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 Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:39 am
Knights in shining armor... _______________________...Don't exist.
Fortunately, the “leader” of this motley crew seemed to deal more kindly with those that were late than he, himself was.
Charming smile still in place, he nodded his thanks, taking a few steps forward into the room and allowing the azure curtain to sway back into its original position. Clutching onto his messenger bag’s strap with one hand, the gothic man began to scan the room for open seats. Once he determined that the front of the room held more allure than the antisocial back, his booted feet were put into motion…only to be halted by a curious sound.
Something bad was about to happen. He could just feel it.
Blinking in curiosity, the albino turned as he heard both a masculine and feminine voice behind him, then the sound of someone tripping…
Tripping straight into him.
A half-masked gaze going wide in surprise, all the martial art training in the world could not have prepared him for this sudden onslaught. Without much time for his body to think of a reaction, the tall albino suddenly found himself colliding with a slightly younger, light haired brunette. And though he did try very hard to keep his balance, the added weight of his bag and swords did little to keep him from falling backwards. Crumbling to the ground, flat on his back, the scarred man let out a cry of anguish as the swords strapped to his back dug painfully into his spine. But that he could have dealt with. This man could deal with pain. He could even deal with the embarrassment of falling in front of people that very well may become his comrades.
But he could not handle the fact that there was another person with a Y chromosome so close to him…much less on top of him.
Cheeks flushing the slightest tinge of scarlet, the albino’s eyes widened upon realization before quickly pushing the other off of him with mumbled curse words slipping from his tongue. Scrambling quickly to his feet, breath coming in slightly deep gasps, the sapphire-eyed man’s gaze did not leave his offender for a time. He realized that it was potentially not this kid’s fault for running into him…but all the same, the klutz had knocked him over and put him in a highly uncomfortable situation.
He was making a great first impression, at that. Terrific. Fantastic. These people would remember him as the late, stumbling idiot that smelled slightly of fruit juice.
This was just the best ******** day ever.
And as much as he wanted to say something smart to this kid, as much as he wanted to mouth off how much of a…uuugh.
People were undoubtedly staring at him and this stranger now…and he did not want to further his terrible first impression by also making everyone think he was a complete jerk.
That, could come later.
“The name’s DKay…” spoke the gothic man, adjusting the cloak so it once again fit around his shoulders and obscured his wiry frame in some shadow, pulling his shirt down a bit from becoming ruffled in the fall. “And I…”
If he told them his official business, why he was collecting the Relics, would they allow him to travel with them?
Well, he needed to get this all out in the open. There was no sense in him wasting his time traveling with a group which would only give him trouble in the end.
“I’m on assignment to collect the Relics. Once all of you are done with them, having made your wishes…”
Did they actually think these things would work?
“All I ask is that I be allowed to take them to my employer.”
Well, there really was not elegant way of saying that; and he had been as honest as possible…
His sapphire gaze moving slowly around the room as he spoke, DKay’s slightly narrowed stare once again rested on the stranger that had bumped into him, pale lips moving with only a hint of sarcasm, “And next time, please learn to walk through a door rather than tackling innocent by-standers.”
Well…he just could not help himself. At least that statement was much nicer than the several other things he had thought of to say.  __________________________________________________________________________________________ But dragons live forever.
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:38 pm
 Oh dear. There was so much going on; Eirian could barely keep up with it all. Of course, this was nothing compared to the chaos of the cities. It reminded her more of a small glimpse of the larger picture. A few more people had arrived--a tiny elf and a distant Sagittarius--before the one she'd earlier pegged as skitterish suddenly shouted at something. Eirian hadn't been paying him much mind, so the Pisces had no idea what his problem was. And then, near the shapeshifter, the young woman who had sent the fliers out knocked a pair of potions onto the floor. One of the bottles broke--the one containing invisibility, unfortunately--and almost immediately a portion of the floor and bit of her lavender robe disappeared. Hm. Well, at least the potion worked. In any event, another woman had arrived, this one as short as the elf.
I never would have expected this many people to show interest in the Relics. This is getting a bit ridiculous, honestly.
Shaking her head slightly, the young woman directed her gaze towards the ceiling. All these people...would they all actually end up traveling together? In all honesty, she doubted that this variety of people could hold together as a cohesive group for very long. Unless the girl in the lavender cloak planned on splitting this larger group into smaller teams to go after different relics. That, at least, would make some sense. After all, some signs were not welcome in certain places, and the likelihood of one of the relics being hidden in such a location was quite high.
Eirian's mind barely registered the entrance of the centaur. A centaur doctor, at that. Although she was hardly thrilled with the newest arrival, Eirian tossed her thoughts away and continued to focus on the ceiling. Now was hardly the proper time to allow past events to cloud her opinions of present individuals.
Before too long, the lavender-clothed girl decided to begin the meeting. Finally. Eirian did not direct her gaze towards the girl during her monologue. Listening did not involve looking, after all. Staring at the ceiling was almost easier, anyway. This girl, though. Eirian almost wanted to rebuke her. It might have been slightly hypocritical of her, but why was this girl here instead of with her sister? Instead of spending more time with the dying girl, she was off chasing something that possibly wasn't even real. That time would have been wasted then. Her own situation was different, of course. Eirian had nothing to lose. If the relics were indeed nothing more than legend, then she hadn't really lost anything during her time devoted to them.
It's her choice, though. You can't change that, and you really ought not judge it either.
The closing words of the Scorpio's monologue finally drew Eirian's gaze. In Mirr? If she hadn't heard the desperate honesty in the girl's voice, Eirian certain would have discarded that last sentence as folly. How, though, could something like a relic remain hidden for so long in a place like Mirr? It didn't make any sense. The thoughts whirling through her mind left her unaware of the next person to enter the room. Even if Eirian had noticed, however, she likely would have dismissed the individual anyway. Arriving late to something like this probably meant that the tan girl had no real interest. Instead, however, the Pisces stared at the incident transpiring between the centaur and the skitterish one. Although she imagined that having a centaur squish one's hand would be quite painful, it quickly became apparent that the boy had no such issues. No, his hand was made of metal, and consequently there was no such pain invovled. Eirian suspected that this was the reason for his odd behavior. He wasn't so much skitterish as he was ashamed of his appearance.
For the next visitor, Eirian's attention lingered upon the Taurus male as he spoke, although she soon looked back towards the lavender cloaked woman as she revealed her name. Vesper. That should be easy enough to remember. And then, much to Eirian's dismay, Vesper suggested that everyone ought to introduce themselves. No one had the opportunity to do so, however, for yet another interested pair arrived. If arrived was exactly the best word. Eirian felt that "caused a commotion" fit better. Ah. That poor black-clad man who hadn't moved away from the doorway. With the arrival of what she assumed were twins, the male sibling ended up colliding into the unaware man and the two both ended up on the ground. How awful, and yet how amusing at the same time. The pale man clearly disliked this turn of events. DKay, as he identified himself, chose to reveal his reason for seeking the relics after rising from the ground. On assignment, though? So he likely did not believe in the alleged power of the relics then. Which meant he was only after ice. Unless she'd completely misread him, anyway...
Now, to deal with the whole introductions thing.
The Pisces woman did not rise from her seat, instead settling for lifting one gloved hand up in a subtle way of identifying herself as the speaker. "My name is Eirian. Knowing anything more than that at this point is really quite unnecessary."
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:40 pm
When you have all the ice you could ever want...
 If there was one word to describe Kaiya’s feelings right now, it would probably be “ecstatic.” Although there was also that feeling of being overwhelmed that was currently trying to worm its way into first, she gamely tried to keep the veneer coolness as she examined the conglomeration of signs and races that had gathered. It was a mess in here, and she would be hard put to describe the gathering to Tanwen, who would certainly be grilling her when she got back Valedesta. Well not, literally, or even really figuratively, since the phoenix couldn’t actually speak, but Kaiya always knew when that gimlet gaze was singling out that missed detail she’d somehow forgotten. Perhaps she ought to start keeping a diary to keep track of the events occurring helter-skelter around her. Too bad she had no pen and paper on her at the moment, it would have made things much easier. Wait. She did have paper… there was that flier she hadn’t thrown away yet. Now all she needed was something to write with. Rummaging through the pockets of her bag, she found a tiny pencil hidden in the lining of the bag. Perfect. She knew that her obsession with objects of her relative size would do her good some day.
Her hand began moving over the paper, faithfully transcribing everything she could see and hear. Though her eyes never strayed to the page, anyone who was looking was likely to see only scribbling, for her handwriting, lovely and neat though it was, was not in any known language ever used in Steria. It was in fact her own shorthand language used for writing notes when she wished to record things quickly and accurately. She’d probably be able to read everything spoken that day back to those who had originally said the words if they ever bothered to ask her to. Still, even with her strange and easily written symbols, it was hard to keep up with the occurrences going on.
There were so many people, with more coming in every few minutes… could this many people believe in the relics and want to find them or were they all just desperate for adventure as she was? There was the Scorpio, Vesper, who seemed to be in charge, telling her story. Mark one for those who hopelessly needed to believe in the wishes of the Relics. Then there was the childishly rude Capricorn who had interrupted and asked for her name without giving his own. The stern and serious seeming Virgo centaur who stepped on the mechanical hand of one Brett Collins who nervously spouted off about his hands and the talent that had made the dragon he was searching for. The man and woman who were staring into each other; perhaps it was love at first sight, she giggled to herself. The Aquarius she hadn’t noticed earlier who seemed to have set himself up as the door guard, the elf who seemed to be about her height, or maybe even shorter; that was new. The girl who watched everything with crimson eyes.
Her hand was beginning to ache and she was running out of paper, but the meeting had only just begun when the Gemini woman came in, oh, someone just like her, tan and hair color alike, though there was a bit of a dissemblance in their heights. Or maybe more than just a bit. She was followed by a thin pale man who was quickly tumbled over by the Leo boy and a girl who seemed to be his sister who seemed to be known as Kin and Sinai.
Kaiya grabbed at the pile of remaining fliers on a nearby table, determined not to miss a beat in her note-taking, catching the name and subsequent remarks of the man who had been toppled over. So that made one who wanted only the Ice, she hadn’t even thought of that as a motive, but, she reasoned to herself, it wasn’t as if that was unexpected since Ice was usually the last thing on her mind. The crimson-eyed girl was named Eirian, and chose to keep her own reasons hidden. Well that wasn’t too surprising, who wanted a group of random strangers to know their dreams and wishes? Besides that Vesper girl, of course, but she had probably only told her story in an effort to get them all to understand and sympathize with her so that everyone helped her. She’d need the help after all.
Then, through the random thoughts and the unthinking note-taking, she realized that they were giving introductions. Well she couldn’t remain anonymous forever. Or she could, but Tanwen would be so angry if she didn’t take part in the adventure to the maximum of her ability. She opened her mouth and shut it again to wet her suddenly parched tongue. She could do this, right? For goodness sakes, she had just won a water polo match in front of far more people than this. Public speaking wasn’t really her strong point, but it couldn’t be that bad, could it?
She knew the answer to that one. It definitely could. Your life will go back to being as boring as can be if you can’t even do this one simple thing. Your name was all that was requested. This will be for yourself and for Tanwen, so go ahead.
She seriously wished she were angry. If she were angry, like when that idiot had stopped her at the entrance, then she would easily be able to speak up. Trying to recall the sense of injustice from that encounter to summon courage, she failed miserably, but her failure did one good thing for her. She hated to lose, and failing was too much like losing for her taste, even if the loss was to herself; she wasn’t about to make a habit of losing now after all these years.
“My name is Kaiya Eshana L-” she shut her mouth with what was likely a very audible click as she bit off her last name. These people didn’t need to know who her parents were; they’d probably treat her differently if they knew, and her last name wasn’t that common to be unnoticed. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances.”
There’s that formal language again, she thought with an inner cringe, Now they’ll think I’m putting on airs Oh well, at least she had finished and the limelight could shift away from her now.
... the only thing you need is a grand adventure.
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:50 pm
The place was turning into a madhouse.
Astrid leaned against the furthest back wall, keeping icy eyes low to the floor and avoiding any accidental eye contact. It was best she stayed away from the pandemonium. People were getting stepped on, all while the poor girl at the front struggled to keep things under control. Perhaps now would be the best time to leave…
But then he walked through the door.
Well, s**t.
She couldn’t leave now. Not while he was blocking the door like that.
The young Gemini examined the man as inconspicuously as she could. She did not want him to notice her. He had removed his turtleneck.
Obviously, her drink had been right on target.
And for some reason, Astrid began to feel a bit bad for the guy…
…He was only trying to help you, after all….
Her train of thought was quite rudely interrupted when the tall man was tackled to the floor. 
This meeting was just getting crazier and crazier.
And…. Oh, great. Introductions.
Time for her to go.
A spare flyer from earlier was trapped under her boot. The word desire glinted up at her from the page.
So silly…
Only a child would believe such things. She blinked.
But maybe…
What if they did exist?
Flashbacks from her previous life played at the edge of her mind. Too painful to remember, she wouldn’t let them get all the way through, but they were there.
What if she could have it all back?
Silly…
There was no way.
But… she did need an escape plan. She couldn’t just stay in Mirr. And from what Astrid had gathered, they would be travelling all over Steria. Which was perfect.
Plus, she figured she owed the guy an apology… DKay, that was his name.
She’d stay a bit longer. At least, for now.
It seemed as if the place had calmed a bit. Order was restored. Introductions were given. Vesper. DKay. Kin. Sinai. Eirian. Kaiya. Such strange names, all of them. Good thing she was good with names. This would be pretty difficult with a bad memory, and with still half the room to go. She supposed it was her turn. Best not to waste time fidgeting around acting like children, waiting for a brave soul to speak up.
“I’m Astrid.” Her eyes flicked briefly over to the tall, pale man. If he hadn’t noticed her lurking at the back yet, he surely would now. “Umm…I guess you could say I just came for the adventure. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision. I’m a pretty skilled with guns though, so I’m sure I can help at least a little. Especially if we run into anything dangerous. Umm…yeah. The end.”
She smiled lightheartedly, forgetting that no one could see her mouth underneath her bandana.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:11 pm
 ______________V.S.______________
Just before he had the chance to move, Kin felt his smaller frame shoved from the pale Taurus. His only visible eye shot the older male a splintering glare. As dignified as Kinai could be, he stood and dusted himself off, muttering a few words to himself. Not too long after his gaze shot back to his cushion as if to say, “What?” Surprisingly the little “prince” hadn’t spouted anything off to the albino. Of course not…why would he risk embarrassing himself further? Granted…there were eyes on the pair, thusly meaning attention had be brought.
Kin’s eye only left…DKay, as he put it, long enough to shoot his twin a venomous stare.
Sinai’s smile faded once her brother shot her that look. It’s not like she had meant to shove him into someone. Quietly she listened to the Taurus’ reasoning on being there. So…he wasn’t a believer…how sad.
Her eyes widened as the sarcasm spread past DKay’s lips. Well, her twin’s reaction wouldn’t be appreciated if he were allowed to react how he pleased to such a comment. Quickly the female, gripped the back of her brother’s collar and tugged, mercilessly hard.
Perfect timing on her part. Fists and teeth were clenched together and retaliation was certain to ensue from Kin’s point of view. He was ready to create a bigger scene than necessary to snap on this jerk. Of course…he never got the chance with being choked back and all.
Silent squabbling lasted for mere seconds until the next person spoke. Ah, right…introductions. Like the young adults that the pair was, they listened carefully to each introduction. Mental notes were taken inside the young male’s mind. Unfortunately, not much could be gained from a first impression.I want the end of the world; you want the new.
I want a new beginning; you ask for destruction.
(Bleh. Stupid internet. Yeah it's super short; sorry guys. =(
At least you don't have a lot to read? >~>;; )
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:53 pm
----------The music filled her with joy and whirling skirts of every colour flashed in her vision. Linking arms alternately and weaving in and out of the lines, she eventually came back to her original partner and they saluted. Leather soles slapped the street’s stones in time to the song, as the instruments and drum’s beat quickened while building in a crescendo. Smiles lit the dancers’ sweaty faces as they leaped in unison one final time, and finished in an impressive group pose, slamming to the ground with the cymbals’ final crash.
----------Applause and cheering erupted from the crowd and open windows where the residents of apartments above the street’s shops had paused to watch the show. The dancers relaxed and spread out in a line, took their bows, and straightened, grinning. Waving and shouting thanks, they accepted donations from their well-pleased audience. Congratulating each other, they helped the musicians pack up their instruments and shed their more flamboyant costume pieces. The pleasant chinking of coins dropping into collection sacks and hats continued for a few moments more, as the crowd broke up and dispersed and casual onlookers turned their attentions to wares proffered at various stands. The calls of shop owners and street vendors resumed, pitched over the hustle and bustle of passerby, extolling value and promising bargains.
----------Evy laughed, exhaling some of the residual tensions from the performance. A great heavy hand descended on her back and drove the remaining breath from her. Gasping, she stumbled forward and whirled to face its owner.
----------“Great job Vi! You were great today!” She grinned, panting slightly, and looked up at the tall drummer.
----------“Thanks Derreck. The music was inspiring today, as usual.” Derreck nodded thanks to the praise. She sighed contentedly, “I feel so alive!”
----------A short girl a few years older than Evy ran up to the two, beaming, carrying three packed sacks. “Great haul today guys, real success. Either these shoppers are fresh from a payday, or they’re seriously generous when it comes to rewarding quality entertainment.”
----------“I saw a group of cute richies from some wealthy families eying you during your Mountain Tribute solo.” Evy playfully elbowed Derreck, and shot a covert wink at the other girl.
----------“Mmm that’s right,” piped the girl, catching on. “I was near them during that part. I heard them giggling and swooning.”
----------“Is that right Vera?” Evy continued, “Can you remember anything specific?” Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
----------“Oh yess.” replied Vera, fully enjoying her role. “I distinctly remember the phrase ‘madly muscled mountain of a man. Tall, dark and handsome, sooo my type.’ Oooh those arms! I just want to eat him up!”
----------“Ohh his strength!” chimed Evy.
----------“His eyes devour me!”
----------“No he’s mine!”
----------“Oh! Be still my heart!” Their voices swelled with overdone drama.
----------“Alright, enough!” Derreck interrupted their charade. His voice sounded fed-up, though calm enough; he was red-faced all the same.
----------“Ohhh!” Evy exclaimed and sighed in ecstasy. Her arm swept up in a dramatic crescent arc to touch the back of her hand to her forehead. She fainted climactically in Vera’s arms, and the girls collapsed in giggles.
----------“Hilarious.” His deep voice dripped sarcasm, though he smiled. “Come on you ragamuffins. Let’s help pack up the caravan before everyone else decides we deserve less ice at cut time.”
----------A few hours later the troupe filled the majority of the dim bar’s tables, and their apparent mirth was contagious for the other customers. Mugs and utensils clinked and the muted thud and scuffs of boots on heavy wood mingled with ribald jokes, laughter, and hearty conversation. Surrounded by seven fellow performers at her table, Evy recounted and stashed the day’s pay. She smiled, grateful and pleased by the day’s work, and dug into her meal hungrily.
----------“But boy was that fun today!” Vera turned to Evy. “Did you feel it too Vi? I was on fire today!”
----------“Yah, you were good Vera,” said a youth from across the round table. He sported a three-tailed colourful hat and rested both feet on the oaken tabletop, ankles crossed, tipping back in his chair. “And so were you Viv. It’s great having some fresh blood in the group. Our numbers are better than ever.” He smiled appreciatively.
----------“Thanks guys. It was really fun today, I had a great time.” Evy smiled genuinely but shifted slightly in her chair. What is this? Guilt? She may have felt a twinge of discomfort from the open compliments, but there was something else that caused her insides to squirm. She placed the feeling and realized that it was a reaction to their use of the name she had given them, a fake name.
----------“I’m so happy Mamma B brought you in Vi.” Vera threw an arm around her shoulders and lifted her mug of ale. “Thanks for Vi!” she cheered and took a swig, the rest followed suit.
----------“Thanks for Vivian!” Echoed Derreck and the rest of the table, and they drank with gusto.
----------Some time later, the tavern had quieted considerably, and Evy was left picking at a cold leg of chicken. Derreck slumped in his chair, groggily determined to stay awake, and losing the battle – the young man beside him was already passed out, arms splayed on the table, the loser of their drinking game. Vera idly played with a puzzle ring, humming distractedly. Evy cleared her throat.
----------“It’s been a great week.” she started.
----------“Yup. But you’re leaving tonight, aren’t you.” Vera answered, looking up.
----------“Yes.” Evy said simply. She was mildly surprised that the other young woman had seen it coming. “Just for a little bit, though. I want to see more of the city, and maybe find an apartment for myself. I can’t sleep in the props wagon forever.”
----------“So you’ll join us again?”
----------“Yes.” As she said it, Evy could feel the comfort of certainty play at the edges of her mind. She could be this Vivian. She’d be happy with this life. The troupe was a warm home, full of a quirky sort of love, and the fulfillment that came from a good performance. However, it wasn’t too demanding, and they lived a traveler’s lifestyle. Members frequently left for a time, and joined up again at a later date. “But I’m not going to get all clingy on you guys just because I’ve decided to like you.” She cracked a lopsided grin.
----------“Need any help packing?” Vera gave up on the ring and stuck it in a pocket.
----------“I don’t really have anything big –” her casual comment was interrupted by a sudden movement and Vera launched herself into Evy’s unsuspecting arms. She sat on the startled girl’s lap and curled up on her back.
----------“Meow. Meow!” The girl playfully swatted at Evy’s nose. “Pack me!”
----------Evy tipped back in her chair and the pair fell to the floor, shrieking and giggling. They wrestled and tickled each other, and eventually their burst of energy subsided. They lay on the filthy floor, catching their breath, and soon stood up, brushing dust from their clothes.
----------“So I’ll see you around then.” Vera hugged Evy. “any definite plans?”
----------“Not really. But if you take a break for a bit before I’m back, leave a note with someone in case I get back first, while you’re gone.”
----------“Yup. Will do. Don’t forget to practice, too.”
----------“Right.” Evy righted her chair and left a small tip on the table. “Have a good night! Bye.”
----------“Bye.”
----------She passed a few other troupe members on the way out and they wished her well. She left the tavern and went around back to collect her things from the props wagon. She thanked Mamma B, who was still up, writing a new play, and promised to return. Catching sight of a clock, she realized it was only just before the sixth evening bell would ring from the city’s clock tower. Everyone had been up quite late the night before, and had woken before dawn to assemble their makeshift stage in a new part of town. Then there had been warm ups and rehearsals, advertising, and finally three separate shows throughout the day, each set up, performed, taken down, and remade at different locations. Tomorrow would be a rest day, so there was a small party of sorts. Everyone was exhausted.
----------Well, that means I can wander about for a bit before I settle down for the night. Evy thought to herself. She strolled down the street and saw lantern boys begin lighting the streetlamps with long, thin torches, refilling oil and replacing candles where needed. The fading daylight left the sky gray, as the sun surrendered to night, and the street was somewhat more quiet, if not empty just yet. Evy saw a few street vendors lock up their carts, while others still entertained customers in their stalls. A couple passed, arm in arm, clearly in the throes of young love, still in the first stages of infatuation. She turned to look in windows and her eyes passed over numerous posters and bulletins, old and new.
----------Evy thought back to her departure. She smiled at the ease of her bond with Vera. They weren’t terribly close yet, but they certainly got along well, and Evy enjoyed the spunky older girl’s company. Yes, she also greatly appreciated the troupe’s values and quality of life. She could spend some time apart and return without missing a beat. She found that she needed variety in life, and this sort of transient home was perfect.
----------However, yesterday she had realized that to stay now, without a little more adventuring first would slow her progress in self-discovery. She was giving in to her happier half without bringing her whole self to the experience. She still needed to reconcile her past deeds and current abilities with her sense of morality. Before she had come across the group, she had been pondering the existence of purpose, and the control she had in her life and others’. With all the people she met, she learned something, but she was kept so busy with the troupe, that she had little time left to think. So she would go back there later.
----------For now, she needed other work to do. She perused more signs with tempered interest. Then a very unique poster caught her eye.
----------“Wanted…free potion…Reward…one million ice?!” The last part jolted her and her eyes flicked back to the top of the poster to read the details properly.
----------Hmmm, the Relics… The realness of the relics had never been a question for Evelyn, though their current existence might. She had accepted them as a part of history, real, but part of the past. It was doubtful that all twelve of them remained, to this day, intact, in the lands of Steria. However… this quest posed an interesting challenge. She would surely meet the most interesting of people, and would be able to debate many a pertinent philosophical or moral question, internally, or even with other questers. Her eyes flicked back to double check the time and location.
----------Show up late or not at all? She hoisted her pack a little higher on her back, and shifted her weight from foot to foot in indecision. Then the deep note of a bell tolled through the streets, the clock tower marked the hour. Evy sighed and turned about.
She set off at a trot, taking the fastest route to Club Vanyah.
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:36 pm
I am the Great Pretender
________willing to dream forever. I'll just float away and
let the waves keep pulling me in.
↓  Well this was certainly turning into quite a party. The number of people was increasing and so was Riu’s discomfort. Sure, he liked people well enough…but this cramped room along with his ability wasn’t looking too good. At least he was clothed head to toe with the exception of his face.
Eyes swerved over to one of the new comers, a man with snowy hair. Sheesh, wasn’t he just a sight? Little did the Pisces know…he would be. But again, his attention averted to the cute little miss in the front. Boy did he get distracted way too easily with all the commotion. Pretty soon it would be hard for him to just sit still and composed. Introductions—eh couldn’t they avoid it? Perhaps not. It was a little bit necessary. Of course, this gentleman decided it best not to dive in so early.
Alas—commotion again.
And as his head turned just a bit to the doorframe, he quickly felt sorry for the Taurus whom he might have silently mocked for his own little reason in his mind. However, no one deserved to be fallen on. Poor guy. Riuichi simply shook his head at the unfortunates that had been caught in such an awkward fall. Recovery wasn’t really in the new comers favor either, not in the brunette’s book.
More introductions followed suit. After the so called, DKay, came the other Pisces. And he took Pisces for being more polite. Apparently not in Eirian’s case. But there was no need to jump to conclusions or judging that was rather rude. The girl must have had a reason for not wishing to stand while she gave her introduction. To each their own. The other to come after the Pisces woman was another of the female variety. Kaiya was her name, and wasn’t she nice? So far. Introductions didn’t mean much, not if they were all seriously traveling together. Sure it was meant to learn names, but aside from that…no one could really gain any tangible information on an individual accurately without interacting with them. Oh, the fun.
Well, the term, “ladies first” was certainly taking on a new meaning here. Actually, DKay was the only exception to this—he hadn’t really seemed to of had a choice but to introduce himself, and the one named Kinai hadn’t physically introduced himself either—his sister had done that for him. A smile formed on the young man’s lips as he mused over this. It was amusing.
Now then, this final female took Riu’s interest quite fast. She was a gunner? My, my, he would have too much fun with this. Curiosity formed in the back of his mind, wondering who was indeed more skilled. Yeah, this staff he carried—mainly for looks…and magic. Yes, he could fight with it, but his real talent was hidden beneath the cloak in the form of metal. Astrid was a definite person to keep in mind.
Now was his time to interrupt the flow of female introductions. The magician rose to his feet to his full height, standing straight and composed before bowing to everyone. “It’s my pleasure to meet you all; I am Riuichi Tamagowa,” he introduced. There was absolutely no way he was going to introduce himself in full. With his bloodline—no one would admit to being a Theodoric unless his or her intentions were cruel. Not to mention...there might be those that have heard of his name. “I’m a traveler looking for adventure and a way to keep moving,” he finished with a soft smile, fake—however undetectable. Only one person in this room had seen his real smile, and it wasn’t even Miss. Vesper.
His body folded back into the chair, his head turning to face the once again cloaked woman. “It would be lovely to know your name, miss,” he said with his hand offered out, suggesting that the Sagittarius go next. Riu wanted to learn the name of this mysterious young lady he had had a most definite connection with.
↑
I'll just hang out here and
watch the world pass over my head. I'm still believing
all of the things you said.
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:39 pm
 ♥A Heart Can Be Broken♥ All the commotion was, for the most part, ignored by the Sagittarius female. She wasn’t the greatest with names to begin with, but with this many people it was going to be nearly impossible to remember everyone’s name on the first go ‘round. Sakura wasn’t even going to attempt to.
She politely sat quietly and listened to each story as it was told. The only time she sat up or showed the least bit of interest was when the Pisces introduced himself. So his name was Riuichi, and that smile was unreal. Literally, it was a false smile.
Her eyes gazed upon him for quite some time before realizing he was offering her the floor. She wasn’t sure what to say, but stood, a little shakily, none-the-less.
“My name is Sakura Midvalley,” she said standing up, “I am a Sagittarius.”
She glanced at the Pisces beside her than at the others gently pulling down her hood. “I do not believe in the relics, nor do I care about them. I want nothing but the ice.”
((Sorry it took so long. Yes, I should try and post on a weekly basis, but my life takes precedence over fantasy.)) ♥But It Keeps Beating Just The Same♥
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Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 12:58 am
Booooorinnnng.
Why wasn’t anything happening?
Sure, there were about a billion people in the room, all introducing themselves, and some guy got tackled, and everything was pretty much in mass chaos….but still. They needed to stop wasting time and get to the relics!
He listened as patiently as he could to the other painfully slow introductions. The tan girl in the back with the bandana was kinda hot, but she almost looked like she could kick his a**. He liked girly girls, not the kind that would arm wrestle him and win.
The Sagittarius chick with the weird hair was cute too, but the blonde wizard guy had already beat him to it. Smooth. Biq would have to keep an eye on him.
Oceanic eyes travelled the rest of the room, on the lookout for anything female. He wasn’t into centaur chicks. The one with the crazy hair wasn’t quite his taste. The dark haired girl who had just spoken was too quiet. Plus her eyes creeped him out.
So. His options were the catlike, hyper chick, the tiny Gemini, and the Scorpio girl that he had met earlier. He didn’t remember any of their names.
It was probably his turn to introduce himself.
“Hi! I’m Biq. That’s with a Q. B-I-Q. I’m an Aquarius. Pirate by trade. I’m generally awesome at everything, so if you need anything, just ask and I’ll help you out. Especially if you’re cute.” He threw a charming wink at the female Leo.
Hopefully everyone was almost done so they could get to the first relic. His attention span was suffering.
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Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 12:47 pm
The evening air was still mostly warm, and as she jogged Evelyn soon felt her back growing quite sticky under her pack. She paused for a moment to remove her light cloak and stuffed it into the already rather full pack. Noting her appearance in a shop window, she felt regret that her first impression should be so disheveled, late, and rather young. As she resumed the moderate jog, she thought over how best to introduce herself. She was admittedly a bit worried that they wouldn’t accept latecomers, and had no idea what kind of people were likely to be there.
First, a name. A more collected side of her prompted. Yes, I need a name.
Considering the large reward offered, and the general importance their momentous undertaking implied, Evelyn knew that she should be ready for danger on many fronts, including possible competition or sabotage within the group.
You shouldn’t be showing up late. Therefore, not at all. This is the sort of meeting one should check out hours before arrival, and carefully observe from the absolute beginning. Don’t get involved. You can follow these people if you really must, but don’t join them.
All sense and caution warned her to ignore the meeting, but her decision was made. This was one adventure to which she was already completely committed. In only a few more minutes, she would be entering Club Vanyah.
If she was ever going to learn more about herself, she needed more close interaction with other people – and this group of people promised to be full of people who probably faced some of the more complex problems that she did, which more “normal” citizens could never truly comprehend. She wanted to try to be herself with these people, and with such a task as collecting the relics, she would most likely be stuck with them for much longer than anyone else she’d had to have dealings with recently. She was resolved to give herself a new name with them, but promised herself that she would try to follow her natural impulses and make friends and build some trust among her companions. No more lies, only forward motion! She would have to craft some sort of back-story in case anyone asked, but of course most of her history would be kept to herself. First, a name.
Recalling a nice shop girl she’d met earlier in the week, Evelyn decided that she liked the name Aly. Evy…Aly… close enough for comfort. Wait, is that with an “i” or a “y”? And what should that be short for? Thinking over the possibilities and people she knew, an image of her mother suddenly came to mind. Alianna. Not the same, but it held a part. Now, simply combining the sounds of her latest identity, Vi Dio, and the dancer Vera, she had a decent last name: Verdane. That sounded okay. Alianna Verdane. Common, forgettable, but unique. Nice. I am Alianna Verdane. Committed to the name, whoever she became in the following months, this would be the title of her actions.
…
Rounding a corner, she skidded on a bit of gravel and grabbed the lamppost to right herself. Without stopping, she continued around the bend and down the street, Club Vanyah in sight. She slowed as she approached the door, and took slow, deep breaths as she passed the guard to lower her heart rate. Entering the club, she went straight down the hall of colourful curtains towards the blue room. She’d been here a couple of times before, though it wasn’t a frequent hangout, it was an alright place. She reached the blue curtain and stood quietly for a moment; checking that her breathing and expression appeared normal, there was nothing to be done about her hair, which had almost completely escaped its low ponytail. She heard a strong male voice, only slightly muted by the intermediate azure curtain.
“…with a Q. B-I-Q. I’m an Aquarius. Pirate by trade. I’m generally awesome at everything, so if you need anything, just ask and I’ll help you out. Especially if you’re cute.”
“I am Alianna Verdane.” Ali breathed to herself, and with nothing else to do, she entered the room.
“Excuse me… hi. I’m Ali. I know I’m beyond late, but I only just saw the notice. If I can join, I will. Please accept me as a fellow adventurer.” Glancing around at the sizeable crowd, she attempted a smile. “My name is Alianna Verdane. I’m a Libra, even if that’s hard to believe, and I will definitely give this my all!” Her stubborn determination showed clearly in her eyes. “…This is the meeting about finding the relics, right?” She finished rather lamely and continued into the room with small steps, clearing the entrance.
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:46 pm
[[ OOC: There is a bit of powerplaying in here! Mirab, the little dragon that is going to cause some mayhem, is NOT mine. Mirab is Brett's dragon, though I made sure with Brett's player that I could do this. So, it is permitted. <3]]
There...were....so many people already.
And she was supposed to somehow work with them?
Inhaling lightly and turning to take her seat, the tiny brunette stopped by the display of potions; while some of the others may have taken their time deciding which one they did or did not want, Ely knew exactly which one to take. Healing? She could do that herself, given time. Magic? Well, she didn't need it. Love?
. . .
Definitely didn't need any of that.
But, what she did know would be useful was the little blue luck potion, full of life-saving (in her case, at least) energies packed into a little bottle. With as many times as she could trip, fall, roll, cut, bruise, and otherwise accidentally damage herself in the span of just a few hours, it should have come as no surprise to anyone that knew her that she would choose the luck potion.
Ears perked and listening carefully to the people around her introducing themselves, she made no move to respond verbally nor physically; her current focus was on remembering their voices and getting to a seat in one piece. It wasn't as if she was totally incompetent on her feet... It was just, in a room full of a myriad of strangers, all speaking and whatnot (and being much taller and pulled together than she), it was difficult not to be more nervous and klutzy.
One booted foot falling quietly in front of the other, it was midstride before Ely noticed the faint whirring and tickle of something flying in figure eights around her lower legs. Front leg extended, verdant orbs fell quickly to examine whatever it could have been.
"AIEEEE!" Squeaking out loud just as the last woman fell silent, her screech was reminiscent of something along the lines of a terrified kitten, small but shrill as she began an awkward, flailing hop. Bouncing forwards, she felt the...creature thing thud against her upheld leg falling to ricochet into her intermittently grounded foot, it's little...grabby-hands or claws, whatever they were, grasping and clinging to her boot as she crashed into a nearby stool. Clinging to the waist-high barstool, one leg extended in mid-air to leave the little thing dangling from a few of the tassels of her leathery shoe, the curly-haired woman only briefly glanced over the heads of her fellow travellers, too afraid to see them gawking at her.
Now glowing a lovely shade of neon rose, the little elf sucked in a deep breath.
Better to get this over in one go...
"I'm Ely Monteblanc. Cancer, from Lerane. No, I can't cook at all, but I'm good with curative elements, potions and the like... I'm in it for...lots of reasons. It's nice to meet you all, aaaand... I do believe I've found your dragon?" Getting it all out in one breath, she managed to untangle the little trinket from her bootstrap and dangle it for the craftsman to retrieve it.
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 5:12 pm
“Yes, yes, this is the meeting for the Relics. Come in, sit down, take a potion…” Vesper addressed both the Leo’s and the Libra’s late-coming questions, trying not to let her annoyance slip into her voice. She didn’t like repeating herself a million times. “Thank you for coming!” She added in an attempt to show some degree of hospitality.
But she had more pressing matters to consider.
This tall man…DKay… and his question.
He wanted to take the Relics.
Well, that shouldn’t be a problem. Not for her at least. All she needed was a cure for her sister, and all the Ice she had promised these people. After she got that, Vesper couldn’t care less what happened to the Relics. Plus, the man looked pretty intimidating, and she wasn’t sure they could afford to lose him.
“Hmm…” Violet eyes turned to the pale man, as she tried not to linger on the scar etched into his face. “That should be fine, as long as you allow the rest of us to make our wishes first.” She cast her eyes about the room. “If anyone has a problem with this, please speak up now, or talk to Mister DKay later. Perhaps you will be able to work out a deal.”
That was about as diplomatic as she got.
“Now, if that’s all the introductions, I think it’s about time to move on to the first Relic, which as I said before, I believe is right here in Mirr. In fact…” Vesper grabbed a fistful of her partly-vanished purple robes and lifted it slightly so she could walk more quickly. She moved to the wall, which was also covered in blue curtain. Pinching the blue fabric between her index finger and thumb, she pulled the curtain back, revealing a large round window which overlooked the lit up, nighttime cityscape of Mirr.
“There.” Vesper pointed to the largest, most lit up building, topped by a large silver dome. If one was able to look more closely, they would notice that the dome was inscribed with thousands of alchemic and zodiacal symbols.
“The Capitol Building. Home to the government on the mainland. Some of you may have heard rumors that it had been built on one of the Relics, so that’s the first one I looked into. The rumored “Hall of Mirrors”. In fact, that’s actually how Mirr got its name. That rumor was so widespread that the city was actually first named “City of Mirrors”, but people got lazy, and the legend was forgotten, so the name was shortened.”
She paused, biting her lip. These people didn’t want a history lesson. Some of them had probably already heard this story.
“So, I did some digging. I hid in the library until it closed, then snuck down to the classified archive section in the basement. Usually, they keep it locked, but I did some testing on the metals in the lock and found it could be dissolved by a certain type of acidic potion…”
She blinked. They didn’t want a chemistry lesson either. She flipped a wisp of stubborn brown hair out of her eyes.
“Anyway, I got in and found the original plans for the Capitol building. They were preserved under a glass case, because they’re at least two hundred years old. But, I did my best to copy them.” She flipped the pages in her journal to reveal a hasty, yet detailed sketch of the building plans.
“It turns out that there is something under the Capitol: some sort of underground cavern. I believe the rumors are true, and that it contains the ancient Hall of Mirrors. I also believe that is where the Mirror of Gemini is located. We just have to find a way in. I’ve already cased the place out, and I think there are three possible entrances…”
The Scorpio girl performed a quick head count. Fifteen, including herself. Perfect.
“There’s fifteen of us, so…If we divided into three groups of five, and we each took an entrance….I think that would be faster and more effective. I made three copies of the map, and marked the entrances on each of them.”
No need to waste time scrambling about, trying to divide themselves. Now was the time for decisive action. She was the leader here, and they were all grownups.
“I’ll take Ben, Eirian, and the twins- Sedrick and Kinna. We’ll try the West Entrance.” Eirian and the twins seemed tough, and she definitely needed that quality on her side. Ben could shift into different animals, and could possibly fit into smaller spaces if needed.
“Biq, you go with Riu, Sakura, Fae, and Kaiya. You all can take the South side.” Riu and Sakura appeared to already know each other, and hopefully Fae’s level-headedness would balance out Biq’s hyperactivity.
“Umm…” That left the other five. “Astrid, DKay, Ely, Brett, and Ali- you all can take the North.”
“If anyone actually finds a way in, whistle, or find some other way to let the rest of us know without attracting a lot of attention to yourself. I’m sure at least one of the old entrances will let us in somehow. Of course, if you only came for the free potion, feel free to leave now. As crazy as this probably sounds, we’re actually doing it. So if you’re not serious, now would be the time to leave… Otherwise, let’s get going”. Vesper finished with a quick, serious nod.
Hopefully they were ready for whatever lay ahead…
------------------------------
The Capitol building of Mirr was made of white marble and silver lattice work which appeared to glow in the evening lamplight. The building itself was huge- it would definitely be easier for them to split up to explore the whole thing. Vesper was beginning to feel a bit more confident in her leadership skills. Surpirisingly, she hadn't turned red once since her introduction. Maybe she was getting better at this?
She had led the group to a large fountain of an archer on the East side of the Capitol.
“Okay everyone, I think this is where we should split up….If no one finds anything then…” She bit her lip, sincerely hoping that would not be the case “Then we meet back here to regroup. We also need to find a place to stay for the night before moving on.”
“What we’re looking for is…some kind of door, tunnel, hallway, hidden passage in the ground…anything to get us under the Capitol. It will probably be hard to find or guarded…so, good luck. Signal if you find something or need help.”
Vesper motioned to those that were in her group who had decided to come along. Hopefully, she had picked good teams that wouldn’t kill each other. Hopefully, they’d find something. Hopefully, they weren’t in way over their heads.
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