Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[ArcticFox]

"Thank you, I guess." She said with a hint of a smile. She picked up her hair, which was thin and fine and used to being tied in a ponytail, then bunched it up in a makeshift bun, which she secured with a pin for the moment. "Like this?" She squinted suspiciously, trying to decide if he was messing with her or not.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Whatever awe Samael had let slip before vanished, replaced with a look of incredulity. "It looks like you've just climbed out if bed," he said. "Brush it through, add some curl, then twist and pin." The vampire tilted his head, then added: "A few braids would look nice, too."

His suggestion was elaborate and complicated. Lianna could attempt the design herself, or she could release him to help her - assuming he'd agree to.

- Attempt the hairstyle
- Ask Samael to help
- Wear hair down
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna stared at him blankly, then took the pin out of her hair and let it fall down, "What do you take me for? I'm a Hunter, not a hairstylist." She shook her head and went into the bathroom to grab a brush, then sat on the couch to brush her hair. After a moment, she approached him again and untied the rope that bound his hands, but still left him secured to the chair. Then brought out another chair to put in front of him. "You obviously know how it's done, so you do it." She said, sitting down.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Perhaps that's why the brute likes you," Samael said off-handedly, separating her hair into sections and curling them tightly around each pin. "I can't imagine him interested in frills or lace."

He could have easily yanked on her locks or tightened the makeshift curlers too tight, but his words were far more biting than his actions. Despite his harsh candor, Samael treated her hair carefully.

- Take offense
- Laugh it off
- Defend Patrick
- Stay silent
- Change the subject
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna snorted out a laugh, image of Patrick in a frilly dress involuntarily popping in her mind. But just as quickly she grew serious again, "We are not having a bonding moment here. Just do whatever it is you are set to do and if it looks decent, I'll set you free for the night." She paused, then sighed, "Why are you like that anyway? I've met a lot of vampires in my career and I didn't like any of them, but most of them took great care to appear charming. It's easier to get fresh blood that way I suppose." She gritted her teeth at the thought, "But I can't imagine your personality helps you out in your endeavours."

 

[Cartoonicat]

When she laughed, so did Samael, an airy huff of humor that lasted about as long as it took Lianna to grow serious again. "It will look better than how you had it before, that I can promise," he said. Began unravelling the sectioned hair into loose curls.

"Are you saying I'm not charming?" He feigned surprise. Lifted parts of Lianna's hair high atop her head, twisting the locks, and then pinning - only to curse his forgetfulness and take it down to add in small braids around the crown of her head. "I pursue knowledge, not friendship, and there are more ways to find food than by licking boots." Now, after braiding, he pulled her hair up again. "Those who resort to such are either lazy or too much of a fledgling to know any better."

- Ask about vampires
- Get to know Samael
- Talk about something else
- End the conversation
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"So, is violence your answer to everything?" She asked, then paused thinking of herself, lips forming into a pout, "Well, I guess violence works pretty good in a lot of situations." After a moment, she asked, "Do you have a family?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael huffed in amusement again, his breath brushing the back of her neck now that her hair had been moved out of the way. "Like I said, we are not so different," he told her. Began securing her hair in place. "The coven is my family."

- Rephrase the question
- Ask something else
- End the conversation
- Other
- (Optional) Lean away
- (Optional) Push him away
- (Optional) Lean closer

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna felt a bit exposed with her neck now in full view. This was a vampire after all. Still, she found herself curious by his trying to dodge the question and pushed the unease away. "I meant as in do you have a brother, or a sister, parents? Are they in the coven?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Upon being asked again, Samael stopped doing her hair. Cold hands gripped her shoulders and he leaned in to whisper in her ear: "Why so much interest in a vampire?"

- Answer him
- Say nothing
- Insist on the question
- Move away
- Smack him
- Attack him
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

No reason, was what Lianna wanted to say, either answer or don't. But her mouth was closed shut. Her shoulders tensed when he touched her and a shiver climbed down her spine. Those cold hands, so familiar, so enthralling. She stood up abruptly, as if singed.

"Don't touch me like that!" She hissed, fire in her eyes, "Are you really just waiting for a convenient moment to sink your teeth into my neck, you animal! I've had about enough of you." She looked around frantically, "Where's my stake..."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna's stake sat in her equipment bag, tucked neatly away in her room down the hall. She could fetch it and deal with Samael once and for all or give him another chance.

Samael laughed and laughed and laughed - until she mentioned the stake. Being bound to a chair in a room with an angry Hunter changed his attitude in a blink. "Wait, I didn't bite you!" He looked around for something, anything, that he could grab within reach but the only thing he had were a few leftover pins and those wouldn't do much of anything in terms of self-defense. "Should have," he added, his familiar snark more frantic and high-pitched than usual, "but I didn't."

- Attack Samael
- Yell at him
- Leave the room
- Put the wreath on him
- Settle down
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"I don't care! I should have done this when I first caught you, you miserable, little..." She grumbled as she searched through her pack and got the stake out. With determined steps, she marched back down the hallway, kicked the chair aside and struck at the filthy, annoying, infuriating, bound... helpless vampire... She hesitated, hand with the stake raised above him. Her lip quivered and she bit back tears. Her weakness only made her more angry with herself.

Finally, she threw the stake aside with a growl of desperation, and pulled loose the remainder of the rope around Samael. "You are free to go." She said, "Wherever it is you want to. I can't kill you and can't be around you. Leave, or attack me, that would at least give me an excuse."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Frozen in a flinch, Samael only opened his eyes when it took Lianna too long to strike him. He opened one eye first, then the other. Shot out of the chair the moment she unbound him and took several steps away. For a long moment, he stood there quiet as a mouse, eyes wide and staring.

Then he set the pins atop the nearest table and headed for the door. He left with no parting words, no jibes or taunts to alleviate the tension - or potentially worsen it.

- Throw something
- Cry
- Brush it off
- Other
- (Optional) Finish Samael's hairstyle
- (Optional) Wear hair down

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna took a very deep breath, and forced all those thoughts an emotions in a small box in her mind, locking them and throwing away the key. She did not have time to let the feelings get the better of her, she was a Hunter and she would control her damn feelings. Slowly walking to the table, Lianna picked up the pins and went to the bathroom mirror to finish the hairstyle as best as she could.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Upon looking in the mirror, Lianna would find her typical ponytail transformed into an elaborate bun that, despite the texture of her hair, gave the illusion of volume and prestige. A braid of her hair crowned her head and fed into a twisting bun of overflowing, natural-looking curls. A pin or two and the look was complete; Samael had nearly finished it before he left.

Lianna had some time left before meeting Dan. Not much, but enough for her to walk and still make it on time if she so chose.

- Walk to the Hub
- Take a carriage (5 coins)
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Well, what do you know... the vampire was right." Lianna whispered as she examined herself in the mirror, then gave a satisfied nod.

There's no way she will be walking in a long dress with these shoes on. She quickly picked up her coat, stuffed the pockets with the coin purse and keys, then took the shotgun, then frowned and left the shotgun, then hesitated by the silver sword - but there was no way she was fitting that in a pocked, and then finally with an exasperated sigh, she walked out into the street, to hail a carriage.

 

[Cartoonicat]

In her pockets, Lianna managed to slip in her current coins - now a total of 31 - as well as her house keys and the small perfume bottle Dan had altered to repel vampires. Anything else would have fallen out or made the dress seem bulky and misshapen.

Because she took the carriage, Lianna wound up early at the Hub. Dan was likely still in the basement, but she could seek him out and head to the Gala now if she liked. Otherwise, she could use the time to check in on someone else at the Hub.

- Head to the Gala with Dan
- Check in on Poppy
- Check in on Emma
- Check in on Patrick
- Check in on Clara
- Check in on Clem
- Check in on Aunt Muriel
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Taking this chance of being early, Lianna made her way toward the smithy. She smiled as she walked through the hallway up to it, anticipating Patrick's reaction. Frankly, Lianna also really wanted to see him. She knocked on the doors and called, "Patrick? Are you busy?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Approaching the smithy, Lianna would not find a sweet greeting. Rather, she'd hear Patrick yelling at some poor soul who... sounded a lot like Clara? A very angry Clara.

"If you can't fix the damn thing why do you even work here?"

"I won't do decorative work, moron, and that sword is for nothing but show."

"FIX. THE. STUPID. SWORD. PATRICK!"

All that screeching over a sword. Lianna could intervene and try playing mediator, take a side, or stay out of their business.

- Calm them down
- Side with Patrick
- Side with Clara
- Do nothing

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hey, what's wrong here?" Lianna asked, entering the forge, but taking great care not to touch anything or go anywhere near the fire. "Why are you two arguing?" She asked, looking first at Clara, then at Patrick. She knew that both of them had very difficult personalities and neither was likely to back off.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Both startled, but it did not dampen the negative, fiery energy of the room. They were quick to point fingers. "I am a paying customer and he refuses to sell to me."

"First of all, I told you I don't do decorative work. That sword is nothing but a tacky use of gemwork. It's not a real sword."

Clara scoffed. "What does it matter to you? I'm paying you."

Patrick scowled. Took a step closer, but it did not intimidate her into backing down. "I am not going to 'fix' a sword that's going to get its user killed, no matter the price." Pointed to the door. "Go back to your usual smithy."

"How about you take your pompous ass out of the Hub since you obviously can't manage a simple request?"

Both looked ready to strangle the other.

- Take a side
- Calm them down again
- Separate them
- Leave it alone
- Ask a question
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Oh, come on, people." Lianna frowned, taking a step forward to stand between them, "There's no need to fight about this. Look, Clara... what Patrick is trying to tell you is that you shouldn't use that sword in a fight. It's a nice piece of weaponry, no doubt, but it should be hung above a mantelpiece. Please, take care of yourself, don't put your life in danger just so you can look good in a fight. Patrick is worried for your safety, he just sucks at expressing himself.

"And Patrick, Clara is clearly emotionally attached to this sword for some reason and appreciates your work more than anyone else's. She just wants this sword to be in the best hands so she can rest assured that it is not damaged. As you might have noticed, she also has a terrible way of making a request.

"Now, if you would both, please, take deep breaths and find common ground, everything would be easier. Clara, why don't you promise to stow away the sword in a pretty box or a decorative shelf once it's fixed, and you Patrick, take a bit of your time to work on this beautiful piece."

Then, she took a breath as well, "And I also want a moment with you, Patrick, before I go with Dan to that dinner, so please stop arguing."

 

[Cartoonicat]

The pair glowered at one another, obviously displeased, but Patrick argued no further and Clara followed his lead. While he made no promises to fix her sword, she dropped the weapon and a small bag of coin on the nearest end table before storming out.

Several seconds passed before Patrick sighed. "Thank gods you showed up. She irritates the hell out of me," he confided. Mumbled something along the lines of 'She should stick to her regular smithy' but the exact words were difficult to discern.

Before Lianna could reply, though, he dove into another topic: "You clean up nice." His words were similar but more flattering than Samael's. Eyes looking her up and down, settling on her up-do, Patrick's brows lifted. "I didn't know you could style hair."

- Take credit for the hairstyle
- Give credit to Samael
- Tell him what happened with Samael
- Change the subject
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna flinched at his words momentarily, then quickly stowed that away and smiled happily at the compliment. It felt nice to be appreciated. But when he mentioned her hairstyle she simply shrugged, "I tried my best. I hope it doesn't fall apart until the end of the night." She wouldn't tell Patrick about Samael and that she let him go, but instead would pretend that he had escaped on his own.