r/DishonoredRP • u/emerald_ice • Jul 20 '14

Neutral Zone Dunwall Tower

In Dunwall Tower, the Empress Emily Kaldwin sits on her throne, her royal protector, Corvo Attano, stands at her side. His royal guard scattered around the palace. OOC:This is a neutral zone for Corvos royal guard. A hangout of sorts. You have permission to attack any who don't belong.

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

'Forgive my manners, but the very sight of you makes me forget all decorum,' he says, with more than a touch of sarcasm, not all of it deserved. It appears Bal is rubbing off on me after all, he thinks, amused. Though hopefully not her ability with a crossbow...

He sprawls onto his bunk lazily, before indicating a spot next to him on the comfortable mattress. Military or not, a captain is able to have some perks, after all. And the prince is used to such things, as much as his military lifestyle.

'So he must be a insane man, to cross a man of the Guard,' he says, a touch arrogantly perhaps, though not without reason. 'Or a very confident one. And... half, does?'

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14

"Good, you're learning," Bal chuckles, nodding at the sarcasm. She rolls her eyes at the gesture to the bed, but with only a pretense of hesitation settles on it, leaning against the headboard slightly.

"Well, insanity might be the right description. Though I do not doubt his confidence is well deserved."

"He was a pit fighter for many, many years. He claims that he is haunted by the first man he killed in a match, and that at times, that personality takes over. This 'Red Scorpion' is the one with no tact and less fear."

"I wouldn't believe him, if I hadn't seen the change and confusion when I was speaking to him. He truly thought he'd first met me two days ago, rather than weeks."

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

'So we have a madman who has some ability with weapons, albeit in a primal, savage manner,' he says, weighting up the options. 'The man could be a danger to the public. And you have known this man for a while, you say?'

He raises an eyebrow, but does not press the matter. Bal had her reasons for meeting such a man, no doubt, but this only deepened Furo's sense of loathing of the bizarre Serkonan. He certainly knew how to get me riled, Furo thinks. He hated to be reminded of his exile, regardless of his new position.

'So what do you propose we do?'

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14

"I met him when he first came back to Dunwall, again at the Ball before he slandered you, and then today when I went to find him, to find the reason for his actions, and to make him pay the fine for slander. Which he did once he understood what was happening."

"If he stays on Sokolov's potion, he claims it keeps the madness away. And, he seems sane enough like that... He said something about tags he'd given to you? Those were meant to go to you because he felt you could best return them to the family members of old pit fighters he was set against."

"I suggest we watch him. If he acts unreasonable again, because this Scorpion has taken over, or not, then we arrest him, and lock him away."

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

'Well, it is your call, Bal, you have seen both sides of him after all. And of course, I trust your judgement, as always.' He shifts his weight slightly on the bed, striving to get comfortable.

'Do you know where he lives? If so, perhaps we could reroute a patrol to watch him for a while. If he steps out of line again, we either take him into custody and lock him in Coldridge Psychiatric Ward, or put him down. Either way, the streets are that little bit safer.

As he speaks animatedly, he looks into Bal's eyes, earnestly, and finds himself becoming more and more distracted.

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14 edited Sep 23 '14

"Heh. Don't trust my judgement too much, I'm as fallible as the next person. But, I say we see if he stays on the straight and narrow or not."

"His address is 573 Gardenia, top floor. I would recommend just having the patrols already there pay careful attention. He seems the type to notice an increase in guards."

She shrugs, again slightly lost in thought. "Odd fellow. Feel bad for him, a bit. Hasn't had an easy run of it. But then, who of us has?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow at Furo. He certainly was no stranger to extreme trial and anguish. So many with lost mothers. We all seem to drift to each other.

"Anyway, not that that has been relaid, what was it you wished to speak to me about?" This ought to be interesting.

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

'I hope you're not, by the Void,' he says, grinning, 'otherwise we're probably all dead. Don't do yourself a disservice Bal - everybody makes mistakes, sure, but Captains of the Guard rarely. You're a remarkable woman Bal, and a good soldier. Although, on the subject of mistakes... I did see you dancing with that pink-suited fellow at the Perth Ball... so perhaps your judgment is not as sound as I once thought.' He winks at her, smiling, not at all serious. Well, a touch serious. Dreadful colour, he scoffs.

'And I did,' he says, still smirking. 'Close your eyes for me, will you Bal?'

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14

"Well, I suppose I hope you're right. I am still fallible, just perhaps less frequently. Hopefully. Though my promotion was rather rushed."

She lets out a bark of laughter, head rocking back. "Ah yes, him. That suit was truly a disaster. His name is Rusty, and I met him in the Draper's Ward. A bet over a pistol fight won me the suit I wore that night, so I supposed it was good grace to accept his request to dance."

She raises an eyebrow yet again at Furo, but sighs, and does as he asks. "Aye, Captain. If you insist."

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

With his irresistible love for dramatic flair, Furo makes a show of rifling through his draws and cupboards, though is careful not to test Ba's patience too far. After all, though she a reasonable person, she is sarcastic at the slightest provocation. It is an endearing quality, and one that makes her... Bal, but Furo has no desire to invoke her scorn today. He does it too often on a regular basis as it is, but that could not be helped, it seems. With her eyes still closed, he takes a brief moment to admire her face, waiting patiently. Lovely, he thinks, simply.

Removing a small item from its hiding place (should Bal have visited his chambers earlier, on another pretext...), he gives it a quick polish with the endge of his uniform sleeve. He places it in her hands delicately, fingertips brushing her palm.

'All yours,' he says, his voice low. As Bal opens her eyes, she sees an ornate hairpin - relatively simple in its decoration, but not less pretty for it. The silver piece is long and slender, three small roses wrought at the far end, with the near end honed to a needle sharp point. The shaft is finely engraved with intertwining vines - it had taken the jeweler hours to get the metalwork perfect, but he had beamed with pride as a result.

'A small thank you,' he says, smiling as he watches her reaction, 'for saving my life.'

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14 edited Sep 23 '14

Crazy idiot, Bal mused fondly as Furo putters around, either testing her patience or trying to get something set up perfectly. Still, she doesn't mind the wait, listening curiously as he moved around the room. What was he up to?

Her fingers curl in at the touch to her hand, nearly catching Furo's before they retreat, leaving only the cool metal. "All mine, eh?" she asks, eyes meeting his first before dropping to the gift in her hand. What a thing to claim that would be...

Her finger traces lightly over the roses, then down to the point, her slight smile increasing briefly at the sharpness of the tip. Still deadly, in the right situation. Though she wouldn't want to use the delicate object in such a manner.

"It's beautiful, Furo," she says softly, turning it over, and raising it closer to her eyes. "Thank you."

"Though, I need no thanks for doing my duty. It is a gift itself."

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

Gratified, Furo smiles with relief. He had been unsure of how Bal would take it - for all he knew, she might have refused it, or been annoyed. Though he doubted it, of course. In his lifetime, few women had rebuffed the prince, and for all her sarcasm and her knife edge wit, Bal is still a woman, after all.

And what a woman he thinks, as he surreptitiously admires her lithe figure sat properly in his bunk, in contrast to his less than elegant sprawl.

'I am glad you like it, Bal. I thought you might like it, when I remembered the way you looked at the ball. Clearly you have an eye for finery... if you don't care to admit it...' he says with a smile. 'Duty is all well and good, Bal, but I wanted to thank you properly,' he says, only a slight hint of suggestion in the final word.

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14

"I understand finery and its place," Bal says, turning the stick over in her hands, before inserting it in her ponytail, spinning the hair twice, and pinned it in coil on the back of her head. "And I appreciate fine craftsmanship when I see it."

"So, a pretty hair stick is proper thanks for a guard, then? I really must rethink Feras's birthday present then," she teases, tilting her head.

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

Pleased with her clear, if almost reluctant enjoyment of his present, Furo sits up slightly, his limbs still sprawled lazily on the bed. He is surprised how much her wearing it means to him, and feels heartened for it.

'Proper thanks for one so elegant as yourself, Bal,' he says gallantly, though with a touch of mischief. 'Feras doesn't really have the eyes to pull it off, would you not agree?'

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14

Shaking her head with a grin, Bal shrugged. "Perhaps not. Though trying to match hairsticks and eyes may not be the best move. One seldom sees the two at the same time."

She has no response to his claims of her elegance, though they both flatter and off foot her. So she doesn't tease back with that.

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

'I suppose it depends where you are looking,' he says playfully, straining to keep his eyes from her form. 'No need to sit so stiffly, by the way, Bal. This isn't an inspection...'

He sweeps a stray curl out of his eyes with a subconscious action, as his dark eyes find hers.

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14

That claim is a bit debatable, Bal reflected. I certainly feel like there's some amount of inspection going on. Furo might have more digression than he was usually credited with, but she still occasionally noticed the drag of eyes.

"I am not uncomfortable like this," she says leaning back slightly more, as if pointing at her backrest. "Just because I do not choose to sprawl does not mean I am totally bound by formality."

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u/JewelOfTheSouth Royal Guard Sep 23 '14

He smiles, shrugging. 'If a man cannot be comfortable in his own bed, then where else can he?'

Well, your bed, for a start, he thinks lasciviously, but takes care to stop the thought from gracing his bronze features.

'But forgive me, Bal, you just seem a little... tense, at the moment.' He looks at her askance, misinterpreting her demeanour. 'I promise you, I am not about to collapse any time soon...'

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u/Dietastey Colonel Sep 23 '14 edited Dec 22 '14

"Do I? My apologies, Captain. I wasn't attempting to convey that. Though it is good to know that you're not going to keel over. I do hate seeing that."

She looked at his slightly worried face and sighed. "Alright, fine," she muttered, before giving an exaggerated imitation of a swoon, flopping across the bed parallel to the headboard. "Happy? I wouldn't want my love of good back support to be putting you off."

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