TABLE OF CONTENTS o1 ✤ Table of Contents o2 ✤ Red Thief (Solo) o3 ✤ Things Imperial Guard Members Say (IM Solo with Zanaroo) o4 ✤ A Little Short on Change (PRP) o5 ✤ Restaurants & Rendezvous (PRP) o6 ✤ Journey to the Center of the Earth (IM Solo with pistolsys) o7 ✤ Be Still (META RP) o8 ✤ A Soldier's March (Mission Solo) o9 ✤ Solo 10 ✤ The Rotten Manticores (PRP) 11 ✤ ??? 12 ✤ ??? 13 ✤ ??? 14 ✤ ???
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:46 pm
Red Thief
The book was colord brown and read and gold but only on the edgs of the pags. The writing part of the paper was colord parchment becaus it was parchment. The bookmark was a piec of thred that was red read that Evan always put on the pag that he just, JUST finishd so that he knew wher to write next. If someon took it out he would get real angry NOT GET ANGRY and slay monstrs until he found the pag where he wroat last. And the thred wasn't glued into the book. Evan's guardian sowd it up for him becaus she knew everything and how to do everything becaus she red books all night and helpd with hero stuff all day.
But caus she isn't around anymor the book got stold from Evan so he had to go to the mountains and hils becaus that's wher the monster Hoardr puts all of his hoarded things. Evan knew it was the monster Hoardr becaus the monster said so befor hoarding it. So Evan went to the gold forest to get a bunch of gold to distract the monster Horader becaus the hoardr was realy greedy and could be easily distractd and that is bad. He just needed to get a big big shiny thing to distract him.
So Evan found a big giant statchu and then he dragd it with his supr strangth and then he shoutd "Hoardr com and get it Im WEIGHTING for you!" And then the hoardr cam and then bellowd REAL loud lik a lion.
"I WILL GET YOU" Hoardr shoutd, but then he saw the gold and then he had stars in his eyes like the night sky had stars at night and lumbrd after the gold statchu instead of running after Evan the Hero. But then when Evan lookd at Hoardr's backpockt (Hoardr wore pants, really fine rich fabric like wool) And there was no book. It was empty like there was nothing there before.
So Evan got angry, so angry he turned the color of read.
"I will get you!" Evan was angry but he didnt like to shout like Hoardr did. So then Evan drew his sword and then he ran after the Hoardr and stabbd him but then the sword brok into peacs.
"HA HA HA! As if you culd go thru my gold armor!"
The tiny pebbles crunched under a young man's feet as he made his way along a beaten up road. Far from being a paved path, the uneven surface was full of rocks, dirt, and grassy patches here and there. Being that the soles of his shoes were quite thin, he winced at every piece of stone and unknown object that he stepped upon. Though he was used to being on his feet, this type of land was uncommon to him, unknown really. The land of Gabel Farms was either flat dirt or grass, always something soft under his toes. The last time that he had wandered this far outward was during his excursions to the woods, back in what he called "the old days".
Truthfully, those days weren't too long ago (though the memories seemed very far off). It was only that he liked the idea of separating the life he led on his farm from the new "self" he was creating. It was still Evan, but this Evan was Evan the Wanderer. He wasn't just going to find his brother, but to go on a journey as well. What he saw ahead of him was not a wall, but instead a tunnel. Tunnels were dark, mysterious things but they always had an end, a light that led the path of the traveler. As far as he was concerned he was in the mouth, still able to see the light behind him but able to resist turning back. He would not, could not turn back even if his feet ached or if he was still writing his old family members in his stories.
He was going to go places. He was going to meet new people, people who knew about Lander. He could picture it now, a taller, more muscular version of himself on horseback with three stars to his name. He would be clad in blue, white, and yellow with a brown tie and red jewel encrusted within. Across the waist would be some sort of belt and sheath with a sword of proper length inside. It wouldn't be a plain, wooden branch but a metal rapier with a shiny, brass handle.
In his mind the fantasy was already coming alive, forming into an entirely separate entity. It was him, but better.
And yet...
How would he arrive there? He barely knew a thing about the world outside of Auvinus and attempting to energize his thoughts with new possibilities only ended with the same figures reappearing in his head. The weather vane was as much a phantom as a compass. It spun opposite of the breeze, as if to tell the Grimm that he was headed in the wrong direction. South. South, not west you fool. Get back there, stop trying to fix me. If his weather vane had a voice it would probably be nagging, screeching like the rusty joints of the device. It continued to spin back at forth, slowing down as Evan picked up his own stride to move further along the road to Nylle, capital of his region and surely near a military base. If he focused on his footsteps he could drown out the strange thoughts.
Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.
Though his eyes focused on the upcoming trees, his ears were tuned into the crunching noises beneath his shoes. The uniform sounds acted like a metronome for him, keeping him on pace without distracting him any like music (or the company of others) would have. After heading to Nylle, he would stop in Helios before deciding where to go next, mainly because he forgot where he would go. He scarcely remembered the roads that his parents took, mainly the places off the pedestrian paths such as lakes or forests (usually Lander helped him find his way back) so a map was absolutely necessary.
Taking out his own, the map was dated for fifty years ago. It was ripped from an old atlas that was lying around since he couldn't afford a new one. While the general shape stayed the same, a lot of landmarks and cities appeared to be missing. Where was the bridge? The gnarly tree at the border? The trade cities? Even he knew there were more cities than what was on the piece of paper, waste of paper. He crumpled it up and kicked it away.
"How am I going to get there now?"he asked himself.
How was he going to get anywhere?
Punani chans
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Punani chans
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:50 pm
[im
Things Imperial Guard Members Say
"So I went up to that no-good fiend and I taut him a thing or two!" the solder exclamd! (Evan was the solder)
Evan was in the army now and he wor a royul uniform with lots of blue, gold, and pins like the ones Liesander Monster had; but except that his were sparklng gold and silvr like diamonds in the sky. Around him everyon was cheering and lauphing at his military deeds like becaus they were the greatest things a man could do. On one side ther was a solder but on the other ther was Liesander Monster and he had a sword and that was becaus Evan The Hero Solder gave him the sword he got from the lost island.
And suddenly ther was a SCREECHy sound and everyon turnd over to see what was wrong.
"What is that?" askd a pedestrian. xxxweather "It's a ^ vein ." said Evan.
On the roof Liesander had put the weather vein.
"Yeah I fixed it all thanks to Evan," Liesander Monster said, "if it weren't for this I would have never found him!"
Auvinus was not a kind kingdom to be in for many Guardsmen, even the eager ones. Still, for many, venturing so closely to Helian borders was a worse fate than being stuck in either the plains or shores. The menial work was, to say, too dreadful to be relaxing, and too plain to be exciting.
Still, soldiers that kept on to the task were, by feat of patience, merited a promotion. Only a few were so eager to retrieve their ranking in this way, but many of the border corporals of Auvinus seemed to earn their share by it. The man at the front of this vast herd of human bodies was no exception, as was easily marked by his droll expression and otherwise softer feature. Were any of the men here in actual battle, it would be a landslide defeat.
It was through practice that the corporal was able to raise his voice loud enough to penetrate past the din of loud voices, shared between two to three dozens of bodies.
"Everyone, remain quiet: we are reaching the borders of Auvinus, to the very center!" the corporal steered his horse to face the crowd, raising his prideful bannister for all to see: the glimmering gold and navy of the Imperial Guard contrasted remarkably well with grey sky.
"I can read it in all of your faces," the corporal continued, "Not many of you have been to the very hearth of the Emperor himself. It is a new life there, protected like an invaluable gem. "
Framing the crowd were an array of soldiers, of course, many of them privates plain as day. Only the ones flanking the front were lucky enough to ride horses: they were, of course, the cavalrymen. The rest fo them were an array of infantrymen, many of them young. A few of them, with tongue in cheek, were mocking the corporal as he went on.
One said to themselves, markedly irritated, "Get on with it already. It's the same shoddy sayin' day and night, by Panyma's grace."
“Have some respect!” Evan whispered.
From behind he had saluted the corporal, earning a few glances from infantry members. As if it were not bad enough that Evan had been awkwardly stepping in and out of sync, he was dressed in an entirely different garb than that of the other citizens that were being herded behind the Imperial Guard. He seemed to act as though he were already a part of the military in spite of his lack of uniform and weapon. If anything, Evan seemed more enthused than the rest of the new infantrymen and because of it.
What the private in mind did not expect was, of course, for someone to respond back, especially not from the crowd. The Guardsman glanced at Evan and snickered, shrugging his shoulders.
"'Have some respect,' you say? Why should I listen to you? You've been playin' pretend like you're one of us all morning."
Evan pressed his lips together, growing red in the ears. His hands were clenched at his sides as he tried to contain his anger. Pretending? He wasn’t pretending, he was meant for the Imperial Guard, he knew it.
“My brother is in the Guard, just like you,” he protested,“and I’m going to be too, just you wait!”
By now his arms were gesturing wildly, unable to deal with the disrespect that such highly regarded men were showing the calvaryman. As military men, they all should have been one cooperative unit, not slinging quips behind their captain’s back!
"Yeah?" the guard sneered, "Let's say a son of a whore walks up to you. Would they be so loving through the blood?"
"Surely, you'd know." said another, and the rest of them laughed all the while, though quiet enough amongst the fray. The private looked at them with disdain, though to everyone's benefit, the corporal did not notice. The only one silent amongst the Guardsmen was the one at the very back, raven-haired and young like Evan himself. He also held a flag similar to the corporal's, though this one was a rich scarlet emblazoned with the royal insignia of Auvinus.
"Quit it, Jones," he murmured, "That was a horrible thing to say."
"Oh, hush," Jones waved his hand, "You act like you're a corporal already, Stone. And you've been with us for how long?"
Stone quieted.
Why wasn’t he saying anything? He was a soldier too, just like the rest of the others.
Evan stared at the young soldier, suddenly feeling as though he had made a mistake talking back to the older members of the Guard. As a hero it should have been easy for him to chide them for their insubordination against the corporal, but these people appeared to have an internal ranking of their own (one of which he was in violation of). Rather than his ears, this time Evan’s cheeks began to become warmer, but he struggled with the right words to defend the Stone boy.
“W..well he is still a private,”he finally spat out,“he has a star and even a flag.”
The Guardsmen around Evan stared at him. They did not chortle in response, but instead kept a deep frown to themselves, and Stone fidgeted in his place nervously. The group and corporal had, meanwhile, come to a brief halt-- they had reached another Imperial headquarters along their way to the borders.
"The last stop," the corporal noted through the din, though it went largely unnoticed and people went about talking to themselves as he momentarily disappeared.
Stone glanced at Evan nervously, before breaking into an uneasy laughter. "Ah," he bowed his head, "Well..."
"You pretend to be a Guardsman and you go around saying something as stupid as that?" Jones spat, "A flag and a star mean gobshit. It's the lowest position you can have as a Guardsman, being at the arse-back of a group."
The private jabbed his finger into Evan's arm, "But you'd know that, wouldn't you? Brother of a soldier."
“I…happen to be the brother of Lander Gabel of-of course I know,” Evan stuttered, rubbing the spot where he was prodded, “you all know who I’m talking about right?”
His expression reflected the mixture of doubt and frustration within himself as he glanced around the mass of privates for some sign that he was not alone in his defense against Jones. The little dignity he had seemed to fade away as the crowd remained utterly devoid of eye contact and care. He let out something between a laugh and a cough as his whole posture deflated.
Perhaps he should have looked elsewhere.
"Lander Gabel, eh?" Jones stared at Evan, then walked closer next to him, putting an arm on his shoulder, "I think I've heard of the name..."
The soldier paused for effect, the other privates leaning in-- when he'd mustered enough attention, he broke into a wry grin and whispered to Evan, "I heard he died. How's that for you?"
“What?”
Something inside Evan seemed to shatter as he nearly dropped to the ground. There was no way Lander could have died. Lander was stronger than the wear and tear of war. There would have been some sort of notice if he did die, some eulogy of his great deeds in the Guard.
“Y-you-he-y-you have to be lying!” he exclaimed, turning over to the older soldier,“he-he can’t..no.”
He looked desperately to the other soldiers.
“He’s lying right?”
No answer.
Stone stared bewildered from behind Evan at the rest of his company, who looked away partway out of uncertainty and to hide their giggling. Jones merely shrugged and walked away from Evan-- he sighed melodramatically before resting his hand against his sword holster, as if lamenting over a confession.
Before the soldier could say anything, though, the young Stone sucked in his breath and knelt forward to force Evan back up. "Get up," he hissed, "Of course he's lying. Come on, before the corporal sees us!"
"How would you know, huh, Stone?" the soldier walked in front of Evan again, coldly standing his ground, "Again, acting like something you're not. A soldier loses at least one beloved. Let him play the part if he so chooses."
Evan looked up, seeing the young man try to help him up.
He felt so stupid.
“No, he’s right.” Evan stood up, shaking off his painfully dramatic display, “he knows because he’s a real soldier, like Lander.”
His face no longer held the nervousness of newborn babe, but an assertive male.
“Unlike you”- this time he stuck his own finger out to Jones-“he is a hero, low ranking or not.”
Jones glared aback at Evan before snapping his hand up to grip Evan's pointer finger, gloved hands squeezing it tightly-- Stone, meanwhile, stared bewildered at the boy, glowing to the point where he nearly forgot to maintain his hold on the bannister.
"I dare you to say that again," Jones hissed, "I'll beat you to dust before the corporal returns."
“I…I will because Lander taught me better than to let people be pushed around.”
Evan, in his effort to play hero, seemed to forget how embarrassed the Stone boy was getting. He attempted to jerk his finger away, but settled for resting his free hand on his hip once he realized how much stronger the Jones fellow’s grip was. His knees were visibly shaking, but his eyes were firmly planted on the man in front of him.
Stone glanced tentatively between Jones and Evan while the rest of the Auvinian Guardsmen watched, growing morose. The older soldier squeezed Evan's hand, face lighting red with sour irritation and anger, but several seconds passed until his skin paled to a strange cool. He instead walked back, arms raised, while he laughed, causing some of the other less nervous Guardsmen to do the same.
A haphazard worry overcame Stone, however, and he nudged Evan, trying to urge him back to a stand: "Oh, this isn't good, you ought to get up--"
Jones turned around. "I'm getting awful sick of this Lander character. Maybe it's the heat that's making me irritable... eh?" He faced Evan again walking up to him, bowing his head low to face him, his towering silhouette blocking off the heat of the Auvinian sun.
Stone hissed, "Come on--"
Until, without warning, Jones kicked up the dirt in front of Evan.
If there were some higher power, one might have said that Panyma was smiling on (or perhaps laughing at) Evan that day because before Jones was able to raise his leg and go in for an actual kick, he looked up quaintly to face the less than cheerful gaze of their corporal, who was now parading around on foot while his horse was resting briefly off at the quarter stables. Stone nudged Evan's shoulder and paddled further away from the senior officer to the corner end of the group, where most of the crowd was preparing their things to continue their venture to Helios. Evan spun around to face him and let out a second nervous laugh as he stepped backwards and into a spot next to Stone.
"I...was just talking about the Guard." The semblance of confidence he had was easily lost once someone of actual authority entered the vicinity. "My-my brother was part-part of-"Evan stopped himself from repeating his earlier words, pressing his lips together.
"About the Guard, then." The corporal raised a brow at Jones as a passive dismissal. The soldier left eagerly and assimilated back into his part of the group, after which the corporal coughed into his wrist and urged Evan and Stone forward.
The older man leaned forward, murmuring, "What business might you have talking of the Guard, then, my son?" His voice was deep and low, similar to that of many Auvinian men smattered around the countryside. It echoed of piousness, as it were, and an intonation of constant worry.
Evan stepped forward at the corporal's gesture, glancing at Stone for guidance.
"L-Lander Gabel,"he said dumbly,"he's in the Guard and I have been looking for him."
Normally that explanation would have been enough, yet Evan found himself telling more.
"I was hoping one of you knew where he was since he had around the same stars and all,"he explained.
The corporal placed a hand to chin and hummed deeply. It was less out of earnest thinking than out of grave sympathy, and at last he shook his head and smiled wryly to Evan. "He's not anyone I've been accompanied with, no," he chuckled, "But there are thousands of men that are corporals, and thousands moreso that are privates."
He continued while glancing at Jones, "I did hear he was a brother of your's. I am sorry, boy, but you'd have better luck in the Archives."
Hope fell and rose as Evan concentrated on the corporal’s words. To hear that no one in the vicinity had even heard of Lander was disheartening, but the older man’s words were a comfort. There was still the possibility of meeting someone who might know his brother whether it would be in the next company or the one after that.
Still. There was still the matter of the archives that the corporal mentioned.
“Are the archives going to tell me where Lander is?” he asked, this time with less hesitation.
Stone looked up at the corporal with weariness, to which the senior officer responded with a short cough and a glance away from Evan.
He laughed lightly, "Ah... it would be difficult for anyone low in rank to access the Archives, boy," he nodded, "But it can be done. One within every kingdom, as it were-- but I wouldn't dream of it."
The corporal snapped his back straight and saluted to Evan nonetheless, "But it's about time we leave, huh? Get to your proper position, Stone. We're but a half-hour's travel away from Helios, if we are quick."
The boy nodded grimly and walked sullenly back to the back, while the corporal gave Evan little chance to speak before going to retrieve his horse. Not much was said before the group departed again to the central kingdom, of which its stone walls were now faintly visible over the flatland horizon of Auvinus. Stone raised their flag prompty, and once everything had settled back into motion, he nudged his foot to Evan to garner his attention.
"Hey," he started, "How long have you been at this?"
He had been saluted and it was by a corporal too!
Evan, in his daze, had forgotten that the company was still moving until he felt a light touch through his thin shoes. He shuffled forward along with the young soldier, feeling slightly embarrassed that he was star struck so easily.
“A while I suppose?”The answer had come out as more of a question, mostly because Evan himself was unsure of when his journey began. Was it when Lander visited for the last time or when he finally left the farm? It seemed as though everything blended together into a steady stream of events rather than a few, poignant moments.
“Lander told me about the Imperial Guard a year ago, but I didn’t have the gall to leave until a few weeks ago,” he admitted, “this is the first time that I’ve met so many Guardsmen at once.”
The soldier laughed. "Oh," he tightened his grip around the flag, "Well... I hope you do well in the Imperial Guard, then. And that you won't be stuck in an Auvinian post like this one, but hey-- don't try to start fights like this one, yeah? That was awful."
Evan let out a chuckle as they continued toward the center kingdom.“I can’t promise you anything, but I will try my hardest.”
This wasn’t the first time he had nearly started a fight on words alone, but Stone was right. He was going to have to hold his tongue in order climb the ranks.
When the corporal was sifting by the edge of the crowd to return front-and-center, he looked to Jones with an expression void of the sympathy he'd given to Evan. Still, the Guardsmen got into their assigned positions, gradually marching in a coldly accurate manner and remaining silent as they did when the venture started. The crowd was just as quiet, as it were, save for a few whispers and excitable folk that were rushing towards the Helian borders, its lumbering walls cracked and surrounded with dried moss and grass.
Stone, for one, breathed in the evening air and sighed with relief. "Thanks," he chuckled, "And I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do-- even if I don't know you much, I know what it means to try and find someone like that. It's hard."
"Quiet down there," the corporal boomed, and Stone stood straight and raised the Auvinian bannister without so much as another word.
Hearing the higher ranked man, Evan closed his mouth, glancing at the rising bannister. He wanted to thank the young flag bearer for his kind words as well as well as thank for the corporal for his frank ones; however, there was little left to say that wouldn’t simply be redundant so instead he just shot Stone an appreciative look. He was glad to meet him, if only because it gave him hope that he could become a Guardsman someday.
IM solo with Zanaroo
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:57 pm
[PRP] A Little Short on Change - - - FINISHED FEATURING: DORIAN ARELGREN
The rainy weather forces Evan to attempt to pay for a night at the inn. Too bad he doesn’t have the proper funds for it. Before he can argue too much, Dorian steps in and pays for the both of them. In doing so, Evan acquires a new master to follow and the two of them converse. Dorian gives him a vial of poison to deliver, and that becomes Evan’s new quest.
After a stinky plague drives out a noisy customer, Evan meets a young lady with striking similarities and they talk, though he finds himself questioning the things in her that are similar to himself.
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:46 pm
Journey to the Center of the Earth
So after Evan couldn't find Ezekeel Evan went to the center of the earth. It was a realy hell of a big volcano where fire and brimstown and fire were becaus the warrior princes he red it in a book once and she said that volcanos wer dangerus and perilus too! So Evan stard down at the volcano becaus the volcano had the shiny vile in the center.
"I will get you!" Evan exclamd as he startd to declin into the boiling pit.
The lava was on fire and everywher was too. But it was fin becaus Evan had fire proof armor. The armor was purpl and long and fancy with ruffls at the caller and purple diamond shaps at the bottom of the armor. It's becaus Evan's master Dorien Agelren Arelgren gav it to him to borrow so he culd get the vile to the lady princes of intrest Linda. The coat was beautiful and majestic and one of a kind. It was a preventiontional coat so it fire couldn't touch him no matter what.
Anyway, he sped past the flaming licks of fire
Evan Gabel had suffered many relocations of Lady Linda Reese. Every time he'd discovered her location, when he'd arrived there, she'd had moved on. Despite that Dorian Arelgren entreated him the mundane task of delivering an item to a fellow Obscuvian, it was not in Evan's personal interest to take the request lightly. He is a hero, and heroes do not ridicule themselves. Finding the Lady Reese crippled his stamina, but stregnthened his tenacity. It took the farmhand six trips to realise that Linda Reese was highly mobile for an Obscuvian. It took him seven to understand that she was an active one, too. Her Mishkanian home was located near the House's eastern headquarters, and it was there that a masked cultist that had given him the Reese Manor's precise location. Evan Gabel is pleased that he had managed to make it this far in his quest.
Linda Reese's Mishkanian manor starkly contrasted her Shyregoedian one. Her eastern abode shared the same, physical exterior as its neighbors, simple and stout. It was a recent home, one that she'd moved into a few weeks before Evan's arrival, and like Evan, Linda was still adapting to Mishkan's culture by being largely absent from its public. While Evan didn't know Linda to the extent that Dorian would perhaps like him to, it didn't take a genius like Lander to understand that the woman valued piety and mainly involved herself within the confines of her faction and social standing. Evan had had difficulties getting her addresses alone, and most of the time, servants of the Reese's acquaintances' households were the ones that directed him to her corresponding homes. Yet, he was here now, at her door.
"H...Hullo,"Evan hesitantly began. His throat ran dry and his heroic demeanor vanished.
Despite that the minute man was a Reese representative, he still belonged to a society that Evan was unfamiliar with.
"I..Is this...is this Lady Linda Reese's residence?" the Grimm tried again.
"As it has been for many moons," came the terse reply.
The man's eyes didn't wander, but Evan could feel himself being thoroughly examined. The man's physiognomy was a rather humble one, stout, with curly, black hair, but still impressive to a boy who'd only known peasantry and farmers. When the man had completed his visual assessment, he coughed into a fist, and arched a brow in disdain.
"And your purpose, ser? Do You seek an audience with milady? She is not expecting anyone, not that I have been told."
His eyes lingered on Evan's for longer than the latter would have wanted.
"And, ser, milady does not keep secrets from me.."
Evan fidgeted uncomfortably, not used to being scrutinized in such a manner.
"I was..."His thoughts only seemed to become less articulate the longer the stout man lingered on him.
"I was sent...by my master, Dorian."Evan looked down at his feet to break eye contact, but found himself entranced with the man. Though nothing like Dorian's coat, his garb was fancier than that of the average farmer. Like the Reese manor, the man seemed to loom over him like an impenetrable stronghold.
Evan's answer dramatically altered the man's complexion. The latter looked as if Evan had just slapped him.
"This 'master Dorian'.". His lower lip overlapped his top one. "What house name does he hold?"
Evan cringed at the man's reaction, wondering if he said something wrong. Did he have he wrong Linda Reese? There was only one Reese family living in Mishkan right? He was hoping that he had not stumbled upon an entirely different woman.
"Master Dorian's house name? The master's house name..." Evan put one of his hands in his pants pocket, feeling for the vial. It reassured him that they wouldn't turn him away, at least not until he gave them what they needed.
"His house name is Arelgren,"he answered, straightening his posture in an attempt to regain his composure.
More silence.
"Remain." commanded the manservant. He closed the door, and Evan was stuck waiting outside again for a woman who might not have wanted to meet hiim, having an audience or not.
When the door opened again, the manservant was absent, and in his place, a ehtereal-looking woman with a large, blonde braid that hung over her shoulder. Her navy blue eyes were half-lidded, giving her the impression of a shy lady, but her boldness in meeting him in person instead of sending her servant to report back assured Evan that she was not one at all. Unlike her representative, she did not look as if she was examining Evan. Her gaze never met his, and she seemed utterly disinterested in him, so he began to wonder why then, she appeared before him at all.
"Your name. Boy." she demanded, though, the tone of her voice revealed wasn't interested in his name at all for a woman who might not want to meet him, audience or not.
"E-Evan Gabel m-milady!"Evan stammered, losing the little posture he had.
"I-I was sent here by my master Dorian and he-he wanted me to give you something."
He took the vial from his pocket and attempted to meet the disinterested woman's gaze.
"Gabel."
She plucked the poison from his trembling hands and promptly chucked it at the ground. It shattered instantly, and the olive liquid seeped into the cobblestone floor.
"Your work is done." she muttered, and made a gesture in preparation to close the door--"Goodbye."
"B-b-bu-"The young man's mouth failed to form any words as the manservant approached the door. He had come all this way, forgoing several manors, asking for directions, and just about everything a hero could do. In the end, the mission was still a failure.
"What about Dorian?" asked Evan as the door slammed in front of him, "what do I tell him now?"
It opened again.
"Do you want to hear a fairy tale, Evan Gabel?" came the husk reply.
"Fairy tale?"Evan asked, his voice gaining an interested tone.
"Yes. Come inside."
"I...I would accept your hospitality, milady, but this. I also have this."
He produced the weather vane from his sack. He raised it to her eye level.
"This is important to me. It's a...a plagued item, so I wouldn't want to bring it into your humble home. Where should I put it?"
Linda shrugged and didn't bother to blink an eye at it. She turned a heel and gestured him inside, manservant at her side. "It may stay. I am an Obscuvian, such things are welcome."
“If you are sure milady…”Evan trailed off. He wasn’t entirely sure who or what Obscuvians meant in this context so he could only assume that it meant that she was fine with pungent objects, which was refreshing for him.
He followed her inside, doing his best to wrap stuff the broken object and seal its putrid stench inside of his sack. Once that was done however, he took to admiring the Reese’s Mishkan manor. Though normal (if not humble) to anyone of the upper class, he was amazed by the amount of excess in the household. Large drapes hung from the windows, wooden arches were lacquered to a rich, maple color, and even the ceiling was distinguished with a circular, candle-lit chandelier.
“My goodness, you have quite the manor,”he said as his eyes darted around the area.
Linda laughed, and Evan noticed how pretty she was when there were color in her cheeks. Her doorman dismissed himself with a polite, "Milady, I leave you in peace," and Linda nodded in acknowledgement. She and leaned towards Evan, bemused, and gestured him towards a trio of stools. He sat himself in one, and she, the one beside him. Linda began when she felt comfortable enough with the arrangement.
"Do you envision yourself as a character, not a person, Evan Gabel?" she questioned.
"Always, Milady,"Evan frankly replied."I'm a hero,"and earned a chuckle from Linda.
"Is that so? It is no different for me." She hummed. "I always saw myself as a princess."
"But that's where the trouble begins, see. Every princess is fated to marry a prince, in any kingdom, in any region, and in all circumstance." She looked down at her hands. "Mines came in the form of Dorian Arelgren. I met him when I was younger than you."
Linda smiled again.
"He was a wonderful prince. Handsome, kind, witty, and virtuous. How wonderful was he, and how wonderful was me? I, too, was a reflection of him, a princess who never did him wrong, who had only loved him faithfully. He said he loved me, and that he'd only ask for me to love him in return."
"When he joined the House, he asked for my companionship, and I accepted his offer because he had said then that he wanted to share his heart with me. And who was I to refuse? My life was a fairy tale, and Dorian was simply the hero--the prince--the avatar that made the tale lively. He was a gift to the House, and they loved him well, and I loved him well."
"But tales...you do know what happens to fairy tales, don't you, Evan Gabel?"
“Happy endings?”
The answer to the question was almost as naïve as he was, especially since Linda’s condition seemed to be a testament against it. Princesses were not supposed to be so sickly, so lacking in life. It wasn’t until he made her laugh that she showed any sense of interest. They were supposed to be delicate, but flourishing beauties. In contrast, Linda reflected a fragility that was cut only by her attitude. It did not take a scholar to figure out that something derailed her story, or someone.
“I mean, there is conflict, but everything ends well right?” Evan sheepishly corrected himself.
"NO," Linda sharply stated with a jerk, and clenched her fists. Then more quietly, "That's a lie. Every fairy tale ends with reality. We are not loved. We are used. We are not princesses, we are resource. Relationships are not beautiful, they are opportunities."
She dipped her head.
"Don't you see, Evan Gabel? We are not living in stories. I have no story, and neither do you."
Evan flinched at the woman’s words. Surely Dorian was not one of these people, these users (if that was the word for it) was he? He yearned to argue so badly, to cling onto the beliefs he had constructed for himself. More than anything he wanted to be a hero and have a happy ending, yet when he opened his mouth to refute her his mind drew a blank.Because there’s nothing to refute.The conclusion he came to was as piercing as the swords he’d written about in his lore, yet felt as real as the “princess” in front of him.
“Then what does that make us?” he asked, his tone growing sour, “what does that make me? An ordinary farm boy?”
He felt his arms fall to his sides.
"I'm just a regular farmboy..."
"Precisely, peasant." Linda said, ending her "story" on a bitter note. She glared at him. "Which is why you must leave. You don't belong here."
"I am done with my tale. You are done with yours."
In the end Evan was silent, realizing that there was no saving this mission, much less this story. There was no use in wasting words over an ending that could not be changed, not anymore. His journal began to feel like a weight and his weather vane, an even heavier one. Yet still he continued on from the manor because that was what normal people did, they continued long past their tale’s end.
IM solo with pistolsys
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Punani chans
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 12:27 pm
[META RP] Be Still - - - COMPLETE FEATURING: EVERYONE
Evan gets the unholy introduction to plagueness and struggles with doing the right thing/saving his vane
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 12:28 pm
The Imperial Guard
Mister Evangeline Gabel,
It has come to my attention that your name rings familiar to me, as many things do, but yours especially reminds me of a familiar encounter. Might you remember the Auvinian traveling post so long ago, when you ventured into Helios? If you do not, may I recall your predicament with Private Jones. Though I was indeed away at the time, to tend to other matters, it is no doubt that both privates Stone (and numerous others) confronted me about the ordeal in a tone implying grave importance.
As it were, bickering between those of unremarkable careers would change very little even if I were to step between them. But in a group so completely knit, where every fibre must be depended on to keep our passengers safe, such dissonance in one man is not permissible. I have, therefore, relieved Private Jones of his place as a upstanding private within my company.
And, by the recommendation of many of my men, have asked you to take his place.
This would mean, of course, that would become an Imperial Guardsman, and the life of travel is no easy one. Still, I suspect, you might find this position better than no position at all, especially when remembering your peculiar quandry.
If you are to assume this position, I will expect you to be at the southernmost border of Aqua as soon as possible, by winter's end. It is not the most auspicious place for a future Imperial Guardsman to be, of course, but we have departed from there in the past and will do the same 'til the end of our days.
My regards,
Corporal Mercier - - -
You can respond to this mission in as many solos as you would like, or via RP. You can make up what the Guardsmen surrounding Evan look and act like, including Corporal Mercier. The travel from Auvinus to Helios will take Evan all the way from Ventus, Helios, to Foxbrook, Auvinus. You can make up the route as you go!
Evan laid the letter out on the table, making sure there weren't any odd smudges or ambiguous lettering.
"...and, by the recommendation of many of my men, have asked you to take his place."
He couldn't believe that they, Mercier specifically, still wanted him after his behavior. He was only a boy back then, flailing around in an attempt to seem grown-up. Obviously the other men saw something, but the only thing that came to mind was a misplaced sense of obligation. He was the one who caused friction within the group and the one who pushed Jones to nearly fight. This was not to say he felt bad about the older man being dismissed (it was actually quite relieving), but he wondered if his proposed enlistment wasn't just because he divulged his life's goal to the corporal. These events didn't seem to come from genuine recognition of his merits (because Evan didn't have very many), but convenience and obligation.
He rose out of his seat, leaving a few coins on the table and folding the letter back up in his pocket. His feet were numb to the uneven cobblestone in the road, having grown comfortable from traveling. There was a weariness in his step as he glanced from aisle to aisle of stone buildings. The city could easily be described as compact, each building only separated from one another by a person-sided gap down the middle. The layout was very akin to a quilt where each house, business, or restaurant was a single patch and the streets, the stitching that held the city together. It was flat, logical and uniform.
Evan had little trouble making his way from block to block, he just simply didn't care. He had entered the bar before as well as other restaurants in an attempt to procrastinate, reading and rereading the letter, asking other people to clarify any words he thought that he might have gotten wrong. As he realized, enlisting would be a scary thing and he wasn't sure why he wanted to join anymore. While it was true that his purpose was utilitarian, he knew that there was more to being a soldier. It was not only about what he wanted. Stone didn't carry around a flag because he wanted to find his brother (Evan wasn't sure Stone even had a brother). Stone was doing his duty to protect Panymium. Stone had a purpose to fulfill.
Panya, I wish I could just go back to being an young hero.Evan couldn't hold a grudge against the Reese woman since she was right: fairy tales always ended with reality. He hadn't blended in with the Guard like he thought he would. He didn't act anything like the soldiers he romanticized. He acted like Evan Gabel, the boy who was lost, but also had a duty to adhere to.
He pressed forward without word, making the journey toward Helios much less joyous than one might have thought for a boy of his age. What was once a source of adventure became a duty and the duty, nearly a burden were it not for the memory of his brother. He revered the man and to meet him again would fulfill the purpose to his journey and affirm his decision to leave the farm. There was still the question of what he would do after finding Lander (if he found Lander), but he supposed that it was better to leave such uncertain thoughts for the future.
Instead, thoughts of his last military encounter and how he would act once he reached Helios filled his mind as he crossed each town. Mishkan itself was quite diverse, nothing quite like the small area he rested in when he received the letter. Each town was filled with flea markets of strange pieces of clockwork and magicked items. Granted, most of the novelty came from the fact that Evan had not been exposed to technology beyond the realm of farming equipment, but even the experimental farming tools were new to the boy. He entertained the idea of showing Stone or Lander in the future, jotting down a small description of a wooden puzzle and attempting a messy sketch.
"Boy, are you planning on buying something or are you going to waste my time?"
Evan glanced slowly at the merchant before walking away in silence. His usual streak of defiance was not present in him and it wasn't as though he would be able to finish his sketch of the toy since there were quite a few others (mostly younger children) eying the toy. More than the toy, the kids reminded him of his last travel with Lander.
”Lander, look. Lander look!” a young Evan exclaimed.
Lander turned over to see Evan grabbing the side of his tunic and pointing at a small, wooden cylinder lying on the table of the adjacent booth. The two children were watching over the stand whilst their parents were helping load a cart with a crop of potatoes. Next to their shop was a man that was slouched over a pad and ink. His spectacles betrayed his age and experience in the toy-making craft. Toys ranging from stuffed dolls to wooden puzzles were displayed for passing customers.
The small toy was lacquered a reddish brown color, reminiscent of cherrywood. From his distance, the details were unclear, but the fact that Evan was so interested in the toy meant that Lander was likely to be dragged into his brother’s shenanigans. Evan led the way with a reluctant brother tow toward the small booth. As it turned out, the wooden apparatus was actually a puzzle where the goal was to lead the ball inside down a winding path and out of the hole at the end.
“Evan, don’t touch it, it’s not yours,” Lander whispered.
“Oh.” Evan put back the toy with a look of remorse. “’m sorry sir.”
The old man’s face was expressionless, more fixated on patching up a doll than the two children.
“How about this Evan? We save up our money and the next time we come back, we can buy all the toys we want,” Lander asked warmly.
“Yeah!"
Looking back, Evan should not have been surprised that there wasn’t a “next time” to visit the flea markets or play pretend, but there were times when he wished that he could run into Lander, be it by chance or by fate. Even if the chances were nigh impossible, they didn’t stop him from doing something about it, not entirely anyway. He would just have to keep traveling until he found a lead. Of course, he was within city limits of…something?
Unlike the last city he resided in, Evan did not have the slightest feeling of familiarity in what appeared to be the military base, nor in any of the surroundings. The only reason he suspected that the city was Ashcroft was due to the map. The area was a military base, surrounded by soldiers as well as mountainous borders. The weather was somewhat colder than the rest of Mishkan, air thin due to the higher altitude. He shivered a slight as he approached one of the soldiers who was busy peeling an apple.
“Is this area Ashcroft?” Evan paused for a moment,”…sir.”
The private, a few inches shorter than Evan, nodded after taking a bite. “What is your business in Ashcroft?”
“I need to travel to Aqua,” Evan replied, “I have a letter from Corporal Mercier to meet so that I can join and-“
“-Stop. You do not need to tell me the entire story.” The soldier cut him off, muttering about how strange the Imperial Guard’s recruiting processes were. “Do you have a map, boy?”
Evan nodded and handed the older man the parchment. During his search for Linda Reese he had purchased a newer map once he realized how hard it would be to navigate Shyregoed on intuition alone. Unfortunately for the private, the map was riddled with light ink marks, products of Evan’s attempts to remind himself of where to depart to.
“Listen boy, if you want to find Aqua you need to be able to read your map,” the soldier chided, “and this-“ he gestured to the ink stains”-is not going to help you.”
Evan’s face fell, but thanked the soldier for his help nonetheless. “You just need to keep traveling west, toward Helios. Once you see Ventus, head south and you will find Aqua,” the soldier instructed.
“Thank you,” Evan said, “I cannot tell you how much this mea-“
“I’ve heard it before lad, just go already,” the soldier responded with a laugh, “we need more spirited men like you.”
Struck by hope, Evan left the next morning with a small smile and a big, black circle around Aqua, Helios.
Punani chans
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:22 pm
(see part one for prompt!)
From Mishkan to Helios, Evan felt himself thinking, not about his brother, but that he was going to be part of the Guard. What was once a fantasy would become an actual, tangible reality. It was a new feeling for him since, like most of his goals, becoming a Guardsman didn’t feel real. Part of him doubted that it would actually happen in spite of his steps toward achieving it. As a child he was too forgetful and too easily distracted in order to focus on a craft. He never showed promise, but here he was, only one mission away from being a private. In some ways, this goal overshadowed that of finding Lander. True, his brother was still on his mind, but for now that quest was pushed to the bottom of the priorities list.
Helios.
He looked up at the curved, marble structure that enclosed the capital of Panymium with a renewed sense of awe, reminded of the first time that he entered with Mercier’s unit. The walls were still the same, stone color but they were ten times more daunting. Men were milling in and out of the entrance in units, flanked by calvarymen on each side. They were all dressed to journey far beyond central Panymium (perhaps to the west), bearing the same flag that Stone held when they marched a while back. It was reassuring that he belonged there and so he entered the encapsulated city, finding that the interior was similarly intimidating. Everyone seemed to move with purpose, as though they were a military unit of their own. Though they were not marching in single file, they all knew where to go and which route to take. With each step he had to dodge a passerby and swerve past another, going against the flow of the Aquan machine. And yet, no one noticed him. Neither his towering stature nor his putrid weather vane deterred the busy citizens. Evan sucked in his gut as he weaved through the crowd, identifying his military unit by the robust stallion that Mercier was riding on. The image was worthy of an oil painting (so much so that someone had to bump into Evan to divert his attention).
He shook himself and pulled out the letter that his future leader had mailed him. He wasn’t here to admire the troop. He was here to walk among them. He approached the corporal from the left of the squad, his expression firm and straightforward.
”Corporal Mercier!”
Evan saluted the higher-ranked man.
”I, Evan Gabel, come before you as per your letter to…”Evan looked down for a moment before his eyes darted back up and he saluted once more, ”...to be here, in Aqua, before the Winter’s end. It would be an honor to march under you, with your men.”
For good measure Evan unfolded the letter and handed it to Mercier, waiting for the older male’s assessment. The corporal’s face was silent for a few moments before breaking out in a light chuckle . ”Welcome to our unit Evan Gabel,” Mercier replied as he pocketed the letter, ”try not to look so stiff. After all, you have marched with us before.”
His blasé reply relaxed Evan, leaving him to give (another) final salute to his superior as he was tossed a uniform. ”Sorry kid, we don’t have time to take your measurements so you’ll just have to make do with this,” one of the military men said apologetically. Evan nodded, putting down his things to adorn the jacket. He was used to ill-fitting clothes and borrowed wear so it was nothing new. He buttoned the jacket straight to the top despite the discomfort around the neck. The jacket must have seen battle for there were faint patches of brown and loose threads around the armpits, indicating a quick alteration to what would be the normal uniform. His upper half was bulky with defined shoulders and a bulky torso, something a bit rarer given the impact of the famine. Still, wearing the (nearly) new article clothing was powerful. It was as though he was a man now, not a boy, but a man. He had clothes that were fit for a soldier. He had proof that he left Auvinus and did well for himself. He could even go back to his farm. There were many familiar faces lined up in the squad, one in particular standing out due to the flag he was waving. Though it was not entirely noticeable, Stone had grown since the last time that they met. The fit of his uniform was fuller, particularly around the arms and shoulders. Evan could tell that the boy’s body was adapting well to the military lifestyle.
”Stone!”
Stone glanced over as the corporal gave orders to open the southern gate. Seeing the Gabel boy, he couldn’t help but notice a difference, not in physicality but demeanor. Though Evan had neither grown nor shrunk, the way he carried himself was much more serious. The joy from seeing an old friend seemed diminished to a small smile and a hand wave as the farm boy assumed his position in the back.
”I haven’t seen you in months. How have you been?” Stone asked, hoisting the flag above his head.
”Nothing special,”Evan answered with a shrug,”I’ve been doing the same thing as always.”
Stone frowned inwardly, glancing at Evan once more. Something about his voice was distant. Rather than the boy who stuck out because he clashed with another soldier, this Evan was simply…disconnected.
”Did you have any luck finding your brother?”
Again Evan shrugged, this time his smile faltering. The answer was already obvious on his face as he carried the (still broken) weather vane in one hand and nothing in the other.
”I know he’s out there,”Evan said, deflecting the question”but that’s not what this trip is about.”
Stone raised an eyebrow. ”What made you change your mind?”
”A hero needs to find his own path right?”
”I suppose so,” Stone said with a chuckle.
Evan knew he made a big deal out of finding his brother, but even if that were true he did not want to factor into whether or not he could join. He knew that the image of him breaking down when he thought Lander died was burned into everyone’s mind so perpetuating that would only serve to make him look less fit for the military than he already was.
”But you know, we thought you were pretty brave for standing up to Jones,” Stone continued, glancing over at the other members.
”Are you kidding?”asked Evan,”There’s nothing brave about randomly insulting another soldier. I had no idea what I was saying. “
”Well Jones was kind of a d**k Jones had a habit of being inflammatory.”” Stone shrugged, stretching his shoulders, ”if you didn’t, I’m sure someone else would have.”
Evan blushed, feeling as embarrassed as when he first read the letter. How could he respond to such praise? He didn’t deserve it, like how Jones didn’t deserve to be booted from the unit. He looked away at the sun and continued to walk until the bright, yellow hues became a gradient of orange to red. They were only a short distance from Nyelle, but he felt himself growing tired from the monotonous march. In contrast, Stone looked entirely content to bear the heavy flag along with his (expensive looking) uniform. Yes, everyone was dressed perfectly, somehow keeping their uniforms crisp and clean while Evan’s dirty gloves were holding a weather vane rather than having a sword or rifle (not that he would have it any other way). He was not fit for battle and would more likely be killed than provide any real assistance.
He was not Lander.
The sound of a horn brought a small, gated fort to the attention of all members of the squad, halting the march and allowing rest for the weary travelers. They had trekked half a day’s worth with the promise of a feast to keep them marching toward the final stretch of road. Now that they were here, all the men were ready to stampede the fort’s dining commons; however, the soldiers knew better than to show such disrespect to the area. After all, their corporal was watching.
”Men, we have made great progress, though our journey to Foxbrook is still long. Keep in mind that we will be leaving tomorrow at the crack of dawn, so rest early and eat well,“ Mercier announced, dismounting from his horse.
He gazed over each soldier’s face, stoic and firm before speaking one final word.
”Dismissed!”
A collective sigh could be heard as every person relaxed, stretching out their muscles, walking inside, or simply resting their eyes.
”I’m almost there Lander,”
He headed inside as the men and women of the Nyelle bas gathered around the dining area, splitting off into their respective cliques to enjoy the stew, bread, and cider bestowed upon them.
Since the Spring, there has been a strange sluggishness in trade activity along the Arcana River. This has led to some disruption and delay of commerce between all five kingdoms. It has led to a great many complaints from merchants, and it seems the nature of their concerns are growing quite significant, as they do not cite hardship from weather or disease: they instead claim that outlaws along the great River have steadily gained power over the past year.
Ranked privates and privates alike who are able will convene at Mishkan to address this issue once and for all. Groups will be assigned in the Ashcroft fortress by matching skills and assets. Arrive by September 1st to report to the corporals. Upstanding privates will be in charge of leading their teams on their three marked routes.
If you are to find any outlaws, prepare to bring them in alive.
Do your best, Captain Karina Weyer.
Recommendations: All three of you have received slightly different alterations of the letter depending on your character's marked skills and assets. Be sure to share what you have!
One roleplay is recommended at the convention in Ashcroft. Since privates with honors are the "leaders" of these survey missions, Ainsley is the one who chooses her group.
At least one roleplay per route is recommended. All three routes start at the northmost point of the Arcana River, then separate from there like a fork.
One roleplay at Sulphur with your findings is recommended. Please contact Rookeries to start this.
Feel free to do these roleplays in the form of IMs or formal threads.
NPCS: Captain Karina Weyer the officer in charge of the investigations along the Arcana River.
The corporal Ainsley and co. will report to in Sulphur is the same corporal that they will meet in Ashcroft. Please feel free to make a corporal up for the convenience of this mission.
After this, Evan and Ezekiel will be promoted to privates with honors, and Ainsley will be nominated as a corporal candidate.
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