HowlsOfWinter

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

@Athol It isn't necromatic in origin, but it's still related to black magic. Isabel might sense something a little weird since she's familiar with the black arts, but she might not be able to pinpoint what it is exactly.

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

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Interactions: Haf @Sync | Current Location: Tavern

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Groups of people flocked into the tavern as the night progressed, some drinking in jubilation and others drinking to drown out their sorrows. Octavia just emptied her third drink and was starting to feel its effects, her thoughts and vision getting a little bit hazy. She considered calling it a night, but there were so many thoughts she wanted to drown away. Well, the alcohol didn't help. She wasn't the type to mope about her circumstances, but the alcohol compelled her to do so. It led her mind to unwanted places, making her think of a future she'd most likely be deprived of and dreams she shouldn't hold on to.

Octavia was in deep thought when the Giant spoke to her out of the blue, breaking her chain of thought.
"Octavia, correct?" He asked. She absentmindedly responded with a small nod, despite him having his back turned. She continued to stare off into the distance, her eyes a carving a bleakness; empty and unfocused. "You wear calmness in your mien, finally. I thought I sensed a tinge of worry during our travels. Is there something that is amiss, perhaps?" He continued.

"Calm.. Yeah," came her curt reply. Octavia's eyes remained unblinking, and she fell silent for a few moments before shaking her head and snapping herself back to reality. She straightened her back and cleared her throat. "Oh um, sorry.." she muttered apologetically and ran her fingers through her hair. "It was my first journey through the desert, and it left me quite exhausted. I was finally able to get some rest, so everything's good," she continued. The waitress refilled her share of wine, and she muttered a small thank you before taking another sip.

"What of you?" Octavia asked, her voice a little softer than usual. She didn't want to pry into his business, and it felt like she was doing so by asking. "I didn't mean to overhear your conversation with Garrett, but..," her voice trailed off. She was unsure of what to say next, so she pressed her lips together and left it at that.

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Dinner | Current Location: Tavern

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By the time she joined the others, Octavia already had one too many drinks. She gave the new recruits a very basic introduction, "Hi, I'm Octavia. I hope we get along well," before grabbing a huge plate of food, all for herself. It was meant to be shared with the other members, but there were still plenty of food left on the table. They probably wouldn't mind if she took the desserts.

Octavia tried to carry herself like a sober person, but she staggered as she made her way towards an empty table at the corner of the room, separating herself from the others to avoid any embarrassment she might bring upon herself. She started munching on her food, completely ditching the utensils and using her bare hands. The better part of her scolded herself at the back of her mind, but the drunk half just wanted to dig in without a care in the word - and so she did.

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The Next Morning | Interactions: Shion @Arthanus | Current Location: Training Grounds

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Octavia spent the early parts of her morning puking her guts out. She thought it was a mere hangover, but she started coughing up blood, and that's when she realized there was something seriously wrong with her. She felt her insides twist, and the splitting headache was almost too much too bare; all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball. Octavia had to summon her remaining strength in order to clean herself up before passing out in her bed.

Once Shion came by her room to pick her up for morning practice, the headache and nausea was gone, much to her relief. It's as if it was never there, and only the tiredness from the night before was left. Her complexion was still pale, and her body felt heavy. A part of her was worried that the sickness would return later during the day, but Octavia didn't have time to dwell on it. She could only hope for a better scenario and get through the day as best as she could.

Octavia immediately got dressed and followed Shion to the training grounds. It was still early in the morning, and some of the others were still asleep. Once they got there, Octavia started warming up with some practice shots, eager to distract herself from further unnecessary thoughts.

Although Octavia learned how to use a bow at a young age, she never spent her time practicing it, so her aim needed some work. She nocked an arrow and released, missing the center mark by a few inches.

After a couple missed shots, Octavia decided to step back and observe Shion with his bow. She watched as he shot an arrow, hitting the mark with accuracy.

"So Miss Octavia, are you looking forward to anything when we get back to Lord Sanada's estate?" He asked.

Octavia thought about it as she grabbed another arrow and nocked it, trying to apply what she had learned from observing him. "Probably the warm baths." She released the arrow and was able to hit the bullseye, but it didn't land perfectly at the center; her shot lacked the accuracy that Shion's had.

"I'll let you in on a little secret. I got a girl back home, none of the Irregulars know. She is the third daughter of one of Lord Sanada's retainers."

Octavia fell quiet after his sudden revelation, unsure of what to say. "Although I don't think we can ever really be together. I'm just the son of a farmer after all, and she is as good as nobility," he continued. Octavia's eyebrows furrowed, and she was about to open her mouth to disagree, but he proceeded to ask, "What do you think, Miss Octavia? do you think I really have a chance?"

There was a trace of emotion in his voice as he asked the question, and Octavia didn't hesitate to give her reply. The answer was simple. "Of course," she said, looking at him with genuine honesty in her eyes. "Love doesn't have barriers, and the circumstances of our birth doesn't determine our worth in our lifetime." As she said the last part, she couldn't help but think of herself. Octavia wanted to believe that there was more to her than the family she was born from.

"Besides," she continued, taking and arrow from the quiver, "If you're lucky enough to find love, then you should hold on to it. Not many are lucky enough to find something like that." Octavia focused on her shot as she positioned the arrow and released it. It whizzed through the air, hitting the center. Octavia beamed, returning her attention back to Shion. "At least that's what I think," she shrugged. Not that she'd know much about romantic love. She hasn't experienced it herself, and it didn't seem to belong in her own realm of possibilities. Although she used to dream of having her own family someday, it just wasn't possible, and she hasn't bothered to think about it for awhile.

All of a sudden, Octavia started to feel nausea rise from her stomach, and she had to suppress the urge to gag. "W-we should probably head back for some breakfast," she said abruptly, hoping he'd agree so she could run back to her room. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she had to stay still and act as if nothing was amiss. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, keeping her head low and her eyes fixed on the ground. Her grip tightened around the bow. It took a lot of her focus just to remain on her feet.

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

@Sync Nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it! Quality of posts will deteriorate though.

EDIT: Need Octavia to go back to the room so I can lessen her interactions for the next round. Typing that much with a 3ds is much harder than I thought. :( Don't hesitate to interact with my character though, I'll still reply.

Edit2: @Sync Just read your edited post. Will have to edit mine since the timeline is wrong, but I won't be able to edit it until tomorrow. Just proceed like normal.

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

I'm literally using a pen and notebook, then i'll type it with my 3ds once i'm done.

My new phone is arriving in two weeks, so life will be hellish till then.

My effort game is strong.

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

I'm woking on a post. My laptop's still broken, and my phone literally just broke this morning, so I'm doing this using my 3ds. Smh.

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

@13org They'd probably have to stay in the stables, with the horses. I think you can just make it up as you go

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

@Athol dammit yui and octavia could've bathed together fufu~

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

@ShwiggityShwah I don't mind. Feel free to interact with my character anytime. Octavia doesn't have much to do.

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I wasn't really sure what to have her do in this post, but at least I finally finished it. My brain is fried.

Edit:
I was going to have Octavia approach Half, but he's too intimidating.

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

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Current Location: Tavern

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It was a crisp cool evening, the light of day draining away. The city buzzed with locals and tourists, every corner filled with music and wild merriment. The streets were littered with wooden stalls, brick houses, lights and ornamental plants — there was life wherever you looked. The atmosphere was a stark contrast to the desert; it almost felt surreal to be back in civilization.

Upon their arrival, Octavia and the group headed straight for one of the city's taverns. It was evidently less crowded than the other housing and drinking establishments, most likely because it was a tad more pricey. The tavern was well-lit, the floors were carpeted, and there was even a small fireplace at the corner of the room. The ambiance was great, and the Irregulars' rooms were all conveniently located on the second floor. The only thing the establishment lacked was an open bath house, but Octavia fortunately spotted one a few blocks down the road.

After setting up her things in her room, Octavia's gaze landed on the bow she had received from their last raid. Octavia was learning quick with the help of Gwen and Shion as her mentors, but she left out the part where the use of magic had been affecting her body in strange ways. She didn't want to worry Gwen. Most of all, she didn't want Gwen to stop teaching her. She still had much she wanted to learn from the mage.

As if on cue, blood trickled down her nose, and she hopped off the chair to grab a washcloth from her bag.

Ever since Octavia delved into the arts of magic, she has been getting frequent nosebleeds, headaches, bouts of lethargy and queasiness. Octavia wasn't entirely sure if it was related to the use of magic (or if she was sick) but she could only take a wild guess. Despite that, she has been doing a great job at hiding it from the others.

Octavia sighed and decided to head for the baths, grabbing a fresh set of clothes. She had a red robe in hand, some fresh bandages to wrap around her torso, a new eye patch and black trousers. It wasn't the best outfit to put together, but she was frankly running out of new clothes. Octavia couldn't afford to spend her money leisurely, as most of it would go towards buying better equipment — not that she even had enough money to begin with. High-quality equipment were expensive, especially the ones powered up with enchantments.

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The walk to the bath house was quick, though it would have been quicker if it weren't for the drunk boors on the street who tried to coax her over to join them.

After paying at the front desk and entering the hot spring, the women who were there were already getting dressed and heading out, so Octavia waited.

She let out a sigh of relief once they were gone, pleased to have been given the opportunity to enjoy a bath without her eye patch. It felt great to look at the world with both eyes, as opposed to just one. She always told people that she lost her eye after an accident, and whilst she didn't feel good about lying, she didn't have much of a choice.

Octavia undid her braids and stripped until she was essentially one with nature. Once she was fully submerged in the water, she felt the heat soothe her tired muscles, making them relax. It was tempting to stay there for long, but she couldn't risk having someone barge in and see her glowing red eye. It would be enough to spook anyone and have her burnt at a stake.

She quickly but thoroughly washed herself from head to toe, before getting out of the water, drying herself off, and changing into fresh clothes. Octavia was pleasantly surprised that she managed to do it all in a flash.

"I haven't felt better in weeks," she murmured to herself as she rubbed her hair with a towel. She felt squeaky clean, and her limbs felt lighter. There was nothing like a hot bath in a natural spring.

After her hair was semi-dry, Octavia headed back to the tavern.

She decided to have a drink after dropping off her things in her room, taking the seat behind Hafrbjǫrn. Octavia was reluctant to approach him; she'd be lying if she said his size and demeanor didn't intimidate her in some ways. Octavia knew there was more to him than meets the eye, but perhaps she'd approach him once he was in a better mood. She couldn't help but notice how his conversation with Garret had left him quite sour.

Her eyes scanned the room in search of Yui and Nanami, but they weren't there to be found at the moment. Guess she'd have to drink alone. Octavia wasn't much of a drinker, but she'd make an exception for tonight. She could really use a break from everything that's been going on.

The waitress served a wooden goblet filled with wine, and Octavia took a swig. She couldn't help but think that today went pretty well, aside from experiencing the occasional nosebleed and nausea. It was quite concerning, but she'd worry about that later. Octavia had enough on her plate, and she just wanted to end the day on a positive note.

"Today was definitely a much-needed day off."

Bloodrose Irregulars - After The Fall (Dark Fantasy Adventure) -=Remake=-

Same with ShiggityShwah.

Haven't been able to finish the post that I started writing last week, but I'll get something up before I sleep tonight.