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assassinatesPlayer Information:
Name: Ashe
Age: 23
Contact: asheling @ plurk
Game Cast: Finnick Odairinsecrets, Vanessa Cleveland fatedchaos & recent AC thread
Character Information:
Name: Shelby Rook
Canon: Original
Canon Point: Right as she's returning to Garrett following her month-long excursion
Age: 23
Reference:
Shelby was born in Dillinger, the capital of Kinniburgh, to a young prostitute named Elisa. To this day, she has no clue of who her father is. Her earliest memories are of the brothel where she lived with her mother, and her mother, of course. There she lived with her mother until she was six. At that age, her mother became deathly ill and soon succumbed to her illness. The madam of the brothel, having decided that the child was too young to begin training, kicked Shelby out of the brothel. With nobody to pay for her stay there, she was just another mouth she couldn't afford to feed. The madam's actions were basically a death sentence on Shelby, who had no idea of what to do to take care of herself. This was her first lesson on starvation and death.
That's when her life changed forever. In her favor, an assassin from the infamous Insidia guild, Kristoff Rook, came upon her nearly dead form. For reasons of his own that he never quite told Shelby, Kristoff picked her up, wrapped her in a cloak, and brought her back to the guild. All she had known about him prior to this incident was that he was a frequent visitor of her mother's. This was the beginning of her new life. He gave her his last name and so began the training that would define her life. The early years were easy and often she trained with some of the children. Running, agility, days of starvation to help them understand the pains of it, lessons on survival, reading, writing.
Her master called her a scrapper, a survivor, and it made her an easy contender among the others. And also an easy target. The other apprentices would often attack her—as they would most other apprentices who appeared weak—on a daily basis. She would fight back, because not doing so would mean death. One could not become an assassin and serve the Silent One if they did not have the will for it. She was taught early on to have the will and dedication to the dark god. During one such attack, a young noble girl named Chuck came upon the crowd and saved Shelby. She was 8 at the time, and began to follow the girl around everywhere she could manage. They became friends, despite her master's warnings that the only friends she would need would be her guildmates. Unfortunately for her, the girl was also the oldest child of her family. Master Rook took Shelby to watch the sacrifice the girl's family made of Chuck.
After that incident, Shelby refused to become close to anyone who wasn't her master. The following year began her real training. She began learning about different poisons, how to wield a dagger, where the most vital parts of a body were, how much torture a person could take—often times demonstrated on her, so that she could learn. If she cried out during her training, she was usually beaten. Pain was a part of life. There was pain and there was death, and she shouldn't be afraid to accept either when it happened, her master explained to her. It was a lesson she learned quickly.
At twelve, Shelby was given her first assignment, a new-money woman who had made her fortune off the slave labor of children. This would be her ultimate test. If she could not pull off a successful assassination, she would be put to death by her fellow apprentices. Shelby could not fail this. She spent a week stalking the woman, learning about her, until she finally made her move one night. It was bloody and she had made many mistakes, but she had completed her first kill. It was the first time that her master told her he was proud of her.
At fifteen, Shelby began training of a different kind. Her master said that certain situations would call for different actions, and she was pretty enough to be able to pass as a courtesan.
The years passed by without much event to mark them. At seventeen, Shelby graduated from fledgling to full assassin, able to take on her own assignments without her master's approval. She began to travel and learn more about the land, its history and myths and magic. She had already had a love for stories and magic thanks to her mother, so this only helped to stoke that small, childish part of herself that she still clung to. After all, if she had learned anything from her master, it was that every one of them had their own idiosyncrasies. She remained close to Rook over this time period, coming to see him as a father figure. So when he disappeared during an assignment when she was twenty-two, she felt her first pang of loss since Chuck's death. The difference here being that she had spent most of her life with Master Rook. It had been hard to deal with his death, and for a long time following it, she refused to take any assignments of her own. She picked up his backlog or spent her free time hunting him down, to no avail. It was time to accept that he was dead.
As she was getting ready to move on nearly a year later, a noble man approached her with threats. Apparently, her master had owed him a favor, and since she was the only one he could call an heir to Rook, she had just inherited his debt. Out of her sense of loyalty, she agreed to take the job. See, apparently, there was a princess in a tower, just ripe for the picking. And it was Shelby's job to rescue the princess for this fat, moustached noble to marry. Normally, this was not her sort of thing, but she had no choice. It was for Master Rook. Shelby traveled deep into the neighboring country of Risdall to find this princess.
Guarding the tower of this princess was a dragon, which had not been mentioned to her at all. In fact, the great Lord Tycho had also neglected to do a little research on this princess. The princess was, in fact, a spoiled prince who had been locked in the tower by his parents. After the punishment, a wizard (a wizard!!) had taken control of the tower and placed the dragon there for defense. Shelby subdued the pygmy dragon and entered the tower, where she discovered Prince Garrett waiting for her. Kidnapping the “princess” from his tower, Shelby forced him into the woods, where she kept him tied up until the following day where they would meet Lord Tycho. During the time, the dragon had followed Shelby and Garrett. She names the dragon Bubbles. Bubbles follows Shelby and Garrett to the meeting place. After they are attacked by von Magica's men and Tycho is killed, Garrett decides to hire Shelby. Take him home and protect him, and she'll receive a fortune. It's not her sort of thing, but the money would be a help when she returned to her guild.
So the prince, assassin, and pygmy dragon begin to travel through Risdall together, dodging von Magica every step of the way. There are some magical adventures here, where they learn new things about each other and grow to become friends (well, not Bubbles and Garrett, because Bubbles doesn't really like him). Garrett's the first person who has ever treated her with real kindness, and it's not something that Shelby really knows how to handle. Because of this, she becomes more protective of his needs and develops a sense of intense loyalty to him pretty quickly. It's really no longer about the money to her. However, they don't always see eye to eye, either, as he frequently lets it be known that her life isn't right (prostitution for a nice meal is not good, Shelby; being raised to become a killer isn't right, Shelby). Before Garrett, she's never had any reason to question her life.
Which leads her to the biggest decision she's ever made. While traveling, she begins to notice signs of someone following them. And not just anyone: a member of her guild in Kinniburgh. One night, while Garrett is sleeping, she slips out of the cave they are staying in, telling Bubbles to watch over him until she comes back (she has a lot of trust in the dragon). She meets with a guild member, a fellow apprentice that she grew up with. Neal tells her that it's time to come home, no more gallivanting around Risdall. If she doesn't, they'll kill Garrett. He's not important. It snaps something within Shelby, and she gets into a fight with Neal, resulting in his death and her being injured. Her guild is after Garrett, and Shelby knows that they won't stop until she stops them. She decides to leave Garrett then in Bubbles' care.
Shelby spends a month hunting down her own guild members, which is basically a huge no-no in the assassin world. But she has to get the message out: nobody is to touch her prince. It also sends out another message: she's no longer one of them. With these acts, Shelby has essentially cut herself off from the only home she has ever known. She burns off the guild tattoo on her up arm, because she is an exile who no longer deserves to wear the seal. It's while she's on her way back to the cave that she's taken to the turtle.
Setting:
Pretentious Land: An Overview
The title of the world that Shelby is from (because I never actually got around to calling it anything other than Pretentious Land. For all intent and purposes, she'll likely only call the largest piece of land “the continent”). It's a fantasy world, completely different from Earth itself. Once, there was magic in the world, and the world was filled with magical creatures. Magic is a little different in PL, as it's tied to the dragons. Since the beginning, dragons and magic have always held a close association with one another. Dragons are the direct descendants of the gods, in particular White Fang and Emrys, and the emergence of the First Dragon brought magic to the lands, people, and animals. It has always been known that the size of the dragon population has a direct correlation with how much magic there is.
However, about two hundred years prior to Shelby's birth, an event occurred. Dragons disappeared, leading people to believe that there was an extinction event. However, the truth was that a group of adventurers had been brought together by a prophecy, sending them on a quest to the North, where the sacrifice of the last heir of the Kinniburgh throne put the dragons to sleep rather than allowed them to die off. With this sacrifice, the course of magic was saved, but with interesting results.
Dragons were asleep, allowing magic to continue in a slow trickle. In their place came pygmy dragons to carry on their work. Because pygmies are smaller, magic has come close to near extinction. Where there were once great wizards and many people could tap into magic, relatively few can still access it. Wizards became mages, and only once in a generation was a real wizard born.
People weren't the only ones affected by the loss of magic. Plants that had once had magical properties either lost them, changed in structure, or became increasingly rare. Magical animals also suffered. Pygmy dragons (who grow to be about the size of a horse) were only the beginning. Krakens shrunk in size as well, losing their deadly and poisonous spikes (they have become quite the delicacy in the Abere Islands). Unicorns became stunted, and a horn in the wild is a rare event; in fact, unicorns have been hunted nearly to extinction because of the few magical properties they still possess. Griffins also shrunk and became a little bit more ornery than usual, often attacking either mages or other creatures of magic when spotted (mages believe that griffins are well aware of what's happened to them and attack out of anger).
Countries:
The Continent:
Kinniburgh:
Kinniburgh is Shelby's home country, situated in the southern most part of the Continent. About fifty years prior to the event that led to the disappearance of dragons, a revolution swept through Kinniburgh. The royal family was slaughtered, with relatively few survivors able to make it out. In place of the monarchy, a parliament rose up, democracy began to reign. Except it didn't work out exactly as the revolutionaries had hoped. The parliament is still in place, but it's backed by powerful families of nobility (think like the Mafia). It's a land of corruption, the only place where you can go to a temple for worship and then zip on over to the brothel next door for a different kind of worship. It's home to the most assassin guilds, though their loyalty is not to Kinniburgh, but to their god and to whoever has the purse strings. Relatively few people have magic here in Kinniburgh, and despite the heavy worship of gods in the country, magic is generally frowned upon.
Risdall
Risdall is the home country of Garrett Taliesin and Francis von Magica. It is the complete opposite of Kinniburgh. It's a land of wealth, beauty, and stability. It is still run by a monarchy. 100 years ago, a grueling civil war occurred, where the Taliesin family stole the throne from the von Magicas, who had been the ruling family for the past 500 years. Magic can be found more freely in Risdall, and is a more acceptable practice than in its sister country to the south. Regardless of the decline of magic, the capital is home to a large university that is still dedicated to the study, mostly theory by now. The eldest child is generally the one who inherits in Risdall, regardless of gender. The next in line to the throne is Natalia Taliesin, the older sister of Garrett Taliesin. Her husband is the general of the Risdall army, and their son Gavin is their sole heir and budding wizard of the family line.
Risdall is where most of Shelby's story takes place during her travels with Garrett while they are on the run from von Magica.
The Wasteland
The desert to the west. The Wasteland is home to multiple nomadic tribes that function under a council. They're a relatively quiet people who practice shamanism and worship dragons. Despite the stretch of desert land, it is very populated, thanks to the use of irrigation and the few oases that also reside in the land of heat and sand. It's also a huge center for trade since it is the land between the rest of the Continent and the Islands and Trint, which lies just to the west of the Wasteland over the ocean. Because of trade, the tribes of the Wasteland have a prosperous port by the ocean where an elected few live year-round to keep an eye out.
The Frozen North
Relatively unpopulated, except for a few tribes of old that make their homes on the border between the frozen land and the southern countries. It's thought to be the home to the dragon goddess and dragons, and as such, it's a place of great mystical powers. It also happens to be the resting place of the dragons, but shh. Don't tell anyone that yet.
The Abere Islands
The beautiful lands of the Abere Islands are a tropical paradise, filled with old magic, ancient beasts, and colors that can even dull out Risdall. Despite the decline of magic throughout the world, the Abere Islands have kept a strong hand on theirs. Although it's not as powerful as it once was. Nobody is quite sure of why this is, as the elders of the Islands will never reveal their secrets, but many rumors surrounding the country have been abundant. Legends of gods, captive dragons, and even dark sorcery are among the most popular. It's a patriarchal society run by a monarchy. Princess Althea, the eldest of the king's four daughters, is betrothed to Garrett as a renewal of the treaty between Abere and Risdall. The Abere Islands have a very weak military arm, thus they live mostly off their peace treaties.
Trint
Long ago, before the decline of magic, Trint became popular for its trade in young women with the gift of foresight. Rich and noble families often purchased a girl to keep as a pet, because well... Isn't it so nice to show off your own little songbird that can sing the futures of your friends at a party? Before the decline of dragons, this practice became outlawed and the temples where the girls were raised were disbanded. Just in time, too, because foresight is rare enough that most scholars believe that nobody has the gift any longer. Thankfully enough, Trint is a world of exotic colors, cloths, and food, so their trade with the mainland has not declined at all. They are a private country, however, ruled by an emperor.
Gods, Religions, & Cults:
The lands of PL are polytheistic. Each country has its own patron god that they worship. Although, worship comes in varying degrees, depending on country and person. Many people in Risdall are lax in their worship, whereas the people of the Abere Islands and Trint tend to make sacrifices still.
Speaking of sacrifices, there are two large cults in the world. The first is solely a practice within Kinniburgh, a hidden cult that very few know about and is only for those who are noble or rich. The worship is dedicated to the Gods of Many Faces, trickster gods that are formless, usually robbing the bodies of people or animals to do their work. Noble families will sacrifice their first born children when they reach the age of ten to continue their good fortune and to secure their power with the trickster gods against others. The second cult is far more widespread, from Risdall to the Wasteland, from the Islands to Trint. It is the Cult of the Triple, a worship of the three moon goddesses. It's an empowerment for women, and also a bloody and insidious cult in some cases. The sacrifices are made to ensure power, magic, and well being, and sacrifices generally represent each goddess: the virgin, the mother, and the crone. In most cases, animals are used. In others, well... Not all sacrifices are of the willing variety.
Another interesting facet of religion in PL is the way some people are revered as priests, particularly in Kinniburgh. Assassins who are part of guilds are generally perceived as the priest of the Silent One, patron of assassinations and quick deaths. Some brothels advertise themselves as temples for love gods. The university in Risdall doubles as the largest temple dedicated to Emrys and the patron goddess of Risdall, Enu.
And The Story So Far:
By the time Gavin Taliesin, son of Princess Natalia and Prince Consort Jonathon, was three, he had a high aptitude for magic. Enough to be declared by the scholars of the university as a wizard. This was great news, not just for the royal line, but also for Risdall and the rest of the world. That meant that at least three wizards were alive in this day and age, and it gave them hope that magic—and dragons—would soon be returning.
However, the other wizards did not particularly enjoy this news. See, the other wizards were Francis von Magica and his daughter, Francesca von Magica. They are direct descendants of the family line that was overthrown a century ago by the Taliesin family. With the announcement that magic was growing stronger in the Taliesin line, Francis began to plot. He wanted the throne back for his family. Which meant that what he needed was to get rid of Natalia and her wizard son and implant the second in line on the throne. It was well known in Risdall that Prince Garrett was a mage of, well, lackluster talent. No match for his own daughter. But he was a Taliesin, and Francis knew he would need a puppet to put his family back on the throne. Besides, with the magic in Garrett's blood and his daughter's own power, they could grow stronger over time.
After the Queen and King had locked their son in a tower as a sort of time out before he would be shipped to the Abere Islands, Francis made his move. He slaughtered the guards the king and queen had put in place, installed his own, and trained a pygmy dragon to watch over Garrett and kill anyone who would attempt to rescue the prince. In despair over their stupidity, the king and queen proclaimed that their son was actually a princess in a tower, and untold riches would come to anyone who could rescue her and bring her home.
Which is where Shelby comes in.
Personality:
Shelby is both socially and emotionally awkward, to say the least. Since she was a young girl, she has been trained to hunt and kill humans. To say that this has warped her way of thinking is a bit of an understatement. In fact, Shelby doesn't believe that there's anything wrong with taking the life of another person. She has never felt guilty about the people she has killed, and in all likelihood, she never will. Death is far easier than life, and to have your soul taken to the Silent One is a gift. She doesn't see herself as either a hero or a villain; she is just a woman who has been given the chance to serve a god. Basically there is no black and white, there is only gray. Her training has made her quite the vicious killer. She doesn't hesitate in a fight, and if she believes her life or Garrett's life is in danger, or is on an assignment, she will not hesitate to kill. And she has never failed in the last eleven years. That's given her a sort of pride in her work. It gives her purpose.
But because of this, she doesn't particularly know how to relate to other people who aren't assassins. Even then, she has never been able to particularly grow close to her fellow guild mates. She's seen what happens when you become close to someone, and she is very selective about who she keeps personal company with. She also doesn't particularly care what people think of her or what she does, so it makes things just a tad awkward when she starts going on about a particular kill and everyone else gets ill over it. Even her relationship with Garrett is awkward, as they find it hard to relate to each other. And because he has been poisoning her into thinking that her way of life is wrong, and she shouldn't have been forced into becoming an assassin. She disagrees; Shelby believes that she was saved and given a chance at life.
Even though Shelby doesn't relate well to other people, she does really like to people watch. Other people are pretty fascinating to her. She likes to learn new things, especially the way others think. Not that she's ever particularly gotten the chance to really pick someone else apart. The closest that she's gotten, prior to Garrett, was when stalking her victims or during torture. Otherwise, she enjoys just watching people from afar. Shelby is kind of a creepy stalker.
While she enjoys killing and likes the sight of blood, she isn't particularly a psychopath. It's a need in her, but more like a need to get rid of her pent up energy than it is to watch someone die (not that she'd be against that either). Despite her upbringing and particularly dark desires, Shelby can be friendly. She's quiet and generally mild-mannered and attempts to be polite when dealing with most people. She's been molded into someone who—while she has no problems taking charge and being assertive—doesn't mind taking on a more passive role in life. She likes orders and will tend to listen to them. She has a rather odd sense of humor, finding things funny that other people wouldn't (nobody laughs at her jokes either 8c).
Shelby also has an incredibly low self-esteem. She doesn't think there's a lot about herself that's particularly worthy. She's been beaten down to the point where she doesn't always see herself as a person, but as a tool to be used by her god and by her guild, and before his disappearance, by her master. There have not been a lot of people in her life who have been particularly kind to her, and those who have have always died. It's been pointed out to her that she is no great beauty and has no real worth outside of her skills, in both assassinating and sex. Because of this, she's never really thought of having a relationship or particularly understand how love or even friendship works.
And while all of this still holds true, a lot about her has shifted somewhat since she met Garrett. Garrett is the first person in her life to be entirely kind—and even honest—with her. Despite his spoiled nature, he cares about her feelings as well, and it's something she doesn't particularly know how to handle. At first, she finds him weird and annoying and self-entitled, like most nobles, but underneath of that, she thinks he is interesting and can be too nice for his own good. The more time she has spent with him, the more she has come to like what he offers to her. Point blank, she is in love with him, and would pretty much do anything for him. He treats her like a person, an individual. He compliments her and is actually sincere about it. He makes her feel like there is a possibility that she could have a life of her own.
The way Garrett bolsters her, and also because of her deep need to take care of him at all costs, is what brings her to severing ties with her guild. Hunting down your own guild mates and making a declaration to not return is the ultimate sacrifice—and the ultimate blasphemy against the Silent One. Once her mission is over, Shelby knows that she will have no home to return to and will have to make a life of her own. It's terrifying, and she knows what she has done is wrong, but for Garrett and for Garrett's well-being, it's more than worth it. She would give that and her life a thousand times over for him. Yeah. It's pretty intense on her end. So, basically, while it would seem that Shelby has changed in personality, it's not exactly true. What's changed is her shift in loyalty—where before she had been loyal to the master who had saved her life and given her a second chance, she is now loyal to the prince whose life she saved.
Shelby also has a child-like sense of wonder that she's clung to that is left over from her time with her mother. Before her mother's death, she would read Shelby stories about great knights and magical quests, and no amount of training has taken that sort of curiosity from her. She loves traveling and seeing things that are interesting. More than that, she is utterly fascinated by magic. Anything to do with magic, and she wants to see it or learn about it. She isn't a mage, so she'll never be able to do it on her own, but watching it is pretty fun. She also really loves animals. Hardcore assassin, brought down by squishy things.
Both the sense of magic and her love of animals factors into her relationship with Bubbles. From the first moment she confronts him, she knows she doesn't want to kill the dragon, job or no job. Instead, she finds a way to put the dragon out of commission for a couple of hours. When Bubbles woke, he followed both her and Garrett out of a sense of duty, but Shelby and Bubbles also had an instant connection. They can understand each other on a hunter's level. They're also similar in their disposition towards their work ethic and loyalty. She finds a certain comfort with the animal that she's never really felt with another person before.
She is also very intelligent. She's been studying and learning things since she was a child. She likes reading and learning, having knowledge in the fields of anatomy and herbology, as well as having hunting and cooking skills. Variety is good for a person essentially taking care of themselves and a giant manchild and a dragon. Not exactly the best candidate for Team Mom, but hey. Who is?
Being told that she's in the land between life, death, and dreaming is not going to go well. Not because of where she is, but because she's in a suddenly new place, seemingly taken without her knowledge, and torn away from Garrett and Bubbles. Basically, she is going to react violently, or at least attempt to (because she's all weak from being woken up and whatnot). She'll calm down eventually and listen to the kedan without asking any questions. As soon as she finds out that Garrett is here, however, she won't put up anymore fight. There's really no point as long as he's here and she gets to continue keeping him safe from anyone who is going to want to harm him.
Appearance:
Shelby could have been above-average attractive, had the circumstances of her life been different. She's thin and quite small, which has served her well in her assassinations (what she lacks in larger physical prowess, she makes up for in being mostly invisible). Despite her size and lack of nutrition in the past, she's physically fit. Her eyes are large and brown. Her hair comes to her shoulders and is a dull shade of dark brown as well, though she usually wears it pulled away from her face.
She also has several scars along her body, mostly along her legs and torso. Most recently, there is a puckered scar above her stomach where she was recently stabbed. There is another recent wound on her upper right arm, where she's burned off her guild tattoo.
PB: Emmy Rossum
Abilities:
☠ Assassin skills: Shelby's been training as an assassin since she was a child. She knows how to kill some bitches. While she's proficient in poisons and other ways of incapacitating a person, her preferred choice is with a blade. Despite the general malnourishment of her life, she is well aware of what she requires to keep her body in top shape. She's physically strong, able to snap a grown man's neck. She's also proficient in the art of being stealthy, which is essential in killing bitches secretly.
☠ Survival: Shelby knows various things about surviving and living off the land. She knows what plants are good for poison, for healing, and for food. She knows how to hunt and set traps. She knows how to build shelters and can sleep in trees if she has to.
☠ Weapons: Proficient in the use of blades (daggers and swords), bow and arrow, and the staff. She can even improvise, if need be.
☠ Medical knowledge: Because of Shelby's studies in the human body and various ways to kill a person, she also has a vast wealth of medical knowledge. Even though she doesn't use it as often because she's all about killing bitches, it's there.
☠ Dragon powers: Shelby is (unknowingly) descended from dragon speakers, but since dragons no longer actually exist, most people don't realize that they still exist or actually have any need. Thus, her power is pretty much a latent ability that comes across in her relationship with Bubbles. While they can't speak to each other, they seem to have an understanding of what each other means during communication. It's also why Bubbles feels attracted to Shelby.
Inventory:
☠ Three daggers: two carefully hidden, one not
☠ Sword
☠ Clothes: shirt, pants, and leather boots
☠ Water skin
☠ Pouch that would contain a few rations, poisonous plants, a few mysteriously labeled bottles, a bag of silver, bandages, salve, and a pair of dragonskin boots
☠ Bow w/ arrows and quiver
She likes to be prepared....
Suite:
Probably Wood. She likes trees and tree-stuff. It'd make her the most comfortable.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
The pain was harsh, and the smell of her burning flesh filled the air. Shelby hoped it wouldn't attract a predator; not because she couldn't handle it, but because for once in her life, she wanted to be able to relax and think about the implications of her actions, think about the future she won't have. When she was younger, Master Rook would often talk to her about what it would be like—for the both of them—once she had obtained the title of master and take on her own apprentice. It was one of the few relatively gentle moments between the two of them. He would stroke her hair and talk about how it would be his greatest moment, to see that.
But Master Rook was gone now, and he had been for nearly two years. And Shelby...
Shelby had chosen a prince over her guild, had chosen exile over home and god and security.
She lifted the blade from her skin, gritting her teeth against the pain. Still, she hissed, sight going blurry as her eyes filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks. It hurt, far more than she had expected. That was her punishment, she supposed. The Silent One would be displeased with her, of course. She was a failure.
The skin was red and bubbled, the black lines of the tattoo mottled.
Dropping the blade, she hurriedly shoved a handful of leaves into her mouth and chewed until they were a paste, which she rubbed over the wound. The pain was intense and blinding for the first few moments, until it soothed and cooled. She sighed in relief. It would be a few days still before she would reach Garrett and Bubbles at the cave, but she had clean bandages in her bag to keep the wound wrapped and cleaned until the skin healed over.
When her ordeal was over, she stared blankly at the fire in front of her, legs drawn up to chest. There was a sense of loss at leaving Insidia, of course, but mostly there was a sense of freedom. She would follow Garrett for as long as he wanted, and there would be no ties holding her back from that duty. And if he sent her away after she delivered him home? Well, she wasn't incapable of keeping herself alive. She would do as he wanted.
Network:
[Shelby's pretty much gotten the hang of this communication thing. She watched carefully when that kedan had shown her what to do, and she's always been a quick learner. She's just not the best at communicating or people skills, so she pretty much just stares at the computer for a few minutes, as if she's unsure of what to do or say now that she's set it up. Enjoy having someone stare intently at you, everyone, and be glad that it's not in person.
After another moment, she finally speaks. Her voice is soft and low.] My name is Shelby Rook. I'm looking for a dragon. He's about the size of a pony, dark red in color. I have found the other person the dragon was with, so I can only assume he is here as well. He answers to Bubbles. [A pause, and then a slight smile.] Try to not run from him; he is still a deadly predator, regardless of size.
[She leans back somewhat, head tilting.] I have been told we are to work here. I... have a varying set of skills, including some medical training. [And other things. You want a bitch killed? She'll kill a bitch. She likes killing bitches.] Thank you.
Name: Ashe
Age: 23
Contact: asheling @ plurk
Game Cast: Finnick Odair
insecrets, Vanessa Cleveland fatedchaos & recent AC threadCharacter Information:
Name: Shelby Rook
Canon: Original
Canon Point: Right as she's returning to Garrett following her month-long excursion
Age: 23
Reference:
Shelby was born in Dillinger, the capital of Kinniburgh, to a young prostitute named Elisa. To this day, she has no clue of who her father is. Her earliest memories are of the brothel where she lived with her mother, and her mother, of course. There she lived with her mother until she was six. At that age, her mother became deathly ill and soon succumbed to her illness. The madam of the brothel, having decided that the child was too young to begin training, kicked Shelby out of the brothel. With nobody to pay for her stay there, she was just another mouth she couldn't afford to feed. The madam's actions were basically a death sentence on Shelby, who had no idea of what to do to take care of herself. This was her first lesson on starvation and death.
That's when her life changed forever. In her favor, an assassin from the infamous Insidia guild, Kristoff Rook, came upon her nearly dead form. For reasons of his own that he never quite told Shelby, Kristoff picked her up, wrapped her in a cloak, and brought her back to the guild. All she had known about him prior to this incident was that he was a frequent visitor of her mother's. This was the beginning of her new life. He gave her his last name and so began the training that would define her life. The early years were easy and often she trained with some of the children. Running, agility, days of starvation to help them understand the pains of it, lessons on survival, reading, writing.
Her master called her a scrapper, a survivor, and it made her an easy contender among the others. And also an easy target. The other apprentices would often attack her—as they would most other apprentices who appeared weak—on a daily basis. She would fight back, because not doing so would mean death. One could not become an assassin and serve the Silent One if they did not have the will for it. She was taught early on to have the will and dedication to the dark god. During one such attack, a young noble girl named Chuck came upon the crowd and saved Shelby. She was 8 at the time, and began to follow the girl around everywhere she could manage. They became friends, despite her master's warnings that the only friends she would need would be her guildmates. Unfortunately for her, the girl was also the oldest child of her family. Master Rook took Shelby to watch the sacrifice the girl's family made of Chuck.
After that incident, Shelby refused to become close to anyone who wasn't her master. The following year began her real training. She began learning about different poisons, how to wield a dagger, where the most vital parts of a body were, how much torture a person could take—often times demonstrated on her, so that she could learn. If she cried out during her training, she was usually beaten. Pain was a part of life. There was pain and there was death, and she shouldn't be afraid to accept either when it happened, her master explained to her. It was a lesson she learned quickly.
At twelve, Shelby was given her first assignment, a new-money woman who had made her fortune off the slave labor of children. This would be her ultimate test. If she could not pull off a successful assassination, she would be put to death by her fellow apprentices. Shelby could not fail this. She spent a week stalking the woman, learning about her, until she finally made her move one night. It was bloody and she had made many mistakes, but she had completed her first kill. It was the first time that her master told her he was proud of her.
At fifteen, Shelby began training of a different kind. Her master said that certain situations would call for different actions, and she was pretty enough to be able to pass as a courtesan.
The years passed by without much event to mark them. At seventeen, Shelby graduated from fledgling to full assassin, able to take on her own assignments without her master's approval. She began to travel and learn more about the land, its history and myths and magic. She had already had a love for stories and magic thanks to her mother, so this only helped to stoke that small, childish part of herself that she still clung to. After all, if she had learned anything from her master, it was that every one of them had their own idiosyncrasies. She remained close to Rook over this time period, coming to see him as a father figure. So when he disappeared during an assignment when she was twenty-two, she felt her first pang of loss since Chuck's death. The difference here being that she had spent most of her life with Master Rook. It had been hard to deal with his death, and for a long time following it, she refused to take any assignments of her own. She picked up his backlog or spent her free time hunting him down, to no avail. It was time to accept that he was dead.
As she was getting ready to move on nearly a year later, a noble man approached her with threats. Apparently, her master had owed him a favor, and since she was the only one he could call an heir to Rook, she had just inherited his debt. Out of her sense of loyalty, she agreed to take the job. See, apparently, there was a princess in a tower, just ripe for the picking. And it was Shelby's job to rescue the princess for this fat, moustached noble to marry. Normally, this was not her sort of thing, but she had no choice. It was for Master Rook. Shelby traveled deep into the neighboring country of Risdall to find this princess.
Guarding the tower of this princess was a dragon, which had not been mentioned to her at all. In fact, the great Lord Tycho had also neglected to do a little research on this princess. The princess was, in fact, a spoiled prince who had been locked in the tower by his parents. After the punishment, a wizard (a wizard!!) had taken control of the tower and placed the dragon there for defense. Shelby subdued the pygmy dragon and entered the tower, where she discovered Prince Garrett waiting for her. Kidnapping the “princess” from his tower, Shelby forced him into the woods, where she kept him tied up until the following day where they would meet Lord Tycho. During the time, the dragon had followed Shelby and Garrett. She names the dragon Bubbles. Bubbles follows Shelby and Garrett to the meeting place. After they are attacked by von Magica's men and Tycho is killed, Garrett decides to hire Shelby. Take him home and protect him, and she'll receive a fortune. It's not her sort of thing, but the money would be a help when she returned to her guild.
So the prince, assassin, and pygmy dragon begin to travel through Risdall together, dodging von Magica every step of the way. There are some magical adventures here, where they learn new things about each other and grow to become friends (well, not Bubbles and Garrett, because Bubbles doesn't really like him). Garrett's the first person who has ever treated her with real kindness, and it's not something that Shelby really knows how to handle. Because of this, she becomes more protective of his needs and develops a sense of intense loyalty to him pretty quickly. It's really no longer about the money to her. However, they don't always see eye to eye, either, as he frequently lets it be known that her life isn't right (prostitution for a nice meal is not good, Shelby; being raised to become a killer isn't right, Shelby). Before Garrett, she's never had any reason to question her life.
Which leads her to the biggest decision she's ever made. While traveling, she begins to notice signs of someone following them. And not just anyone: a member of her guild in Kinniburgh. One night, while Garrett is sleeping, she slips out of the cave they are staying in, telling Bubbles to watch over him until she comes back (she has a lot of trust in the dragon). She meets with a guild member, a fellow apprentice that she grew up with. Neal tells her that it's time to come home, no more gallivanting around Risdall. If she doesn't, they'll kill Garrett. He's not important. It snaps something within Shelby, and she gets into a fight with Neal, resulting in his death and her being injured. Her guild is after Garrett, and Shelby knows that they won't stop until she stops them. She decides to leave Garrett then in Bubbles' care.
Shelby spends a month hunting down her own guild members, which is basically a huge no-no in the assassin world. But she has to get the message out: nobody is to touch her prince. It also sends out another message: she's no longer one of them. With these acts, Shelby has essentially cut herself off from the only home she has ever known. She burns off the guild tattoo on her up arm, because she is an exile who no longer deserves to wear the seal. It's while she's on her way back to the cave that she's taken to the turtle.
Setting:
Pretentious Land: An Overview
The title of the world that Shelby is from (because I never actually got around to calling it anything other than Pretentious Land. For all intent and purposes, she'll likely only call the largest piece of land “the continent”). It's a fantasy world, completely different from Earth itself. Once, there was magic in the world, and the world was filled with magical creatures. Magic is a little different in PL, as it's tied to the dragons. Since the beginning, dragons and magic have always held a close association with one another. Dragons are the direct descendants of the gods, in particular White Fang and Emrys, and the emergence of the First Dragon brought magic to the lands, people, and animals. It has always been known that the size of the dragon population has a direct correlation with how much magic there is.
However, about two hundred years prior to Shelby's birth, an event occurred. Dragons disappeared, leading people to believe that there was an extinction event. However, the truth was that a group of adventurers had been brought together by a prophecy, sending them on a quest to the North, where the sacrifice of the last heir of the Kinniburgh throne put the dragons to sleep rather than allowed them to die off. With this sacrifice, the course of magic was saved, but with interesting results.
Dragons were asleep, allowing magic to continue in a slow trickle. In their place came pygmy dragons to carry on their work. Because pygmies are smaller, magic has come close to near extinction. Where there were once great wizards and many people could tap into magic, relatively few can still access it. Wizards became mages, and only once in a generation was a real wizard born.
People weren't the only ones affected by the loss of magic. Plants that had once had magical properties either lost them, changed in structure, or became increasingly rare. Magical animals also suffered. Pygmy dragons (who grow to be about the size of a horse) were only the beginning. Krakens shrunk in size as well, losing their deadly and poisonous spikes (they have become quite the delicacy in the Abere Islands). Unicorns became stunted, and a horn in the wild is a rare event; in fact, unicorns have been hunted nearly to extinction because of the few magical properties they still possess. Griffins also shrunk and became a little bit more ornery than usual, often attacking either mages or other creatures of magic when spotted (mages believe that griffins are well aware of what's happened to them and attack out of anger).
Countries:
The Continent:
Kinniburgh:
Kinniburgh is Shelby's home country, situated in the southern most part of the Continent. About fifty years prior to the event that led to the disappearance of dragons, a revolution swept through Kinniburgh. The royal family was slaughtered, with relatively few survivors able to make it out. In place of the monarchy, a parliament rose up, democracy began to reign. Except it didn't work out exactly as the revolutionaries had hoped. The parliament is still in place, but it's backed by powerful families of nobility (think like the Mafia). It's a land of corruption, the only place where you can go to a temple for worship and then zip on over to the brothel next door for a different kind of worship. It's home to the most assassin guilds, though their loyalty is not to Kinniburgh, but to their god and to whoever has the purse strings. Relatively few people have magic here in Kinniburgh, and despite the heavy worship of gods in the country, magic is generally frowned upon.
Risdall
Risdall is the home country of Garrett Taliesin and Francis von Magica. It is the complete opposite of Kinniburgh. It's a land of wealth, beauty, and stability. It is still run by a monarchy. 100 years ago, a grueling civil war occurred, where the Taliesin family stole the throne from the von Magicas, who had been the ruling family for the past 500 years. Magic can be found more freely in Risdall, and is a more acceptable practice than in its sister country to the south. Regardless of the decline of magic, the capital is home to a large university that is still dedicated to the study, mostly theory by now. The eldest child is generally the one who inherits in Risdall, regardless of gender. The next in line to the throne is Natalia Taliesin, the older sister of Garrett Taliesin. Her husband is the general of the Risdall army, and their son Gavin is their sole heir and budding wizard of the family line.
Risdall is where most of Shelby's story takes place during her travels with Garrett while they are on the run from von Magica.
The Wasteland
The desert to the west. The Wasteland is home to multiple nomadic tribes that function under a council. They're a relatively quiet people who practice shamanism and worship dragons. Despite the stretch of desert land, it is very populated, thanks to the use of irrigation and the few oases that also reside in the land of heat and sand. It's also a huge center for trade since it is the land between the rest of the Continent and the Islands and Trint, which lies just to the west of the Wasteland over the ocean. Because of trade, the tribes of the Wasteland have a prosperous port by the ocean where an elected few live year-round to keep an eye out.
The Frozen North
Relatively unpopulated, except for a few tribes of old that make their homes on the border between the frozen land and the southern countries. It's thought to be the home to the dragon goddess and dragons, and as such, it's a place of great mystical powers. It also happens to be the resting place of the dragons, but shh. Don't tell anyone that yet.
The Abere Islands
The beautiful lands of the Abere Islands are a tropical paradise, filled with old magic, ancient beasts, and colors that can even dull out Risdall. Despite the decline of magic throughout the world, the Abere Islands have kept a strong hand on theirs. Although it's not as powerful as it once was. Nobody is quite sure of why this is, as the elders of the Islands will never reveal their secrets, but many rumors surrounding the country have been abundant. Legends of gods, captive dragons, and even dark sorcery are among the most popular. It's a patriarchal society run by a monarchy. Princess Althea, the eldest of the king's four daughters, is betrothed to Garrett as a renewal of the treaty between Abere and Risdall. The Abere Islands have a very weak military arm, thus they live mostly off their peace treaties.
Trint
Long ago, before the decline of magic, Trint became popular for its trade in young women with the gift of foresight. Rich and noble families often purchased a girl to keep as a pet, because well... Isn't it so nice to show off your own little songbird that can sing the futures of your friends at a party? Before the decline of dragons, this practice became outlawed and the temples where the girls were raised were disbanded. Just in time, too, because foresight is rare enough that most scholars believe that nobody has the gift any longer. Thankfully enough, Trint is a world of exotic colors, cloths, and food, so their trade with the mainland has not declined at all. They are a private country, however, ruled by an emperor.
Gods, Religions, & Cults:
The lands of PL are polytheistic. Each country has its own patron god that they worship. Although, worship comes in varying degrees, depending on country and person. Many people in Risdall are lax in their worship, whereas the people of the Abere Islands and Trint tend to make sacrifices still.
Speaking of sacrifices, there are two large cults in the world. The first is solely a practice within Kinniburgh, a hidden cult that very few know about and is only for those who are noble or rich. The worship is dedicated to the Gods of Many Faces, trickster gods that are formless, usually robbing the bodies of people or animals to do their work. Noble families will sacrifice their first born children when they reach the age of ten to continue their good fortune and to secure their power with the trickster gods against others. The second cult is far more widespread, from Risdall to the Wasteland, from the Islands to Trint. It is the Cult of the Triple, a worship of the three moon goddesses. It's an empowerment for women, and also a bloody and insidious cult in some cases. The sacrifices are made to ensure power, magic, and well being, and sacrifices generally represent each goddess: the virgin, the mother, and the crone. In most cases, animals are used. In others, well... Not all sacrifices are of the willing variety.
Another interesting facet of religion in PL is the way some people are revered as priests, particularly in Kinniburgh. Assassins who are part of guilds are generally perceived as the priest of the Silent One, patron of assassinations and quick deaths. Some brothels advertise themselves as temples for love gods. The university in Risdall doubles as the largest temple dedicated to Emrys and the patron goddess of Risdall, Enu.
And The Story So Far:
By the time Gavin Taliesin, son of Princess Natalia and Prince Consort Jonathon, was three, he had a high aptitude for magic. Enough to be declared by the scholars of the university as a wizard. This was great news, not just for the royal line, but also for Risdall and the rest of the world. That meant that at least three wizards were alive in this day and age, and it gave them hope that magic—and dragons—would soon be returning.
However, the other wizards did not particularly enjoy this news. See, the other wizards were Francis von Magica and his daughter, Francesca von Magica. They are direct descendants of the family line that was overthrown a century ago by the Taliesin family. With the announcement that magic was growing stronger in the Taliesin line, Francis began to plot. He wanted the throne back for his family. Which meant that what he needed was to get rid of Natalia and her wizard son and implant the second in line on the throne. It was well known in Risdall that Prince Garrett was a mage of, well, lackluster talent. No match for his own daughter. But he was a Taliesin, and Francis knew he would need a puppet to put his family back on the throne. Besides, with the magic in Garrett's blood and his daughter's own power, they could grow stronger over time.
After the Queen and King had locked their son in a tower as a sort of time out before he would be shipped to the Abere Islands, Francis made his move. He slaughtered the guards the king and queen had put in place, installed his own, and trained a pygmy dragon to watch over Garrett and kill anyone who would attempt to rescue the prince. In despair over their stupidity, the king and queen proclaimed that their son was actually a princess in a tower, and untold riches would come to anyone who could rescue her and bring her home.
Which is where Shelby comes in.
Personality:
Shelby is both socially and emotionally awkward, to say the least. Since she was a young girl, she has been trained to hunt and kill humans. To say that this has warped her way of thinking is a bit of an understatement. In fact, Shelby doesn't believe that there's anything wrong with taking the life of another person. She has never felt guilty about the people she has killed, and in all likelihood, she never will. Death is far easier than life, and to have your soul taken to the Silent One is a gift. She doesn't see herself as either a hero or a villain; she is just a woman who has been given the chance to serve a god. Basically there is no black and white, there is only gray. Her training has made her quite the vicious killer. She doesn't hesitate in a fight, and if she believes her life or Garrett's life is in danger, or is on an assignment, she will not hesitate to kill. And she has never failed in the last eleven years. That's given her a sort of pride in her work. It gives her purpose.
But because of this, she doesn't particularly know how to relate to other people who aren't assassins. Even then, she has never been able to particularly grow close to her fellow guild mates. She's seen what happens when you become close to someone, and she is very selective about who she keeps personal company with. She also doesn't particularly care what people think of her or what she does, so it makes things just a tad awkward when she starts going on about a particular kill and everyone else gets ill over it. Even her relationship with Garrett is awkward, as they find it hard to relate to each other. And because he has been poisoning her into thinking that her way of life is wrong, and she shouldn't have been forced into becoming an assassin. She disagrees; Shelby believes that she was saved and given a chance at life.
Even though Shelby doesn't relate well to other people, she does really like to people watch. Other people are pretty fascinating to her. She likes to learn new things, especially the way others think. Not that she's ever particularly gotten the chance to really pick someone else apart. The closest that she's gotten, prior to Garrett, was when stalking her victims or during torture. Otherwise, she enjoys just watching people from afar. Shelby is kind of a creepy stalker.
While she enjoys killing and likes the sight of blood, she isn't particularly a psychopath. It's a need in her, but more like a need to get rid of her pent up energy than it is to watch someone die (not that she'd be against that either). Despite her upbringing and particularly dark desires, Shelby can be friendly. She's quiet and generally mild-mannered and attempts to be polite when dealing with most people. She's been molded into someone who—while she has no problems taking charge and being assertive—doesn't mind taking on a more passive role in life. She likes orders and will tend to listen to them. She has a rather odd sense of humor, finding things funny that other people wouldn't (nobody laughs at her jokes either 8c).
Shelby also has an incredibly low self-esteem. She doesn't think there's a lot about herself that's particularly worthy. She's been beaten down to the point where she doesn't always see herself as a person, but as a tool to be used by her god and by her guild, and before his disappearance, by her master. There have not been a lot of people in her life who have been particularly kind to her, and those who have have always died. It's been pointed out to her that she is no great beauty and has no real worth outside of her skills, in both assassinating and sex. Because of this, she's never really thought of having a relationship or particularly understand how love or even friendship works.
And while all of this still holds true, a lot about her has shifted somewhat since she met Garrett. Garrett is the first person in her life to be entirely kind—and even honest—with her. Despite his spoiled nature, he cares about her feelings as well, and it's something she doesn't particularly know how to handle. At first, she finds him weird and annoying and self-entitled, like most nobles, but underneath of that, she thinks he is interesting and can be too nice for his own good. The more time she has spent with him, the more she has come to like what he offers to her. Point blank, she is in love with him, and would pretty much do anything for him. He treats her like a person, an individual. He compliments her and is actually sincere about it. He makes her feel like there is a possibility that she could have a life of her own.
The way Garrett bolsters her, and also because of her deep need to take care of him at all costs, is what brings her to severing ties with her guild. Hunting down your own guild mates and making a declaration to not return is the ultimate sacrifice—and the ultimate blasphemy against the Silent One. Once her mission is over, Shelby knows that she will have no home to return to and will have to make a life of her own. It's terrifying, and she knows what she has done is wrong, but for Garrett and for Garrett's well-being, it's more than worth it. She would give that and her life a thousand times over for him. Yeah. It's pretty intense on her end. So, basically, while it would seem that Shelby has changed in personality, it's not exactly true. What's changed is her shift in loyalty—where before she had been loyal to the master who had saved her life and given her a second chance, she is now loyal to the prince whose life she saved.
Shelby also has a child-like sense of wonder that she's clung to that is left over from her time with her mother. Before her mother's death, she would read Shelby stories about great knights and magical quests, and no amount of training has taken that sort of curiosity from her. She loves traveling and seeing things that are interesting. More than that, she is utterly fascinated by magic. Anything to do with magic, and she wants to see it or learn about it. She isn't a mage, so she'll never be able to do it on her own, but watching it is pretty fun. She also really loves animals. Hardcore assassin, brought down by squishy things.
Both the sense of magic and her love of animals factors into her relationship with Bubbles. From the first moment she confronts him, she knows she doesn't want to kill the dragon, job or no job. Instead, she finds a way to put the dragon out of commission for a couple of hours. When Bubbles woke, he followed both her and Garrett out of a sense of duty, but Shelby and Bubbles also had an instant connection. They can understand each other on a hunter's level. They're also similar in their disposition towards their work ethic and loyalty. She finds a certain comfort with the animal that she's never really felt with another person before.
She is also very intelligent. She's been studying and learning things since she was a child. She likes reading and learning, having knowledge in the fields of anatomy and herbology, as well as having hunting and cooking skills. Variety is good for a person essentially taking care of themselves and a giant manchild and a dragon. Not exactly the best candidate for Team Mom, but hey. Who is?
Being told that she's in the land between life, death, and dreaming is not going to go well. Not because of where she is, but because she's in a suddenly new place, seemingly taken without her knowledge, and torn away from Garrett and Bubbles. Basically, she is going to react violently, or at least attempt to (because she's all weak from being woken up and whatnot). She'll calm down eventually and listen to the kedan without asking any questions. As soon as she finds out that Garrett is here, however, she won't put up anymore fight. There's really no point as long as he's here and she gets to continue keeping him safe from anyone who is going to want to harm him.
Appearance:
Shelby could have been above-average attractive, had the circumstances of her life been different. She's thin and quite small, which has served her well in her assassinations (what she lacks in larger physical prowess, she makes up for in being mostly invisible). Despite her size and lack of nutrition in the past, she's physically fit. Her eyes are large and brown. Her hair comes to her shoulders and is a dull shade of dark brown as well, though she usually wears it pulled away from her face.
She also has several scars along her body, mostly along her legs and torso. Most recently, there is a puckered scar above her stomach where she was recently stabbed. There is another recent wound on her upper right arm, where she's burned off her guild tattoo.
PB: Emmy Rossum
Abilities:
☠ Assassin skills: Shelby's been training as an assassin since she was a child. She knows how to kill some bitches. While she's proficient in poisons and other ways of incapacitating a person, her preferred choice is with a blade. Despite the general malnourishment of her life, she is well aware of what she requires to keep her body in top shape. She's physically strong, able to snap a grown man's neck. She's also proficient in the art of being stealthy, which is essential in killing bitches secretly.
☠ Survival: Shelby knows various things about surviving and living off the land. She knows what plants are good for poison, for healing, and for food. She knows how to hunt and set traps. She knows how to build shelters and can sleep in trees if she has to.
☠ Weapons: Proficient in the use of blades (daggers and swords), bow and arrow, and the staff. She can even improvise, if need be.
☠ Medical knowledge: Because of Shelby's studies in the human body and various ways to kill a person, she also has a vast wealth of medical knowledge. Even though she doesn't use it as often because she's all about killing bitches, it's there.
☠ Dragon powers: Shelby is (unknowingly) descended from dragon speakers, but since dragons no longer actually exist, most people don't realize that they still exist or actually have any need. Thus, her power is pretty much a latent ability that comes across in her relationship with Bubbles. While they can't speak to each other, they seem to have an understanding of what each other means during communication. It's also why Bubbles feels attracted to Shelby.
Inventory:
☠ Three daggers: two carefully hidden, one not
☠ Sword
☠ Clothes: shirt, pants, and leather boots
☠ Water skin
☠ Pouch that would contain a few rations, poisonous plants, a few mysteriously labeled bottles, a bag of silver, bandages, salve, and a pair of dragonskin boots
☠ Bow w/ arrows and quiver
She likes to be prepared....
Suite:
Probably Wood. She likes trees and tree-stuff. It'd make her the most comfortable.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
The pain was harsh, and the smell of her burning flesh filled the air. Shelby hoped it wouldn't attract a predator; not because she couldn't handle it, but because for once in her life, she wanted to be able to relax and think about the implications of her actions, think about the future she won't have. When she was younger, Master Rook would often talk to her about what it would be like—for the both of them—once she had obtained the title of master and take on her own apprentice. It was one of the few relatively gentle moments between the two of them. He would stroke her hair and talk about how it would be his greatest moment, to see that.
But Master Rook was gone now, and he had been for nearly two years. And Shelby...
Shelby had chosen a prince over her guild, had chosen exile over home and god and security.
She lifted the blade from her skin, gritting her teeth against the pain. Still, she hissed, sight going blurry as her eyes filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks. It hurt, far more than she had expected. That was her punishment, she supposed. The Silent One would be displeased with her, of course. She was a failure.
The skin was red and bubbled, the black lines of the tattoo mottled.
Dropping the blade, she hurriedly shoved a handful of leaves into her mouth and chewed until they were a paste, which she rubbed over the wound. The pain was intense and blinding for the first few moments, until it soothed and cooled. She sighed in relief. It would be a few days still before she would reach Garrett and Bubbles at the cave, but she had clean bandages in her bag to keep the wound wrapped and cleaned until the skin healed over.
When her ordeal was over, she stared blankly at the fire in front of her, legs drawn up to chest. There was a sense of loss at leaving Insidia, of course, but mostly there was a sense of freedom. She would follow Garrett for as long as he wanted, and there would be no ties holding her back from that duty. And if he sent her away after she delivered him home? Well, she wasn't incapable of keeping herself alive. She would do as he wanted.
Network:
[Shelby's pretty much gotten the hang of this communication thing. She watched carefully when that kedan had shown her what to do, and she's always been a quick learner. She's just not the best at communicating or people skills, so she pretty much just stares at the computer for a few minutes, as if she's unsure of what to do or say now that she's set it up. Enjoy having someone stare intently at you, everyone, and be glad that it's not in person.
After another moment, she finally speaks. Her voice is soft and low.] My name is Shelby Rook. I'm looking for a dragon. He's about the size of a pony, dark red in color. I have found the other person the dragon was with, so I can only assume he is here as well. He answers to Bubbles. [A pause, and then a slight smile.] Try to not run from him; he is still a deadly predator, regardless of size.
[She leans back somewhat, head tilting.] I have been told we are to work here. I... have a varying set of skills, including some medical training. [And other things. You want a bitch killed? She'll kill a bitch. She likes killing bitches.] Thank you.
