The Goggles are On

Chandra rolled her eyes, this guy’s attitude immediately got on her nerves. Much to her dismay, he seemed to just be a normal guy going about his business. Chandra was just about to let him go when he suddenly froze mid-stride. She furrowed her brow, stepping to the side to get a look at him. Barely concealed panic and fear were painted on his face.

She adjusted her posture, straightening her shoulders and folding her arms against her chest. She tapped her foot to appear impatient, but very carefully looked into the alley through her peripheral vision. All she could make out was a dark silhouette in the shadows of the back street. Chandra smiled, and here she thought this was a useless venture.

“Why don’t you take me to your ‘business partner’? They seem to be right over there.” She placed her arm around the man’s shoulders, channeling a small amount of mana into her hand to make the heat noticeable to him. “Seems like we have some business to discuss.”

Her hand gripped his shoulder tightly and she started walking, pulling him along with her as casually as she could.

Vraska’s expression could kill, if anyone could see it. Even so, she spoke through the mental link calmly.

“When she releases you, run. I will be more than enough to distract this fool.”

The man apologized profusely in his head, glancing at Chandra as she pulled him toward Vraska. He debated fiercely between the wrath of his employer or what ever could come from this newcomer who had him by the shoulder. 

Vraska tried to reassure him, but she knew that her reputation was against her. “Look,” she said, trying to hide her annoyance. “If you don’t mess this up anymore, then I won’t kill you. This should distract her…”

Chandra had kept the full weight of her arm around the man’s shoulders. Intimidation was always the best part of these little missions she took upon herself. She hummed quietly, blissfully unaware of the impending danger until the very obvious writhing tendrils crawled from the hooded figure. Her heart rate spiked and as she shoved the man aside and charged towards them, she hoped to gods that it wasn’t who she thought it was.

Chandra sighed impatiently, her eyes flickering over the crowd in a half-assed attempt to do her assigned “job” that day. She pursed her lips, thinking back on the conversation she’d had with Jace earlier.

“You’re part of the brawn, I’m the brain.” his snarky smile still lit a small fire in Chandra’s temper. Some habits are hard to break. “It’s called the Gatewatch for a reason, right? Keep a look out for anyone suspicious, spies will be rampant. All eyes are on us now.”

She begrudgingly listened to him outline the plan and what she was to do. She really wanted to bite back with a snide comment, but for the sake of getting this over with quicker she kept her mouth shut.

“If you find anybody you think is suspicious, bring them here. Don’t try to handle it yourself. It could be nothing, but it also could be more danger than you could handle on your own. Just don’t take the chance.”

Just as she was about to roll her eyes into the next plane she noticed someone shuffling about in the crowd. He looked stiff, and if Chandra’s observations were correct, it looked like he flinched just slightly before pulling out a scroll to appear busy. She decided to trust her gut on this one, even if it wasn’t a spy, it would give her a break from the monotony of people-watching all day.  

She walked over, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. She spoke in a calm, but authoritative voice.  “You look a little lost, what business do you have here?”

The spy did not jump, but did abruptly turn when Chandra gripped his shoulder. Through the mental link, Vraska could feel his tension rise. 

“Stay calm,” Vraska said, directed at her spy. Inwardly, she swore upon seeing who, of all people, had stopped to address him. She unfolded her arms, and drummed her pointed fingertips against her thigh. “If you run now, you’ll just be suspicious.”

Encouraged, his training seemed to kick in, and his demeanor shifted into feigned annoyance. “I was supposed to meet my new business partner around here,” he said to Chandra, with exaggerated exasperation. “But the good for nothing probably isn’t even out of bed yet! At this hour, could you imagine being so lazy?”

Vraska rolled her eyes at the overacting, and sent another thought his way. “Make an exit, you nitwit.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” he said, and in a moment without thought, started to head back to the alley.

“STOP,” Vraska almost shouted.

She adjusted her posture, straightening her shoulders and folding her arms against her chest. She tapped her foot to appear impatient, but very carefully looked into the alley through her peripheral vision. All she could make out was a dark silhouette in the shadows of the back street. Chandra smiled, and here she thought this was a useless venture.

“Why don’t you take me to your ‘business partner’? They seem to be right over there.” She placed her arm around the man’s shoulders, channeling a small amount of mana into her hand to make the heat noticeable to him. “Seems like we have some business to discuss.”

Vraska stood in the alleyway, arms folded and leaning against the stone. In one hand she absently fiddled with a small trinket, a charm made of bone and chitin given to her by the kraul shaman Mazirek. From behind her hood and veil, her eyes fixated on a man in the street. This man in turn focused on the large building before him, and consistently reminded himself not to turn back and glance at the gorgon watching him. 

The office of the Guildpact was always busy, whether Jace was actually there or not. Vraska had taken advantage of his last few absences by continuing her killing of Azorius arbiters, but now, she believed that the mind mage had returned. She assumed that no one would notice another observer among the scores of people filtering through the area. 

And if someone did notice, one of her agents being discovered was better than Vraska herself.

“Look busy,” she hissed. Mind magic was not her own ability, but her spy had established a quick mental link before making his way into the crowd. “Don’t just stand there. Look like you belong, fool.”

The spy appeared to busy himself, pretending to read from a set of scrolls that he produced from a satchel. Vraska stepped away from the wall, tilting her head to the side. The closer her spy got to the hall of the Guildpact, the less she could actually see him. 

“You’re part of the brawn, I’m the brain.” his snarky smile still lit a small fire in Chandra’s temper. Some habits are hard to break. “It’s called the Gatewatch for a reason, right? Keep a look out for anyone suspicious, spies will be rampant. All eyes are on us now.”

She begrudgingly listened to him outline the plan and what she was to do. She really wanted to bite back with a snide comment, but for the sake of getting this over with quicker she kept her mouth shut. 

“If you find anybody you think is suspicious, bring them here. Don’t try to handle it yourself. It could be nothing, but it also could be more danger than you could handle on your own. Just don’t take the chance.”

Just as she was about to roll her eyes into the next plane she noticed someone shuffling about in the crowd. He looked stiff, and if Chandra’s observations were correct, it looked like he flinched just slightly before pulling out a scroll to appear busy. She decided to trust her gut on this one, even if it wasn’t a spy, it would give her a break from the monotony of people-watching all day.   

Ink, oil, and gold leaf on artist proof. (Sold.)

The “locked in a room” trope forces characters to spend time together, often characters who normally wouldn’t. It can help them learn about each other and develop their relationship in a positive way, or it can be disastrous. Feel free to add more! Send one for our muses: 

I let my muse take the reins and decide what threads to start or reply to in a given day. If the muse doesn’t feel it, it isn’t happening. That doesn’t mean that I hate you or that I no longer want to interact with you; I probably either lost our thread or my muse just said, ‘nah bro.’

I’m sorry I drop threads. I’m sorry I don’t reply to memes. I’m sorry I ignore my asks. I’m sorry I plot things and then don’t do them. I’m an impulsive roleplayer: my muse guides me.

Roleplaying isn’t my job: it’s my hobby. I do it for fun. My muse isn’t my coworker: my muse is my friend. We have fun together. If I started treating this as a job, it wouldn’t be enjoyable for me anymore, and the quality of my content would diminish greatly!

And while we’re on the subject, just because a thread gets dropped does not mean the relationship between our muses is dead!! Thread =/= relationship! We can start something new and continue building their bond! Relationships are important to building new aspects of our muses!

aka “I can feel my cheeks blushing from just thinking about what I want to say to you”

“I like the way your hand fits in mine.”

“You have something in your hair, umm… Do you want me to get it out?”

“It’s nice that your voice was the first thing I heard today.”

“You can call me whenever you want… Even if you don’t have a reason to.”

“I’m bad at texting first, so I always end up hoping you will.”

“This movie is really scary, but you’re into it so I’m trying not to cover my face the whole time, but- WHAT IS THAT?”

“Wait, don’t pull away… Not yet.”

“You look really cute in that sweater.”

“Half the time I get too embarrassed to say anything.”

“No, it’s fine.  I can wait until you’re done talking to them.”

“No, like…. It’s just, I can’t believe you’re actually wearing my clothes.”

“You’re a big piece of inspiration for this, honestly.”

“God, you always make me blush so damn much.”

“I’ve been trying to get ready for like an hour and a half, because I know you’re going to look so good and I need to try and match up.”

“Would it be too cliche if we matched clothes a little?”

“First second I saw you and I couldn’t get over how beautiful you were.”

“I wanted to say “I love you” for the first time without stuttering, but that failed.”

“Could you hold my hand?”

“You can’t leave without letting me hug you first.”

“I really love holding you, darling.”

“That pet name was so gushy, but it was also so cute.”

“Aw, you’re blushing like a rose.”

“Your lips are really warm.”

“I can’t get over how a few months ago I wanted to learn your name and now you’re having breakfast with me in my sweater.”

“No, mom, don’t tell him/her I said that about him/her!”

“My friends get so annoyed by how much I talk about how sometimes.”

“Wanna, like– I mean, if you’re not busy… We could get lunch? Or even just coffee if you don’t have a lot of time?”

“Wow, I didn’t think you could make me smile this big.”

“You don’t need to leave so soon.”

“You look so comfy, and cuddle-able.”

“Quit smiling at me, I can’t stop messing up my sentences when you look at me like that.”

“You’re hiding under the blanket because you’re blushing?”

“You make me so happy.”

“Don’t give me that puppy dog face.  How am I supposed to say no to that?”

“You made these cupcakes for me?”

“I look forward to holding you close in bed soon.”

“Let’s share my coat, since you’re so cold.”

“I can’t believe I got the first date, let alone a year.”

“You make me feel so damn gushy.”

“How do you always manage to look so captivating?”

“Would you mind if I kissed you?”

“Are you sugar personified or something?”

“I know I’ve kissed you like, ten times, but just like another ten, please.”

“You’re the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head.”

“I would’ve had breakfast ready, but you were sleeping on my arm, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Is it cold outside or are you just blushing?”

“Yeah… Huh? Oh, sorry I was just thinking about my girl/boyfriend.”

“I’m so in love with her/him, I don’t know what do do.”

“I remember practicing how to ask you out to the mirror.”

Writer’s choice