Achronum

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Hospital
Skills: N/A

“Oh, uh, yeah. Uh, thanks for the help and sorry for bothering you again. Have a great day.” James waved goodbye, again, and stiffly marched back to Casper. An awkward pit settled firmly in his stomach because of course someone was going to deal with the weather. He’d been here for months, he should be used to that by now and if he’d have waited for longer than two seconds, it would have happened anyways. Now, he just looked like a demanding idiot. Thankfully, Casper was an easy subject to get distracted by, either because he was handsome, adorable,and sexy all wrapped into one person or he was about to do something terrible for his and/or someone else’s health. Though if James was being 100% honest, it was usually both.

And in this instance, it was Ben’s return. James would never say anything against Ben nor their friendship; afterall, Ben was here first and he was a chill ghost but Casper was far more easily riled up with Ben around and considering their 2 month old son was in Casper’s arms, James was a little hesitant to let that slide. “Well, now that they chased the rain away, do you mind if I hold Daniel on the walk home? I want to cuddle the baby a little.” James asked, not technically lying. Now that the doctor’s visit was over, James did want to hold their son again but he didn’t slide in the extra bit. “How was Ben’s day? Where was he hanging out today?”

The Shattering of Aegis

The Soft Haven Bounty House

_{14th of the Full Autumn Moon, 1698 P.A.
Mid morning - Clear Skies}

_{@Hero@Trainerblue192@Obscene Symphony@Scribe of Thoth@McMolly}

Cerric clapped his hands together in delight as one of the newcomers engaged with him. “That we do! When we finally decided on this beautiful locale, the residents of Soft Haven were quick to bend our ears with tales of The Rancor of Morn Og. As I’m sure you will recall, the Siege of Soft Haven raged for nearly a week before the arriving forces of Finnagund bravely broke their ranks and cut down their leaders in barely half a day. Morn Og was the orc leader of this army of curs and when the commander of the royal forces cut him clean in twain, Morn Org’s dying breath was a curse imbued with so much loathing and hatred, it gave birth to a demon.” Through the story, Cerriac made simple gestures with his hands, bubbling water swirling together between them to create vague silhouettes of the scenes he described. “Everyone gave us a different detail: more eyes than a spider, more teeth than a shark, more claws than a wolf, all tucked into the body of a massive stag trailing the stench of burned flesh and rot.” The water warped into the likeliness of such a creature and then froze at Cerric’s command, the ice sculpture in his palm.

“Of course, Katya took to the tale like a fish to water. She’s been hunting this beast since we first heard of it. A tale tale indeed but there is power in stories, true or not. As our hired labor came in, we kept constant watch. A few claw marks here and there, spooked a few men away alright, but nothing more than that.” Cerric offered up the sculpture for Ceolfric to take, even as it started to drip. “So the short of it is yes, we are aware of it but no, we are not concerned. While we’ve never seen it, It’s made little more than threatening gestures and should it decide to take a more aggressive approach, Katya will finally have the opportunity to rend it limb from limb with all the gusto of a gluttony at a feast!” Cerric finished brightly, addressing Eila next “But by all means, my Lady, please share your worries. You look as if you’ve seen a ghost!”

“Classification of aetherborn. If you plan to take some of the better paying opportunities, I recommend you educate yourself on the basics of aetherborn. A better understanding of your skills will serve well to increase your chances of survival.” Aleka commented as he wrote, his words entirely without inflection. “Liliann Storyborn, Asvari in race, no kin to speak of, storyteller, and another Dranirian. A Genisian Aetherborn. I would recommend Lady Silvantris as a potential mentor but she finds those in your profession exhausting on a good day. On a bad one, you may very well find your clothes trying to strangle you.” Aleka turned his attention to Kyreth as he carefully blotted Liliann’s page dry.

“Another Asvari, I see. Your name, if I may, and an elaboration on the details of your partnership.” Aleka stated as dipped his quill in his inkwell.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Hospital
Skills: N/A

"In a controlled environment but rain is not that. We don't want him to catch a cold. Damn, it's really coming down too." James hadn't realized rain was in the forecast or he'd have brought them an umbrella. He could run home and grab one but he really didn't want to be away from Casper and Daniel. Not because an unsupervised Casper had a knack for finding trouble but because Casper holding their kid was adorable as hell and Janes didn't want to do anything but watch their little family together.

"Hey Ben." Greeted the ghost, even if he didn't know where he was at the moment. Maybe they should just wait out the weather? But they still had shopping to do and he'd rather wrap Casper and Daniel up in the blankets at home than make them wait in the hospital. He tapped his foot, more than a little annoyed but maybe the hospital had something to help?

"Give me a sec, babes. Gunna see if we can get umbrellas or something from Bee." He kissed Casper and little Daniel and headed back to the poor woman he'd been bothering so much. "You're going to hate me by the end of the day but do you know if there is somewhere nearby we can grab umbrellas? I don't want to take our baby into the rain without something covering him."

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

The bite of unforgiving wood and the creeping chill of the unnatural fog left Clarissa mourning the loss of her carriages back home. She took a moment to shake out the ache once she’d disembarked and rubbed her hands together despite the gloves. Clarissa and the cold held each other in equal contempt and neither were pleased at the intrusion of the other, if the vindictive way the ever present chill clawed its way down to the bone was anything to go by. Clarissa clicked her tongue irritably as she was wont to do in displeasing situations as she attempted to gain some meager understanding of the town around them.

Despite her claims otherwise, fear was an emotion Clarissa was well acquainted with. Its chokehold had cost her two years of her life, buried beneath the once insurmountable weight of her bloodline. So she was quite sure the quickening of her pulse and the faint tremble in her fingers wasn’t fear. A twinge of concern, sure. After all, her closest friend and staunchest ally was off galavanting elsewhere beyond her magic’s help but if anyone would make it out of an impossible situation, she knew it would be Jorah. Still, she bowed her head briefly and offered up a prayer, that Jorah’s arrows would fly true and his steps would carry him safely back to them, unharmed and unburdened by the weight of his gifts.

No, what quivered in her fingers and boiled in her blood was anger; righteous and white hot at the obvious bait laid out before them. Their numbers cut, their vision questionable, and their intel even worse, the only thing Clarissa was certain of was that the battle was already decided. The Goddess was on their side and thus, the only ending to this trap was victory. “Rudolf, let’s apply your analysis into something a tad more productive than questioning the orders of our Professors. The one thing you can trust is their politics‒the massacre of their students would likely obliterate the institution’s reputation, especially since they’d be crippling the future of all three nations in a single blow.” Clarissa couldn’t remember the last time she’d thought about the quiet boy but she couldn’t help rolling her eyes at his whining. They were here to learn, to improve, and to help, not whine and protest an inescapable situation.

“Furthermore, the Goddess smiles on us and us alone here. It is we who will carry Her light into this Darkness and with Her radiance in hand, emerge triumphant. Every choice and every decision has brought you here beneath Her gaze. None of us have failed Her before and no amount of heresy shall mark this as our beginning. Stiffen your spines and hold up your chins. It is we who carry Deliverance this day. Through whatever horrors may await us in this mists, we shall emerge victorious in spite of them!” Determination radiated off her in waves as she spoke, her voice carrying into the mist.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Hospital
Skills: N/A

"I'll keep that in mind. Maybe we'll do a little testing with your power. Already have some interesting ideas if you're up for it. But thank you for this. We couldn't get this anywhere else and we'll treasure it forever." James gestured at the cube as he tucked it away in the little bag of supplies. He pressed a kiss to Daniel's forehead and then to Casper's cheek. "Yeah, we'll lean on her a lot I'm sure. Gotta have her in Daniel's life as much as we can." James knew it wouldn't be any other way; Casper was a total mamaa's boy, after all.

"Well, why don't we swing by the apartment, drop off this kit and see if the baby is hungry, and then we can go introduce him to your mom and see if she is willing to help us hunt down some supplies?" James suggested as he waved a quick goodbye to Bee and headed towards the apartment. As much as he wanted to keep this to themselves a little longer, they did need more help than not from this point forward. "'Cause honestly, I don't even know where to start or what to consider about some of the supplies we'll need."

The Shattering of Aegis

The Soft Haven Bounty House

_{14th of the Full Autumn Moon, 1698 P.A.
Mid morning - Clear Skies}

_{@Hero@Trainerblue192@Obscene Symphony@Scribe of Thoth@McMolly}

Aleka nodded as Ceolfric spoke, quill writing small, neat lines across the blank page. It continued far longer than the brigand spoke, the briefest pauses only when the half-elf glanced up at new faces wandering in through the door and then at the pianist whose excitement grew more and more visible with each and every person entering. “This information is necessary in deciding what jobs we consider you capable of handling, including what connections and influence you may wield as well as what connections and influences wield you. Both the Bounty House and Lord Mystralath strive to maintain excellence in their service and reputation; sending the wrong person to a job reflects poorly on both.” Aleka explained as he procured an ink blotter and carefully rocked it over the ink.

The blue elf finally shoved himself off the piano bench, smoothing out his vest before making his way to the amassing group with a wide smile. “Welcome, welcome friends! Such an interesting cast of characters walking through the doors this morning. And from the looks of it,” The man took in the glow on Kyreth’s face, the shining orange of Eila’s eyes, and the writhing mass of shadows with blatant glee. “Most of you are aetherborn, though I’m not sure about our fine masked friend here. You are safe here; if you wish, you may remove your mask. We have no qualms about any and all joining our little venture! Oh but my manners. My name is—”

“One moment, Mr. Laidon.” Aleka interrupted, ignoring the dramatic flourish the elf was building up to. “If you will please move off to the side Ceolfric. I will continue to process others and then will address you all at the same. Next individual interested in joining the Bounty House please step forward. The rest of you may continue to be entertained by Mr. Laidon until it is your turn.”

The elf had been holding both arms out, seeming frozen as he waited for Aleka, before performing an unnecessarily grand bow. “Cerric Liadon, merchant by trade, primordial aethornborn, and Master of Coin for the Soft Haven Bounty House.” He continued as if never even interrupted. “I am truly looking forward to a profitable relationship for us all! If you have worries or concerns, I would be absolutely tickled pink to assuage them!”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Hospital
Skills: N/A

James situated himself behind Casper for the picture, resting his chin on Casper’s shoulder and tucking his arms up beneath Casper’s were he was holding Daniel. As Bee counted down and he beamed at her like the proud dad he was, it really hit him that they were parents. They were responsible for another person’s life―a child’s life―just like that. And James was at the limit of what commercials, movies, and passing the baby section of Target had taught him. Hopefully someone on this island had a Parenting for Dummies book.

“Never had a kid. Just watched TV and the Target I used to go to puts their baby section right in front of electronics. But that’s pretty much what I got. We’re going to have to do a little asking around about the rest.” James admitted as he squeezed Casper a little tighter before letting him go.“And I am definitely not being called Daddy our kid. We’re avoiding that at all costs.” James continued with a shake of his head as he gently took the hard light copy out of Bee’s hand.

“Babes, look how cool this is! God you are unfairly handsome, but this is so interesting!” James marveled over the little cube, holding it up for Casper to see the image better as wheels turned in his head. “Bee, does it always create it in this cube construct? Does it always come out this size? If you look at something entirely 2D, can you generate it into a 3D image or does it stay 2D and just create whatever media the image is on?”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Hospital
Skills: N/A

"You don't have anything to worry about, babes. You won't get trench foot just from swimming." James said, mostly confident. He wasn't really sure how one got trench foot but it couldn't be just from swimming. Wet socks maybe? Something about moisture. James huffed in amusement as Bee led them through the hospital. Casper was clearly rubbing off on him if he was rambling in his own head about something as bizarre as trench foot.

James accepted the bag from Bee. "Thank you very much. We really appreciate all the help, Bee." James thanked her sincerely, carefully putting the bag over his shoulder before replying to Casper. "Well, I wasn't really sure how the formula was stored? I only ever saw it in powdered form in the stores so I just kinda assumed it was that and we had to mix it, put it in the bottle, and then warm it up." James explained with a shrug. "So, that's some stuff down. We should hunt down the other stuff we need next, like a crib and some clothes."

It was a weird experience, suddenly feeling little bubbles of happiness in his chest for no other reason than the love of his life was holding their son. James could just soak in the sight of them, watch them together forever, and he had an idea. He turned back to Bee. "Would you mind taking a picture of the three of us actually? Babes, do you mind if we take a picture together real quick?"

The Shattering of Aegis

Aleka Doneka

Interacting with: @Scribe of Thoth

“In addition to your given name, I require your surname, prior and/or current occupation, village or city and country of origin, the same information for your next of kin, a brief description of your skills, and assuming that I do not need to summon the grave keeper, what classification gave you that tongue.” Aleka listed after giving him a long look after his introduction.

As Aleka finished, so did the music. It was jarring and sudden as the pianist abandoned his song to turn in his seat, child-like excitement written plainly across his face. The blue skinned elf wore a white shirt with a high collared shirt with a cascade of ruffles falling down the front of the shirt and framed by the royal blue vest and paired with a pair of dark hose that ended in boots with far more buckles than necessary. He didn’t move to get up but he was tapping the tips of all twelve of his fingers together in excitement.

The Shattering of Aegis

The Soft Haven Bounty House

_{14th of the Full Autumn Moon, 1698 P.A.
Mid morning - Clear Skies}

_{@Hero@Trainerblue192@Obscene Symphony@Scribe of Thoth@McMolly}

It was a short trip from the edge of the bridge to the front door of the Bounty House, up a barely noticeable slope and a few short steps. With the new angle, one could see that the House was built far more forward that appeared from the shore, leaving a sizable amount of land further beyond. A section along the left side of the House had been cleared and beaten down into nothing more than dirt. The ground was heavy distrubed and there were several indents where something heavy had hit the ground hard. A glance to the right would reveal a well manicured garden running the length of the patio that wrapped around the building, flowers still in bloom as they entered the end of their season.

The doors of the Bounty House continued the same diamond pattern present on the bridge, four interlocking diamonds carved into the rich, dark wood. The doors were unlocked and pressing past them would reveal what seemed like an entirely different building. While the stairs and the large fireplace on the right were still the original stone; stone bled into wood in much the same manner as the lanterns along the bridge, creating a strange display of aetheric construction. The right side of the main floor held scattered couches and chairs around tables, plush rugs scattered for comfort as the nights grew cooler, and a piano, currently belting out a jaunty tune at the fingers of what appeared to be a blue skinned elf in similar colored finery, at the far end of the room next to a door that presumably led out onto the porch. Heavy tapestries interspersed the windows that looked out over the sprawling garden.

The left side of the room boasted fewer windows and furniture, only a handful of desks that were mostly unoccupied at this hour. Further towards the back, a stairwell headed beneath the main level and another door beyond that along the back of the House. One man did occupy a desk, quill scratching quick notes across one of the various pages of parchment as he consulted a ledger book. Older with heavy set wrinkles in the forehead and eyes, the half elf regarded the interruption of his morning work with a simple glance over the half rims of his glasses, pulled out a long piece of leather, placed it in the ledgerbook before closing it gently and carefully sliding it into the desk he worked at. In its place, another, larger book came out, opening with a heavy thud.

“Welcome to the Soft Haven Bounty House. I am Aleka Doneka, facilitator for this establishment on behalf of Veraz Althma and Lord Malcer Mystralath.” He introduced himself, offering a half bow. Aleka wore a heavy black cloak over a simple but well made gray and white tunic and breeches. He was incredibly monotone, his voice flat and entirely devoid of emotion as he spoke. “If you are looking for work, there are a number of documents you must complete. If you are not literate, I can assist you in this.”

There was one major oddity that stood out from everything else. At the base of the stairs that led into the second and third floors, a large stone circle, large enough for two or three people standing shoulder to shoulder to fit, sat flush with the floor but rimmed with gold. Strange markings, slightly faded, were connected by lines and circles and the stone was clearly of different origin than the outside of the House. It was a chaotic addition to an otherwise warm and inviting interior.