Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 10: Heart to HeartStone

[Atomicweasel]

Mari sniffed and wiped the back of her hand under her nose. “Ren, what are you doing here?” She looked back over her shoulder; saw her tracks in the snow, disappearing into the distance, with a matching pair of tracks that ended where Renata stood now.

“Watching you freeze your ass off.” Renata stepped forward and offered Mari her hand. When Mari reached up, Renata took hold of her, pulled, and leaned back. Even with her sodden mess of furs, Mari was light and limber and Renata easily hauled the young girl to her feet.

“I feel like such an idiot.” Mari confided, before Renata could say anything more. “I know what I want to say in my head but I can’t make it come out right. Ravi thinks I don’t get him. He thinks I don’t understand. But I know I’m right about him, Ren. I know he’s a good person and I know he doesn’t want to hurt people. He can fight the beast inside him. He’s done it before! We’d both be dead right now if he was just an animal. He’s not just an animal. He’s not.” Mari insisted, sniffing again and burying her shivering hands under her furs.

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

[SalmonMax]

"I don't think he's trying to say he's just an animal," Renata said, studying Mari's teary face sympathetically. "I think he's saying..." She paused and shrugged. "Hell, I don't know. You guys need to work that out. I didn't come here to talk about Ravi."

She took a deep breath. "I haven't been...completely honest with you, and I'd like to change that. And I don't know how, or even if it's going to change anything..." With a wince, Renata cut herself off and tried again. "I mean, even if nothing changes, I'm still cool with that, is what I'm trying to say. Don't feel like it's all or...you know what? I kind of suck at this." She grinned apologetically. "This is what I'm trying to say."

Renata stepped forward, looped an arm around Mari's shoulder, and hauled her in for a good, old-fashioned liplock; the kind pulp authors spend a whole page or two describing. It wasn't messy or tonguey or demanding...but it was passionate and intimate and unrepentantly hot.

When Ren finally broke it, she touseled Mari's hair affectionately and said, "That's how I feel. I'm fine with just being friends, but if you ever think you might want more...I'll be waiting." She planted a quick smooch on Mari's nose, and turned to give Mari her alone-time.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"Rav, you ain't makin' a move on tha new chick are ya? She wuz some hot piece a' ass." His head turned just so he winked at Ravi without letting Frida see, letting the other boy in on his joke, and hoping that he'd back him up.

"Ryan, that's unworthy." Ravi's poker-face was a study in faint disapproval, though the gleam in his eyes was wicked. "I'm sure... Whatshername is more than just long legs, full breasts and, ahem, cushion for the pushin', I believe the phrase is. Try to be a little more gentlemanly, please." He paused for a moment, then grinned like a razor. "For the record, if I wasn't already attached I would be tapping that harder than the Alvarez meteor strike. There's something familiar about her, though. Was she on the cheer squad?"

[Atomicweasel]

Mari stood stunned, paralyzed by Renata’s revelation. She could only stare helplessly as Renata turned and left. It was like the kiss had struck her mute. The snow swirled quietly around her, catching in her hair and tickling her eye-lashes. She felt like a statue, like time itself had stopped. It was just a kiss. All she did was kiss me. Mari tried to tell herself. But it wasn’t just a kiss. Selih had died for a kiss, and it hadn’t been half as nice as the one Renata had left her alone in the snow to think about. What if Ravi had seen? Would Renata’s guts lie steaming in the snow? Would Mari’s death quickly follow?

“Shit.” Mari said out loud, pressing her palms into her eyes and tilting her head back in a gesture of despair. Ravi has enough to deal with already, Mari agonized but how can I not tell him? If she didn’t tell him it would sit and fester and grow between them. It would poison the powerful connection they had. It would be worse than a lie because, Mari had to admit to herself, she had liked that kiss. It had been nothing like Selih’s forced kiss. That had been violent and unwelcome. Renata’s kiss had been every bit as unexpected, but it had been gentle and warm and…sweet. Mari began to pace slowly from one tree to another, nibbling at her lower lip. So, okay, the kiss had meant something now what do I do?

Mari paused in front of the taller of the two trees, crossed her arms against its bark and leaned her forehead onto her forearms. If I tell Ravi and he goes crazy and…That did not bear thinking about. That wouldn’t happen because Ravi was not a monster. Ravi was Ravi. He might be hurt and he might be angry, but he would appreciate Mari’s honesty…or so she hoped.

She turned and put her back to the tree and gazed up at the skeletal branches, thick with fallen snow. Maybe all that snow would mercifully fall on her head and spare her the hardship of having to confront Ravi, of having to decide what to do about Renata’s Kiss.

What the church would think of Renata was no mystery. She was a lesbian, unnatural, an abomination in the eyes of God. It was not a belief that Mari herself embraced. Love was a pure and beautiful thing and it wasn’t her place to judge anyone for who they chose to love. Only God could judge. And God, Mari thought, would not mind two people honestly and earnestly opening their hearts to one another, no matter who or what they were, and no matter what Paul said in Romans. Paul was not Jesus. Ravi was not a monster. And Renata was not an abomination just because she fancied girls over boys.

But was Renata, whose kiss had been more than just a kiss, only a friend, or something more? Mari sighed and started slowly back toward the Chideran encampment.

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

[Frida Ricci]

Frida blinked slightly, looking briefly confused, and then mildly amused by Ryan and Ravi both.

"Ryan, I have to say.. for all that people at Dalton seem to find me oblivious, you are, by far, less perceptive than I am. And Ravi, shame on you for encouraging him, you know very well the 'hot piece of ass' is Sean. Imagine if Ryan were to pursue him for sexual relations or something. Sean would be furious, Ryan would be embarrassed, and - what?"

Frida trailed off as Ryan let out a snort of amusement, and glanced at Ravi's expression of wry humor, lips twisted slightly in a sexy curve, eyes sparkling mischievously. Finally it dawned on her, and her lips twitched too. Far from being angry at being jested with, Frida felt a warmth in the pit of her stomach, a happiness at the simple casualness of the situation, at having people comfortable enough around her to joke with her. She smiled slightly, her pleasant British lilt took on a playfully chastising tone, and it seemed as if the otherworldly echo had mellowed just a bit.

"You two are teasing me. That's not very nice."

[Ryan Jackson]

"Teasing?" Ryan asked, playing the fool, a role he was born to fill. "Noooo... Sean don' have boobs Frida, that girl can't be him." He gestured with his glass, "'Less you mean that Sean is a werewoman? An' that don' make sense, 'cause Ravi ain't a tiger right now, so why would Sean hafta be a chick right now? Unless he enjoyed it. You don' think the amazon's gave him a vibrator or sumthin' do ya?" Ryan shook his head, "Nah, tha's silly. More sense ifn she's some new chick." Ryan nodded solemnly, his logic was as flawless as it was inscrutable, mostly because it was innane.

[Frida Ricci]

Frida glanced briefly at Ravi, who was at that point laughing too hard to be able to respond. Frida turned back to Ryan, contemplated it for a moment, and then, in a completely deadpan tone of voice but with an amused glimmer in her eyes, gave her response.

"There's only one way to determine for certain. You should hit on this 'new girl' and see what happens, Ryan. After all, you said she was attractive, and if you're convinced she's not Sean, then no reason to hold back.. right?"

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan leaned over the table, "Oh I will. I will." He sat back down and shrugged, "Later though. Food now. And sleep. I didn' sleep last night." As though for emphasis he stifled a huge yawn with his fist. He shook his head, "So, I miss anythin' else?"

[SalmonMax]

Renata strolled back in and paused as she noted the gaping abyss dividing the Daltons into two camps.

"Mari'll be along soon," she said. "She needed a moment."

With that, Renata took a seat on Ravi's side of the table...pushing her plate along with her so she could finish mopping up the gravy with one of the squat, biscuity things. "Also, Ravi, when you have a second I need to talk to you in private." She glanced up and smiled. "Won't take long."

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

Ravi's air of relaxed amusement at Frida and Ryan's banter had faded somewhat as soon as Renata had come back and sat down - not in her old spot, but moving down to sit near him once more. Here it comes he thought wryly, bitter dry anger starting to build in his soul. She's either going to continue with the rules rubbish, or more likely lecture me about being mean to Mari. Hell, she might even warn me not to hurt Mari any more, with a nebulous 'or else' tacked on. Well fine. Let's get the blood and tears over with.

"Sure." he said in a neutral tone, nodding to Renata stiffly as he ate the last of his breakfast burrito in one bite. "Let's go have that talk. Excuse me, Frida, Ryan." Giving them both a smile, he slowly stood up and started to move towards the entrance with loose-limbed, feline grace. Shoving her biscuit into her mouth, Renata rose and fell into step alongside him as they exited the eating hall into the bright snowy morning. Ravi steered them both into the space between the dining hall and the next building, where the traffic was minimal, before turning to Renata. His outfit lacked pockets, so as he simply leaned against one of the buildings he folded his arms across his chest, gazing up into the blue sky before glancing back at Ren.

"Well, you have your word. I'm listening." he told her with deceptive mildness.

[Dawn OOC]

“We have bows,” Yithaja said casually. “We even have arrows.” Something that she’d said was funny to her; she laughed a little, even as the two Daltonites exchanged glances. It was one more reminder to Ray that he was an outsider here.

She moved to a lodge. The wooden structure was one of the largest, longer than their lodge-house and taller. It was guarded by two Chideran; they flanked the door but made no attempt to stop their guide. Yithaja walked through the door, holding it for Ray and Autumn. The interior of the building was impressive. Weapons of every size and shape were hanging from racks or stacked against the wall. There were things that the children had never seen before; things that looked like props from a movie were next to run-of-the-mill swords. The high roof allowed room for oversized weapons; there were several spears over twenty foot long, as well as one bow that was even taller. The armory could outfit the small, too; there was a rack of items that looked suitable for outfitting Barbie.

There were other things as well – suits of armor, all of it bearing evidence of patching as well as bloodstains. It was readily apparent how the Chideran had built their collection.

Ray had seen it before, of course, but Autumn stared, wide-eyed. “Bows and arrows are there,” Yithaja said, pointing. “They should be in good working order.”

[SalmonMax]

Renata took a deep breath. "Okay," she exhaled. "I owe you an apology. Two, actually."

She didn't miss, nor acknowledge, the startled expression that flickered over Ravi's face. Whatever he'd been expecting, this wasn't it.

"First...I didn't know this at the time, but I've since realized that it was me who messed up your room. I'm sorry about that, and I'll try to make it right. Next," She looked away, back towards the trees.

"I want to clear the air about Mari. You know I like her. I know she's seeing you right now. I've told her how I feel, and I'm prepared to leave it at that. The thing is that, when I told her...I got tongue-tied, so I wound up just kissing her instead. Then I walked away because she really DID need some alone time. So, I'm sorry I kissed your girlfriend...it won't happen again unless she decides she wants it to, and breaks up with you."

Renata considered, then nodded. "Okay, I'm done."

[Sylvia Dorn]

A sullen woman, who had until now kept to herself in a corner of the dining hall and followed in silence as the small troop went to what was obviously an armory, finally spoke for the first time since sunrise.

"I don't need a weapon. Ravi was right: I'm not human, and what I am doesn't need weapons."

Sylvia's voice wasn't rueful, exactly. It was a simple, flat statement, spoken in the near monotone of resigned acceptance.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"They do say actions speak louder than words." Ravi said after a long, pregnant pause during which he had struggled to keep his balance. Braced for denunciation and ultimatums, he wasn't ready for apologies, but he was nothing if not swifter-than-average on his feet. He sighed, his arms unfolding from their closed-in furl. "And you're right - it's no surprise to me how you feel about Mari." He ran a hand through his long thick hair, the faintly lost, pensive look in his eyes causing him to look almost like the boy he'd been and still was in years, rather than a killer and a predator. "Hector said I was going to hurt her, and I am. Not physically, never that, but emotionally. Because she can't accept me as I am, and I can't change what I am. If we're being honest, I think she'd be better off with you, if her religious upbringing lets her see that. So... Good luck, I guess, Girl with the thousand mile arms, I think it was?"

"If you feel like that, why are you with her?" Renata asked, leaning against the wall opposite him. Ravi smiled sadly.

"I got attached before my change and... It's selfish, massively so, but I've always been good at selfish. I like her. She makes me feel less of a monster... When we get along. When we don't, I just feel more of a monster." He rested his head against the wall behind him and closed his eyes. "Last night, when I lost it... It was the outrage of the insult more than the fact someone kissed Mari. You didn't kiss her to insult me, you kissed her because you care for her too. I can respect that without liking it much." He opened his eyes again and smiled wryly at Renata. "You know that when I saw my room, I changed with Mari right there? She wasn't in danger, though. I just shifted in a moment of anger, I didn't lose control. But last night..." He flexed his fingers against the wall in frustration, and Renata heard the wooden scrape before she saw the curling slivers of wood carved out of the log by large black claws.

"I didn't go in there wanting to kill anyone. When I was enraged, I just wanted to beat my opponent down, not kill her. I'm a panther, and panthers fight with tooth and claw when they're pissed off. But if she'd gone down without dying, I wouldn't have finished her. It was just... a bad situation. I'm not happy I killed somone, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it either." He gestured with a thumb into the hall. "I told Ryan that, and he suggested I share it. So there, I've shared."

[SalmonMax]

Now it was Renata's turn to be surprised. On more than one level. She'd been prepared to hate Ravi, even if it had been less aggressive than before. Now he was saying most of the same things she had ever thought. And more, his explanation about the fight was actually pretty good. She couldn't help cracking a grin.

"I'd say you should have said that first thing...but I guess everyone ganging up on you isn't the best way to get a rational explanation. Even from a human being. And believe it or not, when I said you should learn to control yourself as a panther...that's for your good too. We really lucked out here, Ravi. These women don't hold it against you. But if we were in our own world, we'd all be in a world of hardship. And I'm not saying this to accuse you or anything like that, I'm just saying how it is."

" I get you didn't mean to kill her. Not with your human self. So that's fine. And if you can keep your cat-self under control when it's necessary like you say you can...then I figure we have to go with that, if we're your friends. Just...when you're deciding who lives and who dies after you change, remember that in most places, killing people has way worse consequences than it does here."

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"No argument there. I plan to work on my instincts some. It just..." he gestured with his hands, the claws sliding away again as though they'd never been there. "It really irritated me, the way Sean started preaching. Like he has any right to dictate anything to me, or has any basis of comparison. Life has always been about games to him. And he's still trying to apply that even though life has taken a turn for the weird and deadly. And sometimes, I think what I tell him goes in one ear, hits the loose filter of his brain and goes out the other leaving only bits behind." He pushed away from the wall and indicated the breakfast hall. "Shall we?"

"Sure." Renata replied, feeling oddly at ease with him. He was still the arrogant, too-handsome-for-his-own-good spoiled prince, but there was something deeper there. And the anger was something Ren could relate to. "What do you mean, leaving bits behind?" she asked as they ambled back to the doorway.

"Like his comment about 'suddenly gaining superpowers'. I haven't. I've always been this: it runs in my family, of that I'm certain, and I've told you all as much. And he's treating it like I've been bitten by a radioactive panther and with great power should come great responsibility. I hate been preached at by people who don't know anything more than tired moralistic cliches." Ravi said with some evident frustration. "I'm not human, and I've got to figure out a new form of morality that suits what I am and lets me function with my friends. Being dogpiled just makes me want to lash out with my claws." He paused and opened the door for Renata, grinning slightly. "Figuratively speaking. Perhaps."

[SalmonMax]

"I know the feeling," Renata admitted, then paused and said, "Hey, you said you thought Mari would be happier with me. That mean you're planning on breaking up with her?" Even the thread of hope couldn't mask her skepticism at that possiblity.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

Ravi gave Renata a look that could be best described as 'old-fashioned'.

"Not currently. Like I said, I'm selfish - selfish enough to try and make it work despite my nobler impulses, stunted though they are. But she might break up with me, once she gets to know me and comes to her senses." he said with a wry quirk of his lips. "I think you're in with a chance. Just... be good to her. If I fail, that is. Which I have no intention of doing at this time."

He gave her a grin as they headed back over to Frida and Ryan.

[Atomicweasel]

It was easy at first for Mari to trace her foot-steps back to the camp, but the falling snow had covered her earlier prints, and all the halls and huts of the Chiderans looked the same to her: sturdy wooden blocks capped with white and piled high on their sides with drifts. She stood at the outskirts of the camp, lost and shivering and trying to decide where to turn, when a sentry approached her. The woman was huge, an angular slab of hard muscles and furs with tightly braided blonde hair. The spear she carried was fire-hardened wood, the point wicked, the shaft nearly as tall as the warrior woman herself. When she stood in front of Mari, the Chideran towered over her, planting the spear butt first into the snowy ground and looking severely at Mari.

“When a lamb wanders from the fold, it often falls prey to the wolf.” The giantess grinned, showing thick rows of healthy horse-like teeth. “Is the Little Lamb lost?” She put a ham-sized fist on her hip, the muscles in her arm like cords, her bicep as big around as Mari’s thigh and then some.

Mari gulped and took a short step back. “I, um—“

“Spit it out, Little Lamb. I haven’t all day to stand here and watch you tremble.” The grin was gone, replaced by an irritated grimace.

“Chanaya, can you not see you are frightening her?” The voice came from another sentry. She had appeared so suddenly and silently it seemed to Mari as if she had just materialized out of the snow. Instead of the short furry vest that Chanaya wore, the other woman was clothed from head to foot in white leather, with a long hooded cloak and thick fur-lined boots that reached nearly to her knees. “She is our visitor, and you should treat her with kindness.” It was not until the woman threw back her hood that Mari recognized her face. She was the one who had stood up for her against Yithaja.

“I should bend her over my knee and beat some sense into her behind until it reaches her empty little head.” Chanaya answered.

“You should try this and see what comes of it.” The other woman answered quickly, stepping between Chanaya and Mari. She was not nearly so tall or wide as Chanaya, but even so she was a full head taller than Mari, and had a lean serpentine build, and her eyes were unflinchingly hard.

Chanaya lifted her chin indignantly, “Are you challenging me, Yeneth?”

“If you wish.” There was no mirth in Yeneth’s answer. Her words were steel. For a long moment the two Chiderans stared at one another, each taking the full measure of the other. Finally, Chanaya turned her head and spat at Yeneth’s feet.

“Pfah! You were always a fool for a pretty face, Yeneth.”

“And you were never a pretty face.” Yeneth spat back, grabbing Mari by the arm. “Come. She will not bother us.” Yeneth turned and walked away, pulling Mari after her. It was all Mari could do to keep up with the long loping stride the Chideran set. She glanced over her shoulder as Yeneth tugged her along and saw that Chanaya still stood scowling after them. Mari was so intent on looking back that when Yeneth spoke, almost in her ear, it nearly startled her off her feet. She stumbled for a step, but caught her footing before she could-face plant in the snow. She hadn’t even heard what Yeneth had said.

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention…”

“I said that I am glad you learned patience, and did not rush off to find the Beast-Skinned.”

“Yeah. He came back on his own.” Mari winced. It felt like Yeneth was going to pull her arm out of her socket, but it seemed ungrateful to complain.

“I had heard this said.” Yeneth was guiding them down a foot-path through the snow, toward one of the smaller huts. “It is for the best.” They reached the hut and Yeneth shouldered open the door, drawing Mari inside with her. The warrior left the young girl standing on a fur before the fireplace, while she lifted heavy cuts of wood from a neat stack by the door and set about making a fire. Mari stood and glanced about, rubbing the soreness from her wrist. The room was every bit as spare as the one in which she’d slept the night before. There was a cot piled high with furs, a closet, a table with two chairs and nothing else. A pan hung from a nail over the fireplace. “You are wondering why I brought you here,” Yeneth said as the fire began to crackle. Her back was to Mari.

“A little.” Mari agreed nervously.

Yeneth turned from the fire and smiled. It was a sad smile. “We are not all as Selih, Sweetling. You need not have fear of me. I will not harm you.” When Mari blushed with embarrassment, Yeneth gave a short laugh. “Your clothes are unfit for this place. I see you shivering. Let me offer you something warmer.”

“O-okay.” Mari watched Yeneth rise from the fireplace and move to the closet. “Thanks, thank you.” she stammered.

“Are you always so meek, Sweetling?” Yeneth pulled a set of white leathers from the closet, much like her own, though much smaller in size. She placed them on the bed: pants, tunic, fur-lined boots and cloak. “This is a hard land and full of danger. If you stay soft, you will not long last. Come.” She beckoned Mari closer and when the young girl stepped within reach, Yeneth pulled her arms up straight and yanked Mari’s tee-shirts and furs up and over her head.

Mari let out a gasp and a “hey!” but Yeneth paid her no mind. She stripped the girl down to her panties with quick efficiency, sitting Mari on the bed and wrenched off her jeans and shoes with two fierce tugs that nearly sent her guest sprawling to the floor. “W-wait! I can dress myself!” Mari protested again, and again Yeneth ignored her.

“The tunic goes on first.” Yeneth explained, jerking it down over Mari’s head and pulling her arms through the openings. "Lift your foot. Now the other.” When a stunned Mari dutifully obeyed, Yeneth drew the leather pants up her legs to her hips. “Turn.” Without waiting for Mari to comply, Yeneth took the girl by the shoulder and twisted her around to face the log walls of the hut. “Good. They fit you well.” Yeneth finally released Mari and stood watching as she sat and stomped her dainty little feet into the supple leather boots. “Are they comfortable?”

“Yes.” Mari answered, very much cowed. She half wanted to sink into the ground and disappear, where she could tend her wounded pride, but gratitude and manners won a narrow victory over her sense of outrage and humiliation. “Whose are these?”

“They belonged to my mate.” Yeneth squatted on her heels in front of Mari, bringing her eyes level with the slight girl. “She was as small as you, but she was strong and brave and I never knew her to be meek. She fought like ten of us.”

“Oh.” Mari’s cheeks were burning. “What happened to her?”

“She died.” Yeneth answered simply, as Mari finished cording her boots and tightening the tunic. “Come. I will take you to your friends. Don’t forget your cloak, Sweetling.”

“Wait.” Mari said as Yeneth took her arm and drew her back to the door. “Wait!” Mari tore her arm free. Yeneth looked down at her coolly. “I can find my own way back.” Mari explained, flustered. She thought she saw the ghost of a smile on Yeneth’s lips.

“And your old clothes?” Both of them glanced at the sad little pile that had been fallen in disarray around Yeneth’s bed.

Mari looked shyly at Yeneth. “You can keep them if you want.”

“Good. I will.” As she leaned against the door frame, watching Mari step back out into the snow, she added, “Be careful, Sweetling.”

“Mari. My name is Mari.” Mari turned back, gave a little wave of thanks, and then ran off to rejoin the other Daltonites.

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean caught the two red-heads, Autumn and Yithaja, turning past a row of snow-crowned huts, Ray with them, and lengthened his stride to catch up. In a way, his legs were the oddest part of his change. The tits were a new thing added, the emptiness of his crotch a thing taken away. His arms were slimmer, shoulders smaller, but his reach was overall nearly identical.

But his legs, while similar in gross characteristics - knees, ankles, and all that - were noticeably longer. It sort of felt like his was walking on stilts or platform heels, and his hips seemed to gyrate with far too much exuberance, the familiarity of legs being, well, legs, exaggerating the strangeness of their new length and connection to a wider pelvis. He could felt the chill wind blowing on the gap between his hiking boots and the hem of his jeans with each step.

Swan almost had to take two strides to match one of his, and rounding the corner, they saw Yithaja and company entering one of the largest buildings they had seen in DoorHold so far, guarded by a pair of Chiderans. Looks Armoury-ish to me, Sean thought, slowing down to an easier place, now that he knew where they were headed - it also eased what to him felt like an lot of extraneous motion going on in and behind the pelvic area.

Walking down the worn path, new fallen snow crunched down on the hard-packed snow below with each step, Between two huts, Sean noticed a flash of white against the grey-brown wood. It was a tiny figure in bleached leather, who Sean at first thought was his short Line Sister, Yaiza, until he caught the tumble of chocolate-brown locks, the furred hood of the cloak turning his way, revealing it to be Mari, looking slightly flushed.

Sean waved her over, hoping she'd realize it was him and not some other Midnight Ice Amazon, though Swan at his side and his poorly fitting, modern clothing (save for the furred sleeves added to his polar-fleece vest) should have been a dead giveaway. Sean suppressed an irritated sigh. Another person who has clothes that fit right. Fuck my ears are cold. I want this burning soul thing just so I don't freeze my face and ears off.

"Hey Mari, you get turned 'round lookin' for someplace?" Sean asked, slowing to a stop until Mari joined them on the path.

"No, yes, maybe. Sean?" Mari confirmed, just in case. Sean nodded. "I was - I just needed some air, you know?" Sean nodded again. "And when I came back, a guard, Yeneth, she saw I was cold and had some... extra clothes she thought would fit." Mari lightly brushed the outside of a leather-clad thigh, keeping silent on just who the leathers had belonged to. It felt like a private thing. "Anyway, I got a lost, leaving her place."

"Well, 'bout half of us are heading to th'armoury to get kitted out for our trip to DoorHold," Sean informed the petite freshman, nodding forward at the building and the two warrior-women standing outside it, a shadow of his former, easy-going grin on his shapely lips, "Though I see you've already been." His deep, sapphire eyes held a light of resigned acceptance. "Regardless of what everyone believes, they are right that this world is a lot more dangerous and unforgivin' than our own. Swan wants a weapon to protect herself and while my fists have always been enough to deal with bullies and assholes, I don't think they'll be enough against wild animals and Caramine incursions and hell knows what else." The striking boy-come-girl snorted, a surprisingly delicate sound. "God knows what I'll find that I'll be able to use with any skill, though."

"A pair of full, iron gauntlets, may serve, Sean, or a set of Dragon Claws," Swan suggested.

"There's dragons out here!? For real?" Sean exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Is that not what you call them?" Swan replied with a eerie nonchalance. "Admittedly, they are quite rare, but -"

"Uh, let's work up to the dragon claws and start with the gauntlets," Sean said. Swan rolled her eyes - though how she managed that with solid black orbs for eyes was a mystery - as if Sean was being deliberately dense. Sean turned back to Mari, continuing, "Anyway, you can stick with us, Mari, or the guest hall is that way, five huts down, then left to the end." Sean raised an arm, pointed back they way he and Swan had come.

"We should be headin' for HeartStone soon." Sean's lips tightened, his jaw tightening for a moment. "Hope you're okay, Mari. All of us are... er, adjustin'... to things. It's gonna take a while before we're, uh, okay, comfortable - come to accommodations with how things... are." Sean glanced down at the 'things' he had to accommodate, then at Swan, before looking back at Mari, a faint blush to his cheeks. "It's gonna take some time, fer all of us."

Sean gave Mari a moment to decide if she was going to head to back to the Guest Hall or accompany them to the Armoury, and when Mari settled along side him, continued on. The more time he spent here, with boobs, the more he wanted to get this over with. Reaching the Armoury, Sean went to follow Yithaja, Autumn, and Ray, only to be blocked by a spear crossing the entrance.

"No so fast, Untouched," the Chideran warned, emphasizing her words by pointing her spear at Sean and Mari. "Sisters and guests are allowed in." The point swung in front of Swan's throat. "But we are not arming your little Caramine tryzen." The Chideran, with the auburn hair and dusky skin of the Sunset Sands Line, might not have been any taller than Swan, but she looked half again as wide with pure muscle.

Sean gritted his teeth. He wasn't sure what a tryzen was, but it didn't exactly sound like a compliment. He also didn't want to make an issue of this - he was sure they had valid reasons for their rule, even if it was just being bitches. "Doesn't she deserve to be able to defend herself too? Know what, never mind, I'll arm her myself."

Sean gave Swan a wink, then stalked into the armoury, the Chideran letting him pass, though hardly looking pleased with his claim. Stepping inside, he found it looking like the medieval version of a sports equipment store, nasty chunks of sharp steel everywhere, some of it looking functional, some of it looking too fantastic to be anything but prop-pieces, yet undeniably weren't.

"Whoa!"

[Atomicweasel]

Mari tuned to look in the direction Sean had pointed. When she looked back, Sean and his companion, Swan, were nearly to the armory. On impulse, Mari chased after them. Swan remained outside, playing at a staring contest with the wide-shouldered Chideran who guarded the entrance. Mari caught up with the group inside the hall, and stood looking around at the piles of armor and weapon stashes. Most of the implements, hanging from the walls, and lined up in racks, Mari did not recognize. She saw knives of all shapes and sizes, spears, swords, iron sticks with heavy spiked balls, wicked looking blades, and bows as tall as Sean.

Yithaja was speaking with Ray and Autumn. When Mari trailed in behind Sean, she sent a frown their way. Mari fought the temptation to draw her hood back up and hide herself in it. Instead, she strayed closer to Sean, following in his footsteps as they slowly walked the length of the hall, examining the wide assortment of weapons. The three of them paused in front of a wall hung with swords, daggers and dinted shields. Idly, Mari took down a fearsome looking short serrated blade; it was no longer than her arm from elbow to wrist, including the leather wrapped wooden handle.

“Careful Mari,” Sean cautioned as Mari turned the blade around and gave the air an experimental chop, “you could really hurt yourself with that.”

“I come from Queens, Sean.” Mari answered softly, with a little smile as she looked up from the weapon in her hands. “It’s not the first time I’ve ever seen a knife.”

“And if it were not the first time you had ever handled one, you would know such a blade is meant for stabbing, not cutting.” Yithaja observed disdainfully. Mari spun around. The Chideran was standing right behind them. “When there is fighting, you would be better served hiding behind your mate.” Yithaja took the knife from Mari and re-hung it on the wall before moving back to the side of the room where Ray was still helping Autumn select her weapon of choice.

“Don’t worry. There’s gotta be somethin’ in here you can use.” Sean assured the browbeaten freshman girl with an encouraging smile.

“Yeah.” Mari half-heartedly agreed. “Hey, Sean?”

“What’s up, Mari?” Sean was staring at a pair of lobstered metal gauntlets ringed with cruel knuckle spikes.

“I just wanted you to know that…what you said back at the um, the guest hall…”

Sean’s shoulders tensed, his jaw hardened. “I’m sick of hearing the excuses, Mari, whatever you’re gonna say you can just—“

“No, Sean, I’m not…I don’t want to make excuses for him. For Ravi. I wanted to…just say thanks.” Sean stared at her, blinking back his disbelief. In the little time he’d known Mari, she hadn’t made herself famous for sarcasm. He searched her face for any sign of mockery, but found none. “Ravi needs friends like you, to um…” Mari wrung her hands together, “to like, challenge him…and um, guide him so he doesn’t…”

"I get what you're trying to say." Sean crossed his arms over his chest, his smooth brow furrowed into a frown. "It just pissed me off that no one seems to even give a shit. Selih died just cuz she kissed you Mari; she got killed right in front of us, and no one's even phased about it?"

"I know." Mari said miserably. "I feel like it's my fault. Like I could have done something...like I could have said something. But it happened so fast...I just...stood there."

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

[SalmonMax]

Renata's own smile turned to a mask on her face as Ravi spoke, and she nodded at him and turned to get some more food as he rejoined 'his' crowd. It was an excuse to get some distance. As he had spoken so coldbloodedly about Mari, she'd had to bear down hard to stop from decking him, or bawling him out. It wasn't even about her wanting Mari now. It was that he cared so little about someone who cared about him so much. The injustice of that lopsided relationship crashed into her like an out of control train. Ravi knew, KNEW, that he wasn't right for Mari; that he'd break her heart sooner or later. And knowing that, he was still going to lead the girl on. Build the relationship ever higher, knowing it was one block short of a Jenga.

And Mari would happily play along, Renata knew. Not because she was stupid, but because she believed the best of people. And even when she had doubts, she'd come back for more, because she believed in redemption. Would she still, after Ravi was done with her?

I have to save her, Renata realized. Even if she doesn't go with me, even if she has no intention of ever being with me, I have to save her.

But how? Ren knew for a fact that Mari wouldn't react to badmouthing Ravi. She'd already armored her mind against the charges brought against him. She'd have to think of another way. Something even a naive teen in love couldn't rationalize.

This could take awhile, Renata realized as she went and sat down again to poke and pick at her food.

[Jeremy]

Ray decided ignore that comment, for all he knew, it was a mockery of the male being involved here. He instead let Autumn pick out a bow while he tested a few swords and knives in the armory before settling on a light blade that resembled the main gauche used by the same Royal Musketeers that Dumas had written his famous fictional novels about. Combined with his regular combat knife, one attacked, the gauche blade parried, and he could use them well enough with the armors that fit his build.

Weapon Info

Ray already has a Combat Knife, this would count as a Main Gauche.

Details are on page 24 of Armory, but they basically are normal Knives except that the Gauche grants +1 to defense against melee when used with another weapon.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

Ravi stopped by the table where Frida and Ryan were finishing up their breakfasts, sinking onto the bench beside Frida with his habitual feral grace. In response to Ryan's questioning gaze, he shook his head and shrugged, as if nothing of great import had been discussed.

"So, if we're planning to hike to this Heartstone place, it might be an idea for you folks to get outfitted, even if it's just with warm clothing and a knife." he suggested aloud to everyone within earshot. "Seeing as our hosts are offering, that is. I can follow Yithaja and the others, so let me know if and when you're ready." He smiled a little. "There are some benefits to having feline senses."

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan was talking to Frida when Ravi returned, Carefully questioning her about her ghost-sensing abilities and asking if any ghosts were present at breakfast. He seemed genuinely interested, and, much to Frida's amusement, very much naive about the world of spirits, even more so than most. "So they don' look like Casper? No sheets and chains and moaning? Oh. So ... what do they look like?"

Ravi stopped and slid down onto the bench next to Frida, "So, if we're planning to hike to this Heartstone place, it might be an idea for you folks to get outfitted, even if it's just with warm clothing and a knife."

Ryan perked up at the word "hike" and then looked confused, "Where the heck is a heartstone? What the heck is a heartstone? An' why would we wanna go there?" He scowled, but it came out looking more like a pout. He threw up a hand, "Wait, lemme guess. Umm ... we all gotta hike up some insanely tretch'rous cliff in tha snow an' wind an with like ninja bears attackin us ta get there right? An then we gotta prove we'll fight the Caramels by dancin' around nooders in the snow an' chantin' some mystic hoo-ha?" He folded his arms over his chest, "Tha' 'bout right?"

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"Ummm... No." Ravi said with a shrug. "The way I understand it, we're going along because Seanette needs to do some mystical Chideran thing. Like a rite of passage. If there's any dancing around starkers and chanting, it's him/her that's doing it." he added with a sly grin. "I'm not sure exactly what we'll do while he's doing his Amazon thing, but I wouldn't mind seeing more of this world."

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"Don't blame yourself, Mari," Sean said adamantly, his deep blue eyes firm, as he uncrossed his arms and gave Mari's shoulder a friendly, reassuring squeeze. He was actually really grateful for her words. Dealing with joining the fairer sex was rough enough, finding out he was in the minority when it came to a woman's senseless death had nearly made him explode. "He - the situation, it surprised everyone." His lips twisted wryly - he hadn't been able to do anything to stop the situation anymore than Mari had - as his admitted, "Everyone but the Chiderans."

"I know - I know that, Sean," Mari almost wailed, hazel eyes flicking back and forth, hands opening and closing at her sides, as she replayed the scene in her mind's eye, trying to picture what she could have done. "Still, if I had-"

"Look," Sean interrupted, rolling his shoulders in a habitual motion rendered awkward by the way a large pair of tits rose and jutted forward with arrogant pride. Dammit! Stupid things! "Mari, you're an athlete, like me - I've seen you on the field. Well, this time, we simply got outplayed in a game we don't know the rules of, and not everyone realizes this is a team sport. Sucks big-time."

Sean sighed, then gave Mari a determined smile, eyes fierce, and nodded around at the armory. "What we gotta do is learn the game so we're ready for the next play that comes our way. We might not like the rules, but we gotta know them so we can figure out what to expect. And we can start with getting geared up with the right equipment. So, you in, Mari?"

Mari took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and looked up at the much taller Sean. "I'm in," Mari affirmed, some of her dispirited mood lifting. Sean had taken the death hard, as well as having to deal with his drastic changes, but was still willing for forge ahead. Unless she wanted to abandon him, and Ravi - and Renata - how could she do less? Impulsively, she placed a gentle hand over his fist, the soft smile, pure and honest, blooming on her lips seeming to brighten the armory. "And Sean? Thank-you, for before... and right now."

"Yeah, well, you helped me too, Mari. Thanks," Sean said gruffly, running a hand through his short, black hair, but Mari caught the hint of a pleased smile, a shadow of the easy-going, affable young man he was on the other side of the Door breaking through his self-conscious, newly feminine exterior. "Let's get geared up."

Sean picked up the articulated, iron gloves, and slid them over his hands and forearms. They reached pass his elbows, the interior sweat-stained like sports equipment everywhere, and were far heavier than any boxing gloves he had ever used. He closed his hands with the soft shurring of metal, watching the cruel knuckle spikes, and wondering how people ever fought being weighed down by full plate mail. The gauntlets didn't fit well, meant for someone with longer, thicker arms and bigger hands.

He set them down and picked up a pair of brass-knuckles - which were made of something that definitely wasn't brass - their smooth finish scarred by use. Their weight was far more familiar, but he could barely fit hit his fingers through the curling metal. If he fought with these, his fingers would fall off.

Starting to feel like Goldilocks, his eyes fell upon a pair of studded, black leather, fingerless gloves, the knuckledusters built in. But these weren't just smooth metal, but fashioned with sharp, bristly, overlapping blackened steel scales than ran up the the base of the fingers, over the knuckles and partway down the back of the hand. They were just a bit heavier than amateur boxing gloves, and reached more than half way up his forearms, but sure enough, once he tightened the buckled straps, they fit just right. He shifted into a standard boxing stance, hands tightening into a pair of fists, making the spikes lining his knuckles flare with flesh-ripping promise, then tossing several jabs and hooks These are not for the boxing ring.

Sean wandered over to the swords - he hadn't realized there were so many different styles, ranging from ones hardly bigger than a bowie knife, to others with blades as long as he was tall, and wider than the length of his hands. And those were just the ones he thought were meant for people about human size. Not sure what Swan would prefer, he chose a straight blade with a chisel-like point about two-and-a-half feet long - he thought it was close to the length of her old sword. He slid it from the scabbard, eyed it, and gave it a few practice swipes as if he had the slightest clue what he was doing or knew what the balance should feel like, then nodded as if satisfied and sheathed it.

Looking over a shoulder, he saw Mari still looking around for a weapon that suited her. "Find anything you like the feel of, Mari?" he asked as he joined her. and gestured at Autumn testing the pull on a bow with the sheathed sword in his hand. "Maybe a ranged weapon would suit you better? Reach wouldn't be as much of a concern and it would rely more on accuracy than on muscle." It was purely a helpful suggestion - he wasn't implying Mari was weak, but she was a tiny little thing. "I'm sure Autumn would be willin' to give you a few pointers. Or you could try throwin' weapons, like knives, I guess, so you could use 'em both at a distance and in close."

Speaking of ranged weapons made Sean consider choosing one himself, in case something didn't have the decency to come within fist range. He considered asking Autumn for some bow lessons himself, but he was still learning to use his own body, he didn't need a completely unfamiliar weapon. Javelins, on the other hand, he had thrown before in track and field. Except these javelins weren't no feather-light fiberglass constructions, but black, hardwood shafts tipped with long, triangular, steel spikes. He strapped a harness with three javelins to his heavy hiking pack, planning on practicing with the things when he got a chance - they were a good deal heavier than those back home.

"Just in case," he comment to Mari with a resigned shrug.

Standing tall and looking more and more like a native Chideran with every piece of equipment he picked up, Sean gave the armory another quick appraisal, wondering if there was anything else he should pick up. He was about to consider himself armed to his relative content when his head swung back to a corner festooned with clothing fashioned of leather, chain, and plate. Armor, for the most part designed for people with boobs.

"Huh," he pondered walking over to the corner and eying the assortment.

He had changed the most walking through the Door, physically at least - without being able to transform into an animal anyway - and the pinching and rubbing of his ill-fitting clothing was incredibly aggravating. Maybe he could find something that would actually fit. He didn't care about the plate or chain armour, but some of the leather didn't look all that different from biker's leathers...

[SalmonMax]

After a few minutes of pushing eggy gravy and biscuit remnants around and listening with half an ear to Ryan gabbling about dancing noodles, Renata discovered that she wasn't really hungry anymore. In fact, she was regretting walking away from Mari so fast. It meant that Mari couldn't just react off the cuff...that she'd have time to think things through...but it also delayed whatever closure Ren could expect from that stunt.

You know, I've really gotta stop acting like everything in my life spins around Mari.

And that's when she remembered something Ryan had mentioned that, in hindsight, hadn't been so silly. Getting outfitted. Ren was pretty sure her 21st Century Earth clothes wouldn't help her much here in the Winter Wonderland. Native duds, maybe some survival gear...that'd focus her brain on the here and now, and distract her from fantasies and the unknown.

She got up from the table and asked one of the Chiderans if there was a spot she could buy or get clothes and gear and such. The warrior woman pointed out the way, and with a nod of thanks Renata went to the door of the 'cafeteria.' She called in, "Hey, I'm gonna go get some stuff for the trip." Then she headed out, following the directions she'd been given for the armory.

[Atomicweasel]

Startled out of her day-dreamy contemplation of a claymore sword by Sean’s question, Mari blinked and murmured “huh?” and turned toward Sean. But Sean had already moved on to the next set of toys. Watching the tall amazon stride off without waiting for an answer, Mari had to laugh to herself. For all that Sean looked every bit a woman now, he was still such a boy. She looked back at the giant blade that hung in front of her, imagining herself as a knight Templar, that massive sword held over her head as she charged down some shadowy enemy from atop a frothing courser with iron-shod hooves the size of dinner plates, her hair flying free and wild behind her, the sunlight gleaming off her polished steel plate-mail, with a giant red cross stitched into the tunic worn over her breastplate.

Stupid. Mari chided herself, grinning. She reached out to lightly touch the sword’s edge. She doubted she could even lift the thing, let alone wield it. And she didn’t know the first thing about riding horses. What am I doing here? Mari thought, looking over her shoulder at Sean, who was trying to cram himself into a too-tight leather doublet. The closest I’ve come to riding a horse is seeing the zebras at the Bronx Zoo. And Yithaja was right, Mari wasn’t a fighter. She’d be better off trying to kick a soccer ball at a Caramine’s head than trying to stab one. Idly, Mari wondered then if the Chiderans even knew what soccer was. They’d probably think it was pointless, since you weren’t allowed to kill people in soccer.

At the other end of the room, Autumn was still examining one of the bows, testing its pull and drawing the string back slowly, as far as she could. The yew bow Autumn had in her hands was almost as long as Mari was tall. That’s way too big. Mari thought. But maybe she could handle something smaller.

Mari bit her lip. She rubbed her hands over her thighs, wishing her new leathers had pockets, and then padded over to where Ray and Autumn and Yithaja stood together. “Hi.” Mari said shyly. She felt like the new kid at school trying to find a table for lunch.

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

[SalmonMax]

Renata opened the door to the armory and squinted as she stepped in. Her eyes took a second to adjust to the relative gloom, and the shelves and rows of weapons and equipment seemed to resolve out of darkness, as if they were made of shadows. Her eyes popped open when she saw the Chideran collection.

"Oh...wow..." she murmured, pausing to look at a table covered with weird, exotic knives. The sheer variety was impressive, as was the vague notion of just how MUCH these things would hurt...but not far from those considerations in Renata's mind was simply how much cash you could get for running a display like this down at the RenFest. Of course, it was also a reminder of what they were intending to do. They were going to war. Not immediately, maybe, but eventually. Would these weapons be so cool when they were held by the other side?

The thought was unsettling. Especially when Renata realized that she really had no idea how to use anything like these. She was good with her fists and feet in a fight, but she'd never fought to kill before. The idea of doing so made her stomach wobble uncertainly. Could she do it? She simply wasn't sure. If desperate enough, maybe...but what if she froze up?

She dropped the knife and headed over to where there looked to be Chideran-style hide clothes and even some cured pieces of leather that might be armor. In the process she almost walked right by Sean without even recognizing him before she remembered, out of everything else that had changed, what had happened to him. She turned around and looked back, grinning. "Sean, nice breast...plate you got there," she teased. "I was wondering where you'd gone."

[Dawn OOC]

Yithaja was scowling at her; without warning, the buff woman caught Mari by the arm and pulled her away from the others. Mari looked up to see Yithaja scowling down at her. "Wha-!?" Mari's question was cut short when Yithaja pulled her back down to the sword she'd touched.

"Here," the Chideran said sternly, thrusting a soft cloth into Mari's hand. A sweet smell rose from the cloth and it felt a little greasey to Mari's skin. Yithaja hadn't stopped; siezing the girl's wrist, she put Mari's hand on the hilt. "Never touch the blade with bare skin without cleaning it," she insisted. "We clean all the swords with oil; if you touch the blade, clean it. It can rust otherwise."

"I'm sorry," Mari said, lifting the sword with difficulty.

"Do not be sorry. Clean." The Chideran caught the pommel of the sword and held it so the tip wouldn't sit on the floor. When Mari was done, Yithaja rehung the blade for her. "Good. Come." She herded Mari over to the side, where slim swords hung. "Are you capable of defending yourself?"

"I... don't know? I've never had to. I don't like fighting," Mari said, her brown eyes wide.

Yithaja grunted and pulled her to another rack. This one hung with shields. "Here," she said, plucking a small shield off the rack. "Strap on like so. You can brace it with the other hand. Keep the shield between you and attacks. You can do that, yes?"

"I guess-"

"Good." Mari was dismissed as Yithaja turned to watch Autumn select a bow and arrows.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean growled, flinging the thick leather jerkin back on the rack and picking up the deep grey, boiled leather cuirass. It was actually similar in design to the shoulder pads he wore playing football, except instead of stopping at the upper chest, it went down to the hips, and the stiff leather was studded with small diamond shaped rivets. He would have chosen that one first, but the copious, molded leather cups on the chest had turned him off. Except he was finding that while most of the armor was designed with boobs in mind, he hadn't been giving his boobs the space they needed.

"Eh? Whuh?" Sean grunted, turning around, holding the breasplate by a hand at his side, to find a grinning Renata. Following her eyes, she found Renata wasn't looking at the breastplate. "Er, hey, Ren - Renata. Uh, yeah, just here lookin' for something that fits."

Renata nodded in solemn understanding, but the grin didn't leave her lips. "That's understandable. You're a big girl now."

Sean scowled, shifting his weight to his other foot. He was currently dressed in a pair of leather leggings - these ones reaching all the was to his ankles - with curved, studded leather plates on the thighs and shins and around the hips, his hiking boots, and a grey undershirt, his shirt, sweater, and polar-fleece vest on the ground. Suddenly, the undershirt felt entirely too thin. He had been thinking of the Armoury as a locker room - it didn't smell all that different - and had thought nothing of stripping down to his boxers and undershirt. Back home, he wouldn't even have been self-conscious stripping in front of the girls, he had always been proud of his body. Except here, his body was drastically... different. Crapfuck.

To Hell with this! He may look like a girl, but he wasn't going to act like one. Taking a deep breath, he undid the side-straps of the cuirass and unhooked the matching leather shirt - doublet? - and gave Renata a wry smirk to hide his discomfiture as he glanced down. "So I've learned, and I ain't gonna be able to hide the fact."

"So, uh, the others, are the coming in behind ya, or are they already ready to go?" Sean asked, as he slipped on the buff-coloured leather doublet, the soft suede lining raising goosebumps as it slid across his skin.

Tightening the laces, he found the doublet snug, but it fit, though he didn't like the high, stiff collar. Then he stuck his head through the opening in the cuirass, settled the segmented pauldrons on his shoulders, then tightened the straps connecting the backplate to the breastplate. All those buckles and straps weren't just for decoration, they were to make sure the armor fit and sat right. It really was a good deal like sporting protective gear, though there was less padding than he was used to, it was a bit heavier, and the leather plates had a bit more give than fiberglass. At least it wasn't no skimpy-fantasy armour that covered less than it revealed.

Head craning to see over his shoulder, his hands reached back to play with the straps in the small of his back. He tried a few times to tighten them, so the cuirass was snug around his waist as well, but failed. He just wasn't familiar enough with it. Like his football pads, Sean assumed you wanted armour to be tight, but not binding to prevent it from moving around and causing chaffing or granting easy handholds to opponents.

"Uh, a little help here?" Sean reluctantly asked Renata, turning slightly to present his back to her.

"Sure!" Renata agreed heartily. "Say when, when it's tight enough,"

Sean felt the lower part of the cuirass steadily tightening, constraining his waist, and kept his breathing even to test the give. "When"

With deft fingers, Renata adjusted the other three buckles, then spun Sean around, giving 'him' an appraising look. It might not have been skimpy fantasy armour, but it certainly didn't hide the shape of 'his' figure. "How's it fit?"

Tentatively, Sean tried a small bounce, then a bigger one, shook from side to side, then threw a few punches. The leather armour stayed in place, wasn't too tight or bind at the joints, and the best part, the resilient, molded leather cups kept his boobs from moving. He noticed their weight, and would have to adjust to it, but they didn't seem to have a mind of their own anymore, especially when tried more energetic motions.

"It fits fine, I think," Sean commented, looking down at himself and frowning. With the thick, boiled leather over his chest, his boobs looked freakin' huge. He was dressed head-to-toe in leather, but it was in no way a catuit and he didn't squeak with each step, but he still felt conspicuous as if he was flaunting the goods. I can just imagine what the others are going to say. Sean sighed and gave Renata a resigned frown - not a pout.

"I feel like a tool."

[Frida Ricci]

Frida had responded quite seriously to Ryan, giving him (perhaps a bit too) realistic descriptions of some of the spirits she had met and the encounters she'd had with them so far, including the incident in the library where - as far as she could tell - the ghosts had been able to slam the doors. But at Ravi's suggestion, and Renata's departure, Frida gained a look of contemplation, and plucked slightly at the thin tunic she was still wearing from her trip through the door. She had passed last night on furs, enjoying the bite that the cold weather had brought to her nose and cheeks, the feeling of discomfort had made her feel more... alive. But a pair of blue jeans and a pale pink tunic would not only provide little protection against the cold, it would stand out against the white and brown winter world they were about to immerse themselves in.

"Well.. I certainly don't know anything about fighting. But perhaps you're right. The clothing I'm wearing is somewhat inappropriate for the weather. I suppose I should go find something more appropriate. And perhaps one of the Chiderans could teach me to use a knife properly. If I had to. Ravi, if you don't mind leading the way, I would be obliged. I don't know the location of the hut, and I don't want to hold anyone up by getting lost."

He nodded and stood, extending a hand out of politeness and habit, and she gracefully laid her hand in his and accepted the hand up. The cool touch of her fingers brought to mind a much different forest for Ravi - lush green vegetation and a beautiful painting, laughing and eating and teaching the art of love to a willing and gracious young woman. There was the smallest hesitation between them.. long enough for all those inconvenient cliches to present themselves. Their gazes met with that shared memory. He could feel a small spark of (not quite yet) forgotten pleasure at her touch, and Frida felt her heartbeat skip once, maybe twice. But there were no plays from the etherial young artist, no scenes of desperation or anger, or words begging him again for his affection. No.. instead he could see the attraction in her eyes for a heartbeat, before she did her best to smooth out the display. And then she gently removed her hand from his and turned, heading towards the door.

[Ryan Jackson]

Everybody seemed hell bent to go and grab fur and armor and weapons and play soldier. Ryan thought it was pretty silly, none of his fellow students was a warrior, they were kids, almost all of them young enough to not even be considered an adult for the purposes of joining the army without parental signatures. Ryan followed along in their wake like flotsam. He recovered his lost backpack from the room that had apparently been set aside for him without his knowledge the night before. Shrugging it onto his shoulders he did note that the weather was cold, he yanked the pack off and rummaged inside coming out with his leather jacket. It wasn't lined, but it would block the wind completely and at the moment that seemed sufficient.

At the armory Ryan looked around, if he was impressed he didn't show it, but then his expression had returned to vacancy as he focused on his mental sense. Everybody else seemed to be serious about finding arms, if not armor, and Ryan reluctantly located a rack of throwing weapons; spikes, blades, short batons, and the like. "Umm, do I hafta, like, pay fer these or sumthin'?"

[Atomicweasel]

Mari looked down at the shield that Yithaja had thrust into her arms. It was made of hard wood, rounded, and re-enforced with a thick hide that had been scraped smooth and wrapped tight around the wood. Little iron studs circled the edge of the shield. It didn’t weigh much. Maybe five pounds, Mari thought.

Yithaja had already crossed the room again and stood with her back to Mari. Mari looked again at the shield in her hands and then back up at the enormous sword Yithaja had made her clean. If the Caramines had swords like that, the little shield might as well be made of paper for all the good it would do her. Maybe Yithaja meant the shield to be an insult, a useless prop for a useless girl. Mari felt herself begin to blush and a terrible pang of home-sickness suddenly struck her, like a fist in the gut. She wanted to be far away from this cold angry place where the Chiderans lived. She wanted to be back in Queens, in the warmth of her mother’s kitchen, surrounded by the smells of cooking food, and the sounds of Yani and Eli bickering over nothing. She wanted to forget all about Dalton and the Doors and the dark mysteries of the war with the Caramines. She wished Evan Rosen had never seen her play soccer. She wished she had never looked into the green and gold fire of Ravi’s eyes. She wished she could close her eyes and open them and be back in her bed at home with her mom braiding her hair before school and whispering ‘te quiero mihijita’ at her like it was all just a bad, crazy dream. But when she blinked her eyes she was still standing there, with the weight of the small shield in her hands, and the burden of Yithaja’s scorn and disapproval, and the enormity of what awaited her sitting thick and heavy in her heart.

God give me strength. Mari prayed. She glanced at Yithaja, briefly picturing herself striding up to the big amazon woman and jumping up to smash her shield down on the Chideran’s head. She would kill me so dead. Besides, it was an ungracious, petty fantasy, and Mari silently reproved herself for it. She fed me and she put a roof over my head. Why did Yithaja’s approval even matter so much? Mari took a deep breath to still the sting of pride. Pride was the first of sins, the worst of sins. Stop acting like a baby. she told herself. She wasn’t yet fifteen, but Doorhold was no place for children. Put your big girl pants on and grow up. Mari shoved her left hand through the straps of her shield, snugging them up high on her arm and stalked over to the slender swords Yithaja had shown her. She snatched one down at random, slipped it into a sheath, and defiantly fastened it to the leather belt around her waist.

Maybe she didn’t know how to fight…but she could learn. I don’t have to like it. I just have to know how to do it. Mari decided.

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

[Autumn Keane]

The sheer number of options presented to Autumn was a little overwhelming, but she had enough experience with archery to resist the temptation of touching them all; she knew this was a big decision, not an afternoon to be spent window-shopping. There was no point lamenting the modern bow she'd left at the Academy, and the business of examining the ones on display kept her mind busy... Busy, focused on the details of the carving and craftsmanship and weight, and off pretty much everything else. It was going to be a long trip, but the act of hiking itself would give her plenty of time to think about Serious Matters later. Active meditation, she reminded herself, returning her attention to the weaponry.

Some of the bows looked close to the right size, but they either didn't draw comfortably, or didn't fit her hand quite right. There were longbows sized for giantesses and etched with runes, and one or two that were impossibly delicate, crafted of something that looked like glass. These Chiderans didn't seem keen on anything being purely ornamental, though, which meant they had to be functional, as implausible as it seemed to her. As Mari sheathed her little blade, the red-head watched bemusedly; the girl looked like a miniature Chideran in her newly-acquired clothes, and one of the smaller bows would probably suit her well as a back-up for the sword. She'd barely talked to the little freshman, but she looked so damned shy, so uncertain, Autumn couldn't help but feel a little pang of sympathy.

"Hey," she called to the petite brunette with an amiable smile. "If you're looking for something with a little more range, you could try one of these. They have a couple that would probably fit you."

[SalmonMax]

Renata shrugged, giving Sean a frank once-over. "Well, at least you can jump without giving yourself a bruise now," she said. "I'm thinking of buying a bunch of sports bras and selling them over here. I'll make millions." After a second she added, "Is that going to chafe? You have to wear something under it too, right?"

Without waiting for a response, she started fishing out Chideran clothes that looked like they might fit her.

"I've been thinking though...the Chiderans use swords and bows and all that, but that doesn't mean WE have to, right? I mean, I could get better shit than this with an hour at a sporting goods shop." She scratched her chin. "I mean, with a fake ID I could. I'm talking shotguns, hunting rifles, those funky bows that have the pulleys and stuff...crossbows with, like, laser pointers. Metal arrows. I'm thinking if we're really gonna fight medieval, why not get a little advantage?"

[Atomicweasel]

At Autumn’s call, Mari looked up sharply, her expression as startled as if she’d been caught necking in a library. A pretty and bashful smile soon followed. Had Autumn not heard the younger girl speak before she might have thought her mute, until Mari finally broke the silence of her approach with a “hey” of her own.

Shy though the Freshman girl was, she had a demure kind of charisma, an easy, ready friendliness that Autumn was quick to perceive. “I was gonna maybe look at some of these,” Mari was saying, “but I wasn’t really sure, like, what do I look for.” The accent was East Coast, probably New Yorky, Autumn decided. The blush that had blossomed right beneath them accented Mari’s big hazel eyes. “I don’t really know anything about bows,” she added hastily, shooting a worried glance at Yithaja, who in turn fixed Mari with a sour grimace.

“I could show you one or two things.” Autumn offered modestly.

“Yeah?” Mari asked with barely repressed enthusiasm.

“First, you need to pick a good bow.” The young witch nodded, inviting Mari to look over the racks of bows. “I think maybe something small.”

“Yeah, definitely small.” Mari eagerly agreed with a self-depreciating little grin. “You’re…”

“Autumn. Like the season.”

“Right, Autumn, sorry, I remember seeing you in the art room.” Mari blurted, “You came in with, um—“

“Lucia.”

“Lucia. Yeah. I’m usually not this bad with names, honest. It’s just been kind of a crazy couple of days…I’m Mari. Well, Maria, but no one really calls me Maria.”

__________________

Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"Chafe?" Sean muttered, looking down at them, before looking at Renata, a quizzical look in his rich blue eyes. "I have my t-shirt and the leather shirt-jacket thing on under the breastplate." He cupped his leather clad boobs, heaving them up and paying particular attention to how they felt moving around. "How much do you have to wear over the damn things?"

Renata smirked. "I'm sure you'll find out. Just a word of advice from a full-time girl, Sean - When you aren't wearing that boob-guard, if you don't want the boys to see you nipping out, get a bra. I'll give you a good price on shipping."

Sean scowled, his nose scrunching up in a rather fetching manner and crossed his arms, first above his breasts, then below them, still didn't seem satisfied, but he stubbornly refused to fidget anymore. Wanting to change the conversation from what his tits should be wearing, Sean nodded at the surrounding armaments.

"I dunno 'bout your idea 'bout the guns and shit," Sean commented. "Their steel looks every bit as dangerous as any I've seen on our side of the Door and more functional to boot. You might have a point with those pulley-bows, and the laser sights and stuff, but - do you even know how to use a gun?"

Renata snorted, tossing her head and giving Sean at look as if wondering if he was really a blonde with a dye-job. "You point it at the thing you want dead and pull the trigger."

Sean gave her a level, nonplussed look in return. "Riiiiight... I don't think it's that easy. Anyway, I've never used one and I can't imagine many of us have. I'll admit I might be wrong 'bout that - I've heard stories 'bout how well armed some of you American kids are. Anyway, you'd have to lug all your own ammo along. At least here, you can get replacement arrows and swords and axes and whatever they call these things - Dragon Claws? -" Sean held up his spiky, steel-studded gloves, " - they can be used over and over again."

Sean sighed and began settling his heavy packback back on his shoulders, adjusting it for the additional bulk of the amour. "I think campin' and climbin' gear will be more useful in the long run and easier to get. And how would we pay for the guns anyway? They must cost hundreds of dollars, each, I bet. At least this stuff, the Chiderans are willin' to give us - Yes, you don't have to pay for them," Sean said, raising his voice for Ryan's benefit, "since they understand armin' their allies helps both of us. I'm pretty sure Walmart or Hunting Depot won't give a fuck."

Sean pointed towards the entrance to the armory with his chin. "I think I'm ready to go. Gonna round up Swan and hope she doesn't mind the sword I picked for her. You should get whatcha gonna get, since I doubt the amazons will want to wait around for us for long."

[SalmonMax]

"They're only doing this at all because of you," Renata pointed out. "I figure that means you're the one who decides when to go. But yeah, the missus is waiting for you." She grinned her smirky grin again."Don't want to keep her waiting. She could probably kick your ass...at least until you do this stone thing."

She drifted back toward the table with the knives and started looking for...something. She wasn't completely sure what yet, but something she could use.