Penny

Urban Shadows

@Humble1

We are going to handle debts in the IC after everyone has posted what they have on their characters so far. At least one debt must be to another PC but you are free to create NPCs for the others if you wish

Gold & Glory: AU thread

Emmaline's face split into a broad grin. As usual everyone at the gathering had taken it as a matter of course that women randomly fainted. There was some truth to the stereotype, though usually it was the result of drink or being laced too tightly into a corset. Emmaline lifted a bottle of rum to her lips and drank, given her activities at the ball she had missed most of the free drinking and eating, in fact she probably shouldn't be drinking at all considering she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast time, but her mood was good and this rum was of the highest quality smooth and spiced.

Rather than responding she reached into her bodice and removed the bracelet she had stolen from the collection. To her shock, rather than being made of dark polished wood, the snake was now made of gold, gleaming in the light of the torches which lit the street. Emmaline stared at it in shock. It was preciesly as it had been, every detail exact save for the changed material and the fact that eyes appeared to be tiny emeralds.

"Something about it..." she began, when suddenly one of the eyes blinked. It wasn't a glitter of the stone, the eyelids actually closed.

"Shiz!" Emmaline yelped and started back, dropping both the bracelet and her bottle of liquor. Faster than she could follow the braclet seemed to whip and curl in the air, elongating as it did so, uncoiling and striking downwards. The things mouth caught the neck of the bottle while its tail curled around Emmaline's forearm, arresting the fall of the thick glass bottle. Gone were the glittering golden scales to be replaced by what looked for all the world like a real live three foot long cobra. Emmaline stared at the snake in shock as it lifted the bottle back into her nerveless fingers. Almost against her will her fingers closed to hold the bottle, then, without any apparent concern the serpent curled itself several time around her forearm and shimmered into inanimate gold once more.

Urban Shadows

How is everybody coming along? Are we ready to think about starting the IC?

Gold & Glory: AU thread

Emmaline recovered from her swoon the instant Enrique hurried out of the bedroom in which he had left her. She hurried to the door and peered out making sure there was no one in the hall. Predictabley there wasn't, this was a private section of the manor and all of the family was doubtlessly at the reception below. She hurried across the floor, greatful that she had opted for the satin blue slippers rather than something with a heel, retracing her steps to the family collection.

The snake bracelet was where it had been before, though this time when she looked at it the thing seemed innocent and inert. She wasn't quite sure why it fascinated her. Certainly there were many items of considerably greater monetary value, but her gold lust hadn't stirred. Well, hadn't stirred much. Reaching out she touched the glass and murmured an incantation. She could sense the lead which held the glass pane in place and a moment later the familiar smell of molten metal filled her nostrils. Gently as she could she pushed the glass backwards into the case until it came free, falling the few inches to strike the bracelet without breaking. Carefully she reached in and withdrew the bracelet with two fingers. Up close it was even more lifelike than it had seemed during the tour, every scale picked out with the precision of a master craftsman. She turned it over in her hands, admiring the workmanship for a moment before looking around and finding what she was looking for. She hurried over to where a small and thankfully empty pewter inkwell stood on a desk. Lifting the thing in her palm she began another incantation, the same one with which she counterfeited coins, and shaped it to her will. Within a few seconds a second bracelet rested in the palm of her hand. It wouldn't fool a careful inspection, pewter wasn't as good for this sort of thing as gold or silver, but it would defeat a casual observer for the day or so it would take for the illusion to fail. Hurrying back she slipped her fake into position and then whispered another spell, drawing the glass back up by the lead residue on the edge and fixing it back into place. That accomplished she thrust the stolen bracelet into her bodice, lacking a more practical place, and sprinted back to the bedroom where Enrique had left her. Footsteps could already be heard in the hallways as she reached the bed and flopped down, taking a moment to ensure that her prize was thrust sufficiently deeply into her cleavage to escape notice before putting on her best wan expression.

Flashing Blades in Spain?

Run it in 7th Sea

Post a random fact about yourself.

My children think I have fancy handwriting. I've always considered it slovenly.

@Gunther

The use of slovenly in a sentence implies that you have good handwriting. Mine is professionally bad.

Gold & Glory: AU thread

The tour that Enrique provided was breathless and filled with his constant chatter. Emmaline swept along behind him through halls and galleries which showed money and taste in inverse proportions. Tobarans, it seemed, were very fond of gilt and polished timber. The timber here was a surely as sign of wealth as the gold was and was displayed as such, either intricately carved, or polished to a mirror like sheen. Emmaline amused herself by gasping and oowing at each new thing Enrique showed her, which seemed to make the man even more flustered and excited.

"And this is our family hall of history," Enrique declared proudly, leading her into a high vaulted hall that was lined on both sides with cabinets. Inside the cabinet were a dizzying array of items. Many were valuable of course, but others were merely of historical interest. A set of throwing stars that claimed to be from the founding of the city, in a jagged pattern that made Emmaline vaguely nauseous, crystals and gems which marked the opening of various mine shafts, yellowed documents heavy with seals and ribbons. There were weapons too, swords and axes as well as firearms from all over the old world as well as suits of armor which had been polished till the gleamed. There was even the preserved head of a siren in a glass jar, as well as a stuffed... beastman of some sort, more ratlike with chisel like teeth. Enrique provided exposition for each piece, clearly having spent a great deal of time among the collection.

"These my ancestors bought back from the crusades in Araby," Enrique blathered on, guesturing to cabinets which contained arms, and armor of knights and their Arabian opponents. There were several gorgeously decorated books, astronomical instruments and battle flags with the sigil of the Sultan Jafar. Emmaline was stiffling a yawn when her eyes suddenly fell on a small circular bracelet of simple wood. It had been carved into the shape of a serpent that was devouring its own tail. Emmaline staggered suddenly as flashbacks of the vision she had witnessed in Arcane Street earlier in the day, the snakes eyes seeming to glow green in her minds eye. She felt as though the snake was lunging at her, though not in attack and she felt the hot blast of desert winds across her scaly skin.

"Are you alright Lady Emmaline?" Enrique asked anxiously. Emmaline realised that she had staggered slightly and the noble had caught her before she could fall. She nodded her head and smiled sensually.

"A little tired is all," she said smoothly, allowing her weight to lay against Enrique for a moment before straightening slowly.

"Is there somewhere we might lay down?"

Post a random fact about yourself.

I only ever write on one side of the page

Gold & Glory: AU thread

"Ah, commented the floating elf maiden in a voice that sounded like honey over silk, one of Techlis' little brood," she commented. That drew arch looks from the other elves and confused looks from the human. Whatever the elf might have intended by the remark, a reference to the elven founder of the human Colleges of Magic, it had the affect of making it seem like Emmaline really was a person of some substance. Emmaline offere a polite curtsey to the elves, keeping a wary distance. The mage all but crackled with power and Emmaline wasn't all together sure that it would have a good reaction with her own gifts. The male elf said something in his own language of which all Emmaline could make out was the name 'Galadrel'. That elf nodded and responded in an equally mystifying swirl of elven speech and nodded at Markus.

"May I offer you a drink Lady Von Morganstern?" a handsome young man in a satin doublet enquired. He was young, perhaps younger than Emmaline herself and with smooth skin that suggested more than his clothing that his life had been a sheltered one. Markus gave her a slight nod and she allowed the man to lead her to a side bar where liquor and wine were being served. He took a couple of tall flutes of champagne from the table and passed one to her.

"I am Enrique," he told her, "I am the son of the Duke." It came out a little too quickly betraying the young man's nerves.

"I am Emmaline," she told him with an encouraging smile. He nodded enthusiastically.

"So I heard, are you on some kind of secret mission with Captain Flintbrook?" he went on, clearly gaining courage. Emmaline half choked on her wine for a moment, shooting a small stream of champagne out her nose.

"Oh I am sorry, I know you probably shouldn't talk about it, its just, well you know, and Imperial Navy Sloop not flying any colors arrives with an important Sorceress aboard, clearly something is afoot," he burbled. Emmaline pulled herself together and tried to look dignified. The fellow was clearly clever if he had picked up on the elf's vague reference to her talents, but stars above his imagination was getting the better of him.

"Well, as you say least said," Emmaline said as calmly as she could manage. Enrique nodded violently, clearly thrilled beyond words to be even tangentially involved in some skullduggery. If they were some scheme from Altdorf it would hardly do for Markus to announce himself openly, for that matter the scheme might be aimed against Tobaro which Enrique should be concerned about, but never the less Emmaline tucked the idea away in the back of her mind, a useful lie was a terrible thing to waste.

"Perhaps I can show you around the house, while we wait for my father to appear?" Enrique asked hopefully. Emmaline glanced covertly at Markus who was still in conversation with the elves.

"Certainly Master Enrique, I would be honored."

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

By the time they reached the city the party had well and truely kicked off. The night was rent by the clatter of gunfire and the whine of plasma blasts, the backwash of which reflected off the sides of the taller buildings like flickering blue witchlight. Sayeeda hoped that the local civilians were keeping their heads down, though there would be no such thing as safety tonight. Well perhaps in Magdelena's subterrainian dwelling and places like it.

Neil and Sayeeda headed for where the gunfire was thickest. The bodies and damage grew increasingly heavy as they moved towards the Stinger's manor. Infact they were less than a street away when they encountered the first spiders, a trio of men huddling in an alleyway trying to keep out of sight.

"Kill them!" one of the men shouted, his eyes white with terror. Neil shot him through the bridge of the nose, the heavy round smashing him back into the alley wall with a spray of blood. Sayeeda's railgun split the air, cutting the second man in half and shattering the adobe wall behind him. The third thug managed to half turn before a second round from Neil excavated the back of his skull. They moved up the alley without words, peering from the end of it towards the manor. They were behind a ragged line of Spiders, all taking cover behind wrecked vehicles and tumbled walls. It seemed their improvised combat vehicles had been of little help as both converted tractors were burning and spewing thick black smoke. The spider attack had obviously caught the scorpions by surpise and they had nearly won the day based solely on that single stroke of initiaive. The attack had finally bogged down at the gates of the Scorpions mansion, where the improvised earthworks and heavy weapons had provided natural rallying points for fleeing Scorpion gunmen. Fire whipped between the two positions and men shouted and cursed, or screamed in terror as they continued to fire in almost blind panic.