[EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Extreme =&gt; Extreme Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Greenthorn on 04-06-2008, 22:10:08</h2>
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				Title: <strong>[EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Greenthorn</strong> on <strong>04-06-2008, 22:10:08</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 20pt;" class="bbc_size">The Town</span> </strong></div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Trieste</strong> on <strong>16-06-2008, 02:00:15</strong>
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				Kali is supposed to be a fairly bright girl. She's supposed to be talented, and going places. Many people have told her this. But she can't help but grumble in frustration as she turns back to her easel and tips over yet. another. rack.<br><br>With a sigh, she leans down to clean up the worst of the paint, and tosses it all in the trash with a heavy thunk. Usually, she just knocks over racks of pencils, brushes, sometimes she knocks over her water. It's supposed to be fairly common in beginners and fade with time, but despite the years of practice she has at her art, she still does it. It's not so much the floor she's worried about as having to go out and get more supplies. Wiping her hands off on her faded, paint-splattered jeans, she looks over her canvas and sighs. Her bare feet, just as paint-splotched as the rest of her lean figure, pad almost silently across the studio. <br><br>The problem, she reflects as she washes her hands and slides on her flip-flops, is that supplies are so damned expensive. The studio apartment she's rented above one of the little cafes in town is cheap, as are most of her bills, and she can get by on a part-time job. The supplies tend to eat up a fair amount of her budget, though, and wasting them grates on her. Shaking her hands free of water, she turns around to survey her apartment, then grabs her wallet and keys and heads out the door. <br><br>Her long hair is straight and shiny. When she's very involved in something, or when it's very warm, she weaves the black strands into a braid that, when finished, reaches past her hips... but today she's left it loose to fan out behind her as she hurries across the town to the arts store. If she can just get some recognition this summer, she can skip expensive art school altogether; it seems like a waste anyway. Her parents were angry when she told them she'd be taking atleast a year off to devote to painting and sculpture, and they haven't spoken to her since. But Kali knows. She <em>knows</em> it's the right decision. <br><br>Her dusky skin stands out against the splattered white button-down shirt she filched from Sam a while ago. It had been on the small side for his broadening shoulders, so she had relieved her boyfriend of the need to stuff it in the back of his closet and forget about it. He's much taller than her five feet and four inches, so the tails of the shirt would hang down almost to her knees if she didn't tie them off and tuck them into her jeans. The sleeves stay rolled up and cuffed out of the way, but occasionally those shirttails come untucked and get in her way. She considered cutting them off, but decided against it, as that would give her nothing at all to tie it out of the way, and she has no skill at all with a needle. <br><br>With a small wave to the old man behind the counter, Kali finds her way toward the rows upon rows of paints in the back of the art shop, her dark green eyes scanning the colours quickly. She remembers what she tipped over but she'd been considering replacing the shade of red she had anyhow. "Hmmh." Undecided, she picks up a much darker, almost rust shade of red and holds the jar up to the light, furrowing her brow as she thinks it over.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Trieste</strong> on <strong>22-06-2008, 04:29:46</strong>
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				Walking out of the shop with a couple tubes of paint in hand, Kali takes a moment to tip her head back and enjoy the sunshine. As much as she enjoys her studio, it's nice to be out in it. She knows several of her contemporaries rush through errands like this, eager to get back to their canvas or their clay, but she can't help but stop in momentary appreciation. <br><br>Only momentary, though; she hurries along the street back to her apartment, and though her legs aren't really all that long, she takes the stairs two at a time anyway. She slides through the door and closes it behind her, kicking her shoes off as she heads back to her canvas. She sets the tubes she bought aside, to test them out in a bit, while she picks up one of her brushes. The way the light was hitting the window outside gave her an idea ...<br><br>The sun is slanting long shadows across the narrow road by the time Kali comes back out of her apartment, having showered and gotten the paint off of her skin and out of her hair. She still has a few spots on her jeans, speckles of white and green, and one large pale blue dollop just above the hem of one leg. Nothing to be done for it, really... She's shed the oversized button-down, revealing a pale pink tank top underneath that stands out against her cinnamon skin. She's re-braided her damp hair, and fiddles with her keys as she turns to lock the door to her apartment. <br><br>Hurrying down the outside stairwell that brings her down to the alley beside the restaurant, she sets off down the street toward the cafe that's not far away, her flip-flops slapping against her soles. She could seriously go for some coffee...
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				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Greenthorn</strong> on <strong>16-07-2008, 06:13:54</strong>
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				The cab ride was fairly silent and the two women patiently awaited the possibility of seeing Sam’s girlfriend.&nbsp; Thorn had blatantly given the driver the address with the plan to act as if it was the wrong one once they got there…and give him the intended address of the café.&nbsp; Such a simple plan and as they finally approached the location, a grin spread across Thorn’s face.&nbsp; A silent look over to Shadow and a slight nod ensured that she would also see the young girl headed down the stairwell.&nbsp; The cab driver stopped, but thankfully the girl did not even bat an eyelash their way and Thorn forced her own cheeks to redden and gave him the correct address…and as luck would have it, it seemed that Sam’s young girlfriend was headed to the café also.<br><br>After paying the driver, the two women stepped out of the cab and approached the café and at that moment, Thorn realized they had not discussed how they would approach the girl.&nbsp; She looked over to Shadow and smiled sweetly, “It’s all yours, my love,” knowing that Shadow would understand.&nbsp; After choosing a table, Thorn waited for Shadow to sit then went inside to speak with Valerie.&nbsp; Normally they just purchased their coffee at the counter, but since they planned on eating tonight, they would make use of the waitress instead.<br><br>At the sight of Valerie, Thorn couldn’t help but smirk…everything she handled was followed with a huge squirt of hand sanitizer; it was remarkable that the woman’s hands were not shriveled up by now.&nbsp; Thorn stood off to the side from the line and waited for a lull in customers before greeting Valerie with a smile.&nbsp; “Hey Valerie, Shadow and I were wondering if you would like to come over for drinks…perhaps this weekend?” she asked politely.&nbsp; She knew Valerie would never turn down an invitation to get something free and her knowledge was of course right…Valerie almost jumped over the counter and hugged her.&nbsp; After making an appointment for her arrival, Thorn retreated back outside to join Shadow.<br><br>“Well my love, Valerie is ours this weekend,” Thorn said with a grin as she pulled her chair out to sit.&nbsp; She could see that Shadow was nonchalantly scoping out Sam’s girlfriend, so she pulled her chair off to the side a bit to give her a better view.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shadowz</strong> on <strong>17-07-2008, 07:53:17</strong>
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				For most of the cab ride, Shadow stared in deep thought out of the window and watched the familiarity of the scenery roll by, it was only once they reached the edge of the town that she seemed to jolt from some inward reflection and actually register an awareness of her surroundings.&nbsp; She turned to her partner and caught the depth of her gaze, a look that conveyed everything she needed to know… a practised art that had grown between them…at her gentle nod, and she turned her gaze towards the stairwell as the cab passed by and fixed the sight of the young woman from the concealment of the back seat.&nbsp; Her gaze cast across her, watching every subtle movement, every minor nuance with the accomplished eye of a predator, a skill which they both seemed to excel at.&nbsp; Shadow didn’t relinquish her gaze as Thorn played through her faultless act with the cab driver and he took them towards the café…<br><br>Shadow nodded softly <em>..all hers…</em>, she mused and slid a chair across the cobbles with a scrape and sat deeply into it, her eyes drawn across the square as they had been so many times before… though this time she was not seeking out a victim, this time one had already been drawn unwittingly into their web and even now she approached them with unsuspecting innocence… she continued to watch her, occasionally allowing her eyes to stray across the square, drawn by its mundane bustle before her gaze would flick back towards the young woman.. <br><br>She felt the familiar presence of Thorn once more at her side and with it her mind was returned from the depths of consideration and she felt a smile crease her face a little.&nbsp; She watched as she sat down and then pulled to the side a touch, giving her, once more, a clear view as she watched Sam’s girl walk unwittingly towards them, the dapple of sunlight playing across her as she passed beneath the canopy of leaves.<br><br>With a slight delay, Shadow pulled her gaze from the sight of her and turned towards Thorn, the news that Valerie would soon be within their grasp distracted her for a moment.&nbsp; In her mind she relived the memories of nights in which they had plotted all manner of grim fates for her over a bottle of expensive wine and the very notion that this would soon be a reality served to broaden the grin that played on her face.<br><br>“Today just keeps getting better my love…” she smiled and returned her gaze towards the figure as she came to the café…<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Trieste</strong> on <strong>19-07-2008, 00:07:36</strong>
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				The place is pleasantly crowded, and Kali is happy to listen to the buzz of conversation as she gets her coffee and settles at a table on the patio. She looks up as the barista hops over the counter and hugs someone, giving the scene an amused look before she goes back to dumping cream into her coffee. Stirrng it and then setting the small plastic straw aside, she wraps her hands around the warm cup, looking out over the street beside the dining area. Maybe with the warm day, she should have gotten iced coffee, but that never seems as relaxing... or as caffeinated. For some reason, hot coffee just does it for her.<br><br>Sipping the beverage slowly, she studies the way the light plays across the scenery around her with an artist's eye, her mind wandering as she enjoys the end of what's been a fairly good day. She wonders idly what her boyfriend is up to, but it isn't an immediate worry. He'll come by when he's got some time, and probably not before. With a wry smile, she reflects that they haven't gone out in a while. Maybe she'll suggest something next time she sees him.<br><br>Her eyes wander along the other tables, her whole manner relaxed, clearly not in a rush or needing to get anywhere. She doesn't catch the intense gaze directed at her frmo the other table, oblivious to anything but her own thoughts. She leans forward in her seat and takes another sip of her coffee, debating grabbing some food as well from the cafe... although she does have food at home, so it'd be kind of a waste...
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				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Greenthorn</strong> on <strong>19-07-2008, 14:10:33</strong>
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				Thorn looked over at the girl blatantly as she formulated a plan of attack quickly in her head.&nbsp; A large grin spread across her face and she placed a hand lightly on Shadow’s arm. “I’ll be back darling,” she said as she stood up, and immediately walked over to the girl, a nervous smile replacing the grin.&nbsp; As she stood next to the table where the girl sat, purposefully placing a look of pure embarrassment upon her face, she cleared her throat.&nbsp; “I’m so sorry, this is going to sound strange but by any chance are you Sam Davis’ girlfriend?”&nbsp; The look on the girl’s face changed and Thorn knew that she had her attention so she pulled the chair out that was before her and quickly sat down.<br><br>“I knew it!&nbsp; He has talked about you all evening and described you perfectly,” Thorn said before replacing her smile with a frown.&nbsp; “My friend and I feel so horrible…we ran into him here…literally ran into him,” she began with a sigh, averting her eyes to the side apologetically.&nbsp; “Well to make a long story short, I’m a klutz and I was carrying my coffee which ended up all over Sam’s clothes.&nbsp; We felt so bad that we convinced him to come to our home so we could wash his clothing for him…and well...that is where he is now, patiently awaiting our slow dryer”.&nbsp; Thorn considered if she should continue on with the story then realized she better do so before trying to lure the girl over to Shadow as she had not informed her lover of her plan before leaving their table.<br><br>“So anyway, he was telling us this wonderful story about how he had planned on finishing up his job search then taking his girlfriend out to dinner.&nbsp; That boy is absolutely in love with you…you’re so lucky!”&nbsp; Thorn crossed her legs and looked over her shoulder at Shadow and gave a small wave.&nbsp; Returning her attention to the girl, she stood up and reached for the girl’s hand, “You must come meet my friend, she would be tickled to find out you are indeed the wonderful young lady that Sam has talked about all evening!”&nbsp; She was sure to raise her voice just a bit so that Shadow, who she knew would be listening intently, could overhear her.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Trieste</strong> on <strong>24-07-2008, 06:57:31</strong>
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				"Uh..." She's never seen this woman before in her life, and yet the woman knows her boyfriend? What? She blinks at the woman, surprised as Thorn just... invites herself to a seat. Slowly, Kali relaxes as Thorn gives her explanation, though, tilting her head and finally smiling a little. It sounds just like Sam to have run into... Kali blinks as Thorn invites her to their table, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "Well..." She isn'tmuch of a chatterbox, not really, and she's not quite sure how to politely decline the woman.<br><br>"As long as you promise not to spill any coffee on me," she finally says with a shy smile, scuffing one foot against the patio under her chair. She brushes a strand of hair out of her face and squints in the evening sun at the woman's friend, Shadow - though she doesn't know her by that name - and hesitates. <em>What the heck,</em> she thinks to herself. <em>They just feel bad. Can't do any harm to chat with them a little.</em> Slowly, she shifts her weight from her seat, sliding the chair back behind her. "Sure." <br><br>Picking up her cup, Kali drains her coffee and leaves the empty cup on the table for the waitress to pick up, pushing the chair back in after she's up and coming around the table. "That's your friend, right?" She nods toward Shadow, then looks at Thorn questioningly.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shadowz</strong> on <strong>20-08-2008, 08:41:53</strong>
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				Shadow felt the light grace of Thorn’s hand alight her arm, and in that moment her eyes drew from the sight of Sam’s girl and to the eyes of her partner, a small smile afflicted the corners of her mouth… a smile born from the knowledge that even now, in the quiet calm of the suns early evening rays that cast a languishing ochre hue to the sky above them a darkening storm was approaching, but the tang of ozone was replaced by the metallic promise of blood.<br><br>From her seated position beneath the mosaic glaze of shadow afforded by the tree lined street, she watched the exchange between them, from the positioning of them it was unclear to her exactly what was being said, their voices so often drowned amidst the general babble of the café’s other patrons. Shadow reached out for her cappuccino and sipped from it, taking her time and musing over it allowing her thoughts to drift and play across the tapestry of her thoughts. She smiled a soft sweet smile and returned her cup to the table, she raised her eyes and watched as Thorn slid one leg across the other and cast a glance across her shoulder towards her, in plain sight there was nothing to raise suspicion about such a simple gesture but between them they had mastered a sequence of hidden signs and gestures that spoke in a tone far more clear than mere words… and Thorn’s gesture was clear enough to her. She returned the nonchalant wave to her partner.<br><br>She caught the slight nod towards her from Kali and responded with a simple smile, affecting as innocent and demure a look as she could… a look she had become well practiced with, and watched as the girl made her way across to her with Thorn close by her side, almost acting like the guiding hand of fate as she bought her near.<br><br>Shadow smiled and half stood up, extending her hand towards the approaching woman, careful to ensure she didn’t knock against her cup… she flicked her gaze towards Thorn for a moment before returning it to Kali. “I can only assume that Thorn has been telling you of our little… encounter with Sam. It was most unfortunate, and once he told us of his plans for the evening we felt awful that we had dashed them…” she glanced apologetically between Thorn and her new ‘friend’ “You really are every inch as beautiful as he described…” she felt her cheeks rose up a little… another practiced art. <br><br>“Anyway… with all that had gone on, we both felt terrible so we put to him a proposal. Our place is just a little way out form here, surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery and close to one of the lakes… the sight of the sunset playing over the water is quite something, and given that both Thorn and I are pretty accomplished in the kitchen… what better way to make amends than to cook the both of you a nice romantic meal…” Shadow smiled softly as the lower sun played through the dabbled canvas.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [EX] Shadow and Thorn's Lair~The Town</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Greenthorn</strong> on <strong>23-08-2008, 04:28:40</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>Game ended.&nbsp; May or may not be reopened in the future.&nbsp; Thank you to all who have participated.<br>Thorn and Shadow</strong></div>
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