Takashi

No One Escapes The Guilds

What is it that you do?

No One Escapes The Guilds

That's OK. It happens. If you have anything else you're working on that isn't related to the RP, feel free to share. I like writing in general, and roleplaying is just one of the avenues I pursue.

War of the Multiverse (Interest Check/Signup)

This looks fun. Are you still accepting?

No One Escapes The Guilds

It would have been nice if they had time to just enjoy their time in this quiet nameless village -- maybe the village elder would even grow to like them -- but there was still something important they needed to do to prepare for their imminent visitor. "Now," Kiori began, "we start sharpening your fangs. You still have those knives I gave you? Get your sword too." He wasn't naive enough to think that he could turn Rylee into a master swordsman over night, but there were a few simple things he could show her that would tip the scales in their favor. "The first thing you need to do is prepare yourself mentally. If the assassin is smart, he'll come when we're sleeping, which means that there is a fifty percent chance that you will have to detect his presence, or more likely ward off his first attack, and if I am sleeping his first attack will be aimed at me." The coldness was returning to Kiori's voice. As much as he wanted to start over and live a normal life, he needed the assassin. He needed the calmness, the calculation, the capacity to kill. He didn't want to frighten Rylee with the prospect of crossing blades with an assassin, but these were simply the facts.

"There is one thing working to our advantage right now," he continued. "The window is facing the woods. If he attacks the hut, he will likely do it from the window, since that will give him a line of sight before he enters. When you are on watch, listen for silence. You won't be able to sense his approach, but the animals will. If ever the woods fall completely silent, wake me immediately. With that said, he may attack immediately if he sees you react to the silence, so be prepared for that worst case scenario. Are you alright so far? How are your nerves?" At the end of his plan, he tried to mellow out his tone a bit to show Rylee that Kio was still there. "If that's all clear, let's practice." He sat down and leaned against one of the walls, as he would if he were going to sleep. "The assassin just crashed through the window and has a strike aimed at my chest. The noise wakes me up, but I won't come to my senses in time. Show me what you'll do." This was the best way to do things. Instead of teaching Rylee entirely new techniques that she would have no hope of mastering, he wanted to see what her instincts told her to do. Building off of that would be feasible.

No One Escapes The Guilds

I had some stuff to do today, so I didn't get a chance to post. I'll definitely have one up by tomorrow night.

No One Escapes The Guilds

The assassin is definitely close to arriving. I was thinking that my next post would be preparation for his arrival, both a plan of attack, and a bit of instruction for Rylee on how to fight the assassin.

No One Escapes The Guilds

While Rylee went about cleaning the inside of the house, Kiori decided to tackle the outside. First and foremost, the windows were caked with dirt and gunk, so he scrubbed them off good, inside and out. Next, he hoisted himself onto the roof to clear it of all the leaves and debris that had accumulated there; if left unattended, it would eventually start to rot and eat away through their roof, which was kinda the most important part of the house. Finally, he scraped away the moss that had begun to grow along the side of their house, again defending it from being devoured by the relentless forces of nature. As with any house, there was an endless amount of fixing up that could be done, but it looked like all the pressing issues outside had been addressed, so he headed back inside to see how Rylee was doing.

With the addition of clear sunlight and the absence of filth, it looked like a whole new building. It actually looked like it could be quite comfortable with a couple of pieces of furniture. But that bed... it would be better to sleep outside than on that frame; at least the dirt was soft. Maybe he would be able to think of something once they got some supplies. Kiori turned when Rylee began to speak. "Well it's definitely a nice change of pace," Kiori replied with a smile in regards to cleaning up the house. Then she went on to talk about more of those what ifs. It was fun to dream, to think about things you didn't, or probably couldn't, have. However, now they had it. "Let's not talk about that other reality any more," he continued, walking over to Rylee and wrapping his arms around her in a gentle hug as he got close. In a way, it was almost painful to think about that particular what if at this point; just the idea of how much time they had lost was depressing. "We don't need that one anymore." Then, he gave her a sly grin. "Plus, if you keep talking about getting together with that other Kiori I might get jealous."

No One Escapes The Guilds

Kiori clenched his teeth as the old man called them out on their act. He couldn't blame him; there were too many holes in the plan. Dread welled up in his gut, though, because now he had no idea what to do. It would be hard enough fighting off an assassin at full strength, but it would be impossible if they were tired and malnourished from trying to live in the wild. He was prepared to throw all of his pride aside and prostrate himself before the man, begging for just a shred of mercy, but fortunately he didn't have to. Despite instantly seeing through their lies, he agreed to let them stay. "Thank you sir!" he called out, but the man was not interested in hearing their thanks. It was a rare man that could pull of a personality that was simultaneously callous and benevolent.

The next thing he knew, Rylee threw her arms around him, relishing in their small victory. Kiori returned the hug and let out a soft chuckle, but was far more composed about the situation. It was fine for them to enjoy the moment, but now they would have some serious work to do. He blushed slightly at Rylee's praise, but he didn't want to lose too much time celebrating this small step. After all, this was the easy part. "What do you say we take a look at our new house," he said, once it seemed like Rylee's excitement began to ebb. He followed the old man's instructions down to the end of the road, and there saw a small hut that could qualify as a "home" only in the most liberal sense of the word. The building appeared sturdy enough, and at least seemed to be free from rot, but apart from a roof, it had little else to offer.

Kiori pushed open the door to the hut and peered inside. Perhaps there had been two rooms at one point in time, but if so that wall was taken down. There were a few cabinets, the frame of a bed with no mattress, and a single moldy chair inside. Fully furnished, the hut would likely be cramped, but as vacant as it was it actually seemed moderately spacious for the two of them. That was good, a bit of room would be useful for their preparations. The hut also seemed to be out of the way of most of the village's traffic, and was only a few steps away from the wilderness. Also a good feature. From this location they should have no problem telling when the assassin was coming. Kiori gave a satisfied nod, then said, "What do you think?"

No One Escapes The Guilds

For my post, I assumed that Rylee ditched the constable's jacket and maybe picked up a cloak or something before they left Cedarburg. You'll see why that's important.

No One Escapes The Guilds

Kiori had been truly happy when he and Rylee sat their in each others arms, and traces of that bliss lingered even as they walked into the village. Part of him wanted to just forget everything and stay like that forever, but once his voice of reason kicked in, he could deny reality no longer. They needed supplies, and they needed to brace themselves for the imminent battle. However, something changed in Kiori when he thought about it, now. No longer was he sullen and grim at the prospect of fighting the guild; victory meant a longer future with the woman he just realized he loved, and that lit a flame deep within him. It wasn't a beast-like ferocity that he was capable of unleashing as an assassin, but a staunch confidence that dared anyone to harm what he held dear. He and Rye both wanted to live a peaceful life together; he would make that happen.

As an added bonus, Kiori no longer seemed to carry himself as an assassin as he walked. Although assassins never wore any special marks or revealed their identities, people just knew when one was approaching them. So, the old man that welcomed them to -- or rather berated them for having the audacity to set foot in -- his village either had the courage of a mamma bear protecting her cubs, or was proof that Kiori the Assassin was fading away. In fact this tiny, shriveled, frail, prune of of man commanded respect such as he hadn't felt except from Guildmaster Mallik. Although he didn't slouch normally, his posture reflexively straightened. Was that normal for a hunter? If not, he could just call it respect for his elders or something. He felt Rylee grab his shoulder, perhaps to reassure him, but he wasn't so lost that he couldn't handle a basic statement of business. Kiori was glad that the old man was to the point, and it was perhaps the easiest question he could have asked.

"My name is Kiori, and this is my wife Rylee," he began, flawlessly recounting the tale of how they lost everything in the wildfires. From Kiori's perspective, it was a perfect telling, not missing one detail. What he didn't realize though was that a hunter who had barely escaped with his wife and scarcely any belongings would probably not be this calm and composed so recently after losing everything. "Respect for elders" wouldn't exactly be a good excuse here either. Still, he finished the story. "And so, we came here hoping that you would be able to spare us some supplies, and perhaps a place to rest our heads." Now it seemed that they were at the old man's mercy, and Kiori glanced back to see either Rye's approval or dismay at his story. As he looked at her, though, his blood ran cold. How could he have overlooked something so obvious? It was such a glaring hole in their story that could leave him immediately branded as liars. How shrewd was this old man? Did it only seem obvious because of his training as an assassin? Either way, he hoped their host couldn't recognize a constable's sword when he saw it...