Realistic or Modern Bastard's Tale

[Obsidian]

Ethan grinned darkly, "Oh, I intend to, believe me."

With that, Ethan followed Jesse as they made their way back to the Cistern, both with their food and the promise of support when it comes to taking Todd's head. It's all just a matter of time now, and Ethan will be sure he is ready.

 

[Corvid15]

Shisa was still confused. Her heart rate was rising, she could feel her cheeks getting flushed. This wasn't a weird side effect of her herbs. She felt.. fluttery. Elated? Euphoric, but different? Was this good, bad? She didn't know, but she leaned into the hug. Shaun made her feel, safe. That was the word. Comfortable. Safe. She could let her guard down.

Shisa tipped up her mask, now properly kissing Shaun on the cheek. She whispered something. She forgot the name of the language, a few people in the Bone Speakers taught it to the rest. It was a rare language, she had only heard it used in the Bone Speakers. But, from the groups creation after The Fall, some of the original members taught it to the rest. So, Shisa was fluent, they just called it Bonearian (Bulgarian).

"много те харесвам" (Pronounced 'mnogo te kharesvam'. Means: I like you very much)

Shisa didn't want to break the hug. She was safe. Finally.

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

In his studies at the university, Shaun had to translate many books from many languages, "Харесва ти и шиза (Kharesva ti i shiza, I like you too shiza)." Shaun responded, hugging her tighter than before, fully leaning into the kiss.

 

[TheAdept]

“Daddy’s home you fucking freeloaders!” Jesse yelled as he walked in to see Shaun kissing Shisa “Oh I see, ain’t you gotta tent for that?”

 

[Corvid15]

Shisa's didn't know how to logically respond to this, any of this. She didn't expect him to know her language first off. Secondly, what is happening. But, Shisa just went with it. Aurora was in her corner taking a nap, not like she would see (Shisa had started second guessing her actions after learning most of the stuff she does isn't normal).

Shisa reached an arm round to tip up her mask, letting herself melt into the kiss. They both leaned in, but Shisa leaned a little too far, knocking Shaun onto his back, Shisa ontop of him. Her shoulder and ribs flared in pain, but Shisa was too wrapped up in the moment. This was the closest she had ever been to another person she truly cared for, and she was slightly high. She engaged in, ahem, group rituals before, but this was different. Her hand accidentally slipped from Shaun's back to his. . front.

Shisa froze, hearing footsteps and Jesse shouting, and his comments. Of all of the times for Jesee and Ethan to come back. Shisa said nothing, turning her head away from the others and slipping her mask back down onto her face. Shisa got off of Shaun, unsure of what to say or do.

 

[Lexico]

Aurora got up from her nap only to realize Jesse and Ethan have come at the wrong time when Shisa and Shaun were intimate. She did not say a word. Her sleep was over and was feeling relieved from mental stress. She got and started walking for fresh air. Maybe she can scavenge some more clothes for herself in the streets of Superior.

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"fucks sake..." shaun muttered, of course the whole cosmos had aligned just so that waster could ruin the moment.
He laid on the ground where he was until Jesse was close enough to speak to him.

"We put together the explosive for the raid, but don't touch it if you value having skin." Shaun told him, craining his neck to look up at him.

"How did the hunt go? Did you get Shisa those bones like she asked?"

 

[Obsidian]

Walking into the Cistern with Jesse, Ethan saw Shisa on top of Shaun as they made out, and he could not help but smirk. He wasn't even surprised, Shaun had been sniffing around Shisa ever since they met, and then Ethan knows why. Shaun wanted some company, and saw Shisa as his chance. A young woman, demonized by others, isolated and vulnerable. And then Shaun comes along, defending her and being there for her when no one else was, growing closer and closer before seizing his moment. "Crafty old man." Ethan muttered to himself, walking up to them with Jesse.

"The hunt went well." Ethan said, slipping off his backpack and opening it, pulling out the wrapped cuts of meat, "Apart from the flying machine, of course."

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"Flying machine?" Shaun asked incredulously, He figures Ethan is either messing with him or lying. A machine hasn't 'flown' in any capactiy since the collapse. "You're kiddin'." He says to him, call in his bluff. He did not hear what he had muttered.

Shaun rises to his feet, the vertigo was lessening but still there, another few days and he'd be right as rain he figured. He picked up a piece of meat from the makeshift table, this was definitely deer. "I'll find some salt to preserve this. Ethan, I salvaged some tech from the rocket while I was building the explosive, if you wanna look at that."

 

[Corvid15]

"I should have some salt, if not I should have acids or something for preserving meat. Should I make lunch, as long as it's fresh? Since not everyone had breakfast."

Shisa began rooting around in her tent for any salt, she knew she had some, but she was still slightly flustered. But Ethan was talking of a flying machine? He had to have been seeing things. The only things that fly are birds and insects. She heard tales of made made flight, but she figured those were just flights of fancy.

She didn't have much salt left, but she probably had something else she could use to preserve meat. That's one thing she was always good at, finding solutions for problems. Maybe not people problems, but she was pretty crafty when she needed to be.

"Maybe we can smoke some of the meat, dry it that way. I have salt, but maybe not enough for all of that. Plus, we can cook some of it now. I might actually.. hm. Did you save all of the meat, or did you throw out the organs?"

 

[TheAdept]

“I took as much as I thought was necessary, but I would like to keep some bones and antlers, if that’s no problem.” Jesse said.
—————————
A Couple Days Pass
—————————

Jesse’s eyes opened. Today was the day. Those Nobles said noon? Jesse put rabbits they had hunted the day before on a makeshift grill made from a trash can fire and a grate of some kind.

Everyone was coming, including Shisa. Those superstitious Nobles would barbecue her if they suspected she was a tribal witch. Fortunately Jesse had a plan. He reached into a bad and started taking out bones and a pair of antlers.

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"Not thinkin' of converting are you there Jesse?" Shaun quipped, he was strangely chipper today. Especially considering today he was going to use a chemical weapon he despised. He was slightly worried for the health of everyone, wanting to be sure nobody inhaled any of the nerve gas he gave them advice of what to do if they see yellow mist. (The advice was pray your lungs don't dissolve mostly)

He was cleaning the inside of his shotgun barrel, whe wanted to be certain of it not jamming like it did the other day. After he did this he began to sew up parts of his uniform which were especially ratty.

 

[TheAdept]

Jesse smirked “We’re all converting. Rather pretending to pretend to convert. You care about Shisa don’t you? We’re telling the Nobles a good cover up story.”

Jesse put on a crudely constructed mask of his own “It’s all a scare tactic. Right Shisa?”

 

[Corvid15]

Shisa woke up to the sounds of bones clinking together and of Shaun talking. She knew the sounds of bones anywhere, and Shaun had moved his sleeping spot next to her tent. Shisa didn't fully know what was going on, but her selective attention focused on the bones. Of coure, that is when she woke up.

"Morning. What's going on? I heard bones."

Today was the day. Shisa began checking her crossbow again, she had already done so twice last night. She had also distilled some of the newt poison into a jar to dip her arrow heads into. Even if the arrow didn't kill, the poison surely would.

Shisa caught on quickly to what Jesse was doing. Scare tactics. Perfect. Though, Jesse's mask work wasn't anywhere near her standards, it would work. It would at least survive the day.

"Here, let me."

Shisa took out some red clay and a crude paintbrush, painting on blood red runes and symbols, mainly around the eyes and mouth of the mask.

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"If the bomb doesnt make Santos shit the bed, these masks definitely will..." Shaun comments as he slips a dog skull mask over his head.
He had attached some sheet metal to his Kevlar vest for arm protection, this combined with his tall stature he looked quite formidable.

"You know, before the collapse some people would dress up once a year in outfits like this, and go around attacking houses until they were bribed with sweet things..."

 

[TheAdept]

“Wait up, Shisa. You don’t want to make it too convincing.” Jesse said “The idea is to make Williams Nobles think it’s just us trying to scare Marcelo’s Nobles.”
Jesse paused, remembering Shisa didn’t go with them that day “Wait...you know we’re meeting with them right?”

 

[Corvid15]

Shisa began to rub off the designs and replace them with meaningless designs and fewer of them. She stopped at the mention of Nobles.

"No? Shaun told me about your meeting a few days ago, and that we were getting Aurora's sweetheart out. That was about it. I wasn't informed about us actually meeting anyone. Should I dress down a bit?"

Shaun had told her about the woman they saw who was about to be burned for witchcraft. She didn't want to be the next one. But, if the idea was to scare them.. She had an idea.

"This is going to be a daytime attack, yes? Because then I have an idea."

If they were to rub Giant Hogweed sap either on their gloves, or hold a piece of it. Then whomever they touched, or if they touched something before someone else, would blister at the sun. It was a bit extreme, but as scare tactics go, it would really work.

"If we touch someone with Giant Hogweed, they will blister in the sun. Coat weapons or gloves with it, then we have people seemingly burning at our very touch. How's that for a scare?"

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"Lord William may be an idiot for hiring his enemies as mercenaries, but you gotta hand it to him for choosing professionals. I mean... we've built a bomb, prepared chemical weapons and are ready to engage in psychological warfare too." Shaun mused, taking a piece of Hogweed and coating the inside of his knife's sheath with it.

 

[TheAdept]

Jesse shook his head.

“Yeah good you have blistering poison but you’re misinformed on today’s plan of business “ He said, thinking of where to start “You might not know this, but the Nobility is split into houses, and not all of these houses are friends. The Nobles in Boulder and the Nobles in Capp Hill hate each other. But the Capp Hill Nobles burn witches, so you gotta convince them you’re not a witch” He said, hoping it would work “But you’re not sitting this one out.”

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"That means no chanting in bonevarian Shisa." Shaun told her, turning back to clearing his weapons for use. He had attached an old seatbelt to a Nagev as a bandolier and sling combo, with 32 round twin stack magazines across his vest when he puts it on, the rifle across his lower back.

 

[Corvid15]

"I didn't want to sit this out, sounds like fun. And if they do try to get me or us for witchcraft, then well.. I guess we fight back as witches then."

"So pretty much, look enough like a witch to scare them, but not too much so they don't kill us."

This would be fun. Very fun. It's been a while since a good proper raid. And siding with Nobles to get at other Nobles. Well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But, they'll work as long as they have to, then they can extinguish the evil. Shisa changed into her "more normal" long sleeve and pants, and only wore bare minimum of her bone jewelry. So she stood out, but not too too much.

Crossbow and quiver slung over her back, check. Knives on her belt, check. Bone runes in a bag on her belt for luck, check.

"Should I bring Morrigan along, or leave her here? I've gotten more used to working with her after the rabbit hunt the other day, so she can attack if need be. I just don't want her getting hurt."

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"She might draw unwanted attention if shes seen flying above us." Shaun asnwered, petting morrigan as she flew over to where they was at her names mention. He adjusted the skull mask to make it more comfortable. As a final touch to prevent friendly fire in the assault, Shaun hands out purple armbands to distinguish them amoung the fray, even I the skulls did that already. "Dont want Williams boys forgetting whose side were on." He says.

 

[Corvid15]

Shisa gave Morrigan a kiss on the head and she ruffled her feathers.

"Keep the place safe girl."

Hopefully, they would come back to give her more pets and kisses. But, Shisa didn't want to think about that now. Let's just get the job done, and think about that if/when it happens.

 

[Obsidian]

Over the past couple of days, Ethan had kept himself very busy, keeping up combat practice as well as doing what he could to finish off building himself a small workshop in the Cistern. Ethan started up the production of charcoal in one of the tunnels, away from the Cistern, where there was plenty of ventilation to get rid of the smoke. With charcoal comes the possibility of forging and metalworking, as well as cooking and keeping the Cistern warm at night. And yesterday, Ethan was able to finish off making a small forge and furnace, enough to start making some armour and new arrows.

While the others were talking, Ethan grabbed himself something to eat and drink, and getting himself ready for the battle ahead while listening to what they were planning.

 

[ScalpelsNSaws]

"Ethan, I been working on something these past few days I wanna show you when we get back after this. I've been drawing up designs and now youve got that furnace we can make them..." Shaun told Ethan, gesturing to his improvised desk covered in loose paper, books and candles.