[open] as he climbs he dares to deliver the master stroke

[mollymocked]

Who: Mollymauk Tealeaf and whoever wants to join his shenanigans
When: Throughout March
Where: Various places
What: Influence threads!
Warnings: Self-harm if any threads get combative. I will warn accordingly.




a. baby light my fire

[So he's the wizard and the cleric now.

Molly doesn't enjoy doing things for free, even if he's one of the most generous persons around. There's a difference between throwing gold and silver at someone and then skipping off, and being asked (and a little bit expected to help with things for free, but he did agree to take up this bloody Jewel, and he supposes he should make good on an unspecified promise.

The heating spells are easy enough, as are the witchlights, which Molly has been inclined to play with to entertain the frightened and cold children. What he didn't expect was that due to a tiefling's natural body temperature, he is also a space heater in himself.

So there you are, minding your own business, checking on all these homes without power to see if anyone needs anything, and you find (1) tiefling in the dim light of the main room of a home with a pile of children using him as a pillow and the most unhappy look on his face. He mouths "help" very plaintively.]


b. shock it to me

[Molly has obtained more jobs in Draega than he has made up lies about his backstory and that's saying something. Admittedly, he took this one out of curiosity (Jon is that you??) and the hope for a possible fight, because between all of these odd jobs and stopping fires, he needs to do something with his restless hunter energy.

He's not a very smart person on a good day so giving someone who only seems to grasp Craft by accident a complicated task is a bad idea, but he is one hundred percent sure he has it down. Or at least assumes the person he's been partnered with does.]

Was it just me or did it seem like that Councilman could have explained this better? [He rubs his fingers together and then, very pointedly, presses his finger to the back of his partner's neck.

bzzt goes the tiny shock, because he just had to.]


c. dark knights

[Now this is about... half Molly's speed. Still a little more than he really wanted to be involved with, but the Council doing nothing rubs him raw and he's willing to help to be contrary at this point. If Fayura wasn't in a complicated position, she'd probably be fine with it.

Molly's set himself up on a corner, keeping an eye on people as they pass, his cards laid out in front of him as he tries to catch the eye of any passers-by, inviting them to have their fortunes told. Of course, it's all a distraction. The second he notices anything suspicious, he'll be on the prowl again, but for now hey evening Tarot readings.]

Comments

c

[verstoned]

... You're out an' about doin' that at this hour, still? [Rhus' eyebrows-- well, one eyebrow, given how much of his fringe covers one half of his face-- raises in surprise, and a bit of interest.

Something tells him that it's not just about fortunes right now, though without knowing Molly too well... well, you don't know a person with just one meeting, right? Rhus cant form a proper opinion, not yet.]

Dedicated to tellin' fortunes, aren't ya?

[mollymocked]

[Molly looks up and his tail kind of twitches as he grins with recognition.] It's a good way to meet people. 'S how I met you, after all. Plus no one pays any mind to a humble street performer.

[Which is the real boon here.]

[verstoned]

Street performer with no attention? 'M thinkin' you've a strange idea o' what performers do.

[Still, the Miqo'te crouches down onto his haunches, resting one elbow on his knee and propping his chin in one palm. He has no interest in getting his fortune told tonight, but... He is interested in why this man is out here.

Because he doubts it's simply for busking for coin.]

[mollymocked]

Or I have literally no faith in anyone having more than a passing interest at this hour.

[Molly steeples his fingers under his chin and rests his elbows on his knees.] And what precisely has you out this late?

[verstoned]

[If he weren't trained to read between the lines at such a young age, Rhus would have taken Molly at face value, or merely thought his words strange. But as he thinks more on them...]

I've no faith in anyone who says they're not up to no good at this hour.

[Not unlike Molly's response, but at the same time, also delivering exactly what he's out here for.]

[mollymocked]

That's fair. I've heard there's been some bad business afoot.

[Which gets him partially off his bullshit so he can admit that "yeah, okay, same" without saying as much. They're both here on watch, then. That's good. That's brilliant. He'd hate to have to approach this alone.]

[verstoned]

Mmmn... Could say that-- but what have you heard?

[He does have to ask, because they could have heard entirely different things and are chasing different results. Or Molly could have come out here for a reason other than Rhus.

He needs to be sure.]

[mollymocked]

That there's been landens dying under mysterious circumstances.

[He glances around, but only vaguely surreptitiously. There's a reason he said "dying" instead of "being murdered." It makes it feel less personal if anyone happens to listening in.] Given the, ah, political situation? That strikes me as a bit weird.

[verstoned]

Would it really. [Especially given recent circumstances. Acts of vengeance pretending to be justice are... well, utter shite.

But he's fairly sure Molly is fishing and at the same time being covert as possible about his motivations for being out here... But Rhus has no such inclinations, not when he's tired of constantly watching what he says. He's had to do it enough when interacting with the Queen and the other Blood. He feels no obligation to do the same around fellow Strangers.]

Strange as they are though, ain't changin' they're still off an' the Council's not fond of 'em.

c

[thedarkbond]

[Ren's not particularly versed in the area of vigilante justice, but he's never been averse to giving people what they deserve if they decide to step out of line in a way that bothers him personally. Considering how volatile the political situation is here right now, the fact that the Council is still refusing to actually do anything about their people flagrantly murdering those who can't defend themselves is not endearing them to him any more.

It might be good practice for him to get a bit creative with his Craft, at least. Better to learn by doing than the more boring alternatives.

A familiar face catches his eye as he comes around one corner, though - it's kind of hard to mistake this particular person he'd met in the power plant for anyone else. And the cards definitely take his interest that little bit more, meaning it takes very little to get Ren to actually approach, waving casually as if he has no more important business here than just wandering the night.]

Oh, this looks interesting...you do tarot readings, then...? [Ren's tone and manner in general are a lot airier and more innocent than they had been during the power plant debacle.]

[mollymocked]

[That was a fairly stressful time, so Molly lets the airiness slide without too much suspicion, though mentally he's calculating the fact that people who seem that vapid rarely get involved in risking their lives for other people.]

A person's got to make a living somehow, even if it's just for a few coppers on the side. This Saviors of Draega thing just doesn't pay as well as you would think.

[thedarkbond]

Mmm, I feel like people who are in for those sorts of heroics don't usually care about money, so maybe people just don't think about paying their heroes anymore... [Ren doesn't seem too fussed either way - he's living with the court for the moment anyway, and while having to wake up at dawn is kind of awful, at least it means he has time to scope out what kind of work he might be interested in if he ever gets too shot of morning training and wants to move out.

Still, even if it's a somewhat limited income, he probably has a few coppers spare.] How much do you charge...? I've always kind of liked this sort of thing.

[Not necessarily out of believing it, but the atmosphere and seeing how well someone can actually read him is entertaining enough. Also, might as well not pass up a good vantage point and potential help if something does go down in their vicinity. Ren's not really enamoured with the idea of learning too late that a culprit is a jewel class or two above him.]

[mollymocked]

For you? After what you did in that building? On the house. [Molly copies tone and cadence of the barkeep they met in Alfield- the one he overpaid for a a smokey anise liquor to keep from having a panic attack after the gnoll assault on the town.]

I've got a moment to spare and business is a bit slow at this hour. [Intentionally. Molly doesn't want to draw a crowd and possibly miss something. He collects the cards and gives them a clean shuffle- it's dark enough that he could cut the deck however he wants and no one would be the wiser- benefits of darkvision- but sometimes it's more fun to risk being wrong.]

[thedarkbond]

[Well, that's a nice bonus to all the effort that whole disaster required, so Ren takes it without reading too much into it and sits down across from him. Though it's pretty dark, he keeps an eye on Molly's shuffling - something of a professional curiosity for him, considering his background.]

Everything seems pretty slow at this hour, honestly...it's getting really quiet... [The kind of hour where people who don't want to be seen doing something might come out to do it, even.] It seems like a shame to let the opportunity to do this pass by, though.

[mollymocked]

Well, I do it in pubs on occasion. Good way to endear yourself to the locals and the other Strangers. People love to have their curiosity peaked and their skepticism challenged. [He does one final shuffle with his gaze elsewhere, hunting for suspicious persons or even landens who fit the description of the murder victims. No one yet. Good, good.

He places the deck down on the cobblestones and lays three cards facedown. The first he turns over is the Ace of Wands. He could almost kiss his deck for being that on the nose.] The Wands cards rule over the element of fire, and you are a fiery, confident person, and with that you can win any bout you come across. It's fitting that you came to this place to be forged in fire as soon as you arrived. It's destiny. [He turns the second card- the Ace of Pentacles.] You've been given a great gift or there's hope of one, but remember to keep your feet on the ground. Whatever you seek, whatever many gifts you hope to receive, will come with hard work.

[Fuck this is working well in his favor. He already knows about Fayura's offers to the Strangers. That's easy to play on. He turns over the last card. The Six of Swords.] And whatever has happened in the past, whatever is happening currently... Sometimes it's a good thing to start over, leave your problems and seek clarity elsewhere, and there's no need to view it as cowardice or get bogged down on whether or not it was the wrong choice.

[He pulls back, mentally patting himself on the back. It's a pretty straightforward cold read, but that fire card right out of the gate is exquisite.]

[thedarkbond]

Hmm, you must know different skeptics to me... [Most people Ren knows like that are incredibly stubborn about it, but maybe they're a bit more open here. It's a completely different place to what he's familiar with, after all.

For now, though, he rests his chin on his hands as he watches Molly lay out and explain the cards. There's certainly a fitting element to them - though Ren knows half the point of this sort of thing is to interpret in a manner that fits the person. So while it's accurate, it strikes him as in a way that could apply to many of the people here, with the fire and the gift born of hard work.

That last one sounds like it's more for people who are worried about their presence here, though, and Ren curls a few fingers against his mouth, looking like he's thinking about it.] Hmm, what if you were looking for problems more than leaving them behind...? I feel like there's probably a mix of those kinds of people here, considering how they all reacted to the power plant...

[Some he's met have definitely come to leave problems and hopefully solve them when they return, but others seem to be all too okay with problems and here primarily to fix someone else's. As for him, he'd kind of run out of things to do back home, and at the very least, if he was going to leave to do this he might as well appeal to Fayura to keep things that level of peaceful back home.]

[mollymocked]

Well. I can't say I've met that many people who are actively looking for problems, so you'd be the first. [Molly eyes him up and down, taking him in with interest. Is he looking for problems to solve or problems to cause? Probably the former- he was dragging bodies out of the power plant, after all.]

Problems tend to happen whether we look for them or not.

b - because I have to now

[championbittersweet]

[Jonathan himself had been drawn to helping out with this particular issue in part because he's a little concerned about what the few who know of his... affliction... might think. Also if he were more honest with himself, it was frustrating to limit his own feeding habits for the greater good and then have the beasts slaughtered anyway. Petty? Perhaps, but he would protest it was still for the best of everyone.

At least he'd been partnered with someone who was familiar with his habits already. That and outside, in the cool evening air, he's more awake than he is in the mornings, his focus sharper on the movements of the animals they're keeping an eye on while they work and on Molly--

And on the spark of electricity against his skin. Jonathan jumps just a bit and huffs in a mix of amusement and exasperation; he'd have thought Molly would take this more seriously but he's still getting a sense of the other man and isn't as surprised now to find he doesn't match what he's expecting.]

Perhaps the Council would like us to fail. [He answers, frowning at his own fingers and trying to replicate what Molly had done. If his friend was hoping that Jonathan was better at this, he was going to realise how mistaken that is.]

We aren't always the most liked here, perhaps it would be easier to blame the losses on Strangers failing in their jobs instead of the underlying problems.

[mollymocked]

Right, right, because we've absolutely been useless so far, haven't we?

[Molly's indignation is so sharp it could cut through steel. He flexes his fingers experimentally again and tries to get the spark going, but even with such a dark jewel, Craft doesn't come easily to him. He's not magically gifted.] We ought to sit back and leave it to the persons who spend most of their time in pissing contests with each other.

[Yeah, okay, so he's a bit bitter.]

[championbittersweet]

[Jonathan shook his head and, with a level of comfort that was still new to him, reached out to pat reassuringly at Molly's shoulder.]

It was merely conjecture, not something I have any proof of. I understand your frustration for how we are treated here, but we shouldn't let it stop us from helping where we can. The people who you're upset with aren't the ones who would suffer the most if we didn't.

[Even being from his own privileged background, Jonathan had a little bit of exposure to how it was those without money who really suffered when there was little to go around. He'd never experienced it himself, but he'd been yelled at often about it in London and while his understanding was admittedly limited he had seen some of the results firsthand.]

[mollymocked]

That's very true. 'S why I'm even here after all. [Here as in at this fence, but also "here" as in Draega. This is a place that could benefit from being left better than Molly found it, but it's a little difficult when he can't even leave, and all of his efforts come to more bullshit.

Given his hands are currently sparking, he doesn't pat Jonathan back- one attempt of that dirty trick was enough. Instead, he sort of affectionately butts him with his horn right in the cheek. Despite the hard cartilage and ridges, the coating is surprisingly velvet and soft.] Are you the only vampire here?

[He gives the fence a good once-over, trying to figure out the best place to put his hands before he loses the spark.] No offense meant, of course, but this does sound like what I suggested you do.

[championbittersweet]

[The softness of Molly's horn surprises him, and Jonathan has to resist the urge to touch further and ask possibly invasive questions, mindful that Mollymauk seems sensitive to the attention his species gets. Perhaps another time.]

To my knowledge. [There's a pause and Jonathan frowns, recalling now what he had discussed with Fayura shortly after arriving here.]

But there may be vampires in this world too, although they do not go by that name. Lady Fayura called them the 'demon-dead' when she spoke of them to me. Perhaps they are responsible for this? For trust me, if it had been me, I would not have taken so much as to starve others, nor would I be as hungry as I am now.

[mollymocked]

That's a fair point. [Molly finally throws caution to the wind and lays his hands on the wire, jolting in surprise when the electricity flows out of him and into it in a continuous hum, stretching up through the other wires until a roughly four foot section of the fence is thrumming with power and he has to pull back, shaking his hands out as his fingertips go numb.

One section down. So, so many more to go.]

I feel like this wouldn't deter anything like that either. Just a hunch. I mean if you were that hungry and there was a lightning fence in the way of a meal, would that be enough to stop you? [He's trying not to think of the 'demon-dead' and how he might have to deal with that- already his head is swimming from the knowledge in his brain that doesn't come from Mollymauk, but somewhere else. And his blood sings for a possible hunt. Jonathan doesn't tap into anything primal, because Molly is a fucking civilized person, driven by base desires that aren't bloodlust, and Jon is a good person. But if there's hungry, crazed undead things out there, then that's another story.]

[championbittersweet]

[Jonathan watches the transfer of strange power curiously, partially wondering how this 'magic' can be scientifically explained, the rest of his mind considering Mollymauk's question.]

No. [He sighs a bit, resigned to the truth of the matter.] When I am hungry - truly hungry and not the constant sense of it that I have - little can stop me if I lose control or give in.

[Movement of a creature nearby catches his attention and Jonathan focuses on the animal briefly to ensure it's meant to be here, and finds himself momentarily distracted by the regular thump of a pulse before his eyes. He drags his eyes away enough to focus on Molly again, although his gaze lingers on the other man's throat.]

I would need something more... detrimental.

[mollymocked]

[Molly catches that as he turns, double takes, and then snaps his fingers in Jonathan's face to draw attention away from his throat. That's all he does- no scolding, no verbal condescension. Just a sharp reminder to focus before he goes to the next section of the fence.] Detrimental like the radiance? I remember you didn't like the... glowing shite on my sword when we first met.