c3p-0h

Lantern

The sharp, small gasp cutting through the night air was the only sign Artemis had awoken. She had never been a peaceful sleeper. Someone else had, once. But the mystic found the waking world to be an escape from her dreams, rather than the other way around. In the beginning, waking had been a violent, unforgiving action, as panic slammed into her. But she'd learned to manage it over the years.

The hard metal underneath her was the first thing she registered. Then the unmistakable sounds of the forest at midnight, a long with an odd, whispering …tick…tick…tick. The cool night air breathed against her skin. And then finally, there was the warm red glow shining through her eyelids. Artemis was perfectly still where she lay as she realized she didn't know where she was.

She counted out a minute in her mind as she searched her memory for an explanation. But there was nothing. In fact, she couldn't even remember where or when she'd gone to sleep. Her minute was up. So, she cracked one eye open. Then the other. Still nothing. Slowly, carefully, Artemis pushed herself up to a sitting position and looked around. She was in a forest just as she'd guessed. Quite an active one, too, if the sounds were anything to go by. The thought made her press her lips together. If there was anything… hungry, she'd be ill equipped to handle it. Especially since it seemed like all she had were the clothes on her back.

The soft ticking captured her attention again and she turned to find its source: the… tree? Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at it. She looked back down at herself and finally studied the metal pedestal she was on. It was old and weathered, and covered in plant matter, but her eyes widened when she saw the metal directly under her hand. Parts of it were glowing. She hurried to push herself up to a standing position and saw the unmistakable outline of her body in the glowing metal.

Her eyes shot back up at the odd ticking tree and the eerie red lantern. Then she turned and hurried off of the pedestal and onto the forest floor. Stories from her childhood drifted up to the surface of her mind. Ghouls and imps that enticed and beguiled humans. Men who toyed with that which cannot be known. Of course, Artemis had long since outgrown the folktales of the Valley (even if her current line of work took full advantage of them). But still. If they'd taught her anything, it was that getting away from the mysterious glowing metal platform and the ticking tree was probably the wisest course of action. At least, she shouldn't be standing on top of one, and under the other.

Artemis turned back to look at the tree once she was safely on the ground ('safe' being a relative term). Or rather, she looked up at the red lantern casting its eerie glow. Sharp, con-artist eyes narrowed at it. It seemed to be the most benign of the three, but… what was so captivating about it? It wasn't ordinary, that was for sure.

Lanterns flickered because of the flames they held. This one just… glowed. Its light was a steady, unchanging force, whispering through the darkness of the night. Artemis stared and stared, and if she looked hard enough at it, she could've sworn it was almost pulsing.

She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. Then she turned to search the forest floor. Her eyes lit up when she found what she was looking for and she bent down to pick up a long, sturdy tree branch covered in green moss with a half-rotten end. Artemis walked back up to the platform, getting as close as she could without touching it. Placing the rotten end of the branch against the ground, Artemis half leaned on it and looked back up at the lantern, mind working.

She wasn't so sure she'd woken up after all.

"Well, shit."

Mirror, Fox, Key

TEAM RUTABAGA

'Eh, interesting'?

That's the response she got? This thing had practically blown her out of the tree, and he treated it as though he'd just found a new hole in his cloak. Meryn was about to snatch the paper back when Alex sat down beside her. What he said next surprised her even more though. Was that… actual concern? When she brushed off people's questions about her wellbeing, they usually just rolled their eyes in exasperation. There was something oddly earnest about him, though. Her eyes widened a bit when he pulled out a shirt and tore it into strips. She blinked at the offering for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Then Meryn snapped back to herself. Reaching up with her clean hand, she pinched the cloth between two fingers and held it up in front of her face, inspecting it. Then, with humor in her eyes, she brought it closer and took a sniff. Her face scrunched up in mock disgust and she held it back away from her. Then she shrugged her shoulders and pressed it against her side. The blood had slowed and was already drying, but this would still help.

Meryn peeled her other hand, sticky with blood, away from her side. Then she looked back at Alex and held her crimson-spattered hand up with the tips of her thumb and pointer finger touching in an 'OK' sign. She gave a little smile and dipped her head in a nod.

@jordy0403

Lantern

unimportant but fun, i did a rough design of artemis' clothes. hopefully they look suitably mystic-y

Hider

Mirror, Fox, Key

@jordy0403

The little bells on the trees jingled as Meryn navigated the branches above. The papers in the garland she found each appeared to have been sketched with a tiny ornate circle. When she touched one, the bit of paper made a loud pop noise, like popcorn, and split itself in two.

page 3

Mirror, Fox, Key

TEAM RUTABAGA

Meryn brought the bell closer to her face to study the engraving, furrowing her brows in concentration. These odd runes again… She turned the bell back over to inspect the name. She wasn't great at reading, but she recognized these two names, at least. Two of her clients in Enn had been Oliver Heinbert and Felix Locke, so the letters were familiar enough. That is, they were when she could concentrate through the pounding in her head.

Oliver Locke

Who was this? Why was his name engraved on this bell? What was the rune? Once again, questions spun around her head. Spook was a wealth of information, she knew… but whether or not he'd be very forthcoming with answers was another matter. Irritation blended with embarrassment as she thought back to how blithely Spook had dismissed her. Well, she'd gotten by this far in life without anyone else's help. She could manage on her own. Then again, the pain pulsing through her body reminded her that was sometimes a messy way to do things. She winced as she readjusted the pressure her hand was putting on her bleeding side.

Meryn carefully placed the bell in a pocket deep in her bag, grabbing a couple pieces of paper closest to her and slipping them in, too. She was still doing her best to ignore the people around her – Emma in particular. She'd gone to the botanist in the past with worse injuries than this. But this was probably the first time Emma had actually seen how Meryn managed to rough herself up. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see the other girl's reaction.

She glanced up when a shadow fell over her, only to look away when she saw who it was, fighting very hard not to roll her eyes. Her clothes were still damp. Meryn tossed another piece of dried meat – seasoned with her own blood, she noted with a grimace – at the felidrake laying across from her. It'd finished chewing the first piece and now with nothing to focus on, its eyes were staring dully into space, half lidded. It was kind of funny, in a pitiful way. Meryn watched with a raised eyebrow as it seemed to register the food in front of it. It forced its jaw open and its tongue lolled out to the meat as the militiaman above her spoke.

Giving a little sigh to herself – and instantly regretting it as the pain in her side intensified – she finally looked back up at Alex. He was apologizing. And she had rattailed him in the face.

Instead of reacting to his question or his apology, she grabbed a piece of paper near her. It was split cleanly in half like all the others were, straight through the odd circular marking on it. Meryn didn't quite trust herself enough to stand yet. Instead she held it up to Alex with her free hand for him to inspect, though she couldn't reach up very far without pulling on her side.

@jordy0403

Mirror, Fox, Key

i've been waiting on @diggerton and @skittles, like i said earlier. guess i'll just go ahead and when they're ready they can have theirs.

Lantern

Name: Artemis Marid

Age: 21

Appearance:




Though opinions vary on how beautiful Artemis is, no one can deny she's a striking figure to see, with her brown skin, starlight hair, and aqua eyes. She's a tall, slender thing standing at 5'9", with long, willowy limbs and subtle curves beneath her clothing. Her wardrobe is eclectic, with various scarves, jewelry, and feathers. She paints different markings on her skin and arms, adding to her unique look.

Occupation: Traveling Mystic

Personality: Artemis is whoever she needs to be to get by. But whether she's quiet and mysterious, or flirtatious and inviting, the one constant is that she's always looking out for herself. Though not particularly interested in other people, she enjoys using them as her primary source of entertainment. It's difficult to know who Artemis truly is or what she cares about, as she keeps everything truly important locked away – especially from herself.

History: Before she was Artemis, she was Emira Janan Mathilde Basira Felicity Lujayn Cosima Airtifae-Alqamar, Grande Duchess of the Silver Valley. Young Emira and her little brother Idris grew up with all the advantages that came with nobility. Idris, though younger than Emira, was the heir apparent. This was just fine with her – Emira was not quite suited for nobility. She was clever, worldly, and even charming when she wanted to be, but she had no interest in politics and governing. Idris, with his patience and generosity, would do well, while she entertained herself with seeing how quickly she could insult a dignitary and how long she could keep him from storming out of the palace after that.

When she was fifteen years old, a plague swept through the valley. They called it the Climbing Vine for the slow, crawling way it choked the life from its victims. Their mother was the first to catch it. Then their father. Emira and Idris were quarantined from their parents for more than a year before their died. The night before Idris' coronation, he fainted.

Preparations were being made for Emira's coronation even before Idris passed. Half a year after he first started showing symptoms, Emira charmed her way past the guard and crept into her little brother's room, as she had so many times before. Sometimes he had good nights, in spite of the sickness. His eyes would be bright and his laugh would ring out like a bell as she gossiped with him about the stuffy dignitaries, so full of themselves it was a wonder they fit through the palace doors. But that night was not a good night.

His eyes were glassy and his smile was weak as he clutched his big sister's hand with his waning strength. He whispered how proud he was of her, and how wonderful a ruler she'd be. Emira was the cleverest, strongest, funniest person he knew, and the people would adore her. They'd love her as much as he did. Emira looked at him for a long moment. Then she placed a kiss on his damp forehead, careful not to let any tears fall on him. She ran from the palace that night.

When she was eighteen years old, Artemis locked Emira away with her guilt and tried not to look back.

When she was nineteen, she heard a rumor that the Grand Duke of the Silver Valley had finally died without an heir.

Artemis traveled from one town to another, making her living as a mystic. In reality she was little more than a charlatan. Her ethereal looks, intelligence, and the skills she learned at court – languages, dancing, and singing, among others – helped her sell the facade. Before waking up in the forest, she made her living telling fortunes, selling "enchanted" baubles and sometimes outright stealing. Artemis played whatever role was required to entice her customers, and dazzled them with petty revelations about their futures or innermost thoughts (either flat out lies, generic statements that were easy to read into, or educated guesses based on how the customers presented themselves).

She told herself it was easier to forget over time – easier to push away the guilt. She could turn into someone else and feel nothing at all. After all, it was Emira who'd turned her back and ran from her Valley. Her little brother. Not Artemis.

Maybe if she said it enough times it would make it true.

Lantern

@Mokley
woooo thanks~ dropping her with one of the unaccounted lanterns sounds good to me. i'll just wait for a post from you to set her up, yeah? (i apologize in advance for my walls of text.)

looking forward to rp'ing with you guys!

Lantern

Artemis

Name: Artemis Marid

Age: 21

Appearance:


Though opinions vary on how beautiful Artemis is, no one can deny she's a striking figure to see, with her brown skin, starlight hair, and aqua eyes. She's a tall, slender thing standing at 5'9", with long, willowy limbs and subtle curves beneath her clothing. Her wardrobe is eclectic, with various scarves, jewelry, and feathers. She paints different markings on her skin and arms, adding to her unique look.

Occupation: Traveling Mystic

Personality: Artemis is whoever she needs to be to get by. But whether she's quiet and mysterious, or flirtatious and inviting, the one constant is that she's always looking out for herself. Though not particularly interested in other people, she enjoys using them as her primary source of entertainment. It's difficult to know who Artemis truly is or what she cares about, as she keeps everything truly important locked away – especially from herself.

History: Before she was Artemis, she was Emira Janan Mathilde Basira Felicity Lujayn Cosima Airtifae-Alqamar, Grande Duchess of the Silver Valley. Young Emira and her little brother Idris grew up with all the advantages that came with nobility. Idris, though younger than Emira, was the heir apparent. This was just fine with her – Emira was not quite suited for nobility. She was clever, worldly, and even charming when she wanted to be, but she had no interest in politics and governing. Idris, with his patience and generosity, would do well, while she entertained herself with seeing how quickly she could insult a dignitary and how long she could keep him from storming out of the palace after that.

When she was fifteen years old, a plague swept through the valley. They called it the Climbing Vine for the slow, crawling way it choked the life from its victims. Their mother was the first to catch it. Then their father. Emira and Idris were quarantined from their parents for more than a year before their died. The night before Idris' coronation, he fainted.

Preparations were being made for Emira's coronation even before Idris passed. Half a year after he first started showing symptoms, Emira charmed her way past the guard and crept into her little brother's room, as she had so many times before. Sometimes he had good nights, in spite of the sickness. His eyes would be bright and his laugh would ring out like a bell as she gossiped with him about the stuffy dignitaries, so full of themselves it was a wonder they fit through the palace doors. But that night was not a good night.

His eyes were glassy and his smile was weak as he clutched his big sister's hand with his waning strength. He whispered how proud he was of her, and how wonderful a ruler she'd be. Emira was the cleverest, strongest, funniest person he knew, and the people would adore her. They'd love her as much as he did. Emira looked at him for a long moment. Then she placed a kiss on his damp forehead, careful not to let any tears fall on him. She ran from the palace that night.

When she was eighteen years old, Artemis locked Emira away with her guilt and tried not to look back.

When she was nineteen, she heard a rumor that the Grand Duke of the Silver Valley had finally died without an heir.

Artemis traveled from one town to another, making her living as a mystic. In reality she was little more than a charlatan. Her ethereal looks, intelligence, and the skills she learned at court – languages, dancing, and singing, among others – helped her sell the facade. Before waking up in the forest, she made her living telling fortunes, selling "enchanted" baubles and sometimes outright stealing. Artemis played whatever role was required to entice her customers, and dazzled them with petty revelations about their futures or innermost thoughts (either flat out lies, generic statements that were easy to read into, or educated guesses based on how the customers presented themselves).

She told herself it was easier to forget over time – easier to push away the guilt. She could turn into someone else and feel nothing at all. After all, it was Emira who'd turned her back and ran from her Valley. Her little brother. Not Artemis.

Maybe if she said it enough times it would make it true.

1) anything i need to change in the cs?
2) what should i know going into the ic?

Lantern

…any room for one more?