#mission brief. ( starter call )

[vipier]

small starter call! simply like this post for a canon starter, or alternatively, comment ✨ for star wars, 🐍 for fantasy / witcher, or 🥀 for fae king.

[coursechosen]

tag dump

[jamesbloodybond]

(Starter for @jo-m-portman-rp)

Bond was exhausted. It had been an arduous and hectic mission, coupled with a 20-hour flight on Economy class because the plane had somehow run out of first-class and business-class seats.

Or so he had been told, by Mallory.

Bond grumbled throughout the drive from Scotland to London after a brief 3-hour nap, which was peculiar for him to be woken up that shortly after completing his mission. He definitely blamed Mallory for lots of bad decisions despite him being his boss, but he could've at least called later.

After Bond arrived in MI6, he scanned his keycard to get into Moneypenny's office and greeted her, then he heard muffled groans coming out of Mallory's office.

"...Hang on, Moneypenny," Bond uttered under his breath, ears perking up slowly. "Am I hearing what you're hearing?"

Moneypenny shrugged and gave Bond a soft smile. "Look, Bond, I haven't had the slightest clue. Apparently, there's a new employee or something in MI6 but we haven't got introduced to them just yet."

Bond's eyes widened. He probably was hearing exactly what Moneypenny was hearing but he wasn't sure. In the heat of the moment, he walked straight into Mallory's office and saw two naked silhouettes and quickly dashed out after fumbling "Oh fuck- SORRY!!"

Moneypenny shook her head in disapproval. "Bond, you really are a blunt instrument." Bond panted softly and blushed a little, his thoughts fixated on how gorgeous the woman's legs were despite being in the dark.

[3katanas]

@raiiryuu semi-plotted Starter!

It had taken a few days to get the Guild Hall looking back to normal. Removing the signal of the idiots that had taken it from them while they were gone and cleaning up the mess they'd left behind. He'd spent most of that time in the gym, getting the machines and weights back in order.

Now that it was sparkling clean and ready for use he'd arrived early that morning. Falling easily back into his normal routine when not out on a mission or trip with the others. Muscles warmed slightly from the walk here he set right in on his weight training. Easily working through his warm-ups before setting in on his reps.

Gaze flicking towards the door at the sound of someone else entering he spotted the distinct blonde hair and lightning scar. Vaguely remembering Natsu and the others calling him Laxus from his few brief encounters with the dragon-slayer. His chin dipped in greeting towards the other when their eyes met as he rose from the mat he'd been doing one armed push-ups on. "You're Laxus right?"

[voidtouched-blue]

Semi-plotted starter for @alexissero

The continent had been dangerously balanced on the brink of war. Only five years since the calamity that befell Carteneau, and the Garleans had once again began to pressure the city-states under their Imperial boot. It had taken some convincing to bring the healer into their ranks, but the Scions certainly had their own way of proving their need for her talents. Normally, she wouldn't have hesitated to assist, but there was a fear that commanded her choice in the matter. One she had been ashamed to admit to the organization. So it was with great confusion, and contrasting emotions that the Keeper accepted the request from Y'shtola.

"We have not the manpower to spare, nor a true White Mage on hand to ensure his safety. You've proven yourself more than a capable battle-ready mage, so it is of no question that your talents are more suited for this task", she had been clear with her intentions from the start. Though her talents in conjury had been nothing to sniff at, Y'shtola had a far more diverse arsenal of magic at her disposal than Cyra. When she asked why the Sun Seeker hadn't elected to accompany Alexis, the Miqo'te's eyes narrowed with her grin.

"I should warn you," the Keeper remembered how the woman crossed her arms and tapped her nails in irritation on her sleeve. "His careless tendencies to throw himself into the fray with little regard for his health may frustrate you. You would do well to keep that in mind. Your talents far exceed mine own, and offer a higher margin of success. Please, go with care."

Cyra couldn't argue with that.

To a woman of her talents, the Moon Keeper had great respect for Y'shtola's magick capabilities. For her to suggest that she was more well suited for the task came as a surprise. It's true that she was able to complete her studies in Conjury and even excel in her practice as a White Mage, but offensive magic had not yet become part of her arsenal. Surely, being able to provide a more destructive force to the battlefield was a higher priority than bringing along a healer? Yet, when she tried to question the Scion again, her words had been met with a sharp stare of emerald silence. It was almost as if the Conjuror had known that keeping firm and making her request into a demand would be what ceased Cyra's prying and send her on her way.

Though their conversation was brief and to the point, Y'shtola left her with plenty of questions to plague her mind about her new charge. The anticipation of such a strong warrior needing a more learned mage to provide protection and support felt quite comical. Though, if what the Seeker said was true, then perhaps the man was as reckless as she assumed. Such brash and thoughtless behavior would not be tolerated by any means in her presence. Regardless of that curious warning, Cyra would need to treat this with the same importance as any job. Despite her unease with the nature of their mission, she would need to keep herself together.

Night quickly passed into morning, and with the rising sun of the new day, the miqo'te had arrived with her pack secured over each shoulder.

"Ser Sero?" She called out. Unsure of how to greet a man she hadn't formally met, the Keeper thumbed over the wood of her staff to calm her nerves. It wasn't every day that one met a rather renowned hero of the realm, much less being given the opportunity to aid them. "Y'shtola had requested for me to aid you on your mission, if you're ready we should depart quickly lest we waste daylight."

[worthyheir]

@lcerys / post gullet starter call X

Whether is was his near brush with death that finally spurned them to take King's Landing, or the knowledge that Aemond and Vhagar had departed the capital, he was not sure. His mother had been furious by his departure, particularly when she had explicitly ordered him to stay behind, to not fly to the Gullet in search of his youngest brother. A mission he had failed, regardless. She was no longer allowing him to attend the council meetings, even after he was healed enough to depart his bed (though he had done so far before being necessarily 'allowed'), and he was only being told the bare minimum of what they were planning. His anxiety, watching his mother and the others fly to King's Landing, knowing there was nothing he could do to help, was agonizing.

Now that he was in the Red Keep, his mother seated upon the Iron Throne, he was despondent about what his purpose here truly was. Nominally, he was still the Prince of Dragonstone, and heir to the Iron Throne after his mother, but he was not sure he was worthy of the title any longer. The distance he has put between himself and his family, since his failure in protecting his youngest brother, is vast. Even Luke, who had been his closest friend his entire life, he cannot find himself able to confide in now. His answers to his brothers, his mother, to Daemon, are all short, as brief and succinct as possible.

Even this day, he finds himself standing on the balcony of the council chambers, knowing that his mother sits the throne, and he ought to be standing her side, the heir to the throne preparing to take her place one day, staring at the city. They were not doing the best for the smallfolk, after taking the city, but he is not the person to bring those thoughts forward. His hands are behind his back when his brother approaches, and he knows that there is an explanation needed for his absence. "Were you sent to find me?" He asks, his eyes not looking over at his brother - he finds it difficult to look any of his family truly after failing to rescue their youngest member. "I can find my way to the throne room myself, if my presence is truly needed."

[vagabondfromkanto]

LIFE-FIBER HUNTER

A returning MOSTLY post-canon Ryuko Matoi. Est. 2014. A traveling vagabond and a fighter on a mission. (Or a delinquent school girl, if that's more your style.)

Indie | Semi-selective | Almost anything goes 18+ on account of Mun pushing 30 Please read [About] and [Rules] OR hit "Read more" if you're on mobile.

[Permanent Starter Call]

[Mun's art for the blog (tag)]

You are highly encouraged to go on the desktop version and read all of this in detail, however here's a brief rundown for mobile users, for the sake of convenience:

Muse: Ryuko Matoi from Kill la Kill, post-canon AU (other verses available, see below). 25 y.o., traveling Life-Fiber hunter (which gives her reasons to meet all kinds of characters).

Mun: Is very much of age, been roleplaying in various ways for like 15 years and then some.

Rules (in short):

No sexual NSFW here.

Anything goes, from one-liners to novel, from crack to crossovers to angst and blood. (apart from point one in this list.)

Don't overthink it, just shoot me an ask or tag me. Or message me. I'm very chill.

If you want other verse than the default post-canon, pls specify when interacting. Otherwise she will react within those parameters. To canon muses as well, she'll assume you're 8 years older or (if gone during the plot) a trick of some kind.

Sometimes I accidentally write too much 'cause I got too into it. Don't feel like you have to match me. And do tell me if it gets overwhelming.

Godmodding: if you godmod or powerplay me, you give me the right to do it right back. My muse's abilities are powerful and specific enough for that within the basic canon. You've been warned.

Abilities:

[FULL PROFILE HERE (pls click)]

Fast regeneration, super-strength and durability, but not infinite, she can die. Life-Fiber absorption (makes her stronger). Can harden her hands into claws, if need be, but it takes some effort. Can potentially drink blood at a crisis dying point, but would rather not to.

Bonus canon abilities are reserved to be used in case of exceptional crisis (see: godmodding/powermodding or pre-planned over-the-top threads).

Important headcanons:

Aroace (there's plenty an explanation on desktop). (This doesn't mean no shipping. Just a certain kind of shipping.)

While traveling crashes at friends' places chaotically when available. Especially likes to enter Satsuki's home through a window, 'cause it's fun to friendly bicker.

Talks to Senketsu out of habit, after one too many Life-Fibers absorbed she can actually hear him talking back.

Got her scissor blades back, since what else do you fight LF with. At some point had to absorb them too, which now lets her harden her hands into claws... but not for long. It's tiring.

Is down for not traveling alone sometimes, as long as you can handle yourself. Or if you are Mako.

WILL freak out if meeting Ragyo, Nui or Junketsu!Ryuko. (Can use this for angst.)

Verses:

Verse 1: Life-Fiber hunter Years after the finale, there's a sudden resurgence of Life-Fibers all over the globe due to power-hungry people going into willing contact with them. As the only creature on Earth still capable of going toe-to-toe with them (and not quite managing the "normal" life anyway), Ryuko steps up. Now travels around searching for the things and fighting them. 25 y.o.

Verse 2: OG anime Ryuko Matoi is a transfer student at Honnouji Academy trying to find out who killed her dad. You know the drill. (Mun can attempt doubling for Senketsu if need be.) 17 y.o.

Verse 2.5: Pre-canon Ryuko Matoi is a punk-ass student who can't make a friend to save her life and fights everyone on account of chronically not fitting in. Walking trouble. 14-16 y.o.

Verse 3: Cyberpunk AU (2077/Edgerunners inspired) Basically the canonical events, but slightly aged up and converted for the setting. A high-class corpo school, a loner nomad with a dead father, a corpo-bitch who experimented on hooking her own children up to Blackwall. Life-Fibers are rogue AIs, goku uniforms are implants, Senketsu is a friendly AI and Ryuko doesn't know that she's a digital construct of a dead teenaged stuffed in a highly chipped body. She's also trying not to think too hard about living at the house of an unethical ripperdoc. 18 y.o.

Down to discuss other AUs or crossover multiverse-style.

[featherchan]

Exhausted from their most recent mission, the Lionet Kanako struggled to ascend the steps leading up to Athena's temple. Her armor felt heavier than usual but she continued to press on. Along with the throbbing pain and dizziness that plagued her head, it caused her to nearly lose her footing and fall. Fortunately, Noburu, the Bronze Saint Wolf, who was also her sworn sister, grabbed her wrist just in time to keep her from falling.

Upon noticing this, even their mission leader, Silver Saint Whale, grew extremely concerned and insisted that the Bronze Saint head to the infirmary to be checked out. This was because, during their mission, the Lionet was found unconscious without any apparent reason. 

Despite their concerns, the Lioness stubbornly shook off their worries, citing fatigue as an excuse, and assured them that she would visit the infirmary after their briefing. Since the raven was reluctant to break her promise to their youngest sworn sister, who had been eagerly anticipating their return, a decision she would later regret.

Kneeling before their goddess, the Lionet struggled to remain alert and awake during the debriefing. Turning white as a sheet, sweat beading on her skin, she felt the headache intensify, and her surroundings seemed to blur and muffle, like a fading watercolor painting. It wasn't long, the raven swore, she heard a sound, a voice that didn't belong to anyone in the room. It sounded so twisted, menacing, and slurred with evil. And sensing imminent danger from it and acting on her instincts to protect her loved ones, every fiber of her being implored her to flee the temple without delay.

On her feet, her actions quickly caught the attention of her team leader, the Silver Saint Whale, who began calling her out for being disrespectful. However, he quickly stopped when he noticed her terrible state. Struggling already to maintain her balance due to the throbbing pain in her head, she stumbled forward before clutching both hands to her heart when she felt a sharp, stabbing pain. As the pain grew unbearable, she let out an agonizing scream, and a shock wave erupted and burst forth out of nowhere, surrounding her in a dark purple cosmos. The explosive wave was so powerful that it blew everyone away and nearly knocked them unconscious, especially the Silver Whale and Bronze Wolf, as they were in closest proximity to the Lionet.

As darkness began to engulf the throne, a chilling voice pierced through the cold air. "How pathetic. The once-great Sanctuary has been weakened over countless lifetimes, especially by this reincarnation of Athena." It snickers devilishly. "And I only needed to slip through its defenses undetected by using a Saint who holds great hatred for you..." A ghostly specter soon revealed itself, with blood-ruby-colored eyes hovering above the Lionet. The Lionet's eyes were hollow and lifeless, as if she were a puppet controlled by her puppet master. "Athena, prepare to die by the hand of your own soldier!"

As she raised her arm, a fiery vortex swirled into existence before her. With a clenched fist, she condensed the flames into a massive fireball. "Lionet...Explosion..." The Lioness mutters.

[ Starter for @eternalstarlights ]

[moonbonded-archive]

kokushibou  starter  call.

THIS  GIRL  WAS  STILL    the  youngest  charge  that  Kokushibou  had  taken  on  in  the  years  he  had  been  an  Upper  Moon  under  Muzan's  control.    Six  golden  eyes  watched  closely  as  @dinomites  practiced  using  her  Blood  Demon  Art,    training  with  that  woman  whom  she  referred  to  as  her  mother.   

He  had  not  intended  to  turn  both  of  them,    but  the  mother    (  Angelica,    was  it  ?  )    had  protected  her  offspring,    getting  a  bit  of  the  blood  inside  of  an  open  wound  on  her  shoulder.   

Upper  One  observed  as  his  daughter  Aelia  manifested  some  Nichirin  Blades  out  of  the  air,    and  the  faintest  hint  of  a  smile  showed  on  his  face.

'    You  are  doing  well.    '    Kokushibou's  praise  was  blunt,    straightforward,    and  uttered  in  a  near - bass  tone  as  he  slowly  approached  where  Aelia  stood.    '    I  think  that  the  two  of  you  will  be  strong  enough  to  be  sent  on  your  first  mission  soon,    whether  it  be  assigned  by  myself  or  by  Lord  Muzan.    '    

Careful  to  avoid  the  protruding  ebony  horn,    he  placed  his  hand  upon  the  girl's  head  and  gently  stroked  her  hair  in  a  brief  motion  that  did  not  last  long, lest  he  face  the  unyielding wrath  of  a  protective  mother  hen.

[fridge-reviews]

God of War

Developer: Santa Monica Studio Publisher: PlayStation PC LLC Steam Deck Compatibility?: Verified Rrp: £39.99 (Gog.com, Humble, Steam and Epic) Released: 14th January 2022 Available on: Gog.com, Humble, Steam and Epic Played Using: An Xbox One Control Pad and a Steam Deck Approximate game length: 40 hours +

I’m just going to say this now, until this one I’ve never played any of the God of War games. From what I’m given to understand this game is different from its predecessors in a number of ways, not least of which being the setting. For starters, Kratos (one of two main characters) is older than in the previous games, though it’s never specified how much older, another difference is the inclusion of his son Atreus (the second of the two main characters).

God of War originally released in 2018 on the Playstation 4 but has thankfully joined the slowly growing number of games that Playstation are allowing onto the PC (albeit five years later). The game is what I would call semi open world, where you can’t go just anywhere but the space in which you do have to play is quite extensive and densely packed.

Graphically this game is absolutely gorgeous and runs smoothly (even on my rig that's starting to show its age). On the Steam Deck it generally runs wonderfully though it does drain the battery incredibly quickly while not docked. I did have one instance of the game crashing while docked though it seems to have been a one off as I've not been able to replicate it.

As I mentioned this game is a densely packed semi open world so there is plenty to do. What I find quite impressive is that as you play through the game Kratos tries to use the various side missions as a way to teach Atreus lessons. I think that's a very smart way to show how Kratos has grown as a character from the previous games (from what I can tell) without making it explicit.

The combat is engaging and fast paced with multiple opponents trying to attack you at the same time forcing you to dodge and parry blows from different directions. If you do successfully parry an attack you’re rewarded with a brief window of time where the combat slows and you can take your opportunity to strike. Unlike many other games that saddle you with an NPC Atreus is actually useful, especially in combat, as he will attack enemies of his own accord or by your command. He even will sometimes restrain enemies allowing you to get free hits in or a moment's respite.

As you fight you'll build up ‘Spartan Rage’ (as depicted in a metre below your health bar). This metre increases from both dealing and taking damage. Once you activate this ‘Rage Mode’ you cause much more damage and are totally immune to all damage for the short time it lasts.

Defeated enemies sometimes drop healthstones that restore a portion of your health, resources for upgrading your equipment or hacksilver that can be used in stores. These can also be found within breakable pottery that's scattered around the world (except the resources, those are typically found in chests). Defeating enemies also grants experience (XP) but only once you’ve completed a combat encounter.

Experience (or XP) is spent on upgrading your skills, however you can also use it to upgrade the various runes you will find in the world that can be applied to your weapons and armour. In Atreus’s case not only can it be spent on making him a much more efficient fighter but also allow him some magical affinity.

Your ‘Goals’ (read objective) screen is separated into five parts; Journey, favours, labours, treasure maps and artefacts. Journey is the main storyline, favours are side quests, labour's are optional tasks such as ‘kill X creatures’, treasure maps I feel are self explanatory and artefacts are items found in the world. All of the goals and codex screens are written by Atreus which I think is a clever idea as Kratos doesn't seem to be the type to write things down. A great example of this is when you defeat an enemy type a few times more information in the form of hints will appear in that enemies bestiary entry.

If I had to level one complaint against this game it would be that it’s slightly guilty of over using and recycling enemy types. A great example of this are the trolls, through this game you’ll face a number of trolls (about six if memory serves) however they all have the same move set, and look the same apart from maybe being bigger or a different colour.

I did wonder if this game deserved all the hype it was given back when it first released and now having played it I get it. It’s a lot of fun with an interesting plot and charming characters. If you’ve not played this game don’t worry about not having played the previous titles, it really does stand up on its own so I heartily recommend it.

----

If you’d like to support me I have a Ko-fi, the reviews will continue to be posted donation or not.

[myristicisms]

The metallic tang of blood always managed to seep its way bone deep into her senses, foul and disheartening that she could smell when work came her way before really seeing it. It's a constant onslaught to her nose day in and day out but such was the life of a medic ( if one can call what I do that. ) in a place like Deepground. It could be worse, at the very least they don't have her in the actual meat of what the research department was actually for and Valk cannot help but be grateful for the fact. Wounding others wasn't her ideal way to waste time, it never had been and she knows her empathy makes her appear weak to the residents of the place she begrudgingly called home; Good, it meant they wouldn't waste time on her.

Respect wasn't something commonly offered to those seen as weak but the raven haired woman knew well enough that those she tends to wouldn't dare bring harm upon her, perhaps out of some odd form of fondness for the woman or the fact that even though her and the Restrictors didn't see eye to eye, they still had to ensure her safety and the residents weren't stupid by any means. Regardless of her falling into her own thoughts though, that familiar metallic scent once again invades her senses, duty calls it seems and thus she stands to retrieve her medical kit; Prepares herself for whatever wounds she's about to see and tries to stamp a gentle smile upon her face.

When a new man steps in, Valk can't help but to look curious. New faces in Deepground weren't exactly uncommon but she knew most of the residents by now, fourteen years of working in the labs had her interact with damn near everyone beneath the building, some had passed in combat but she knew almost everyone. This man certainly had never visited her lab before, she'd wager he must have only joined recently and for that, her heart breaks. Another cog to join the machine and she only hopes this one won't crack under the pressure of keeping it running.

“ You're new. ” The words weigh heavy upon her tongue, like lead pulling the muscle back down into her throat as some attempt at silencing her. There's a hidden sorrow in her tone, fingers deftly unlocking the metallic case before she nods towards the lone seat centered in the room. “ I'll be tending to your wounds today and... Presumably in the future, what can I help you with? ” She hasn't had to give that speech in years, uncommon as it was for new recruits to end up in her chair since most often died upon their first mission or didn't need to be closely looked at.

A brief starter for @sleeplesswork | Sonon Kusakabe

[vipier]

tentative starter call. if you want a specific verse, please comment which! multis, please specify if you can!

[blackhawkcomics]

Starter for @luposcainus | Starter Call

Ever since she’d uncovered the connection between Meta’s ex-SHIELD targets and Hydra, Lucia had found herself assigned to a great many Hydra-related cases. It made sense, she figured: SHIELD didn’t want to trust anyone from the old guard to these missions, and Lucia had already proven herself against Hydra and other shadowy, sinister organizations of the type. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if Agent Martin was purposefully volunteering her for so many missions just to keep her away from his Meta investigation and their increasingly frequent clashes over his methods.

Whatever the reason, here she was on another Hydra assignment, sent to recover an artifact of some sort that they’d stolen. That much, she was used to dealing with, as well as the scarceness of details until she arrived on-scene to be briefed.

She wasn’t used to the briefing coming from a werewolf prince.

“It’s an honor to be here, Your Highness,” she said with a quick bow of her head. She desperately hoped her efforts to hide how nervous she felt didn’t show on her face.

You’ve worked with Avengers. Get it together, Castillo, she scolded herself.

Then again, she’d freaked out when meeting them, too.

[bxldrsdraumar]

Sigurd Go Down the Hole

“Hark! Hark, I say! No, no, down here!” If the sight of a ragged white horse grazing in the middle of the forest doesn’t grab your attention, the voice that calls from the bottom of a pit sure does. A tall man with tousled blue hair winces as he waves at you, claiming to have broken his leg when he fell into this *dastardly* trap. “I, King Sigurd of Grannvale, humbly request thine aid! Know that thy kindness today will reward thee handsomely in the years to come!” [Grants Faith +1]

(starter for @braveryinblue)

Cleared for duty, the nurse had said. Or near enough, they supposed. Sigurd's body seemed in well enough health, though there were parts of him that still behaved strangely, muscle memory that didn't quite remember why. To say nothing of his mind. Nevertheless, he had been given the clearance to leave the monastery, the pretty cage of the academy, and actually move.

And not a moment too soon, he thought upon receiving his briefing. Some crime syndicate or other had decided to pull the wool over the eyes of some lesser nobles in the norther regions of the continent, using famous names and the promise of favor in exchange for favors, trinkets, gifts, money. Simultaneously bolstering and muddying the reputations of all in involved, and vanishing before the consequences could be served.

It was…well, it was ridiculous, and Sigurd might have gotten mad if he had not heard the claims his own imposter was making.

He had entreated for that mission to the archbishop personally.

His charge was a young man, a student of the Blue Lions house, big and brash, with a hefty axe arm and a presence that felt…almost familiar. Sigurd could not quite put his finger on it, but it comforted him all the same.

They rode north, seeking out where the imposter had last been heard of. Dense forests and thickets of the Faerghan region made the hunt all the more difficult if it hadn't been for one thing: the imposter's desire to be seen.

Sigurd recognized the white horse and he smirked, clicking at his own pale mount and urging it forward gently, mindful of the piles or dirt that surrounded the area. Quietly, he dismounted, shooting a look back to the young man with him and cocking his head in the direction of the hole.

None-too-carefully, Sigurd picked his way across the clearing, mindless of the cracking of branches beneath his boots as he approached. Something stirred within the hole, and he heard…the most atrocious stage accent erupt from within.

Is that supposed to be me?

Standing at the edge of the hole, looking down critically at the imposter within, Sigurd crossed his arms over his chest, a chuckle bubbling up from his throat as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh Sigurd," he said, partly to himself and partly to the man in the hole, laughing at his own joke, "What mess have you gotten yourself into this time?"

[summonedglory]

@piillory & Samira— starter call

It would be a slow evening waiting for the next caravan out of Glorft and back to the Immortal Bastion. Samira had missed the ride she was meant to take on a technicality—loose ends that needed tying up after a mission, which she had expected would be more entertaining than it turned out to be. Anything requiring stealth felt like a betrayal of her own values, especially when it was not part of the initial brief, and she made a mental note to tell Indari to request more money because of it.

The mercenary had settled down in a small bar as lackluster as the last moments of her mission had been, a glass of the strongest drink they had on tap in her hands and a deck of cards in the other. In the middle of the Immortal Bastion, a glimpse of the pillory might not have seemed such an intriguing sight, but Samira was bored and the younger woman looked like she had stories. Getting drunk in a bar while talking to a stranger was not necessarily her idea of a successful night, but it could at least be a beginning. With a swift move, Samira had left her stool at the bar to gracefully slide next to the stranger, pushing the deck of cards in her hand in front of the odd person near her. Now that she was closer and could see Briar more clearly in the low light of the bar, she looked human enough, but not quite. “Looks like you’ve had a day. Would you like me to deal you in?”

Out of everything she could have said, this was perhaps the kinder euphemism, but she figured everything she could have said had already been heard before. The smaller woman was at a bar, not crying out for help or modelling the big, flashy shackles that, quite frankly, wore her more than she was wearing them. It didn't matter who she was, or what she wore—Simply that she had entertaining stories.

[yorprincess]

“just a little longer, okay?”

HARD-TO-FIND HURT / COMFORT SENTENCE STARTERS.

It was just another job, an ordinary assassination of some traitor whom she barely had enough information to go on. She didn't mind surprises or a challenge. But this had been a little excessive. She should have been more prepared. She should have been keeping an eye out for traps, for signals, for hidden personnel.

But she had defeated them all. Her training and her reflexes hadn't failed her, and hadn't grown dull in the warm life she now lived in with her family, no matter Shopkeeper's concern. She contemplated that thought as she washed the blood from her hands and face. Her cheeks stung and the slight scrubbing she applied drew a small trail of blood from a cut near her jawline. Another thing she would need to hide from her family, another thing to give a lame excuse about.

If she hadn't been staring into a mirror, she never would have known it was there. So much of her body ached from the ordeal she had just put it through, though it wasn't nearly as intense as her mission aboard the Princess Lorelei. She was still standing, still conscious... and most of the blood wasn't hers anyway. Just a few nicks, nothing that wouldn't be too difficult to patch up with some bandages.

After a brief call to her director to inform him that the clients had been served, she exited the room and made her way to where she left her coat, she noticed her steps slowing. Why? Why did she suddenly feel rather... weary? Maybe the fight had taken more of a toll on her than she had previously believed. She managed to shrug on her dark coat, though her hands shook the whole time as she fumbled to clasp the buttons.

Taking a breath to try and get whatever this was under control, she left the building and started making her way home. Loid and Anya would be waiting for her... she couldn't keep them waiting. It would be too suspicious.

The world tilted...and suddenly she wasn't standing any longer.

She wasn't sure how long she lay there, the world spinning before her ruby eyes. Wasn't sure when she saw the men's shoes walking towards her, or a barely familiar voice talking to her. She couldn't respond... couldn't say a damn thing. So weak. So weary...

Poison? She was immune. Exhaustion? Maybe?

Blood loss?

But she didn't have any injuries besides that small cut on her cheek and some bruises...right?

"....What?" She finally was able to whisper. But it wasn't enough to fully convey her confusion.

She couldn't feel the wetness on her back. Couldn't see the progressively widening stain as her lifeblood seeped into the dark coat. Not fast enough to be an arterial bleed, but severe enough to be of great concern. Didn't realize that someone had gotten her with a knife during that fight, stabbing her in the back.

The world spun again.

"...help..."