The Search Took More Than An Hour, Wandering About To The Different Post Boards Throughout The City Of

The search took more than an hour, wandering about to the different post boards throughout the city of Lion's Arch. The missing, the heroes, the dead. Milli's head was filled with names and she'd spent a rather long time sitting on an upended stone outside her former shop staring up at the hollowed out remains.

Her guard, Lydia Carlysle, stood watch beside her, silent except when spoken to, making sure she was safe. Milli wished Valec had come, but at the same time she was glad he had stayed away. She needed to do this one her own. She relied on him, and while she knew he didn't mind it, likely enjoy it, she still had to be her own woman. That included searching for the names of her friends.

She hadn't seen Jack's name yet. Thankfully. One of the notes looking for someone looked like it was penned in Ainsley's hand. She would send the woman a letter later, see if she couldn't find her in Divinity's Reach. Ciara's name had been absent as well. Neither had she seen Jackrel's or November Morsus's names. She would have expected either of them to be looking for the other if they weren't together. So either they were both dead or both alive. Another letter to be sent to the Reach.

It was at the last post board that she found it.

Ciara Devaney

Her heart dropped into her stomach and she thought she was going to be sick. Her fingers slid back to the top of the page. Deaths.

Milli stumbled back, bent double as it seemed all breath left her, one gloved hand pressed to her mouth.

"My lady, are you alright?" Lydia asked, rushing forward to wrap her arms around the other woman, watching their surroundings and assessing the situation. "Can you stand? We should leave."

Milli shook her head. "No," she managed, gasping. The sobs ripped their way from her throat and she continued shaking her head. "No, I want to stay."

"Soon, then," Lydia said, standing up to keep watch as Milli's grief overwhelmed her.

Milli pressed her hands to her face, covering her eyes, pulling free her eyepiece and stuffing it in her pocket. Such rough treatment of the device was unlike her, but this was not a normal situation.

She remembered meeting Ciara. It had been Lady Livinia's masquerade ball, both of them Jack's dates, Fire and Ice. And Jack had tried to pull them all into bed. Cia was having none of it.

Milli had been pursued by men and women before, but she had never pursued someone herself. She wanted to understand Cia, comfort her. Care for her where it seemed no one else did. She remembered Cia kissing her in front of Clockworks & Mechanicals Unlimited, a surprise. The second kiss had been Milli's, on the beach. And even then, things were so fragile. Milli had never been able to make it work, to put the pieces together just right.

She remembered Cia with aqua hair, so like her eyes. How soft it was in her fingers. How sweet Cia's kisses could be, but delicate. Like spider silk, always about to break.

And after she'd saved Cia from the torture of her other knee's shattering, she'd demanded Cia stop doing things that were so dangerous. And Cia had refused. That rift had never healed. It was a rent in her heart even now. They had started to mend it, but now...

That was the hardest thing about death. The finality of it. What was done was done. And there was no changing any of it.

She cried for nearly ten minutes before Lydia lifted her to her feet. "We should go home, my lady," she said gently, but brooking no argument.

Milli wiped her face quickly and looked up at Lydia. "What happened to the bodies? Can we find her?"

Lydia shook her head. "I don't know, my lady. We can look into it."

Milli nodded as they headed back toward Nemesir Manor. "She was my friend. I would like to know where she came to rest."

She returned to Lion's Arch with an unobtrusive guardian at her back. The woman was more lightly armored than Milli had expected, though she wore a broadsword slung across her back with the air of someone who could handle the weapon. Her name was Lydia Carlysle and Valec said he trusted the woman to protect her. And Milli trusted Valec.

Milli wore her leather coat, still darkened with soot and char. The Nemesir butler, Virgil, kept asking if she wanted it cleaned. It smelled of ashes and burning and death. But Milli couldn't let it go. Not yet.

She had passed the post boards before while moving her belongings from her old house, but hadn't dared venture over and look for names. There were too many she hadn't wanted to see. But today it was her purpose.

Lydia followed, a shadow half a step back and to her left, keeping watch on Milli's bad side. Most of the debris had been cleared to the sides, leaving a trail. It wasn't like it had been before, clambering over fallen pieces of stone and wood. Milli was remarkably pleased for that. It meant the city was healing. There was still something that remained of her home.

"Over there, my lady," Lydia motioned toward a hastily erected notice board, candles lit surrounding it, wax puddled thickly around the edges of the platform.

"Thank you, Lydia," she smiled at the woman, accepted the hand to help her up the stairs. She was but a few months along, but she could feel the change in her sense of balance. Milli wasn't looking forward to the later months of pregnancy when she would be able to do little besides waddle between comfortable chairs. Her sister, Tsuu, had warned her.

Milli was confronted with a sea of pleading messages. Men and women looking for sons, daughters, siblings, husbands, and wives. Friends. Family. Some of the names were heartbreakingly familiar. She could only hope they were found.

"Are you a religious woman, Lydia?" Milli asked quietly.

"I worship the Six, my lady, and pay special heed to Dwayna, yes," Lydia replied, eyes watching the area with a constant sweep.

"Can you say a prayer for these people for me?" she ran her gloved fingers over the pages, many warped by wind and water this close to the bay. "I've never sought the aid of the Gods, and it seems to me it would be hypocritical to do so now."

"The gods would hear your prayers regardless, my lady," the guard replied gently, "but I will add them to my prayers tonight as I did right after the city fell."

Milli turned back, carefully climbing back down the steps. "Did you know anyone who died in the assault?"

Lydia shrugged sadly.

"Who didn't?"

my character doesn’t just need lovers

They need enemies that break them and force them to test their morals

They need friends that will backstab them and hurt their feelings

They need an enemy that will become a friend

They need friends that they would lay down their life for

They need people so close to them that they might as well be siblings

They need fights and conflict and battles that could leave them broken and inches from death

My character does not just need lovers

You're clever, creative, loving, lovable, amazingly intelligent and you have never ceased to put a smile on my face. Best favour that the Hangmen ever did was give me the chance to meet you.

Our Overlord does need a good playmate to help in conquest. Division of labor and all that :P.

But I love you, too. You are an endless, bountiful source of energy and fun and I bask in your glory all I can. I love writing with you, creating stories and characters and fun! I am sad to hear that you're moving farther away from me, but that doesn't mean I won't come visit you sometime. New Mexico's not that far (unless it's Albuquerque :P), so we'll still come and visit you SOMETIME (even if it's Albuquerque!), because our Overlord needs to meet her Aunt Angel. And I need to squish you and hug you! LOTS! Because you always make me feel better and happy and I connect to you on a spiritual level! You inspire me and make me want to be more like you and be more me at the same time. So thank you for being you. Thank you for being awesome :)

You two are so adorable I COULD DIE! And if you ever start RPing in this setting without sending me an invite, I will fill your inboxes with an ocean of tears. (See whut I did thar? :P)

It appears the bobblehead effect only persists through your first April 1 log in. After that, it's normal again. At least that's what it seems like from what I'm seeing from others and my own experience.

are the bobble heads already gone?

my bf logged in just so i can see his character with a bobble head, but everything was normal. after restarting the client too. have i already missed it? :’c