[Day 3] - - Valletta/Floriana

[facecreaks]

[He'd only situated himself a block away from the church, a temporary hideout while he scouted the area. By now he'd gathered where he was, a small no-name country the Order had never trifled with. The abundance of infected overshadowed the living, and the living? Scarce. He knew no better than to return to the church. Perhaps there's something he'

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[womanwhofights]

[As it turned out, the Church had a surprisingly sturdy construction well-suited to the role of a safe house. The front doors were solid timber, and the stained glass windows high enough in the walls that it would take a small stepladder to reach the lip of the window itself. Even the paintings long turned to dust in some patches had some use in psychological comfort; although the Warden didn't recognize the faces or the deity being depicted, it was nice to have that little extra knowledge that if there was a higher power somewhere, they might be watching.

Sitting on one of the empty statue plinths with a shred of dusty moth-eaten cloth she had torn off one of the corners of the tapestries hung on the walls, the Warden was busily keeping her equipment clean of dust and grime accumulated over the past day or so. Her suit of armour was already clean up to the breastplate; all she had left to do was the gorget, close helm, and her sword/shield.

At least shining armour helped to keep her thoughts well away from being homesick. Walking about like a complete idiot out there with the ghouls probably wasn't a good idea either until she scraped together a proper plan to get out of the general area undetected.
Whiiiiiiiiiich was kind of hard when you're wearing plates that rattle and jingle loud enough to wake the dead (No pun intended). She'd figure something out.]

[facecreaks]

[After the announcement finishes, Kanda makes his way into the church. He isn't quite sure exactly what he's looking for, but the whole structure would be easier to navigate in the day at least. Even more so, hopefully no infected had squeezed its way through the perimeter.]

[Again, the clinking of metal echoes from down the hall. It couldn't be too far, and it definitely hasn't noticed him yet...at least...whatever it was. Adjusting the strap over his shoulder, he places his fingers along the hilt, making his way slowly toward where Warden resided. Quietly, but steadily...until

POP! A discarded light bulb shatters under his boot as he steps down, just feet away from the door.]

[womanwhofights]

[Her brows creased in a sharp frown becoming of the most hardassed campaigner of any army, the swordswoman bent almost double to put some elbow power into the buffing strokes she lavished on the great helm that completed the Juggernaut armour, pausing now and then to pluck a strand of the blue plume out of the way when it stuck to the metal. Every so often she'd bend closer and exhale over the mirrored surface, running the now-thoroughly-woebegone polishing cloth over the fogged area until the alloy shone in the dark.

Now that her armour was done...

SFLKJADLFKHASOFLASKJF HOLY BALLS WHAT WAS THAT-?!

Alerted to the presence of an intruder, Cousland leapt to her feet with a great clatter of disjointed platemail cascading from a pile on her lap into a sprawl over the floor, facing the back door hallway whilst fumbling with her harness - and by extension her sheathed sword - while the deeply scored shield bearing the Highever coat of arms settled firmly over her off hand. It didn't much help that she had to squint to see the faintest suggestion of an outline in the dark.

Finally wrestling her blade from it's scabbard between her shoulders ended with the tip directed in Kanda's general direction.]

...get out here and quit skulking about, you. I don't much appreciate dead things popping out of shadows without a by-your-leave first.

[facecreaks]

[The further clatter from beyond is enough of a signal that he's got company.

He doesn't retract, only draws his sword from where he stood. There's not much light to go by, even now with that door open. Although, from what he can tell, is that it isn't ill....at least it doesn't act ill.

His expression changes...oh it's just a woman. His sword ceases to lower, but only for a moment before he knocks it back to lean against his shoulder. He takes a few steps forward into the light.]

Tch. Lower your weapon.

[womanwhofights]

[The frown returned, albiet more out of puzzlement than actual anger. This...stranger was dressed even odder than the people of the Tevinter Imperium.]

You'll have to forgive me if I refrain. Suspicious types, I find, have a history of stabbing the unwary in the spine.

[Cousland responded wryly enough, lowering her shield and sword enough to relay that she certainly would prefer not to attack, but was wary enough not to leave herself entirely defenseless. That sword of his was of unusual make and was likely sharp enough to cleave through her soft hide underarmour without snagging once.

Her green eyes flickered from her study of the weapon settled on his shoulder to his face instead, cocking an eyebrow at his haughty expression but saying nothing. She had dealt with snotty Arls before without batting an eye; such was a skill the highborn were expected to have after coming of age.
So, stabbing her blade point-down in the wood floor, she leaned on the pommel and fixed Kanda with a flat stare.]

State your business, and be quick about it.

[facecreaks]

[A slight groan of irritation passes through his lips. The weight in his leg shifts over to the other, another sign of his impatience in the matter. He only needs to look around, just to make sure nothing was left behind. His business is his business, none of hers.]

I was here a few days ago.

[womanwhofights]

[See that eyebrow? Totally not descending from hiding under her bangs. It's gonna be all stuck up there for like forever.

At any rate, Cousland was clearly not impressed by the dodging of her question demand. She was accustomed to being obeyed. But hey, the blunt approach rarely worked anyway, so she'd settle for leaving that topic to fall where it would.
She studied his facial expression for a few seconds more prior to wrenching her sword from the floor with a practiced heave, turning on her heel, and sauntering back to where her various bits of armour were scattered.

Kanda could make a paper hat out of one of these ancient tomes for all she cared. If it was a 'oh look, I don't care' contest he wanted, she was game.]

[facecreaks]

[Fair warning, Kanda's a pro at the 'look at me, I don't give a shit' game. He follows after, only to enter the main chapel, which smelt considerably better than the first night. Assuming that the corpses that accumulated from the first night were disposed of by now. Hopefully not much else was cleaned up after that, he still had a golem to find after all.]

[Paying little attention to her, he begins scanning the room, strolling down the aisles of pews, even looking under them....it had to be there somewhere, that damn thing was always with him.]

[womanwhofights]

[FINE. She'd been under the tutelage of such mighty ignorers as Morrigan and Shale, so one... person (Guy or girl, she wasn't entirely sure at the moment; Kanda's hair suggested girl, though) with a funny uniform and a perpetual scowl wasn't a problem. She settled on the original plinth she had first started out on, nudging the tip of her boot under bits of loose armour to bring them closer.

Setting her own expression into a grim mask suitable for a funeral, the Warden set to reassembling and donning her armour piece by piece; starting with the greaves and working her way up to the breastplate, at which point she had to stand. Sitting down was never a problem in full plate, but getting up again...

Ignore, ignore, ignore. She was so going to win this.]