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Grayell Administrator [M:945:3807:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=372&page=1#226] member is offline
[b]"I've got your white wolf right here..."[/b][0:Baying at the moon...][1:Running with the pack...]
Joined: Aug 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 5,529
Typical men. « Thread Started on Jul 12, 2012, 8:21am »
Grayell waited in the small tavern in the nowhere town of Erandfall, poking at a small meal with a fork and largely ignoring the mead that sat before him. It wasn't all bad, but his mind was preoccupied with the reason they were here...
Kiga was due to arrive before nightfall. Marlena had some trade meeting to see to but had assured him she'd also be along. He had brought Neko with him of course, she seemed more than keen to help him out.
The reports of strange thievery in this area had him intrigued, but not nearly so much as the unusual nature of the crimes reported. It was an anomaly, something that piqued his interest and well, something the Vanguard would generally be stuck with sorting out. Not that he complained or felt 'stuck.'
He kept and eye on the door but managed a smile for Neko, him quiet in contemplation for the most part. He hadn't told her a great deal as it simply seemed less effort to tell everyone what the problem was - as much as he knew - when they'd all arrived.
Kiga arrived in town soon enough, his hands in his back pockets and a bounce in his step, a smile plastered on his face. It wasn't his usual demeanor - but he'd decided to invite Ely along. They'd discussed combining magic and such and well, he wanted to spend more time with her away from Wistvale. So he kept pace with her and smiled at her always, eyes bright in the afternoon sun.
"I'm glad you came Ely."
He held the door open for her, as any gentleman ninja type might. You know, without the stabbing you in the back next.
::Never one to waste food, Neko had finished her meal long ago and now waited for the others to arrive. She still wasn't sure why her Uncle had brought her here.
Were they supposed to be watching someone?... She tried to keep an eye one everyone in the bar, but they came and went alot...
Was it something in the town they were looking for?... She had looked about as much as she could on the way in, but had found nothing remarkable to her...::
sigh
::Eventually, Uncle would have to spill the beans. Until then she'd just have to try and be patient. Tho it was getting harder. Turning to Grayell, she watched him peck away slowly at his cooling food.::
You need to eat, Uncle, even the vegtables. They're... good for you.
::Personally, she hated them, but best not to say that to someone she was trying to get to eat...::
Ely slid in the door beside Kiga. She was tucked in close to his hip, but her eyes were alive with curiosity. This was a whole new place for Ely. She had visited plenty of strange lands, new cities, and tiny towns but they were always exciting.
A brand new place to explore.
With Kiga. And well whoever else was here. She didn't pay much attention after he'd asked her to come. For Ely, the only person that mattered was him.
That still amazed her, honestly, too. Just a few weeks ago she was neck deep in piles of books with no end in sight. She certainly wouldn't have expected to lock up her house and run off to some place she'd never been.
Marlena did not bother with her usual entrance of staying to the outskirts of the room, instead she walked through the tavern with purpose and a smug smile on her lips. She had acquired the taste for the job given her as Grayell had thought, and she was good at it. Persuasion was her forte and it had worked in her favor once again, a deal made with the least amount of fuss and happy outcomes for both parties.
She spotted him and his company, looking over the curious looking feline next to him before giving a mental shrug and stepping closer. Her usual grace was there as she slipped into the seat opposite, nodding a greeting to both.
Hello again, Grayell. I had wondered when we would meet again.
The smile remaining, she held out a hand to his companion.
(Kiko won't be joining us in this thread peeps, we continue.)
Grayell smiled as everyone wandered into the rustic tavern and took a seat. It was good to see familiar faces - and useful ones at that, but there were some introductions in order.
"Right. Everyone, this is Neko. She's staying with me for a time as she's knew in town and we have as yet to find her a suitable place of her own. She's... well. You might say she's family. Neko, this is Kiga, this is Marlena and this...
Well. You must be Ely."
He was smiling wide at the Cathian, a warm hint in his eyes. He offered a hand in welcome.
"The lad here has told me a great deal about you Ely. It's about time we met, I say."
He turned his gaze back to Kiga then and made quite a show of speaking past the back of his hand. He was quite amused with the opportunity to rib Kiga a little.
"Well, well. You said she was a cat-girl, but you didn't tell me she was such a fox."
Kiga was smiling wide, sitting next to Ely with his hand holding hers beneath the table. He was somewhat eager to have her meet Grayell, every young man has some sense of needing approval. And when Grayell quipped on her looks well...
... he turned pale as a ghost for a moment, completely thrown outside his comfort zone.
"Ugh.... gee.... yeah.... thanks?"
And he was doing it again, sweating a little and laughing nervously, scratching the back of his head.
Ely took Grayell's hand with a quick gesture. She did not clasp it long. For Ely, her hands were too sensitive to handle more than brief contact with a stranger; especially a confident and boisterous stranger. She had no empathic abilities, she could not sense beneath the surface, but from a tactile perspective her fingers were extremely well developed.
"Yes. I'm Ely. Kiga mentioned you before. Hello, everyone."
She wasn't sure what to say to the other comments, but the tips of her ears were red and her tail was suddenly a lot more apparent, lashing to the side. The words had made Kiga terribly nervous. She moved closer to him so that her body made contact at hip and shoulder.
::Neko rose slightly in her seat and smiled and waved eagerly to those that gathered about.
And then she saw Ely and she froze for a moment. Looking at her Uncle she asked silently...
Hatchling?...
Thinking better of it, she shook her head. No. There were some people she met that called her Cathian. Perhaps this was what they were talking about. She could definatly see the similarities, thats for sure. Perhaps she would not be so different here after all.
Cathian?...
A smile crept to her lips as she considered the thought of being around people that were like her. Or at least close...::
When Neko didn't take her hand, Marlena was not offended, she brought it back to her and clasped it with the other on her crossed knees. Instead, she gave a friendly smile and did the same when introduced to Ely. She laughed as Grayell introduced people, rather amused at Kiga's sudden nervousness at the comments about the Cathian. It was sweet really, and it was the first time she'd seen the two men interact.
She could not help herself. Teasing the poor Kiga at this time would be mean, but she felt herself itching to say something. Barely managing to refrain from such words, she waved to a tavern maid, intending to order wine and whatever else the others wanted, a distraction that helped her rein in her tongue.
(Ok guys, there will be time to interact and get to know one another throughout but I personally won't be dwelling on small talk as I have a story to run for you all! )
Once everyone seemed settled and content enough, Grayell got down to business. There was no great deal of secrecy here, the town was well aware of the issue.
"Right, I have gathered what information I may and it's all very strange. Seems these... robberies are rather peculiar and no one quite seems to have it figured out. And it's not only the crevasse that seems to be the hot spot of these robberies, but all over as well. Even here in town from time to time. Objects of importance, value; stolen away without anyone seeing a thing. It's all very odd.
But the other thing is the men. It seems like no men have come back from that crevasse of late, the merchant wagons running through there are being swallowed up with only female survivors. Changing route isn't the simplest option but it's a definite issue - a group of mercenaries, men; were hired to investigate and not a word has been heard since.
::Her face was serious, as Grayell got down to business. He was right, it did seem odd that only men were disappearing. It seemed that while worlds may change, there would always be problems to solve, and she was excited to have something to do. Looking to her uncle, she thought...
Does there seem to be any kind of connection between the stolen items, or the victims of the crimes?
She looked at the women gathered as she waited for an answer. They didn't look like obvious warriors, but looks can be decieving. That was, after all, something she did herself quite often.
And you're staying here right, Uncle? I mean, it's only men disappearing after all...::
Marlena had wondered why she had been called along on this trip, but now she had some idea. She listened intently and her mind flowed with thoughts and possibilities. If it was something as simple as normal robberies, she would have heard something from someone in the Tryst. But not a word had been said, not even a whisper had reached her ears about this place. That annoyed her some, but she reminded herself that it wouldn't have reached her unless the items stolen or the culprits themselves appeared within Wistvale.
Her wine was brought to her and she nodded a thank you to the maid, her fingers brushing the rim as she looked to Grayell.
Two questions, Grayell. One, what exactly are the stolen items? And two. Has anyone talked to these women survivors? Surely they could give some clues?
Kiga meanwhile did his best to maintain his professional demeanor, but Ely contacting his side made him melt a little. He looked about at the crew gathered - and realized he could afford to relax a little. He didn't know Neko, but Grayell had spoken about her some and if she was family, then that made her like him in a way. He trusted Grayell implicitly when it came to such things.
His hand found Ely's knee beneath the table and squeezed gently, affectionately.
"So. Men are being stolen as well then? Slave market maybe?"
Ely took the chance that everyone else talking gave her. She brushed her fingers across Kiga's thigh in response to his touch to her knee. He'd calmed down, obviously, but beyond the desire to reassure she wanted to rest her hand on him.
The group of people did not bother Ely. She was used to being in mobs of them. The other Cathian was odd, certainly, not that she hadn't seen them before in other places, of course. But, this one was different she had not said a word. Cathian's were garrulous to a fault. Maybe only one of her parents had been Cathian. That might explain it.
Ely's chaotic mind went bouncing around the others at the table. She was listening, but she was entirely too curious for her own good some days.
Welcome to The Menagerie. We are a free role playing game with less rules and more freedom. After many years, a couple of hosts and a few different game systems, we feel that less is more. Players get to be truly creative, which in turn leads to more enjoyment in game.
We invite you to join us in crafting our world and look forward to making friends. Should you have any questions, feel free to post in our chat box or ask any of our members or staff.
May you enjoy your stay.
It must be said that this game is the product of continued dedication and friendship.
Grayell: Game inventor and closet basement geek.
Yukiko: Admin and dream-weaver.
Marlena: Admin and promoter extraordinaire.
The Menagerie has enjoyed many incarnations, revamps, reimaginings and renovations and none of it would have been possible without the ongoing support of my friends, the players. Their unwavering loyalty and endless dedication to this project has been stellar.
I would like to thank all admin and staff past and present, in particular Tiberius.
I would like to thank friends and staff no longer with us, and to the few I hold most dear: John, Roland, Alex, Azriel and Jenkins.
Thank you all.
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Our 2nd site archive with: Total posts 70665, Total topics 1819 & Total Members 86.
...or our first site archive with: Total posts 69401, Total topics 1325 & Total members 145
...OR the very humble start of our game at our friends, www.Heroscapers.com.
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