Kaer Morhen - IC
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Primarch on 31-12-2016, 14:54:14</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Primarch</strong> on <strong>31-12-2016, 14:54:14</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 24pt;" class="bbc_size"><span class="bbc_u"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font">Kaer Morhen: IC</span></span></span><br>(http://assets.vg247.com/current//2015/05/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt_walkthrough_01_kaermorhen.jpg)<br><br><em>The first snows of Winter have arrived, the Witchers on the Path are expected to return to see out Winter.<br>The Sorceresses continue to oversee the Castle, the Trial of Grasses is administered every other year once a sufficient batch of students are prepared.<br>The Castle is in some need of repair, old wooden supports have suffered under the damp throughout the year.<br>Game is plentiful in the surrounding woods, hunting locally is viable as is fishing.</em></div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Primarch</strong> on <strong>31-12-2016, 16:54:09</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://24.media.tumblr.com/8c88dbeaf23d01386803a3ee6cf2bf80/tumblr_mmr77lWhN11r495v5o2_250.gif)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Conor<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen - Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: His armour (https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/952/images/663-7-1442050519.jpg)<br><hr><br>The Witcher known simply as 'Conor' had been riding all morning. His last contract had been out Mahakam way, a particularly nasty Katakan. Those Dwarves knew how to put away their drink but that was hardly a secret. Though he had been on the road near ever since he was rather sure the hangover had only left him now. The mountain air on the approach to Kaer Morhen had perked him up something fantastic. As much as he loved to ride about on his <em>Empress</em> his arse was half way to leather. It would be good to be home. That's what Kaer Morhen was to him, home. The Nilfgaardian had been just a wee lad when he was handed over to the Sorceresses, he had no real memory of his parents. They were naught but ghosts that whispered to him in restless dreams. The Sorceresses had been his mothers, though some would not be amused if they had been referred to in such a manner.<br><br>It all went to the back of his head as the Witcher came upon his final approach to home. "<strong>Come on girl, we're here!</strong>" if the horse was at tired from the road as he was she gave no sign, she picked up her pace without any difficulty and carried them along the last of The Witcher's Trail until he passed through the gates. <em>Home</em>. This was where he could put down his boots with the least worry about them being stolen, where he could watch Iska create a lightning storm or where Deirdre of Lindenvale would patch up his wounds. This was where if you were cold, Bellatrix could create a fire out of <em>anything</em> and Elias could use it to cook whatever was fished from the pond that day. It was where he could go hunting with Mael of Vizima and watch him hit a boar from further out than any man had a right to hit a boar. It was where he could watch Arlaine of Vengerberg...well he mostly just watched Arlaine of Vengerberg but that was a different matter entirely. <br><br>Dismounting his horse he let those 'viper eyes' gaze over the ever familiar courtyard. He had been on the path for months, a particularly active year. Nothing had changed though, it was just as he remembered it. It seemed no matter how much work they did to patch the place up there was always something that needed to be fixed. No wonder, they were no stonemasons and it was not a small Castle. At least not in his experience. "<strong>Well come on then you lot, anyone going to welcome me back?</strong>' he called out with something akin to a smile taking over his face. They said Witchers were clean of emotions, it wasn't true. Well it wasn't quite right. Certainly it was clear to see his love for the place as he took the reigns of <em>Empress</em> and guided her towards the stables. <br><br>It was good to be home. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>31-12-2016, 17:57:13</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>Kaer Morhen - Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging:</strong> Conor, Open<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br>Arlaine sat on the edge of the wall at Khaer Morhen, bored out of her mind as there'd not been much to do this morning. She'd gotten back just yesterday from her latest assignment herself and was still feeling the need to rest but also felt that restless moment where she wanted something to do, anything to do! Hearing the horse as it approached, she lifted her head, pushing back her black hair which had fallen into her face, out of it and spotted Conor as he entered the gates of Kaer Morhen. A smile rose to her lips as she got up off the ledge of the wall and made her way over to him. <br><br>"Conor." She said as she gave him a brief embrace. "Welcome back." Conor, well he was special to Arlaine in many ways, though she'd not admitted this to anyone including him. So often, she would glance at him when he was home, steal those little looks that when he caught her looking, would send her heart hammering against her chest. Conor had started out under their care as a child, not that she had been much older than he was, truthfully she had come in later in his training. They'd been more of the friendly mentor/witcher at the time, but once he grew into the man he was now, she'd noticed a lot more of him. <br><br>Truth be told, she felt a lot for Conor though she didn't ever admit it to herself. "How was your trip this time?" She asked him as she looked up at him, had he gotten taller again? <br><br>The Sorceress's lodge was her home, it was where her friends were, even her enemies, if you could call them enemies. More like rivalries than enemies to be truthful. Her friend Deirdre, always the bright ray of sunshine, her good friend Elias always up for her help at Gwent, which she had to admit she was pretty damn good at. Lucrezia, she was like the big sister that Arlaine never had, the one she always looked up to and followed without fail. Then you had Iska, Iska was okay for the most part but ever since that night where she'd approached Arlaine quite lewdly and tried to get her into bed with her, well...it was just uncomfortable to be around Iska. <br><br>Bella though, Bella was the bane of her existence truth be told, after catching Bella in bed with one of Arlaine's lovers, it had just escalated from there. Though if they needed each other in a fight, you wouldn't be able to catch Bella and Arlaine within a short distance of each other if they could help it. Not that she held it agianst anyone else to be Bella's friend, she just couldn't stand the woman. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Vlexia</strong> on <strong>31-12-2016, 19:13:16</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/28fdcf6d-d309-4bf6-9906-b7455b5cab6b_zpsd4dvxswe.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Bellatrix<br><strong>Location</strong>: Karen Morhen - Mael's bedchamber<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Naked under a robe<br><hr><hr>Bellatrix knew exactly where she was the minute she opened her eyes: curved beam ceiling, the arched window to the left, those god-awful dark yellow curtains, and the smell of sweat and sex heavy in air. <br><br>"Awwwww, <em>shit</em>." She groaned to herself at the turn of her head to see Mael laying there beside her in the bed, the sheets up to his naked and narrowed waist, his long dark hair loose and forming a gothic halo on the pillow behind him, his breathing steady with the rise and fall of his bare chest. His torso was covered with the circle of bite marks and shoulders adorned with the scratches of a violent lover. The sorceress could taste the bitterness of wine from the night before still on her tongue, and reaching up she felt a ring of a bruise around her neck as well as the telltale soreness between her thighs. <br><br>She remembered an argument the night before....yes, that's it, with that <em>Arlaine</em>. Didn't remember what they had fought about, wasn't important and it usually didn't take much, but she had apparently gone to Mael's room afterwards to drink her senses away before taking her anger out on him in a very physical and primal way.<br><br>Rolling over and out of the bed, Bellatrix kicked the covers off of her naked figure and pushed her arms through a nearby robe before cinching it about her waist with the tie. Walking over to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard, the woman sighed, her rich chocolate curls loose about her face and blowing against the higher winds. Her eyes, literally the color of fire amber, were drawn to the movement of a man approaching. Her keen eyesight recognized the male as Conor, the Witcher she and her dear friend Lucrezia were really depending on for their future plans. Her friendly smile then vanished when the sight of Arlaine broke the scene of her rushing out to embrace the returning man, and turning with disgust from the balcony, she walked back into the warmth of the room.<br><br>The embers were burned down in the fireplace to glowing coals, and next to the bed on the nightstand was her goblet and a half-finished bottle of wine. Pouring herself another full glass, for nothing is better at washing out the taste of old wine than new wine, she then walked around to the other side of the bed to where Mael was still sleeping.<br><br>Sipping on her favorite spirit, Bellatrix gazed down on the man that held the true fire in her heart, the only one who could ignite her hotter than the white center of the sun itself. And yet, that was a power she would never bestow upon him, that knowledge of his ability to grip her soul like a vice. She chuckled without mirth before taking another sip as she thought of all the times they left each other, sought another's arms, only to angrily return once more, how they fought, both physically and verbally, how their love and hate for each other were literally two horns on the same damn goat.<br><br>She could feel her love for him making her tender and sweet, and since that just wouldn't do, it was time to squash it.<br><br>"Hey, you," she said firmly, overturning the remaining contents of her wine glass over and pouring it across his peacefully resting face, hopefully jerking him awake. "Time to wake up, Mael. Conor is back and we are due downstairs." 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Laughing Hyena</strong> on <strong>31-12-2016, 21:26:27</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/35/15/10/3515107f47035ebbd8e5377eb4410eda.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Elias<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Conor, Arlane, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Padded Jerkin and Chain Mail with Boiled Leather overlaid on too.<br><br>The youngest witcher had come a long way from his homeland. The An Craite always held the monster hunters in high regard, all of Skellige did. So when the call came for them, the child was filled with illusions of a call to adventure and heroics. To be something better. Reality came hipping onto him quickly with the trials and how many it could claim. It did bother him, he'd be lying if it didn't. Yet, somehow it was not enough to dissuade his passion and drives. No he wanted this and wanted to keep going. Conor and Mael were a large factor in making it feel that way. They weren't just brothers of steel and battle but blood. The sorceresses were all mentors, all capable of keeping him on the path and making the place feel less empty than usual. <br><br>Course it is impossible to sleep at times in a lonely keep like Kaer Morhen. He knew how busy and readily keeps like this could be and it never sat well with him. None the less this was home for him and he would always see it as such. Especially with the company kept. So often times he had to take some time to read and keep his mind off things when not on the Path. It was from here that he found something interesting about the place. Something that just screamed for him to get out there and explore the territory surrounding the keep.<br><br>Elias was not going to be amongst those in Kaer Morhen for he had woken up right and early for a quick bit of smoked ham and bread, made himself decent and gathered his gear. Having read up upon the school of the wolf,&nbsp; he learned there was more to the territory than just the keep itself. He'd have to thank the ladies for teaching him the alphabet and how to put pen to paper later. But from what the book told him there might be some thing worth salvaging due north in the ruins. Course it had to be dangerous, no doubt, but it wasn't going to deter him. He would just have to be cautious and scout the area. Not to mention that anything threatening the keep would have to be removed anyway. So it couldn't hurt to have a look. Who knows? Something worthwhile could come from this.<br><br>Unfortunately due to his insistence upon a quick bite to eat, it gave enough time for the others to rise from their slumber before he could go off on his own adventure and see what awaited him in those accursed ruins. Thus when he went out, he looked ready and able to be back on the path as he approached the main door and went into the courtyard. Both steel and silver upon his back and a small number of preparations for the days planned exploits. A padded jerkin underneath a shirt of chain and boiled leather at the chest, legs and arms. The man was a bear, bold in physical build, demeanor and voice. <br><br>Seeing as how Arlane and Conor were getting reacquainted, upon impulse he walked over to them, Duma trotting beside him. It might be a mistake to approach... but it had been some time since he had seen Conor. <strong>"Ha! Welcome back from the Path, indeed! Conor, tis good to see you again."</strong> He couldn't help but verbally rib his fellow witcher during the warm welcome. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Primarch</strong> on <strong>31-12-2016, 22:01:12</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/qA9vZfY.gif)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Lucrezia of Beauclair<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen - Central Keep<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Black Robes (http://digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/12/49/768x512/gallery_cult-merlin-s05-e10-6.jpg)<br><hr><hr><br>Lucrezia had been awake for hours. With winter soon to be setting in journeying to and from the Castle would be largely impossible by mundane means. There were matters to attend too, there always was. The Lodge was in a tremendously precarious position. The powers that be throughout the Empire and what were still sometimes known as 'The Northern Kingdoms' were ever watching Kaer Morhen with concern. Sorceresses gathering was rarely good for anyone but Sorceresses. That they were cultivating a group of highly trained killers only added to it. They survived perhaps only because so far they were able to display the tremendous benefits of Witchers being back in the world. How many leshens, vampires and giants had been stopped from being a threat to peaceful little villages? Never mind how many drowners &amp; nekkers they had killed. The common folk cried about mutants bothering honest folk and all of that but they were ignorant peasants that believed all manner of ludicrous superstition. <br><br>When she heard the sound of a returning Witcher shouting his arrival in the courtyard she turned to the contacts she was speaking with through her megascope before bidding her farewells. It had been too long since she was home but her presence at Kaer Morhen was essential. There was too much work to do, always too much work. She had to make sure they did not forget her however. <br><br>With pressing matters put to rest the Sorceress stepped away, running a leather clad hand over the 'mess' of midnight black plaits and twists that formed her hair. To some it was a mess, those with a better eye for such things would notice the pattern to it. A very careful eye may even have been able to tell it was achieved with magic. Lucrezia absolutely <em>did not</em> have time for that. It had been different in Beauclair when she had servants but out here one had to rely on a certain amount of self-sufficiency. It was all background however as she emerged onto the balcony, blue eyes seeking out the source of the noise that had taken her attention. Conor had returned and <em>Arlaine</em> had not missed a moment to greet him. "<em>One of these days I'm going to spike their drinks and let them have at it.</em>" Why it was taking them so long she did not know. Arlaine was no wall maid, she had her fair share of lovers, could probably be a right harlot when she wanted to be. Conor was no better, Lucretiza had chastised him in the paste for wasting his money on cheap wine and whores. She didn't usually think of herself as a Countess of Toussaint but she felt personally offended when she heard about some of the rat piss they had been drinking. <br><br>Elias joined the scene a moment later. No doubt Arlaine would be delighted, someone interrupting her private moment with Conor thirty seconds in. Or perhaps a second Witcher was <em>precisely</em> what she wanted. Throw in some Est Est and it would be a party. What was it they said about Aedirnian girls again? <br><br>Bored of considering what Arlaine of Vengerberg needed betwix her nethers Lucrezia departed her balcony and soon made her way out of her chambers entirely. It was time to see the day properly greeted and make sure everything was in order for all of the returning Witchers. The Lodge Sorceress made her way down to into the Keep proper, the sound of her harsh heels announcing her presence before she was ever properly visible. Eventually she came to a stop at the main entrance of the Keep itself. Her hands came to a perch at the small of her back and her eyes focused on the courtyard. There would be plenty more life in the place before long. There always was in winter.&nbsp; &nbsp; <br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Primarch</strong> on <strong>01-01-2017, 04:09:20</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://24.media.tumblr.com/8c88dbeaf23d01386803a3ee6cf2bf80/tumblr_mmr77lWhN11r495v5o2_250.gif)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Conor<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen - Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: His armour (https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/952/images/663-7-1442050519.jpg)<br><hr><hr><br>Not a moment had passed between getting <em>Empress</em> in her stable before Conor heard the distinctive voice of Arlaine of Vengerberg, turning on the spot to greet her she welcomed him with an embrace which he returned in kind. The smell of her hair was a welcome change from the scents he had been treated too on the road. "<strong>Its good to be back.</strong>" the smile on his face suggested it was a very genuine sentiment, especially with who was first to welcome him back. Once there was a little space between them he took the chance to remove his gloves and let the skin on his hands breath. Not to mention just stretch them out. Blisters were an old friends of his but he was a Witcher, they healed quickly. How others got by with them he would never know. "<strong>Not bad.</strong>" he had been out on the Path for most of the year, returning only very rarely and not for long. The winter would be his longest stay since last winter. "<strong>Much the same as ever, someone needs help, I agree to help for a price. Kill the monster, they quibble over the agreed price. New assholes, same shite.</strong>" Conor had read enough accounts of Witchers from the olden days to know the tricks folk would try, it was almost impressive how quickly folk got back into the swing of trying to get out of paying a Witcher. <br><br>Conor was about to say something else when an entirely different voice caught his attention. Shifting his weight to glance in the direction of the newcomer he nearly did a double take. "<strong>Elias? Is that <em>baby</em> Elias!?</strong>" Elias was of course not a baby but he was the youngest of their brotherhood and with the time Conor had been away, well any changes were always most noticeable in the younger kin. The older Witcher put out his hand for a firm shake but was quick to pull the young man of the Skellige Isles into an embrace. "<strong>Well your balls have dropped haven't they?</strong>" the Nilfgaardian always found it a bit just how brash he was. He seemed...well he seemed to young for it, almost carried himself like an older man. Perhaps it was just the way of youth to imitate the role of their seniors until they became it or maybe he just had an old soul.&nbsp; <br><br>"<strong>Well come on then, what have I missed? There's got to be some news around the Castle.</strong>" Truth be told they more likely expected him to bring news from the wide open world. All manner of information could be gained while on the path, though half of it was horse shit. A pair of farmers squabble in Aedirn and by the time the story reaches Kaedwen its turned into a grand tale of love, lust and intrigue with a Bruxae thrown in for good measure. <br><br>Letting his eyes roam over the scene about him for a moment Conor caught sight of the Sorceress Iska Mandem. She waved to the group and Conor waved back. Conor was fond of Iska, she had a good heart and while just about all Sorceresses could make things move about with their magic, none seemed to do it quite so well as Iska. Telekinesis or whatever it was. While it was all well and good to throw around a fireball or something, there was something highly impressive about making a sword stop in midair and just sending it shooting through the air like a giant steel arrow. It was then he spotted Lucrezia watching them from the entrance to the Castle. No polite wave from her of course. The woman was a force of nature, be it a firestorm or glacier he wasn't entirely sure. "<strong>How about we head inside?</strong>" he tried to take his mind off of her, better company beside him. "<strong>I need a hot meal, a hotter bath and a stiff drink and I don't mind in which order.</strong>" the Witcher was rather sure that between what was caked into his hair and caught under his nails he had half the dirt from here to Mahakam.&nbsp; 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>01-01-2017, 04:34:50</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>Kaer Morhen - Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging:</strong> Conor, Open<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br>"Oh I'm sure, you know, one would think they would learn gratitude in this day and age. Sadly, only the refined people learn to be grateful, and then not even they are." She said with a sigh and shook her head. Arlaine had moved back as soon as she heard Elias come up behind them and she smiled at Elias. "Yes, last time I've checked his balls have dropped, but then I could be wrong. I mean, my hands I didn't think had touched that many to be so wrong as that." She said with a playful wink to Elias, granted she had never done anything with Elias, but she could get as bawdy with the jokes as she liked at times and none of them ever seemed to mind....usually. <br><br>Seeing Iska's wave, she gave a casual, yet quicker than most wave to Iska, not wanting to seem impolite but also still unsure how to handle the woman, that and unsure how to deal with the situation that had arisen between the two of them. It had been more of a discomfort to Arlaine than an embarrassment, especially when Iska had bared herself to her as if that was to be some sort of encouragement for Arlaine. She supposed if she had been into the female persuasion, this wouldn't be an issue for her, but Arlaine had only ever found attraction to men.<br><br>Now that didn't mean to say she couldn't appreciate a woman's beauty, even comment on it, but that didn't mean she found them sexually appealing. Turning just slightly, she spotted Lucrezia and gave her a smirk, oh she knew just about what was going through that crafty woman's head about her. Lucrezia was one of the only ones in the world who knew about Arlaine's desire for Conor. Not that she'd told the elder sorceress, she'd gleaned the information all on her own. She watched her leave in time to hear Conor talk about heading inside, stating he needed a hot meal, a hotter bath and a stiff drink. "Well if you don't mind the order, how about we get you inside, you can get the stiff drink, have a seat and I'll get you a hot meal then when finished you can take that hotter bath." She suggested. Moving to head inside with him and Elias, should they begin walking. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>02-01-2017, 02:16:12</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Karen Morhen - Mael's bedchamber<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Bellatrix<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Naked<br><hr><hr><em>Unlike most of the new generation of witchers, Mael had a little something against the potions. Not for their benefits, but for their side effects. Hunting monsters at night, creatures that could see or didn't need to in the deepest dark of night, required, for many, the Cat potion. One of the relics of the School of the Wolf that had been revived by the Lodge, it was a simpler decoction that allowed a witcher to see perfectly at night. Not only that, but it made their hearing sharper, their senses attuned to the dangers of the life that was chosen for them. It also had a habit of draining a witcher of his inhibitions, drawing the most violent side of them out. In Mael particular case, that was something that he could do without. A swordsman might be able to survive in the battle trance that Cat would put them in, but an Archer needed his senses to be balanced. Which meant a long night of meditation, closing his eyes, and letting his senses become one with the world around him.<br><br>Crickets stopped chirping, frogs in the swamp suddenly stopping in their spring song in search of a mate. And Mael's eyes opened. He didn't need to see them to know that the rotfiends that he'd been paid to take care of had been drawn out of their hiding to feast on the dozens of corpses that had been left in a recent battle. Small skirmish really, local militia raised by the local towns to fight against a garrison of deserters that had been destroying local trade and demanding money from the towns. The battle had gone the locals way, mostly due to the engorged numbers of the militia. Sadly, they had taken their precious time in getting rid of the corpses left from the battle, and once they decided that they should, they realized that the place was crawling with necrophages.<br><br>Sadly for the villagers. Happily for Mael. He mad made Necrophages into something of a specialty. They were easy money, for the most part. And once the Rotfiends had grown too numerous for the rotten flesh to feed them, the stragglers started settling for fresher meat in the form of the inhabitants of the nearby villages. And a witcher had been called for.<br><br>And Mael was there to deal with them.<br><br>His eyes were adjusted to the evening darkness, and the sounds of the rotfiends beginning their nightly feast drew his gaze to his left. He rose from his sitting position on the piece of relatively dry ground that he had found, moving silently over the ground until his keep eyes caught sight of his quarry. A dozen or more of the creatures, attacking the remains of the militiamen and deserters alike. Brought together in a common end: Monster food.<br><br>Mael resisted a shudder and quickly pulled his bow from his back, silently stringing it and drawing five arrows from the quiver on his back. Four were tucked into the hand holding the bow, and the fifth was smoothly placed to the string and drawn back slowly. The rotfiends were about thirty paces out. As they liked to walk around on all fours, managing a center mass shot was next to impossible, meaning that there was only one place to shoot that would bring a monster down with a single shot.<br><br>The bowstring sang, and the arrow flew, zipping through the air. And with the sickening sound of flesh ripping and bone shattering, a necrophage dropped to the ground, a long shaft jutting from it's eye.<br><br>A small moment of satisfaction touched Mael, but not making him pause as the creatures stopped their eating, trying to detect the origin of their attacker. A second arrow was taken from the fingers holding the bow and smoothly placed to the string, and flew like the second, and like the first, hammered home, this time into the temple of another beast. A roar that sounded oddly like a scream sounded as one of them saw the witcher at thirty paces out, and as one, they converged on their attacker. The bow sang again, and again, and again and each arrow hit it's target, and three more beasts sprawled in the mud and grass. No more arrows in his hands, Male concentrated and extended his free hand, making a sign with his fore and little finger, almost a triangle between the two. It wasn't just the sign that was necessary of course, but it helped focus the will of the witcher, and from the sign, a glow grew out, extending into the form that he had made and flowing out in the form of fire. The rotfiends ignored it. They feared fire as much as they did poison.<br><br>Their mistake.<br><br>The tongue of flame wasn't directed at them, but maybe a pace or so to their left, where the flames apparently disappeared. But only for a moment. Mael quickly closed his eyes and looked away as the flash from the bombs that he had placed there hours ago would have ruined his night vision for hours. The bombs themselves weren't of much importance. They would kill any humanoid that they encountered regardless, but the silver ball-bearings coated in necrophage oil that were within and sent flying precisely into the crowd of rotfiends shredded the monsters into as much ground beef. The cheap kind, with bits of bone.<br><br>Mael opened his eyes again and turned back to the sight of the carnage and smoke. He cursed suddenly, seeing movement emerge from the cloud in the form of a very angry rotfiend. Only one, it appeared. The rest had been destroyed beyond recognition. It was wounded and bleeding, but it didn't seem to slow it down, bearing quickly down on the witcher. He had no time to draw another arrow, so he dropped the bow and down from his belt, his silver sword was drawn.<br><br>Connor had told him a story once of a time that he had been hunting a Fleder, a lesser kind of vampire. It had charged him and, in their fashion, leaped to try and bring him down to the ground. Conor had, in the coolest of minds, drawn his silver sword and waited for the leap, extending his blade as soon as the vampire had lifted off the ground, unable to change its trajectory, causing the beast to impale itself on the silver sword. It had been an impressive feat, and Mael doubted that Conor had simply made it up. And had always wanted to attempt such a move himself. The thought came to him when the rotfiend jumped at him.<br><br>But not only did he doubt that his own shorter blade was capable of such a move, he certainly lacked the courage that his brother had in such situations. As the rotfiend umped at him, Mael swayed and jumped out of the way. He fell on his shoulder, rolled and was on his feet in a second, a silver throwing dagger appearing his left hand, the sword being held in his right, and with a flicker of his wrist, the dagger flew in the direction of the creature that had been just recovering from its missed attack. The dagger hammered hard into the beast's midriff, eliciting a roar of pain and a moment of distraction as it tried to dig the silver blade from it's torso. A moment that was not wasted. Mael jumped forward and hacked harshly with his sword. The head dropped first, followed by the body that it had been parted from.<br><br>Mael spun quickly at the sound of another roar, this time sounding more like anger, his sword held out in front of him. There was no immediate need. The monster that had drawn his attention was ten paces out, staring at him. It was considerably larger than the rest, and seemed to be showing caution as it approached him. It was untouched by the explosion and had likely stayed back to gorge itself while the rest attacked. And now was trying to figure out if the creature that had murdered all of its fellow monsters was too dangerous to attack alone. It stared and roared at Mael, who held his sword ahead of himself, gripping it calmly as he stared the creature down.<br><br>Finally, it decided to fight another day and with a hiss and a growl, it spun around and started to run away. Mael didn't pause for a second, planting his blade in the ground and sprinting over to where he had dropped his bow. He swept it up, shaking the mud and grass from it as he draw an arrow from his quiver, placing it to the string carefully. Shooting a charging rotfiend was one thing, as it had it's most vital area, it's head, pointed at him. But one that was running away had to be shot over. And, again, was moving away. A complicated shot. He took a deep breath and let it go, mentally calculating the beast's distance over the time that it would take the arrow to hit. And smoothly released, watching the arrow fly through the air, bending this way and that as it flew. It would be true. It would be a shot for the ages, it...</em><br><br>He coughed and spluttered, shaking the liquid from his face as he jumped out of the bed and onto his feet before she had even finished her sentence. If there was one thing that training every day with a bunch of witchers taught him was to wake instantly, and be aware the moment that his eyes opened. His turned to face his attacker. A beast of gorgeously dark skin, shimmering black eyes and shining and well groomed hair. One that he couldn't hope to defeat. Even resistance was something of a joke, as she had shown him the night previous without even breaking a sweat.<br><br>At first, anyways, he thought with a smile as he dragged a finger over his skin and tasted the wine that she had so unceremoniously poured all over him.<br><br>"A shame to waste such a fine vintage," Mael growled, despite the smile still lingering on his lips," And you're washing the sheets that you poured it on," His tone indicated that it wasn't a request as he turned, not bothering to cover himself. She had seen all of it, in close and intimate detail, many times before. He picked up a rag from his desk and cleaned his face, neck and torso with it, smiling, hidden from her, as he watched the marks that she had left on him ripple under his lean, powerful muscles. She had marks of her own, his courtesy, and quite similar too. Bite marks, signs of nails dragging across her skin, and he had doubted that her bottom was not still flushed red from where his open hand had marked it, repeatedly. Sorceresses, women who near constantly enjoyed having power over their surroundings and it's inhabitants, also seemed to enjoy having that power taken away from them in the privacy of bedchambers.<br><br>She had come to his room the night before, late in the night too, having already emptied half of one bottle and with another in tow, demanding that he share it with her. He had voice some weak objection or another. This was a bad idea. The hour was late. They had business the following morning, but no real effort had been put into it. Seeing her had fired him up - the way that it always did, he mused - and had ended with clothes being discarded quickly, lest they be torn off, and a long and sweaty evening that had started on his desk, and ended pleasantly on his bed. He bent down to pick up his grey shirt, smiling as he untangled her undergarments, which had been ruined by him tearing them off of her body, from his shirt and tossed them back to her with a smirk as he began to put his shirt on.<br><br>"Knowing Conor, he'll likely want to have something to eat, or... and drink before we get down to the meat of business. So yes, we're expected, but hardly late," He pulled her dress from where he had carelessly draped it over the crude chair near the desk, and it too was tossed to her. If she wanted to end their heated night with a could shoulder, well... he was beginning to get used to that. It wasn't like he was holding her waking him up in such a crude manner against her, so long as she made sure the sheets were clean before he returned to the bed. Besides, he already knew how the dream ended. He had jogged over to where the rotfiend had dropped suddenly in it's run, the arrow jutting from the back of it's squat, ugly little neck instead of it's head, but severing the spine had killed it instantly.<br><br>It had been a shot for the ages. Too bad nobody had been there to see it. He wasn't as much for boasting as Conor was.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LeSane</strong> on <strong>02-01-2017, 03:50:00</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/Ihp51n7.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Serugei of Nilfgaard <br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen - Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: His usual Armor (http://img09.deviantart.net/6431/i/2015/145/a/d/the_crow_jon_snow___concept_by_mizaeltengu-d6drnyo.jpg)<br><hr><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td>In another part of the courtyard, Serugei had been practicing his swordsmanship. Gaining a foothold on the essentials as anyone who lived by the sword should. Yesterday he'd been practicing Addan Anye which made each strike of the sword land in quick succession. It was the style he was most comfortable using against with silver. He would never admit it, but it was only when he wanted to draw out the fight. Bleed his opponent of their confidence, Hope, and their life with shallow cuts and nicks at less than vital areas. Before he had came back to Kaer Morhen he'd been contracted to tackle a Wyvern that had made its next in an abandoned tower between Velen and Novigrad. Unfortunately, the beast had been attacking weary travelers for over a month. With his blade, he came in during the cover of night slashing at its legs and wings until it could do nothing but limp out in a feeble attempt to flee from its ever coming fate. The hunt only lasted a day before it gave up and lay helplessly in a cave while leaving a beautiful trail of blood for Serugei to follow. To make a tale short, it was an agonizing last few minutes before it was put out of its misery.<br><br>As of right at this moment he was sleeping soundly as these walls even though they brought unsavory memories of his time as a recruit brought him a small haven from the world beyond it. Around him, birds chirped as the day began anew. He slowly stirred yet kept silent as he listened to what was around him. It had seemed Conor had returned from his time out upon the path. Serugei had a sort of admiration for his ability to fight vampires with such expertise, but that was where the line ended. To the Ofir, he was nothing more than another garden-variety Witcher since with time one's actions would eventually form some fame. <em>'Let's put on a semblance of hospitality shall we? Nah...'</em> thinking to himself as clamored up to his two feet. He felt sluggish as resting so awkwardly had tensed up his muscles.<br><br>There would be enough time to converse with his fellow Witcher and undoubtedly swap tales of their of combat, sights, and other bits. For now he would go back to his next set part of his renewal of training, but first, he'd have to repair the many dummies which had been torn asunder, the limbs hacked off and hay spewing out from crucial areas. <em>'Oh right. I forgot.'</em> shaking his head solemnly as this was beyond him. Serugei was not one for fixing things, but the exact opposite. Whenever he tried to fiddled with them he only made it worse until one was unsalvageable to the point he just gave up.<br></td></tr></tbody></table>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Vlexia</strong> on <strong>02-01-2017, 05:07:52</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/28fdcf6d-d309-4bf6-9906-b7455b5cab6b_zpsd4dvxswe.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Bellatrix<br><strong>Location</strong>: Karen Morhen - Mael's bedchamber<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Naked under a robe<br><hr><hr><br>The smirk on her face was extremely fulfilled when he sputtered and jerked awake from the onslaught of red wine disturbing his sleep, but then his complete lack of reaction, as if he had come to expect such behavior from her, then swept the knowing expression away. Crossing her arms as he stood up from the sodden sheets Mael proceeded to issue a command for her to change them, a command that had the sorceress scoffing at such an event.<br><br>"Make me."&nbsp; Bellatrix spat back with venom as she caught her torn undergarments that Mael tossed her way. The corner of her eye remained trained on her lover as he pulled her grey shirt on, covering his deliciously alabaster complexion from her sight. He continued to slowly get dressed, tossing her discarded clothing from around his room in her direction, declaring how Conor would most likely want to rest over a hot meal and a hard drink before they were even missed. Giggling like the innocent girl she often pretended to be, Bellatrix swept her way over to him, and just as he was fully dressed, she went to wrap her arms around his neck, pressing her body to his front, feeling him from chest to knees.<br><br>Kissing him briefly by pecking her lips against his, she nuzzled his nose with a sneaky expression. "Did I say we were late?" Her velvety voice caressed his ears sweetly as her hands ran up the front of his shirt. "I mean, I can think of -something- we could do..." she trailed off in a shy-like shrug as her slender fingers played with the buttons on his shirt. "...that could make us <em>actually</em> late...Or we can go down now. Tonight Lucrezia and I will be discussing the winter that faces us and what it means, so you will be without me tonight. That is, if you even can..." Her sentence ended with a wicked smirk as she brushed her full lips against his in a tease before turning away from him to slip the robe off from her shoulders and drop the robe to the ground causing the fabric to pool at her narrowed ankles and expose her nakedness. <br><br>Stepping out of the circle, Bellatrix walked to the vanity and sat down on the bench in front of the large mirror, her soft full breasts bouncing softly with every step, their mahogany nippled peaks hardened in the brisk morning hair.&nbsp; Picking up a brush she began to brush the tangles from her thick hair, streaming her fingers across the curls to smooth it all down. "Anyway, brushing all of this nonsense aside..." she waved her hand, silently encompassing him and their night of passion as if both meant nothing. "Is there any reason for you to be leaving before we are settled for the winter?" She put the brush down and looked at him in the mirror's reflection as she raised her lean arms and began to braid her hair. "Wouldn't want you too far from me when I needed a half-decent fucking..."<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Laughing Hyena</strong> on <strong>02-01-2017, 18:40:44</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/35/15/10/3515107f47035ebbd8e5377eb4410eda.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Elias<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Conor, Arlane, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Padded Jerkin and Chain Mail with Boiled Leather overlaid on too.<br><br>Elias let out a chuckle followed by a laugh. Both Arlane and Conor made light of his growth spurt and he took it in stride with a prideful boast. <strong>"Might want to make sure I don't get any bigger on you then. Could be mistaken for a baby giant if I keep going."</strong> Rolling with the verbal punches as it were, he embraced Conor with a firm hug. Several pats on the back later the hug was broken and that was more than enough to make his day. The moment of the two alone was enough to make him drop all notions of an adventure in the surrounding territory. <strong>"And I bet you have a story twice as tall and grand as myself."</strong> However, Arlane has already determined that she would be setting up the order of events and cooking the meal for Conor. During the conversation he caught Iska waving at the lot of them and waved right back to her. There was no need to be a stranger, they're all family but it seems like she was busy. And Elias always found it wiser not to interrupt. <br><br>Arlane had given them reason and prompt to head back inside. Elias would have to catch up since Dusa was already ready for the path and needed to be placed back in the stable. But he always was the one to have to catch up to the other witchers. <strong>"I'll be there in a moment."</strong> A good drink seems right on this very moment. Which made him wonder, what had he made for himself the last night during his excursions of reading? Right, salted pigs in baked dinner breads, salted with poppy seed and salt crystals followed with roasted potatoes. Then there was the honeyed cider he just tapped into. Nothing like a fresh bottle of sweetened drink to wash down hearty treats. Perhaps there was a few things leftover from that night. <br><br>With Dusa placed back in the stable and with a rub of the horse's neck, he reassured the reliable steed. <strong>"Don't worry we'll be going out for a run soon enough."</strong> He'd hopefully remember to go through with his plans. But enough about that, it was high time to catch up with the pair heading into the courtyard. His feet carried him quickly back to the side of the two. And once with them he waited until they wee back inside to continue talking. <strong>"The Honeyed Cider was just opened yesterday if you're wanting to warm up before you hit the harder stuff."</strong> Variation in what you drink is always a refreshing game at the tables in his eyes at least.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Primarch</strong> on <strong>03-01-2017, 02:33:29</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://24.media.tumblr.com/8c88dbeaf23d01386803a3ee6cf2bf80/tumblr_mmr77lWhN11r495v5o2_250.gif)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Conor<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen - Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: His armour (https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/952/images/663-7-1442050519.jpg)<br><hr><hr><br>It seemed it had taken almost no time at all until Conor felt like he had never left, unless there were some new students back in the castle somewhere, nothing had changed. "<strong>Don't get ahead of yourself, before you know it some lumpkin will put out a contract. I can see it now, <em>Witcher needed urgently, baby giant terrorizing local girls and stealing all our booze. No pay but great experience</em>.</strong>" Worst part was if he came across it the only unusual part would be that the giant was a baby, otherwise someone may actually try something like that. <br><br>"<strong>We must know different refined people you and I. The <em>refined ones</em> seem worst to me. Must be the confidence that comes with having guards to throw out a vagrant mutant when they expect to be paid.</strong>" To the credit of village folk they tended to be a bit more 'fair pay for fair work' though there was no shortage of those who tried to pull a fast one or generally worm out of payment. When Arlaine made the jape about Elias's balls Conor felt a twinge of discomfort in his gut for just a moment. A worry that Elias had been warming her bed rushed through his mind for a split moment but it was gone soon as it came. It had been so long since he had been around them all he had forgotten her sense a humour, only took a moment for him to recognize what it was. That uncomfortable sensation lingered a few moments longer all the same. He was old enough and wise enough to know Arlaine was no chaste maiden but the thought of someone so close to home as it were got at him in a way he had not expected. It pushed it from his mind when she suggested they head inside. "<strong>Aye, sounds like a plan to me, lead the way.</strong>"<br><br>The trio started making their way into the Castle, it would be nice to have that familiar roof over his head again and it would be nice to sleep in his own bed. "<strong>If you're offering mead, I'm not saying no.</strong>" It didn't get as much use of course, unless some guest had been staying and his living space had been turned over. Not that he'd mind. It wasn't like he had a wide collection of very private and personal belongings. Aside from his horse, he was wearing just about all his most personal belongings, his swords, his armour and of course his Witcher medallion. <br><br>Passing through the entrance to the Keep he gave Lucrezia a polite nod of his head but immediately focused on the fact he was back <em>in</em> Kaer Morhen. That was it, he was home. Full and proper. "<strong>Bloody hell, its good to be back. Don't get me wrong, life on the Path has its joys but....home, aye?</strong>" a weight in his shoulders he had forgotten he was carrying seemed to melt away when the familiar scents of old parchment, blade oil and lit candles swept through his nostrils. His hands came up to loosen the straps that kept his swords on his back. Though their presence on his person had long since become a source of comfort, when he was home it was nice to move without the weight. Well it would be nicer when he wasn't wearing so much armour. It would be all tunics and trousers for the next few weeks.&nbsp; <br><br>Passing through the great mainhall he carried on until they came upon one of the dining tables and he dropped his mass down, swords propped up on the table side. "<strong>Now then...lets have a go at this mead.</strong>"<br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>03-01-2017, 03:46:17</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Karen Morhen - Mael's bedchamber<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Bellatrix, Conor, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Grey shirt, leather leggings<br><hr><hr>Mael paused a moment, wondering just how he could make her. Perhaps not letting her sleep in his bed until the thing was settled. He was sure he could deal with the discomfort, and if anything, he could just go on a trip and not come back until it was finished. He doubted her could actually force her to clean the bed, but he was always willing to try. But why go through the effort? And for what? Just to be petty? Mael had better things to worry about. Even if she could just clean the stains with a flick of her hand, or however magic worked when it came to cleaning bedding. He was anything but an expert. If he had the time, he would clean it later. If not, he would find one of the empty bedrooms in Kaer Morhen - Of which there were quite a few - and spend a couple nights there.<br><br>While not an expert in magic, Mael was something of a fatalist, and some problems were just not worth the trouble to deal with. Bellatrix just so happened to be the exception of that particular rule.<br><br>A note on this particular exception was the fact that her vanity was in his room. He had no doubt that she had many others, but it had appeared in his room one evening, while he had been asleep. She had declined to tell him how she had managed to get it there, and he... had just left it. No matter how many times they argued, screamed and yelled at each other, no matter how many times they parted ways thinking that if they never saw each other again it would be too soon, he still left the vanity there. Because he knew, or rather hoped, that she would be sitting on that chair combing her hair again before too long.<br><br>And so far that hope hadn't let him down yet. Would it? Probably. Would he throw the piece out the next time they parted ways? No.<br><br>Never.<br><br>In that way, he was an optimist.<br><br>He smiled as she pecked his lips, and tilted his head as she made thought of them being later still by engaging in other matters of no less importance. He didn't answer, and openly let his eyes wander over her naked body as she moved over to that little piece of furniture that seemed out of place in his spartanly furnished room, most of which had been roughly hewn and had seen better days. As she sat, he moved in behind her, still letting himself enjoy the view that she provided, letting his large hands settle on her shoulders, gently working the tense muscles there with his rough and calloused fingers.<br><br>And they dropped away quickly when she asked him if he was going to be staying in Kaer Morhen until the winter, an odd look coming over his face as he turned away before she could see it in his reflected image in the mirror," I haven't made any plans, but I'm likely to try and find a few autumn contracts before winter settles in," He said tersely, declining to make one of his customary quips as he sat down on the bed, pulling his boots on quickly," If you'll excuse me, milady, I'll go greet Conor," And with that formal farewell, he picked up the pack that held his weapons and exited the room. He would never understand her. He doubted he even wanted to. And he detested how vulnerable he was around her. Letting his guard around her was as easy as how they removed each other's clothes. The problem with that was that she seemed unwilling to be equally vulnerable, and knew how to hurt him when he was at his weakest. Each time, like now, he thought never again.<br><br>And yet he kept that damned vanity. He cursed quietly as he made his way down to the main hall, forcing a smile on his face as he entered, and even meaning it as he heard Conor's words," A bit early for mead, isn't it?" He asked in a jocular tone, placing his weapons on the table and moving to where his brother-in-Grasses was now seated, clapping the man on the shoulder.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>03-01-2017, 15:48:56</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>Kaer Morhen - Dining Hall<br><strong>Tagging:</strong> Conor, Elias, Mael<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br><br>"Who said the refined people were the rich people?" Arlaine asked with a laugh. "I find far better company outside of the mansions and manors than I do inside them. Probably because all they want is a spell or two and once my usefulness is up, out I go as well." She shrugged at the thought and once they were inside, she looked at the men. "I shall be right back with your breakfasts." <br><br>What Conor hadn't known was Arlaine in her last job had found a cook who was simply willing to come here and live and cook, if given the right tools because she had no where else to go, her last lord tossing her out and Arlaine, being kind of heart couldn't just leave her on the streets. So she'd brought her here to be their cook and she was already in the kitchen this morning, baking biscuits and bread, making eggs, bacon, sausage, you name it, she was making it. The woman was a marvel in Arlaine's eyes. <br><br>"Good morning Tess." She said as she walked into the kitchen and gave the woman a friendly hug. "Mind if I take a few plates?"<br><br>"That's what they're there for child, do you think I would eat all of this myself?" Tess asked with a kindly smile and a wink. <br><br>"No, but no one truly knows how hearty an apetite can be eh?" She asked as she began making two plates for Conor and Elias. She placed a bit of each on there and topped it off with two biscuits each. "I'll see you around lunch Tess." She said before heading out, both plates in her hands and saw Mael as soon as she came out, nearly stopping her in her tracks. Where Mael was, Bella would soon likely follow. <br><br>Oh she knew all about Mael and Bellatrix, honestly in this place while it was big, secrets weren't that easy to keep because they all knew eachother quite well. She put on her brave face and a smile before moving to the table where Conor sat and placed a plate before him, the other went to Elias. "Well, eat up." She said, making sure she had two forks to hand them as well before sitting across from Conor. "Good morning Mael, Tess has some wonderful food in the kitchen cooking if you're hungry." She said as congenially as possible. <br><br>She had nothing against Mael, to be honest, he was handsome enough and if she'd thought she might have had a chance back when, she might have hooked up with him once or twice, but Bella, like usual had stuck her claws into the man, but this time, it'd stuck. So to Arlaine, Mael was Bella's territory and she'd always done her best to stay away from Bella's territory if she could help that one. Besides, as soon as she began feeling for Conor, the thought of bedding any other Witcher had left her mind years ago, it just never culminated the way she'd hoped as she'd never known if he felt anything truly in return, and so here they sat. playing their little cat and mouse game. <br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Vlexia</strong> on <strong>04-01-2017, 00:13:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft"><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td>(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/28fdcf6d-d309-4bf6-9906-b7455b5cab6b_zpsd4dvxswe.jpg)</td></tr><tr><td><div align="center"><div style="display: block;" class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" style="display: block;" class="spoiler_header">Clothing</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/IMG_0001_zpsfbnydji6.jpeg)</div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><strong>Name</strong>: Bellatrix<br><strong>Location</strong>: Karen Morhen - Mael's bedchamer---&gt; Dining Hall<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Mael, Lucrezia, Arlaine, Elias, Conor- Open<br><hr><hr><br>The look of confusion did not leave her face from the moment he disengaged himself from her suddenly to quite a few minutes after he all but slammed the door behind him, seemingly fleeing from her. Bellatrix stared at the wooden frame in silence, brow furrowed, a bit insulted, and very tempted to go after him and demand an explanation as to what mysterious nerve in particular she struck. <br><br>Finishing her braid in the mirror, the sorceress stood before her vanity and, starting at her collarbone, began to create the dress she was going to wear today by working her hands down slowly from breasts down. Constructing through magic black and red fitted lace over a satin dress that stopped just above her knees, the delicate overlap actually reaching the ground around her slender ankles, she dressed herself in the gothic style with dark undertones and promises. With a movement above her face with her fingertips she created the illusion of her amber colored eyes outlined thick with kohl and painted her full lips a deep red. A nod to her stunning reflection had her standing up and going towards the bed once more to slip her bare feet into simple black shoes. While over there her eyes were drawn to the crimson stain now set in the sheets, and knowing already that Mael would be disappointed if he came back and it was still as it was, Bellatrix flicked her wrist and instantly the sheets were clean and drawn up, covered by a thick wool blanket. It didn't sit well with her for him to be irritated at her, and yet couldn't help herself at testing the limits, so as a symbol of truce she conjured a black rose, the long stem covered with thorns, and laid it on his pillow after kissing its silky petals.<br><br>Her magical scent was one of roses and caramelized sugar, a natural musk that followed her and was her personal unique identity as all sorceresses have. He would recognize the meaning behind it once he saw it that night.<br><br>Satisfied that her business was now done, Bellatrix exited Mael's bedchamber and headed downstairs to where she was greeted by the smells of eggs, meats, and oddly enough....mead. Turning the corner that led to the dining area, she could then see everyone gathered:<br><br>Elias was the first she saw; he was a decent friend who was easy to be around and even easier to talk to. Arlaine was the next to reach her vision, her eyes currently looking so obviously besotted with Conor it made Bellatrix giddy with malice. She then saw Conor and Mael next to each other, exchanging simple greetings as if two brothers of old. Lucrezia was off to the side, minding her own business, and walking by Bellatrix tapped her closest friend under her chin in mischief and whispered the following words so close and low only she could hear. "Morning, sister. Let's have some fun, shall we?"<br><br>Lucrezia seemed to be the only one in the Lodge who understood the natural insanity Bellatrix dealt with on a daily basis and didn't see it as a threat, but an asset. The other woman, however, was a little more subtle in her ways, fluid, patient, whereas Bellatrix was the impulsive, brash one of the pair, the instigator. <br><br>And their roles suited them both well perfectly.<br><br>As Bellatrix slowly circled over to the group, she nodded at Elias with a casual smile, brushed passed Arlaine with her chin higher than necessary in a blatant ignore, gently stroked Mael's arm secretly, but when she reached Conor, the act began.<br><br>"<strong>Conor, my love!</strong>" She said warmly and sweetly, her arms extended to him in a hug. When he came close in order to return the gesture, Bellatrix cupped the back of his head with her left hand and pulled him in to a deep kiss, her lips <div class="floatright">(https://media.tenor.co/images/f41f856282e29e2eb6d41f16763c202c/raw)</div>immediately opening against his, making it impassioned and conjuring up memories as her right hand rested on his shoulder. Her eyes opened briefly to gaze at Arlaine over Conor's shoulder in a brazen taunt as she locked lips with the man the other woman liked before breaking the kiss just as suddenly as she had started it. <br><br>With her forehead and nose still pressed to his, Bellatrix giggled sweetly up to Conor from below on her tiptoes, her hands intertwined with his. "<strong>We have all missed you, I especially, have missed you</strong>." Stepping away, the sorceress dropped his hands then and turned towards the table to sit down. "<strong>Your return could not have been timed more perfectly. Lucrezia?</strong>" She then turned her attention from Conor to her friend in an instant. "<strong>What are you doing today? I will need to be talking to you later..."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>04-01-2017, 23:33:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>Kaer Morhen - Dining Hall --&gt; The Courtyard ----&gt; The forest outside of Kaer Morhen<br><strong>Tagging:</strong> Conor, Elias, Mael<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br>The instant Bella walked into the room, the whole mood changed for Arlaine. She could always sense Bella, whether that was on purpose, or just by coincidence, she'd never figured it out. But regardless of that, the woman simply drove Arlaine to distraction and not in a good way. You see, Arlaine and Bella had a rivalry going. One would possibly see as sibling rivalry if they had actually been sisters born of the same blood. But they weren't, and it all stemmed from one night, long ago before Arlaine had even felt anything for Conor. <br><br>She'd had a man she'd been falling for in one of the villages, he was a sweet bar owner named Eric. She'd been visiting him for some time and while she couldn't say that she loved him, she was absolutely infatuated with him. Well it seemed he didn't feel the same, or perhaps Bella tricked him into it, she didn't know, she hadn't stuck around to ask. She'd gone to him, missing him terribly after being off on a mission and wanting to see him, found him entwined with Bella, in his bed in the middle of the throes of passion.<br><br>She was so hurt and enraged by Bella's moving in on her man, that she'd retaliated by casting a spell that removed all of Bella's hair and she couldn't magic it back, she had to wait for it to grow back all on it's natural own. It was amusing to see the frustration in Bella's face every day for those glorious months, but since then, things had escalated to where they certainly dispised one another. Their relationship was definitely what one would call a love/hate. They loved to hate eachother. <br><br>She watched as Bella came over to where they were sitting and with a dramatic flair, one that she knew was for her alone....she kissed Conor fully on the lips in a steamy fashion, making Arlaine's eyes burn with anger. Oh yes, Bella knew exactly how to get at Arlaine, latch on to the one thing in this world she desired and snatch it right in front of her. <br><br>One thing Arlaine would never do was let Bella see her cry though. Many believed sorceresses had no heart, but they did and when hated, it was with a great burning passion, and when they loved....well to some, it could move the very ground you walked upon. Arlaine, stood from the bench she was sitting on at that moment, as Bella sat down beside Conor and her eyes never leaving Bella's face as if she could burn a hole right through her head just by glaring. As they once said...if looks could kill....<br><br>"If you'll excuse me, I think I've lost my appetite." Not that she had any food in front of her, but it was currently the best excuse she had not to start a war in the dining hall. She moved away from the table and stormed away, through the doors, not even stopping should anyone call after her. She brushed past the double doors to the outside, letting them slam hard behind her. <br><br>She turned, muttering something under her breath as she went towards the dummy area, spotting Serugei and motioned to him with one hand. "Let me see one of those." She said, motioning to his weapons. She was beginning to glow a shinning white light that said her magic was going to go out of control in a moment and it was best for him not to argue with her. When he handed her one of his swords, she took it to the nearest still in tact dummy and with a scream of rage, swung with such precision that she took off the head of the dummy in one sweep, the white light that was surrounding her focused on the weapon and left a scorch mark on the dummy's severed neck. <br><br>She then dropped the sword, without looking at him and said... "Thank you." Before turning and walking off towards the road outside of Khaer Morhen. To where? She didn't exactly know but right at that moment if she didn't put distance between her and Bella, someone was going to end up hurt and it wasn't going to be her, at least not in her mind. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>05-01-2017, 01:27:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaen Morhen - Mael's bedchamber<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Bellatrix, Conor, Arlaine, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Grey shirt, leather leggings<br><hr><hr>Mael nodded, muttering something inane and without consequence as he headed towards the kitchen. It wasn't like he was that hungry anyways, but he had had more than his fill of sorceresses for the day. And it wasn't even mid-morning too. He sighed, trying to force a smile when Tess greeted him with a cheery 'Mornin' love', as she always did. Kaer Morhen just didn't feel like home without Tess in the kitchen, working up a storm even when there wasn't all that much to do, or so it appeared. It was a big place. Sometimes, he wondered if the woman wasn't a sorceress herself and just kept everyone else in the dark. It would explain a great deal.<br><br>Picking up a plate stacked with steaming food, Mael winked at the old woman and made his way back to the dining hall, where he saw with an inaudible groan, Bella had made her way down. And in style too. Old suppositions of women taking decades to make themselves presentable were cast aside when magic came into the picture, and to her credit, Bella did look stunning. Damn her for it.<br><br>She touched his arm as she passed by him, a gentle, secret touch that had him screwing his eyebrows together as he watched her, discreetly, or so he hoped, placing his plate down. She exchanged a few words with the witch, in more ways than one, Lucrezia, and then turning to Conor in a familiarity that was... unfamiliar. At least to Mael. And without further ado, wrapped him up in a fervent kiss.<br><br>Jealousy didn't suit him. He despised it, and he hated when she tried to draw it out of him. Sometimes he could swear that she did it just to get a rise out of him, although she would deny it every time with an innocent and unconvincing flutter of her eyelashes. His face scrunched up and a cold feeling twisted inside his gut. Conor was about as much a victim as he, if not more so, so he didn't hold it against the man. No, he held it against Bella, all the way.<br><br>But, from the subtle glance that Bellatrix gave Arlaine, he suddenly realized that the display was not for his benefit, at least not only his benefit. The woman proclaimed a loss of appetite, and exited the room, and Mael decided to follow her lead. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry either. He shot Bellatrix a venomous glare as he picked up his weapons picked up his plate, silently exiting the room, finding his way outside. Despite how he was feeling, discarding good food was a sin that his early years spent on the street would not forgive. A few hunting hounds were waiting outside the hall, just for such a handout, and gratefully huddled around as as tried to distribute the food as equally as possible. To their credit, or perhaps to that of their trainers, they didn't snap at his fingers for the tidbits, and gratefully licked his fingers when they were done.<br><br>They, at least, could bring a smile to his face in times like these.<br><br>He was about to sit down and look out into the gorgeous autumn day when Arlaine joined him outside. Not intentionally, it seemed, as she didn't even seem to realize that he was there and began striding purposefully into the distance.<br><br>Mael cursed quietly and broke out into a jog to catch up with her. Didn't need an angry sorceress setting fire to the damn woods in her rage.<br><br>"Arlaine," He called, and she ignored. He called a few more times, to similar effect until he finally caught up with her and grabbed her roughly by the arm, spinning her around to face him.<br><br>"Dammit Arlaine," He growled, taking a step back. He was brave, not stupid," Where are you going?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>05-01-2017, 02:54:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>The forest outside of Kaer Morhen<br><strong>Tagging:</strong> Mael<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br>To say that Arlaine hadn't heard Mael was a bit of an understatement, at the rage she was in currently, she couldn't hear anything other than the voices raging in her head. Right now, all she could think of was getting as far away from Bella as she could because if she didn't Bella was going to die, or get seriously hurt and while she hated the woman, being the cause of her death was not something she personally relished. Though the darker side of her told her to give in and just take her out, then everything would be oh so much easier in life without Bellatrix around. <br><br>But that was not something Arlaine was currently willing to live with and as Mael grabbed her, pulling her to a halt as he spun her to face him, she swung her arm, ready to strike him but he moved back and demanded to know where she was going. "Away from that bitch because if I don't, I'm not going to be responsible for what I do to her and people could get hurt!" She said in a seething tone. Right now, she was severely pissed off at Bella and there wasn't much that was going to be able to calm her. <br><br>"How can you be so damn calm with her like this?" She snapped, sounding almost accusatory but then she realized who she was talking to. "I'm sorry Mael, I...it's just she knows how to get under my skin and this....if I don't get away and calm down I'm going to hurt her and possibly others in the mix that I care about and it's better to walk away than hurt you all." She said with sincere honesty. "But damn it, I want to hurt her so badly right now, you have no fucking idea." This was Eric all over again, except so much worse. She hadn't felt for Eric nearly like she did for Conor and Bella doing this...it was to her worse than anything else Bella could have done to her, well at this moment at least.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LeSane</strong> on <strong>06-01-2017, 07:15:41</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/Ihp51n7.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Serugei of Nilfgaard <br><strong>Location</strong>: Courtyard -&gt; Dining Hall<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Arliaine, Mael (Mentioned), Bella(Mentioned), open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: His usual Armor (http://img09.deviantart.net/6431/i/2015/145/a/d/the_crow_jon_snow___concept_by_mizaeltengu-d6drnyo.jpg)<br><hr><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td>Serugei was making a valiant effort to repair what he'd damaged though he only made minor repairs until his stomach rumbled for sustenance. The last time he had eaten anything was yesterday morning, and even then he had done nothing but pick solemnly at his food until it turned cold. With a heavy sigh, he knew that eventually another witcher would find displeasure in knowing that their training equipment had been left in such a state. However, he sincerely doubted that anyone would point their finger at him if this came up publicly. <strong>"That was a waste of time huh?"</strong> speaking to himself as there was no one else around to hear his folly. It was only when his witcher senses picked up someone was coming, and only once she'd gotten into range did he notice who it was; then again there wasn't many who had free reign of walking about here. To his slight lamentation, it was the Sorceress Arlaine to whom he had the pleasure of being watched under when he was still a young child going through his time behind the walls.<br><br>Out of the many here, Serugei found the woman manageable to be around though he saw her more or less like an estranged aunt then anything else. Her request sounded more like a demand, and by the way she was acting he would rather not be sent flying into the lake again for disobeying. The steel sword had been pulled from the sheathing, and it was the lighter of the pair. What she wanted with his sword hadn't made much sense until he was sole witness to her angry upon the dummy. As she cleaved the head of the one he had just spent so much time fixing too. It didn't take a genius to deduce why she had gotten in such a twist. There wasn't many who he assumed got her this way besides another certain sorceress. Undoubtedly he would find out soon enough if he asked what had just unfolded in the direction she'd came from.<br><br>As she dropped the sword and walked off, he found it a bit disrespectful. The Witcher didn't own much besides the armor and clothing he bought over time, and those two swords he painstakingly saved crowns to hire a blacksmith who had been competent enough to craft something of beauty. "Your welcome." speaking out in a flat tone of voice before picking it back up and resheathing his weapon, and then look at the severed head of the training dummy. <strong>"I am not fixing that."</strong> before watching dear Arlaine take the main road leading towards the outside of the walls. This was not his problem nor did he want it to be. These petty spats normally died off with time, and that was what she needed.<br><br>It was an opportune time to head towards the dining hall when Mael jogged past him. Serugei's cape was fluttering in the breeze from their passing of one another. <em>'So I reckon he is involved? Huh, my idea of what happened is gaining some ground.'</em> He didn't understand why Mael would even do this to himself as things were obvious when surrounding the people he surrounded himself with Lady Bellatrix being one of them. Only more drama was going to ensue, but if he wanted to risk his life then it would be something he would do on his own.<br><br>As he entered the Dining hall he kept quiet as the others seemed to be enthralled with one another. He wasn't the talkative type so he sat down and watched the others more interested in what was going on then filling his stomach wth food.</td></tr></tbody></table>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Laughing Hyena</strong> on <strong>06-01-2017, 08:05:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/35/15/10/3515107f47035ebbd8e5377eb4410eda.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Elias<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Conor, Arlane, Mael, Bellatrix, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Padded Jerkin and Chain Mail with Boiled Leather overlaid on too.<br><hr><br>Elias was more than happy to have Conor back in Kaer Morhen. It was even nicer to have one of the sorceresses fetch food from the kitchen. And he looked forward to scrambled eggs and freshly cooked sausages, bacon and biscuits straight from the oven. His enhanced witcher senses left no surprises as to what approached. The conversation that took place between Arlane and Conor was one Elias watched and listened to with prying implications. He was trying to read every subtle context there might have been, even if there was none to find. And as for the stiff drinks well, Conor would find Elias fetching that himself. <br><br>Placing the Honeyed Mead down along with the stronger stuff for later, Elias took a seat and watch as everyone else came down with the good stuff at the ready. The notion of a bounty placed on him in the guise of a monster. <strong>"Hah! I'd be the most terrifying thing the locals would ever set eyes on."</strong> He clears his throat and then began to exaggerate his words. <strong>"The beast that has consumed fowl, sheep and crops. Witcher he is such a brutish menace!"</strong> He then adds with a less exaggerated voice <strong>"Strong as five oxen and wields tree trunks like clubs!"</strong> He picked up the bottle of mead and began to pull on the cork. Naturally he was struggling with that. <strong>"And could rip.... a dragons head.... OFF!"</strong> He was wrenching the cork out of the bottle with his bare hands as he strains with his dramatics and then finally it gives way on the last word.<br><br><strong>"Whew... Or something like that. Heavens forbid if it was a Reverend or Priest that was making the accusation. They can turn even the most innocent of acts or people into monsters with but words and those they wield well."</strong> After his overtly dramatic display, he sat back down and began pouring a run of the drink in question. Taking a small sip, he had a more sobered tone. <strong>"Heh, knowing my luck, a witch hunt would be on my ass first before they try and pull a fast one like that. I haven't been ripped off like that just yet, but I imagine my turn will come up. You've got stories and I am eager to hear what the Path brought unto you. Sounds like you've got some wild ones to tell this time if that exchange of words between you and Arlane was any indication."</strong> <br><br>He smiled to Mael when he came up upon the pair of fellow witchers. They greet each other like family and the moment it happened, Elias poured a third cup for the third brother to take. <strong>"Never, especially upon a good opportunity to celebrate Mael."</strong> It was a time for celebratory unions when all were off the Path and back home. At least in Elias' mindset it was. Either way his eyes were soon down at his plate and salivating with a full belly before taking off, he indulged himself in the here and now. <br><br>There were few things that could get him to be quiet when in the presence of his brothers but food was one such thing. The next was Bellatrix whom came down the steps looking rather fetching as was typical of any sorceress there. He was already starting to make a sandwich out of the biscuit, egg and sausage when it happened. Elias blinked several times, a touch stunned by what was transpiring before him. All this time he thought for sure that... Realization hit him when Arlane excused herself. Being around Bellatrix so much both on the Path and just in general gave him a few tidbits into the quarrels between the two sorceresses. Much as he would like to keep out of it, with an all consuming fire like the dark skinned Bella, that was simply a luxury you cannot have. <br><br>Mael had gone off after Arlane which left Elias watching Conor for a reaction and a response to the stunt pulled by Bellatrix. He didn't even take notice of Serugei as he just blended into the background as a bystander of what happened. What the heck was going on? Where does one even begin after something like that. Either way, there he was holding his small morsel in hand with his lips parted and eyes locked in surprise and disbelief over what he saw.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Vlexia</strong> on <strong>07-01-2017, 03:41:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft"><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td>(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/28fdcf6d-d309-4bf6-9906-b7455b5cab6b_zpsd4dvxswe.jpg)</td></tr><tr><td><div align="center"><div style="display: block;" class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" style="display: block;" class="spoiler_header">Clothing</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/IMG_0001_zpsfbnydji6.jpeg)</div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><strong>Name</strong>: Bellatrix<br><strong>Location</strong>: Karen Morhen - Dining Hall<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Open<br><hr><hr><br>The moment she sat down at the table, Tess silently brought her a pitcher of wine, a fresh goblet, and a plate of fruit with some cheese and a few eggs. Everyone seemed to have a soft, sweet relationship with the older cook except Bellatrix. It's not that she had done anything to the woman, perhaps the cook merely saw her as something to avoid and not to anger or befriend. The sorceress didn't even acknowledge the woman as she remained invisible in the background, disappearing back into the kitchen as if never there in the first place. Pouring herself a cup of the wine, she took a small sip, her amber eyes peeking over the rim, her smile hidden as she watched Arlaine flee from the scene oh, so full of heartbreak and trauma.<br><br>The smirk then disappeared when Mael rushed out to follow her like some friend of comfort, and Bellatrix had to resist the desire to stand up and follow them to see what their actions would entail lest Mael comforted Arlaine <em>too</em> much, or Arlaine take out some over exaggerated form of revenge on her by injuring Mael himself.<br><br>See, the way she saw it was diabolically simple: Mael was hers in every physical and breathable way, as was she, his. Their trysts, fights, really entire relationship was their creation, their doing. When they split up, they never traversed far from one another, their separation brief but undeniably cruel, when they were together, it was territorial, their love tainted and violently delicious.<br><br>And that's where Bellatrix kept it, for she honestly believed as much as love was truly the most powerful source in the universe, it was also the most destructive.<br><br>But on the side of the coin that she and Mael were one, the other side had to be viewed as well: Conor and Arlaine were -not-. <br><br>As far as she knew, they were just above the "oh, you exist?" level in their relationship. True, the kiss was meant to ignite a form of revenge, especially since the bitch had all but....no, -had-...<em>had</em> flat out accused her of stealing something the night before, insinuating that Bellatrix cared enough to actually sneak into her room and steal some book, or locket, or whatever the hell it was. <br><br>Plucking a ripe grape from the stem that Tess had served her, Bellatrix knew the game was starting. It was like that time she slept with what's-his-face, the tavern boy...Eli? And Arlaine had cast a spell to make her hair fall out.<br><br>Her heart hammered at the thought of Arlaine turning tables and fucking Mael....wait, he wouldn't do that....would he? Talk about an insane backfire. Shit. No. <br><br><em>Fuck</em>!<br><br>In her anger she conjured the mental image of them fucking in her mind and just before she was about to ignite in righteous indignation a throat was cleared off to the side, interrupting her fuse.<br><br>It was Tess, holding another goblet looking pointedly at Bellatrix's hand. Following her gaze, she saw that in her mind-wanderings, her anger had the magical fire in her hand melting into the goblet itself. When she sat it down, the imprint of her hand was burned into the side where she had been holding it, and Tess picked it up with a thick towel before replacing it with the other one. Wordlessly, Bellatrix poured herself another drink, and changed the mental subject in her mind to something of a more immediate importance.<br><br>There was a letter in her room under warded lock and key from Hereward III of Ellander requesting her aid and the aid of the Witchers. It was one of the major things Bellatrix needed to discuss with Lucrezia as the Duke was a major opportunity to showcase the world as to what Kaer Morhen could produce. <br><br>There was a secret side to it all as well, as she and that family had history. Bellatrix had helped them with a private family matter many years before with the present Duke's father, the late Hereward II, and during this time found out that they had an heirloom stretching back ages that she so desperately wanted, a large ancient flawless diamond that, when enchanted, could be turned into something extremely powerful. She was in the middle of constructing a staff and that diamond would finish it.<br><br>The young Prince apparently had a griffin come from the nearby mountains and nest on his grounds, its mate and it laying eggs and feeding off of nearby livestock and recently getting bolder to capture a couple of citizens. Several squadrons of his soldiers either came back empty handed or not at all, and in desperation to be rid of them in time for an upcoming festival in a few days time, he had offered Bellatrix exactly what she had wanted for years: the diamond and 600 in gold for the hasty removal of the griffins. <br><br>She would need to discuss with Lucrezia if they should accept this and whom should come with her. Unfortunately, the best ally in the sorceress department was Arlaine. As a specialized enchantress, Arlaine would be able to do exactly what was needed to make the diamond work properly and perfectly. The only problem was getting her to do it.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>08-01-2017, 21:34:31</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaen Morhen - Outdoors<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Arlaine, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Grey shirt, leather leggings<br><hr><hr>As Arlaine raised her hand to strike him, Mael didn't flinch. In fact, he leaned in a bit, offering his chin out for her to strike. If she didn't use magic - Which he could feel she wasn't, through the lack of vibration through the Viper Witcher's medallion (a relic, but it still worked) which had been gifted to him a few years back - her lean frame wasn't likely to do much damage. In fact, if she struck him with a closed fist he would have been willing to bet that her hand would hurt more than his jaw. Stepped into the strike hadn't been his intention. Decades of training had formed into instinct. Sure, he wasn't the strongest of the witchers when it came to blows, but he prided himself in being able to take a punch. And for some reason, he didn't even think to step out of the way.<br><br>Fortunately for one of them - he wasn't sure which - her hand dropped back down to her side and his body, unconsciously tensed up, relaxed as he took in a deep breath. Her next words were... well, confusing, and his face showed it. Why wasn't he reacting? It was Lucrezia that had driven the point home for Mael as he had sat down, bottom lip and eyebrow cracked from a training bout with Conor that had gone too far. He had pushed it by powering what should have been a sparring-level elbow to Conor's jaw, but with enough strength to snap his brother's head back and send him stumbling a few steps. It had been unexpected, and Conor had returned it in kind, and three blows later, the much smaller Mael was on the ground, bleeding.<br><br>Lucrezia had scowled at the young witcher-to-be as he sat down, trying to force the tears out of his eyes.<br><br>"Why did you hit Conor, Mael?"<br><br>"We were fighting."<br><br>"You were sparring, there's a difference."<br><br>"What difference? It's not like..." He should have known better. Talking back to the witches in charge of their training was forbidden, and interrupting them was even more so. His face was snapped around, the right side stinging from the back-handed slap Lucrezia had hammered into him with the force of a person twice her size. The ring on her middle finger left a bloody imprint on his cheek. Mael roared and shot to his feet, on to be shoved back down by his neck by the magically strong witch.<br><br>"A witcher's emotions are not to be used at will, Mael. An Angry Witcher, as was shown almost a hundred years ago by the spiritual predecessor of this place, is a force to be reckoned with. Kings tremble, Emperors make fearful plans, sorcerers and sorceresses draw back when an angry witcher goes to war. And as such, emotions are not to be used lightly, or without great cause. You must learn that, or you will not survive your training. I really don't care which."<br><br>And years of implementing Lucrezia's words into his life had him confused at Arlaine's question. She kept on talking, and he nodded, managing a small, hopefully comforting smile as he took a step forward, placing a hefty, calloused hand on her shoulders.<br><br>"Having been with her this long, you would think I would be used to her antics by now," He said softly, trying to maintain the smile, and failing, letting it turn into a grimace," But no. It's like an icy dagger shoved into my chest every time. And... maybe she doesn't know that she's doing this, even though I doubt it, but it's who she is. Believe me, I want to... hurt her as well," What kind of hurting was left in doubt over that pause. He stopped talking and peered down into Arlaine's eyes.<br><br>"You need to calm down a bit? Okay?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>08-01-2017, 21:50:53</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>The forest outside of Kaer Morhen<br><strong>Tagging:</strong> Mael<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br>"Oh she knows she's doing this, she has always done this on purpose and she will continue to do shit that upsets me." Arlaine sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment before she found his hands on her shoulders and he confessed he wanted to hurt her as well. Problem was, how did you hurt her? Physical pain died as quickly as possible. But emotional, that's where you remembered it. "If...if she hadn't taken my mirror before I'd gotten back yesterday and now this, I...I probably would be okay but..." She took a deep breath and found herselt almost trembling with her anger and frustration at Bella. <br><br>"I..I know she claims she didn't take the mirror, but it was worthless to anyone else but me. It wasn't made of gold, or silver. It was made of coral, worthless materials you can find anywhere. My father gave it to me before I left to become a sorceress and when I was learning enchanting, I enchanted it so I could look back and see how my father and mother are doing using their mirrors at home. It matters to no one but me. So why would anyone take it except to hurt me?" She asked, trying to show her point on why...why she believed it was Bella and no one else who could have possibly taken the mirror. <br><br>"Then she kisses Conor, knowing how strongly I feel for him. I..." She lowered her head. "I don't even know why I haven't told him how I feel, I could bed any of you except him and to me, it wouldn't mean a thing. With him, I don't know where it began but I do know for some time now I have been falling for him and I'm scared that he doesn't feel for me, but she knows how I feel and she used it against me, just like she uses everything I care about against me. I'm sick and tired of her shit, I find myself growing angrier with her every single time she pulls this crap and I want nothing more than to get back at her in a way that she feels it just like I have been." <br><br>She looked back up at him, her eyes showing the raw emotion and pain she felt. "She needs to learn this kind of crap isn't okay. I understand that I retaliate against her, and I probably shouldn't but when she does things, I can't help it. She never thinks shit through and only does things on impulse, one day she's going to hurt one of us badly enough that we just won't care and we'll hurt her back even worse than she's done to us." She wrapped her arms around herself even though she wasn't cold. "I'm just sick and tired of her thinking that this is okay, she needs to be taught a lesson." 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>13-01-2017, 00:24:44</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>The Dining hall<br><strong>Tagging:</strong> Conor (Evening)<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br>Arlaine had spent time calming down with Mael, ironically his talking with her helped a lot more than she would have thought. She knew, oh sure she knew that Mael was Bella, well as much as anyone could be with someone in Kaer Morhen. She had made her way inside after some time and had gone to have a drink, only to run into Conor, who'd basically given her the chance to explain her behavior. <br><br>Of course, there was no denying her feelings at that point, why else would she had bolted as soon as Bella had kissed him? It wasn't that she was afraid to tell him how she felt. Honestly, she was more worried he'd not felt the same. So they'd spent time clearing the air and she knew now that he liked her as well, and that they now knew that now, should she act upon her desires with him, it would not come to a rejection. It was a lot easier for her to handle when she knew that and now, she'd suggested they play a game of Gwent to spend some time together. She'd also suggested...if he'd want to, they could play a game of strip Gwent, only if he'd wanted to of course, this was her way of saying she wouldn't mind it. <br><br>She sat at the table, the bottle of Toussant red that she had in her room, it had been a gift from one of her previous jobs as a thank you on top of the gold she'd earned for it and two glasses for them to drink from. Once he arrived, she smiled. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd changed your mind." She said as she poured the wine for him and herself, before setting the bottle down and taking a sip from the glass. "Some Toussant Red, it was a gift." She said lightly as she began stacking her hand for the game of Gwent. "So, are we going with my suggestion of the strip Gwent or do you want to play for gold, it's your choice love." She said as she looked at him with a small smile on her lips. <br><br>She wasn't the best Gwent player in the world, but she knew she had a good stack and she knew how to play them just right. She'd not lost in quite some time. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>14-01-2017, 02:52:02</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaen Morhen - Outdoors<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Arlaine, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Grey shirt, leather leggings<br><hr><hr>Mael shrugged, letting his hands drop down to his sides as Arlaine spoke. It was something that he'd thought about more times than he was proud of, something that he had considered doing more times than he could count. Make Bellatrix pay for her ability to constantly complicate things by acting without thinking, and making sure that each and every one of those actions hurt someone.<br><br>"First of all," mael said, trying to keep his face as neutral as he could manage," Everyone knows about how you and Conor feel for each other. Except Conor, anyways. I love that man, but he can be thick sometimes. All the time," He quickly corrected. To be fair, not a lot of men, even witchers, could claim a firm knowledge of how affairs of the heart worked out. Mael could claim that he had gotten over the crushing stage of his relationship with Bella fairly quickly, but look at all the wonderous adventures that that had brought him. It was hard to tell who was the better off.<br><br>"Second of all, don't think think I've wanted to put Bella in her place in the past? I've tried talking to her, calmly and not so calmly, and it all runs off of her like water off of a duck's back. She won't apologize, and she won't change. I've tried retaliating, and all that does is escalate things. She's... insane and as insane as it sounds, the best way to get her to realize that's she's done something wrong is to let her come to the conclusion herself. She thrives on the attention that her antics cause, and if you deprive her of that, it makes her think about what she's doing."<br><br><br>"But... this is coming from... well, me, so add a grain of salt to it. Just don't overreact, okay? I was looking carefully, and Conor wasn't kissing her back, and his is the only reaction that should be important to you, okay?" He raised a hand, trying to smile sympathetically and squeeze her shoulder," Look, I'll look through her stuff and see if I can't find your mirror and return it to you. Discreetly. Just don't burn Kaer Morhen and half the forest down."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>14-01-2017, 03:13:57</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img1.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/3/22/girl-dark-hair-cold-eyes.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Arlaine of Vengerberg<br><strong>Location: </strong>The Forrest outside Kaer Morhen<br><strong>Tagging:</strong>Mael (Earlier)<br><strong>Wearing:</strong> Her outfit (http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/af/af/42/afaf42e75ba9b90a586113449713a8f2.jpg)<br><br><hr><hr><br>Arlaine listened to Mael, and sadly, everything he said made sense, whether she'd wanted to believe it or not. She couldn't stand the fact that Bella had used Conor to get at her, but Mael was right...Conor's reaction, which she'd not stayed behind to watch, should have been the one that mattered. If Conor hadn't kissed Bella back, it meant he didn't want her right? Right. And with the fact that Bella did this with the intention to get at her (which she succeeded in), she hadn't thought that Mael would be so calm about it but he was. <br><br>But then Mael had a calm about him most of the time, perhaps that was one of his gifts? She couldn't help but hide the grin at his comment of Conor being thick about when it came to Arlaine, but to be fair, she'd rather been obtuse when it came to showing him how she'd felt, but it seemed he did care for her, or so Mael was hinting at. Well that might help her in&nbsp; being able to talk to him now...maybe they could even clear the air about how they felt and move on from that? <br><br>"I never thought I would be saying this to you Mael, but you're right." She said finally, looking at him as she spoke. He told her not to overract, had she over reacted? Well maybe...but it had been a combination of things that caused this for her. When he said he would discreetly look for her her mirror, she nodded. "Thank you." If Bella didn't have it, well then she would for certain be the bigger person and apologize, but when it all came down to the Mirror, she just couldn't see anyone else wanting it. It was worthless to anyone but Arlaine. "Oh I wasn't going to burn anything down." She said with a small quirk of her lips as she looked at him. "What would be the use of that? If I wanted to burn something, I wouldn't have left Kaer Morhen where she was...point is, I didn't want to burn anyone or anything down." <br><br>Mostly all she'd done was behead a dummy and then make her way off to calm down, she'd had no intention of burning anything over this. Though sorceresses were known for doing terrible things when they were pissed off, she also knew there were people she cared about within those walls, endangering them was the least of her thoughts. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>fireflights</strong> on <strong>19-01-2017, 01:55:36</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e8/6e/68/e86e68f6af0834896fa4ba54a9fb8ae3.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Caridin<br><strong>Location: </strong>The Forrest outside Kaer Morhen<br><strong>Tagging:</strong>Iska (open)<br><strong>Wearing:</strong>Outfit in picture above<br><br><hr><hr><br>Caridin saw the towers of Kaer Morhen rising in the distance and spurred his horse on. "Let's go Sweetpea (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/40/b8/ff/40b8ff91e988f3cb4da5f71193a3cee9.jpg), almost home." Sweatpea, an odd name for a horse yes, even more odd was the fact that it wasn't a girl horse. But Caridin never cared much, he wasn't the one who'd raised it, in fact, it had been given to him by his last contract when his other had died and he'd needed to get home. He'd taken the horse instead of payment of the coin. A horse could be at times more valuable and this one proved to be very loyal to him, which was surprising again, because he'd only had him for the last month and half. <br><br>If the horse could understand him or not, mattered little as he spurred him forth and the trot they had going soon became a gallop. Within minutes he arrived at the stables of Kaer Morhen and dismounted his horse, taking his time to wipe the horse down and feed it, before walking towards the front steps, he saw Iska as she was working on something and smiled as he moved a bit closer. "And what praytell keeps such a beauty as you outside in this dreary weather rather than inside sitting by a warm hearth and having her feet pampered by an adoring admirer?" He asked with as charming a smile as he could manage. Granted, it didn't work with everyone and could end up getting him in more trouble than it was worth at times, but he couldn't help himself, especially around the beautiful sorceresses. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Laughing Hyena</strong> on <strong>19-01-2017, 11:44:42</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/35/15/10/3515107f47035ebbd8e5377eb4410eda.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Elias<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaer Morhen Courtyard<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Padded Jerkin and Chain Mail with Boiled Leather overlaid on too.<br><hr><br>Seeing as how everyone was a touch upset or just in shock, Elias felt like he needed to clear his head up as well. Mostly because of the actions that had taken place. And in his mind, some honest work would set him straight he wagered. Also he had planned to depart from Kaer Morhen for now though his plans had changed from exploring the countryside of the keep. So he took his leave after finishing his meal giving a pat to Conor's shoulders if he was still there. Conor would be able to sort this out. Others would be able to do the same for Arlaine. There was no sense trying to talk to Bellatrix as she was quite steadfast in her ways and knew there was a grudge... Well thats the kindest words one can use to describe it. Sides there were tons of others probably chewing her out over it already. One more voice won't make a difference there. Certainly wouldn't make him listen if he was in that kind of trouble. <br><br>Either way Duca was needing to stretch his legs and Elias had his packs filled for the Path in preparation and the day was not getting any longer. After walking Duca out of the stables he saddled up and began to urge his steed to ride towards the gate at a brisk walk. Past the gates of Kaer Morhen, Elias took the opportunity to look back at what he considered home. Hopefully he'll come back home soon enough. Spurring himself into a gallop once a good distance from the keep, he was off to see the next adventure in store for him.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>23-01-2017, 00:20:00</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaen Morhen - Outdoors<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Arlaine, Open<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Grey shirt, leather leggings<br><hr><hr>Mael's face broke out in the oddity of a smile, bordering on a laugh, even rarer for him. In the end, it compromised at a low, throaty chuckle, but he affectionately patted Arlaine on the cheek, his large hand all but cradling her face. "No need to sound too surprised," He grumbled good-naturedly," I'm not wrong all that often. Not that you would notice."<br><br>"Besides," He said, gripping her shoulder and gently guiding her to walk with him back to the castle of Kaer Morhen," You did treat our training dummy rather roughly, or my enhanced senses are in need of some instruction," In truth, all he had heard from a different room was her asking for Elias' weapon and then the sound of a magic-enhanced strike to something made of straw and wood, as well as the smokey, appley smell of straw burning. Senses enhanced as they were, coupled with a sharp mind made the science of deduction all that much easier.<br><br>"And I doubt you'll be replacing it yourself. And magic doesn't count," He completed. Magic was cheating in so many ways. He didn't care how long it took sorceresses to learn all of their tricks. When they used those tricks to make their everyday lives more comfortable and easier, using their powers to avoid work, it was cheating. Even with the witcher's serums and potions and the advantages of the Trial of Grasses, which in itself was a harrowing experience, the Witchers-to-be had been beaten and shaped roughly into creatures of violence and death.<br><br>"Take care of yourself, okay? Bella will be occupied for a while now, unless I miss my guess, so now is the best opportunity to search for your mirror. Take care, little one," He winked and jogged off, making for the pathway that would avoid the main room of the castle up to his room.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>23-01-2017, 06:35:29</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaen Morhen - Outdoors<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Bella<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Grey shirt, leather leggings<br><hr><hr>Leather boots sounded harshly across the stone floors of the steps leading up the tower where the witcher had called his room ever since he had been allowed to do so, graduating from the lowly barracks-like rooms in the basement of the castle where the potential witchers were slept when they weren't training. Being one of the few who had survived the first Trial of the Grasses in a hundred years, he had been given preference to select his portion of the then derelict castle. It had been refurbished over the years as less concentration from the sorceresses had been dedicated to keeping their trainees in check and more on making the place livable.<br><br>Mael adjusted his swords at his waist and his unstrung bow on his back, a scowl forming on his handsome featues as he reached the door of his room. True, he had been taught to conceal his emotions, hide them and let them fuel him from the inside. And a great deal of his life before the grasses had been spent with the knowledge that the overwhelming odds lay against him even surviving until the trial. And thus had come a calm that he had learned to apply to various other aspects of his life later. The calm acceptance of inevitable fate while actively and furiously combatting it to his last breath. There were times, Bella had told him, that they ahd thought him for the next life, if there was such a thing. His heart had almost stopped, his cries of agony had faded to almsot silence/ But he had never stopped fighting. Never given up, even when all the world had told him that he should have died a long time before.<br><br>He entered the room, his eyes scanning the surroundings with his keen senses. This was a new calm. There was no acceptance to it. Silent fury didn't touch on what he was feeling either. He moved over to the bed, his eyes softening for a moment as he picked up the rose that she had left on his pillow, a sign of truce left along with the missing wine stain on the neatly arranged sheets. But this had been before she had gone downstairs and kissed his brother Conor. This peace offering had been before what many in the world would have seen as a blatant betrayal. He wasn't one of those many, but the image of her locked in embrace with Conor still boiled his blood.<br><br>Yes, hte calm was there, but not in it's usual form of the flowing water of acceptance. No, this was the chilling ice cold form of a man trained to keep his emotions in check. And was furiously fighting not to let his rage out on Bella's precious vanity like Arlaine had taken hers out on their poor little dummy in the training room. Let her fix that. The image of him taking his swords to the vanity and leaving the token rose among the shattered remains crossed his mind and left a great deal of pleasure in it's wake. But he wasn't Bellatrix. Petty revenge was never worth it for him... well, that wasn't quite true, or he wouldn't have volunteered his services in finding Arlaine's lost mirror. Getting back at Bella had been on his mind in the offer.<br><br>Instead of destroying the piece of furniture, he opted to search through it thoroughly. Bella never bothered placing her things anywhere else in the castle, as it was well known and accepted that Mael and her would be sharing quarters when the both were in Kaer Morhen, or she would be staying in his room when he was away. At least, he assumed. She never spoke of such things at length, and he had never inquired with too much intensity. Either way, her things were in his room and he proceeded to search through them - Starting with the vanity - thoroughly, and not bothering to cover his tracks as he did so. At this point, he really didn't care if she discovered his snooping. If she wanted an explanation, she could look at the lipstick marks she had left on Conor for an answer. He wouldn't deign give her one himself.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Vlexia</strong> on <strong>23-01-2017, 15:11:53</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft"><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td>(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/28fdcf6d-d309-4bf6-9906-b7455b5cab6b_zpsd4dvxswe.jpg)</td></tr><tr><td><div align="center"><div style="display: block;" class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" style="display: block;" class="spoiler_header">Clothing</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/IMG_0001_zpsfbnydji6.jpeg)</div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><strong>Name</strong>: Bellatrix<br><strong>Location</strong>: Karen Morhen - Dining Hall-----&gt; Mael's bedroom<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Mael<br><hr><hr><br>The morning dragged on with such unending boredom that Bellatrix actually considered going back to bed. The crisp morning fog was dissipating due to the rising sunlight, the initial chill wearing off as the day grew bolder. The dining hall was losing its guests, and since no one was speaking to her, the woman finished her light breakfast and morning wine before pushing her chair back from the table to exit the room without a word. <br><br>She considered going to the study to read, or maybe even outside to go riding, but neither of those options appealed to her enough to do it. She considered briefly to go after Mael and see what the hell he was up to since he had to go and comfort little-Miss-crybaby after kissing Conor. But she knew the witcher would most likely not want to see her right now.<br><br>How long had they been doing this dance now? Five years or so? This scurry-in and scurry-out technique that left her feeling more hollow every time it occurred, and yet....it was her doing. She knew the man loved her, wanted things to be simple, wanted -her- to get her shit together and stop acting like a child. There was fire in her, but instead of using it to warm things up, she used it for destruction, to burn it all down.<br><br>How can one change from that?<br><br>She thought to go back to her own room, but suddenly it seemed cold and empty. Yes, she had decorated it lavishly, procuring styles from her homeland and giving this colder northern region some rich colors. But there was no joy, no warmth, just an unending reminder of how desolate she was purposefully making her life. Turning the corner in the opposite direction at the top of the stairs, she made her way to Mael's room. She hadn't seen him re-enter or come back into the keep at all, so the expectation was that his room would be empty upon entering. There in his room she felt whole, secure, satisfied. Bellatrix couldn't quite remember the exact moment he spoke to her soul, awakening it, but it's never slept since.<br><br>Maybe it -was- time for a change. Maybe they could talk and she could really confess to him that kissing Conor was really just to get back to Arlaine and not him, that every time she left him wasn't because her feelings for him in her heart had lessened, but had intensified, that he had become a weakness to her, maybe-<br><br>"What the-? Hey! Asshole!" Walking into his room just then and seeing him rip through her things like a crazed animal evaporated the thoughts she had been thinking and just like that they were back to how they had always been. Her golden eyes were widened as she took a step in, her hands out, palms turned upward in confusion as she looked all around his floor and saw her clothing, jewelry, brushes, and trinkets littered everywhere. Bellatrix's initial assumption was that he was destroying her things, but nothing seemed ripped or ruined so that meant........the sorceress gasped outloud as realization hit her. "You're looking for something! Aren't you?" Her volume increased incredulously as the mental pieces fell in place and she approached him rather quickly and violently. <br><br>Bellatrix got close and placed her hands on his chest and attempted to shove him back, stepping forward so as to maintain the same distance between them as she pushed him again and again, throwing accusations at him until he would be backed against the wall. "Looking for that bitch's thing, huh? Oh, she told you the story? How she accused me and, what....you -believed-her?? Are you and her best friends, <em>Mael</em>?" When she said his name her tone turned cynical and harsh as she got in his face, now chest to chest, her amber eyes flashing. She was much shorter than him, only really reaching his shoulders, so to make herself taller the woman stood up on her toes, their noses almost touching.<br><br>The snarl that escaped from her lips was dark and treacherous, displaying how angered she was that he would side with Arlaine in this argument and believe her, actually thinking that Bella would steal something from the other woman. Mael was much better at maintaining his calm veneer, but she could tell he was on the edge too, but instead of backing down, Bellatrix unwisely continued, tilting her head to the side and sneering: "Or did she buy your loyalty, witcher? Did she bargain for your aid with words and kisses of devotion? Or did she simply drop to her knees and wrap those pink lips around your cock?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>BitterSweet</strong> on <strong>24-01-2017, 20:59:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/d/d0/Bittersweet_witcher.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Adao<br><strong>Location</strong>: The world!<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Elias from here: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=260890.msg12917100#msg12917100<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Chain and padded leather, sheepskin coat<br><hr><hr>Tracks showed a couple of carts and a whole load of people on foot had passed by, Adao was one.&nbsp; He’d gotten a bit of lift from a merchant, exchanging guard duties for saving on boot leather for a few days.&nbsp; The man had turned off awhile though, putting Adao back on foot.&nbsp; He’d be hiking a ways before reacing the pass to Kaer Morhen but this wasn’t the first time he’d come home afoot after losing a horse.&nbsp; Another horse.<br><br>Squinting at the sky and grateful for the lack of rain, Adao shrugged his swords higher on his shoulders and broke into a bit of a breathless song.<br><br><em>“I've been a Wild Rover for many's the year<br>... And I spend all my money on whiskey and beer<br>And now I'm returning with gold in great store<br>And I never will play the Wild Rover no more<br><br>...No, nay, never no more, will I play the Wild Rover, no, never no more ....”</em>&nbsp; Adao trailed off.&nbsp; There were hoofbeats ahead and Adao straightened up, picking up his pace before relaxing at Flick’s friendly barking.&nbsp; His girl knew trouble when she saw it and when Adao came round the bend, he recognized the big horse and the youngster atop it.<br><br>“Elias!” Adao waved as Flick danced around the horse’s hooves, panting happily.<br><br>The boy - and most of the others all thought of Elias as ‘the boy’ - was the youngest of them all, newest to survive the Trials, and maybe tended a bit too much by men that should know better.&nbsp; He needed seasoning, like a roast pig but the only way he’d get it would be if the older witchers would let him find his trouble of his own to get into.<br><br>“Stole away from your nursemaids, did you?”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Deamonbane</strong> on <strong>27-01-2017, 15:59:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/87/7a/e2/877ae2a8cb4cf149a7531a31949cc154.jpg)</div><strong>Name</strong>: Mael<br><strong>Location</strong>: Kaen Morhen - Outdoors<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Bella<br><strong>Wearing</strong>: Grey shirt, leather leggings<br><hr><hr>Ignoring her wasn't difficult. Having travelled a good deal in the previous years, one learned to ignore the annoying buzzing of insects that wanted a piece of either him or his horse, and the same principle applied. Riding away from them wasn't an option, so he had to just pretend that he had something on his mind. Of course he did hear the door opening, and the slew of insults that came flying his way the moment that Bellatrix realized what he was doing, but his mind pushed it all into the same place of blissful pretend ignorance that the buzzing of dusk gnats on a warm summer afternoon in Redania were consigned to.<br><br>Until, of course, the gnat came in for a closer look and a bite.<br><br>Even as she shoved him back a step, he maintained his calm appearance. There was no use of magic, and as a rule, sorceresses were unbearably lazy when it came to physical labor. Even so, she caught him off balance, coming up from looking through her vanity and he was forced to take a step back. The placid look on his face strained, but he took a deep breath and said not a word as she continued raving at him, and at that point a small smile touched his face. It grew broader as she continued speaking, ending with a low, rather humorful chuckle as he shook his head and stepped past her, moving opver to the other side of the vanity.<br><br>"I'm sorry," He finally said, the laughter still in his voice as he spoke," It's just the sound of judgement in your voice when you talked about her lips around my cock was fairly hilarious. If a bit hypocritical. You, whose lipstick is probably still staining Conor's lips, if you did indeed stop at a kiss after I left. You who is more than happy to hop on and ride anything with two legs and something in between. Actually, I think you've stopped using that as a distinction for your sexual partners, haven't you?"<br><br>The mirth was gone from his face, with the calm quickly fading as he turned to look at her, something akin to anger beginning to glow in his eyes," Apologies. Was I supposed to be blissfully ignorant?" The calm faded and a spiteful sneer came across his features," Please. I have been neither blissful nor ignorant. Not that you've cared."<br><br>"And are you really surprised that I decided to try and put Arlaine's suspicions to rest, once and for all? I mean," He shook his head, opening drawers again and searching through them," With your actions lately, do you really expect me to put theft for petty reasons past you? Do you really think she needed to suck my cock to convince me of it?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Kaer Morhen - IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Vlexia</strong> on <strong>29-01-2017, 01:35:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft"><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td>(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/28fdcf6d-d309-4bf6-9906-b7455b5cab6b_zpsd4dvxswe.jpg)</td></tr><tr><td><div align="center"><div style="display: block;" class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" style="display: block;" class="spoiler_header">Clothing</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l498/Nybris/IMG_0001_zpsfbnydji6.jpeg)</div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><strong>Name</strong>: Bellatrix<br><strong>Location</strong>: Mael's bedroom<br><strong>Tagging</strong>: Mael<br><hr><hr>His chuckle did not bode well for her sanity, or his physical condition as Bellatrix had an array of impulsive actions against him just then as he threw insult after accusation after ridicule towards her, practically calling her an unbridled whore. Her mouth dropped as Mael all but sneered at her before brushing past her to get back to her vanity to resume his search. She thought to set him aflame just then. Literally. Just for a second, just <em>engulf</em> his ass in fire. Then teleporting him to the center of a lake crossed her mind, maybe even dissipate his clothes before she did, making him walk back to Kaer Morhen butt naked. A few more creative ways to humiliate him and get back at him crossed her mind, but even though Mael had often made fun of magic on numerous occasions, viewing it weak, lazy, and a form of cheating, she had never used it against him in a harmful way.<br><br>Never.<br><br>An odd rule for a sorceress to have in a relationship, but one she did indeed live by when with him. So deciding at the last minute, she discarded all the overreacting forms of supernatural revenge and just stood there for a moment longer, taking his verbal attacks. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she fired an answer back to his last question.<br><br>"Yes. Yes, I do. For what other reason would you rush up here like a breeder's anorexic bitch, lapping at heels and pulling at chains, eager to do the puppeteer's will?" She stepped up close behind him, watching his back move as he continued to go through her things as if her presence could be so easily disregarded, and at that moment her anger flared. <br><br>Placing her left hand on his opposite shoulder, she spun him around to face her, and as soon as they were chest to chest again she landed a hard, open handed slap across his face for everything he said to her, for ignoring her, and most of all for taking Arlaine's side in the matter.<br><br>"You want to be on a leash, Witcher!? Bark for me then!!" She yelled at him, lifting her other hand now to come into play, wanting to slap him in the other direction, but just as she raised her hand, gathering strength and speed, Mael seemed to become hyper focused and he grabbed her hand with ridiculous speed in mid flight. He turned those prowler's eyes towards her in sudden anger that it actually made Bellatrix pause for a moment before attempting to pull her hand out of his strong grip to no avail. <br><br>Lifting her sole free hand to fight, he grabbed that one too, and using her wrists as anchors, turned and slammed her back into wall, knocking the back of her head against it hard, making her exhale in a sudden puff at the force and pain of it all. <br><br>Lifting her golden eyes under thick, dark lashes, breathing heavily, Bellatrix looked up at him and said the following words softly, slowly, and darkly:<br><br>"Let go of me."
			</dd>
		</dl>
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