Manon’s body tensed when Willow touched her shoulder, but the mask didn’t break.
“What ze hell,” she articulated through a smile that didn’t match her voice, “do you understand?”
The performer laughed, as if she were an extra in the background of her own play, and looped an arm over the Allomancer’s shoulder, guiding her along. There were two feelings Willow got at that moment. One, Manon was strong, her limber arms felt like a vice until she relaxed into the walk. Two, she wore an unassuming scent of lilacs that wasn’t evident until Willow came close.
“Trust Mr. Casson?”
That joyful mask was ever-present, hiding intense emotions that sparked and arced in the cords of her muscles. Yet, she carried on the performance, as if she were an excited fair-goer touring the stalls with a friend.
“How do you know it isn’t his fault? Everything wrong with zis world.” she laughed, "'Ave you ever asked yourself, ‘Why is the all-powerful man in the tower incapable of just fixing the problem’? Did you ever wonder why Mr. Casson 'ad something with my name and B-84 on it? B-84. I don’t remember anything from when I was small, but I remember B-84. I remember being called B-84. Candidate Besançon-84. It fills me with dread to think of zhose numbers. 8. 4.”
She stopped, as if she had found the place she wanted to get a treat at.
“Why does Mr. Casson ‘ave it, Willow? Why won’t he talk about it? Why does he know so much about my condition, as he calls it? What does he get out of diagnosing me? Why is he making you do his dirty work? Why should we trust him when he can’t even trust us with the truth?”
Manon hopped on her toes, holding her fists tight to her chest, coming nose to nose with Willow in this farce of a play. Her eyes strained as she played her part, pantomiming excitement at a prized fair food.
“I ‘ave no family. The people who are paying my tuition to the zis school took ze only family I had from me. I only ‘ave me. I ‘ave nothing. At least you ‘ave something to go back to. I ‘ave nothing Willow. Nothing except a man who just dangles hints and tools over my nose, and keeps this folder from me. This folder? It could show my home. My parents. Relatives. What happened to me. Anything. Please. Please give me this one thing.”
The play had stopped by now, as Manon’s white knuckles were nearly pulling Willow’s shirt from her body. What smile was left was run over by a stream of tears. “Where is it? Tell me. Please.”
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“I understand that you are hurting, a feel like the person you are supposed to trust is an enemy,” Willow responded, her tone quiet at first as she couldn’t meet the clown’s eyes. “I understand that you are acting out in a play for defiance, to feel like you are the one in control. When reprimanded, you rebound twice as hard, commit more, and damn the consequences; because at the end of the day it is on them, not you. And… even if the act is ultimately destructive to yourself or others you feel you need to commit, because if you don’t then you have nothing. But…”
Willow raised her eyes to meet Manon’s.
“You don’t have nothing, Manon. You have all of us at Safeholme. You have Drysi, Kat, Johann, and Vrey. Even me; which, for what it’s worth, I apologize for my animosity that I’ve shown. I understand, because I’ve been there. Not the same circumstances, of course. But I’ve been the rebel trying to claim independence at all costs. I acted out. I denied authority. I…”
Almost made someone take their own life, froze on her tongue as she choked a little bit. Her hands rose to rest on Manon’s, but rather than trying to leverage her own strength the clown would find the touch was gentle; rough ranch hands aside.
“I can’t tell you to stop, and Heaven knows I’m the worst of the friend group to go to for words of wisdom. The best I can do is tell you what I did to get passed that stage in my life. I found something I could commit to. I was lucky enough to avoid something truly catastrophic, and it gave me a new ideal I could work towards; and Safeholme has given me the environment to realize it. So… please don’t say you have nothing. You have Safeholme, and you have your friends. Commit to us.”
Willow raised her eyes to meet Manon’s.
“You don’t have nothing, Manon. You have all of us at Safeholme. You have Drysi, Kat, Johann, and Vrey. Even me; which, for what it’s worth, I apologize for my animosity that I’ve shown. I understand, because I’ve been there. Not the same circumstances, of course. But I’ve been the rebel trying to claim independence at all costs. I acted out. I denied authority. I…”
Almost made someone take their own life, froze on her tongue as she choked a little bit. Her hands rose to rest on Manon’s, but rather than trying to leverage her own strength the clown would find the touch was gentle; rough ranch hands aside.
“I can’t tell you to stop, and Heaven knows I’m the worst of the friend group to go to for words of wisdom. The best I can do is tell you what I did to get passed that stage in my life. I found something I could commit to. I was lucky enough to avoid something truly catastrophic, and it gave me a new ideal I could work towards; and Safeholme has given me the environment to realize it. So… please don’t say you have nothing. You have Safeholme, and you have your friends. Commit to us.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
A backhanded slap struck Willow so hard it could have made her dizzy. The mask had fallen away, now Manon stood before Willow like she had two weeks prior, in nothing but her athletic gear. This plain figure, no longer performing, was twisted up in anger and sorrow.
“Putain, tu ne comprends pas,” her fingers scooped up Willow’s collar and got into her face, “this is my chance. I want to know. I need to know! My whole life, I have wondered where I come from. Why am I like this? Pourquoi suis-je un putain de monstre? Who are any of you tell me what to do!? Zis is my life!”
Willow was shaken forcefully, as Manon’s eyes spilled more tears, “Even if it has nothing. It will be my nothing and I–... I...”
Those words seemed to instill some kind of realization in Manon, and her eyes grew wide. The two of them were beginning to gain an audience from the near-by quarrids and other stall-goers. Phyllis looked to be ready to discard her first meal in a couple days to help, but looked to Willow for some sort of signal.
The performer’s legs failed her, and she fell to her knees, burying her face into Willow's stomach. The allomancer's shirt was gripped in quivering hands, “I’m sorry, Willow. You don’t deserve this. I’m so sorry.”
“Putain, tu ne comprends pas,” her fingers scooped up Willow’s collar and got into her face, “this is my chance. I want to know. I need to know! My whole life, I have wondered where I come from. Why am I like this? Pourquoi suis-je un putain de monstre? Who are any of you tell me what to do!? Zis is my life!”
Willow was shaken forcefully, as Manon’s eyes spilled more tears, “Even if it has nothing. It will be my nothing and I–... I...”
Those words seemed to instill some kind of realization in Manon, and her eyes grew wide. The two of them were beginning to gain an audience from the near-by quarrids and other stall-goers. Phyllis looked to be ready to discard her first meal in a couple days to help, but looked to Willow for some sort of signal.
The performer’s legs failed her, and she fell to her knees, burying her face into Willow's stomach. The allomancer's shirt was gripped in quivering hands, “I’m sorry, Willow. You don’t deserve this. I’m so sorry.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Willow, to her credit, took the hit well. It had been somewhat anticipated since only one hand had released its grip. Even after relaxing and letting her head shift with the strike it still stung like the dickens. Anticipating the strike also helped her keep her Fight Back urge under control, since that was most definitely not what the situation called for right now.
“All things considered? That’s the lightest I’ve been hit in weeks. Between the golem, Diligence swatting me with a table, and Caxton straight up killing me; that was a love tap,” Willow offered as she sank to a knee to level with Manon. She moved her arms and pulled the French girl into a hug. “Neither do you, Manon.”
The difference between them was that Willow was here by choice. Eventually Willow pulled away and wiped Manon’s cheeks with the palms of her hands.
“Good thing the rest of the gang isn’t here, eh? It’d ruin both of our images, ain’t that right Pagliacci?” asked Willow as she rubbed her own cheeks against her shoulders.
“All things considered? That’s the lightest I’ve been hit in weeks. Between the golem, Diligence swatting me with a table, and Caxton straight up killing me; that was a love tap,” Willow offered as she sank to a knee to level with Manon. She moved her arms and pulled the French girl into a hug. “Neither do you, Manon.”
The difference between them was that Willow was here by choice. Eventually Willow pulled away and wiped Manon’s cheeks with the palms of her hands.
“Good thing the rest of the gang isn’t here, eh? It’d ruin both of our images, ain’t that right Pagliacci?” asked Willow as she rubbed her own cheeks against her shoulders.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
There was never an embrace in the Elementalia that was so thoroughly followed in attendance than the one Willow and Manon shared. As they held each other, all other motion had stopped in the hall, and for the second time since coming to Dyrnwyn, Willow had stopped the daily routines of the hall’s activity. This time, the show wasn’t so destructive, but instead, brought a sense of stillness that stopped time..
Manon stared up at Willow with a sense of wonder, tinged with a sense of shame. Then, she smiled in a way that seemed more genuine and raw than Willow had ever seen, almost on the cusp of laughter.
“Pagliaccia,” the word was a gentle reprimand, as she rose and kissed the Allomancer, “you clever, beautiful fool.”
In sudden, swift force, Manon tore herself away in a torrent of color as her clown form and reglaia was restored. Her sorrowful state was only represented by a blue tear under her eye atop the white-greasepaint.
“Thank you! Thank you. Your audience is appreciated,” Manon addressed the on-lookers, who had seen something deeply personable to both the young ladies, “to our rendition of Two Lovers in Azure! Manifique, non? Donations are greatly appreciated.”
Adjustment was necessary, from a sense of genuine concern to the realization provided by this deceit, that it was, in fact, a performance. Some smallkin sighed in relief, while others threw bits of silver at the two, clapping. Quarters, eighths, even halves of ounces landed at their feet in the rain of applause. Manon took a couple bows, before looking back at Willow, with a grateful smile, before vanishing in a plume of that same ethereal fire that Willow had first found her in at the tower in Navipolis.
“Wow,” Phyllis came running up, one of her sausage sandwiches already gone, her eye wide in wonder, “I genuinely thought you were dealin’ wit’ some serious issues there, lass. If bein’ tha’ hand a’God himself doesn’t work out, ye could really do tha’ stage somethin proper. By the way…”
The Sergeant turned to reach into a saddle bag strapped to her pit bull bottom-half and pulled out four silver tabs with eight silver coins. “Helen told me this is the rest of your pay for helpin’ her up the mountain. Also, told me to hold it fer ye in case ye went runnin’ back’t the other side of the mountain for another duel.”
Manon stared up at Willow with a sense of wonder, tinged with a sense of shame. Then, she smiled in a way that seemed more genuine and raw than Willow had ever seen, almost on the cusp of laughter.
“Pagliaccia,” the word was a gentle reprimand, as she rose and kissed the Allomancer, “you clever, beautiful fool.”
In sudden, swift force, Manon tore herself away in a torrent of color as her clown form and reglaia was restored. Her sorrowful state was only represented by a blue tear under her eye atop the white-greasepaint.
“Thank you! Thank you. Your audience is appreciated,” Manon addressed the on-lookers, who had seen something deeply personable to both the young ladies, “to our rendition of Two Lovers in Azure! Manifique, non? Donations are greatly appreciated.”
Adjustment was necessary, from a sense of genuine concern to the realization provided by this deceit, that it was, in fact, a performance. Some smallkin sighed in relief, while others threw bits of silver at the two, clapping. Quarters, eighths, even halves of ounces landed at their feet in the rain of applause. Manon took a couple bows, before looking back at Willow, with a grateful smile, before vanishing in a plume of that same ethereal fire that Willow had first found her in at the tower in Navipolis.
“Wow,” Phyllis came running up, one of her sausage sandwiches already gone, her eye wide in wonder, “I genuinely thought you were dealin’ wit’ some serious issues there, lass. If bein’ tha’ hand a’God himself doesn’t work out, ye could really do tha’ stage somethin proper. By the way…”
The Sergeant turned to reach into a saddle bag strapped to her pit bull bottom-half and pulled out four silver tabs with eight silver coins. “Helen told me this is the rest of your pay for helpin’ her up the mountain. Also, told me to hold it fer ye in case ye went runnin’ back’t the other side of the mountain for another duel.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Willow simply sat dumbfounded for a couple moments. Not quite the same degree, or dumbness, as when Drysi had surprised her with a kiss, but the phrase I’d have two nickels; which isn’t a lot, but it’s odd that it’s happened twice sprang to mind. Shaking away her puzzled look, Willow stood and gave an awkward wave to the crowd who had peculiarly begun tossing money at them. Just as she was considering picking them up, a matter that would have been infinitely easier if she had some Iron, when Phyllis approached. Shrugging to herself as the canidaer spoke she began to collect the coins. The sergeant would see the allomancer’s face turn a little slack jawed as she was visibly thinking of something, and then suddenly brought her hand up to smack her forehead. She had, in fact, received currency with which to buy stuff when she had demanded half her pay up front, and it was tucked safely, presumably, in her duster back in the room.
“Hold onto it for me. Probs have ya put it in my room once we’re done with food,” Willow instructed her companion as she made a quick count of the donations she’d been thrown. “As for the acting, I’m not tha’ great. My last performance back in Navipolis bombed with the critics. Now, food. I am not understating when I say I could eat a horse. Hell, I’d eat a horse even if it was someone’s familiar. Well, not actually, but gosh dang I’mma go destroy some fried fish. After tha’ we can walk an’ talk on our way to go see Diligence. Keen?”
“Hold onto it for me. Probs have ya put it in my room once we’re done with food,” Willow instructed her companion as she made a quick count of the donations she’d been thrown. “As for the acting, I’m not tha’ great. My last performance back in Navipolis bombed with the critics. Now, food. I am not understating when I say I could eat a horse. Hell, I’d eat a horse even if it was someone’s familiar. Well, not actually, but gosh dang I’mma go destroy some fried fish. After tha’ we can walk an’ talk on our way to go see Diligence. Keen?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Phyllis furrowed her brow, considering Willow’s stance on the matter before being left to ponder on it. The quarrid frying fish was still nearby. It was only a close approximation of what Willow was used to. A couple of spriggans seemed to manage the operation, as well as work on the breading in the back. The fish was not like the layered cod, more of a white tuna, one solid slab of meat, to be breaded in something like panko. Each breaded piece was set inside a conch shell, styled as a cornucopia with wedges of potatoes.
“You! Frau Tallkin!” rattled a spriggan with a slicked back head of vines, “Why not finish off a show with a dinner that was inspired by the land of the Father himself!? This is no true Spriggan cuisine, it is otherworldly! You won’t see anything like anywhere else! And if you have, try who did it first!”
With an exchange of half an ounce, Willow was presented with conch, opened just so to serve as a handy plate. A couple of papery napkins covered the outside.
Some time later, Phyllis came by with a rolled pancake piped with sour cream and a mug of cider that almost seemed too large for her body.
“I don’t know if I ever went off duty,” admitted the Sergeant, “but I never knew the Wald made such good cider, so dinnae tell nae one, keen? Anywho, the lad himself, Diligence. I managed to get the guards to tell me tha’ fella works all day an’ night. He’s impossible to find in the mountain once he’s off, but that fella pointed me to another who was comin off shift. That lad was grumpy one, but he softened up after a bit. Says Diligence can be found in the raw caverns deepest in the Shaft. Tha’ Foreman is working on something that requires the heart of the mountain.”
Phyllis winked her one good eye, which seemed to sparkle when compared to her withered socket. “This face never fails me.”
“You! Frau Tallkin!” rattled a spriggan with a slicked back head of vines, “Why not finish off a show with a dinner that was inspired by the land of the Father himself!? This is no true Spriggan cuisine, it is otherworldly! You won’t see anything like anywhere else! And if you have, try who did it first!”
With an exchange of half an ounce, Willow was presented with conch, opened just so to serve as a handy plate. A couple of papery napkins covered the outside.
Some time later, Phyllis came by with a rolled pancake piped with sour cream and a mug of cider that almost seemed too large for her body.
“I don’t know if I ever went off duty,” admitted the Sergeant, “but I never knew the Wald made such good cider, so dinnae tell nae one, keen? Anywho, the lad himself, Diligence. I managed to get the guards to tell me tha’ fella works all day an’ night. He’s impossible to find in the mountain once he’s off, but that fella pointed me to another who was comin off shift. That lad was grumpy one, but he softened up after a bit. Says Diligence can be found in the raw caverns deepest in the Shaft. Tha’ Foreman is working on something that requires the heart of the mountain.”
Phyllis winked her one good eye, which seemed to sparkle when compared to her withered socket. “This face never fails me.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Ooooooooh~ Exotic,” Willow responded with an amused smirk. Money exchanged, she made a quick search to see if there was any malt vinegar she could smother the fried fish with. Not that she assumed anything was wrong with the fishy slab, she just loved malt vinegar on her chips. Regardless, she chowed down happily as she meandered around as she idly made her way towards Phyllis. After meeting up again, she focused on eating as the sergeant spoke; looking thoughtful.
“Well~ Down in a cavern? Ain’t that just great…” Willow’s tone didn’t match her words. “Now, the question: do I go find him down there, or do I wait him out? Last time I sorta just hollered a bunch, think it’ll work a second time?”
“Well~ Down in a cavern? Ain’t that just great…” Willow’s tone didn’t match her words. “Now, the question: do I go find him down there, or do I wait him out? Last time I sorta just hollered a bunch, think it’ll work a second time?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
A large bite was taken out of the pancake as Willow made her question, and Phyllis was left in a situation where she struggled to finish her ambitious take. She held up a finger, on the fist holding the mug and paced around in a circle a couple of times before she managed to swallow her food.
“I cannae tell ye what to do, but I’d just go,” suggested Phyllis, taking a quick swig of cider, “Nae worth wastin’ yer time waitin’ for someone who will live for an eternity. That is, unless ye can wait. I hear he works for nearly half a day, sleeps some, and works for near the next half. We canidaer curse the baleful son, but you must respect a lad who can bring his all. Had I nae seen him in person, with you, I wouldn't know the respect I have of him now.”
She set the mug down on a near-by table, finishing the rest of the pancake, and wiping her hands off.
“I’m a daughter of Noble’s children, the Captain of Navipolis, He who brings order and safety to the world, the Father’s most loyal son,” explained the Sergeant, to the noticeable chagrin of some nearby quarrids, “Even if the Foreman threatened me with death, I’d take my tasking to him.”
An encouraging smile spread on Phyllis’ round face, accented in a frame of bright, orange curls, “But ye aren’t me. Diligence seems fond of ye and yer gumption. It’d be easier for ye to take the chance, since ye bent him over yer knee once already.”
“I cannae tell ye what to do, but I’d just go,” suggested Phyllis, taking a quick swig of cider, “Nae worth wastin’ yer time waitin’ for someone who will live for an eternity. That is, unless ye can wait. I hear he works for nearly half a day, sleeps some, and works for near the next half. We canidaer curse the baleful son, but you must respect a lad who can bring his all. Had I nae seen him in person, with you, I wouldn't know the respect I have of him now.”
She set the mug down on a near-by table, finishing the rest of the pancake, and wiping her hands off.
“I’m a daughter of Noble’s children, the Captain of Navipolis, He who brings order and safety to the world, the Father’s most loyal son,” explained the Sergeant, to the noticeable chagrin of some nearby quarrids, “Even if the Foreman threatened me with death, I’d take my tasking to him.”
An encouraging smile spread on Phyllis’ round face, accented in a frame of bright, orange curls, “But ye aren’t me. Diligence seems fond of ye and yer gumption. It’d be easier for ye to take the chance, since ye bent him over yer knee once already.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“About what I was thinkin’ m’self,” mumbled Willow through a mouthful of chips. After swallowing the mouthful of food, the Brit sighed. “Though I’m not all tha’ keen on wandering down into a mine. Hopefully its pretty orderly. As for Diligence versus Noble, I’mma stay out of that fight. For now, Diligence is the best source of Metals I can imagine. Once I get a reliable supply, I can travel between here and Navipolis easier. Not sure if tha’s what Caxton meant when he suggested I find a saber teacher, but it’s the first thing that came to mind. It’s a bit of a commute but seems more realistic than getting Noble to come here instead.”
The allomancer finished her own food and sat the conch down on a similar nearby table before stretching.
“Alrighty. Time f’r some spelunking. Feel free to head on back to the room, or hey, keep wandering and stretch those legs, girl. Just remember, anyone bugs ya make sure to point them out to me when I’m back.”
With that, Willow moseyed off yonder towards the big door she’d seen Diligence use the… a quick count on her fingers… few days prior.
The allomancer finished her own food and sat the conch down on a similar nearby table before stretching.
“Alrighty. Time f’r some spelunking. Feel free to head on back to the room, or hey, keep wandering and stretch those legs, girl. Just remember, anyone bugs ya make sure to point them out to me when I’m back.”
With that, Willow moseyed off yonder towards the big door she’d seen Diligence use the… a quick count on her fingers… few days prior.