cold steel coffin | open

[extirpator]

Who: Nier and you!
When: February
Where: Aefenglom + the outer city
What: Open log + catchall, closed prompts go here
Warnings: Animal death in one of the prompts under the cut


a.

[ there are folks here, weathered and worn by horrors he hadn’t witnessed — some semblance of justice had been served with the execution that had taken place days prior, but none of this had taken precedence in his mind. he was a dead man from a ghost of a world, and everything about this one had been foreign to him.

still.

it wasn’t right.

there are others, too. struggling newcomers no different from himself.

it’s why if he sees you struggling, be it from a slowness, a skittishness, injuries of any kind, he helps without question. it could be a box of dropped goods, a blatant lack of food, some form of patent anxiety. either way, he extends a hand, either to help you lift your goods or offer you a warm loaf of bread — or maybe it’s an opaque, white flower. regardless... ]

Are you alright?

b. (cw: animal death)

[ once he gets over this whole “night” thing existing in this realm, he realizes it’s optimal hunting hours for a vampire. the air is still — near perfectly still. it’s on the fringes of the city, teasing the divide between the border and the wilderness that stretches beyond the walls.

his greatsword is stained with something black; it’s almost tar-like in its appearance. but even more remarkable is the crude splatter of crimson blooming across his chest. it’s marks his face as well – and lo and behold, the half eaten cadaver of an animal dangling from the palm of his hand seems to explain just about everything.

also, he isn’t wearing a shirt?? whoops.

this is awkward.

anyways. ]

...Hey.

[ um. sorry?? ]

Comments

dantes.

[extirpator]

[ truth be told, he has no idea what to expect. the offer wasn't at all an imposing one — sure, the building may have been big, but cleaning was a mindless task.

the inside of the building is unlike anything he's ever laid his eyes on. not as large as the shadowlord's castle, and not as rustic or aged as it either. there's an expanse of space befitting of a crowd, and the stage is wide and grand, grasping at his attention the moment he walks in.

it's been 2 hours. he's made good progress. and then there's his new, impromptu boss rounding the corner. ]

Sorry, I'm not finished yet. Just give me another hour, please.

[ressusciter]

That you've made this much progress is impressive.

[his boss hasn't rolled up his sleeves, but the disarray of his hair and the dust on his clothes says he was doing much the same, working for that time on another part of the theater. it's big, and his work has been demanding more time - thus why he had put up an offer in the first place. that someone answered it was the real surprise.]

I'm not here to scold you. I'm here to tell you to take a break, and to ask if you want anything to eat or drink.

[extirpator]

You're paying me. It's the least I could do.

[ nier gives him a lookover, his own hair wound up, pant legs and sleeves scrunched up in contrast. he shakes his head slowly before his hands raise up in submission. ]

Thank you, but I'm fine. Do you usually do this by yourself?

[ressusciter]

Usually, when I have a day off or free time between work and dinner. I've been working on this place for months. But things were more complicated for a while, and I haven't had the same amount of time.

[his Bonded being kidnapped, diversifying his investments in another city, the trial...it had been a lot.]

In the end, I hope to keep it manageable. That's all.

[extirpator]

Well, I guess that's why I'm here. I can come by every other day, if you want.

[ nier holds his head up high, a quiet kind of enthusiasm shining in his eyes. ]

We'll have this place spotless in no time.

[ressusciter]

You're the industrious sort, aren't you.

[not that it's a bad thing, he's equally as driven.]

Twice a week would work better with my schedule, so that I know to be here and my Bonded isn't going to accost you as a stranger in our domain. After the entire project's finished, if you're still looking for work, let me know what you have your interests in, and we can discuss something further.

[even if that means recommending Nier to someone else or being a professional reference. he's more than happy to help hard workers.]