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Post by moralhazard on Mar 7, 2019 4:20:40 GMT
The seats were – surprisingly comfortable. Thea hadn’t been sure what to expect, but the half-orc who’d met them at the front of the arena had led them down, past rows of rough benches to a row of more comfortable seats, the last row above the pit where the most enthusiastic fans would push and shove against the edges of the arena, and told them to sit anywhere.
Pip was more or less dwarfed by the seat, her eyes wide. Her hair was clearly freshly washed, and sort of slicked back between her ears, as if she hadn’t been quite sure what to do with it. She wore a green shirt with a little brown braid at the color, and a pair of matching brown pants.
In Thea’s opinion, she looked adorable.
Thea wore a light blue sleeveless blouse, high-necked, which draped over her front before tucking into her gray trousers, with a brown belt at her waist to hold it all together. Her hair, as always, was loose, and she wore a pair of brown boots, slightly scuffed and comfortable looking, a bit of a compromise for comfort.
Thea tucked her hands in her lap, wrapping one over the other, sliding them slowly against each other. “Are you nervous, Pip?” She smiled down at the apprentice.
“No!” Pip blurted out. She was leaning forward in her seat, gripping the railing and staring wide-eyed over it at the ring. She swallowed, hard, then looked back up at Thea. “I’m not nervous!”
“All right,” Thea grinned. “It’s all right, Pip, I don’t think this place is dangerous for anyone but the contestants.”
“But – Arioch – he might – ” Pip sounded extremely not nervous.
Thea set a hand on the half-elf’s back, rubbing gently. “I know, Pip. The best thing we can do is to believe in him.”
Pip nodded, her grip on the railing loosening as she sat slowly – very slowly – back. Finally, it was too far for her arms to stretch and she let it go, dropping back into her seat. “Okay,” Pip took a deep breath.
“Won’t you have fun watching the fights?” Thea smiled down at Pip. Pip had been chattering about her excitement for the last two weeks.
“Oh!” Pip sat up a little. “Yes – yes I am!” It was as if she’d remembered the rest of why they were there. “Yes I can’t wait! Do people use magic during the fights, do you think?”
Thea giggled. Unlike Pip, she sat stiff and upright in the chair, perched on the edge of it, utterly still. With the giggle she relaxed, just a little, softening the straight edge of her spine. “I don’t know! It’s my first time here too, you know. I guess we’ll see.”
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Arioch
Approved
Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 7, 2019 4:31:14 GMT
The closer the date of the fight was, the more and more pressure was on his shoulders. It was a fight between denial and acceptance that he wasn't sure which one was winning, until in the end it seemed like neither would win. Fear was creeping up on him, and escape was a commodity always available. There was nothing tying him to the city. He could just run away and live to fight another day. But that was the thing; he felt it was dishonorable. Not also for himself... But he could clearly picture the way Thea would feel, in his imagination of course, if he didn't show up and run in the end.
Was he just all talk?
He hardly got any sleep the night before, and instead tried to do what Aislinn had once done in the forest. Meditate, to just breathe slowly and try to calm himself. To try and take some of that energy in the forest around inside him, for he would surely need it in the day to come. Arioch was in the arena as soon as it opened up, and was all set up and ready to fight. He was steeling himself still, trying to keep his inner peace when his sponsor came to see him, that stounch half-orc, and told him about his "guests".
Guests?
He smiled a bit, and immediately went up after exiting through some tunnels to see them. He was mindful of the schedule however, soon the fights would begin and he better be down there and accounted for even if his fight wasn't up yet.
He tried to be silent, stealthy, as much as one could be with an anxious crowd in sorround stereo, and approached Thea and Pip from behind before saying.
"Hey there!"
Mask still on, spark in his eyes, which now sported barely visible dark circles under his eyes
"I'm glad you could make it!"
Said with genuine joy
"I'm don't have much time though, I'll have to get dovn back inside soon or I might get desqualified or something, need to be present for the check, Orghan let me know you vere here"
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 7, 2019 4:47:00 GMT
“So,” Pip was explaining, “I don’t think I’m officially not allowed to come here because it’s not on the list of places my parents said I can’t go! Well, my mother made the list actually, but my father kept adding to it, and he told me I really, really wasn’t allowed to go to any of them, even if it was important. But the arena wasn’t on the list, so I think – “
It was at that moment that Arioch spoke from just behind them. Pip jumped – but Thea was the one who let out a high pitched shriek, eyes widening as she twisted back to look at Arioch.
“Arioch!” Pip jumped up to stand on her chair, beaming up at him.
“Of course we made it,” Thea stood, standing in front of her chair rather than on top of it. Her eyes lingered on Arioch’s, noticing the dark circles beneath them, but she just smiled. “Not that you need it, but good luck today.” Thea reached out, hesitated for a long moment, then squeezed his arm gently with her hand.
"Yes!" Pip beamed. "Good luck, Ari! You're going to be so great!"
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Arioch
Approved
Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 7, 2019 4:54:21 GMT
He smiled. A warm smile, even if it was obfuscated by the mask but he figured his eyes would do just as fine to pass on that message. Or at least, that was how it felt for him.
"I know I vill"
He lied with fake confidence he didn't really have. And he would eventually gain that confidence or die trying he had decided, no more excuses, no more half measures, no more running. He was here and he was going to do this. His heart had already begun to beat faster. It wasn't racing, but it certainly it was pacing up.
Arioch looked at Thea then, and after she had just touched her arm, he grabbed her hand with one of his; gently. Opening it up, running his thumb across her palm... And with his other hand placed something inside. It was a leather thread, black, with a big tooth that could have been from a predator, all white and glistening, and oddly enough something that looked like a flower as well, not attatched to the lace.
"Hold onto this for me, vill you?"
Requested, trying to keep up his cheerful optimism. It was something that wouldn't like getting stolen from his body if things went badly, but he didn't say it out loud.
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 7, 2019 5:00:30 GMT
It was hard to see, through the mask, what Arioch was thinking. Thea’s eyes searched his face once more. She thought – it didn’t matter what she thought. Calling attention to his bluff was the opposite of helping.
Arioch grabbed her hand in his; he had a tight grip, but he’d never squeezed so hard as to hurt her, although Thea was sure he could. He opened her hand, slowly; Thea didn’t resist, fingers uncurling to reveal her palm. His thumb traced a path on it, and Thea bit her lip, not sure whether to put a stop to it – and then Arioch placed what looked very much like a necklace in her hand.
“Sure,” Thea grinned at him. “You’ve trusted me with all your money already, so why not double down with a priceless possession?” Her tone was light and teasing, belying the quickness of her pulse. Very, very gently she closed her hand over the necklace, bringing it back to her side, not even tucking it into a pocket yet, just – holding it.
Pip just watched, quiet for once, eyes wide. It was hard to tell whether she believed Arioch’s bravado, or whether even she sensed something underneath.
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Arioch
Approved
Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 7, 2019 5:08:56 GMT
He was so absorbed into the dread of the moment that Thea's comment caught him off guard, it was certainly not something he had thought of. He snorted at it, and then right out laughed at it. And she was right of course he had given her every gold, copper and silver he had left basing his trust on his instincts alone... Though he wouldn't have it any other way. He believed he could trust her. But yes, it was undeniable that it was possibility she could have just robbed him blind and skipped town for a few days to see what went down.
The laugh was very welcome, he needed that release, helped him erase some of the darker thoughts that had formed in his mind, regain some of his carefree demeanor.
"See if you can cast a lightning armor around that. Maybe you can vave it around a little."
Proposed with another chuckle
"Or vrite my name with lightning in the air. I've got to say that vould be even better"
He tilted his head, bringing one hand to his waist in a comical gesture, rising his eyebrows as part of the same act, though that was more destined for Pip than for her. The time was running though, and soon he would have to go downstairs again and into the humid, death-smelling corridors that acted as passways into the arena.
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 7, 2019 5:19:19 GMT
Thea’s grin only widened at Arioch’s burst of laughter, and she felt a soft, spreading pride in her chest, thoroughly pleased that she’d been able to make him laugh. She thought he looked very much like he needed it.
“Ooooh, yes!” Pip’s eyes widened. “Oh, Thea, can you do that? Can you?”
Thea laughed. “Your name in the sky in lightning. The minute you come out,” she told Arioch, smiling. It wouldn’t be real lightning so much as an illusion, but he didn’t need to know that. “Arioch the great, maybe? Arioch, champion of the arena?”
“Arioch, blade-singer!” Pip contributed, enthusiastically. “Or – or – or – I know!” By now, Pip had heard the story of how Thea and Arioch had first met. “Arioch, master of the fish!” She collapsed into giggles.
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Arioch
Approved
Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 7, 2019 5:38:02 GMT
He didn't actually think she was being serious, that went completely over his head, but still he laughed at the fish mention though not as much would've of had under other circumstances.
"I can only imagine the dread of my opponents. Here comes the champion of the arena, using nothing more than a fish as a veapon, legend says he's killed ten men with it, in five seconds"
And then he did chuckle some more with a little joy. Arioch couldn't even read properly and didn't know how to write so he wouldn't even know what the thing said, in any case, but if he saw something lighting up in the air he would asume it was Thea's doing. And, silently would hope, that it said something more glorious or awe-inspiring that "master of the fish". Perhaps just a reminder that someone in the crowd was rooting for him would be enough.
He waited a bit until the laughter started to subside, and dedicated a smile off to Pip. It was more about a look, really. Then looked at Thea. Placed one hand up on her head, a small mussing that lasted only for an instant, a short caress, a light brush left and right, that like many of his gestures was rough but didn't quite hurt, before his hand fell away from her head as his own body moved away and back the way he had come from.
"Thanks for coming"
He said one last time without looking back, and headed down back into the bowels of the arena.
A small satisfaction, even if the last one.
Perhaps a caprice at that point.
Her hair did feel like he thought it would... The breeze lightly brushing back against his fingers, the faintest tickle.
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