Private Tales Walk A Mile In My Shoes

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
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"Oh thank the gods"

Dianaimh gave a grateful sigh as she sat down on the bed. It was a crude straw mattress but the four walls and a roof were the best accommodation they'd had in a few weeks. No more sleeping back to back for warmth or waking to a freezing morning and cold fire. There was even one for Esmeralda as the other mage had made clear she wasn't going to share one or sleep on the floor so her employer could have a good night's sleep.

"Yes there will do fine" she said with a casual wave of her hand, one of the staff bringing in their packs and their other belongings. The chest they'd lugged all the way from the crypt was still there, its secrets sealed away. Dian tried to act casual considering she was down to her last few coins. She'd managed to dazzle the innkeep by a strategic lean onto the bar counter, all with Esmeralda's stony glare on her.

"This is nice isn't it?" she beamed at her bodyguard, waiting for the door to shut with the staff. "Though I'd almost miss Ragna's company. That last mile was heavy with all that".

'All that' being the few scavenged antique weapons, the chest, and a few assorted bits and pieces. Not a rich haul considering what they'd gone through.

Esmeralda
 
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Esmeralda sighed heavily, giving the bed a long look. She waved her hand over it, sapping the energy from the lice she sensed crawling inside the straw and killing them. Only then did she flop down with a huff, melting into the mattress. "Maybe if you worked out a little," she mused dryly, rolling out her shoulders.

Of course, she had been left to carry quite a bit herself. With her hands or otherwise.

"Where is this seller you'll be going to? Is he close?" She asked, cutting right to the quip of it.
 
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Esmeralda seemed as delighted to be with a bed as Dianaimh was. Dian threw her feet up on the bed and propped herself up against the wall. "I don't need to. I'm a mage" she told her with a prim tone. Dianaimh had an eye catching figure but it wasn't the sort of one that was designed for fighting in a shieldwall or hefting large loads.

Her face twitched but she made a little handwave in dismissal at the question, "Oh don't worry about that yet. Here is far too provincial. We'll get a better price in Alliria or somewhere. A town like this wouldn't be able to afford it" she lied, not having a clue what might even be inside the chest. "Let's just enjoy some home comforts first. I've told them to bring up a bath later". She even had the gall to sound generous, "You can use it after me".
 
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Esmeralda snorted at her. "How kind." Her tone suggested the woman was anything but. She sat up, her hair a mess from the travel, dirt smeared across her nose.

"Give me my coin and I'll order it myself."
 
Dianaimh's expression was pained. "Well I'm afraid it's not quite that simple..." she said, hoping to play for time. "But there will be plenty of coin once we find a buyer" she assured her, flashing the blonde a winning smile. "You just need to be patient dear".
 
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Esmerald's teeth slowly ground together at the term, the woman's patronizing tone pushing what patience she did have. "There is coin enough to pay for my bath," she said with slow intensity. "And food. And a new set of clothes. All of which are mine by right. The job is over. I will not be treated like your inferior anymore."

There was a dangerous fire to her eyes, one that demanded respect or there would be hell to pay.
 
Dianaimh sat up now at the change in Esmeralda's voice, tensing now. Her fists tightened, wary that something was about to kick off. "I just said that there wasn't" she said, her voice strained. "And the job isn't over, not until we're back somewhere better than here" her voice didn't sound as commanding as earlier.

She moved slowly and tossed her purse towards Esmeralda. There wasn't a single bit of gold there. Just copper. It didn't even look like there was enough to pay for their room and board.
 
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Esmeralda blinked, staring a touch uncomprehendingly down at the meager pile.

"....Where is the rest?" She asked carefully. This couldn't be all the woman had.
 
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Dianaimh made a helpless gesture with her hands. "That is the rest" she said, sounding out the words very slowly so she could hear it. "That's all I-we have" she corrected, trying to look suitably regretful about the whole affair.
 
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Esmeralda took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she rode through a wave of sharp emotions.Must... not... react... harshly...

"Did you hire me. Knowing this?" She continued to ask slowly through her teeth, her simmering gaze opening up onto Dian.
 
"Well no, but we had to pay Ragna more for that amazing rescue and well....I may have underestimated some of the costs but I'm sure everything will work out" Dianaimh realised she was prattling on and took a breath to slow herself. "But I'm sure once we figure out how to open the chest safely then we'll get a sizeable sum!".

Her charm didn't seem to be working too much. Despite her most winning smile Esmeralda still was seething. "We'll be able to get you a new dress!"
 
Kaska chucked the money pouch hard into Dian's chest. "I get the first bath." She kicked off her shoes, grabbing the blanket from the bed and pulling it up her legs.

"Get to opening that chest. Now," she ordered, flopping onto her side and giving the woman her back. She needed to calm down, holy, her anger was seething through her veins. All that energy lost...
 
Dianaimh squealed as the pouch landed on her chest hard. "Hey!" she squawked, standing up and rubbing herself with a wince. The blonde had flopped down on the bed but her tone didn't brook much argument.

Her back was turned to her so Dian made a face. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to open it just yet" she tried. Not wanting to be knifed in her sleep, Dian pulled her skirts about her, moving towards their prize. The one thing they had to show for over a month's roughing it. She reluctantly knelt and bit her lip when looking at it. Her hand touched the latch and flicked it. There was a bright light, then darkness.
 
Esmeralda stirred, groaning in confusion as she found herself on the ground. Her first instinct was to reach out with her magic and feel around the area for any ripples in energy that felt off, but .... nothing happened.

The energy didn't respond to her. The air felt cold and hard and dead, void of any of the energy's buzzing life.

She sat up, gasping as her head spun. What was she doing on the ground? And why... why was she still in the bed?

She blinked, realizing she was literally looking at herself, her own body, lying in the exact place she left it. "What?" She exclaimed, Dian's voice slipping out of her mouth. She gasped again, looking down to find ... she was in a body that was not her own.

It was busty and fat and weak.

"Dian!" She boomed.
 
Dianaimh's head throbbed. She felt sick from all the spinning, it just kept going even with her eyes closed. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she sat up. She froze as she realised she was on a bed. How long had she been out? She'd been on the floor.

A voice interrupted her. Hers. There was something off about it but she couldn't say what. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at....herself on the floor. She squealed in shock, with a voice that was most definitely not hers. Another squeal as she looked down to a body that didn't fit either.

Her hands gripped at the chest in disbelief, expecting something else. "What did you do!?" she demanded, outrage coursing through a voice that felt so much more girlish. Her hands continued their tapping down along her body. It had curves but nothing to what she was used to. The proportions felt all off.

Her shaking hand reached up to touch tangled, dirty, and snarled hair. "What did you do!?" her squeal was more desperate this time.
 
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"ME?" She bellowed, furious. "Give me back my body!" She launched upwards, half clumsy by the strange placement of her limbs as she tried to grab her own arms and yank them to her. As if that would do anything.

All the while, Dian would feel the ever present pressure that was her abilities. The magic in the air. Energy, life, all floating around her, sensitive to her thoughts.

And emotions.

Best stay calm or she might cause an explosion....
 
Dianaimh's blood boiled to be spoken at so. She rose herself, nearly tumbling over as she stood. Her centre of gravity was all off, it was a deer on ice. "Give me back mine!" she barked. Esmeralda was sure to feel the lurking power, like a pool within her. One she could draw on and make form by concentrating her thoughts.

She felt ridiculously oversensitive, there was something happening, everywhere. She kept one hand on the bed to steady herself, her hand nearly missed it, used to another arm. Her other came to her temple, the magic around her, it was almost too much. The world had been so quiet before.

She squealed as Esmeralda made a clumsy attempt to grab at her arms. There was a clap of energy and both were blasted back against opposite walls, hard enough to wind them. Any doubt if this was really happening went with the sudden onset of pain.
 
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Esmeralda cried out as she flew, fear entering her gaze as she realized exactly what was happening. She smacked into the wall and crumbled to the floor, her head thumping wickedly against it.

And she was out like a light, the powers inside that body Dian had gain very dangerous. It had helped that Esmeralda had grown into them. That she had spent years cultivating them and growing them to that level. But Dian? She was just handed the full brunt of it. One wayward thought had the potential to kill.

Best stay calm~
 
Dianaimh wasn't knocked out but she still took a fair whallop off the wall. Whimpering a little, she gawked at the sight of herself just crumpling to the floor, going out like a light.

"Esmeralda" she said, a little panicked now. That was her lying on the floor there. She rushed to her side and shook it but she was out cold. Next she tried moving her but Dianaimh quickly realised she was stuck in a smaller body and her own form had a lot of her to move.

Cursing to herself, she managed to drag and haul her old body to the bed, muscles burning with the effort as she managed to heft her up onto the mattress. "Wake up" she pleaded.

Examining herself in the mirror was as bad. A smooth unlined face of a girl, dirty blonde hair, a slender svelte form. She looked back at herself snoring on the bed and bemoaned her fate.
 
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Time passed. Esmeralda stirred from the place on the bed, a sharp pain echoing through her head. She made wordless noises of confusion, everything feeling ... off.

She opened her eyes with a gasp, abruptly recalling what had got her here. "D-Dian?" She asked thickly, sitting up and finding her world going in many directions. She groaned and folded over, waiting out the throbbing and urging it to quickly pass.
 
"No don't sit up"

The voice was worried and two arms moved to steady her. Dianaimh had had the opportunity to try out her new body and even examine herself a bit. She was more or less able to walk in a straight line now and pick up things without dropping them. She'd also been appalled to find quite a number of scars on her frame.

Her hand tried to pat herself on the back soothingly, her mind still not processing it properly. She was looking at herself folded over on the bed. "Just take a few breaths, I'm here". She wasn't much good at nursing but she tried her best.
 
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It was incredibly odd not being able to heal herself. Suddenly injuries felt much more pressing and permanent. This only added to her unease, the woman slowly being able to sit up and blink out her double vision.

"Dian," she started carefully, clutching out at her head. "Do me a favor and... stay calm, ok?"

She let herself lie back, trying to take deep breaths and work through the disorientation. Her head slowly cleared, the woman feeling stronger for it. "I'm in your body," she started with the obvious, stating it bluntly.
 
Dianaim-Esmeralda seemed to be nursing the mother of all headaches but she still spoke. It was odd to hear her words coming with a voice older and more mature. "I am calm" she said a little too quickly, her voice going higher than she wanted to. She took a deep breath and composed herself. Just because she looked like a girl didn't mean she had to act like one.

"And I'm in yours" she said, both seemed to need to state the facts aloud to actually appreciate it was happening. Almost on impulse, she reached forward and pinched Esmeralda's arm.
 
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"Ow!" Esmeralda smacked the woman back, scowling at her as she glanced up for the first real time.

She stalled, taken aback by the sight of herself ... sitting before her. Damn, she looked rough. Was that what she always looked like out on the road? She shook off the shock, resorting now to bubbling panic that she fought to keep down. She took a few deep breaths.

"How. Is this. Possible?" She asked carefully, hoping to keep the woman inside her body calm so she didn't toss her through a window next time instead.

Which Esmeralda totally hadn't accidentally done before. Nope.

"The box," she swore, scrambling towards it.
 
Now it was Dianaimh's turn to squeal. She clutched at her hand, "I was just checking we weren't dreaming!" she said, not expecting the slap. She ruefully rubbed her hand and gave her a reproachful look.

"I don't know-hey!" she made a grab for her but Esmeralda moved with surprising speed, moving for the box. And even worse timing, there was a knock at the door. Dian froze.

"We've brought you your bath-" the servant trailed off at the sight of Dianaimh sitting on the floor by the box and Esmeralda with a deer in headlights look. She recovered as swiftly as she could, forcing a winning smile on her face before she stepped forward.

"My mistress will be grateful" she told them, "Just leave it here and thank you" she said, the steaming hot container being brought in and placed on the floor. Her smile lasted until they'd left before she moved for the box, "Don't go playing with it!"
 
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