Swordstar
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"Good, I'm glad, Crimson. You have to enjoy the time off too." She gave his hand a quick squeeze and a bright smile before turning on Baldur. "Oh, don't worry. I don't need permission. You're coming either way. Though... I do think that Lucy will probably need to get a swimsuit too... And I bet she'd feel a lot more comfortable with you coming along. You wouldn't want to disappoint her, right? You can help her enjoy the day at the beach. Don't you think she needs some time off too?" -
Mim brightened visibly and grabbed onto Crimson's hand. "Really? I'm glad. That makes me really happy to hear. So that means you'll come shopping with me when we get to the beach, right? To get you a swimsuit? And to get Baldur one apparently?" She didn't phrase it like it was an option. Baldur was coming with them, whether he liked it or not. He may not realize it quite yet, but he was going to come and he was going to have a good time, dammit.
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Mim frowned. Why was Crimson looking away? And Baldur was telling her to put on more clothes... Harrumph! She walked over to Baldur and poked him in the chest, hard. "Don't you start that. I will wear what I want to wear. This is comfortable and cute! We'll get to the beach and I'll be ready to go. I'm going to be happy if I want to, and you have no right to tell me to do otherwise. And you can stuff your protests. You don't have a choice! I will drag you to the beach myself if I have to, got it mister?" She then hesitated and turned to Crimson, a small, worried smile on her face. "B-besides, I look good! What do you think, Crimson? You think it looks nice too, right? You... you don't think it looks bad, do you?"
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Mim couldn't help the smile the burst onto her face at the order. The beach? She had always dreamed of seeing one. In fact, at one point along the way she had actually purchased an outfit for the beach, not that she had ever expected to get to use it with this group. She quickly darted upstairs, shedding her heavy coat. This was going to be so nice. A day of just relaxing, not worrying about anything else... She bounced down the stairs a few minutes later in an outfit completely different from her normal one. Shorts covered the bottom of her swimsuit, but the top half was a bright yellow bikini top matched by the bright yellow hat she wore over top of it. On top of the bikini top she wore a long vest that buttoned at her throat and then flowed open to just above her knees. She gave a small twirl, not intended for anyone but herself when she hit the bottom of the stairs and grinned, striking a small pose. Which is when she saw both Baldur and Crimson still downstairs, unchanged. She gave a small squeak of embarrassment at having been caught being silly like that, but then quickly frowned at them both. "Hey! Come on you two, you have to go get changed! We're leaving as soon as everyone is ready, right? So you two have to get ready too!"
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Mim brightened visibly as the conversation went on, and when Sid said he'd do it, she grabbed his hand and flashed him an extra special smile. "Thank you Sid! I'll be counting on you. I know you'll do an amazing job at it. I look forward to being the first one to get a piece of your work."
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Mim had chosen not to join the others on their adventure. She couldn't quite put a finger on why. Maybe it was because she was happy to see Lucy being willing to do things with people who weren't her. Maybe it was because she still wasn't quite ready to risk another... incident. Either way, she had put the time at home to good use. She stood up, shaking out her newly repaired jacket. A smile graced her face as she slid the jacket back on. Perfect. One thing left to handle then. Heading downstairs, she quickly found Simeon with a grumpy looking Sid in tow. She smiled up at the two men, interjecting herself into the somewhat awkward silence between the two of them. "Hello Simeon! And Sid! I hope you two are both doing well. I actually was hoping to talk to you Simeon about a new weapon... Don't get me wrong, I love my bow. Though it could stand to be slightly larger... But the problem with it is... It slows me down. Not a lot but... Just enough, you know? And it's not very good at close combat. So I was thinking maybe I could start using a lance... Something light and quick, that would let me defend myself close up but wouldn't slow me down or take up too much room with everything else I carry around?" Mim buys an iron lance
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MIM TAKES LANCES
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"Hmmph! Well good then, I'm glad you understand. Now. Lets go make dinner. I'm thinking pancakes. What about you?"
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Mim frowned, getting more and more irritated as Baldur continued talking and then finally reached out and (lightly) smacked Baldur upside the head. "Oh so what, now we're all helpless and need you to constantly be protecting us? Perhaps you'll change our diapers next and give us our bottles? We're a team, you idiot. Listen to yourself. You're acting like you're the only one who could possibly have seen what was going on. Am I blind? That would be a feat, a blind archer. Or perhaps you're the only one who's allowed to be strong? Or did you fail to notice that I couldn't free myself either? He's strong. Stronger than anyone else we've fought so far. The only reason we were able to hurt him at all was surprise. And if a giant lance through his chest can't kill him, which it clearly didn't, he's got something going on. And if you dare to call yourself garbage or trash in my presence again, the smack you just got there will seem like a gentle kiss. I swear to the gods, if you do... You are a valued member of this group. Not because you can protect us or because you can be used as a body shield, but because you are a part of this godsdammed family. Don't you dare go throwing away your life for me or anyone else here. If you do, I will personally find a way to bring you back to life so I can smack the living shit out of you. Do I make myself clear?"
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"Do you really think that's the only thing you're here for? You're also here to be a member of the group. To help cook, to help support others outside of battle too. You're here to be you. Why would you be unworthy of forgiveness? Even besides the fact that there is nothing to forgive, you haven't failed. We are fighting against someone that out scales us. We learned that. No one else was prepared for him either. Why are you the only one that needs to be prepared for every possible situation?"
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Mim stared at him blankly for a few long seconds, trying to make sure she understood what he was trying to say, before letting a loud quick laugh burst out before she managed to stifle it. "Ha, ah, sorry, you're serious, aren't you?" She reached out, placing her fingers beneath his chin and raising it up so their eyes met. "I never once blamed you for what happened. If anything, you being captured with me is the reason I'm still alive. He couldn't focus on both of us enough to actually do lasting damage. You really believe that I wouldn't have been just as foolish if you hadn't been there? I got captured because of my own unawareness, not because of you. And I got stabbed like I did because I chose to be an idiot and try to stab someone close range with an arrow. So please. Don't carry that weight on your back. You don't deserve it. We all choose to put our lives at risk by being a part of this group. That means sometimes things like this will happen. If I was going to let a little scar like this bother me, I would have never left home."
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Mim smiled slightly, watching the two of them. It was nice to see someone else treating her well. "You go on inside Lucy, I'll be right behind you." Once she was inside, Mim turned to Baldur and in a quiet voice, said, "Thank you for being nice to her. I appreciate it. She's clearly struggling and I just want to help her as much as I can. She knows what her group was doing was wrong. And she managed to escape. Now we have to protect her. Her and the others like her that can't protect themselves. We both owe her brother, I know that. And you could have tried to get a lot more out of her just now. Information about her brother, her team's movements, whatever. But you held back. So thank you. And I promise that we'll get Death, one way or the other."
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Mim was surprised. She hadn't really expected Lucy to ask for her to be there or for Baldur to agree. But she couldn't exactly say no at this point. Besides, she wouldn't deny that her curiosity had been piqued. "If it will make you happy, Lucy, of course. As for keeping it secret, unless I think that it would put all of us here in immediate peril, I would never reveal a secret that was not mine."
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Mim had been relaxing near Lucy, not talking, but just being a peaceful presence near her. However, she quickly sat straight up when Baldur approached the other girl. A scowl crossing her face, she crossed over to the two of them, arms crossed. "You don't have to if you don't want to, Lucy. Baldur, leave her alone. She's been through a lot today, and doesn't need more harassment."
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Mim reacted instinctively the second she heard the sword. She had no weapons, her bow and arrows upstairs beside her sleeping mat, but it didn't matter. The hand that had been on Lucy's back twisted, grabbing her shoulder and yanking her back. Behind her, safe. No, not safe at all, but as safe as one small girl could make her against a knight. Against Ferdiad... Her brain was still processing everything as she stood as tall as she could, an ant to the tall proud knight. But it didn't matter. She couldn't let him continue forward with that sword. Arms thrust out to her side, chin up high, she stared at the man who so recently had saved her life. She owed him for that, true. But this wasn't a way to pay. She was shaking, afraid that their weak and already fractured bond would be broken by this. But it didn't matter. She knew what he wanted to do was wrong. It had to be. Killing a defenseless girl, even if she had been their enemy... A weak, scared, scarred, trembling girl. A reflection of what Mim could have been if she had been unlucky enough to be born in the circumstances Lucy had been. She was one of the lucky ones, she knew that now more than ever. Privileged. Loved. Everything this poor girl with a broken Mark wasn't. And she couldn't let that continue. She would be a light in Lucy's dark. And to do that, she couldn't let the knight move forward. "If you want to kill her, you'll have to kill me first. Do what you will." There were more words she wanted to say, pleading for him to listen, explaining that Lucy wasn't the enemy, asking him to lay down his sword. But in this moment, faced with the advancing man, that was all that could come out. Arms open, completely defenseless, maybe at least she could slow him down long enough for the others to stop him. She wanted to close her eyes, wait for the impact, but she forced them to stay open, staring him down. This was all she could do, unarmed and helpless against the stronger, taller man. He had saved her before seemingly on the flip of a coin. A second longer and he would have been too late. Perhaps now, this time around, the coin would fall the other way. It was in the air now, the only thing she could do was wait to see how it would fall.
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Mim glared at Kane and Crimson and quickly moved from a bit behind Pestilence where she had been standing and pulled Pestilence into a hug. She could only imagine where those scars had come from and the burden of carrying a broken Mark... She quietly whispered in Lucy's ear, "It's ok. We don't care about that Mark, or at least I don't. I care about you and you being happy. So don't let them fluster you. You're important just as you are." She took a step back after that, but gently placed her hand on Lucy's back, trying to give her a bit of comfort.
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Mim smiled gently at Pestilence and gave her hair a small ruffle, trying to calm her down at least a little bit. She then carefully checked her, knowing that if she didn't do a good enough job, someone else would do a less polite one. She pulled the vuln out and gave it a quick look, before carefully smelling it. "Seems to just be a normal vulnerary. And before anyone starts going on about how it could be poison, yes their team knows their poisons, but I know my potions. I know when something has been tampered with. Besides this, she doesn't have anything on her. So can we please let her inside at least?"
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It took Mim a few seconds longer than Kane to realize what was happening. But the second she did, as Pestilence said she was there to be taken prisoner, she threw herself in between the seemingly terrified girl and Kane, refusing to let him throw that knife. It occurred to her only then that she had opened the door without a mask on. Perhaps a bad move but too late now. "Phoenix, no! Please... She's clearly been scared this whole time. And she seemed so nice before... When I got to talk to her. Please. We have to give her a chance... She's here, unarmed, alone, I know it could be a trap, but if it isn't, we have to give her a chance. She's so scared, just look at her..."
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Mim had spent the trip home calming the dancer down, reassuring her that she was safe now, and getting to know her a little. When they'd arrived back at the house, she had insisted that Emelia, as she had learned the dancer was named, take her bed. She could stay in a bedroll for a while until Emelia was safe and comfortable. It had been comfortable enough, but she had woken earlier than normal because of it. But it was no matter. She brought her tattered jacket with her down to the common area where she began to work on repairing it. She'd managed to get the stains out easily, which... was a relief. They were a memory of a situation she would rather forget, though she knew she would not do that soon. But repairing the jacket was a good first step. She had made it most of the way done when the peaceful silence was interrupted by a frantic knocking. Kane asked for someone to get it, and she was closest. Jacket in hand, she headed for the door, forgetting one small detail... Her mask lay on the table she had been working at, a small piece of white fabric, forgotten. She started to open the door as she called out, "Yes? Hello, who is it?"
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"You're not very good at listening sometimes... I never said I didn't want power to change. I said I wanted to be smarter about it than just tossing a king to the downtrodden, saying 'Here have a king, good luck figuring out how to run a country' and leaving. Which since I don't think our plans have us staying here for any amount of time, that's what your plan would seem to do. Unlike you, there are plenty of people who still believe in the Right to Rule as granted by the gods. The mark of royalty we know about, however you want to say it. A hostage king is worth more than you are giving credit. You're letting your emotions influence you here. Am I certain that keeping him hostage will work? No. Am I certain that tossing him to the wolves will result in chaos and the poor being trampled? Yes. The people aren't organized here. You don't have a revolution base. We have goals here. We are looking to make real changes in the world. This isn't the way to do that. Tossing an unprepared population into power with no support just leads to dead populations. I don't have all the answers and don't claim to. But neither do you, so stop acting like you do."
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Mim frowned, moving as if she simply adjusted herself to better see those she was talking with, but managing to place herself between the king and the others. She couldn't quite bring herself to trust them in this. "You're naive if you think it that easy. I never said we install a new monarch. But if you think that letting those who have had no power for years suddenly gain power with no safeguards or protection will work, you're dreaming. They don't have the same weapons, the same supplies, the same anything as those who have been in power do. If we keep him hostage, it gives us a chance to work with the situation. If we give him to the people, they kill him and then what? They place a leader who then gets killed by a general, the army makes examples of those who 'revolted' and homes and businesses are burned. Women captured while men are killed, and everything ends up back where it was. Or one of the neighboring countries sees an easy target, invades, and gains new land for their country. Our goal is long term change, is it not? I don't necessarily want to put a new king in place. But I don't want to leave the people of this country undefended and exposed. Unless you think that we can fight off multiple armies, killing him just leaves these people to be pushed further into the mud if they try to step up. And if you think anything else, you are foolish."
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"We could give him to the queen." Mim strolled over so she was between the dancer and the fallen king, keeping a steady eye on him. "It's a way to spare his life while removing him from power. Have him be a hostage, until the time that a new ruler can be decided. Then he can be put to trial for his crimes. But if we leave him to the people or just kill him, people will die. And not those who deserve to. The military will pick a figurehead, or a general will step up, and they'll crush the poor back down. Even more so if the people are the ones who kill him. Have to set an example and all of that. We need to have there be an actual transition unless we want the blood of innocents on our hands. We can't leave them worse off than when we started. That's not who we are."
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Mim pulled the dancer into a tight hug, whispering in her ear. "No. No you aren't. You are wonderful and perfect and amazing just the way you are. Don't you dare listen to those lies you've been fed. You're safe now. We're not going to let anything happen to you." Looking up, she locked eyes with Cecily. "Cecily... Please. Help her. We need to get her out of here and keep her safe..."
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Mim darted forward. She knew that this was dangerous, that she was leaving herself open, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't leave the poor girl scared and alone and stuck with this horrible man. "Hey. Come on. He's not paying attention. You don't have to stay here anymore. You can come with us or just leave and live your own life, but don't stay here. Look around. Do you really think he cares about you or that he'll protect you once he's tired of you? He only cares about himself and getting what he wants. Give him the biggest fuck you that you can and leave him. For yourself. We'll keep you safe as long as you want us to. I promise." Mim to I-4, hold out hand for the dancer to take
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Mim hadn't felt the need to interject herself into the conversation. She knew nothing of the people he had been talking about and while it was clear that her allies did, she was focused on something else. The one dancer who was scared. Who didn't want to be there. The others... They were likely a lost cause. But her... She had to try. Darting forward, just out of bow range, she left her arrows at her side, her bow dangling in one hand, the other stretched out in a placating gesture. "I know this is all scary. I know you think he's the most powerful person in your world and so there's nothing you can do to fight him. But I promise. We're going to defeat him here and now. He is going to die. But you don't have to. Take my hand, I'll protect you from him. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you if you put down your sword and join us." H-7