Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 8, 2021 13:18:38 GMT -8
"...Well, that sound like a whole bunch of bullshit to be de--" She begins awkwardly laughing, "Uh-uh yeah. Hopefully that gets resolved and all of that. Cause that's some ridiculousness." Yeah, that's a better word. Man, why is it this knight scares the begeebus out of me, but our Summer King back in Baltimore was like 1000% more approachable... ish. On certain days at certain times and in certain circumstances... Okay, I'm probably wrong. Cole was way scarier. But he was also like double my size, so... Not that he doesn't feel far off honestly. How tall is he?
"We're just... like, friends? Trying to try not to treat others like crap?" She pauses, "That sounds bad. I'm wording things weird. Uh, future motley probably? Things need working out and all of that and yeah... Sir."
And then Riley walks off, so she gives a wee wave. Oh god. Is this another situation where someone thinks we're dating? WE AREN'T A THING. She looks a little pissy for a second before chilling out awkwardly.
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Post by Kai Rose on Mar 8, 2021 14:10:25 GMT -8
Giving a wave to Riley as she took off, Kai said, "You seem nervous, Dani."
Kai reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle, friendly squeeze and a reassuring smile. She wondered why she seemed so jumpy -- maybe it was Solomon's Mantle?
"Nothing to worry about. Sir Solomon just wants to get to know the new arrivals. It's great that a Knight has taken an interest. Means they care, right?"
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Post by Solomon on Mar 8, 2021 15:43:37 GMT -8
The Illes watched impassively as Firebringer flashed and simmered and popped like he had just kicked a log. Her nervousness wasn't alarming, or insulting; if he cared about social adaptations and fluid conversation, he would brush up his own skills rather than just summon a Hob to make nice for him.
"Are you interested in investigating domestic terrorism?" he said, helping himself to a piece of candy to give herself time to consider it. "It's not a recruitment pitch. You're not in a vassalage, so it's good to think about what you want to do, and who can get you there." Honestly, after Fall, Summer had the most departments.
As the hair crackled and she muttered about just being friends, he looked briefly to Kai, again trying to smooth the situation, and pausing. "That wasn't the question, or the implication. I was following up on you mentioning you're 'working together'. Asking what you are working on isn't a locker room pun on whether you two are sleeping together. I don't care, Danica."
He seemed tired.
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 8, 2021 19:55:38 GMT -8
She nods to Kai, scratching her head a little, "Yeah, totally. I'm fine."
"I... I hadn't really thought about it yet." Awesome thing to fight when it is actually domestic terrorism. Also tends to be tends to be a cop thing. Nope. No thank you. Suddenly, that got her feeling bubbly in a fighty way. "Though, I should probably start thinking about what I want to be getting into though. I will give the general idea some thought at least."
And then she blushes in an annoyed, I don't want to be blushing way, "It's not like- ugh," she shakes her head, "No. I meant it literally. Trying not to treat people like crap - working on Rowan's social skills. Rowan is an asset, but he needs help to get there. I'm helping him. I like helping people like that. Probably was supposed to go into social work or something."
She also hates when he calls her Danica. Something about the way it comes out makes her wince. Why does it make her wince like that? It's like she's being scolded and...
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Post by Kai Rose on Mar 9, 2021 11:31:37 GMT -8
The piece about domestic terrorism she already knew the answer to. It wasn't a question of whether or not Firebringer would do it, once you intuited her 'why'. Knowing what she was actually interested in outside of cleaning up after her friends was important, though, both for the Court and her development. She smiled broadly when Dani indicated that she'd put some thought into what she was into.
Kai chuckled at that last bit, though. "You're not wrong. His life would be a lot smoother. He's lucky to have someone who cares as much as you do, that you'd consider a motley, even. How'd y'all come to be such fast friends, anyway?"
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 9, 2021 23:49:24 GMT -8
It took Fire a moment to consider. How did it happen so fast? Really, it's as simple as her personality when she thinks about it.
"I have this thing. It's weird, but you just find people, a person, and you just... get them. I feel like that's kind of what happened. And I just watched the way he was treated going from where we started to then the way he was at Yule, like... it might be a big sister thing, but after that I decided to start dialogue." She shrugs a little bit, "I felt that click and when I commit to something, I commit one hundred percent. I'm not a half way kind of friend. It isn't just one sided either. We help each other."
It was true. She commits, sometimes too fast. Sometimes it gets her into trouble, but sometimes it works out exactly how it is supposed to. Is it perhaps a reflection of the kind of care she wants to give to her sister? Yeah, probably. But, isn't that just how it is being a big sister? You kind of always are.
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Post by Solomon on Mar 10, 2021 19:43:52 GMT -8
Because Elementals were super famous for just 'connecting' with others.
Solomon kept a neutral expression. It was honestly a relief to have another Torrent in the Court who was an obsessed people pleaser. Desperation bred compliance; and it never had to be from him, keeping the Clarity clean. "And I'm sure these benefits to your care are mutual," he said, "What does Rowan do? Who is he as a person? Other than be an Autumn academic."
The tone wasn't accusatory, just genuine curiosity on how the man was doing. His reputation was a cantankerous recluse that understood Arcadian roles, but who was he to judge?
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 10, 2021 20:35:31 GMT -8
She takes a moment to just try and read him before saying, "Well, he isn't really just someone looking to be an Autumn Academic, it's kind of him in general. He loves academia, talking about it, finding weird occulty things, but also just taking in and learning new things in general. He's working on school currently. And I think he's doing pretty well with all of it."
Though the idea of divulging too much information leaves her wary. It's not really her information to spread around, even if it is to a Summer Knight. Though, the way Solomon is is just... what the heck is this dude actually thinking? Like, does he dislike me? Is he just... in the kind of way Rowan is? That like, weird can't read you, but I think you're pissed at me even when you aren't?
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Post by Kai Rose on Mar 11, 2021 0:14:58 GMT -8
She glanced at Solomon, then back at Firebringer.
"So he's a Darkling from Autumn."
Some people didn't talk much to their big sisters. It happened.
"I can fill you in, boss. Guy acts like he's a hell of a lot younger than he is. Might even be, for real. He gets into fights with people, but it's out of insecurity and fear more than any want for conflict. He's a social bull in a china shop, and he gets real touchy when anyone points out that they don't like his conduct. He likes people who enable him. Keeps it easy. But... there are signs of change, like a new equilibrium is coming. Like he's making some progress processing what he has become and getting closer to accepting himself. Every Lost has to find their identity aside from what They made us. I think when you get right down to it, Dani's description is actually right. Currently, he's a Darkling from Autumn.... but he's working on becoming whoever Rowan is going to be. He's on a path."
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Post by Solomon on Mar 11, 2021 0:44:46 GMT -8
Solomon's attention flicked from Firebringer to Kai, pausing as the Polychromatic belted out a full profile of the man's attitude, habits, and goals for growth for his place within a wider community when from his understanding she had barely spoken to the man. An appreciative nod was given to the vassal.
He breathed; the diamond-cut empath had been sharp, but it was honest. It was a little alarming, given Firebringer wanted to Pledge to the man and could only offer a repurposed statement of his surface stereotype. Either that, or he was making her uncomfortable enough that she thought that the Freehold's chief Inquisitor would somehow miss her complete non-answer. If he pointed it out, she would lean on the fact that it was none of his business, when she would have happily shared it if he had been a Fairest about the whole thing and sent Oren to chat her up for a few months of slow burn comradery.
Naw, Kai had dragged him out to be a person about it for once. Keeping everything para-social to ignore his rampant isolation was going to have Uriel breathing down his neck again come Summer.
"Forgive the transgression, was the question inappropriate?" He took his hands out of his pockets, standing a little straighter. "I know I'm a stranger, and frankly, I wasn't lying when I explained that I'm not the type of person anyone's going to catch a beer with and warm up to. I understand that I radiate a specific relationship to the Court of Wrath. I ask these questions, because I like to know what my community is up to, and understand everyone a little better."
It wasn't ideal that his social life was completely blended with his work, but Uriel knew that, and stuck him in the position to keep him sane. He had a purpose to connect with the Freehold beyond rooting out their cursed madness.
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 11, 2021 19:36:14 GMT -8
Fire opens her mouth to say something, but closes it after Solomon begins speaking right after Kai. Wait. They think I don't know my friend? What the hell? That bothers her. Deciding not to spread giant bouts of information about what they are up to just wasn't something she wanted to do. She blinks, trying to relax, but that bothered her. That tugged at her.
"No, no. The question is fine. I was just bothered by the insinuation that it is thought that I don't know my friend. Just because I don't want to share business of his, that I don't know that he is okay with me sharing with other people, doesn't mean I don't know him or what he is up to. Or know him at all for that matter." Was it his demeanor or was it Kai's words? Was it both? It felt like both. She got that vibe from Solomon and Kai's words implied it.
"It's weird feeling like a stranger is judging me like that, regardless of how personable they are or not. I-uh." She shakes her head, "Sorry if-" Crap. You aren't supposed to say that crap out loud. "Um, sorry, that bothered me. That might have crossed a line though, I apologize." And she did look bothered, but was she more bothered about what they said or the fact that she just said it out loud.
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Post by Kai Rose on Mar 11, 2021 23:09:43 GMT -8
"You described him as a stereotype. I didn't want to assume you were giving the Knight a non-answer. No trouble intended. To be fair, you do have a spooky Mantle, sir."
His relationship with hate was very specific in how it felt, wasn't it?
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Post by Solomon on Mar 12, 2021 10:56:30 GMT -8
Solomon's brow pinched in confusion as he watched Firebringer.
Had she said something weird? Was he drawing conclusions that weren't fair? Was she making Rowan's life more difficult by acting like this?
Running over what he had actually asked her, he hadn't demanded or said anything; just what her friend was like. Kai and Solomon had both commented on his Mantle, had she embarrassed him by turning the conversation into an interrogation?
What was this? Guilty? Suspicious? Hiding something? Why was Kai feeling the need to suddenly giving him a report he didn't ask for?
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 12, 2021 19:39:04 GMT -8
"It-it's fine. It's just, urgh, frustrating," She feels weirdly pressured to keep talking. But then, that's not anything new. Running her mouth was practically second nature. It was survival.
"I feel like I have people over and over again constantly questioning my friendship with Rowan. Like, why are you helping him so much? What's the point if you aren't a motley? How do you- blah blah blah blah blah. It's just exhausting," Fire brings a hand to her head, rubbing her temple a little bit.
"If it were anyone else, no one would be poking and prying constantly into my relationships. It's just not cool. It puts me on defense mode because I'm constantly having to defend it in the first place. Like, that's fucked up." Damn, why am I just spewing this everywhere. I'm just... urgh, I'm so mad about it. And why is Solomon judging me so freaking much? Like, the hell did I do to need this grilling of my relationships.
She lets out a breath, "Like, no one actually 'cares' about how our relationship as friends is going. They just care to question why there's a friendship in the first place. Which is insulting as fuck for both of us." Verbal diarrhea. But maybe if they understand this, they'll realize I'm not giving non-answers and that I'm not actually hiding anything.
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Post by Kai Rose on Mar 13, 2021 9:31:44 GMT -8
"You all right? Sir Solomon asked you who a friend was, and what they did. Pretty usual conversation opener, really. Rowan isn't under suspicion of anything."
A look of concern crossed her face, and her colors shifted to a light blue.
"Why have people been up in your grill about him?"
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