Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:46:00 GMT -6
Jinx was this close to not accepting the task, whatever it was, from this guy. He may be good looking, but she knew better than to trust someone just because they were pretty. That was the easiest way to swindle someone! She'd done it before, when she needed money or food to get by, and she tried not to make a habit out of it. It was pretty easy to do, though, when you were pretty enough - and bonus points if you had lady parts. Men would turn a blind eye to almost anything, if they thought they could get something they wanted. While that worked nine and a half times out of ten for women, men seemed to think they could trick women in the same way - but they couldn't. Jinx didn't have any statistics, real or made up, to account for that, because she hadn't seen that many men try, seeing as she usually had the upper hand in these situations. Being a female had it's bonuses sometimes, didn't it? But it also meant you had to be watchful, and careful, and prepared to take advantage.
Jinx: 0 1/20
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:47:11 GMT -6
But this guy, for all of his attractiveness, wasn't fooling her. She raised an eyebrow, skeptical, and watched the card trick. She didn't have anything of value on her person - hell, she didn't value things that much anyway - though she tried to keep an eye out for thievery, while at the same time enjoying the trick or whatever it was he was trying to do. She liked magic tricks! But it was hard to watch without going cross-eyed, and difficult to focus on any one detail. This guy was good with the slight of hand.
"What is the object?" Jinx asked, her eyebrow raised once again. She looked into the guy's face. He seemed like he was desperate to get it again, but if it was his and he knew who had it, why wouldn't he just go and get it? There was either some kind of danger, or it wasn't his at all and he was trying to get her to do the stealing for him in case someone got caught. And she didn't really want to do that.
Jinx: 0 2/20
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Jinx
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Posts: 46
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:48:22 GMT -6
"You'll know it when you see it," He told her.
"Where can I find this person?" she tried, and the guy gave her a shrug.
"If I knew that, it wouldn't be a quest worthy of the seal, would it?" He replied with a grin and a wink.
Jinx sighed heavily. "I don't know why I even wasted my time. I don't know the item, I don't know the person, I don't know where... I need at least one of those things to get started." She narrowed her eyes at him, obviously displeased. She turned on her heel, disgusted with herself for having wasted so much time. Now she would never get through the crowd on the other side of the board and find a quest of her own! This should teach her for trying to go off on an adventure! Leave that to Ashe and his insanity. She had chores to do, anyway.
Jinx: 0 3/20
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Jinx
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Posts: 46
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:50:35 GMT -6
"Wait! Wait, wait," the guy said, calling her back. When she hesitated, before she even turned around, he continued, "I can tell you who has it. I don't know where they live, and I can't tell you what item it is, but I promise you'll know it when you see it! No. But the identity..." He flicked his fingers and something flew at her. Reflextively, she put her hand up to block her face, and she caught something between her fingers. Blinking, she brought her hands down and saw she was holding one of his cards. Now relieved she hadn't gotten a papercut or a slice taken out of her from the card, she puzzled over the magic of it. On the front of the card was a face, and definitely not a face she expected to see!
It was a woman's face, but it was twisted up to look more like treebark. A hag, a witch, type of face! An older woman with beady eyes and wrinkles that sagged her skin.
Jinx: 0 4/20
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Jinx
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Posts: 46
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:51:53 GMT -6
If Jinx looked close enough, she could tell that she was once a lovely girl, but either time or practicing dark magic or hatred had turned her into this thing. Jinx wrinkled her nose, almost as if she could smell the woman rotting from here, then looked up at the guy to say something more, ask for clarity, something - but he was no longer there. Had she looked at that picture long enough for him to get away? She didn't think so, it had felt like only a moment. But he was gone now, just like that! Jinx looked around the square once more and didn't see him. She scoured the faces in the crowd by the board, and didn't see him. How strange, that anyone could just up and disappear like that.
"I guess I accept, then," She muttered to herself. She wished he would have stayed around long enough for her to officially accept, at least! She held onto the card and headed home to see if there was anything she could bring with her to help her in this adventure.
Jinx: 0 5/20
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Jinx
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Posts: 46
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:53:16 GMT -6
She didn't have much, though she knew Ashe would let her borrow stuff if she needed it. She didn't have the know-how to use magic, and didn't know what else she might need to track down this woman.
She figured, first she would wander the city and ask if anyone knew this woman or where to find her, and go from there. She had other means of finding people, though those methods took more out of her than she would like and they weren't guaranteed to work.
She left the estate again, on foot for now, and made her way into the city. She had on a loose fitting dress that hung to her knees, barefoot save for the ankle bracelets that jingled. She had bracelets on her upper arms, and dangling on her wrists, feather earrings, brown hair flowing free. The trek was long, uneventful, but she made it to the main streets. She started with the shopkeepers, though she also asked anyone she found on the street.
Jinx: 0 6/20
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:54:25 GMT -6
She wasn't worried when the randoms didn't know; the shopkeepers were more likely to know the goings on than the typical city person. The third place she stopped was Alan's shop. Alura, Kale, and Mavrik didn't know the woman, but Alan dealt in shady things all the time. Another attractive, yet slimey, guy that was always looking out for number one. Gee, who'd that remind her of?
She walked up to his cart and Alan beamed at her, starting his usual greeting and turning on the charm. She returned it as good as she got and more. She would need that 'more' when she broke the news to him that she wasn't here to buy something.
"Actually, Alan, I was wondering if you might know the whereabouts of someone..." She pulled the card out and slid it across the counter to the man. Alan took it, looked it over, then set it back down hurriedly. She thought that was odd, and turned her face to look up at him, wondering what in the world.
Jinx: 0 7/20
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Jinx
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Posts: 46
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:55:14 GMT -6
"Nope, sorry beautiful, I don't know this person." But his haste and the tone of his voice said otherwise.
Jinx leaned forward on her elbows, looking imploringly up at him with a troubled expression on her face. "Are you sure, Mr. Alan?" She asked adoringly. "I thought someone as smart and travelled as you, you above all others would know..." She pouted slightly, her lower lip sticking out.
Alan looked at her and sighed. He couldn't resist a pretty girl. He rubbed at his temples as if he had a headache or was debating something huge. The debate, as it turned out, was how much to tell her.
"I may have an idea of where to find this woman..." He conceeded finally. "She lives in the woods, just outside of the city walls. Not quite Beyond, but not protected here, either. I know it sounds typical, old hag living in the woods, but I suppose whatever she does out there, she doesn't want to do in here..." He gave a shrug. "East side of the wall," he added as an after thought.
Jinx: 0 8/20
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:56:44 GMT -6
"Oh, thank you, Alan!" Jinx exclaimed. She leaned over the counter and gave him an awkward hug, then turned and hurried away with a wave. Alan found that she'd also left some credits on the counter for him by way of thanks. When she'd put them there, he actually had no idea, he was ashamed to admit.
Jinx ran a short way away, but she couldn't make it all the way home at a jog. She didn't have her bindings on, and have you ever tried to run with boobs and no bra? It wasn't comfortable. She could hold herself for support, but that's not something civilized people did in the middle of a busy day in the city, so she stopped and slowed to a walk. Eventually, she got home, and once she was on the Estate property, she grabbed hold and ran to the stables. Dune was there in her stall, munching on some hay, when she arrived. She was a gorgeous Common mare, the color of sand and soot. Jinx loved her to death, and to be honest the reason she even lived with Ashe was so she could provide housing for her.
Jinx: 0 9/20 Dune: 0 1/5 Post 9
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:57:56 GMT -6
"Hey, sweet girl. Want to go for a ride with me?" she asked, reaching out to pet her soft nose. Dune pressed her nose into Jinx's hands and nickered softly, warmly, to her friend. "I'll take that as a yes!" Jinx said with a smile. She got rope and a halter out, quickly fashioning the rope into some reins. She slipped the halter on, looped the rope over her head around her neck, then led her mare out. When they were free from the stable, Jinx swung her leg over and hopped on, settling onto her back. Dune tossed her head, adjusting to the weight. Jinx had never properly trained her to accept riders; Jinx just tended to hop on and not ask questions. Dune normally accomodated her simply because of their time together, but she wouldn't even think about carrying anyone else, even Ashe.
"Let's go!" Jinx saide, bumping her sides with her heels. Dune took off at a trot, heading for the gates to the estate. Once there, Jinx swung down and opened them, led her through, hopped back up, then resumed the pace, heading for the gates to leave the city.
Jinx: 0 10/20 Dune: 0 2/5 Post 10
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 18:58:41 GMT -6
It was fifteen minutes later when she was out of the City territory and heading into the woods, that she finally felt the thrill of being free. She liked the city well enough, and Ashe gave her leave to do what she wanted whenever she wanted, as long as the work he was paying for her to do, in exchange for food and board, got done. Her job was a lot easier now that he had robots around to help, too, so she had free time like this to do things like adventure. Dune trotted at a brisk pace, but thankfully she had an easy trot to sit, and with her knees up a little more, Jinx found it easy enough to plant her butt firmly on Dune's back so she wouldn't bounce too painfully.
"Let's see... East gate, woods... Somewhere in here. Keep an eye out, will you?" She asked Dune. Jinx herself was keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of someone living out here. Manicured foilage, a path well worn, smoke coming out of the trees, a peek of a log cabin through the trees.
Jinx: 0 11/20 Dune: 0 3/5 Post 11
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 19:01:05 GMT -6
They rode around and around for what seemed like ages, looking for signs anywhere. Footprints? No, those were just dips in the earth. They did see signs of animals moving through here, mostly cloven hooved things, most likely all herbivores. Strange that they ventured so close to the City limits, when so many people inside were waiting to capture them. To be fair, Jinx didn't know if people hunted them, or if the Labs just wanted to capture wild things to use in experiments... Or did they maybe release the rejects out here? She couldn't be sure that would be the smartest option; yeah, let's have all the genetically modified beasts running around right outside the walls, nothing could go wrong!
Then she turned and looked to see how far away from the wall she was, and saw she was at least a mile if not two down the traveler's rode. Huh. She was much further than she thought! And the sun was starting to set. The real adventure was about to start!
Jinx: 0 12/20
Dune: 0 4/5
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 19:13:44 GMT -6
Jinx was wondering how far away she would have to travel before she put herself in some real danger, considering the fact that she didn't have any armor or weapons one hand, and no battle monsters. She could maybe hang on if Dune took off at a run, and they could maybe outrun some minor danger, but Equillion were still generally a prey animal for a reason. She tried not to worry about any of this, since she was pretty safe at the moment. Surely the old hag she was going to meet was going to be more dangerous than any little beasties running around right here.
That was when she saw the cottage through the trees. She only really saw it, even, because a glass window had caught a dying ray of sunshine and reflected it back at her, blinding her out of the corner of her eye for a split second. What was that? She turned Dune toward it and urged her forward, walking carefully through the trees off the main path.
Jinx: 0 13/20 Dune: 1 0/5 Post 13
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 19:20:03 GMT -6
Dune snorted and tossed her head, ears flicking back and forth. She was listening to something, that much was obvious, but what was it? Jinx tried to watch her, and watch where they were going at the same time, to see if she could tell if it was a nervous danger Dune was reacting to, or if it was just simply a new environment and Dune had to check everything out just in case. They rode on, and the cottage came more into focus the closer they got. Jinx was starting to worry. It was looking more and more like it was abandoned, old, unused. There was always the chance that the hag still lived there and just didn't take care of anything. She might be evil and eat travelers in meat pies or something. Jinx had to admit, she was hoping for a classic fairytale type of witch that she, taking the princess role, could outwit and swipe the item away. But that couldn't happen if there was no hag to be found.
But wait - that would be less glorious, but much easier!
Jinx: 0 14/20 Dune: 1 1/5 Post 14
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Jinx
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Post by Jinx on Dec 19, 2019 15:53:19 GMT -6
Slowly, quietly, they rode toward the cottage, both on high alert in case something or someone jumped out at them. The forest seemed to get darker the closer they got, and though Jinx told herself it was just the trees blocking out the sun, she felt like it was an ominous sign. The dark magic sleeping from this place of sacrifice or something. Done was becoming more skittish as they went, and she had to quiet the mare a few times. Eventually, inevitably, she had to dismount as Dune would go no further. She thought about trying her up, but she worried Dune would hurt herself trying to escape, so she took a deep breath and told her, "I trust you," and set her mare free. She took the bridle off and tapped her side and that was all Dune needed before she took off.
Jinx continued alone to the cottage. She was going to attempt to be stealthy and sneak into the building. Before she even got close to the door, the wood creaked and swung open.
Jinx: 0 15/20 Dune: 1 2/5 Post 15
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