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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Jul 24, 2021 3:42:25 GMT -5
(Yeah, so I will be back soon to answer any other questions and give any more detail
But can confirm that Lilith would be cool for someone to join her gang if you did want to do that. We do have major spots for the journeying group, as Chaos said, but weβre always down for plot ideas and we could totally fit your characters into a lot of different places so yeah! The sky is the limit really)
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Jul 24, 2021 17:45:43 GMT -5
Lilith was becoming bored of the negotiation conversations at this point. People were not particularly her strong suit, never had been. She could read them decently enough but had far less interest in them, or in manipulation, than did Elena.
There were very few people Lilith found tolerable. Her sisters and mother had been on that list, of course. Elena, she supposed. Atlas and Ress were not too bad, but she preferred them in short bursts. It was nothing personal, she just really did generally dislike people.
Normally, if she wanted something she was accustomed to simply taking it. She had always known that some things required tact and maybe even charm, but she never particularly enjoyed these things. They were chores to her.
The dark-haired woman observed as Elena said something quietly to her second and that young boy whoβd been looking into the carriage earlier. Following the confirmation of that order they seemed to be approaching Callan, who was obviously not exactly feeling great about what was about to happen. Being unconscious twice in one day was not something to be particularly thrilled about, in fairness.
Lilith wasnβt really listening to the guard, but she knew heβd tried to protest. Which she supposed was to be expected even though she didnβt think even Callan had expected it to have even the slightest modicum of effect.
Either way, the Verndari boy being knocked unconscious reminded Lilith that she ought to do the same now that their deal had been struck. Couldnβt have the kid getting his bearings in these woods or knowing how to get to the camp. That was far too dangerous.
So sheβd quietly instructed a couple of her own men to do the same, though she didnβt ask them to gag the kid. That wasnβt necessary. Honestly, Lilith did feel a little bad for the boy. Him being around the same age as Minke was probably having an effect on her ability to make fair judgements about how to treat this particular prisoner, but she didnβt care. He was a child. She might be ruthless, but only when she needed to be. This wasnβt one of those times.
With that order given, Lilith too turned her attention to Ress and Atlas, the matter of whom had just acquired the whisky Elena had promised him. It looked like everyone was happy with the deal.
βYouβll be under our protection until you leave our territories, but donβt delay too long in that ridiculously conspicuous carriage,β Lilith began βIβll have one of my people meet you at the edge of the woods as you leave and give you the directions to someone in the next town who can take care of that thing and get you something less likely to draw attention. Just tell him I sent you.β
Lilith had businessmen and traders in her pocket across Aaltonen and beyond. People who owed her favours, people who benefitted from her business. People who werenβt afraid to work with stolen goods. People whom she protected in exchange for favours and a cut of the businessβ profits - and of course if they decided they didnβt want to pay for protection, Lilith often sent her people to demonstrate exactly what could happen if your business wasnβt protected. Exploitative, perhaps, but Lilith had stopped caring about that long ago.
The craftsman in question in the next town wasnβt one of these βclientsβ, he was simple a less than morally scrupulous trader who owed Lilith a favour or two. She could count on him to help.
She stepped back, prepared to disappear back towards her camp with her newly acquired prisoner.
βItβs been a pleasure as always Atlas, Ress.β said the woman in farewell βGive Ernestine our love, wonβt you?β
The last part was sarcastic, of course. Lilith had no respect or love for Ernestine, in fact much the opposite. Not that it would stop her from doing work for her if Ernestine was willing to pay, but that applied to everyone.
Either way, now was the time to leave. They had to get the prince back to the camp before he regained consciousness. She was enjoying the peace and quiet that came with him being knocked out, but she knew it wouldnβt last long and they couldnβt waste it.
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inky
I'm a free woman again! At least until the semester starts up :D
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Post by inky on Jul 25, 2021 15:42:30 GMT -5
(Hi Semp!!!!!! <3 Its good to see you too! How have you been?!) (Sorry it took me a minute to reply I got busy cleaning my house yesterday!) (okay that is a lot of stuff and it all sounds GREAT) (I'd so be down to have a member of the gang and talk about any openings in the journeying group and I love that the kindgom is being run by a chad XD 10/10 LOL) (What exactly do you guys need as far as characters? )
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Jul 25, 2021 17:31:14 GMT -5
(Itβs great to see you too! Busy, but not too bad. What about you? So in terms of what we need for characters, what we probably need most is someone to take over the role of the prince of Aaltonen within the journeying group. Theyβre the prince of the kingdom of which the king and queen have just been cursed. If youβre interested in this role πππππ π¨ and I can give you much more detail and info as to whatβs happening with that group and what is currently established for that character x Otherwise, Lilith would be willing to take on gang members, and depending on what Elenaβs roleplayer Leo says, she might be open to gang members too. We would also have places to be filled in a lot of the kingdoms I think in terms of royalty, royal advisors, etc. Scirocco, Xanino, Kalama, Alfheimr and Taraneh are all lacking royalty and most of the other kingdoms have spaces for advisors. Iβm sure Chaos can give you an invite to our discord where you can access more lore information about these kingdoms. But there are a ton of places you can fit into the plot depending on what kind of character you feel like making.)
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Post by πππππ π¨ on Jul 27, 2021 15:28:08 GMT -5
(I can't give much on the gangs but I can give some info on the prince's original character, though of course I insist you make him however you'd like!) The Prince isn't a character you'll see here, because this was a remake, but he was original owned by a pal of ours named Honey who has decided to take a break from the forums and everything. Anyways, Zahavi was an older teen/young adult with a very caring and slightly lovable doofus personality. In a world where magic was looked down upon, he held no judgements towards magic users and even envied them for their abilities.
In the story (which we've skipped through due to having already written it on the original thread), Zahavi's family ruled the largest and most revered of the kingdoms, Aaoltonen. Years ago it was ruled by a family of magic users (and magic was..mostly legal), but they were targeted and presumed dead. Zahavi's grandfather took over as the new leader, but died shortly after, leaving Zahavi's parents to rule.
In the beginning of the story, they arranged a ball so he could meet his future subjects and potentially find a queen of his own. Uninterested in doing so, he went along with it. In all respect you can rearrange parts of this, like his relationship with his family and his personality. Anyways, parents were poisoned (cursed) and have fallen ill, expected to die without the mystic cure. This left him as the new potential leader.
Zahavi rounded up a group of people to help him seek out Alexandria, the Library of Knowledge, and a fallen kingdom which became lost. Alongside the journey, in the original, he and some of the other travelers fell into a sinkhole during a cave collapse. Inside the cave was a river, and he learned the abilities of Zach who has fire and telekinesis, and of Leon, who has water based abilities and darkness. However, near the exit to the cave was one of the titans, A Rock based one. Said rock creature fought the group, they got injured, and got out. For purposes of the story, you can decide what injuries were sustained, if any.
Right now, he's actually kidnapped by a water titan, because hilariously he has to endure the wrath of the titans because he's apparently a danger magnet. There's assorted things like the other characters, running jokes, but this is to give you an idea of the rough story. I completely encourage you to make the character your own! As spoiled or as judgmental or as sweet and accepting as you'd like.)
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Post by πππππ π¨ on Jul 27, 2021 15:29:43 GMT -5
( inky: Here's that Discord that Pal mentioned!)
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Jul 27, 2021 15:51:46 GMT -5
(Oh no that sounds so stressful! Iβm glad everything is okay x
Yes, please do check out the discord for more lore too, we have tons of stuff there and weβre a super friendly hunch <3
As for Lilithβs gangs, itβs hard to really describe the vibes. Lilith was originally a pirate OC who has been transplanted to this universe. When you pop into the discord though (itβll be easier there) Iβll give you the rundown on Lilith and her gang x as for a person they need, at the moment the gang is just me with Lilith, vaguely controlling unnamed people as I need them. I havenβt really fleshed out a gang because originally her crew were rped by other roleplayer so I didnβt develop characters for them. So basically, anyone and everyone would be welcome)
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 1, 2021 8:36:50 GMT -5
Everything was gone. All of it.Her mother was dead, and probably her siblings too. She'd tried to make sure Minke and Maylea both got away safely, but she'd been separated from both of them and could no longer guarantee their safety. She'd failed as an older sister and a daughter in that regard; she knew her mother would be proud of her for trying to protect her sisters but in the end it hadn't been enough. Minke especially, who was only thirteen. Her kingdom was gone too, and she had thus failed as the heir to Alexandria's throne. She knew, really, that there was nothing she could have done, but that knowledge was of little comfort. She should've tried, but instead she had run to protect herself and her siblings and hadn't even succeeded in that. Perhaps it would have been better if she had gone down with the rest of the kingdom like her mother did.But then, if she had done that she would have just faded into history like the rest of her kingdom undoubtedly would now. She knew that her mother would have said that it wasn't worth her life, that she and her sisters had too much to offer to die with their kingdom out of loyalty to it.How was Alexandria to be honoured or avenged if nobody was left to remember or care about it?She didn't know why she had survived, but she knew he family wouldn't want her to waste it. She had dealt with loss before in the form of her father. This loss was greater because she had to bear it alone, but it was a pain that she knew. It was familiar, and so she almost welcomed the cold, empty ache in her chest. She could hold onto that if nothing else.Her only choice had been to keep moving, find somewhere safe. Of course, nowhere was really safe for a magic user anymore. And while the reclusive nature of her family had blissfully afforded her anonymity following her escape from Alexandria, it meant that she was woefully unprepared for navigating and surviving in the lands outside of her own kingdom. Studying maps was quite different from actually being out there on her own.Thankfully what her mother had taught her was strength, intelligence and perseverance. Those qualities were enough to get her to safety, though the journey had by no means been easy. In fact, she found herself travelling through the wilderness at night. Heavily forested, with thin winding paths. She didn't feel good about it, had a horrible pit in her stomach that warned her about how dangerous this path was, but she had little choice.It was a chilly night, and almost pitch black aside from the silvery moonlight filtering through the canopy and creating dancing shadowy patterns on the forest floor as the bare branches moved in the winter air. Briseis could see her breath in front of her as she moved across the frost-hardened ground.She'd had enough presence of mind to get some less conspicuous clothes than the rich clothing she'd worn the day of her escape from Alexandria, but she did sorely miss her thick cloaks and warm, rich fabrics in these temperatures. The odd flake of snow drifted down, lazily floating down to the earth or getting tangled in her hair and clothes. It wasn't enough to be considered truly 'snowing', but it was certainly enough to add to Briseis' chill.
She'd lost track of how long she had been travelling. Each step ached, and the cold air nipped at her skin. It had gone past the point of aching in the cold and had progressed purely to numbness. She knew she should be concerned, that she should find shelter, but she knew she had to be so close to somewhere she could stay now. She couldn't give up and look for shelter just yet.
And indeed, in the distance she could see a hint of golden light, and her heart leapt with hope at last. She could get help here, at the very least. Maybe some food, some extra supplies. Some work, for she knew that money would become an issue before long.
She had to survive, for her sisters and for her kingdom. If she had any hope of making things right again, she had to stay alive. Build up from nothing until she was able to do what she needed to do. Somehow avenge her family and take back what was rightfully hers.
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Post by πππππ π¨ on Aug 2, 2021 12:28:53 GMT -5
Dante let out a deep breath when they got into the room, hidden. He was tense, extremely anxious. Probably borderline panicking but mostly holding himself together. Mostly.
Looking at the two others, he slid down the door, taking a few deep breaths. If they were found he'd lose his job and who knows what would happen to Alex. What would happen to Minke?
Actually, scratch that, Dante was sure that if they were caught, he'd lose his actual head.
Glancing up at Athena when she spoke, saying he was right, he wasn't filled with the typically pride he'd feel at that. He felt stressed, and scared, and he tensed at her words. But he nodded, thinking over their potential options.
Alex asked him about any secret passageways he didn't turn in. He almost felt bad for trying to one-up Alex months back when the prince mistakenly forgot about Dante having to accompany him for a day. The prince entered some of his secret passageways, and Dante immediately reported said information to other staff.
There was always one path he let the Prince keep, not out of sympathy, but because he found the area to be a hidden treasure, a beauty that King Chad would never allow to stay. Art from the ancient times.
"The hall with the old paintings," Dante explained, standing up and finding some materials for a makeshift torch. They needed light. "From before the Kinnaird family dynasty."
Most of the castle had been remodeled after that point, but that hall remained hidden. It'd be unfortunate to lose such precious pieces of history as is.
"I assume you know the way?" He questioned to Alex. While he had followed Alex there once, he didn't remember where it was.
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 2, 2021 13:10:32 GMT -5
Alex was honestly a little surprised that Dante could answer that question, that heβd left Alex some of his secret passageways through the palace.
The hallway with the old paintings, Alex knew that one. It was the nicest of the routes and as such heβd used it more sparingly out of fear of losing it.
βYeah, I know the way. The entrance isnβt far from here.β was his answer
But Athena made the very good point that it wouldnβt be safe for any of them were she to leave at that moment. Alex supposed she was right. The blame would turn to him incredibly quickly, as it always did, and Dante would no doubt end up implicated too no matter how hard he tried to separate himself from the princeβs hijinks.
βYouβre right,β Alex answered grimly βWe still have to get you back to a room, youβre supposed to be there by now. The passage will take us there without the guards seeing.β
He supposed it was good luck that he and Dante had convinced Athena to stay, because the blame would have truly been on her and on the prince and the advisor. Sure, Athena could take care of herself, but something as grave as this would have been a big problem for anyone.
With his mind made up about which passage to take, Alex moved past his friends to approach the door. He could hear no footsteps any longer, so he carefully pulled it open, just enough to peek out into the palace. It seemed safe, and so he headed out and quickly gestured for his friends to follow.
They didnβt have a lot of time.
That in mind, he started to lead the way down the hallway, away from the dungeons. It wouldnβt be too long a journey to the entrance to the hallway, which was behind a fireplace in a room down the next hallway.
βWe just have to avoid my brother while youβre here,β Alex murmured back to Athena βItβs already awkward that he saw us kissing. He canβt ask questions if he doesnβt run into us.β
The last thing he wanted was to have to open up to his brother. He didnβt know why he had such a problem with it, the two of them just werenβt close. And if they were going to become closer, this wasnβt the thing he wanted to start with. Not to mention that he didnβt want to have to keep up the lie he and Athena had come up with in their panic.
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Aug 6, 2021 16:46:11 GMT -5
"Then you should probably be better about sneaking around."
Caspian was suddenly walking upon the group from behind. His voice was low so the guards didn't come looking but it still reached the three hooligans roaming the halls like scared puppies. "I almost believe you're running into me on purpose, Alex," He commented narrowing his eyes at his younger brother. "I expect this sort of thing from my brother but you Dante," The crown prince paused and looked down at Dante with raised eyebrows. It was difficult to tell if he was disappointed, impressed, or indifferent. "This is surprising coming from you."
Athena bowed her head once she whirled around and saw who was speaking to them all of a sudden. "Your Highness," she greeted quietly, panic clutching her heart as she realized she hadn't been paying much attention. Minke had her distracted.
"Lady Frost. I trust these two have shown you a fair amount of the palace today?" Caspian asked her. His tone had a bit of an edge to it. A warning to say the right thing right now.
"I- um yes your Highness," Athena hesitated. And suddenly she wanted nothing more than to run. Take back her words about staying and going to find her sister. Because, if even Alex's brother was aiming for her to stay as well as Dante and King Chadwick she knew it was going to be harder to get away later.
And yet she was stuck.
"Wonderful. Let's show you to your room then," Caspian said with a smile and offered his arm out to Athena. As soon as her fingers brushed his arm he was walking down the hall with a long stride. Getting her quickly to where the castle could keep an eye on her.
As he moved he turned his attention to Alex and narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't care to know why you three are hiding right now. I won't be part of it and I won't cover for you again after this. Just stop it now. It's safer that way."
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Aug 6, 2021 17:42:18 GMT -5
What seemed like hours passed as Tia sat there on her Fatherβs thro- No. No, it was hers now. It was her throne that she sat upon. Watching the gusts to her event dance and gossip about this and that.
She was doing her best to look interested in what was happening. Content to sit and watch the crowd when in actuality she was extremely bored. Very insanely, bored. Usually, Callan would have come and bothered her by now pretending to give a report when they themselves gossiped or joked about something. Usually, sheβd see her little brother somewhere on the floor either hiding or talking to someone.
But, she didnβt see either of them.
Gesturing for a guard to come and approach her, She leaned over and spoke in a low voice. βHave you seen Callan? Or my brother for that matter? I could have sworn they were just right there having a conversation,β Tia gestured with her eyes to where they were talking beforehand. An empty spot now that was being filled by the noble with the loose wig.
βIβm sorry your Majesty, the last I saw of the Captain he was heading out with a woman. A representative of Rajani I believe,β the man whispered back to her. A quick and to-the-point report that had Tiaβs brow furrowing.
When had Callan ever been as bold as that? But then years had passed since theyβd seen each other she probably didnβt know him as well as she used to. Even still he was on dutyβ¦
βAnd my brother?β She asked quickly moving on from her thoughts.
βWent to talk to the other Rajani representative.β
Tia shook her head and looked back over the crowd. βSomethingβs offβ¦β She muttered. Both of the most important people to her were missing and hadnβt been seen for a while? She needed to find them right now. βCome with me.β
Getting up, Tia swept out of the ballroom and immediately started heading towards her brother's chambers. Upon entering she saw no sign of him or that he had been there recently.
Quietly, Tia told herself not to panic yet. They didnβt know where he had gone. But, he never tended to go very farβ¦
Striding down the fall that some of the guards had seen Callan rush off to, there were signs that someone had been here. That, someone, had fought.
βCarlo? Callan?β Tia called out, worry laced in her voice. She tried to keep her heart beating steady but panic was starting to set in. Where were they?
One of her guards came running up to her, slightly out of breath and worry in his expression. βYour Majesty. I regret to inform you that one of the carriages has been stolen and some of the guards have been knocked unconscious. I believe weβve had a breach.β
Those final words had the young Queenβs heart jumping to her throat and in turn immediately giving orders.
βFind them,β She ordered sharply. She was breathing a little heavier as she thought everything over. βSearch the forests and question everybody. If anyone knows something I want them brought to me immediately. You do not slack on your work until the crown prince and your captain are brought home safely!β
Bowing and barking out a simultaneous βYes your Majestyβ Tiaβs guards took off to do their job. Although the one that had been following her from the beginning stayed behind, Harry of leaving her alone know that something had happened.
βThey took them. Damn it they took them right under my noseβ¦β Tia muttered, angry that she had let anything of the sort happen. Sheβd just become Queen and already sheβd lost two important people of her kingdom to an unknown force. βWho did you say was talking to them before they went out of sight?β She asked again gesturing for the guard to follow her down the hall again.
βBoth representatives of the Rajani kingdom,β The guard confirmed looking and sounding guilty for not having done anything earlier about it.
The Queen paid him no attention. Instead, she was thinking about her next move. What she should expect and what she was going to do to get them back. βWhatβs your plan here, Ernestine?β
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 11, 2021 16:42:19 GMT -5
Adira had known her ultimate goal before she even ascended the throne as queen of Halstein. Empress suited her far better, and she knew that with recent events in Oikoumene, the kingdoms were more unstable than theyβd ever been. Ripe for the taking, if she planned her moves carefully enough.
The first kingdom sheβd wanted to target was Wisteria. Most other kingdoms werenβt vulnerable enough; too big, too forested, too well-protected. Plus, Rajani and Taluhtah were off the table because Adira had no intention in making enemies of their rulers yet, whom she knew to be just as ruthless and power-hungry as she. There was no point in alienating the conniving Ernestine and Drake when she could work with them while it suited her and double-cross them when the time came. A dangerous game, but it would have big pay off if she succeeded.
No, Wisteria had been the perfect candidate. A sweet family, by all accounts, two loving parents and a teenage princess and prince. Fair, just, treated their people well. A pity, really.
Poisoning the parents was simple. The good thing about poison was that if you did it right you didnβt even have to be anywhere near when it took effect. Adira could arrange it all and be safely out of suspicion. Of course, sheβd cleaned up loose ends so there would be no trail leading back to her. She wasnβt an amateur.
And as sheβd planned, that left their young daughter to succeed them. A child, really, which worked out well for Halsteinβs ruler. She herself had come to power at only sixteen, which would provide the key to her plan here. All she had to do now was befriend the girl-queen and build trust, offer her advice and gain her confidence. Relate to her and be understanding. Ultimately she could have a puppet queen in Tia, and effectively control Wisteria without needing to expend resources on conquering it yet. Not when she needed to focus on other kingdoms which might be bigger threats.
But she didnβt want to do so during Tiaβs coronation celebrations. No, that would be all wrong. First of all, she needed to meet Tia in Adiraβs own kingdom so that she could be in more control. Secondly, Tia would barely notice her amongst all the other royals and dignitaries and she wouldnβt make a strong enough impression.
With that in mind, sheβs been planning to send Tia an invitation to Halstein as soon as the coronation celebrations had ended.
But those plans soon changed when the doors to Adiraβs throne room burst open, a breathless messenger rushing in and giving a hurried bow before silently presenting a letter. Adira raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to take the message from his hands. It must be from the delegate sheβd sent to give her updates on the coronation events in Wisteria.
She scanned over it, lips parting as her eyes widened, brows raising once again now as she took in the message with apparent surprise and interest.
The prince and head guard of Wisteria, missing? Now that was big news. They were considered kidnapped and were possibly in danger. Adira was most intrigued by this development; she knew nobody but another royal would dare take the risk of having a prince and head guard kidnapped from right under the queenβs nose. It was a political statement, and a bold one at that. And all of this after the mysterious illness that had befallen the king and queen of Aaltonen? She could only consider it to have come from Ernestine or Drake, because it certainly hadnβt come from her and she didnβt know anyone else who would take that risk. She was almost jealous she hadnβt done it, honestly, but there wasnβt time for that.
The problem was that this now changed everything sheβd planned
Adira immediately rose to her feet, giving orders left and right as if it were natural as she paced around the throne room. She only paced when she was either truly angry or when she was thinking. Thankfully for everyone else in the palace at that point, it was the latter rather than the former.
Her orders rang from the walls and polished floors of her throne room. She needed her travelling cloak and a carriage that very instant.
Amid the sound of rushing footsteps as people scurried away to fulfil her requests, the young queen turned back to the messenger.
βI want three letters sent out tonight, of the utmost urgency. The first two are to go to the King of Taluhtah and Queen of Rajani. I wish to meet with them both at their earliest convenience. Tell them I think recent events in Wisteria and Aaltonen could be turned to our mutual advantage.β she explained
The messenger nodded, not that he looked pleased at the idea of immediately being put to work again after the long journey from Wisteria. Adira couldnβt care less about that; heβd go days without sleep if she needed him to. Those letters had to get to their recipients.
βAnd the third, Your Majesty?β asked the messenger tentatively
βTo Adrestia of Wisteria. Express my sympathies and concern to hear the news about her brother and inform her that I am personally setting out for Wisteria as we speak. She can expect my arrival imminently.β
The messenger frantically nodded once again, but by that point Adira was no longer paying him any mind. She was already pushing the doors to the throne room open, footsteps echoing as she walked down the torch-lit hallways.
βGet me out of here before the sun rises!β she could be heard shouting distantly to the poor souls preparing for the queenβs unforeseen travel plans.
She had to get to Wisteria as soon as possible. Adrestia was even more vulnerable and hurting now that Adira could have ever planned. Not only that, but it was clear that another royal was making a move in Wisteria. She had to move quicker and smarter if she wanted a chance of taking this kingdom. She could not let Ernestine or Drake gain control of another kingdom, not when they werenβt in an alliance and Adira had no control or influence. Not while she had no way to keep them in check.
Whichever monarch had arranged this kidnapping had just triggered the start of a very dangerous game.
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Aug 17, 2021 23:07:24 GMT -5
"Tell me you aren't going to see that brute again."
Hours had passed since the exchange with Ress and Atlas. Safely back at her side of the forest, Elena walked with her second as they discussed what had just happened and their men got settled. Reed, of course, was ranting about the so called 'brute' Atlas again. Like every other time he ran into him or heard his name. It only managed to cause Elena to chuckle and raise her eyebrows at him.
"You know the answer to that, mi pequeΓ±o tonto," Elena purred shoving her hands into the pockets of her pants. She seemed at ease for the moment, Slightly leaned back in her stroll and her eyes hooded in a suggestive manner. Reed always knew the answer to what she was thinking. At least most of the time. They'd worked together for too many years not to get each other.
"Elena," Reed said in a sharp tone with his eyes narrowed. Everything about him seemed to bristel with that knowledge. But he knew she'd say yes. Something about Atlas being too much fun to mess with and have around.
"Why do you care?" She asked stopping suddenly and turning towards him. She leaned closer and grinned wickedly. "Jealous? Fancy him for yourself? He seems your type, dumb and muscular. You know you could always join us-"
"Elena."
"Elena, Elena, Elena," She cut him off in a mocking tone. She leaned away from his face and laughed. "Always disapproving of everything I do,"
Reed rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest as he turned to watch the men move around the camp. "Not always..." he muttered sourly.
At the same time both of them seemed to notice their new guest. Unconscious as ordered and being tucked away in a tent to be tied up and kept out of sight. They were quiet for a moment as they watched him disappear behind the tent flaps, a more serious tone falling over both of them.
"Do you remember him?" Elena suddenly asked not bothering to turn her eyes to her second.
Reed scoffed and shook his head also keeping his eyes on the Verndari's unconscious body. "Should I? I know he's a Verndari but, I don't remember ever meeting one in person," He explained. Then he glanced over to Elena who had a dark look in her eyes. Dark enough to know that he outburst back at the meeting had more weight than she wanted anyone else to know.
"He tried to get me killed years ago."
Reed fully looked at her now. Confusion and worry furrowing his brow. When had anyone dared to try and kill- And then it hit him. Her fury, her intense need to end his life. This was the one that made her into what she is now. Or at least started the process so she could get here. She was one to hold intense grudges, whether she admitted it or not. "Ah... He's that one."
Elena didn't bother giving Reed a verbal or physical response. There was no point in confirming something that was true. "Get Crius to keep an eye on him. I'll talk to the Verndari later since I can't kill him outright."
"Crius?"
Elena shrugged and smiled at the man next to her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. "He's a tough kid, he'll be fine. Besides look at him!" She turned her head to look at said boy. Excitedly talking to some of the other men about his outting with their leader and his head pat reward from Reed. The men looked semi-interested and tried to indulge him. "ΒΏQuiΓ©n podrΓa lastimar esa cara?"
"He's missing an eye," Reed countered flatly as he wrapped on arm around Elena's shoulders.
"Are you calling our boy ugly?" Elena challenged looking up at him with a pout. She wrapped her arms tighter around Reed's waist which caused him to grunt and look down at her disapprovingly.
He managed to croak out an "Elena" before being cut off again.
"See! Disapproving," Elena pointed a finger in his face and glared at him before throwing her head back and laughing.
"Alright, alright! You're so annoying," Reed chuckled and pulled himself from Elena's grasp.
"Persuasive."
"Annoying." Reed corrected her and moved to go tell the boy of his new mission.
Elena smiled after him before dropping it and looking back towards Callan's tent. She glared at it for a moment before speaking to herself. "Well, lets see which one works on you, Verndari."
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 18, 2021 4:51:10 GMT -5
It wasn't too long before Callan regained consciousness again, that sickly disoriented feeling washing over him for the second time that day as he opened his eyes and groggily lifted his head.
He remembered the lead-up to what had brought him here. That fight with the woman he now knew to be called Ress, waking up in that carriage with the prince. Those two bandits or gang leaders or whoever they were, particularly the one that gave him a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach as if he knew her but couldn't place her face. He remembered her saying she wanted to take him off the hands of Ress and Atlas. He couldn't remember being knocked out, but it wasn't hard for him to piece together why she would have ordered that; she didn't want him knowing the location of her camp or how to get to the road from there.
God, getting knocked out for the second time in one day was not a good feeling. At this point everything kind of just ached, and his head was a little fuzzy. Thankfully both times he'd been knocked out that day it hadn't been done with the intention of causing him injury, so he was mostly alright. More just a bit shaken up and generally battered than anything else.
He focussed instead on getting his bearings a little bit, and immediately became aware that he was bound. Expected and unsurprising, but still not particularly great. Testing those bindings revealed that, as predicted, they weren't budging anytime soon. These people really weren't even giving him a scrap of incompetence for him to work with here. No sword, obviously; he was reasonably sure his was in Ress' possession or something, if it hadn't been dumped somewhere.
He was in a tent, that much became clear pretty much immediately. The air was still and quiet within the tent, but outside he could hear the bustle of a camp. Muffled chatter and general background noise. In itself that was kind of comforting, despite the fact that he knew these people were by no means friendly. It just felt somewhat more safe than he had felt when he and Carlo were in the middle of nowhere at the mercy of just Ress and Atlas.
Talking of Carlo, his absence was conspicuous for Callan. He didn't have to wonder where the prince was for long, though, as the memory soon came rushing back. The other woman had taken him, the tall one with the pale skin and the freckles. Worst of all, he didn't even know where he was at that moment, never mind where the other camp was. He tipped his head back, closing his eyes for a second as he realised with crushing dejection that he'd failed.
Not only had he gotten himself kidnapped and therefore failed Tia, but he'd failed to protect Carlo not once, but twice. He had done everything he could for the people he thought of like siblings, but it hadn't been enough.
All he could hope at this point was that he would, by some miracle, find a way out of there. He didn't know where he'd go from there in this unfamiliar forest, but he would have a better chance of helping the prince by doing that than he would by not even trying. For now though he could do nothing but bide his time and keep watch for any opportunities. This camp seemed well-run; Elena was smart and her people seemed to follow her orders faithfully. But there had to be something, some weak point he could exploit. This operation couldn't be completely airtight.
When he opened his eyes again a second or two later, he noted a boy in the tent. He must have been in there the whole time, because Callan hadn't seen him come in. He had blond hair and wore an eyepatch, and Callan recognised him almost instantly. He remembered seeing that face looking in at him when he was in the carriage, his excited voice informing Elena of the stolen carriage's occupants.
Damn, why did every kid remind him of a young Carlo or Tia? He was instantly caught off guard by the presence of the boy. He didn't know what he'd expected, but he had been aware that Elena had seemed barely able to contain her anger at not being able to kill him. He supposed he'd thought she might have just brought him to the camp to get him away from the others so she could immediately kill him without them knowing. It seemed that since she hadn't yet done that and had in fact apparently set up a guard, that wasn't the intention right that second.
But that could change very quickly, he suspected.
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 18, 2021 18:38:48 GMT -5
It hadnβt taken too long for Lilith and the group shed taken out with her to return to their camp with their new prisoner. Luckily sheβd already sent ahead one of her people to set up a place for Carlo, and so there was already a tent waiting for the prince. Heβd already been knocked out and bound too, which made the whole operation a lot smoother.
The camp was bustling as always; a fire was always going and her people would sit around the fire, cooking and sharing stories. Lilith never indulged Iβm sharing stories, felt it was dangerous for them to become too familiar with her. There was no danger in having a fire because apart from Elenaβs group there were no other criminals in this group who would dare threaten Lilithβs gang. And anyway, Elena already knew where Lilithβs camp was so there was truly no point hiding it.
βWho is that?β called one of her people from by the fire as Lilith walked past, already undoing the light bracers she was wearing. He was obviously referring with curiosity to Carlo, who had just been brought into the aforementioned tent.
βCrown Prince of Wisteria,β was Lilithβs blunt reply, not even stopping as she passed. Like it was no big deal to her that she had a prince in her captivity. Like she wasnβt aware of the opportunities this could potentially bring her.
βWhat?β came the shocked, disbelieving and by now slightly distant reply
Lilith was already on a beeline to find a particular member of the gang. She didnβt have time to stop and chitchat to people she didnβt immediately need to talk to at that point. Right now she needed to focus on the prince.
βEden!β Lilith called out sharply. Her voice had little patience in it; she didnβt like having to call for people multiple times and so she didnβt want to have to shout for the woman again.
However, it was a moot point because Lilithβs eyes quickly fell on the person she was looking for. The gang leader approached purposefully, stopping in front of Eden. She was a newer member of the gang, one Lilith hadnβt completely decided she trusted yet. As a rule, she didnβt trust easily. She never had, and her experiences within the last three years had only reinforced her cautiousness.
The only people she trusted were her family, who were dead, and Elena. That might sound stupid, because Lilith was well aware that Elena could double-cross her at any point. But Elena and Lilith sort of understood each other, had a kind of mutual agreement. Lilith could always trust Elena to do whatever benefitted Elena the most, and Lilith trusted that. She always knew what Elena wanted, and that was something she could use.
But Eden? Lilith didnβt trust new people easily or quickly, and this girl was still not someone Lilith felt entirely comfortable with. So far, though, the two women seemed relatively similar in personality. Stoic, brutally honest, ruthless. Lilith didnβt know whether that was a positive point or a cause for concern.
βI have a job for you,β Lilith began, not even wasting breath to greet the other woman βwe have a rather esteemed guest, and Iβm trusting you to keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesnβt escape. We need this boy alive, so if you so much as look at him the wrong way without my permission youβll have me to answer to. His life is worth more to me than yours right now.β
The prince was valuable, Lilith knew that. Having him as her prisoner temporarily until she got further orders from queen Ernestine could turn into a very lucrative opportunity if she played her cards right. Keeping him safe and cared-for was a priority of hers, as backward as it might sound. Lilith generally didnβt like choosing the less ruthless or violent options, but she knew when to stay her hand. For now, this was one of those times. If the prince became expendable sheβd deal with him then, but for now she needed him.
βHeβs in that tent,β Lilith explained with a nod to indicate βSend for me when he wakes up.β
It might be worth talking to him, seeing if she could find out anything useful. After all, if she didnβt end up making money out of this she could at least try to get information.
Lilith then raised an eyebrow, looking to the gang member for confirmation that her orders had been understood.
βGot all that?β
This was a good way of testing if Eden could be trusted. In reality this was safe; the camp was crawling with Lilithβs people and she herself would also be keeping vigilant watch over the tent. Even if Eden was tempted to release the prince or do something similarly to betray Lilith, the prince wouldnβt get far. It was really the perfect chance.
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Post by πππππ π¨ on Aug 19, 2021 13:12:06 GMT -5
Dante froze when he heard another Prince. His words dying on his tongue as he turned to look at Caspian, bowing his head in respect, lowering himself to show his inferiority to the royalty. But he remained in that position, eyes locking on the ground, expression hidden by his hair falling over it, panicked eyes staring intently at the ground.
Eyes wavering over the floor, staring at something not even there, he winced at Caspian's words.
Caspian knew Drake was looking for something. Caspian knew Dante was supposed to help him. Now that Drake's greatest possession was gone, Dante knew what it looked like. Three of then, running around the halls around that time, sneaking.
He almost felt sick, the wave of anxiety hitting him had him closing his eyes, grounding himself with a deep breath.
If anyone could see his face, they'd see him force on a smile, lifting his head after a few seconds, straightening himself and dusting off his clothes. "You're brother thought it'd be fun to show Lady Frost the historical halls," he commented, schooled expression on his face, though annoyance came to his features quickly, glancing at Alex, "I told him it was a silly idea, but you know how he is. I didn't want him sneaking out again so I tagged along."
At this point, he didn't care if Caspian believed the words all too much. He didn't exactly stay to figure out, because as soon as Caspian spoke to Athena and escorted her away, he snatched Alex's arm, and practically started dragging him towards the exit of the halls as well, just a bit of a separate way from that which Alex and Athena took.
"You are to go to your quarters, and if you're father investigates you for any reason please for the love of light do not talk back." He hissed the words out, pulling his hand off Alex as if disgusted by having to be near Alex, glancing at said hand for a moment, face stony but borderline fond, before he shook it off to show his obvious dislike of the prince.
Pushing the Prince lightly for good measure, towards the royal family's hall, he made a show of rolling his eyes, before turning away. Practically scurrying off, pace quick. He knew usually he'd be more stern towards Alex, more cold, but he didn't have the heart for it. He'd have to settle for unconvincing sternness and concern.
And then he was off to research, kept awake by ink and parchment and candlelight.
-----------
It had been about a week and a half since Minke had escaped. King Chadwick had been on high alert, had let the council know of a missing prisoner. When some of the elder council had asked why such a prisoner had ever been secret, the King had claimed that she had only been found recently, and that they were only holding said prisoner for another Kingdom.
Everyone had accepted that, not questioning, and Dante bit his tongue, deciding that it would be best to accept that answer. Knowing it was a lie. Knowing Minke had been there before Alex and he found her, knowing that they'd spoke to her for weeks. Knowing that the month or so she had to be there was much longer than "recent".
Regardless, King Chadwick had assigned them all additional duties, specifically to keep an eye out for the escapee, but also an additional person they had to find. The one who let the girl go. The key in the Dungeon's revealed that someone in the Castle let her go. Not only that, but someone who had access to get the keys or steal them.
He didn't utter a word, but he went along with the words, discussing, adding words to the scrabble of others in the meeting. That had been days ago, and now he was in a cove in the Library, surrounded by books. This was where he spent most of his time, writing, reading, taking notes, reading some more. Learning more and more, but never hitting what he needed. He now knew more about the History of the kingdoms, specifically Oralee. He knew more about magic, and he mercilessly searched for answers to other questions. To understand.
He had fallen asleep at this table countless times, had read so much his thumbs felt calloused from turning pages, and his eyes felt tired.
Was Minke dangerous? Was Alex dangerous? What did magic resistance do? How did one stop it? What could an Electrix do? What about a Telekine? When had accidents involving them happened? What could break the resistance?
Reading through a book about inventions, he let off a yawn, turning a page as he leaned his head into his other palm.
Another day, more research, more knowledge, more stress.
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 19, 2021 13:14:12 GMT -5
The boy, whoβd been engrossed in stabbing a piece of wood with a knife, soon noticed that Callan was awake and promptly abandoned his task to talk to him. The boyβs friendly chatter was once again comforting, immediately putting him at ease. Having essentially been a big brother to Tia and Carlo growing up, this was familiar to him and he felt comfortable this way.
Of course, the only hitch was that the kid kept asking questions and Callan was kind of unable to answer, given the gag his captor had apparently requested. Thankfully the kid, though initially seeming demoralised by Callanβs lack of response, quickly realised what the matter was and removed the gag.
Callan took a relieved breath once the thing was gone, offering the boy a small smile by way of thanks.
βThanksβ¦ Crius, did you say?β Callan replied before opting to answer the kidβs question, βCallan.β
There was literally no harm in Crius knowing his name, after all. It wasnβt like he had anything to hide at this point. Well, apart from details about Wisteriaβs palace and its security or about the queen that he wouldnβt be sharing with anyone, never mind this kid he didnβt even know.
He was very grateful that Crius wasnβt going to get Elena at that point, because not only was he not generally in a state of mind for what he knew was going to be a much less low-stress conversation at that point, but because she was kind of terrifying and the longer he could spend without her knowing he was awake, the happier he would be.
The boyβs youth was even more obvious up close, which prompted Callan in his next words, drawing his brows together as he looked at the boy.
βYou seem kind of young to beβ¦β he paused briefly, finding the words he wanted, using the boyβs own term for Elena βin Miss Elenaβs line of business.β
What was this kid doing in a place like this?
But now they were onto the topic of the woman to whom heβd basically just been handed by Ress and Atlas. He had to take this opportunity to talk to this boy, find out more about Elena before she spoke to him next. The least he could do was try to be a little bit prepared.
βWhatβs she like, anyway?β Callan ventured βElena?β
Sheβd seemed scary at his first impression of her, and he was pretty sure that wasnβt the wrong impression. She seemed angry at the fact that she had to keep him alive, which was something he didnβt understand. Why had she seemed so mad at him specifically? Sure, he was a prisoner, but he hadnβt done anything to her personally. Theyβd never even met before.
What was that about?
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 19, 2021 13:55:39 GMT -5
The voice of Alexβs brother, right when heβd expressed his hope that they wouldnβt run into him, sent a chill down the princeβs spine. Still, he turned to his brother with a smile and false nonchalance.
βCaspian! We must stop running into one another like this.β Alexiares joked
Thankfully, Dante came up with a story to cover for them, which Alex was more than happy to let him do. Caspian would trust Danteβs word over his. Alex knew his brotherβs lack of trust in him was his own fault, but he honestly didnβt care to rectify it at that point.
βSneak out? Me? Never,β the prince had responded to Danteβs words with mock offense, knowing it wouldnβt convince either Caspian or Dante. They both knew Alex frequently snuck out of the palace, so he might as well make a joke about it.
One time heβd snuck out when he was having a particularly terrible day to see Athena. She never asked him to talk about stuff like that if he didnβt want to, and honestly he almost always felt more comfortable not saying anything. It was just nice to be in his friendβs company. Despite neither of them sharing too much about their lives, they always knew when the other wasnβt doing well, or Alex liked to think they did. They looked out for one another.
Talking of Athena, Alex waved goodbye to both her and his brother as the pair left together, good-naturedly rolling his eyes when Caspian made the comment about not being able to cover for him anymore. He knew. He didnβt intend to put that pressure on his brother anymore.
Sure, they werenβt that close, but Alex thought he understood at least something of what Caspian must be going through even if he didnβt know how it felt. Being the first born son and future king was a lot for anyone to handle. He could understand why heβd put everything into following the rules, into having an untouchable reputation. They might not be close, but Alex didnβt want to mess that up for him.
That was partly why heβd never spoken to him about his magic, about their fatherβs treatment of him. Not just because of his fatherβs threats if he did, but because he knew it would be better for Caspian to be unaware.
He rolled his eyes again, less good-naturedly, when Dante began marching him back with his usual spiel about Alex needing to behave himself. He didnβt say more though, instead bit back his customary retort that no matter what the king said, Dante didnβt get to order Alex around.
For now, theyβd gotten away safe. And they had much bigger things on their minds now.
__________
About a week and a half later, the events of that night still played on Alexβs mind. He couldnβt stop thinking about Minke. Wondering if she was safe, wondering about her powers.
Also wondering how they were ever supposed to get Athena out of there when she did decide to leave with the entire kingdom on high alert like this. And with the weird amount of attention his father had started paying to her over recent days.
Hoping to find some answers on any of these questions, Alex had ventured to the library, an uncommon thing for him. But a very common thing for Dante, whom Alex was entirely unsurprised to see poring over books.
Alex grabbed his own selection of tomes from the shelves before unceremoniously collapsing into a seat next to Dante, grabbing one of the books and flipping through the pages.
βIβm entirely unhappy with the amount of time Iβve been spending in here of late,β Alex grumbled to Dante as he skimmed over the words before him βyouβre a terrible influence.β
Alex had never been as interested in books as Dante. They really just werenβt his thing. He didnβt like sitting for a long time, focusing. He had too much nervous energy much of the time. But ever since theyβd met Minke, Alex had been spending more and more time with Dante, and more and more time in the library.
He actually enjoyed it more than he would admit sometimes. When the subject was actually something that caught his interest, it wasnβt nearly so burdensome. And studying in company helped too.
He looked over at the royal advisor, sighing lightly. This situation was such a difficult one, and he had no idea what to do anymore. He always thought he knew how to get around his fatherβs rules, but this time he didnβt.
βThereβs only so long before things start getting really risky for us,β Alex began, referring to the so-far fruitless search to find who had used the keys and let Minke free βthere must be something we can do.β
This was too big a thing for any of them to risk being accused of, regardless of the fact that none of them had actually set Minke free. Athena and Dante would be in so much danger, and Alex? Well, it would give his father the excuse heβd finally been looking for to declare him a traitor.
This was a dangerous game.
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Demisexual
Leo
Surviving off Thai tea and Miguel O'hara
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Post by Leo on Aug 19, 2021 14:40:16 GMT -5
"It's too late its already risky."
Athena came strolling in after Alex did, small heels clicking on the tiled floor and a light sky blue dress swishing around her as she attempted to move like she used to in trousers. Her hair was pulled into a neat high bun and pinned in place with a flower pin.
For a week and a half- a week and a half- Athena had been in dress after dress, heels after heels, and had so much shit in her hair she was convinced it could stand upward on its own now. Ever since she'd made the dumb decision to kiss Alex and then stay in the castle, king Chadwick had taken way too much interest in her.
She was worried it was because he was on to her. That she was a factioneer and not factionless like she pretended to be. But, now after all these days, she didn't get that impression anymore. She wasn't sure what exactly he wanted from her but it probably was something she did not want to be a part of.
"I can't move in this. And on top of that it barely fits," She grumbled, picking up the skirts and throwing them down in frustration. It's been so long since she'd worn a dress. She was a literal child the last time she had. Now she had to pretend like that memory was only yesterday. "I should have left when I had the chance..."
Moving to sit at the edge of the table, Athena pushed through some of the books and looked over the titles. More stuff about factions again. Makes sense. Her sister was a Telekine, a previously thought extinct faction. And they still didn't know what exactly Alex could do. "What are you looking up this time?" she asked glancing between the two boys.
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 19, 2021 15:20:55 GMT -5
Crius seemed more than happy to answer Callanβs questions, which was a good start. It was good that there was somebody around here he knew would be willing to talk to him like this, that there was someone he could count on to be friendly.
Elena was great, but not for him. Right, yeah, he kind of expected that answer. Or the latter part anyway. Hearing about how she and the others had taken Crius in was sweet, though. Despite himself, that made Callan smile.
When the kid brought up his eye patch and how heβd been told it made him look intimidating, Callan chuckled and nodded.
βOh, absolutely. Very intimidating.β he agreed
But Crius went on to describe how Elena rarely got outright mad, and that Callan must have done something to anger her. That was what he couldnβt figure out. Heβd never seen this woman before in his life, at least as far as heβd remembered. And he was pretty sure he hadnβt done anything to anyone to warrant them having such a strong vendetta against him.
βKind of,β Callan admitted βand just trying to figure out what to expect. I donβt think Iβve done anything to make her mad, Iβve never met her before.β
He did have a strange feeling that she looked familiar, but really he couldnβt place her. Besides, if he truly had done something to upset her so much he knew he would remember it. He wouldβve recognised her immediately.
βIf she wants something from me, Iβll find out soon enough,β he decided, resolving that there was no point worrying about it at that point. If she really was like Crius had said, he didnβt think sheβd be the type to dance around the fact that she was mad at him. If he truly had done something she would make it clear.
At least that was some knowledge he could be secure in. Maybe the two of them would get along alright if he was just honest with her. She might appreciate that.
He turned his attention fully back to Crius, focussing on the boy instead. He didnβt think it was worth probing too much more about Elena at that point.
βIβm glad that sheβs been good to you,β he answered βand sorry that other people werenβt.β
After all, no kid should be on their own. It was sweet that Elena had helped him, of course, but it was sad that nobody else had. He couldnβt imagine that, having grown up with all the structure heβd had around him. Too much structure, really. His entire life planned out ahead of him. Really the opposite of Crius, on his own with nowhere to go until he found Elena.
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Post by πππππ π¨ on Aug 19, 2021 15:26:34 GMT -5
Dante had read some passage about the importance of certain precious metals in royal family lines, which were useless to him to know, but still slightly interesting to learn how much royals actually spent on their precious jewels. Money that could feed starving people all over the place, but he was snapped from his book, jumping slightly when Alex pretty much collapsed onto the seat next to him. Wide eyes flicked to Alex in a mixture of panic and horror, before the look morphed very quickly into annoyance. Looking between how close they were, he resolutely stared back at his book and scooted further away.
"If you're unhappy, you can leave," He retorted, though the words didn't hold as much venom as they likely usually would, though his next words were said with more humor from him, "I know I'd be much happier if you did."
He didn't exactly mean it, but teasing Alex was normal, he always did that. Mocked and berated the prince, and partaking in banter became a normal.
He scoffed when he was called a terrible influence, fixing Alex with a look that was completely asking Alex how he got to such a conclusion, and he raised an eyebrow, "Says you. You're the one who dragged us into this mess, idiot."
To be honest, talking to Alex was a lot better than burying himself in textbooks and words. But whatever enjoyment the conversation brought to him was dashed as soon as Athena came in. Instead of fond annoyance, it was more of plain annoyance and dislike on his features.
Resolutely closing his mouth, letting the words he had on his tongue die, he turned back to his book. That was the unfortunate thing now. Dante's normal he knew was completely gone. Sure, they'd visit Minke sometimes, but now Dante's time around Alex almost always included this criminal.
Though, he did kind of sympathize with her about the dress, glancing at it with a frown. He didn't comment on it though, he wasn't about to offer vocal help to the criminal that had to stay in the Castle now. Sure, part of that was idea, but unless she wanted Minke's disappearance pinned on her, it was for the best.
Though when she started sorting through some of the books, his irritation increased, moving to a further corner of the table. "I think you have eyes," he retorted when she asked about what they were looking up, "But since you can't seem to use them, I'm looking into the magic resistant jewelry."
For the most part, he'd rather not deal with Athena. She wasn't an unlikeable person by any means if you could get past the blatant fact that she was a criminal. But her criminal status, and her insistence to involve herself in matters that would be better without her in them made him dislike her. Quite a bit.
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inky
I'm a free woman again! At least until the semester starts up :D
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Post by inky on Aug 19, 2021 15:38:28 GMT -5
Β»Eden Mullinax With Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ πππππ π¨
It had been a rather easy day, well most days were easy now. She knew she wasn't trusted here yet and that meant she spent most of her time in camp surrounded by people Lilith could trust. It was like she was being babysat. Of course, it made sense she hadn't been a part of the gang too long, and Eden had never pinned the gang leader as someone who really trusted people. At least not easily. She didn't blame her though people were awful, even more so since they were surrounded by criminals.
What was she talking about? She was a criminal too? But would she trust herself right off the bat? Maybe? Depended on the day she ran into herself.
Ripping her from her thoughts it seemed like the camp had burst into life. No sooner than she'd snapped from her daydream did she hear her name called. Only once but it was all she'd needed to know exactly who it was. It didn't take long to spot the woman calling her, and even less time for her to be face to face with Lilith. Eden had just enough time to stand up and look attentive.
Straightening herself for a moment she met Lilith's eyes listening closely as she explained what she'd need from her. In all honesty, she was a bit surprised she was being trusted with something like this. An esteemed guest? Not allowed to escape and kept alive. A prisoner noted. A very important prisoner. Eden peeked around Lilith to look at the tent she'd nodded to and nodded once to show she'd heard her and understood. "Very important boy, keep him alive and I'm assuming as comfortable as I can without letting him go. Nothing without your permission. Send for you when he wakes up." She rattled off the order, "Got it. Will do. I'll go keep an eye on him now." With that, she made her way to the tent. She knew Lilith didn't like to waste her time or for anyone with orders to waste theirs. So she made quick work heading to the tent.
It was a bit surprising she'd been trusted with this. Maybe it was a test. No, actually she was sure it was, why else would she have been giving such an important job? While also being surrounded by her people, Lilith wasn't dumb she knew exactly what she was doing. Eden was determined to prove she could be trusted, after all, Lilith was someone Eden respected, she saw a lot of herself in her sort of the kind of person Eden aimed to be. Of course, she'd never admit that to anyone and beat anyone who wanted to assume that.
Entering the tent she seated herself close to the entrance eyes locked on the unconscious prince. So this was the guy she was supposed to watch? Seemed simple enough right? Eden was built for babysitting, bloodborne magic made it easy to keep people calm and complacent, not that it was super easy to use or without its drawbacks but it would make things much easier. Now all that was left to do was wait till he woke up, once that happened she could get someone to bring Lilith and some food or something to keep him comfortable.
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Post by Ζ€Ξ±ΖΖΞ±Ρ β§ on Aug 19, 2021 16:19:39 GMT -5
Alex stuck his tongue out childishly in response to Danteβs teasing. Honestly, it felt good to be in their usual dynamic again. Well, apart from that Dante started acting weird whenever Athena showed up or was mentioned. Alexiares wasnβt sure what it was about, but put it down to Dante not liking her because she was a mercenary or something like that.
He couldnβt help but smirk at the sight of Athena in her dress, complaining. Honestly her complaints were totally valid. The dress was ill-fitting and just really didnβt look like Athena. It wasnβt like his friend at all. But still, what kind of friend would he be if he didnβt find amusement in his friendβs misfortune.
βWhy, my lady, how utterly ravishing you look today,β Alex teased, before answering more genuinely βI know, Iβm sorry. Weβre getting you out of here as soon as we can. We just need my father to leave you alone.β
Alex had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that his fatherβs attention on Athena was something to do with what heβd said on the day heβd first met her about her being a good influence on Alex. It was either that or that he knew she was a Factioneer, or a mercenary, or both. But if he knew either of those things surely he would have made his move by now? Alex didnβt know.
When Dante made his comment to Athena in response to her question about the books, Alex shot the royal advisor a look.
βPlay nice, Dante.β Alex warned his friend
He didnβt want the two to argue, not when they needed to work as a team to solve this dilemma they had. Theyβd get nowhere if they started to fight.
Trying to ease the tension, he also answered Athenaβs question.
βReading up on Telekine powers. I want to see if thereβs an answer in here about what we can do to derail their search.β Alex explained
There had to be some way to make sure they didnβt get to Minke. Eventually this would all die down enough to get Athena out to safety. If the search could hit a dead end and go cold, it would save all three of them from suspicion too.
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Post by πππππ π¨ on Aug 19, 2021 20:33:55 GMT -5
Carlo had been knocked out for easier transport, but before hand, he took every moment to be as annoying as possible.
When he woke up, bleary eyes were met with bright sunlight. Sitting up, he placed a hand on his head, wincing at the bump he had there now, pain flooding into his eyes.
When he spotted someone he didn't know in the tent, he looked at her, standing up, wobbly because of being disoriented. Flashing her a charming smile and wink, the boy turned and walked out, as if he now owned the place.
Which, if he was being kidnapped and was staying here he wanted food and like a cool tree house or something or maybe a royal carriage? Surely Lilith could steal one, she was a criminal.
Yeah, he had high standards.
Despite walking out, he plopped down outside, his head hurting, spinning ever so slightly. His hands fell into the soft dirt underneath, running it through his fingers.
He was never allowed to be in the dirt, his parents didn't want him dirty, but they also didn't want a chance of his growing any weeds, showing his abilities. They loved him, but they didn't understand his magic. So he took the quiet moments, the sunlight, fingers running in dirt and grass, looking at the trees around camp.
"It's pretty here," he commented, softly, "It's like home."
It seemed he was trying to talk to Eden, or anyone who'd listen. His green eyes raised towards the sky, the light brought out the color a bit, surrounded by nature like this. It reminded him of the forests surrounding home, maybe not as pretty or full, but more nature than he was allowed to usually be near. His castle locked him inside concrete and brick and the flowers there were all hand chosen and sorted. Here, the wild had this beauty.
There was a strange apathy to his voice, glancing back at Eden then, "I forget my manners, dear lass, I am Carlisle, who are you?"
He could be hostile, could pout and cry and whine, but he was tired. And if being nice got him to see Callan or Tia again, he could play along for a bit.
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Post by Hawkeyes258 on Aug 21, 2021 0:15:21 GMT -5
Alexander Rutherford: Knight of Wisteria
Alexander did his best not to sigh with boredom. When he had been chosen to go on a patrol, he assumed they would run into bandits and save damsels in distress! However, thirty minutes into the patrol, he found this was terribly dull. Alexander rolled his shoulders back and look at the others. Everyone else looked focused and content and would occasionally chat among themselves. Alexander had become a knight a year ago and was still waiting for something exciting to happen.
"What have I told you about slouching?" A older man said which snapped Alexander from his thoughts. He turned to see his mentor giving him a look. "Knights don't slouch you are going to ruin your posture." Alexander rolls his knights but straightens himself in the saddle. "Is this better?" The man known as Ser Akiro chuckles a little and goes back to looking ahead. "I know your bored but this is important. If you don't patrol your kingdom unsavory individuals slip in like snakes. Before you know it, you have an infestation."
"I understand but it's so dull. Where are all the evil doers and innocent maidens in need a strong knight to save them?" This caused the group to laugh. "Most evil doers know to stay away from these parts as for maidens I think you have enough." One of the men said with a smirk. "Remember Jasmine and how she was the apple of your eye?" Alexander was about to speak up when another knight cut him off. "Or the baker's girl Mina?" Alexander cleared his throat though he could feel his face grow hot. "In my defense, Mina simply used me to make her ex jealous." Ser Akiro shakes his head at him. "Yolanda, Mary and oh who is the newest girl Catalina? You ought to be careful or else you are going to have a couple of bastards running around."
Alexander rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the ground. Admittedly, he did have a weakness for pretty woman but he did his best to be careful! The young man had a wandering eye and frankly wasn't ready to settle down yet as much as a knight can anyway. "Try not to take it to hard kid. I think every knight has had a fling or two. Just as I said be-careful." Alexander glances up shyly at him and nods his head. "I'll try ser." Despite the back and forth, Alexander admired his mentor greatly and looked up to him.
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