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#Post#: 3865--------------------------------------------------
BEN [5]
DIR By: Zellaphone
Date: January 12, 2024, 6:13 pm
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As the week passed, Ben could not get Rey off his mind. He
couldn't stop thinking about how she had insulted her own
master, or how she had dared to make a suggestion to him, or how
she had thanked him so softly after he had sworn to not tell
Plutt what she actually thought of him. He also couldn't get
over the way she had initially blushed when he had begun to make
his attraction toward her clear. She had ended up looking away
from him and holding herself after that, but perhaps... she was
attracted to him as well? Maybe she was, but was also afraid of
him? He hoped that wasn't the case. He didn't want her to fear
him, he wanted her to like him. And she could, he believed, if
she got the chance to know him. She already seemed partial to
his uncommon ideas. Perhaps she'd discover that she liked more
of him if she were to spend more time with him, but how was he
to arrange that? She could make more weapons and armor for him,
sure, but that wasn't exactly the best situation to get to know
someone in. He tried to think more about how he could somehow
spend more time alone with Rey as the week went on. He thought
about it as he went hunting with his dogs, he thought about it
as he strategized more battle plans with his fellow knights, and
he thought about it as he relaxed in his bathing chamber at
night, but no plan seemed good enough. He was determined not to
give up, however. He needed to speak to Rey more. He needed to
see her again, and not just to pick up his sword. He had never
felt this way about another person before, and he knew that he
had the power to just marry her if he so desired, but that
wasn't what he wanted. He didn't love this woman. He didn't even
know her... but he knew he wanted her. He wanted to be something
to her. Then, the morning before he was supposed to retrieve his
sword, he thought of the perfect plan. He could buy her. It
would rid Plutt of his best worker, yes, but then she would be
free from Plutt and live with him. Then, he could spend time
with her whenever he wanted. They could get to know one another.
She could grow to like him and maybe even love him. He would
like that. But what would the public think? What would Snoke
think? He'd be bringing a woman into his home to just... live
there. She wouldn't be staff, she wouldn't be his wife... People
would likely assume she was his whore, but he supposed he could
live with that. He could at least tell Snoke that he planned on
marrying the woman. That would hopefully please him since it
would give him the chance to produce an heir. The next morning,
Ben didn't tell Hux of his plans, knowing his advisor would
disapprove and he was not going to be stopped. He was bringing
Rey home today, along with his new sword. He put on one of his
finest all-black outfits with his best leathers, and draped
himself in his black cloak with fur trim, preparing for the cold
weather outside. He snuck out of the keep without a word to
anyone except some of the staff, ordering the cooks to prepare a
feast for tonight. He was certain that Rey would be hungry, and
judging from how thin she looked, she hadn't had a proper meal
in some time... if ever. He also told some of the maids to have
the bedroom closest to his dusted and cleaned. He could pick a
handmaiden for Rey later. He then headed to the stables to fetch
his horse, Carbonel, and was on his way to Nima with six hundred
shillings in his pocket. When he arrived at the blacksmith's,
Plutt initially wasn't impressed with his offer to buy Rey and
make her his wife. He laughed, thinking it was some sort of joke
before arguing that Rey wouldn't be a good wife, trying to
convince him to change his mind. However, when Ben offered him
the six hundred shillings, Plutt's attitude completely changed,
practically begging him to take Rey away. Ben didn't argue,
showing himself to Rey's workstation while Plutt counted his
silver. He bowed slightly upon seeing her, hiding his excitement
to be near her once more. Once again, she was in her work
clothes and covered in ash, but he didn't care. Behind the
tattered clothes and underneath the soot and dirt, he knew just
how beautiful she was. "Good morrow, Rey," he greeted her,
deciding to keep it to himself that he had bought her until
after he had his new sword, afraid that she might not take the
news very well. He was hopeful she would, though. He was
rescuing her from her cruel master and her less-than-ideal
living arrangement. "You look well," he added, careful to not
stare at her too intently. “I expect my sword is
complete?”[/center]
#Post#: 3866--------------------------------------------------
REY [6]
DIR By: winterssmary
Date: January 12, 2024, 7:58 pm
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Rey worked tirelessly on the new blade, knowing that she would
need to thoroughly impress Lord Solo if she was to keep her
head. Particularly after she commented on the smith who forged
his last sword. She'd planted the idea in his head that a smith
might sabotage his weapon to get him killed. While she was
opposed to his position in the war -- and she needed him and his
allies to lose -- she didn't want to kill anyone. Least of all,
the first man to give her a chance to prove herself. Whether she
liked it or not, she owed the man after he promised to keep her
comments about Unkar a secret. He held his life in her hands and
gave it back to her, no questions asked. At the very least, he
deserved her best work. All potential death threats aside. The
week consisted of her shaping and reshaping metal, cooling and
grinding material, and doing engraving work on the steel hilt
she was crafting. She talked to Unkar about extra and precious
materials -- since Lord Solo's budget was, apparently, not a
problem -- for decorative bits. In particular, she was able to
secure a sapphire and silver to add to the steel. The blade
itself was long and broad, just as Lord Solo requested, bit
tinted black steel. It was double-edged, tapered toward the tip.
The hilt was something that she particularly prided herself on.
It was crafted largely of steel with a wolf's head engraved at
the intersection of the cross guard, based on the sigil of Lord
Solo's own house. She used sterling silver discs for the wolves
eyes, adding a different tone to that bit of the metal. Just
beneath the wolf's head was the bright sapphire that she got
from Unkar early, embedded neatly into the steel and reflecting
the colors of House Solo. The base of the hilt ended at a strong
square, perfect to bashing enemies on the head rather than
killing them outright. She spent a considerable amount of time
sharpening the blade and testing its balance against targets.
While not a leatherworker, she found that she was able to craft
Lord Solo a suitable scabbard as well. It was made from solid
black leather with intricate linework done in silver, ending in
the steel tip to encase the blade. It had taken nearly the
entire week to complete and left her little time for much else.
The garden was surely overrun with weeds and she knew that she
hadn't been able to complete the other orders that Unkar had
taken on her behalf. She only scarcely had time to bathe or eat
a healthy meal. She couldn't help but sleep closer to her own
sword, holding onto the scabbard at night, hidden beneath her
blanket. She couldn't help but feel more desperate and
endangered, just knowing that Kylo Ren was coming back to her,
that he knew how she felt about her master. She truly didn't
believe that he would turn on her. Not yet. Not unless he found
out that she had ties to Lord Poe Dameron and the Resistance.
Her sword was a comfort whilst the anticipation ate away at her.
Eventually, the week ended and Rey knew that Kylo Ren would be
paying her a visit to retrieve his sword. She didn't eat that
morning, for fear that she might vomit it all up. While she
thought her handiwork was impeccable, she wasn't sure what Lord
Solo would think. What if he hated it? What if he accused her of
trying to have him killed? She tried to swallow all of these
fears, knowing that she had done her best and it was all out of
her control now. Noticing that Unkar hadn't come into her
chamber, she took advantage of the unsupervised time to sharpen
her own blades. She had just finished hiding her sword in her
bedroll when she heard a familiar, deep voice speak up, calling
her by name. "Oh," she gasped, straightening up her tattered
bodice and turning to face him. "Be welcome, Lord Solo," she
said with a little bow, wanting to show her respect. She dusted
off her apron, sure that it had gathered some dirt over the
working day. He told her that she was looking well, which she
didn't fully believe. She couldn't. Not when she was so untidy
and covered in sweat. But it was a kind compliment all the same,
one said with a genuine and careful tone. He didn't want to make
her uncomfortable like last time. He didn't want to intimidate
her. It was something that she much appreciated. "Thank you,
mi'lord," she said, a small smile on her face. "You're looking
well yourself. I'm glad to see you made it back to us in one
piece," she said, keeping the tone a little playful. He didn't
need another peasant girl telling him that he was a handsome
man. He was obviously aware of that fact. And the fact that he
had money and status meant that his clothes actually reflected
his station. Of course he looked handsome and attractive here.
He said that he expected his sword was complete and she nodded.
"It is, mi'lord. And, I don't mean to boast, but it may some of
my finest work to date," she said, a little blush on her cheeks.
She was almost scared to show it to him, just in case she
overestimated her own skill. But she had no choice. She grabbed
the blade, still in its scabbard, from the rack, holding it out
to him. "I called the sword Nightbringer," she said. Once he
took the blade, examining it after pulling it from the scabbard,
she turned to her bedroll, seeing that she had a moment without
being interrupted. Unkar still hadn't come to her. "I only hope
you can adjust to a well-made blade after using such a poor one
for so long. Care to test your mettle?" she asked, pulling her
own sword from its scabbard. [/center]
#Post#: 3867--------------------------------------------------
BEN [6]
DIR By: Zellaphone
Date: January 13, 2024, 5:43 pm
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Ben was eager to see Rey again, especially when he knew that --
if everything went off without a hitch -- he'd be able to see
her as much as he wanted. Unkar Plutt just needed to accept his
offer, but he was fairly certain the man wouldn't turn his nose
up at six hundred shillings. Yes, he'd be selling off his best
worker, apparently, but six hundred shillings could certainly
keep him going until he found someone to replace her. He rode
into town without saying a word to Hux, wishing to save that
argument until he returned home. There would be an argument, he
knew. Hux was going to be outraged once he learned that he had
bought the blacksmith and intended on marrying her. However, Ben
couldn't bring himself to care all that much. He tied Carbonel
up outside Plutt's shop, brushing off his clothes before
entering, wanting to look his best. Plutt outright laughed at
him when he first brought up buying Rey to make her his bride,
but the six hundred shillings quickly had the man changing his
tune. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to be rid of her. That suited
Ben just fine. With the transaction complete, Ben showed himself
to Rey's workstation, planning on telling her the news after he
had retrieved his new sword. It was probably not the best idea
to tell a woman you had purchased her while she was holding a
weapon. Although, if everything went the way that he hoped,
she'd be grateful to escape this dreary life she had found
herself in with the less-than-favorable Unkar Plutt. She'd now
be living a life of luxury and would never have to go wanting
for anything ever again. When he entered her station, he greeted
her with a small bow of his head, hiding his excitement at
seeing her again. She gasped, turning to face himself before
bowing herself and greeting him back. He grinned slightly,
watching as she tried to brush off her clothes, though she still
remained covered in ash. Nonetheless, she remained beautiful. He
told her that she was looking well, and she thanked him with a
small smile. She then returned the compliment, which boosted his
confidence, and she playfully added that she was glad to see
that he had made it back in one piece. Perhaps it wasn't foolish
of him to think that she found him attractive after all. That,
or she found his money to be attractive, but he supposed time
would tell. He chuckled. “It’ll be easier to continue doing so
once I have a suitable weapon," he assured her, curious to see
how his sword had turned out. He asked her if it was ready and
she nodded, saying that it might be some of her finest work.
That certainly piqued his interest. "Is that so?" he questioned,
noting her blush before she turned to retrieve his weapon. When
she turned back to him, he realized that she had even made him a
scabbard, and as she held out the sheathed weapon, she announced
that she named it Nightbringer. He accepted the sword, admiring
the leatherwork on the scabbard that wasn't the best he had
seen, but it was definitely satisfactory. He liked that she had
used black leather, and the silver accents were a nice touch.
“Nightbringer,” he repeated, believing that he liked the sound
of it. “That’s a fine name," he decided, examining the exposed
hilt of the sword. His lips parted slightly in surprise, taking
in the wolf's head that was engraved into the crossguard with
silver eyes and a beautiful, sparkling sapphire underneath. It
was his house's colors, as well as its sigil, and it was
perfect. Slowly, he removed the blade from the scabbard, in awe
of the tinted black steel she had used and the tapered tip. It
was as though she knew him already. Honestly, he couldn't have
dreamed of a more perfect weapon, and it was clear to him that
giving Rey complete creative control had been the right call. “A
fine name for an exemplary weapon," he said quietly, testing its
weight in his hands. It was the perfect weight, and it was
perfectly balanced, unlike his last sword. He gave it a good
swing, smiling to himself at how it felt. Rey was an incrediable
craftsman. He would have to have a forge built for her at the
keep if she desired such a thing. It would honestly be a shame
to waste her talents. “You have succeeded in exceeding my
expectations. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a remarkable
sword," he told her earnestly, completely amazed by what a
wonderful job she had done. He'd treasure this weapon unlike any
other. At her bedroll, she told him that she hoped he could
adjust to a well-made blade after using such a poor one for so
long. She seemed to be being playful again, which he liked. She
then asked if he cared to test his mettle, pulling a sword of
her own from its scabbard. He raised a brow in surprise but
grinned. Was she actually practiced with a sword? It would seem
foolish if she wasn't, seeing as how she was required to know so
much about weapons, but he was curious to see just how good of a
swordsman she actually was. Or, well, swordswoman, he supposed.
He gave his sword a flourish and tapped the tip of her blade
with his own. If Rey hadn't stolen his heart already, he was
certain this would. “I’m more curious to test yours," he told
her, matching her playfulness.[/center]
#Post#: 3868--------------------------------------------------
REY [7]
DIR By: winterssmary
Date: January 14, 2024, 4:36 am
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The week had been full of a lot of conflicting feelings for Rey.
She wanted to do her best. She needed to do her best. Lord Solo
was a fierce warrior, the lapdog of King Snoke. He could not be
disappointed. Those who disappointed him had a habit of
suffering a violent and grisly death, which she wasn't entirely
ready for. On top of that, she truly wanted to prove herself.
Lord Solo was one of the first and only people to ever give her
a chance to flex her skills and express herself creatively.
However, she didn't love making this weapon knowing what it
would be used for. Nightbringer, in the field, would take the
lives of many people that Rey considered friends and allies. It
could be used to target Poe or Finn in combat. She was told from
the beginning that she would have to get used to this and be
careful. She would have to suck up the fact that she needed to
provide weaponry to Snoke's armies. She knew that she would have
to sacrifice her morals more than once. Espionage demanded it.
But it didn't make it any easier. In the end, she knew that she
just had to get through all of this. She had to make sure that
the sword she crafted was well-made, that it impressed Lord
Solo. And, though she would never tell Poe, she secretly
relished the ability to show off and do what she wanted with the
blade, in terms of construction and cosmetics. Toward the end of
the week, once she sword and its scabbard were complete, she had
enough free time to secretly work on her own blades, using the
grindstone to sharpen each of them before stowing them away for
the time being. She heard Lord Solo greet her around midday.
Judging by the lack of clunky footsteps, she assumed that Unkar
hadn't accompanied him, which she was grateful for. She gasped,
turning to the knight and bowing politely, welcoming him back.
She tried to brush off some of the dust and dirt from her
clothes, but she felt like she might always have a thin layer of
ash on her apron. There was nothing to be done about that.
However, despite being covered in soot and sweat, Lord Solo told
her that she was looking well. She was certain that this was
just him being polite, especially since he didn't stare at her
the way he did last time. He seemed to understand her boundaries
better, which was a relief. She returned the compliment,
playfully adding that she was glad he made it back to Niima in
one piece. He quipped that it'll be easier for him to return
safely with a well-made weapon in his hands. She nodded in
agreement before he asked if his sword was ready. She assured
him that it was, grabbing for the scabbard while telling him
that his sword might be her finest work. He questioned her, but
she nodded. "I'm quite proud of it, mi'lord. I only hope it
pleases you as well," she said. She handed the blade over,
giving him a moment to inspect the scabbard and the sword
itself. She told him that she had named it Nightbringer. He
repeated the name, later saying that it was a fine name. "Thank
you," she said. He pulled the sword from the scabbard, examining
the blade and getting a feel for the balance and weight of the
weapon. He said that it was a fine name for an exemplary weapon,
which caused her to smile brightly at him, her heart pounding at
how pleased he was. She'd never gotten such an intense reaction
to something that she made for someone and it warmed her heart.
"Truly?" she asked. He gave the sword a test swing, a smile on
his face that Rey couldn't help but admire. He was a beautiful
man, war crimes aside. He told her that she had exceeded his
expectations, adding that he had never seen a better sword. Her
eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. "Wonderful. I'm glad I
could be of service, mi'lord," she said. She moved back to her
bedroll, grabbing her own sword and pulling it from the scabbard
and offering for him to test his mettle. She watched as Lord
Solo raised his eyebrow, but there was a grin on his face to
show that he wasn't angry. This was fun for him. Good. This was
Rey's chance to see how good he was with a sword and gauge his
actual abilities. Reputations could be deceiving. He gave his
sword a skillful flourish, lightly tapping the blade against her
own, which earned a little smirk from her. He claimed that he
only wanted to test her. She laughed. "Let's see if you can keep
up," she teased, taking a swift step forward and clanking her
blade against his. [/center]
#Post#: 3869--------------------------------------------------
BEN [7]
DIR By: Zellaphone
Date: January 14, 2024, 3:40 pm
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Nightbringer was the perfect weapon in every way. It was
balanced, not too heavy, and it was goregeous. It was, without a
doubt, the most beautiful sword he had ever seen, and it was
perfect for him. The wolf sigil, the blue sapphire, the tinted
black steel -- it was as if Rey had invaded his dreams in order
to create this weapon. So much care and thought had clearly gone
into it, though he knew that was because he was a high-paying
and high-priority customer, not because Rey actually cared about
him. However, he hoped to change that. As he praised the weapon,
Rey seemed thrilled from how brightly she smiled. It was a
beautiful sight, he thought. Far more beautiful than the sword
even was. She questioned if he was telling the truth when he
called Nightbringer an exemplary weapon, and he nodded. "Truly,"
he assured her. He had no reason to lie to her. He gave the
sword a swing, further testing it and smiling at how it felt.
He'd have no issues going into battle with this weapon. He told
her that she had exceeded his expectations, just as he had
challenged her to do, and that he had never seen a finer sword.
Her smile brightened, and he could have sworn he felt his heart
skip a beat at the sight. If he could make her smile like that
all the time, then he'd be a happy man. She said that she was
glad to have been of service to him, and she went to her rather
uncomfortable-looking bedroll to retrieve something. Surely,
she'd be happy to learn today that she'd have an actual bed to
sleep on. She turned back to him, pulling another sword out from
its scabbard, offering to test his mettle. He raised a brow at
that, surprised, but very, very intrigued. She sparred? He was
even further impressed by her now. He grinned, giving his new
sword a flourish and tapping it against her blade, saying that
he was more keen to test her mettle, which made her laugh. His
heart felt light at the sound. She teased him, challenging him
to keep up with her as she took a quick step forward, hitting
her blade against his own. Already, he could tell that her speed
would be greater than his own, but he was certain he'd have her
beat at everything else, and after a few moments of sparring, he
was proved right. Though Rey was quicker and more flexible, he
was stronger and more skilled, which resulted in him easily
overpowering her, though he obviously didn't put all of his
strength into his swings. He wasn't trying to kill her, just
trying to have a bit of fun. And fun was certainly what he had.
He liked Rey. Really liked her, and this was only the second
time he had met her, though men married women upon first
meetings these days. He was certain that he had made the right
choice by buying her. She was definitely someone he could
already envision himself falling in love with and marrying.
"You've surprised me once again it seems," he said as he slid
his sword back into its scabbard, ending their spar. “Though you
could use some training," he pointed out. Though it was
impressive enough that a woman was already so skilled with a
sword, she could do better, he knew. “I could teach you to
become a better swordsman. Or, well, swordswoman, I suppose," he
offered with a slight grin. He guessed now was as good a time as
ever to announce to her that she no longer served Plutt.
“Perhaps we can discuss it over a nice meal… at our home.” Our
home. That sounded foreign on his tongue, but he knew that he'd
grow used to it. Already, it comforted him to think that he
wouldn't be spending his days at the keep with no one but his
servants, his dogs, and Hux for company. He was bound to be a
lot less lonely with Rey with him, and he looked forward to
that. She seemed to be someone he could actually have real
conversations with, and enjoy himself around. That was rare for
him.[/center]
#Post#: 3870--------------------------------------------------
REY [8]
DIR By: winterssmary
Date: January 15, 2024, 7:32 pm
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Lord Solo seemed to genuinely and truly impressed by
Nightbringer. He referred to it as an exemplary weapon, claiming
that it exceeded all of his expectations. Specifically, he
claimed that she had exceeded all of his expectations, which was
gratifying to hear. It was rare that her work was ever really
appreciated by anyone other than herself. She knew her
craftsmanship was strong, as demonstrated by her own weapons
that she kept hidden. But everyone else was given her work
through anonymous sales at Unkar's shop. Her work was well
known, but never actually attached to her by name. If anyone
knew it was a woman who was supplying armies, their sales would
plummet. People would spurn their arms and armor without a
second thought, claiming they were acts against God and that
their weapons were of the Devil himself. Ben was a rare
exception, someone who admired her work and, by extension, was
able to admire her. As a crafter. She never thought she was one
who cared too much for praise and admiration. She had convinced
herself that she would be content with a life of anonymity; seen
but never heard, working but never respected. But none of that
was true. She knew that in an instant. After finally being
recognized for her skill and dedication, she wasn't sure she
would ever be content being ignored completely again. Feeling
validated -- and perhaps a little too secure with Kylo Ren in
the room -- she drew her sword from the scabbard in her bedroll,
playfully asking to test his mettle. In truth, she wanted to see
how Lord Solo was with a sword. Tales of his skill in battle
were told to her time and time again. However, it wasn't
uncommon for stories -- particularly of prowess -- to be highly
exaggerated, or perhaps fabricated altogether. She would be able
to tell something from a quick spar with the man, surely. And
that information could be relayed to Finn or another Resistance
contact. If she was going to give the man a weapon of great
renown, at the very least, she could give her friends and peers
useful information to try and offset his advantage. Lord Solo
was undeterred by her challenge, responding playfully, tapping
her sword with his own blade. With a quick succession of
flourishes and clanks, the two sparred. It was a brief
interaction, one in which Rey found that her own speed and
agility was instrumental to any success she might have had. Kylo
Ren was simply more powerful, dominant. Despite being so large,
he was quicker than Rey had expected. He wasn't quite quick
enough to match her in that regard, but he had her beaten at
every other combat skill. She wasn't surprised, nor should she
have been. He was a famous soldier, one that struck fear in the
hearts of men even with a broken sword. She shouldn't have
questioned the truth of all the stories. The information she
would give Finn would be less of information and more of a
warning, she realized. She had tested his mettle and he had come
out on top. However, despite the fact that he could have ended
her without anyone batting an eye, he didn't. He kept her
moving, kept her on her toes, and caused her to stumble back
once or twice, but there was no harshness in his movements. He
didn't take this too seriously -- thank God -- and found the
whole thing to be rather playful, like it was some kind of game.
Perhaps it was. Rey didn't exactly give it her all either. And
she found herself laughing while they sparred, grinning from ear
to ear. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed herself.
She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy Lord Solo's company
in general. Though this was only their second meeting, she quite
liked the man. If she didn't know about the atrocities he
committed in the name of the vile king, she would have really
liked him. It was difficult to reconcile what she knew about the
man from word of mouth and how she felt in his presence. He slid
Nightbringer back into its scabbard, telling her that she had
surprised him once more. "Call it a habit of mine," she said
with a grin, setting her own blade down once again, tucking it
neatly into her bedroll. He told her that she could benefit from
more training. "I won't argue with that, mi'lord. My only
training thusfar has been through observation and guesswork,"
she said with a little shrug. She had no formal training. It was
forbidden. She had learned how to handle a sword safely simply
through trial and error. It was part of being a smith. Other
moves, however, she had learned only from watching soldiers
training in the yard. Mimicry was her teacher, and not a very
good one. He then told her that he could teach her to be a
better swordsman, correcting himself to swordswoman, which made
her smile. "That's a kind offer, mi'lord. Though, I'm not
convinced my master would approve," she said. Not that it
mattered. He was obviously offering it in jest or some sort of
rhetorical game. He didn't mean it, surely. And if he did, she
would refuse him. She wasn't one for battle. She only wanted to
be able to defend herself from the evils that ailed her world.
Then, he suggested that they discuss his offer over a meal at
their home. She quirked a brow. Surely, she misheard him, right?
She didn't have a home. Not a real one. And certainly not one
with him. "I mean no disrespect, mi'lord, but I believe you
might have misspoke," she said. "My home is here. It is the only
home I've ever known and the only home Unkar will allow me to
know," she said, gesturing toward her tattered bedroll on the
floor. "Surely, you know I do not belong to myself, smith or
no," she added. [/center]
#Post#: 3871--------------------------------------------------
BEN [8]
DIR By: Zellaphone
Date: January 20, 2024, 9:22 pm
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[center]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
✸ xxxxBＥN xxxx✸
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Ben certainly hadn't expected to spar with Rey after receiving
his sword, but he was pleasantly surprised by her offer. The
only woman he had ever clashed swords with had been his mother
growing up to help him practice. As they began, Ben quickly
realized that Rey was rather agile and swift, keeping him on his
toes. However, what he might have lacked in speed and agility,
he made up for in strength and experience, giving him the
advantage. He knew that he could easily beat Rey, but he was
having fun, and she seemed to be as well. There were even times
in which she laughed, which was a beautiful sound to him that he
hoped to hear more. He held back as he sparred with her, and he
was sure that she held back a bit as well, the two of them just
enjoying their time with one another. It was nice. It was
something that he hadn't really experienced in a long, long
time. These days, his favorite company was the company of his
dogs, but that seemed as though it was going to change with Rey
around. He slid Nightbringer back into its scabbard once they
were done sparring, and he told Rey that she had surprised him
once again. She playfully told him to call it a habit of hers,
making him chuckle as she tucked her own sword under her
bedroll. He then added that she could use some more training,
which she didn't argue with, explaining that most of her
training had been through observation and guesswork.
"Impressive," he said, though he supposed he shouldn't be
surprised. How else would a woman in her position learn how to
use a sword? He offered to give her more training, thinking that
she might enjoy it, though he hoped she wouldn't have any use
for it. She smiled, telling him it was a kind offer, but
bringing up that her master might not approve. Well, he'd
certainly have good news for her in a moment. “Ah, yes, your
master. I don’t believe that will be an issue,” he said
casually, supposing that now was a good time to reveal to her
that she no longer had Plutt as a master. He told her that could
discuss the possibility of her furthering her training over a
meal at their home. She quirked a brow in confusion, claiming
that he had misspoken before stating that her home was the
forge, which was the only home she had ever known and was the
only one Plutt would allow her to know. He couldn't help but
smirk a bit at that, thinking how easy it had been to convince
Plutt to transfer ownership after showing him some silver. Rey
added that Ben knew she didn't belong to herself whether she was
a smith or not, which was true. “I know that you do not belong
to Plutt. Not anymore," he began. “Six hundred shillings has
earned you a new home. One with me," he revealed, curious to see
her reaction. Surely, she'd be grateful. He was rescuing her
from a master she disliked and who mistreated her, a tattered
bedroll, and a life of soot-covered skin and torn clothes. She'd
be living a life that nearly every woman desired these days.
“You may take whatever belongings you have with you, and we
shall leave as soon as you are finished,” he went on, glancing
around at what few things she might even have to take. “And you
may say your goodbyes if you wish," he added, not sure if she'd
actually desire such a thing or not. Perhaps a part of her would
miss Plutt. He couldn't be too sure, seeing as how he didn't
actually know Rey or practically anything about her life.
However, now he'd have all the time in the world to get to know
her, and he was looking forward to it. Hopefully, she'd enjoy
getting to know him as well, and would actually like what she
learned. While he was hopeful that she'd happily come along with
him and agree to marry him, he couldn't be too certain. It
wasn't as though he had a history of being liked. Feared? Yes.
Hated? Absolutely. Lusted after? On occasion. Used? Certainly.
But liked? No.
((Sorry this is short fcjgkhyujilhk I thought it was so much
longer and I've been fighting off sleep since 8
gfjgtkuyhg))[/center]
#Post#: 3872--------------------------------------------------
REY [9]
DIR By: winterssmary
Date: January 21, 2024, 6:44 pm
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[center]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
✧ xxxxＲＥＹ xxxx✧
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Rey wasn't sure where the sudden burst of playful energy came
from, but she felt it from the moment Lord Solo approached her.
She felt happy when he complimented her handiwork, complimented
the craftsmanship that went into Nightbringer. She didn't expect
such high praise, nor did she expect it to have the impact on
her that it did. It brightened her mood more so than she could
have ever predicted. She knew that sparring with him was an
unorthodox approach to selling a sword, but she had a feeling
Lord Solo would approve of it. He seemed to be so... different
from other people she had met. He was particularly different
from the noble men she had known. She felt that she could let
her guard down around him... for a moment or two. She couldn't
get too stupid. She was a spy, after all, one who wanted to see
Lord Solo's armies fall and his enemies seated back on the
throne. But she felt she could act more herself, speak more
freely. She had fun sparring with Lord Solo, even if she did
think this was all going to be some sort of test so that she
could report on his swordsmanship. She found herself laughing in
his company, loving how she could doge his swipes, even liking
the way her sword vibrated when his blade met it. He was just as
skilled as the rumors said, if not, more so. What Rey could beat
in swiftness and agility, he could easily compensate for in
sheer power and expertise. He sheathed his blade, saying that
she had impressed him once more, but that she could do with more
training. She wouldn't deny that truth. She had no formal
training. She explained that all of her prior training had been
through guessing and watching other fighters. He claimed that
was impressive, which earned a grateful nod from her. He
offered, however, to train her some more at swordplay. She told
him that it wouldn't be possible -- most likely, anyway -- since
master Unkar would not allow it. However, Lord Solo claimed that
her master wouldn't be an issue, speaking with such confidence,
as if he knew something that she didn't. "What do you mean?" she
asked. He told her that he would be happy to discuss all of this
over dinner, at their home. She blinked at that, but was certain
that he had misspoken. He had to have. She explained to him that
she had only ever known one home: the bedroll at her feet. She
reminded him that she, a woman, did not belong to herself. She
saw a little smirk on Lord Solo's face, which made her very
uneasy. He said that she did not belong to Unkar Plutt. Not
anymore. Her eyes went wide and her blood went cold. What did
that mean? What did he do? He said that six hundred shillings
had earned her a new home with him. "With you?" she asked,
completely dumbfounded. He bought her? He met her one time, and
now he purchased her? For what purpose? What would he do to her?
What kind of slave would he make her? With any luck, she'd be a
simple kitchen maid, but she doubted it would be that simple.
After his last comments and lingering glances, she worried that
he bought her for a more terrifying purpose. Her hands were
twitching at her side, unsure of what to do or what to say. Her
instinct was to run away, hide somewhere. She didn't want to be
Kylo Ren's whore. He said that she could take whatever
belongings she had with her and that she would have an
opportunity to say her goodbyes, but they were to leave at once.
She clutched at the swallow broach on her bodice, trying to
catch her breath. Why was he doing this? Why her. Did he say six
hundred shillings? People paid less for a baroness and she was
nothing but a lowborn apprentice. "I'm sorry, but I don't really
understand," she said, a tremble in her voice. "This is... this
is all so sudden," she said, hoping that she could make it
through this conversation without inciting his anger. It was...
a lot to process, to say the least. And she couldn't help but
wonder why her. What about her was enticing? It certainly wasn't
her appearance. She hadn't looked even remotely presentable the
last two times they met. It wasn't her station or what she could
offer. She was nothing, coming from nothing and offering
nothing. Could it be... could he know? Did he know of her ties
to Finn and Poe? Did he want her close for information? To
intercept her allies? Or was it all to torture her? Punish her
for treason in his own, terrifying way? "I don't know what to
think," she added, hoping that he didn't take offense to her
panic. "Why would you do that? Why me?"[/center]
#Post#: 3873--------------------------------------------------
BEN [9]
DIR By: Zellaphone
Date: January 22, 2024, 7:23 pm
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[center]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
✸ xxxxBＥN xxxx✸
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Sparring with Rey only made Ben feel more confident in his
decision to buy her from Plutt. He truly enjoyed being around
her, and she was unlike any other woman he had ever met. After
all, what kind of woman was a smith and offered to spar with
their customers with a sword they kept hidden under their
bedroll? She was certainly strange, but he liked that about her,
and he liked that she seemed to feel safe around him. After all,
she had trusted him with her true opinion of her former master,
and now she was having a playful spar with him. She laughed and
smiled as their swords clanged together, occasionally causing
her to stumble back. She was enjoying this as well, thankfully,
and her smiles and laughter were things he hoped to see and hear
every day from now on. She truly was gorgeous. Eventually, he
sheathed his new sword, ending their little sparring session as
he told her that she had surprised him once again. Though she
clearly wasn't as skilled as he was with a sword, she could
still hold her own. He pointed out that she could use some
training, which she didn't argue against, explaining that most
of her training so far had come from observation and mimicry.
That further impressed him, though it made sense that she had
never been offered any formal training. She was a woman, after
all. He offered to train her some more at swordplay, if she was
interested, though she mentioned that her master would allow
such a thing. Right, she still believed that Plutt was her
master. He told her that he didn't think Plutt would be an
issue, which Rey was rightfully confused by, questioning him.
“Plutt will no longer be holding you back from anything," he
assured her, preparing to tell her the good news that she'd be
living under his roof now. He offered to discuss everything over
a nice meal at their home, and Rey assumed he had misspoken,
saying that this was the only home she knew or was allowed to
know. He smirked slightly at that since he knew that wasn't
true. Plutt easily allowed her to leave after having some coin
placed into his hand. She added that he couldn't believe that
she belonged to herself whether she was a smith or not. He
stated that he knew she didn't belong to Plutt anymore,
explaining that six hundred shillings had earned her a new home
with him. He was hoping to see a happy expression on her face
with that revelation, but she merely seemed confused, which was
understandable. They had only met once before this, after all,
so he supposed this was all rather sudden and surprising. She
questioned him, and he nodded, trying to assure her that she had
heard him correctly. She was his now. In a way. He then told her
that she could gather up any of her belongings to take with her,
but then they'd be leaving. He also added that she was welcome
to say her goodbyes to Plutt if she so desired. She clutched at
something on her bodice, apologizing and admitting that she
didn't understand, and that this was all happening so fast. She
wasn't wrong about that -- this all had been very quick, but he
knew what he wanted. “I understand that this is a lot to take
in, but I assure you that you will be quite comfortable in your
new home," he said, wanting her to be happy with all of this
news. She told him that she didn't know what to think, asking
why he'd buy by someone, and why it was specifically her.
"Because I wish for you to be my wife," he stated as if it were
the simplest thing in the world. "Though I will let that be your
decision," he added after a beat. He wasn't going to force her
to marry him. He wanted to be chosen. He wanted to be fallen in
love with. He wanted those happy endings he used to read about
as a child, and like in those stories his father would read to
him to help him fall asleep. Perhaps this wasn't the best way to
go about such a thing, but it was the best way he could think
of. Buying Rey meant that she couldn't run away. She'd have no
choice but to get to know him, which he hoped would end up
working out in his favor. “However, I’m certain that you will
choose me. I believe that we would be a good match once we
settle in together," he told her, wanting to come off as
completely confident in this situation. He wanted to convince
her that this was a good thing. “You’re hard-working,
attractive, and seem to be rather intelligent, which are all
traits I would want in a wife.”[/center]
#Post#: 3874--------------------------------------------------
REY [10]
DIR By: winterssmary
Date: January 23, 2024, 9:18 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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Rey didn't deny that she could use plenty more training. She
hadn't had any, if she were being honest. She had only been able
to mimic the movements of the soldiers that she had watched. She
had seen the grip that men had on their blades when they tested
a new weapon or complained about an old one. She had learned
other things based on what worked and what felt better. She had
no real form, no real understanding of the art of dueling or
swordplay. Yet, she didn't see a way that she could ever learn.
Even with Lord Solo's kind offer, there was no way she would
ever be allowed to study the blade. She was, however, confused
when Lord Solo said that it wouldn't be a problem that her
master forbade her from studying anything. He said that Unkar
could never hold her back again. It was a strange sentence, one
that filled her with a certain uneasiness. She questioned him
before he explained that, after an exchange of six hundred
shillings, she was no longer under the man's thumb. But that
meant that he had bought her. She was leaving the hands of one
abuser only to fall into the hands of a homicidal maniac with a
history of brutality and rage. What could go wrong? She tried to
give Lord Solo a chance to correct himself, assuming that he had
misspoke or something, but he had not, apparently. She no longer
belonged to Unkar Plutt. She know belonged to Lord Ben Solo, the
Kingslayer. She told him that this was surprising, hoping that
he didn't take offense to her reaction. She didn't exactly come
off as happy. She wasn't happy. She was absolutely terrified.
She clutched at the swallow brooch on her bodice, the first
object she ever owned and the only thing that was given to her,
not earned somehow. It was the single item that tied her to her
parents, her family, which was a comfort, even if she had no
idea where she came from. She told him that this was all moving
too quickly for her to really keep up, that she wasn't sure of
what to say or think. She wanted to run. She wanted to jump out
a window and run off into the woods and wake up in some far away
village that had never even heard the name Solo. He said that he
understood that this was a lot to take in, promising that she
would be very comfortable in his home. She didn't doubt that.
Lord Solo was very wealthy. He was in the King's pocket. He had
access to all the luxuries across the country. But she would
never feel safe. But she couldn't tell him that. She apologized
to the lord, saying that she didn't understand why he would do
this. Specifically, why he would buy her. Without missing a
beat, he said that he wanted her to be his wife. "Wife?" she
repeated, her eyes going wide. She took an instinctive step
back, suddenly feeling exposed, frightened. And more confused
than before. He added that he wanted it to be her decision. That
part really confused her. If he wanted her to choose, why not
free her? Why not actually give her choices and options? Why
keep her as a slave? A loved slave is still a slave... not that
she believed Lord Solo loved her, but still. "I mean no
disrespect, mi'lord. I'm sure your home is lovely, but I...
I-I'm not -," she began, not sure of where to go with this
sentence. She was scared. She was confused. It was causing more
panic than she cared to admit, her hands trembling slightly. But
she didn't want to offend him. He might kill her for that. "I
barely know you," she said earnestly, hoping he could at least
understand that. "And, I'm sorry, but I don't feel that buying
me leaves me with much of a choice at all," she added, but
immediately regretted saying it. What if he thought it was an
insult? "I'm sorry," she added quickly. He said that he was
certain that she would choose him, since they thought they were
a good fit for one another once they were settled. He might have
been right... if she weren't literally a spy for the opposite
force in a war. If she didn't believe that his ever career
action was evil and inherently harmful, she probably could grow
to love him. Or, at least, like him enough that the benefits of
a marriage outweigh the costs. But their politics were too
different and protecting innocents was too important to Rey to
give up. This couldn't work, but she couldn't tell him why
without risking her head. He added that she was hard-working,
attractive, and that she seemed intelligent, which were
apparently attractive traits to him. "I'm flattered, but this
feels like a trick," she added, addressing another fear of hers.
Lowborn women were not wives. They were mistresses at the best,
whores at the worst. Unkar regularly told her that she might
spend her life as a sex slave if she didn't stay hidden at the
shop. Ben obviously found her attractive. What was to stop him
from taking her whenever he wished? She didn't have the legal
standing -- or physical prowess -- to fight back. "I'm lowborn.
I don't even know who my parents were. Men don't want me for
marriage," she explained. [/center]
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