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James and the Bounty Hunter



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Sat Oct 20, 2018 12:00 pm
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


"Okay," she quietly said. "I'll stop."

She wordlessly got to her feet and went to untie his bonds. She started with his wrists, then moved onto his ankles. If she said anything else, she knew that she would be admitting more about herself than she wanted to. Tiberius had to have been in the right back then. Anyone who built their power on the calamity couldn't have possibly been a good person, and it made her feel sick when she thought about how she had almost helped such a horrible person out by capturing Tiberius.

"Sorry for capturing you," she said. She returned to her blanket. She briefly looked over at him, but then she laid down at her back and opted to stare at the array of stars above her instead. "I obviously should have done my research better."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Sun Oct 21, 2018 8:29 am
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soundofmind says...



James Hawke


That was it? That was all he had to say?

James moved slowly as he pushed himself up to his feet and looked at the ropes on the ground, and then at Runi.

He knew it would be wrong to voice aloud, but he still didn't trust her yet. Something inside him squirmed, expecting some kind of trick or trap. He was waiting for her to do something, or attack him if he moved. But in his head, he knew she wasn't going to. Her body language told him otherwise, as did the tone in her voice.

Somehow, she genuinely regretted capturing him, believed him of all things, and decided to let him go. Who was to say he wasn't lying just to get her to let him go? He easily could've. He should've. He could've said a hundred other things that would be just as convincing, and she would've let him go - if she had been that easy to persuade... she really wasn't like the other bounty hunters he'd faced.

Anyone like her shouldn't have been a bounty hunter. Unless he was wrong.

He started to back away with hesitant steps, keeping his gaze locked on her as she laid on the ground. There wasn't anyone she could've asked who would've told her what he just did. There was no way for her to have gotten the information in whatever kind of research she did. She couldn't have done 'better' research.

He stopped, pausing in his slow backpedal. His eyes flickered to the ground.

"Thank..." he stopped abruptly before continuing. "At least... you treated me with some level of kindness," he said with his voice low. "...Thank you."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:24 am
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


Staring up at the stars wasn't really helping, so she rolled over onto her side. She looked into the darkness on the edge of her makeshift camp. "You're welcome," she replied. She tried not to cry - she really did - but she could feel cheeks growing wet as thick, fat tears rolled down them. Bounty hunting was supposed to be the perfect job for her, and Tiberius was supposed to be the perfect criminal to bring in. She'd get the money for turning him in, and then she could set up a nice little house far away from other people and never have to have another job again.

It wasn't that she hated working. She didn't. But no matter what the job, she always did something that revealed the truth, and bounty hunting gave the convenient excuse of just being really good at her job. But now Tiberius was actually the good guy, and she was questioning her ability to be a decent bounty hunter when she hadn't even been able to figure out that something was fishy about the Moonlight Kingdom.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:44 am
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soundofmind says...



James Hawke


James knew enough that he could tell: the silence that followed was a sorrowful one, and as someone who had hidden his emotions for years, he knew how it would unexpectedly boil to the surface.

The last thing he wanted to do was sympathize with his captor, but she had proven herself in letting him go. She had a moral standard that she held above earning money in exchange for his life. And even though his instincts screamed at him to run, he suddenly felt stuck. Some kind of... pesky obligation to not let someone cry alone, even though no one ever did him the same courtesy (not that he would cry in their vicinity anyway).

With a stiffness in his walk, he began to force himself over and sat a few feet from where she laid.

“Runi,” he whispered, pausing as he looked over at her. His heart twisted inside at how even trying to comfort her went against every urge in his body. “What’s wrong?”
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Sun Oct 21, 2018 1:30 pm
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


The sob that had been threatening to break free caught in her throat. She couldn't bare to turn around to look at him - to do so would reveal that she was crying, though she suspected that he already could tell from the sudden show of concern. She wanted to deny that anything was wrong, but she found that she couldn't. How could she? She obviously wasn't feeling as upbeat as she usually was, and that had likely been what Tiberius had noticed.

But telling the truth was something she also couldn't do. She lived in a world that hated every fiber of her being, and Tiberius was probably just like the rest of the world.

She rolled over onto her other side and looked at him.

"I thought bounty hunting would be different," she simply said. That, at least, didn't reveal too much. "People and I-people and I don't work well. So bounty hunting's nice, you know? I can use my abilities for good, get some money to support myself and most of the time I don't have to worry about interacting with a lot of people on a consistent basis."

She frantically wiped her tears away with the edge of her sleeve. "I-I just thought I could actually accomplish something, but I was wrong there. And that's not really all that surprising, but I guess I just was hoping too hard."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:24 am
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soundofmind says...



James Hawke


James kept his face frozen into a neutral expression and looked away when Runi turned around.

It wasn't that he didn't understand her, or that he couldn't empathize. Something inside of him was just... off, and he was still struggling to stop looking at her through the lens of her being his enemy. He was actively trying not to. He really was.

But he could tell there was still something she was hiding, and there was some kind of hidden meaning to what she was saying - more than what she was letting on. People and her didn't work well. She could use her abilities for good. The wording was strange. She wouldn't have to worry about interacting with a lot of people. That would be something he could understand if she was on the other side of the law like him, but why would she want to avoid people? She hardly displayed the characteristics of a willing hermit. She wasn't antisocial, and she seemed to enjoy conversation. If anything, he would've assumed she would enjoy being around a lot of people, or at least a few that were her friends.

He knew loneliness took many different forms, but it sounded like she was trying to stay away from people out of necessity. It was... a common thread in people who used magic, he found. They intentionally remained on the outskirts of society, kept odd jobs. Even if it was... bounty hunting, he supposed.

It wasn't the first time someone who was actually decent would've captured him in hopes of just getting enough money to run away with so they could have an easier, safer, and simpler life.

He waited a few drawn-out seconds before replying.

"To be fair... most people who are on wanted posters actually have done heinous deeds that are deserving of their capture and going to jail for. And technically, though my crime was done with more... morally 'upstanding' intentions, it was still treasonous, and according to law, still punishable. But - and - well. I know that's not really what you're... you're getting at. But if you're disappointed about trying to do something right for once and accomplish something in your life and feeling down for it not working out... you're not alone."

He leaned forward and began pulling at the grass. He didn't want to say out loud that they were in the same boat, because he knew there were nuances to both of their situations that were different, but the sentiment was fundamentally the same. They'd both failed, and it felt horrible. Her failure - if she was only referring to her trying to capture him and turn him in, thinking it was right - was much smaller in scale, but still rightfully upsetting.

He sat, trying to think of something else to say, but the last thing he wanted to do was open up more, or compare her situation to his. So he fell into silence.
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Mon Oct 22, 2018 9:16 am
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


Even though Tiberius hadn't verbally compared their two situations, it was obvious that he thought they were in the same boat. The sudden silence, the decision to remain, the wording of what he had just said to comfort her - all of that made it pretty clear how he viewed the situation.

It was a nice thought, but she knew he wouldn't be having it if he knew the truth. He was on that wanted poster because he had tried to do the right thing; that made his actions justified. She was just out here because society didn't like the magic coursing through her veins. She knew Tiberius didn't feel all that good about himself, but at least he could comfort himself with the knowledge that he had tried changing the world for the better. Everyone she had ever met was convinced she had changed it for the worse.

And since she couldn't possibly tell him the truth about what she was, she fell into a silence similar to his.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:04 am
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soundofmind says...



James Hawke


He wasn't sure what he had expected, but when she didn't reply, his suspicions only increased. He didn't want to interrogate her the way she had him, but he decided to give her an opportunity to be truthful. Hesitantly, he began to speak, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

"I've... I've met many people in my travels. Outcasts somehow find each other, even if it's not for long. And like myself, I know not everyone who hides from the law or from society does so with evil intentions. Many... many are victims of the culture, being rejected for things beyond their control." He kept his eyes on the ground, ready to run if he was wrong about her.

"Like mages," he said softly. "And though they're pushed to the borders of society or otherwise murdered for just existing, I've found them to be some of the most generous, kindhearted people I've ever met. And I know there are always exceptions, but I think the demonized, malicious, manipulative mage stereotype is nothing but a false idea conjured up to control a failing society. I know it's... it's not a popular idea. Most people are comfortable believing magic itself is evil even if they think mages are just victims of it. But magic itself isn't bad..."

He looked away, out into the dark forest.

"It's just like anything else. Anything can be used for evil, but most of the time, it's just... normal. Or at least, it should be."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:23 am
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


She stared at him.

"You know mages?" she asked, incredulous. She knew that she should be avoiding the topic, but she had so much that she just had to ask him. She inched ever so slightly closer to him and waited for him to say more. Even though only a few seconds had passed since she had asked her question, she grew impatient and decided to continue talking.

"Why do you think that way?" she asked. She tried to keep her tone calm, but she couldn't help but let some excitement seep its way through. Tiberius might have said he felt one way about mages, but the situation could change drastically if he realized she was actually one. People were weird like that. So she added in something that would hopefully deflect suspicion for a bit. "Everyone knows that mages are horrible, horrible people."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Tue Oct 23, 2018 11:26 am
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soundofmind says...



James Hawke


Her spike in curiosity did not escape his notice, but he kept his voice quiet and neutral.

"Saying all mages are horrible people is like saying all werewolves are horrible people, or all goblins are horrible people. It's a gross generalization of a marginalized people group - and not only is it harmful and presumptuous, it is wrong."

He paused to glance at her, but quickly looked away.

"The three mages I've had the privilege of knowing I am no longer in contact with. But I owe each of them my lives, and some of them my sanity."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Wed Oct 24, 2018 10:13 am
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


It was in the middle of this speech about something she already knew to be wrong that it all finally clicked. She wiped away the last remnants of tears from her eyes and cheeks, sat up and looked squarely at Tiberius - even though the man was stubbornly looking away from her now. He wasn't a mage. She could tell. He had to have had another reason for bringing them up when no mention of them was made, and the only reason he might have done so was because he had realized she was one of them.

Touché, Tiberius. Touché.

"I know you figured it out," she said, deciding that it was best to stop pretending when both of them knew the truth. "So I guess pretending that I hate mages really isn't going to work."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed Oct 24, 2018 10:17 am
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soundofmind says...



James Hawke


"So I guess it's safe to assume you've never hunted one of your own for a bounty," James concluded quietly, still avoiding eye contact.
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Wed Oct 24, 2018 10:22 am
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


"Well, yeah," she said. She put her elbow on her crossed legs, immediately resting her chin in the cusp of her hand. "I'm not morally compromised. I just did bounty hunting for people that I thought were genuinely bad people."

She thought for a moment.

"Not that you're a bad person!" she hurriedly added. "You seem like a perfectly decent person, especially when you think about mages in the way that you do."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed Oct 24, 2018 10:32 am
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soundofmind says...



James Hawke


"Sure I do," he muttered under his breath with a quiet scoff.

He stared out into the forest for a moment and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. After the rushes of anxiety and stress at thinking he had to escape, then being let go, and the general way the night was going, he was exhausted - and with the main sources of tension finally resolved between him and his former captor, he felt like his body and mind were starting to shut down. He shook his head slightly and looked over at Runi, with his weariness unhidden on his face.

"Look I... I'm tired. And I don't know how to talk you through your issues, but I'm not going to out you to anyone, or hurt you. I'm honestly too tired to run into the darkness with nothing but the clothes on my back, and I - I can be gone by morning - but I just - I -" he stumbled over his words as he tried to finish the sentence, but ended up ending the sentence with a frustrated sigh.

She would probably find it insulting if he said he still couldn't trust her.
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Wed Oct 24, 2018 10:44 am
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Mageheart says...



Darunia Vain


She listened carefully to what he said, trying her best to understand what he wanted to get across. He was tired. That much was evident from how he was beginning to speak now, and from how he had admitted at the very beginning of what he just told her. Reading between the lines, she could tell that he didn't fully trust her, and wasn't sure if she trusted him back. That made sense. They had been introduced to each other as captor and captured. It would be hard getting over that, even if they were no longer in that situation.

"I'm okay with you staying the night here," she said. "I promise I won't do anything. I'll just stay under my blanket, and you can stay under yours." She gave him a small smile. "My reflexes are pretty good, like you just saw a little while ago, so I don't even think we'd need shifts - not that this place is dangerous. I've been in worst places before, honestly."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.








You got rid of them. Yes, that's just like you. Getting rid of everything unpleasant instead of learning to put up with it.
— Aldous Huxley, Brave New World