[Orb] GHB 17, Late Morning

[shadow_sage]

I would like very much to speak with anyone the locals have called 'prince' or 'princess.' I have a proposition for you.

Bakura, do you know anything about what has been happening to the refugees? The people being forced out of villages and homes by the thorns? Where are they going, what are they doing?

Does anyone run any kind of a business, by chance? I seem to recall a bakery, and a smithy, though the latter isn't running, the last I heard.

I know I'm going to regret asking, but is there anyone in the city familiar with complex spells? Magics. Whichever. Specifically, would it be possible to link two locations, separated by a large distance? And is anyone capable of this?

And what does anyone know about a disembodied, female voice?

[A moment of silence, then a heavy sigh.]

Also, if there is someone who is familiar with the use of a sword, I'd like to speak with you about the basics. I would rather not make a fool out of myself.

Oh, and Shin, perhaps we could speak later.

Comments

[shiromadoushi]

I haven't heard anything about refugees.... I don't think anyone's ever mentioned anything like that.

[shadow_sage]

There has been mention of a village or villages consumed by the thorns, however. I'll ask around while I'm here, see if anyone knows anything about either one. Perhaps the soldiers who returned from the front might know something. If you have a chance...well, the townspeople do like you.

[shiromadoushi]

Un.... [[he looks... less than happy about that, however]] I'll see what I can find out....

[shadow_sage]

[Her face softens a little.]

If there is anyone who knows the layout of towns and lands inside of the thorns, it can help us try to make plans about fighting them. And if these people aren't being cared for, I intended to change things. We'll find them homes, work...whatever they need.

If no one knows anything, we'll try other channels.

[fft this hits all three of my boys SORRY FOR THE SPAM?]

[dailybread]

Hey. I run the bakery--the Mockingjay. They call me 'princess', too. What's going on?

[Is okay, I love your boys? Except Sauce. Breaking Sakura's heart. SHAME ON YOU.]

[shadow_sage]

Of course. [A thoughtful pause.] Peeta, correct? You asked after the capital city of your homeland, and a change of clothes.

I didn't realize you also ran the bakery. How's business?

[late reply is late ohfuck]

[dailybread]

That's me. [He remembers her too--trying to explain to him about the condition of the natives. It hasn't really stuck, though, unfortunately.]

It's been great, actually. Keeps me busy.

[Bah, I've been slow lately myself.]

[shadow_sage]

[Liara tucks that away for future reference; never know when one might need a business front for one thing or another.]

You're the first person I've spoken with that is making it on his own, except perhaps Bakura, and he doesn't actually get paid for most of what he does for the town.

[She's considering Peeta shrewdly.]

May I ask how much capital you had to use in order to get the bakery started?

[steelhearted]

Milady.

[He ducks his head briefly.]

I'm afraid I don't know anything about disembodied voices, but I'd like to hear this proposition.

[shadow_sage]

Well, I'll get to business, then.

The King, or his deputies, have assigned to the heroic nobility a generous portion of the Kingdom's treasury, to use as you see fit.

I would like a loan of funding. Everything we have, right now, is a gift from the King or his people. The sooner we can rely on ourselves and our efforts to provide for us, the stronger we and the Kingdom will be in this war.

[steelhearted]

Where do you plan to keep it?

[It's a good idea, certainly--keeping the ability to be self-reliant at least somewhere in the background, in case of an emergency--but a safety net only works if it doesn't have gaping holes.]

[bondsoflove]

I can train you in sword-fighting.

[shadow_sage]

I'm not going to say 'no.' But I'll be upfront with you: my people haven't studied swordplay practically in generations, and though I have spent some time in combat, I an far more proficient and comfortable with small arms or my own biotics than I would be with any kind of blade.

[yumemi_no_ou]

[[Someone's looking half asleep as he replies. Two guesses who]]

Yeah?

[shadow_sage]

[Ryo? Is it maybe Ryo? Also, Liara might be smiling a little at Shin's expense. Y'know. A little.]

Good morning.

[yumemi_no_ou]

[[Shush you, he doesn't have anywhere to be, like hell he's getting outta bed today.

Still, she'll get a faint smile]]

If it's still morning, I should be asleep.

What's up?

[dash_dynamic]

They won't quit calling me a prince...what did you have in mind?

[shadow_sage]

[She considers him for a moment. Well. He is excitable, but...well, at least he's not a local, after all.]

Investment. Bankroll. Whatever you'd like to call it, the fact is you have a portion of the King's money in your name, and I would like some of it.

[dash_dynamic]

[Let's face it, all he's using that money for is food. He'd still like to know what's up with this before he agrees to fund anything.]

...what do you need it for, exactly?

[70ftandcounting]

They've...been calling me a princess.

[shadow_sage]

[Liara considers her for a moment, and then smiles.]

I don't believe we've spoken. You arrived recently. Have you had any trouble settling in?

[70ftandcounting]

Well, I suppose...not. I mean, it hasn't been difficult. It's just--

Not...home.

[dragon_marked]

[Normally he wouldn't care about the plights and perils of other people, but since you mentioned magic...]

Connecting two places is more difficult than the concept lets on. Also I am unsure of how spells work here.

[Let him elaborate.]

Mine are untouched, on the surface, and remain thoroughly untested. Yet the magic is different in this place.

SHI'NDRIN~ I was worried we'd lost our drow.

[shadow_sage]

I do not underestimate the difficulty. Where I am from, it's easier to connect locations between stars than it is to connect two cities on the same continent.

[He does, however, hold her attention now. Few seem to understand magic, in any way.]

You're saying your skills seem to produce the same results, but by different means?

IT'LL TAKE A LOT TO GET RID OF HIM~ <3

[dragon_marked]

[He gives her a quizzical look.]

Why would you wish to connect stars? [In his opinion they're rather useless, if pretty, little things that do nothing but hang out in the sky once that hideous sun has departed.]

I believe so. The magic here is different, so spells draw from a different source than before. They seem to behave the same.