hadriel | video

[The video clicks on with some fumbles, some readjustment as Hella realizes what she looks like in the playback on the device and just sort of. Stares at her apparent reflection. It's really weird, but she's been laying low and trying to figure out this thing for almost a month now so she thinks she's sort of got it.

She certainly looks out of place, in full dark scalemail armor and with scars on her face and a very serious expression. She doesn't shift from full serious mode when she finally begins to talk, but she sounds more awkward than stern.]

Hey. I'm Hella. I've been quiet, I guess. But I'm new here, relatively speaking.

[She pulls a lock of red hair behind her ears, her bangs the only hair outside of her usual bun today.]

I noticed you all have a monster problem. Apparently it happens once every month? Anyway, we should be coming upon a month of my being here soon, and I'm... willing to offer my services.

[She holds up a sword, the hilt of it embellished with red jewels, the center one being the largest and bleeding into a white diamond-like color in the center. If anyone has any ability to sense dead things or magic, this thing is giving off a severe ghostlike energy.

Because of all the powerful dead people and gods and stars living in it.]

I'm really good at killing things. I also live near the colosseum. I can kill anything that comes through that Door.

[Said with full confidence.]

If you're worried about someone arriving and want to check it out but don't do well in dangerous situations, I'll guard you. For trade, maybe. Or favors.

[If anything, Adaire's taught her the value of owed favors. Though Hella still doesn't have the patience to wait on collecting.]

I'll hear any offers now. Thank you.

[She fumbles with the phone a bit more, and finally shuts it off.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Would you like some help? I must admit I'm going a bit stir-crazy myself.

[He didn't think hiding in a room somewhere tinkering his grief would get old, but it kinda did... Or at least he has the good sense to realize that if he doesn't touch grass, he's going to nuke the bloody Door.]

And I'd love an excuse to get a closer look at it.

[Those are some weird fucking glasses, dude. She sounds a little distracted as she answers.]

...Yeah. Sure.

[She's not distracted by the glasses, though. She hasn't partied with strangers in foreeeever. Throndir and Adaire were recent additions, sure, but that was tempered by Hadrian's presence as well as other factors. He was always... a comforting, if not quite comfortable presence.

Still, she doesn't know this guy at all. At least she had Hadrian's reassurances about Throndir and knew of Adaire from the cartographer's time in Velas scamming the locals.]

Handy with a sword?

Hey, if you're gonna be killing stuff, toss me a corpse or two, would you? I study the monsters that come in every month. I collect the manageable stuff too, so if you manage to catch anything alive, I'll take it.

[There's a pause, and then, like he's just remembered his manners:]

Oh, I'm Newt. Nice to meet ya.

[Jon has a reasonably friendly expression. His longish dark hair is pulled back from his bearded face, a face that tends to fall into sadness when it's still, and the buckled leather collar of a brigandine can be seen under the plate gorget he wears. His voice is low, with a heavy Northern English accent, though that's not exactly where he's from.]

That's a nice sword. What sort of steel?

You could just join the Guard. What you said just now -- it's what they do.

Oh, you're like that other guy.

[...

If you're waiting for an explanation, there isn't one.]

It's Ordennan steel.

[So not a material anyone outside of her world would be familiar with.]

Uh. I'm not good at...

[Literally any part of being part of some outfit guarding people other than killing things, nevermind the fact that she just claimed to be looking to guard people. She's pretty bad at that too honestly, but in her defense, most people looking for guards probably deserve to die for some reason.

Besides, the Guard here doesn't seem to earn anything for their work.]

...I mean. I'll consider it. Are you one of the Guard?

[...???]

What other guy?

I am one of them, but I've only recently joined. You should talk to Nick Valentine, or Hotspur. They're the commanders.

If they're paying, though, I haven't heard about it.

[Lucky (?) for her, he's interested in unusual swords, so he goes on to say...]

But I've never heard of Ordennan steel. What are its properties? Anything like Valyrian steel?

The guy collecting monsters last month. The scientist guy with all the crabs. You're a scientist too, right?

Sounds like a shit job then.

[Tbh. Who's Tact?]

I don't know what Valyrian steel is. Ordennan steel cuts through any undead or ghostly creature. Stops the curse in its tracks. Anyone killed with Ordennan steel will never get up again.

[Her sword also vastly slows regeneration of wounds, but she's not sharing all its properties. People can find that out on the down low.]

Shit jobs are all there are here.

[But he says that with rueful good humor. Before the Door took him, he was a king, and he's not the only one that sort of thing applies to.]

Valyrian steel kills the undead when little else will.

How is your Ordennan steel made?

My job's for trade or favors.

[Let her live. She just wants to go back to money, why can't they just be like the moth people and make silken coins or whatever.

Also, that note on the similarity of the two steels catches her attention.]

Then they must be made in a similar fashion. I don't know how to make it, regardless. I'm not a smith.

[Look, Hella, they have... a lot of apples...? A queen will sew things for you if you pay her in bolts of fabric?]

Then I wish you good fortune in finding work as a sellsword.

No one knows how Valyrian steel was made anymore, either. The secret was lost with the Doom of Valyria. But they were dragonlords there -- it's said that it had something to do with dragonfire, or with spells.

Is your Ordennan steel very light for its size?

[They are very important for tinkering okay!!]

Among other things. I guess you could say I used to do this for a living.

Uh, you might be talking about me. I didn't manage to get any alive, though.

[A glorious bummer.]

I don't know if anyone's going to pay you for what a lot of people do for free.

That's a shiny name you got. [That's Girl's main takeaway.] Even shinier sword. I'm guessin' you didn't get that here.

I fear the monsters are indeed a regular occurance, although you may find that only the ones from the Colosseum follow any sort of schedule! If you do well with boats, in this new place, you might ask if folk would like an escort on the crossings? I have yet to hear of any being attacked, but there are creatures in the deeps of a certainty.

[Oh hey, it's that woman who threatened his life. That description is a little vague, considering a lot of people have told Taako to piss off from their general vicinity, but she's kind of distinctive.

Then again, she doesn't know where he lives, and can't stab him through a phone. So.]

You know money's like, worthless here, right? Nobody has any of it and everything's free. Sooo not gonna get much of that.

I don't know if you noticed, but when you say that, it sounds very judge-y.

[Despite her words, she seems to be in good humor. At least, until Hella makes a face at the mention of "spells".]

People are still making Ordennan steel. Just not me. And it certainly has nothing to do with spells. It's of normal weight for its size, and magic is outlawed in Ordenna.

Do what? Kill monsters? My world doesn't really have monsters like these, just weird people and wild animals. ...And stars. I guess those count as monsters.

No, he had a different voice. And he had plenty alive. One dead. Might've got eaten by the others. That was my fault.

[Seriously, what the heck is this conversation.]

I'm gathering that. It's pretty annoying.

Thanks? No, I've had this sword for a long time.

There's more in the water? This place is... a shithole.

[That's her main takeaway.]

I'm pretty good with boats. I'm from an island nation. So... I'll keep that in mind.

Page 1 of 5

video

video;

video;

audio

[video]

audio

[video]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Video

voice;

video

[video]

no subject

no subject

no subject

Video

voice;

video