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Sun 8th Jan 2023 03:25

Plans

by Maelie Arsenault

“Stay?”
"Stay for a bit?"
"Are...are you leaving?"
 
It was the real question she was asking all along. She had panicked Cardinal with talk of houses by accident, but it had drawn out her real fears. Would she leave? On a whim? When something better presents itself? Fox had disposed of dozens of names, disappeared, and moved on… so she had a very hard time convincing herself that Maelie Arsenault would stay.
 
Did she love them? Yes. Absolutely yes. All three for each their own beauty and sorrow that she saw in their eyes. But old habits die hard and the packed bag under her bed, the boots next to the chest, the dagger behind the headboard, and the many times her lovers’ soft movements stirred her alertness made every reassurance feel empty.
 
Wake up, any threats?
Clothes, boots, weapons, cloak.
Backpack has rations, water, clothes, spare lockpicks, and an updated train schedule.
Exit; window or door.
Throw off pursuit in Central Ward.
Make it to station leaving only a long enough window to purchase ticket and board train.
 
On her own she had practiced the routes and it would take no more than forty minutes to be leaving Novandria. And every time she reflexively ran through the plan each step was now painful.
 
Before now, she had never noticed. Her Aunt and Uncle had always accompanied her, the plan had worked in Montaigne when they left the Painted Highlands. Then again in Vodacce. Things go wrong, better to lose a heist; equipment, money, or treasure, none of it was as important as your life or freedom. That’s why when the con on the Duke of Rosende had gone bad she had followed the plan. Escape the ball, hit the hidden packs in the woods, change clothes and head for the docks. Short journey across the channel to Avalon. It had worked for her.
 
But now… now she noticed. It worked for her because it was for her. Kallie and Mika had gotten killed, they had diverted attention, given her time, struggled to their last breath. That’s what she saw over her shoulder as Kallie let loose paralyzing magics and Mika interfered with every step her pursuers took. She’d been helped, protected, coddled, … spoiled. The plan had worked for her and not them because it was never meant for them.
 
That was when she'd lost her colours again. She didn’t understand why her vision did this, why it slipped into darkvision after her mother’s abuse or when she’d lost her aunt and uncle. She didn’t really care either, she just wanted her family, so it had surprised her when she had entered the Skybound Inn, her first day in Novandria, and the room had lit up at the sound of violin music. Maybe it was love at first sight, maybe it was something else. At this point, it really didn’t matter to her.
 
Before sleep, she pulled the bag out from under her bed. Gripping the straps like it was a lifesaving device on the open seas, she took a moment before opening it up. She unpacked it, inventoried the contents, and then she put the clothes in her dresser. The waterskin and rations went in her chest for adventuring gear. She moved her boots and cloak to the front entrance. The lockpicks she tucked into a drawer.
 
Finally, she stood with the train schedule in hand, every instinct telling her to keep it, repack the bag, escape routes and contingencies keep your freedom. It felt as if her aunt and uncle were staring at her. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she held the paper over a candle and set it aflame, letting it burn up before dropping it into the hearth.
 
“My home is where they are and I won’t give it up this time. I’ll just have to make a new plan.”

Continue reading...

  1. The Last Rule
    November 27th, 1882, - Novandria
  2. The Den
  3. Am I losing?
  4. A Close Call
  5. Plans
  6. New Toys
  7. Mistakes were made
  8. Too close to home
  9. Not like you.
  10. This City is Mine.
    February 6th, 1883
  11. Aimless?
    March 5, 1883 - Novandria
  12. The Game Begins
    February 13th, 1883
  13. Too much like You
    March 13, 1883
  14. Safer in Shadows
    April 3, 1883
  15. New Beginnings
    April 7th, 1883
  16. Ready to Run
    April 17th, 1883
  17. Home
    April 25, 1883
  18. Can you steal a heart?
    May 8th, 1883
  19. Trouble
    11th of May, 1883
  20. Heartbreak
    14th of May, 1883
  21. Hunter or Prey?
    16th of May, 1883
  22. Guilt
    19th of May, 1883
  23. Untrustworthy
    21st of May, 1883
  24. Why am I like this?
    25th of May, 1883
  25. Worthy
    8th of June, 1883
  26. The One She Left Behind
    13th June, 1883
  27. Annnd it's back...
    July 1st, 1883
  28. Learning to Fly
    July 4th, 1883
  29. Thrill of the Hunt
    July 29th, 1883
  30. From the Embers
    21st of August, 1883 // 1867
  31. Mother Knows Best
    16th of September, 1883
  32. A Snake, a Star, and a Fox
    25th of September, 1883, Novandria
  33. It wasn't him.
    28th of September, 1883, Novandria
  34. The New Blade
    13th of September, 1883
  35. Something Good
    October 31, 1883 - Novandria
  36. The wound that won't close
    18th of December, 1883 - Novandria
  37. Promise
    25th of December, 1883 - Novandria
  38. Fallen through the cracks
    6th of January, 1884 - Novandria
  39. Day to Night
    7th of January, 1884
  40. What's Left to the Shadows
    22nd of January, 1884, Novandria
  41. The World without Colour
    18th of February, 1884, Bellancourt, Montaigne,
  42. Seventeen Roofs
    26th of February, Novandria, Eisen
  43. Crossing the Board
    4th of March, 1884, Novandria, Eisen
  44. New Freedom
    May 4th, 1884
  45. Saved
    5th of May, 1884/16th of July, 1858

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:09, Nov 15 2024