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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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 Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:17 pm
All right, so by request of a member, I am going to place this thread in the guild for anyone who feels like doing a little practice before starting out in some of the larger threads. This is not meant as a long term RP, although I will not do anything to prevent it from becoming such. Here, you may post in which ever way you're most confortable, and we'll go from there.
First, let me stress that if you're here, chances are you're already fully prepared to post in any of the RPs. We don't invite people randomly or anything like that, so you're here because you know how to post and have decent grammar/spelling. However, if you're feeling a little unsure of yourself or you want to just get some practice, then this is a good thread for you. Expect OOC since people will be doing some "teaching" here as well as simply posting. Expect slow response times and/or fast response times. Expect something different.
I am going to organise this as follows. There will be a topic that you can post on, and I will RP that topic with you and anyone else who feels like they want to join. If someone else wants to post on a completely different subject as practice and just wants to get reviewed, just mark your post as such and go ahead nad post to your heart's desire. If something isn't marked, I will assume that it belongs to the main RP topic and treat it as such. I am not a mind reader.
Anyone and everyone who would like to give comments on how the "trainees" are posting, feel free to do so within reason. Don't harp on the tiniest details because we all make mistakes once in a while. When you "grade" a post, please keep in mind the big picture. If someone is asking to have you truly "grade" their post, fine, but if someone;s just posting to RP leave it. Suggestions are always cool!
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 2:32 pm
All right, so the topic of this RP will be something that should both be easy to understand and at the same time give people a chance to practice RPing in long paragraphs. Since I know that being able to keep up a story plot and create characters is just as important as good writing, we'll start with that.
The Setting and the Plot:
It's present day in the city of Tokyo (or any other large, crowded city in the world). School is nearly over for the year, meaning it's almost time for Summer vacation, and it's pretty hot out already. Everyone's wanting to be outdoors, to enjoy the nice weather, and even dance under that occasional warm rain shower. The city itself is peaceful and serene, and it seems like trouble is the last thing on everyone's mind. Even the crime rate is down, the policemen smiling for a change.
But underneath all this, trouble is never far behind. An anicent clan is wanting to take over the city, even the country, with powerful magics, and it's up to you to try and stop them. Your gifts will vary, but your mission, should you choose to accept it, is one and the same. You have to stop the Tiger Clan before they take over your world and slauighter those you love.
Nice, scary plot. It will be well worth your time to try this out. If you already know how to RP and just like the plot, you can join in, too. No rules on that. At all. A variety of roleplayers would be nice.
The Characters:
Because we're practicing good writing techniques and good character development, I would strongly recoomend that you create a character sheet and use that to help guide your character's actions. At the bottom, I will post a sample one, but obviously this is not mandatory.
As far as characters go, you have a choice of being one of three types of people. Either you can be a member of the Tiger clan (implying that you're going to help/hinder your clan's path to glory). You can be one of the people who stands against the clan (implying that you've just discovered whatever strange powers you may possess) or you can be a bystander on the sidelines (implying that you're about to land head first into a pile of trouble.)
By choosing one of the three categories, you accept that you're going to roleplay them as such and not attempt any kind of godmodding or anything strange like that. Someone, probably me, will poke at you if you try that, so be forewarned. Now, let me tell you a little about the Tiger Clan.
The Tigers
In history, they have always been the movers and shakers, from politicians to emerors, they have always tired to rule or get as close as possible. Because of their reputation for being ruthless and just slightly demented, they have never gotten far, at least not in modern times. However, they numbers have been steady increacing, and at this point, the Clan has ever 500 able bodies and plenty of friends in high places to stage a takeover. Plus, they have always tempered with magic and the enegry of the earth. Earth is, thus, their strong point, along with fire. Water and Wind are often, although not always, the main attributes of their enemies.
Currently, their plans are unknown to most, but the select few at the top who are aware have been at this for a long time. The elders know what they want, and they will stop at nothing to get it.
The Changed Ones
When the Tigers first tried to take control of the country, back 700+ years ago, a powerful mage was asked by the Emeror of the time to create some weapon to stop these magically-enhanced soldiers. In answer, the mage created the Changed Ones. Their powers were different and not particularly strong, but together they had enough to stop the Tigers. When they gave birth to children, their children possessed the same gifts but were unaware of it. In today's world, no one remember who the Changed Ones were, but if the Tigers ever rose again, those powers would be awakened again to stop this menace.
In the old times, it was the Emperor's duty to do the calling, but now that no one remembers, the magic will awaken on its own, causing all sorts of troubles. Be prepared for the worst
Character Sheet (optional)
Name: (Reseach this, if you can. Give it some meaning)
Age: (Be realistic. Are you a teenager or an old man?)
Gender: (Pretty obvious)
Physical Description: (Be as detailed as you can so that later you can actually use this info.)
Alignment: (Are you a Tiger, a Changed One, or just lost?)
Personality: (What are like? Your habits? Your personality? Do you smoke? Do you like to get drunk?)
Strengths/Weaknesses: (Are you shy? Do you believe in astrology? Are you paranoid? Does your nose twitfch at danger? Think of something that makes you weaker, and be realistic.)
Powers/Magic: (What can you do outside of the scope of normal, human things. Be very specific and always remember, that if you godmond, I will strike you down with lightning)
History: (Where were you born and how did you end up where you are now?)
Current situation: (Where are you now? What challenges are you facing? What troubles are you in?)
Other:(Anything else you'd like to add)
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 3:25 pm
The small room just off Mr. Wendell's office was obviously meant for secrecy. It had no windows of any sort and an extra-strong door meant to keep out anyone unwary enough to be listening, or trying to. When he and his colleagues retired to this room, they didn't want to be overheard, and did much to ensure this. Once a week, several of the company's top-ranking employees would enter the man's office and spend some time there, as far as most everyone was concerned. The official reason was a business meeting to discuss just how the company was progressing, but in truth, it was a meeting of the memebers of the Tiger Clan, and what they spoke about should be kept behind closed doors.
On this day, there were seven people in there, seated around a circular table and drinking fancy coffee. All were dressed in business suits, custom made for them, and all drank expensive whiskey. As usual, Mr. Wendell himself sat on the chair at the head of the table, closest to a portrait of himself. Owner of Wendell Enterpirses, a company that dealt in real estate and was unbeliably rich, he looked to be about fifty-five and distinguished. The man would look good at a coctail party, but more so in an office, working. What he'd earned, he'd earned with hard work, if not always fairly.
Presently, he spoke. "Everything is going as we orinignally anticipated. Several members of the Congress have already bought stock and several more plan to in the near future. On my end, all is going well."
Wendell's aid placed a folder before him before spormpty escaping out the door. Another man, hardly younger than Wendell smiled and nodded his head in approval. His name was George Cairns, and he was also a very important businessman, but mostly he was known for his connections in other countries and his ability to get things done, even if they were less than pleasant things.
"So, I've heard. I have also had much luck in dealing with the dissenters in the city. We shouldn't be troubled by any more union strikes and such." Cairns explained, then passed it over to another.
A younger man, Timothy Rand, said after a time. "We've concluded that all the changed ones live here in Tokyo, and all of them are unaware of their potential. The old ways have been lost to them." He smiled. "We're ready to move on to step two..."
"The do so!" Cairns said.
He went on, and everyone listened, of course, but the real reason for the meeting was simply to find out what information had been gathered about their opponents as well as to scry about the future. This part went without a hitch, and within the hour, all departed. Only Wendell remained. He drank his alcohol and shook his head.
"Master, we are so far along, and only the Changed Ones stand in our way. What shall we do?"
He seemed to be speaking to no one, but still the table began to glow and a face rose up out of it, hovering just above the wood. It was a face only a mother could love, and even then, only if she was blind. The voice said:
"Strike them down before they can remember!"
"Yes, Master."
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:30 pm
Yamino Akari sat all alone in the park.
She'd managed to find a spot just out of sight of the walkways, and now she rested in the shadow of the trees. A flat board was propped up on her knees, and a lined notebook on top of that. Akari let her pencil drift lazily over the paper as she closed her eyes and let the breeze brush her face.
Her long, dark hair was caught up by the wind and blown against her pale cheek. Annoyed, she pushed it aside and returned her attention to the notebook.
She'd started to draw a man's face. The outlines were there, the nose was mostly in place, but the eyes and mouth . . . She shook her head, frustrated. She couldn't seem to get them right.
As she looked at the image, she realized her problem. She was starting to forget what her father looked like.
She tore off the sheet of paper and threw it away. The breeze picked it up and carried it through the park. Akari took deep breaths and tried to decide what to draw next.
She leaned away from the tree behind her, hunching over her board, as shapes started to take form. A bird, a squirrel, a cat. A leaf, a branch, a cloud. Characters from various stories. Nothing seemed to come out just right, but she still enjoyed drawing. It had always seemed natural and right to put pen or pencil to paper and draw whatever came to mind. In the peace and solitude of the shadows, her tension slowly eased away.
Finally she found herself staring off into space, tapping the eraser against the paper. Her hands had run out of ideas. All she had left was emptiness.
She sighed and put down her things. She stood up, brushed off her white blouse and black pants. She stretched out her arms - especially her shoulders - to work out the kinks from drawing.
Then Akari lay down in the grass, on her stomach, her hair draping over her back like a blanket. She crossed her arms for a pillow and started to fall asleep.
The wind toyed with her papers, but she didn't notice or care.
((OOC: Okay, any 'grading' or advice would be muchly appreciated . . . Since the Changed Ones are still discovering their powers, I couldn't exactly have her showing off, and I didn't know what would be the best way to get her to run across the Tiger Clan, so I figured, when in doubt, wait for someone to come along who has a better idea what they're doing, yes?))
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 10:18 pm
Grading something or giving advice only works on one condition...
And that is, if it is needed. I may not have been on Gaia for too long, and may not have as many posts under my belt as others such as JB or the rest of the guild, but I can tell you that if you post in quality like that, you have nothing to worry about. But then again, I'm sure others may offer advice. My $.02 is that your post is fine. No problems.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:21 am
I have to second Ex on this one. Your post is fine. As far as your question about the plot, the answer is this: you control the plot, too. If you want something to happen, do it. Don't wait for me or anyone else to come along. Just follow your heart and the flow of ideas, and you should be absolutely fine.
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:05 am
Derek and two of his friends were hanging out, instead of going to school, and they headed straight for the park, mostly because it was far away from their high school. The three boys couldn't have looked more different had they tried, with Derek being the tallest and thinest pf the three and Mark being his exact opposite. All three were proper school uniforms, blue pants and white, ironed shirts, but even those were not buttoned all the way on such a nice, summer day. The sun was out and shining brightly, and even the cool wind felt pleasant, if just a little too reminiscent of winter.
A piece of paper floated post as the three entered the park, and Derek picked it up. Carefully he opened it, only to find an unfinished drawing inside. Grinning, he showed it to his two friends, Mark and Alan, who began commenting on the picture. Of the three, only Derek seemed to like the drawing, unfinished and all, but he rarely made any attempt to point this out to his friends. Mark slapped him on the back.
"We're finally out of that hell and you're still looking gloomy," he complained.
Derek shrugged. "Sorry."
They were still walking as they spoke, and it was Alan's turn to stick in his two cents. "Hey, look, the place's half empty. Wish we had a ball or something. Wandering around's boring!"
A piece of paper hit Alan straight across the face before being pulled away by the wind. Derek didn't even try to go after it, searching for the source instead. Not far from them, across the grass, a girl was laying on the ground, and a few of her papers were everywhere. Mark started cracking up, but Derek shook his head and went ahead to pick up the loose sheets, drawings it looked like.
Walking over to the girl, he stood next to her and looked down. "I think these are yours, Miss," he said to the snickers of his two friends.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:20 am
Akari lay quietly on the grass. Her mind drifted through empty spaces and she felt more relaxed than she had in months. The wind was blowing, and she heard a noise - like water falling, or leaves rustling - that eased her mind.
She should have come to the park a long time ago.
--
Her mind barely registered the footsteps.
Suddenly a long shadow fell over her. Someone was beside her.
"I think these are yours, Miss."
Startled, she quickly rolled over and sat up. Her hair fell half over her face, and she brushed it away so she could see. A stranger was standing over her. How had she let her guard down?? She should have heard him coming.
Maybe she shouldn't have let herself relax.
He was tall. He loomed over her, sitting as she was. He seemed friendly, though. He was holding something out to her, and his voice wasn't threatening at all. He probably wasn't some stalker or crazy person. She wasn't in any immediate danger.
She was still tense, though. She didn't like strangers. They were . . . scary.
She realized that there were others behind him. Two young men - maybe boys was a better term. She glanced at them, at the person before her. They were all young. Probably in high school, she guessed.
She tried to remember when she was that young. It was only a couple of years ago, but the past was not something she liked to think about.
She probably still looked sixteen. They wouldn't think of her as anything but a weird kid. With any luck, she could figure out what they wanted, have a nice short conversation, and then flee - discreetly - before they tried to make friends.
Friends were scarier than strangers.
It had only taken her a second to think about all this. By now, this kind of assessment was a reflex action. She looked up at the strange boy in front of her and finally looked at what he was offering her.
It was a messy bundle of papers.
She stared for three whole seconds before she realized what they were. . . .oh. So that's what that 'leaf' sound had been.
This stranger, this scary boy, had saved her drawings from blowing away.
Akari blushed and reached out to take them from him. "Uh - th-thank you! I didn't realize . . ." She trailed off, embarrassed.
...
((ooc: I've got an idea for 'activating' the magic in the Changed Ones, and in a way that lets different people 'wake up' their powers at slightly different times, if they want. But I don't know if this is a good time to do it or not. Maybe the middle of a conversation isn't the best time to go into a long description of the effects of the magic starting up . . . wink
Oh - and just because Akari wants to cut the encounter short, doesn't mean I do. I'm perfectly okay with making her 'suffer' through a conversation with a stranger.))
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:32 am
The girl sat up, much to Derek's surprise, and looked about. She seemed young, certainly not older than him, but there was something like wisdom in her eyes, and even he dared not get any closer. His two friends weren't quite so observant, but then again, what was to be expected of them? Carefully, Derek reached down and picked up a rock, then placed the papers on the ground with the rock as a paper weight. Glimpses of the pictures told him that the artist was wonderful, but the girl didn't seem to want conversation. Everything about her said to stay back, to leave alone, to attempt to friendliness.
"Welcome, Miss," Derek said casually, stepping back again to stand close to his friends.
The other two were giggling now, and one said, "You're way ta kind! Me, I'd take the pretty things and run."
"Jerk..." Derek mumbled, but nothing more got past his mouth as another scene unfolded before their eyes.
A man and a woman had enetered a clearning within easy sight of where Derek stood. Both had long swords that gleamed in the light and at the moment they were practicing with them. But, more than that, they seemed to be using something more, something other than simple human abilities, for each was making jumps far beyond what a human could achieve. The woman had long, blond hair that moved with the breeze. Both were panting.
Neither of Derek's friends seemed to notice the two, and he was confused. "Hey guys, do you see that?" he asked pointing to the fighters.
"You are nuts!" his friend said, hitting Derek on the shoulder. "Seein' things."
He looked at the girl and wandered if she saw them, too. For all their beauty, both looked savage and dangerous, almost like they meant harm even then. The female had a more peaceful expression than the male, more of a determined look on her face. Something stirred vaguely inside Derek, but for the moment, it was ignored.
Ignoring his friends, Derek turned to the artist and asked, "Do you see them?" His voice came out anxious and uncertain.
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:06 pm
Akari quickly shoved her papers into her messenger bag as the stranger backed away. He was thoughtful - he'd put a rock on them to keep the wind from taking them. Lots of people wouldn't have thought of that. Maybe he wasn't so bad. Thoughtful, polite, not pushy . . .
And he had helped her . . .
All that really meant was that she could get out of there sooner. Why was she feeling . . . almost guilty?
She didn't need friends. She could push away anyone - she didn't have to let anyone get close.
Even if that meant being rude to a kind stranger.
The teens were snickering and bantering with themselves as she shoved the last of the papers in her bag. She tried her best to ignore them.
A voice interrupted her as she was about to stand up. "Do you see them?"
It was the good samaritan. She looked up at him - he seemed worried, uncertain.
It took a minute to process his words. Then she turned and looked around the clearing.
Two more people had shown up in 'her' spot. I guess more people like the breeze and the shadows than I thought.
They were swordfighters - they were sparring; stepping and leaping and lunging around each other, each trying to gain the upper hand. Akari stared - she'd never seen swordfighting in person before. The fierce movements, the flashing blades drew her eyes and captivated her completely.
Then she realized that they weren't just swordfighters. They were inhuman.
How else could they move so fast, jump so high? They were extremely strong - even for athletes. They couldn't be . . . normal.
Her mind raced through all the manga and comics she'd ever read. Metahumans, aliens, demons, sorcerers . . . whoa. This is cool. Unreality made real . . .
It's also damn scary. These - people - were they real? Was she hallucinating? If not, then everything she knew was turned on its head. She suddenly wasn't sure what to believe.
And the fighters were incredibly dangerous. What if they saw her as an enemy?
She scrambled to her feet, still facing the new threat. "What the - who are those people?" She backed away, towards the young boys behind her. Her fists came up reflexively, in a guard position over her torso.
The two fighters finally realized that they weren't alone. The woman backed away from her opponent, buying herself some room and a few seconds of time, and looked at the four kids nearby. She saw two of them looking right at her. Her eyes narrowed. Were they a threat?
----
The magic spread.
It was like a fire, an intense heat that tried to consume everything in its path. It worked its way out from the source, finding new fuel all around it.
In some places, it found resistance. Like seeds, concentrations of energy were hidden behind shells of protection. The fire grew hotter around them, trying to crack through to the core.
The wind slipped through the maelstrom, first touching one spot, then another. It fed the fires, causing them to blaze higher around the cores of energy. The heat grew around them, putting more and more pressure on them.
Like sap, like water, the cores began to push against their shells. They could feel the heat, the unexpected stress, and they tried to expand, to escape.
One seed reached the boiling point.
The core exploded, steam racing out. The wind and the water combined to drive away the fire, shoving it back, dampening it to ashes.
Now that one of the seeds was free, the wind moved on. It fed the fire around another core of energy, increasing the heat, the pressure.
The fire, unknowing, was waking its own enemies.
((ooc: Just a little more advice, and then I'll try to stop the ooc stuff, honest . . . smile
Is it ok for me to 'long-style recap' the other person's post from my perspective? Or would it be better if I just made a quick statement about my characters reaction, and carried on from the new 'present' established by the last post? If it's just gonna bore people to read about the same thing happening from a different viewpoint, then maybe I should drop it . . .
Plus, it seems sorta egotistical of me. Probably because I am self-centered redface ))
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:42 pm
(In answer to your question, because that's easiest, you can recap as much as you'd like. My perspective and your perspective of the same moment could be very different. In this case, they were. You may also use something another person describes in order to weave your character further into the tale. In short, there's nothing wrong with it.)
Derek blinked and stepped back reflexively, his hands in front of him, as if trying to shield his head and eyes. Seeing the girl reacting to the same sight, he swallowed and moved closer to her, instantly both protective and a little confused. As always the vague knowing was there, just behind his consiuos mind. And, just as always, it was more or less forgotten in the mix of fear and the oncoming adrenaline rush.
The power surged unexpectedly, like a rising tidal wave that threated to destroy him. For a moment, he felt limp, like his muscles weren't listening, but after a moment it passed, replaced by a rush of something not unline adrenaline, but not quite that either. He didn't feel less certain, just less willing to back down. Derek couldn't see it, but his eyes had changed slightly, as had his posture. The alterations were minor, for now.
"I don't know," Derek answered softly. "But they don't look friendly..." His voice trailed off.
The woman fighter turned to look at them, and for the first time Derek could clearly see her. The stranger wore a kimono with flowers embriodered over her sleeves, and her eyes were blood red. Something in them was less than human, dark and menacing, ready to strike. As she paused to examine the two, her opponent also spotted them. Not too unlike his companion, the male had on clothes better left in feudal China, but his sword was real and dangerous enough.
"Who are they?" the male grunted, his voice low and dangerous, full of barely restanined anger.
The woman shrugged. "Onlookers, master, bystanders."
"Inadequate," the man growled, reaching and slapping the woman across her pale face. "And, yet, they see us."
"The Changelings, master, perhaps," offered the woman, not bothering to react to the slap.
The male nodded. "He wants them dead, all of them. So, to end this lesson, go and destroy those two in the name of the Tigers. You will be well rewarded for their souls."
"As you wish it master...." The woman sneered and turned to the two, her eyes cruel and calculating. The male vanished completely, seamlessly blending into the background.
"Run!" Derek yelled, realizing all too late what was about to happen. His two companions paled and made aste in getting away as he turned to look at the girl next to him, the artist. Obviouisly there was something they both shared, but this was not the time to discuss it.
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:31 am
Akari panicked.
One of the two fighters, a tall, powerful man, had been called 'master' by the other. He had choppy black hair and a harsh face. A scar, almost ritualistic-looking, sliced its way across one cheek. His bearing was arrogant, his voice hateful, his sword razor-sharp.
And he'd just ordered the woman to kill them.
--
Akari had been in the self-protection club in high school, so she knew a little of self-defense. She also knew that that trying to take on a highly-trained swordsman, when she herself was unarmed, was suicide.
She knew how to fight, and it still wouldn't do her any good.
She froze up completely.
--
The stranger beside her had the best idea. "Run!"
That snapped her out of it. As the red-eyed woman slowly walked towards them, Akari staggered backwards. She nearly tripped over her own feet, panicked and overcompensated the other way. She half-turned to run when an insane voice spoke in her head: I can't leave my stuff behind!
She found herself turning back to where her messenger bag lay on the ground.
She jumped forward and fell over her bag, clutching it to her chest. She stared up at the she-demon.
The woman was walking with an easy grace, a dangerous beauty. She held her sword by her side, not afraid of the two children. She was fifteen feet away, and advancing slowly.
She laughed at Akari's fumbling. "So brave," she mocked. Her voice seemed odd, almost mechanical in its spite. "Not a threat."
She looked at the tall boy, the other target. He had a strength, a defiance, that Akari did not. "Him, though . . ." She stalked forward, ignoring the cowering girl.
As Akari stared at the woman, she suddenly knew that the boy would die if he fought her. He wasn't armed. How could he fight her?
He's going to die.
And here I am, not doing anything to stop it . . .
Her whole life, Akari had many strange desires that she could not explain. The desire to spend all her time serving one master. The desire to step off of tall buildings. The desire to perform in front of an audience.
One of the strongest, and least rational, was the desire to die for someone else.
She leapt clumsily to her feet, stress coarsening her speech. "Leave him alone, b***h!" She leapt at the demon, arm coming up to sweep aside the sword-arm while the other hand drew back for a punch.
The woman was too fast. She reflexively drew back, swatting Akari's arm aside with her sword, and kicked her back several feet. Less than a second after her heedless rush, Akari was flung to the ground beside her bag.
Blood rushed from a cut on her right forearm, more blood than she would have imagined. It spattered over her bag, soaking the brown fabric. She stared at it, dazed and confused.
The pain, fear and adrenaline were rising in her. They were pushing at her, rushing through her veins. She felt something white-hot burning within her.
--
Shiimiko didn't even bother to look at the foolish girl who had rushed her. She was no longer a threat, and Shii could kill her at her leisure.
The boy, however, looked to be somewhat more dangerous. He had not attacked as quickly as the girl, but he seemed both intelligent and determined.
Besides, she could sense power in him. He was certainly one of the Changelings, even if he had not yet found his full potential.
Shii raised her sword to an attack position, standing five feet away from the fallen girl, and stared the boy in the face.
"Come, child, meet your Death."
((I'll spend the next few 'minutes' or so recovering enough to interact. Shii will be most interested in Derek, I'm guessing.
Your move.))
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:42 pm
Derek's first reaction was not to run, nor to cower, though he wished his companions would not have his stubbornness, for death was just around the corner. He could feel it, not like a bad feeling in your stomach but more like an ache, a will to protect and nurture and the knowledge that it was going to get him killed.
Instead of running, he watched the woman, his eyes slowly turning a shade of lavender, with determination and with no forgiveness on his pale face. It was different so much from his typically gentle expression, from the smiling face that seemed devoid of worry and full of peaceful innocence. For that moment, Derek was not just a human being, and it showed.
His clothes seemed just a little bit tighter, and his hair was longer, darker too. His stance had changed, too, and he no longer stared at the ground. Eyes challenging, he faced his opponent, only to see her attention move to the artist.
The artist beside him was obviously crazy, enough to pick up her drawings, enough to bully the angry woman, enough to get hurt! He watched in silence for he knew that this was not his battle, not yet. For now, he simply stood still, legs slightly apart, examining the way his opponent was moving. Something calculating showed on his face, as if he was judging the best way to hurt, even to kill the stranger.
"Not a threat," the demon had said, but Derek saw it in a different light. They were a threat, and even though neither was quite understanding or accepting, they were not helpless. The artist proved that with her attack, and Derek would in seconds. Helpless did not apply to Changelings.
Suddenly there was blood, obviously the girl's, and that was Derek's cue.
"Come, child, meet your Death."
Derek moved to protect the artist when the angry woman came for him, and this time he was not deterred. A powerful kick sent him rushing forward, and as the demon raised her sword against him, he ducked and kicked. It didn't seem real, not even to Derek until he slid past and landed on the grass.
"Not yet, Demon-spawn!" he said, then softer, "Not yet."
Shiimiko winced, feeling her kneecap fracture from the hit, but she was still on her feet and Derek was not. He rose, but not fast enough, and she had him pinned to the ground within moments. Something in him cracked all too loudly. Shii raised her sword, but Derek ducked out of the way, rolled, and got up. He was shaking from the pain in his now broken ribs.
The anger was rising again, but more with it came the other thing. It slowly started healing his ribs even as it made him stronger. Alone, however, he would not be near strong enough to defeat a demon. His two friends were watching from afar.
Shii grinned and rushed at him. "So mortal..."
The moments as she came at him stilled, almost came to a stop. The demon blurred, replaced by something completely different. It was a man with dark hair and black eyes.
"She will not die by your hand alone," the man said quietly, his hands behind his back. "Go to the girl, then try again, together."
"W-who are you?" Derek asked the apparition. "I know she's one, too. I can feel her, like a brush of warmth. So reassuring..."
The man grinned. "Glad you asked. I'm Tamon, and I've been dead a lot longer than you've been alive, but it doesn't matter. Winning this first battle does, however."
"The demon? Do I know her?"
"Nah," Tamon answered. "She's one of many. You just remember the general prototype. Now, go."
And only then did Derek move out of Shii's way and close to the girl, who looked like she too was changing.
((Wow, your post was awesome. Don't know why you were worried about it. smile ))
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:19 pm
--edited with description of golems--
A fight raged around her, but she stared at the blood-soaked bag. Her arm was bleeding. It hurt. It hurt a lot. She'd never been injured that badly before.
Everything seemed different when you were gushing blood, blood from a wound deliberately caused by someone else.
She was hurt. Her attack had been less than useless. And now most of her sketches were ruined.
Where the young man beside her was centered, focused, determined, Akari was being driven entirely by her emotions. Too many thoughts, feelings swirled through her mind and drove out any sense. For once in her life she did what she was afraid to do - she totally gave up control of herself.
Everything was building up inside of her. Something hot and painful lashed at her mind, demanding to be let free.
She stood to her feet, her breathing ragged, her eyes wild. It was time for her to join the boy - the man - in the fight. Her brain screamed at her that they were going to die, but she didn't care. Whether she was right, whether she was wrong, it didn't matter any more.
A bright white light grew in her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists. The blood on her bag began to glow softly.
Her hair, a brown so deep it looked black, flew back in a sudden breeze. It was a dark frame to an even darker face.
The strange emotions and crazy thoughts still swirled around in her mind. But one thing came to the front.
"You will die today, demon."
The bag exploded.
--
Akari liked to sketch many things. People, places, pets. Sometimes she would focus on one new thing and draw it obsessively, until she grew tired of it or found something else.
Her latest passion had been dragons.
--
The old, worn messenger bag split at the seams. It couldn't possibly hope to hold the things growing within it.
Every single sketch on every single piece of paper was coming alive.
White leaves, rocks, miniature trees littered the ground. A few squirrels ran away from the site, chittering madly. Porcelian masks, incomplete faces, lay scattered on the ground. A pale cat yelped as it was unexpectedly thrust into a strange world.
Three western dragons, each the size of a wolf, snarled at the she-demon.
They were a blank, frightfully-pure white, as if paper had come to life. One of them had smudgy black crosshatching over most of its body. Another had sharp spikes along its tail, each paper-thin. The last had black smoke dripping from its mouth.
Her dragon defenders weren't real. They were only imagination given life with paper and pencil - pale imitations of life. They were flimsy, fragile compared to real animals.
But they had really, really sharp teeth.
Akari stood beside the young man. There was an unshakeable feeling of unity - they would stand together or fall seperately.
The demon would have to face them both now.
--
Akari's three dragons stood before her, waiting for orders. She quickly assigned each of them a task.
She looked at the scaly one and the spiky one. "You two - defend us," she said. The scaly one, with his deliberate crosshatching and character of strength, was better armored than the others and might survive more than a few swordhits. The spiky one would be able to catch the she-demon's sword with its tail, turning it from its target. The two of them would try to intercept any attack, taking orders from the two youths.
She looked at the third dragon. It was particularly fast and agile, and Akari remembered thinking of flames when she drew it. This one would be her sword against the demon. "You - with me," she said, with a feral grin.
--
Shiimiko glared at the paper golems, at the suddenly-fierce warrior with the lavender eyes. She had expected to kill two children, not two powerful changelings.
No matter. She was still a maiden of Death. She would not fail her master.
Failure was not in her nature.
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:47 am
Derek had been standing slightly in front of the artist when she rose, and he watched in wonder as her bag flew upwards and thewn ripped into shreds. He could see bits and pieces of it floating down with the breeze.
What was that much more interesting were the three newly created dragons, easily recognizable from the girl's drawings. Amazing creatures, even though they weren't real, and Derek had to admit that they were about the most useful thing on the entire battle field.
It had occured to him, somewhere along the way, that this was a battle and that it meant a lot more that even he realized. Picking up a straight enough and thick branch, he braced himself for what he knew instictively was going to be a long battle. Derek's ribs still stung and breathing was hard, but he was more worried about the girl and the blood, praying that this wouldn't sap all her strength for they needed it now.
Suddenly, although not inexplicably, the girl was standing next to him and he moved just enough so that they were standing side by side. He glanced at the branch he'd found and under his touch the smaller brances fell away, leaving him with a straght stick about three feet in length. It would have to do. He grasped the stic kwith both hands, easily dropping into a fighting stance.
"Nice creations," Derek said with a nod, obviously admiring the dragons. "Kind of sad that she's about to turn them into so much paper."
He turned then and looked at her with his now lavender eyes, and in them there was both trust and knowing. The wind was pulling back at his hair as he regarded the artist. The only way they were going to stop this demon was by working together. If they could distract her long enough to break her sword and, better yet, bring her down, they would stand a chance. And, Derek trusted the girl--woman--next to him to know and understand that. The feeling was strangely reassuring.
***
Shiimiko was looking at them both with enough hatred to melt steel, although in her yees the ywere not teenagers--slightly older in the artist's case--but the enemy. And it was her duty to bring them down. First were the dragons.
Shiimiko, like the two teens, had her magic as wel las her sword, but most of power lay in strength rather than spellcasting. Keeping an eye on the children, she rushed at the demons. One of them attempted to block her attack, succeeded for a moment eve, but Shii rose again and this time she knew better.
Instead of aiming her sword at the dragon, she seemed to keep it at her side, bringing it up only when the dragon tried to swat at her with his tail. And then, it was all too easy to cut it off. The other managed to bite her in the meantime, but she was strong enough that the left-over teethmarks didn't seem to bother her. With it's tail gone, the dragon gave an agonizing cry and started to fall, at which point Shii let loose with her sword. Within moments, the dragon really was nothing but pieces of paper, trewn all over the ground.
She dealt with the other dragon in similar fashion, accounting for that fact that it was strong and relatively smart. After all, she could jump and run much faster than a human being. For the moment of the battle, she was little more than a blur of motion, and only her results could be seen. The second dragon fell as well, valiantly protecting Akari.
With that done, Shii turned to look at the boy and girl again. Her hands moved for a moment, drawing the sign of her clan in the air before she attacked.
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