Dedication (Nina / BlueSlime)

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Iris seems a bit less threatening now as she doesn't have her lethal sword on hand. The girl makes no move against Nina as she locks the her in her embrace, giving out her confession to the girl. She seems to be listening intently, her face not changing as Nina releases her. After Nina is finished, Iris smiles at her, taking her hand with both of her own. The girl presses Nina's hand against her cheek, rubbing it a few times with her face before moving it over her heart and nodding at her. This seems like a gesture of acceptance from the blind warrior.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina nods happily. "Okay then," she said with emphasis, showing that she had understood.

"I'll see you soon again. You'll have to show me what you do for fun around here."

Nina would let Iris go off to do what she had intended to do, and for herself, the green-haired girl would take her sword back to her room. She wanted to put it in a safe place before she returned to wandering the halls. She wasn't given any specific duties for the moment, and thought she might explore the grounds on her own a little. Valkenhayn had showed her much, but she was certain she hadn't seen everything yet...

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The girls go in the same direction for a while, before they reach Nina's door. Iris goes on to do her other things as Nina heads into her room

Now in her room, Nina can see a stand has been brough on the drawer she has in there. It's reminiscent of the stands she's seen in some samurai anime, a low thing that hold a sword in it horizontally. She can of course put it in a cupboard if she felt the need to.

Done with her storing, she's now free to wander about. Where Nina headed was her own decision, as it was still some time away from the dinner Lynette was no doubt busy making

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina set the sword gingerly on the stand, which was placed beside her bedside, within reaching distance. She appreciated the feel of the blade, and felt like it was something to be honored, since Iris had bestowed so much care and dedication to its cleaning and sharpening. To forsake its care would be to forsake Iris' efforts, and that was not something Nina could do in good conscience.

Standing up straight then she decided to go back first to the wardrobe Lynette had taken her to before and get herself a new change of clothes. She felt like wearing something lighter that would give her freer movement. She exchanged her dress and undergarments for a more free flowing attire: simple silk pants and slippers in an Arabian style, with wrapped sashes winding around her breasts, leaving her arms, shoulders and midriff bare. It seemed more appropriate for the desert surroundings, and it made her feel more natural and better prepared for stealth and exertion.

With her new clothes on, Nina made her way back to the bath area where she had first met Elise. She didn't know if she would find the priestess there or not, but figured it might be interesting to explore that area again. After that, she had it in mind to go looking for the lower levels and the supposed 'basement' that Elise had warned her of when they had bathed.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

As Nina heads towards the baths, she crosses paths with Valkenhayn, who is visibly impressed by her style
"That looks absolutely delightful on you, Miss Nina." the elderly butler tells her as they pass each other.

In her newfound style, Nina enters the dressing room, finding no trace of anyone being there at the moment. Taking a peek at the open-air bath, she can see nothing out of the ordinary in there either as she goes around the area.

Making her way to the lower level, she passes by some storehouses there before finding a iron-barred door. Inside, there are numerous strange devices, most of them looknig like they are used for torture and interrogation. A triangular wooden block with a steel upper edge, something that looks like a coffin, a strecher. These are a few of the bewildering array of things she can see behind the door

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina smiled demurely and thanked Valkenhayn for his compliment. It was appreciated. She wondered at Valkenhayn's story for being here as well. Had he been involved in the slaving trade like Isaku had? She couldn't say for certain. In his youth, the old butler had probably been able to handle himself quite well, judging by his excellent physique given his current age.

She went through the open baths, finding no one, not even Elise. She wondered at her presence here as well - not a true member of the 'House' but a guest. What was her religion? How did the game tie her faith into this world?

Questions as to the depth of the world suggested by its character's sprung up in Nina's mind. It was a mystery.

The lower levels were easily found. The lady didn't bar the way all that much to these frightening and dark quarters. She wondered if the lady had ordered this equipment to be brought here or made especially for her, or perhaps they had been inherited with the estate? Hmm... Lady Iliana Einzbern... just who were you really?

Nina moved to head back up the stairs. She needed something to do. Either for the lady, or if not her, for someone else. Perhaps she should look around the grounds for tasks that might need some attention.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

For all the questions Nina was pondering, the answer escaped her at the current moment.

As she heads back to the main level, Lynette emerges from the door leading to the kitchen. She is holding a similar box given to Nina after breakfast
"We'll be eating dinner soon, take Isaku's portion to him before we do" the maid says, keeping on her business face. Nina sees it better to agree with her

When she's going towards Isaku's guard post, Nina can see a suspicious man clambering over the mansion wall near the corner of the mansion

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina spotted the man clambering over the wall and immediately began to run towards Isaku, making sure not to spill his dinner. The gatekeeper needed to know of the intruder quickly. Nina would have been somewhat tempted to deal with the problem herself if she'd been armed, but she wasn't, and that made the decision easier for her.

"Isaku! Isaku! I saw a man climb over the estate wall! Come quick!"

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Intruder? I'm coming Miss!" Isaku's booming voice can be heard from the gate as the huge man sprints towards the corner.
"Put that dinner down in the usual place, it'll probably get cold though, damn intruders..." the big man tells her as he passes Nina. Before he can reach the man, the intruder ducks inside in an effort to avoid him. Within a few seconds, terrible screams can be heard from the inside.
"Oh boy... he must've snuck inside the kitchen..." Isaku says as he stops in his tracks before turning to take his dinner.
"Better go rescue the guy, Lynette's going to kill him if you leave them alone long enough. I know that woman's temper when it flares over" he continues, walking back towards the guard post with his dinner

Nina hurries inside, quite a sight waiting for her in the kitchen. The intruder squirms on the floor, huge kitchen knives sticking out from both of his knees. Iris is already armed and looking over the situation with Lynette, who's looking down at the scruffy man with a killing glare.
"You dare to bring your dirt in the Lady's kitchen?! I should kill you right here!" the maid tells the bleeding man in a loud voice, grabbing a third knife from the nearby cutting board. Before the furious maid can advance her case, Valkenhayn enters the room and grabs her arm
"Calm down now, miss Lynette. He'll give us the answers we need, one way or another."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Oh my... does everyone in this household know how to kill people?" Nina asked, a new respect and fear of the maid settling into her. She almost felt sorry for the intruder.

"Don't torture him so, Lynette, we don't know why he's here. Maybe he was just hungry and looking for some food?"

Nina knew it was a weak explanation that she was offering, but she wanted to give the poor man the benefit of the doubt. He was in enough trouble already with two knives sticking out of his legs, and was likely in for some more intense and uncomfortable questioning soon.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

After Nina's given her opinions and the suggestion, the maid swings back towards her, the knife stopping just an inch short of her forehead as Valkenhayn barely succeeds in keeping her under control
"Yes, we do! And I suggest you find that part in yourself too before something bad happens!" the maid almost yells at her, the eye visible behind her hair burning with rage. She quickly turns back to the man though as Valkenhayn lets her go.
"I'll handle this questioning. If you're honest, it'll take only one question." Lynette tells the man rolling around on the floor.
"Are you a scout for those slavers Isaku schooled earlier today?" the all-business maid asks the man, who's desperately trying to pry off the knives from his kneecaps.
"Aaaah... yes..." the man says in a pained voice. Lynette looks at him for a while, clearly considering the man's words
"Hmmm, there's truth in there. That's all I needed to know" the maid tells him before raising the knife again just to thrust it into his crotch area. As the man's cries of terrible agony echo in the room, Lynette brings the heel of her shoe down on the man's windpipe, crushing it and reducing his cries to hoarse noises.
"Now DIE!" Lynette yells at him, looking down to him intensely, waiting for the man to expire. The noise has drawn Iliana into the situation as well, the sharply-dressed mistress appearing at the door.
"Oh my, that's quite a mess.. anyone here care to explain what this is about?" the imperious woman tells them, as all the others have turned to face the Lady of the house.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina went white and winced as the maid cruelly put the man to question and then death. It didn't take her long to put together the connection. Lynette clearly hated slavers with a viciousness born from personal experience. Nina consoled herself, trying to convince herself that the man was just a figment of computer generated simulation, and furthermore that within that world, he had been a cruel man intent upon harm to Iliana and her household, including Nina herself.

Yet still, Nina wasn't a cruel person at heart. She didn't think she would hate like Lynette clearly did. Then again, she hadn't really experienced anything truly horrible, not yet. Maybe if she had, her personality would change.

Nina turned to look at Iliana along with the others in the room. She felt as though someone else was better off answering the Lady's question. She was still trying to digest the gruesome way in which the intruder had met his end.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina keeps from going too talky this time, letting Lynette handle the explanations. The maid tells Iliana exactly what happened, from her own perspective.
"Another slaver gang's in town.. It was such a peaceful period we had." Nina's mistress tells them before turning back to Lynette again
"I take you and Isaku are going to make another "investigation" tonight?" to which the maid is quick to reply
"Yes, this problem gets rooted now, before any further damage occurs" Lynette tells the Lady, her eye showing fierce determination.
"I understand, the authorities will be informed" Iliana says to her before heading back to her work

Soon, Valkenhayn and Iris too disperse, leaving Nina together with the maid. Lynette looks over the dead man still lying in the middle of the kitchen. She opens a nearby door, revealing a trapdoor in a small closet-like space. With a little effort, she plunges the body down into the darkness under the trapdoor. Now only bloodstains remain, which the maid starts scrubbing away.
"...Sorry about that episode, I didn't mean to snap at you. And ignore what I said, this violent way of life is not healthy for a good girl like you." Lynette says to Nina, keeping her gaze on the bloodstains she's trying to get them away from the kitchen floor

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina allowed herself to smile and accept with a nod Lynette's apology. She grabbed a soapy cloth and knelt down besides the maid to help clean the blood stains.

"I don't know that I'm such a 'good' girl at heart, but I do like to look at the bright side of things. I can be naive about certain subjects though, such as this slaver situation, and I fully recognize that about myself. I told Lady Einzbern as much up front when I offered my service. But I promise I'll try to figure it all out soon, and whenever you need it, I'll put my own sword to use... in fact, I'd like to join you and Isaku tonight, if you and the lady will allow it."

Nina wrung out her bloody cloth in the bucket of water and looked to Lynette for an answer. She was serious about joining the investigation. Everyone in the house was certainly more skilled than her, and she wanted to train with them so that she wouldn't just be regarded as a pretty face to share Iliana's bed.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The maid quickly turns her gaze up to Nina upon hearing about her interests of joining them.
"You must be kidding. When the Lady said investigation, I didn't mean it like that. This'll be a brutal beatdown at best, a full-blown massacre at worst when we do find out where these scum have their base in" she spouts at Nina, moving her hair to the side, revealing a missing eye covered by a large z-shaped scar.
"There's still plenty of unpaid dues I have for those kinds of people, and it won't be pretty. You're sure you can stomach that?"

Stopping for a moment, Lynette urges Nina to go and think it over before deciding.
"It'll be dinner soon, you can ask the Lady's permission and decide if you still want to come after that"

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina fought an urge to turn he head away from Lynette's glare, succeeding barely, and then, spake on with a soft gaze as she settled herself.

"I cannot lie and say I would appreciate the bloodshed, nor enjoy the killing of men I have not met. If I tried to say a part of me wasn't bothered by what you did just now, you would know it for a lie. But it's not you I was upset by, it was just the initial shock of it - and honestly, I can already feel it passing. I may not be the most down to earth girl, but I'm not stupid. I look past the darker things because it pleases me to do so - but if necessity says that my friends and my house is threatened, then I will do what needs to be done. Our lady found me with a sword in hand, and I've fought with her and Iris in the tomb. It would be a silly thing now to be kept from any fighting - how else can I prove myself to be of use?"

Nina shook her head and rose from the floor, the blood now cleaned.

"If Lady Einzbern will allow for it, I will go with you and Isaku. I must be put to a good use. I owe Iliana my life, so I will fight for her and for all of you as well."

Lynette urged Nina to think it over, but as dinner passed, Nina became even more certain of her decision. She didn't want to be the only person in the household who didn't know how to fight, and she wasn't going to get any experience just lying down in Iliana's bed every night. At least not the kind of experience that would help her in a fight...

She waited for the opportune moment to bring the subject up with Iliana, hoping that one would present itself at the end of the meal.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

During their dinner, Lynette brings up the "investigation" to Iliana again, asking if she was OK with Nina coming along. The Lady of the house is somewhat curious about this development, giving Nina the nod to do as she pleases.

Lynette gives Nina time to prepare for the coming night, telling her to meet the pair at the gate during dusk. As she nears the gate, she can see the two of them waiting, looking quite different as they both are now armed for war. Isaku's gauntlets have been replaced by a complete suit of black, lacquered armor, with spiked gauntlets and a leering demonic mask made from steel. Lynette's clothing is changed in relatively minor ways, with knife holsters on all of her limbs, needle-like knives deposited in them. Strapped over her shapely rear is a sickle with a chain attached to the bottom of it's hilt. The chain is topped by a fist-sized weight in the other end

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina joined Isaku and Lynette at the gate, herself dressed in a jet black body suit and a short cloak with a hood covering her head. Leather gauntlets and shin pads covered the extremities of her limbs. At her side, strapped to a dark belt, was her sword in its sheath. She nodded to her two companions.

"I'll follow you and do as you do," she said to both of them, not necessarily focusing on either one. She had had time to think about what she would say and how she would act. She was acutely aware that she was the greenhorn on this 'investigation' mission. She was determined to be an asset, not a liability. "I don't move or do anything unless one of you says so."

She patted her sword hilt. "Ready when you are."

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Isaku looks at Nina through the steel mask covering his face.
"Your eagerness is much appriciated, at least by myself. I already had a talk with some of my contacts around town, looks like there is a direction where to look. There's been suspicious activity near a decrepit old storehouse, one that was abandoned years ago."
With Isaku's information, the trio head towards the mentioned building

The group arrive near the back of the house under the cover of darkness. Faint light can be seen coming from the windows. Isaku picks Lynette up, lifting her up to stand on his massive shoulders. The maid inspects the inside with a summary look around the hall below
"There's a cage, two captures. At least ten men in there too. Damn them.." she whispers down on the two. As the maid hops down on the ground, Isaku sees it best to give Nina some instructions.
"Stay near me Miss, I'll keep you protected. This suit can take unholy amounts of punishment before it even starts to dent."

With instructions given, Lynette climbs Isaku's shoulders again, perching on the windowsill to wait for an opportunity to attack. Giving out a signal that she's ready, the maid waits for Isaku to initiate the encounter. The huge guard does exactly that, driving through the flimsy wall with his armoured shoulder. Nina follows, now finding herself in a room filled with alerted slavers

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina heard the count be given... ten enemies. That was a lot. She had to trust that Isaku would count for at least 5 if not more. She'd seen how easily he'd handled four earlier that morning, and that was without the aid of his suit. Lynette was certainly good for a few more at least. Nina would wait behind the wall that was Isaku, but if any goon got close, he'd feel the sting of her sword.

She drew out her blade and gave a nod to the others, then waited.

Isaku crashed through the wall, and with a deep breath and quick exhale, Nina followed in behind him, sword raised. The first few moments would be important. They'd be stunned from the entrance. If anyone was close, she'd slash at him immediately, hoping to use the first moments of surprise to gain an advantage. She wouldn't go out from behind Isaku to chase after someone though. She'd follow his advice as best she could and not stray from him.