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 Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 12:23 pm
((Yup. =D))
The Abbot poked his head out before he finished shutting the door, eyeing William for a moment. "Everything." He replied simply, before the doors banged shut and the sound of locks clanked together. Raphael chuckled and crouched down opposite of William, sniffing approvingly. "Ah, now doesn't that lift mah heart? 'Smells wonderful, laddie." He picked one of the things out of the pile and held it up, then unceremoniously dropped the food into his open mouth. He took a moment to chew before speaking. "Vittles are what should make tae world go 'round, Ah say." He noticed William was starting to shiver in the night air. A question came to his mind, though, that he felt he should ask. "Tell me, Willie, do ye believe in God?"
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 2:10 pm
"Belief is immaterial, old boy. God's there, in one form or another. Has to be. What separates men is their interpretation of that fact." He drew a cloak across his shoulders to halt his chills. "However, I'm not one that believes that God puts His hand in our dealings. He's more of an observer, as it were. What of you? What do you think on this matter?" William glanced up at his Walker Machine. He decided that it took quite a brazen spirit to attack an empire...so that's what he would call his Walker. He remembered that the first weaponized Walker Machines were called, "the guns that can dam a river; Gundam." A shallow smile crossed his face, and William felt a sense of pride for the first time in a long time. "Brazen Gundam!" he called aloud.
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 3:51 pm
Raphael gave a soft grunt and shrugged. "Well, that's one way tae put it." He picked something else out from the pile and stared at it in the low light behind them. "Ah've never been religious mahself. Ah'm not sure if there is one such that could be called God." He frowned, deep in thought, and took a bite of the iced treat. "An' if there is one, then Ah and 'im would be in th' same handbasket. Observers." He nodded to himself, almost reassuringly, then finished the rest of the treat in one enormous bite. "Huh, gundam. That's an interesting word, thare."
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 5:31 pm
Zeke groaned as the first rays of the morning light assaulted him through his closed eyes. He had always been a light sleeper, but his hangover from the night before did not make things easier. With some difficulty, he hauled himself out of bed and stumbled to the cracked mirror in the washroom. He shaved clumsily, nicking his skin more than once. As he made his way down the stairs, he found several of the bar's patrons in the same places they had been the night before.
"That's how we drank, back in th' States, pardners," he remarked to the unconscious men as he passed. As he reached for the door, Zeke heard a woman behind him clearing her throat. He rolled his eyes.
"I thought you said I could count on you, Mr. Underwood." Zeke rubbed a hand on the back of his neck nervously.
"Aw, he ain't got far. That blamed Walker o' his is still parked by the abbey." Aishe closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Mr. Underwood, there is a reason I brought you here! Otherwise I would handle this problem myself. But for reasons on which I do not care to elaborate, I am unable to touch the boy." Her captivating face wore a glower. Zeke noticed that she was casting an eye across the ground outside. When she seemed to find what she was looking for, she smiled briefly. She crossed the room and opened the door herself, and motioned for Zeke to follow. She led him wordlessly out of the village to a field of grass. Zeke raised an eyebrow as he watched her remove her sandals. The straps of them in a clenched fist, she marched back to where Zeke stood, in the grass.
"Give me your hand," she said forcefully. Zeke reluctantly did so. "The other one, smart-arse." Even more reluctantly, he extended the scarred hand. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist after uncovering her blue eye, and stared him in the face. His scar suddenly felt as if it were on fire, and the world around him melted as a vision given by Aishe filled his mind.
"Now, remember that I don't have to be touching you to show you things. But when I do touch you, I am able to cause you pain. Hopefully the accompanying sensation will make this vision more profound for you, and thus make you less likely to forget it."
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 9:37 pm
'Damn it, I need to figure out how to improve on that Gundam feature' Leon thought as he was erasing crappy design ideas off a blueprint of his Gundam's weaponry. Just then a private rank Guard came into Leon's office and said that he is to report to Lt. Hartwell's office immediately. Leon went to Lt. Hartwell's office with the private rank Guard following close behind him then went ahead and opened the door for him and announced to Lt. Hartwell that Leon was here. "Very good you are dismissed private, Leon have a seat." Leon sat down and said to the Lieutenant "Sir, what is the reason that you summoned me to your office?". "The man that you reported to me about, I want you spy on him." Leon produced a puzzled look for it was unusual for the Lieutenant to assign such a task like spying to him so he said to him "Why do you want me to spy on that guy?" "Cause this man could be a threat to national security and we have reports that another man is with him and I want to know who it is and why he is with him." Leon took all the information in and said "I will accept the mission and find out if this man and the one that is tagging along with him, but what is this man's name if I may ask?" "His name is Raphael Xander and he is a dangerous Usurper that I know from past battles. So stay alert for him and William while you spy on them, you are dismissed." Standing up straight and giving the hand salute Leon said "Yes sir!" Then walked out of the office and out on some normal clothes and went into town to start his spying mission.
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 8:13 am
The morning air sure felt crisper than the night air, Raphael thought to himself. It was still fairly early when he exited a building with a hanging banner, bearing the symbol of the Royal Guard. He'd left William by the abbey a couple of hours before midnight the night before, telling him he was going to get some shuteye. Truthfully, his business in the building he just left had taken far longer than he'd thought. But that wasn't too much of a problem. Yawning tiredly, he ruffled his hair back up from where he'd smoothed it down and pulled his spectacles out from his pocket. "What tae do now?" He asked aloud, the streets fairly empty of citizens, slipping them on casually. The clock tower looming above a few buildings showed the time, and he figured that the man would be awake when it thundered on the hour. It wasn't too far of a walk, given that he'd left Fatum back by the abbey, the children loved to clamber over the feet, and he picked up the key to the door leading in. He often spent time in there, when he was either bored or needed a place to sleep. The creaking sounds of the stairs winding up echoed in the empty place while he climbed them, a hand on the rail beside in case he fell. The upper area of the clock tower was as he always left it, a bundle of blankets and a pillow or two stuffed in a corner, and a table with a chair in the center. The giant clock face was reveresed as the sunlight came through the white glass, and the hands of the clock click montonously. He breathed in the nice dusty air and sighed, feeling the tiniest bit home. "Ah, Ah could stay here forever." He went to stand by the enormous clock, looking through the area where the paint had been scratched away to offer a wondeful view of the village. It was peaceful in the silence, until a voice spoke out, not in the room, but in his head. How long do you think you will stay in this situation? Raphael shrugged, not knowing, talking to himself. "Ah've no idea. Until ye tell me, that is." You cannot just keep going on like this. "Ah know." He shook his head sadly. "Thay're bound tae find me out, anyway. Shouldn't be long either." Correct. Even now, that organization is taking precautions. He laughed to himself, turning around to head back down the stairs before the gears up above clanked into positon to announce the hour. It would be deafening in there. Do not do anything rash, like the last time. "Ah know, Ah know. Ah mess up like that one time, an' yer still onto me."
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:13 am
Accustomed to life in the streets, William had no problem sleeping outside, leaning up against the walls of the abbey. After he woke to the clock tower striking eight and grabbed a few items for his breakfast, he thought on the stranger he'd run into. It was quite uncommon to encounter an American in Europe, in those days, but William was sure the man was from the States, by his accent. He looked around for Raphael, and found Fatum empty. He assumed that Raphael wouldn't leave his machine there, and figured that the man would return sometime during the day. He soon heard the metallic stomp of a Walker Machine nearby, and looked up to see a quite bulky example, carrying oversize pistols, walk down the street towards the abbey. The machine stopped when it got close enough for William's keen eyes to see who the controller was. It was the American. William gasped in shock to see the Gypsy woman standing on its shoulder.
"I told you to stay away from Raphael Xander! What are you thinking, boy?" she called. A red headband obscured her evil eye, and William was silently thankful for that. She leapt down, and landed hard on the ground nearby. When he saw that she was a safe distance away, Zeke stepped forward and leveled a gun in William's direction as he boarded his own Gundam. William hated to ask for someone else's help in a matter such as this one, but he began to hope that Xander would return. He wasn't sure he could best the heavily armored machine before him, especially with Aishe's distracting presence. While she stood there, she thought on her vision. The very vision she had to relive every night while she slept, and the very vision she had shared with Zeke.
In her mind, she had seen London, New York, Paris, Moscow, and countless other cities, patrolled by Walker Machines, designed after the one that William piloted. The buildings were all broken down, and people hid from the armies under the rubble. At the helm of this great war machine sat William, himself. He wore lavish clothing worthy of ten kings, and his throne appeared to be made from partially smelted pocketwatches. In the dream, William had had all of Aishe's people hunted down and exterminated. She watched him personally kill her own mother. She also saw Raphael Xander at his right hand nearly at all times, and heard him brag to the crushed people that he had taught William everything he knew. William, it seemed, had convinced any and all private owners of the Walker Machines, and quite a few of the Royal Guardsmen to join him, in hopes of overthrowing the Empire. As this possible future would unfold, the people of Europe only exchanged one dictatorship for another. William had not stopped there; he soon had control of the world over. The last thing she saw before waking was always herself, bruised and battered, and hanging by her wrists in William's court. She saw her feet mere centimeters from the Earth, tantalizingly close, but ultimately cut off from her power source. Only Zeke knew the secret to her power, thankfully. So this future was postponed, as long as William never figured the secret out. She was uncertain about the string of events that might cause this horrific future, but she aimed to prevent them. She stood before William, now, hoping to inspire in him a desire to change his ways. She held her breath as Zeke moved to engage William.
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:07 am
Crashes soon reached Raphael's sharp ears in the previously quiet morning. He sighed and picked up his pace from a walk to a light jog, glancing up to gauge the distance to the abbey. Some people had come to their windows, he saw as he passed building after building, probably to see what was the racket. They were all familiar with the loud noises of the Walkers by now, but it was a habit now. He rounded a corner easily, slowing down a tiny bit just two or three buildings away from the abbey and William. Nothing rash. "Rash smash." He replied to it out loud, stretching his arms above his head and catching sight of an towering machine that wasn't his or William's Walker. "See? Ah timed it just right. Dinnae get yerself in a bunch." The sight of the newcomer didn't phase him, nor did the sight of the Gypsy standing below it. Time cannot always be on your side. "Aye, but Time has so far, so don't get yer hopes up either." It must have been strange to see a Scot step out from near nowhere, actually from behind a building, and talking to himself as well. Raphael nodded approvingly to himself and gave a friendly wave to the Gypsy and the one in the Walker. William was probably in his already. "Ah, fancy seein' yoo here!" He said to her, walking casually more into the open, altering his path so he avoided the bulky Walker. What are you-- "Ye'll see, ye'll see" He muttered before stopping in front of the Gypsy. Then he addressed her like friends would after meeting in a few years. "Glad Ah'm not late for the party, here. Ye look like ye've been doing well." Turning his head to look at William in the Brazen Gundam and the man with the machine holding pistols, he spoke out to them as well, his tone completely calm in this otherwise tense situation. "Good, Ah was hoping ye'd be in those things."
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:17 am
"Some assistance, please!" William grunted as two shots from the heavy pistols made their mark in his armor. He retaliated with the Nordenfelt, and used his Walker's free hand to swipe at Zeke's machine. The American was skilled, and William quickly realized just how outmatched he was.
"Easy, pardner. Ah'm only tryin' to get you t'settle down! You shot at me, first, anyhow! Let's talk it out like men!" William refused, and lunged at the bulky machine again. He was aiming to tear the head off, since the torso was so heavily armored. Aishe saw that William was not ready to change...yet. She was aware of Raphael's presence. Turning to him, she spoke.
"Yes, quite. Well, I'm not here for idle chatter. I'm here to stop you two." She pulled off her headband, and the blue eye glowed faintly.
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:33 am
Raphael laughed as the American attempted to reason with William and failed. "Ach, stand down Willie! Ye know ye cannae take him. Besides, if ye don't straighten yer machine's legs, then ye'll topple over in no time." He chuckled lightheartedly and turned back to Aishe, seeing she'd removed her headband. "And here ye go ruinin' a nice catchin' up moment." He shook his head and readjusted his spectacles, peering over them. "Ye always do that. Ah well, that's how the worlds work, eh? Yer eye still as strong as ever, then?"
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:55 am
"We can take him if it's the two of us! Come on!" William pleaded as the American continued to wear him down. Aishe stood by idly, waiting to see what Raphael would do. She was not between him and Fatum, and she expected him to take advantage of the fact. Of course, William was her prime concern at the moment. Raphael could wait. She started to walk towards him. Zeke stepped back, and took several shots from the Nordenfelt as he stood.
"You'd best be hurryin' it up, Miss Aishe. He ain't gonna quit shootin' me, evin if Ah quit shootin' him." She walked right up to William's Walker, and placed both hands firmly on one of its legs. Nothing happened. Bewildered, she glanced down and realized her sandals were still on."Oops." She couldn't channel the Earth's power if she wasn't actually touching the Earth. William's eyes narrowed as he noticed her standing there powerlessly. Taking advantage of her moment of inaction, he used Brazen's leg to sweep her across the street. She hit the ground hard, and rolled until she hit a signpost. Aishe groaned in pain, and felt bruises forming already.
"Ah, crap!" Zeke mumbled as he saw her knocked out of commission. He moved to stand between her and William, and leveled guns at both William and Raphael's machines.
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:11 am
Leon quickly came to the town and started looking around and found them near an abbey and it seemed like they had company and not good company from the looks of it. 'Aw crap!' Leon thought as he saw somebody picking a fight with the guy that is tagging along with Raphael in their Gundams and a woman who looked like a gypsy was in the middle of that fight. Leon ran for the nearest police box and called the Guard and told them "This is Leon of the Royal Guard I need reinforcements to come to town cause there is a Gundam fight going on so get here immediately." The operator said that reinforcements will arrive soon so Leon hung up the phone and waited for the reinforcements got here to make his move.
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:20 am
((Troy, how does you character know he's American? You can't see him! And how does he know his name's William? lol))
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:39 am
((I fixed the american thing and Lt Hartwell told him about William and Raphael during the assignment briefing if you look at my last post.))
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Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:46 am
((yeah, but nobody knows who he is. All the Guardsmen know is who Raphael is.))
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