Crazy Chances (Noku)

[Deleted]

Aria hadn’t seen the purple haired witch in a bit, where she seemed to be pretty present just a month or so earlier. Perhaps it was time to check on the woman; she did have a good habit in there time for being smack in the middle of trouble….and she was curious to why she received a donation for a certain group… Aria looked at the castle …she COULD go in through the back doors under the castle. HOWEVER if she did that and was caught it would raise some serious questions she likely wasn’t going to answer… So semi obvious entrance it was then.



Aria was dressed simple black pants that were rolled up to just under her knee, and a long loose white shirt with sleeves that were also rolled up to her elbows. Around her waist was a simple belt, with a few daggers hung about it; along with a pouch that contained a couple of coins and knick knacks such as seeds ect. Her dark red hair was braided and slung across her shoulder; and her feet….were bare. Hell it was spring screw shoes!



Aria strolled into the gardens, her hands in her pockets while whistling to herself….these were very pretty gardens…she wondered if the grove was placed here in this time…since she hadn’t come across it yet….which reminded her…she should probably start her tree here. Pieces of it managed to find its way in this time, she could tell.

[Noku Noru]

The window to his room had not been quite fixed yet and Noku frowned up at it from his spot in the gardens, watching the light pass through the shattered glass. The mess on the ground had long since been cleaned, but his head still ached with the stitches that crossed over his temple. It was hidden by his hair thankfully, but the marble tone of his skin easily showed injury and the area where the glass had smashed into his head was still a violent red.

Even in casual dress Noku was still opulent- the thick and heavy velvet of his gold and black robes sheltered him from the early spring chill that still clung to the air, but there was no protecting the wound in his head from the cold. Certain breezes would still send a dull thud of a headache across his temples and he would have to pause to collect himself. That woman and the attempt on his life still left him baffled- why would she attack? What reason could there possibly be? He had shown that he meant no harm to her quite clearly. But thinking on it too hard would break the haze of opiates used to dull the pain of that glass against his head, so it was for the best he didn’t think on it. Let Severine and Roland and Breton have their fun with it. At least in the gardens he could have the illusion of peace and privacy, even if there were guards posted just out of his line of sight.

Then he heard the whistle.

Noku could hear the clink of metal beside him- his guards were prepared to move. He lifted a hand idly and moved forward- he was not safe in his own chambers, clearly, but here in the gardens, who could move fast enough to strike him down with five guards lurking in the bushes?
Noku crossed the stone pathway, around a bush of newly budding flowers to see a woman. Not a woman of his court, clearly, he would recognize one with that disgusting of a facial deformity right away. Some brazen common girl. One that would perhaps not recognize him as the King, like that dark-haired woman. Something was familiar about this woman though, with that telling scar across her face. He knew her from somewhere, but couldn’t quite place it.

“Are you lost?” Noku asked from the other side of the pavilion where Aria stood, his hands hidden in his voluminous robes. There was no obvious traces of his nobility on him, but Aria of course would be able to tell at once. “You are not dressed for the castle.”

[Deleted]

Arias eyebrows shot up in surprise as a vaguely familiar voice called out to her, she quickly turned her head and blinked. Well shit on a cracker, she wasn’t expecting to get this close to him without someone saying SOMETHING to her….. Dafuc kinda guard was this….Aria snapped one hand to her side while the other one over her chest and bowed. But then looked up with a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

”No your majesty, I’m looking for a purple haired menace whom I heard lurks around here. An odd beast who consumes liquor like I have never seen, truly fascinating subject I was hoping to observe.”

Arias tone was filled with wonder, like a scholar searching for some rare beast in hopes of studying it. Aria looked around, taking note of the guards….really you think more would have been posted at the garden entrance. When he commented about her outfit she blinked and looked down, she wiggled her toes and looked up and smiled.

”I’m afraid my nice clothes are covered in wine…..and shoes are pinchy……OH WAIT! I got on black does that count!?”

She pointed excitedly to her pants; like a child proud of a pretty rock they found…..they were the right color at least for being around the castle….if not the right style…and the fact she had nothing else that would make it appropriate for a lady to wear in the castle.

Arias eyes trailed up to his head, one eyebrow arching neatly up in a silent question….it certainly explained the other night’s events…. She was actually kind of surprised he was being nice….well he wasn’t yelling at her to get out or about trespassing.

[NPC Noku Noru]

Noku almost smiled at the description- it was a ghost of one, barely twitching there before smoothing out into an expressionless face. Less of a woman and more of a girl, it seemed. Looking for Mysteria. She had such odd contacts and it was similarly odd to have her meet them in the castle.

Noku looked aside, seeing the gold and white knight standing in the shadows of a tree, his bow drawn tightly and pointing directly at the young woman. No matter where he stepped in this garden, his faithful were there to shield him. He half-wondered how long they had been watching her, possibly since she arrived in the gardens.

“You are quite bold.” the ghost of the smile came back and he strode forward, the long and heavy robes sweeping the stone ground as he walked. “Knowing who I am and speaking to me like we know one another.”

He paused, studying her face once more in return. He knew this face from somewhere, he must have. Something was itching at the back of his mind, something familiar. Regardless, there was a familiar presence about the girl, something he couldn’t quite decipher.

“What is your name?”

[Deleted]

”More of a fool and set in my ways then bold sire, but forgive me for being frank but I would personally find it more insulting if someone poured on false necessities and acted as someone they’re not. At least that’s my logic…”

She gave him a half smile before fallowing his gaze to the bush…..the expression on her face one that just said ‘really?’ She sighed and looked down at her belt. Well…she supposed they had a right to be nervous. She unhooked the belt and held it off to the side and let it drop to the ground. It dropped with a heavy clank. She looked directly at the guard with a frown.

”No weapons now, promise I will behave. See?”

She showed them her hands her sleeves were already rolled up and the only thing visible was the black dagger tattoo that was on her right forearm.

”Really I am just here to be a pain in the ass to the purple haired mage Melania.”

Aria looked back at Noku when he asked for her name, her smile was back.

”Aria Wurud; I’m afraid I didn’t get to introduce myself at your party…..I’m sorry I inconvenienced you ….I don’t do well in large social gatherings like parties. Thank you for catching me though; how is Jeon?”

Aria looked up at him; one annoying thing about being so short, she was forever looking up. It was weird seeing him up and walking….and not in a flower pot. She also knew she was taking a chance….but Garrett for some reason was attached to this man after everything. She wanted to learn why.

[Claire]

This girl talked so much. Too much, truly, for a woman. But she seemed to pick up the fact that she was being watched and made the wise decision to dispose of her weapons. Noku nodded quietly and two guards emerged from the foliage, one with his crossbow pointed directly at Aria's chest. The other guard, with a solemn expression and a sword on his belt, moved forward to collect Aria's blade and pat her down for further weapons.

When the woman spoke about who she wished to see, Noku almost laughed. His expression didn’t betray his amusement though, but his eyebrow raised slightly. The Lady Melania kept strange company it seemed. Strange company that felt free with their insults apparently. But regardless, he could not allow this young woman to besmirch a valuable member of the royal court in his presence. He was about to order her away when she reminded him of where he had seen her before- she had fainted in his arms at the party where he was nearly assassinated. A suspicious young woman at best it seemed and he frowned slightly. She was entirely too casual and the guard patting her down for weapons struck her firmly in the back.

“You will speak with respect to your King.” the guard told her sternly, grabbing her by the upper arm. Noku sighed, shaking his head slightly.

“Normally I admire boldness in a woman but I am afraid my patience with them as of late has grown rather thin.” Noku gestured vaguely to the angry red mark on his temple. The guard tightened his grip on Aria’s arm and Noku stepped closer, folding his hands in the sleeves of his robes. “Tell me why you are here, exactly.”

[Deleted]

Aria sighed as the guard patted her down for weapons, she held her arms out as to make it easier….they would feel nothing but flesh under there. Her face barely winced at the sudden jab, in the back…it was nothing like the pain she had experienced with Core transforming on the night of the blossom festival. Aria glanced back behind her at the guard who was now trying to drag her off her feet by her arm, with a bored expression schooled on her features. Clearly being abused wasn’t anything new for her.

”And I am Sadens Champion, the head of his clergy by right of the champions calling, this man handling is hardly respectful of me ….But if you want a rise out of me you’re going to have to hit a lot harder than that…. Now I believe I just stated clearly that this is respectful, I’m not talking down at him, nor am I flowering up my words with pretty lies. I am not mocking him or being sarcastic in anyway. He asked me a question and I answered it directly without playing games….Which is something I seldom do….Now tell me mr. guardsmen what is your definition of respect because quite clearly we define it in different ways.”

Really misunderstandings were always so frustrating. Here she thought she couldn’t have been any clearer on the subject. Despite being manhandled Aria maintained an air of dignity; she was Sadens Champion, Sadens daughter, and the King of Thieves. Being Sadens champion put her as head of his followers, she was his voice when he was not present. She knew very well that that position alone placed her far above a common street rats status. Melania was a fellow champion, she had every right to go and see her on equal terms. Aria turned her blue green gaze back up towards Noku; frowning at the wound on his head.

”A women did that? …well that certainly explains the man handling....why on earth haven’t they put lunar flower crème on that?”

Arias face was slightly concerned, really she knew a wound that angry and red at that point couldn’t be good. Had it been cleaned properly? Grandpa Lee Lee’s lessons in first aid were raising plenty of red flags. She had to crane her neck now to look him in the eye, really could he step any closer? Her nose twitched his scent was fairly strong from being this up close. Tho this time without the stench of death attached to it….it actually wasn’t too bad when he wasn’t smelling like Zepon.

”I did tell you truthfully why I’m here, I’m here to visit Melania. I haven’t seen her out and about and frankly I’m concerned for her. Last I saw of her, I brought her home because she was far too tipsy after a night of drinking. I am here as a friend and nothing more and nothing less.”

[Claire]

At the strike to the woman’s back, Noku could feel a dull pain in his back. It was clouded by the opiates pushed into his veins earlier that day, but he could still feel it. His brows furrowed at the girl as she spoke- Saden’s Champion. Ah, he thought he might remember that. He recalled a girl with a scar, but not much else. While he was silent, the guard holding Aria’s arm like a vice spoke for him. He could feel a strange pressure on his arm, as if it were being gripped itself, and he thought he saw something across her temple…

“You’ll be lucky if we don’t throw you in a cage with that whore. The Lady Melania would never associate with a thing like you.” The guard growled down at her. The other, holding the crossbow, lowered it a little with a pained expression on his face.

“Ah-” the young man began, “She really is Saden’s Champion. I remember the scar, she has the right to be here.”

“No champion would dress like a thief in the night.”

“The streets are dangerous for a woman, though-”

Noku withdrew his hand from his sleeve and reached down, cupping Aria’s chin with cold fingers. The two guards promptly shut their mouths as Noku studied the young woman in silence, turning her face with his fingers. He lifted his hand, brushing his fingertips over the rough and patched burn on her face, brushing back her hair to better show the mark across her temple. Without a word he pressed his fingertips to the wound, applying the slightest of pressure, and he felt a sting in the side of his own head. He looked down at her wide, blue-green eyes and quickly withdrew his hand into his robes, his fingertips stained with the slightest of red.

“Release her.” Noku’s voice was quiet and he took a step back from Aria. “Take her out of the castle boundaries and then relay her message to Lady Melania. She can follow her fools errand on her own, but do not permit the Champion back in until after the execution.”

Noku turned to leave, the side of his head stinging strangely. He would need to have that girl followed. His spies would surely know more.

The guards looked after Noku and then down at Aria, and the man clutching her arm let out a huff. “Does this mean we have to give her the weapons back?”

[Deleted]

Aria raised an eyebrow as Mr. Stick up the ass continued to blow hot air. Really she wasn’t intimidated by this man in the least. Despite him towering over her….Aria glanced over at the one who was suddenly lowering his bow. He at least recognized her; she gave a nod of thanks to him.

”Thank you”

She was polite enough to people who were polite to her, she understood that the guard had a job to do. However the one who was now grabbing her arm was just plain mean and a bully abusing his position. Clearly Arias own personality when it came to bullies was showing through as she responded.

”Hmm? Thief….here I thought I was going for lovable street bum….Do I need more patches? Or should I go around and roll in the dirt, I heard it’s wonderful for the complexion.”

Aria smiled sweetly up at him; she knew she was likely to get a few more whacks and probably a night in the stocks….but this man was sure to be getting something wet and slimy left in his shoes in the near future. The other guard spoke up again for her, another point for him.

”Forest to, even your guards won’t go in there unarm…..”

Her quip was cut short when Noku suddenly grabbed her chin….and started stroking her face….that was hella weird. A blush involuntarily crossed her face for a moment…..This sort of contact freaked her out. Her eyes grew wary, and her body stiffened; like a wide eyed doe caught at the end of a bow tip. Aria winced and tried to pull back as he suddenly put pressure to her head wound….

”Ow”

At least that was the end of the strange touching…. However he was sure to have just gathered some important information….Arias eyebrows scrunched together in slight confusion when he gave his orders. Well it looks like she wouldn’t be allowed back for a bit….

”Why till after the execution?”

Her question it would seem would have to wait as the other guard seemed very reluctant to fallow orders….

”….I would, I have those spelled against thieves…..the results aren’t pleasant if you decide to take them. Plus you wouldn’t send a small woman like me out onto the streets without means to defend herself, especially since my residence is in the forever forest. Even your best guards don’t go there unarmed….and he just said to release me…..you can let go of my arm now that it is sufficiently bruised. ”

Somewhere she knew Garrett was going to have a few questions about some new marks on his body…..