even go higher.

Hanna felt their annoyance growing the longer they stood there letting the man called them things like ‘milady’ and ‘fair maiden.’ It made Hanna’s stomach twist, and they considered again just running, or making him go away with the use of magic. But that would be irresponsible.  They tried to remind themselves what Professor Nigh had always taught them, that it was important to be inconspicuous and observe, to wait and be patient. That had always been the hardest lesson for Hanna to learn. Maybe though, that would be the best course of action here. Hanna sighed, taking off the round spectacles from their face and cleaning the glass as the man calling himself Cinder negotiated his price. One or two gold pieces was only about a day’s worth of Hanna’s regular pay. They could probably budget that into their travel expenses. And who knew, maybe Cinder would have useful information on Runswick.

“First of all,” Hanna said, trying to sound more confident than they felt. “I’m not a maiden, or a lady. You can call me Hanna… because that’s my name. And I don’t really need protection from anything. I know I don’t look like much, but I can take care of myself.” Hanna wasn’t sure if this was a lie or not. In theory, Hanna could call on the power of Aureon to aid them in any fight they got into, but in reality, Hanna had never so much as thrown a punch.

“But I might appreciate some information on the city and a guide.” There was an awkward pause as what meager bravado Hanna had built up quickly rushed out of them on their next exhale. What more were they supposed to say? Talking to new people was always so hard. Hanna never knew what they wanted from them, though they supposed all this man really wanted was money. “Um. One gold sounds reasonable, since you’re just escorting me to Heritage Avenue. But I do have to hurry so I can get there before the shops close so, uh…”

With a frantic little wave of their hand, they stepped widely around Cinder and started to continue in the direction they’d been heading before he’d stopped them. They kept their eyes down to the ground, face flushing with heat, and unwilling to look up to see if Cinder was following them. A big part of them hoped he’d maybe think Hanna was crazy and not worth the trouble, but bullies rarely ever thought along those lines.

[inathanna]

Rex‌:

Rexly listened to Hanna as they rambled on. He nodded when it was appropriate. The name Gildas was familiar perhaps it was mentioned in one of his father’s books somewhere. Something about the alchemical reactions and the fauna types made it click in his head. Maybe he had learned something from his father after all.  “Oh I think I’ve heard of him. Shame about his home if only he’d worked in a shed outside or something. At least this one has managed to survive another day.” Rex smiled. Their passion for their books was endearing. It reminded him of his sister, just a tad if his sister wasn’t awful and probably out for his blood. “Oh It’s fine don’t worry about it Are the rest okay?” He asked raising an eyebrow. Rexly wasn’t much of a reader outside of mindless turn your brain off romance fiction. He actually hated reading from the years of his youth trying and failing to understand necromancy. 

“Are you a student here?” Rex asked bending down to help Hanna pick up the rest of their books. 

Hanna laughed nervously, pushing their glassed up their nose even though they hadn’t been slipping. A habit they had that kept their hands from flailing around them when they spoke. They smiled down at the ground. Even though this person was a stranger, he had at least humored her and been kind enough to help her pick up her books. “The rest are fine, thank you,” they said, standing up and putting them back on the table.

But then they were left standing in front of the stranger, a tiefling with a broken horn. Hanna found their eyes were drawn to it, but then caught themselves staring and quickly flicked their eyes back down to the ground. There was no doubt a story behind the break, but Hanna couldn’t ask about it.

“Oh um, no I’m not a student. I’m a researcher at the academy. And a cleric at the temple, but sometimes that feels secondary.” This was too much information. He’d probably only been asking to be polite. What did normal people say in polite conversation?

“I’m Hanna!” they blurted, looking up. “Can I buy you something to drink?” Oh Aureon, that sounded like a come on, didn’t it? As if Hanna could ever be so bold! They looked distraught, waving their hands in front of them frantically. “For helping me, I mean. I’m sorry.”

[inathanna]

Allegra‌:

It had been years since stepping into this very library on this very campus. Last time Allegra was here she was cramming for exams, which really meant she was talking too loud, too late, with the same clerics she befriended her very first year. It was all in good fun and she’d never take her friends for granted, but she can’t help but think that’s exactly what she did to her studies. Was it her sorcery that made her entitled or was that just who she was? She knew what was said in courtyard: how the other clerics worked so hard and all she ever needed to do was master control. It’s strange how old places bring up old feelings.

The familiar creak of the wooden chairs against the floorboards snapped her out of her feelings. Good to know some things never change (like the same old busted old furniture). The events played out in slow motion. It was only mere seconds but she was unable to stop it. Her head turned to see the victim - a former classmate - disappear under the avalanche of books and coffee. The pages that didn’t fly freely were stained with coffee or torn in pieces. The halfling gasped in awe, rushing to their aid. The buzzed red hair, those circular frames - she recognized her old classmate in an instant. It was like stepping back in a time capsule, a type of deja vu. This has definitely happened before.

“Hanna- oh gods, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there until it was too late, I promise!” She exclaimed, apologizing profusely. She sat on her hands and knees beside them, even if her small stature made it unnecessary. She watched her peer try to pool together the papers as guilt wracked her mind. 

She pressed her fingers ever-so-delicately against one of the torn pages. The paper glowed softly as she placed into the binding, fitting seamlessly.

“It’ll be tedious, but less so than if I couldn’t literally mend it. And, really, honest, I owe you. I’ll get you new cup of coffee.” Allegra reassured her, pausing to bite her lip. She hoped her incessant chatter didn’t overwhelm them. “And the stains - if it’s too illegible I’ll get a cup of my own and, I don’t know, stay up and write a whole new edition all night. Again, sorry.”

Hanna startled as a voice suddenly sounded in their ears, following by a flurry of movement as someone knelt down beside them. Their hands froze over the pile of books on the ground, their glasses slipping down the bridge of their nose as they tried not to look at the coffee stains or the torn pages. And now someone was here, and speaking so quickly, their voice loud in Hanna’s ears. For a moment they just sat there as the other person with the strangely familiar voice spoke, and wished dearly that they were anywhere else. Or that the ground would swallow them up, or that they could simply stop existing. Embarrassment burned inside them like super-heated coals banging around in their rib cage.

“It’s okay,” they said, because they had to say something. If they just sat there doing nothing, it would be worse. Their eyes flicked up and saw for the first time who the person was who had come to their aid and though they didn’t look directly at the person—only catching glimpses of dark hair and a regal, refined face—Hanna recognize her as one of their former classmates. Allegra had been one of those people that reminded Hanna of her older sister, always charming and surrounded by people. Childishly, Hanna wanted to push her away and tell her to mind her own business, but instead watched her mend the pages of the books with magic. Of course, she knew the perfect spell too. What couldn’t Allegra do?

“You don’t have to do that; it was my fault. I shouldn’t have checked out so many.” Hanna was mumbling, slouching in on themself, hands twisted up in their lap at a loss for what to do with them. Finally, they reached up and took their glasses off, letting the world go fuzzy around the edges so that they wouldn’t have to see everything so sharply. They pretended to clean the glass with the edge of their shirt.

[inathanna]

Ventis‌:

“Whoa.” Ventis grabbed the books before they could fall again. They didn’t mean to grab the other’s arm, but it happens when you have to jump into action to save a books life. “I don’t want to take your table.” Ventis sat the books down, all except one. They opened it up and skimmed the dusty old page for anything interesting. 

“You didn’t answer my questions, little book hoarder.” Ventis chuckled, they had to enjoy the humor within this situation. “No need to apologize either. You didn’t do anything wrong.” This person was very introverted. Next to Ventis it felt like a polar opposite. 

“You aren’t bothering me. I would like some company, maybe just someone to listen. I am actually researching something and judging by your affinity for books……well, you may be able to help. I will make it worth your while.”

Hanna visibly flinched as the other reached out and grabbed their arm, their chest heaving as they waited for the stranger’s next action. They shut their eyes tight behind their glasses and braced themselves to be pushed to the ground. Instead, they felt the stranger take some of their books from their arms, and heard the flipping of paper. Hanna’s eyes snapped open in alarm.

“Please be careful with that, it’s very old and if you don’t have the proper training you could easily tear the pages.” Hanna put the rest of their books on the table with the others the stranger had confiscated, then snatched the book they were leafing through and hugged it to their chest. They didn’t know what else to do, so they just stood there, standing by the table that had once been theirs as the stranger sat and spoke to them.

“There are a lot of researchers at the academy. It’s not very far. If you ask one of the librarians, they could probably help you.” Hanna wasn’t sure what this person actually wanted from them, but their heart was hammering in their chest. Why had the stranger chosen them, when all they had wanted to do was read in peace? They couldn’t help but be annoyed, and in turn, say some things they’d probably come to regret. “But you probably wouldn’t like a place like the academy. Since you said you wanted to live your life instead of read.”

[inathanna]

Grim‌:

“Didn’t have to. I know that look,” Grim drawled, eyebrow raised. And now, he was just a little extra grumpy because this scrawny whoever looked like they thought he was gonna rob them, or something. Slowly, Grim crossed his arms, completely unimpressed, but then something took him by surprise. Niceness. And was his nose broken again? He hadn’t thought the fucker had gotten in that good of a hit. “I don’t got money on me, so. Hope you’re fine with me payin’ you back some other time if you do it.” Grim was still…a bit suspicious, because this was weird, but. Free healing wasn’t something he’d say no to.

Hanna laughed nervously, involuntarily, and then quickly snapped their mouth shut with a sharp clack of their teeth. “Oh, you don’t have to pay me. It’s just magic. But um.” They took a terrifying step forward, eyes fixated on the half-orc’s shoulder instead of his eyes, which seemed to be boring holes right through Hanna’s skull. “I have to uh. Touch. Um. Okay.” They reached out and up, while with their other hand gripped the holy symbol of Aureon they kept pinned to their collar. It glowed beneath their fingers as their other hand blindly patted the man’s cheek. Distantly, Hanna could feel muscle fibers stitching themselves back together, skin becoming unbroken once again, and they quickly took their hand away. “Sorry,” they offered, instinctively.

[inathanna]

Cinder:

With the confidence of the most handsome bachelor in the entire nation, even though he could only afford to take a bath once every two days and his grooming was barely at par with an actual stray’s, Cinder strutted towards the fawnish civilian, grinning widely from ear to ear. Judging from how they froze at the sound of his imposing voice, which wasn’t really as imposing as he thought but more of surprisingly shrill, the shifter had assumed they weren’t from around these parts. Or at the very least, they didn’t usually get called out in the middle of the street. Either way, they smelled like easy prey, and Cinder was one of the best hunters in all of Runswick. At least he thinks he is.

Of course, there was an obvious difference between hunting monsters and meeting people. Some thing, or sometimes even someone, always gets bloodied up when monsters are involved, whereas other people are just plain boring and unnecessarily tedious to deal with. Unfortunately, Cinder was by design ignorant of such differences. Interacting with both monsters and people have always ended up with him getting paid, after all, and that’s all that really matters to him. Besides, today was a terrible day for him. All the bounties had already been taken, and none of those who had taken the bounties wanted him in their respective parties. Their loss, though. Cinder still had an ace up his sleeve, which was a phrase he had just recently learned from One-Eyed Jack, the old man who kept playing and losing at card games in Lunacrest. That ace? Whoever the heck this person is.

“No, thank you!” He repeated to them in response, much louder than they had managed. Cinder quickly took two wide steps, blocking the innocent passerby’s path towards…Heritage Avenue? Oh, she definitely has gold then. The thought instantly fed his grin to grow even wider upon his lips, if that was even possible at this point. To this scared innocent stranger, this encounter was probably less exciting, as how Cinder was taking to the interaction, and more horrifying. He was also oblivious to that possibility. “Let me guess? You’re lost? You need assistance, maybe an enforcer to keep you safe? I’ll say it again then: Today is your lucky day!”

Under normal circumstances, Cinder would offer no more than a grunt or a wave at anyone else. He’d simply keep to himself, stay out of someone else’s way, but his current circumstances were nowhere near normal. The past few days have not been kind to him, especially to his stomach, and he really needs the gold. “You may call me Cinder. I know this beautiful city like the back of my hand, and I am the best hunter in all of Runswick. For a couple of gold pieces, I will ensure your safety within these great walls. Shall we?”

Hanna jumped back, startled as the stranger stepped into their path. They looked up at him, eyes wide and their hands balling tightly around the strap of their bag, horrified at the order of events. They’d just wanted to conduct their business in peace, and now they were being… extorted? Hanna wasn’t actually quite sure what this man’s plan was, to either mug them or that he truly thought this was the best way to get hired. Now that he was right in front of them, Hanna could see that he was definitely rough around the edges, his wolfish grin spreading across his face in a way that made Hanna’s stomach do queasy somersaults. He introduced himself as Cinder though, and that struck Hanna as something someone who was trying to sneak them off into an alley so that they could steal from them would do. So… a conman then?

But Hanna had known people like this before at university. Well, not exactly like this; most people there were much better groomed or dressed. But Hanna was more than familiar with the type of people who would flash their teeth and smile while they swindled you for all you were worth. Hanna could try to run, but it was obvious he’d already smelled blood, and wouldn’t stop perusing them until he got what he wanted.

“Um.” Hanna said, trying to come up with the words that would solve this. For a shining, brief instant, they considered taking out Aureon’s holy symbol and banishing the man to another plane for a minute in order to get away. But that likely wouldn’t turn out very well for anyone involved. Their eyes darted this way and that, looking for someone who might step in and save them, but found that most people weren’t even paying attention to this interaction.

So instead, they hunched in on themselves further. “What are your rates? I’m here to buy a book from a special merchant in Heritage Avenue. I don’t think there will be many threats to protect me from there.” Their voice was only slightly louder than a mumble. It wasn’t an outright rejection, but Hanna hoped it would get the point across that whatever fun there was to be had in this city, they would not be providing any of it. “But if it’s just coin you want, I have a few spare silver pieces. I just… I don’t want any trouble, please.”

[inathanna]

Sarkesh‌:

Sarkesh looked at Hanna in mild confusion for a few seconds before he realized what they had.“Oh my god thank you so much!” He sighed. Trust him to go out and drop the one thing his sister had asked him to get her. There would have been a war worse than the one that was currently brewing. That sounded dramatic but Sarkesh wasn’t allowed to fight back when it came to his sister.   “Thank you for returning this to me! It’s purfume for my sister she would have committed cold blooded murder if I went home without it.” Sarkesh gently took the parcel from Hanna and put it in to a more secure pocket of his bag. “Is there a way I could repay you for your kindness? A hot meal maybe? Oh! Uh…what’s your name?”

Hanna shifted their weight awkwardly, unsure of how to depart now that they’d engaged in this social interaction. They were glad they’d helped the man, but Hanna was sure if they stayed for much longer they’d find some way to say something wrong and offend him. “Oh, I’m Hanna,” they answered, slightly surprised. Were they doing introductions now? Was he serious about buying them a hot meal? All because they’d picked up something he’d dropped? 

“And I’m okay. Really. You don’t have to buy me anything, I’m not even-” Before they could finish the sentence, their stomach betrayed them by making an audible growling noise. Humiliating. The worst thing that could possibly happen. When was the last time they’d eaten? Hanna tried to remember, but couldn’t under the pressure of all the blood suddenly rushing to their face. 

“...hungry,” they finished, lamely. 

[inathanna]

Efrain‌:

Date: May 6th.  Time: Mid-morning.  Location: Aureon’s Temple, Khaggon.  Status: Closed. @inathanna

Efrain had visited his god’s temple more times in the last month than he had the previous three decades combined. He knew the brick and mortar of the temple didn’t contain the answers for his questions as they weren’t the sort of inquiries that could be answered with rigorous research. No amount of pacing through the halls or harassment of his old mentor would change that, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying. 

While the lower floor of the temple housed worship rooms and libraries, the upper floors were reserved for study spaces that could be used by local followers at their leisure, but Torlamarian had claimed one as his own centuries ago and no one was about to question his claim to the space. Efrain had been loitering since dawn and Torla’s patience had clearly worn thin as he had abruptly ushered Efrain out of the study with well-meaning but characteristically brusque admonishments along with a suggestion that Efrain acquire a “better” cat that would provide him better company. Efrain had also been roughly handed a binder of research regarding chronic nightmares and several books that looked to be newly printed adventures rather than anything academic. He shut Torlamarian’s study door behind him with an amused, if disgruntled, farewell. 

Efrain turned away from the office without looking up from his bundle, familiar enough with the halls that he didn’t need to watch where he was going to reach his destination. As he’d guessed, they were simply novels with adventures full of plights and daring deeds. All three of them were newly printed and still smelled of sour ink. They weren’t something Torla would ever be caught dead reading and Efrain frowned. He must be worrying his old mentor quite a lot for him to stoop to shopping in the fiction section. 

Hanna raced up the stairs leading to the upper floors of the temple, breath coming in short, sharp gasps as the muscles in their legs burned with exertion. If they continued on like this, they would likely begin to feel a painful stitch in their side from lack of oxygen. It was hardly a distraction though; their mind was only focused on one goal, and everything else seemed to fall by the wayside like it always did when Hanna got like this.  They skidded around a corner, boots making a terrible squealing noise on the marble floors, and slowed down as they got closer to Sir Torlamarian’s office. Their eyes darted down the different hallways, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other half-elf that Hanna had only seen in passing before.

Finally, they heard another set of footsteps just down the hall and around the corner, though they were getting more and more distant. Hanna could tell by the pristine rhythm of them though, that whoever it was had been trained in the military, a set of footsteps used to falling in with other soldiers. A very promising lead. Hanna started running again.

And just as they suspected, as Hanna rounded the corner, there was Sir Crayhorn- the junior, his adopted father having died in battle a little over a year ago- looking down at something in his hands as he walked in the opposite direction. “Sir Crayhorn,” Hanna called, hurrying to catch up with him, still very out of breath. When he seemed to notice him, the words just seemed to spill from their mouth. “I need a book on necromancy!”

It was only then at that moment, that they realized this was in no way a proper way to initiate conversation with anyone, but especially not a knight of the crown. Hanna skidded to a halt about ten feet from Sir Efrain, eyes going wide as they realized exactly what they’d done without thinking. “I mean- sorry, I skipped some steps. It’s a specific book. Duvak’s Unoffical History of Recorded Lich Tomes. Um. We have a copy in one of the restricted sections of the archives, and normally I’d have access to that, except one of my…” Hanna struggled to find the words, hands waving through the air as if trying to catch some elusive invisible butterflies. “… one of my colleagues has had it checked out for months now. But one of the archivists told me that you might have one of the other copies in your library.” Then the words ran out, and, feeling lightheaded, all Hanna was able to add was a pitiful extra, “Sorry.”

[inathanna]

Ventis:

Ventis was hungover. What a night it had been. The bottle clutched in their fingers to remedy the growing disgust building in the pit of their stomach. Yes, they needed a rest. The cafe was small, small enough to notice the oddity of a pile of books stacked on the table….curious. Ventis was not one who liked to read, rather one who wanted to be written about. The good and not the bad.

So, in true intrusive fashion, the genasi dragged a chair toward the book worm. They made sure to be louder than needed to announce their presence. When the books flew from the table, Ventis chuckled. Their mischievous grin bleeding into their eyes as they picked up a book, “you were going to read all of these at once?” Ventis piled a few books upon the table rather carelessly. They didn’t really care to check them for damage.

“Oh, better check that one for a pulse…it looks rather dull and lifeless. I will never understand the appeal in hurrying yourself in a book for hours. Yes, reading is good for the mind…but wouldn’t you rather live it too?”

Hanna hadn’t noticed the other person arrive at their table, though now that they looked up at the sound of their voice, they saw that they must have dragged a chair all the way over in order to stake a claim. They watching in increasing horror as the stranger picked up a few of Hanna’s books, their posture and demeanor already all too familiar to Hanna. They wanted the world to know they didn’t care, and likely they wanted Hanna to know it too. Hanna’s eyes darted over to the books the stranger was putting back on the table, now even more worried for their safety. They quickly gathered the rest of the pile that was still on the ground into their arms and stood up, but didn’t move to retake their seat at the table.

“Um, sorry,” they said, for lack of anything better to say. How were they supposed to respond to that sort of question? In Hanna’s experience, it was best not to argue and just leave as quietly as possible. Maybe if their responses weren’t entertaining, the stranger would get bored and go away instead of harassing them further. “If I’m bothering you, I can just go to a different table. You can have this one.”

Hanna reached out to try and take one of the books off the table, but quickly found that their arms were already too full, and struggled not to drop them all again. Why had they thought checking so many out at one time would be a good idea?

[inathanna]

rex‌:

Rex didn’t usually spend time in this part of the city but his work had taken him to stranger places. It was nice seeing the students of the Academy going about their day. If he’d not been certified stupid Rex wondered if he’d also been a student, not in Khaggon of course probably in Itresa. Rex stopped for a minute outside the cafe wondering if he had time for a pot of tea before he had to go report back to Abad about some potted plants. 

Rex winced as he heard a grating sound he saw a person drop their pile books and Rexly made a quick dive to save one.  Rexly let out a sigh of relief managing to catch one book in his hands. He walked over to Hanna picking up another off the ground.  “Here I managed to catch one before it hit the ground. This one,” Rexly pointed to a book bound in a green cover. “Should be fine, I promise my hands are clean.”

Hanna flinched at the sudden sound of a voice coming from above and looked up to see a teifling man, his skin the shade of purple that reminded them of the petunias that used to grow in their father’s massive garden. But even more importantly was the book he was holding in his hand. “Oh!” Hanna quickly stacked some of the books they’d gathered back on the table, then, still kneeling down on the ground, took the book from the man, and looked it over for marks.

“It’s not your hands I’m worried about, it’s just that this book is a second addition Gildas. Most of his collection was lost five decades ago in a massive fire that took out most of his home and killed two of his children. He never published anything again and he was already known for guarding his work meticulously- unarguably a mistake on his part seeing as that meant most of his work was locked away in the home that burned. But his work on alchemical reactions in the different fauna types in Anari when exposed to soil he claimed came from the Feywild was astounding, if not a little dubious, given the nature of any claims that have to do with the Feywild.”

As Hanna was rambling, their fingers flipped gently through the pages, of the book, and when they found that it was completely unscathed, only then did they realize that they’d been rambling for quite some time. Suddenly, and mid-sentence, their mouth shut with a sharp click of teeth. Hanna could feel their cheeks warm and grow red. “Um. I mean, thank you. For catching it. The book. Sorry.”

[inathanna]

cinder‌:

Date: May 3rd Time: Afternoon Location: Lunacrest, Runswick Status: Open

The first time Cinder stepped foot within the great city walls of Runswick, its massive redwood forest the primary draw for the wildhunt shifter and the beast within, he found himself directed by fate to Lunacrest, where the beautiful city’s many bounties were kept and celebrated. Right then and there, Cinder knew that Runswick’s popular tavern, for so many obvious reasons, would be the perfect place for him, a place he could call home. …if he wasn’t sleeping in random stables all over the city, anyway. 

Authorities, nobles, alchemists, collectors, farmers… It did not even really matter to Cinder who posted the bounty. As long as they paid well and the monsters were only deadly in theory, none so far has managed to kill him, he was going to make himself worthy of that gold. Of course, bounties on deadly monsters usually required more than one adventurer, so Cinder had to work with others to make his gold.

Today, Cinder was on the prowl for a bounty to feed him. Unfortunately, today’s bounties were all already taken, and even though some of them were still looking to recruit more allies, Cinder had already worked with everyone who has taken a bounty, and for some reason, they were all not fans of his work. 

It’s probably because he only ever tends to communicate with others in grunts and gestures. Or maybe it’s because he often gets lost in his own thoughts, reveries, becoming oblivious to his surroundings, leading to traps being triggered. Maybe it’s because he believes that meddling in the affairs of others only causes troubles, which is why he had rarely helped his previous allies whenever they ended up fighting for their lives, telling them he’d rather not get in their way, even though any brief assistance would’ve been very helpful. It never helped that he is quite secretive as well, failing to inform others of important details that could’ve saved them time and effort.

“Whatever then!” He screamed back amid the laughing and jeering at his expense. 

The shifter was used to this kind of treatment. He had been experiencing it everywhere ever since… The very shadow of the memory made him scowl, as if a disgusting drink had somehow made its way down his throat. His past had never been a fun trip down memory lane. It had always been more of a place he never wanted to visit, a place he was too disgusted to visit. 

There was no point in crying over filled bounties. “I’ll just find someone I can goad into paying for my service…any service. Just no weird stuff!”

Just as he opens the door out of the tavern, he spots a passerby outside who looks like they’d have gold on them, though to be fair, to Cinder, everyone except him probably has gold on them. 

“Oi! You over there! It’s your lucky day!”

Even as evening approached and Hanna disembarked from the caravan they’d payed to ride along with into Runswick, the city seemed to bustle and teem with life and beauty. It struck Hanna as feeling out of place with their current mood: exhausted, uncomfortable from the long journey, and nervous without the usual calming presence of their professor by their side. Hanna had little experience with field work, especially field work that wasn’t exactly sanctioned by the academy or temple, but they couldn’t let that stop them. They clutched their bag to them tightly, wary of pickpockets, and gave an awkward goodbye to the leader of the caravan, tipping them a few silver before heading down the street.

For a few minutes, as they walked, Hanna tried to keep their eyes on the ground in front of them and hurriedly make their way to Heritage Avenue before the shops closed, but all the noise and shouting from restaurants and taverns and stalls with merchants selling goods kept drawing their attention away to the point that it was becoming increasingly overwhelming. They wanted to dart into an alleyway, to catch their breath for a little while, but instead froze, in the middle of the street, as someone called out to them directly.

Hanna looked in the direction of the voice and found the mere silhouette of a man standing in the doorway of what had to be the biggest or rowdiest tavern in the city. Hanna felt as if they were a fawn, wide eyed at the sight of a hunter, and managed one half step backwards. They new traveling alone had been a bad idea. Now they would have to deal with this man probably trying to… con them? Somehow?

“N-no thank you,” they managed, probably too quietly for him to hear, then quickly turned and started walking quickly towards Heritage Avenue again.