Mistborn: Rust and Ruin
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Two of a kind and a horse of a different color

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Post by Hyde Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:11 pm

Hyde waited comfortably in the dark of the rundown building the varied group had met in several days previously. He was a simple Skaa who had a simple question.

He had gotten most questions answered with his chat with Epps, and relating to the job itself a few more answered in his chat with the odd Terrisman who had been present originally. Yet, he had a single unanswered question that remained.

He could only sit and wait to see if his information had been correct about how best to reach the unabashed and self proclaimed Skaa mistborn thief-Lena. Fortunately for Hyde, his information was rarely wrong.
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Post by Lena Vershmitz Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:02 pm

Earlier that day someone had deftly slipped a simple note into the pocket of Lena's dress. It simply said "Hyde. Dusk. First Meeting." She tried to discern who had delivered the note but no one stuck out in the crowded ashy streets of Urteau.

She decided to arrive at the warehouse well before dark in case the note was part of a trap. She had hidden herself in a high, dark corner where she could see out the window onto the street leading up to the entrance.  The well-enough-dressed Skaa had arrived a short while before dusk and settled himself into the quickly darkening building. Lena waited until dusk before speaking.

"I'm impressed, Hyde.  Usually I'm the one slipping things into and out of others' pockets."

Her voice wafted down from the rafters, making it difficult for Hyde to locate her exact position.

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Post by Hyde Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:02 pm

The con man turned around in a futile effort to look for the thief who had seemingly just appeared in the room and begun speaking. When he could not see her, he simply shrugged his shoulders and says with a smug smile, "I had a feeling you would approve. You seem to be the type of person that knows how to appreciate practical life skills."

He walks over to a table and pours himself a cup of water as he says, "I am glad you could attend this visit and more importantly that you were prompt. I must confess though, you seem to have undersold your abilities at our last visit. I didn't even hear you enter."

He chuckles more to himself than anyone, "...of course if you make your living by thievery, I suppose not being able to get into places quietly would be quite the job hazard."

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Post by Lena Vershmitz Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:17 pm

Lena narrowed her eyes in suspicious frustration as Hyde casually spoke and moved around the room. Her voice now seemed to come from a different part of the room, though still from above.

"What do you want, con man? Why did you call me here?"

Her words were terse but not angry. They were simply spoken like one with better things to do.

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Post by Hyde Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:49 pm

Hyde lifted his chin ever so slightly in another attempt to pinpoint where Lena was speaking from. He slowly sips the cup of water as he says, politely but bluntly, "Alright, enough beating about the bush. We are both Skaa here, so I won't be long winded. I want to know why."

Hyde then turns his head to gaze up at Lena's position briefly and seems to stare right at her before turning around and gazing up in the rafters on the far side of the room. He then continues, "You and I have seen Skaa mistreated and likely killed or worked til death before. We both know what happens to any Skaa that rebel. I know you've seen the beggars that line the streets and more or less always have. So why now? What makes House Venture so much more worth bringing down than any noble house before it? Why now?"

He sits the cup down and looks out the dirtied window with a searching gaze, "Why should we start to fight back now?"
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Post by NashFel Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:58 pm

Sind slid herself out of her burrow quickly and easily, and walked along the wall of the room, her eyes roving but often flitting toward the gregarious Hyde; she paid particular attention to his shin bones.
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Post by Lena Vershmitz Thu Mar 12, 2015 9:43 pm

Lena sat in silence for a moment then simply said,

"If not now, when?"

Lena dropped to the floor directly behind Hyde, her bright red hair a stark contrast to her dark cloak. Her eyes are hard yet passionate.

"How many of our people have to die before you're ready to help, con man? How many people must be beaten or starved to death before it seems reasonable to you to fight back?"

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Post by Hyde Thu Mar 12, 2015 10:20 pm

Hyde casually turns away from the window to face Lena as he says, "Our people have tried and died. How many rebellions have ended in total failure? Epps told us himself-every single one."

His piercing stare focused tightly on the mistborn, "You ask me to consider how much death I'm willing to sit by and idly ignore--I ask you, how much blood can you live with on your hands?"

He takes a sharp breath before adding, "I have agreed to aid in this cause, but I know what is at stake-it's bad to gamble otherwise. Should we fail as many have previously, the Noble houses and their allies will butcher without mercy or hesitation any Skaa who call this city home-even the innocent. Are you willing to play that bet?"

Hyde then notices Sind and flashes an out of place smile and wink.
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Post by Lena Vershmitz Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:11 am

Lena was glad to get a bit of a rise out of the otherwise too calm Hyde. Her eyes glanced down before she spoke.

"Epps is different..." she said softly with clear admiration of the young visionary. She then met Hyde's gaze.

"And I trust him and his plans to turn out differently than before."

She inhaled deeply and looked sternly at Hyde.

"I've spent the last five years doing everything in my power shy of shedding blood to help as many Skaa as I could, but it's neverbeen enough and it never will be. People still starve or die at the hand of nobles and their taskmasters daily!"

She took another deep yet shaky breath, glancing at Sind and finding inspiration in her desire to help the girl.

"If we do nothing, then nothing will change and Skaa will continue to die. That is a fact. If we do something, some may die - including you or me - but there is at least some hope that something could be better for our people in the future, Hyde."

She exhaled sharply, the normally quiet girl clearly uncomfortable with having said so much.

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Post by Hyde Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:37 am

Hyde listens closely as Lena speaks her mind. When she grows quiet Hyde says, "Yes, Epps is different. Let's up the ante here for a moment though.... Say his plans don't go as he intended, or he gets killed and this peaceful revolution falls short of the vision-how far would you be willing to go to see House Venture taken down?"

After a moment, Hyde wheels to face Sind and says, "Same question-say this doesn't pan out...how much further are you prepared to go little one?"
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Post by NashFel Fri Mar 13, 2015 1:07 am

Sind had been standing there, quietly watching the two other beings, tapping a dirty fingernail against one of her sharp little teeth. It might have been a trick of the light, but her black eyes seemed oddly prominent, almost protuberant, in her thin face. She stopped her tapping and looked up at Hyde.

"Name of House matters little. Skaa should be free. Want to be free?" The little creature did not wait for an answer; Sind cocked her head at Lena.

"All should be free." She hissed the words, as if they were holy scripture whispered in some dead and gone church.

"If revolution ends?" The small frame shrugged, her nose wrinkling in half-amusement, half-annoyance at the prospect. "Exposed marrow, bloody ash. This also matters little. Subjugation is not forever."
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Post by Lena Vershmitz Fri Mar 13, 2015 6:41 am

Lena looked from Sind to Hyde, always confused by how much a young girl seemed to know about things that children shouldn't know.

"This is about far more than House Venture, con man. They are just the immediate target."

Her eyes grew sad then determined. "If Epps is killed while his plan is in motion, I will carry it out in his honor. Sind is right. The Skaa should be free and we have an opportunity to contribute to that goal."

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Post by Hyde Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:29 pm

Hyde glanced between the two seemingly trying to decide if they were genuine or not. After a few moments, Hyde says, "Before you can make someone do what you say, first they themselves must believe what you say."

He then downs the cup of water and says, "I believe you both. I also believe Epps believes in his vision. I can see how comitttted you all are to this. What I hadn't seen up until now was your conviction. Its good to know that we are all kindred spirits. That's honestly all I could ask for in our situation."
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Post by Lena Vershmitz Fri Mar 13, 2015 1:24 pm

Lena stood with her hands on her hips and eyed Hyde suspiciously.

"What about you, con man? How committed are you to this endeavor? And why should we believe you when you make a living deceiving people?"

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Post by NashFel Fri Mar 13, 2015 1:29 pm

Sind hunched her shoulders and wrapped her arms around herself. "Deception. Looses efficacy with reputation as liar."

"Trust at this time? Makes little sense. Yet... Hyde not concealing identity. Open with those who ask. Gesture of good faith. Courageous. Foolish." The girl stepped closer to the con, a small purple tongue creeping out as she licked her teeth, sizing up Hyde.

"Not lying, not yet." Sind's gaze lingered on the Skaa man's smaller phalanges, wondering idly what their tensile strength might be.
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Post by Hyde Fri Mar 13, 2015 2:28 pm

Hyde eyes Sind with a confused gaze but nods slowly as he says, "Yes--that is right, I think. You aren't from around here are you?"

Hyde then turns to Lena and says, "This crew is composed of honest people. No matter how good the con man is-you can't con an honest person."

After a moment he adds while looking between the two, "I never lie to business partners. If this does end up working in the end-I have everything to gain. If this all goes down in flames we are all dead anyway...so why not trust one another now?"
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Post by Lena Vershmitz Fri Mar 13, 2015 3:26 pm

Lena looks toward Sind as she whispers to Hyde. "I don't think she's as young as she looks either."

At his request for trust, Lena narrows her eyes. "I will trust you until you give me reason not to."

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