Indignation is a Fire Emblem Roleplay. It takes place within the Outrealms as worlds collide and kingdoms wage an endless war. However, amongst the quarrels of men do the horrors of the Outrealm reach in to kill and destroy. Fight alone or join forces with other warriors as we create dramatic tales or wage war!
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Amethyst played with her hair in front of the mirror, pulling it around and trying to find a style that looked mature. She used her hand to form a tight ring around the bundle, experimenting with different lengths of ponytail. None of them were ‘right’. She was rather well suited for her stay in the city. It was an investment, but It made sense to make it, even if she never wore it again. The money it could earn would be worth it. She could have tried a formal dress, but she was lacking in several womanly attributes that would have made her look silly, a girl pretending to be grown up. It would not be a flattering introduction to Nohr’s foremost light mage. She’d never met any competition.
The room was nice, but almost like a cage in a way, with a guard and all. Still, it was at the expense of her current patron. The bars on the windows were for safety, rather than to restrain her like some caged princess. All in case someone tried to take some feud out on her that she wants even involved with. She didn’t care who’s son slept with who’s daughter, or of insults of honor. She just happened nothing bad would come of it.
Fila shifted her weight from foot to foot while she stood guard. Playing bodyguard for entertainers was ironically one of the least stressful jobs she undertook. Sure, she had to be responsible for another individual, but it wasn't as though she didn't have to protect her comrades in wartime either. No, the real relief was the lack of moral quandaries. Guarding was, to some degree, much simpler. Guard this person. Try not to kill anyone important even if they were being pushy. Make sure that the VIP doesn't get shanked in an alley because they got distracted (a surprisingly common problem).
She didn't know too much about this performer, but good coin had been paid for her protection, so Fila intended to do her very best. In many ways, this was just as important for her reputation as the magician's.
>Heartseeker: This unit receives bonuses when attacking opponents in defensive support and guard. +10 HIT on defensive supporting units. +20 HIT for guarding unit. +15 HIT for guarded unit.
With some frustration Amethyst decided to drop the whole thing. She stepped away from the mirror and shook her head. She hesitated for a moment, not wanting the waste the guards time. And yet she was meant to be there, in part, for her peace of mind. It might have just been the dark clothes and the silence, but they didn't come across as too self conscious. Though she probably didn't have the same problem of being adressed as 'girl'.
“How do you deal with your hair?” she inquired with a desperate tone. “People take you seriously. It's not my skill that's the problem, but I lack a sort of authority that could hold a stage. I mean, no one has ever said anything like that, but I feel what they think. I think my hair could fix it, but I don't really know how to get it right. What do you think screams mature?”
Fila does not startle. It was hardly the first time her ward had wanted to chat with her; many performers, particularly the ones new in the business, wanted to get to know the people protecting them from rabid fans and jilted lovers. The trail of destroyed households some entertainers in Marcarth had left exceeded Fila's own, though the method of destruction was considerably less bloody (though some was still often involved, one way or another).
Still, the question her latest charge, Amethyst, asked was something of a problem. Fila was painfully aware (due to a rash of recent comments on it) that she was a superlatively ragged individual. It wasn't that she didn't know how to fix her appearance; back in the Ice Tribe, she had actually put in slightly more effort into it than was strictly approved, considering the harsh conditions. Once she started dark magic, and even more so once she became a mercenary, she had stopped caring.
All of this was to say, she was rather out of practice with doing hair. But she could still try. Fila steps into the room, shutting and locking the door behind her. "Sit down and I'll fix it." She says. "I'll see what I can do."
>Heartseeker: This unit receives bonuses when attacking opponents in defensive support and guard. +10 HIT on defensive supporting units. +20 HIT for guarding unit. +15 HIT for guarded unit.
“Wha...oh…” She was just going to ask for advice, but mother said something about not inquiring too far into the state of gifted livestock. Though they'd never been on a farm in their life. She'd had no ambition for it either. Suffice to say the wisdom was lost on her, though such free offers were not. She pulled the chair out from under the vanity supporting the mirror and sat down, hands folded over her knees patiently “T-thanks. You've done this kind of thing before? I mean, it's not the service I'd expect, but can I come to expect it if I stay in Marcarth? I don't know what it is but it feels like the city is one big inn, and it's home to no one, but there's free meals with your room so you want to stay. Or something like that. Did I get the vibe, right? It probably sounds dumb.”
"Mmm.'Fraid this is just me. Its own the house though." Fila had to suppress a grin. The whirling questions of the performer reminded her of her own experience when she arrived in Markarth. She was essentially from the boonies, only to dive headfirst into the big city. It was certainty a rough adjustment period. She had done a lot of unsavory work in that first year, and picked up a lot of trades she never wanted to use again.
"No no, that's an apt description of Markarth." Fila said, making soothing noises while she untangled and reshaped the performer's hair. "Free food with a show, what's not to love?" Fila bound the hair into a french braid, one that suggested the wearer was important enough to have people to do her hair for her. which she was, technically.
>Heartseeker: This unit receives bonuses when attacking opponents in defensive support and guard. +10 HIT on defensive supporting units. +20 HIT for guarding unit. +15 HIT for guarded unit.
So it wasn't an original observation. No matter. It was liberating in a way, to not have bills to pay and just worry about accumulating wealth. It seemed like the easy life if you could make it. What was the downside of just staying here. “When you're here you're not really moving forward, I guess? Time goes on if we choose to stay where we are or keep moving forward. I know that I'm trying to tell myself this is only temporary. Get in and then get out before I lose too much momentum. But….” She held the word for longer than normal. “I've been told I'm weird like that.”
“It'd be a lot easier and cheaper to be a dark mage. You have to be ready to jump on light tome when you find one. ‘Specially when your no high priestess.” Amethyst felt the new texture of the firm folds of hair when they were done. Hair was a skill that took more than one attempt to master managing. “So are you more a freelancer than straight up mercenary? I don’t know where they teach these things...most people only need to do the hair of one or two people to as part of their line of work. You just worked magic on a stranger.”
"There's a huge market for Dark Tomes, its true. You have to learn to shop for quality really fast though. Once something gets popular enough, anyone with a printing press will try to make a quick pile of coins. And tomes are in huge demand lately, what with the death rate of dark mages. Hoshido does field a lot of archers nowadays, after all."
She finishes the last braid, stepping back from the chair and checking the mirror again. "There. What do you think?" the braid wasn't particularly incredible, but it was competently made, and looked both secure and elegant. Amethyst would notice the mercenary trying to feign disinterest in the performer's verdict, and failing miserably.
"I haven't done this in awhile, but it will hold up during the performance."
>Heartseeker: This unit receives bonuses when attacking opponents in defensive support and guard. +10 HIT on defensive supporting units. +20 HIT for guarding unit. +15 HIT for guarded unit.
“I can earn better doing stuff like this than at the border. Glad I'm valuable enough to not get caught up in any conflicts like that. I guess the expensive route comes with perks. You sometimes have to spend money to make money, right? I guess I do like the being special part too.” Light magic was not so much a choice she made herself, but one she was forced into.
She was careful not to touch the braid. “That’s as long as it needs to last, though I’d rather not buy a horse from you in future with that attitude. I do feel better already though, thank you. This is probably the most high class show I've done, so I hope it goes down well.” Amethyst's hands moved from her lap to her knees as she prepared to stand. “Let me give you a tip, as a fellow dilettante. Most stage magicians are mages, as you might guess: the trick is to make one's magic look more impressive than it really is by employing a kind of theatre to it, to mask the illusions. You can pretend to do things well beyond your ability with good stagecraft.”
"There's certainly less coin on the outskirts, especially for entertainers. Survival comes first, quality of life, second." Fila nods. The Light Magic market dealt with scams, sure. But a fake was often less dangerous than bottom quality tomes; you at least knew not to rely on a fake. Of course, she hadn't had had the luxury of that when she first arrived in Markarth. Those first two years, the worst of the worst dark tomes were all a coin-less drifter like her could get. Clawing at any task within her abilities that she could be paid for. Murderer, house-keeper, guard, saboteur, courtesan... Anything to keep food on the table. She was glad to be free of that, but crippling poverty always lurked one bad break away. For her, and the entertainer in front of her.
Fila offered her a hand to help her up. Unnecessary, but it felt polite. Amethyst would notice that though the mercenary looked raggedy, the hand was clean, and the outfit very good quality; the shabbiness of it was artificial.
"I can't say I'd be a horse from me either, so that makes two of us." If the hand was taken, Fila would gently (but firmly) pull her up, stepping aside and falling into step behind her as the headed tot he stage. "Mm. Stagecraft huh? I suppose so. Life is a performance, after all."
They passed a few more guards as the approached the stage, Fila getting nods of both professionalism, and fearful recognition from some. The sounds of the crowd could be distantly heard while Fila escorted her charge to the stage. Just before they came to the edge of backstage, Fila tapped Amethyst gently on the shoulder. "In light of our earlier conversation, I wish you the best of luck in this grand deception of yours. Knock 'em dead." With that, the mercenary slips into the shadows of the curtains while the crowd cheers.
>Heartseeker: This unit receives bonuses when attacking opponents in defensive support and guard. +10 HIT on defensive supporting units. +20 HIT for guarding unit. +15 HIT for guarded unit.
Here it was; showtime. Her appearance was beyond her control now, all that mattered was what she did from here. she sauntered on to the stage, waving at her audience. She bowed once she reached the centre, waiting until the room came to attention.
"Some of you may have seen me before.” A big lie, considering her previous venues were smaller, and make out of the way. “But those that haven't might be wondering about my credentials. My interview was rather simple.” She took a length of paper, and began to roll it. "They asked for my list of venues, and so I gave it to them.” She ran her hand over the paper, with the same harshness as if she were striking a match. The paper burst into sparks that burned for a few seconds before dying down to show a gemstone, a small amethyst. "And I also showed them this. I felt no need to prove myself further,” she added with a dismissive wave before she twirled her hand around her ring finger. She then fit the gem nicely into a ring of her own conjuration.
“I am Amethyst Golding, the kingdoms premier light mage, and I certainly plan on illuminating your evening…”
Her eyes were on the back of the room, where there was much shuffling by one particular person. If they didn’t settle she’d have to call them up for some audience participation. A rowdy back could echo forward.
While the performer dazzled the crowd, her bodyguard lurked in the backstage, slinking from shadow to shadow. As much as she would have liked to watch the show, she had a job to do. As far as she was aware, Amethyst didn't have any outstanding enemies. Certainly not ones who wanted her dead or humiliated. But such negligence had gotten many a VIP killed, and it was the height of hubris to assume all outcomes were accounted for. Fila would not be sloppy. She had a reputation to uphold, and rent to pay.
There weren't any assassins (yet), but there were always the obsessives, or the malcontents trying to get exclusive access that was not their due. Death threats dealt with them. A sniper from the audience was harder to account for; Fila could not disrupt the performance unless her charges' life was at stake, which meant lessened safety measures. She had to content with periodic orbits to check in on the surrounding area, occasionally changing up the intervals at which she did so. She prayed it would be enough.
>Heartseeker: This unit receives bonuses when attacking opponents in defensive support and guard. +10 HIT on defensive supporting units. +20 HIT for guarding unit. +15 HIT for guarded unit.
With introductions out of the way she could begin to move on to the first stage of the act. With a seemingly casual flick of the wrist. From a pocket she removed a dark scrap of cloth into a ball. The ball turned into long, party streamer like strands, exploding majestically like a firework before she reeled it all back into her hand with another casual gesture. Amethyst then unrolled the cloth from its ball, holding the open sheet in two hands in the top corners. She moved a hand to the bottom corner and pulled it slightly, it extended each time with a few pulls, before moving her hand back to the top corner and rolling it up into a long cylindrical shape. Once it was rolled tightly she tugged on both ends, causing the cloth to transform into a solid, if diminutive cane. Afterwards, she paced herself with some basic tricks, relying greatly on pockets and flashes of lights to fool even the observant. Though there were others who had the job, she was still eyeing the room herself, it did a little to help alleviate the choking effects of the stage. She was safe, but just to be sure...
"It is this part of the show where one of you gets the chance to join me up here on the stage.” She raised a hand to under her chin and began a soft tapping. She chose to rest her gaze on one of the troublemakers in the back. The man objected politely at first, then got annoyed, before eventually the pressure of the crowd won them over and they began an unhappy plod up to the front, or at least that would be the uninformed explanation. It would have been more accurate to say that it was easier to ensure the failure of a show than from on stage.
Fila glances back at the stage. It wasn't her job to be worried over how the performance itself was going, but in some ways she just couldn't help herself. After giving all that advice, she had (willingly or not) become a little invested in how the purple-haired mage did.
Seeing her handle the man handled by the performer, she gives a sigh of relief and continues searching for assassins. The performer likely wouldn't have been able to get her as a guard if she wasn't good, considering Fila's rates. If things were going to go wrong, she could leave that to the performer. She just had to get her out alive and unharmed if things went wrong.
It was an interesting performance, all things considered. Fila had her suspicions about the mechanics of a few of the tricks, but some were still a mystery to her.
>Heartseeker: This unit receives bonuses when attacking opponents in defensive support and guard. +10 HIT on defensive supporting units. +20 HIT for guarding unit. +15 HIT for guarded unit.
“Thank you sir, do you have a name for the audience?” Amethyst Inquired, offering a hand to pull them up to the stage, though it was more an act of politeness rather than being of much help. He was going to say something, but she cut him off. “Hold the thought.” She held the gem up to the light as a visual cue to remind the audience of what she had said earlier. "Now, through my extrasensory abilities, I shall answer my own question.” The performer turned their back and there were gasps as the man drew a weapon and began to strike.
It wasn’t a particular surprise to Amethyst that city people were rude, but at home at least they did not act like a friend first. The unprofessional swing scratched her, much to the shock of the audience, until she reacted in kind. A spell meant to trip the man, collided with his shin. Amethyst played for the crowned as the man fell, making it look like her in reality weak throw had downed the man. She smirked, knowing her opponent was totally unprepared for the fight he had started that she could use him as show material.
The distraction on stage was perfect for those with more sinister intentions to begin to target on of the audience members. While none of the business of one hire to protect the stage, the audience might have been quite shocked if they knew the potential danger. Shocked enough to leave no matter how compelling the act on stage was. There were no bonuses when things went badly and the client was socially humilliated.
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