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 Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 12:30 am
 The doors to the Music Room flew open. Inside stepped a freshly showered and pajama-clad Forte, who closed the doors behind her. The moonlight streamed in from the windows, illuminating the entire room and casting long, somewhat ominous shadows across it. “Oh, why must everything good in my life burn to ashes?!” Forte cried out in anguish. “Why is it that every time I find some semblance of happiness that WITCH shows up and feels the need to tear it to pieces?! Why?! WHY?! Am I not allowed to be happy?! Am I supposed to have everything I love taken away from me?!”She slammed her fists down on the top of the piano, gasping for air. Her eyes were opened wider than she had originally thought, and, trying to force the tears away, she slammed them shut. Sitting down at the piano, she opened the lid covering the keys and pressed down. Ten different tones sounded at once and surprisingly startled the musician. Suddenly she stopped. Just stopped. Stopped everything. Stopped talking, stopped thinking, stopped feeling. She knew what would calm her down and release all of her emotions. Just shut up and play.Breathing deeply, Forte began to play a few simple notes on the piano. Nothing too complex, she thought; it wouldn’t sound right, especially in her current state. After a few minutes of that, she took a look at the clock on the wall. It read two A.M. Two A.M., Forte thought. Good Heavens it’s late….Wait…Two A.M….Just then the musician remembered a song she used to like back in high school. She’d listen to it whenever the kids at school would really get to her or whenever she just felt like the world was against her. The girl was surprised that she had forgotten it after all this time. However, she’d never actually played it, despite having memorized it years ago and possessing the sheet music at the time. Now seemed like the perfect time to dig it out, and so she did. Thinking for a moment, the composer played the first few notes of the song. First the slow, soft part…then the song would pick up and intensify. But something seemed odd to her. How peculiar, Forte thought. Something’s not right…am I playing the notes wrong?Reading the sheet music in front of her, she played the notes exactly as it said. It sounded the same as before. Even so, she still felt that something was missing. Then it hit her. It was one of those kinds of songs. “Oh joy,” the musician said sarcastically to herself. But there was no use in changing it. She wanted to play that song, and it required an extra element. It was just how the cards fell. Sighing, Forte played the beginning of the song. Her heart raced; it had been a very long time since she’d done this. Would she even remember how? More importantly, would it sound and feel okay? When the time came, the musician’s lips parted and words were sung: “Two A.M., where do I begin?
Crying off my face again
The silent sound of loneliness
Wants to follow me to bed
I'm a ghost of a girl
That I want to be most
I'm the shell of a girl
That I used to know well….”As she began the first chorus, Forte was nervous. She sang as quietly as possible so that no one would hear her. She didn’t want anyone to hear her. But unfortunately, she hadn’t completely closed the doors to the Music Room. A stopper she hadn’t seen had prevented them from closing all the way, and the music flowed from the room. And two rooms and a hallway away, a certain youth was entering the Temple from a late-night jaunt in town. Laramie stepped inside the Temple and closed the door quietly behind him. He had spent the better part of an hour following the path the boy had told him Forte had taken, but he hadn’t found her. Unfortunately, it was late and he was fading fast, so he couldn’t continue searching the moonlit town for her. He had headed back to the Temple alone, hoping she would be there. “Good God Forte, when you run off and hide you do it well,” he said to no one in particular. “Just where did she go? I really hope she’s all right…I hope she’s not crying somewhere by herself.”A few minutes later, he heard something in the distance. What’s that? He thought. It sounded like a piano. Intrigued, he followed it, hoping it might be Forte playing in the Music Room. As he drew closer, it became apparent that there was more than piano playing. Someone’s singing? He ran toward the Music Room now, his curiosity getting the better of him. As the song progressed, Forte felt herself letting go, emotionally and physically. She relaxed and stopped worrying about whether she was singing quietly enough. The music was the abyss and she was falling into it, but it wasn’t the typical black-hole type of abyss. It was an abyss that felt like rose petals or soft cotton on the skin, and the composer slowly let herself fade away into it. The boy got there quicker than he’d thought. Realizing the door was slightly open, Laramie pulled it open even more and peeked inside. When he saw who was singing, his jaw hit the floor. Forte?! No way!He did everything in his power to slip quietly inside the room without startling her. But luckily for him, the chances of Forte being startled at that point were slim to none. By the time she reached the second chorus, she was gone. “Dancing slowly in an empty room
Can the lonely take the place of you?
I sing myself a quiet lullaby
Let you go and let the lonely in
To take my heart again…”Laramie was stunned. He was frozen, unable to move. Oh my God, he thought. This beautiful voice…is Forte’s? I don’t believe it…For the next few minutes, Laramie watched as Forte played the piano and sang. He knew that he was seeing a rare phenomenon, something that would likely never happen again. Drinking it all in, Laramie felt like he was seeing a side of Forte that no one ever saw; a side of her that she almost wanted to keep hidden. He kind of felt as though he shouldn’t be seeing it, like he was violating her privacy in some way. But he couldn’t keep away, nor could he move. The boy just stood there, listening to the music. The whole time one thought kept repeating itself over and over in his head: Glee never sang like this. As the composer sang and played the last few notes of the song, Laramie could hear his heart beating in time with the rhythm. He tried to breathe as quietly as possible as the notes died away and silence replaced them. These next few moments were crucial. What would she do? Would she notice him? Would she play some more songs? Would she sing again? Forte made the first move. She drew her hands back from the piano, placing them in her lap. Sighing deeply, the girl still seemed to be in a sort of trance from letting go. Her frustrated emotions had gone, replaced by a sort of calm. Laramie stepped forward slightly, his shoes making a soft scraping noise on the carpet. Forte noticed this but didn’t directly address it, thinking it was someone roaming around the library at night. The boy desperately wanted to talk to her, ask her something, anything, but he knew he had to remain quiet. However, what you want to do and what you should do are two different things. As such, Laramie couldn’t stop himself. “Wow…” he said softly. “I thought you said you didn’t sing….”The composer sat bolt upright. “What?! Who’s there?!” she shouted, whirling around to see Laramie standing in the doorway. “YOU?!”Laramie laughed nervously, massaging the back of his neck. “Yeah, me…”“How long have you been there?!”“Only a few minutes,” he told her. “Ugh NOOOOOOO!” Forte cried out, in a mix of annoyance and frustration. She doubled over, holding her head with both hands. He’d spied on her, he’d heard her singing, but most importantly, he’d seen her vulnerable. And that was crossing the line. “It’s okay,” Laramie said. “It’s fine, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.”“Get out of here!” the composer yelled. “Leave me alone! NOW!”“What?”“You heard me! Go! Leave this room right now!”“Wait…what did I do wrong?!” Laramie asked, walking closer to her. “I was just…”“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Forte screamed, getting up from the piano and running around to the back of it. Her thoughts and emotions were so erratic that they were almost uncontrollable. And to think she had been completely relaxed before. “Wait, where are you going?!” the boy said, following her. “Leave me alone! Get out of here!” The composer ran toward the door, but Laramie continued to follow her. “Forte, please, just listen to me!” he said, grabbing her arm. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” she screamed, shaking him off and running back toward the piano. Once she got there, she climbed on top of it. “What are you doing?!” Laramie asked in shock. “Come down from there, you’ll get hurt!”“Don’t you have ears?! You must if you heard me just now!” the musician cried out angrily as she towered over him. “I told you to leave me alone!”“And I said I just want you to listen to me!” the boy yelled back. “I was worried about you after what happened at the restaurant and I just…”“Just what?! You just wanted more ammunition to use against me, I’ll bet! To think I actually was considering giving you the benefit of the doubt! I aided you even after you spied on me, and then you repeat yourself! I should know not to trust anyone affiliated with Glee! I can’t believe I’m such a damned fool!” She paced back and forth on top of the piano. “Forte please, that’s not true!” Laramie cried, feeling a wave of emotions himself. “Get down from there, you’ll hurt yourself!”“No I shan’t!” the composer yelled, stamping her foot and raising her hand to cast a spell. Her intention was to throw Laramie off to the left so she could jump down off the piano and escape, but this is not what happened. She stepped forward to get a better shot, but her right slipper lived up to its name and she catapulted off the piano, landing headfirst on the floor. “Forte!” Laramie cried out, running over to her. She lay sprawled on her right side, arms splayed out and eyes closed. “Oh my God…Forte are you okay?!”The composer moaned a little and tried to move. “Forte are you okay?!”She stopped moving. Laramie panicked. Oh God, what do I do?! Do I go get a doctor? Do I move her? Do I carry her to a doctor?! Oh God WHAT DO I DO?!?!He shook her. “Forte! Forte are you okay?! ANSWER ME!”The girl opened her eyes and stared directly at him. “Leave…leave me alone,” she said weakly. “Go…away….leave…me alone….”Laramie was both shocked and relieved. “That’s still all you have to say to me?” he said with a slight tone of anger. “I’ll…be fine,” Forte said. “It’s just…exhaustion…leave…me alone….”Her eyes closed and she went limp. Frightened, Laramie looked her over. She didn’t appear to have any bad injuries; nothing looked broken and her head seemed to be okay. She was breathing too. Not to mention she was speaking coherently if weakly just a few seconds earlier, so he didn’t think she needed a doctor. Still, he decided he would take her to one when she woke up. Putting his arms underneath her neck and knees, Laramie picked the composer up and walked her over to the couch in the sitting area of the Music Room. He set her down there and stood over her for a few seconds. She was so vulnerable, yet she looked so at peace. He sat down next to her and thought about what she’d said. “Leave me alone!”Laramie smiled at her. “No,” he said, running his fingertips down the left side of her face. “Not anymore.”[[Part 2 of 2]]
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 3:07 pm
[[This post continues timewise from Mab's previous post.]]
Alexi and Sven looked at one another and laughed.
"Well, it's kind of a long story Xei," Alexi began. "But basically, you're right; you're looking at Total. Except he isn't Total anymore."
"Yep," Sven added. "Although Total is a part of me. In fact, I'm made up of two people, but now I'm one person! The name's Sven!" He raised his hand, waiting for Xei to take it and shake.
"This is probably so confusing, but it's all true," Alexi said. "Maybe someday I'll sit down and explain it all, but right now we've got business to get down to, don't we?"
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 6:59 pm
"Thank you for coming to support me, Jessie," Lorika sighed, pulling back her chair and sitting down. "I really don't like to take you away from your classes."
"It's no problem at all."
"It's not that I couldn't do it myself, alone. It's just-"
"There's no need to rationalise yourself to me. I know how difficult children can be nowadays."
It was very rare that Lorika had to have a personal chat with anyone about their behaviour like she had with Glee, and even rarer that the trouble would escalate. As for a kind of disciplinary panel... well, let's just say Rika was more pleased for the extra support of her priestesses and Jessie - who could put the fear of God into anyone when he wanted to - than any particular confidence that it would have the right effect on the youngsters. No - not youngsters. Just because Jessie thought of them as children so long as they continued to act in such a ridiculous manner didn't mean that that was what they were. They were young adults, just like her, and they would have to learn to face the consequences of their actions.
"I'm ready when you are," said Lacine, taking a seat next to Jessie. The seats in the antechamber directly outside the Sanctuary had been arranged into a semi-circle of four seats for the proceedings.
It was shortly after the end of breakfast. Everyone would surely be in class, or wherever they usually were in the mornings if not in class. "Would you like me to go and collect them?"
"Yes please, Ardelle. I think we're all prepared."
She turned and left. For no reason at all, Cressa's last words to him as got up from the breakfast table came back to Jessie. She'd leaned back in her chair and sad: "Make sure you get your 'angry face' screwed on right. No, I said 'angry face,' not 'roll-my-eye-at-Cressa' face!"
He began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Lorika smiled.
"Oh, nothing. Just something Cressa said to me earlier."
"Ah, I see. I'm sure it was absolutely tickling," she replied, and for some reason, this made him laugh even more.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Laramie and Forte," Ardelle said, entering the music room and standing stiff as a soldier. "The High Priestess wishes to speak to you both."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 8:00 pm
The sound of birds and the feeling of warm sunlight gently roused Forte from her sleep. She moaned softly, stretching as she drifted into consciousness. Morning has come already? The musician thought as she opened her eyes slightly. She saw a dark figure nearby, but she couldn't make a concerted effort to figure out who it was. Sitting up, she felt a sharp, uncomfortable feeling in her head. "Oh!" she exclaimed, grasping her head and falling back onto the couch. "Oh bother!"Meanwhile, the sleeping Laramie--he'd fallen asleep in the chair, still in his tux from the night before--woke up when he heard the noise. "Huh? What's going on?" he asked, trying to put the pieces back together in his mind. He had gone out on a date with Glee, trouble between her and Forte occurred, he found the latter in the Music Room... He opened his eyes fully and saw that Forte was holding her head and writhing on the couch. "Forte!" he said, rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"The feeling in the composer's head slowly went away as she lay there, trying to relax. "I believe so," she said softly. Laramie breathed a sigh of relief. "Well that's good.""Did I wake you?" she asked, still sounding sleepy. "No, no, don't worry about that," he assured her. "I'm just glad you're okay." He took her hand in his and smiled at the girl. She smiled back, still weary from sleep. A few minutes passed like this when all of a sudden a switch flipped. Forte opened her eyes wide and gasped. "You! What...what on earth do you think you're doing?! Unhand me this instant!" she said loudly, jerking her hand away from his and sitting up. "Did you..." She stood up, bringing her hands to her chest. "Oh God...""What?" Laramie asked, shocked. Suddenly he realized what she was getting at. "Oh God, Forte, no! No no no no no! I didn't do anything! You fell off the piano and hit your head. A few seconds later you passed out from exhaustion and I carried you over to the couch to let you sleep! I was afraid to leave you alone, so I stayed here with you all night. I didn't lay a finger on you, I swear!"Suddenly it all came back to her. The restaurant, Glee, the little boy, her song...oh God, she actually sang! And worse, Laramie heard her! The musician shook her head in frustration. "Oh God oh God oh God oh God!" she said, walking toward the piano. Laramie followed her. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You heard me singing!" she said. "You eavesdropped on me!"Laramie opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he settled on a simple apology. "I'm sorry."Forte brought her hand up to her face and shook her head slowly. She was embarrassed. She hated to be seen vulnerable. All her life she'd tried to be strong; there were few things which actually frightened her, she rarely cried...and yet, there were those times when she just fell to pieces. During those times she always wanted to be alone. But this time someone had actually been there and that feeling bothered her to no end. She couldn't even figure out the words to express her feelings. Laramie looked down at his feet, also embarrassed. He felt guilty for crossing the line with her; he truly hadn't meant to make her feel bad. The boy didn't know what to say to her to make her feel better. So he said the only thing he could think of. "It was beautiful."Forte's eyes widened. There was a silence. The composer turned around to face Laramie. "What?"But before Laramie could elaborate, the doors to the Music Room opened. Ardelle stepped through and addressed the two of them. "Laramie and Forte, the High Priestess wishes to speak to you both."Although it couldn't be expressed any other way than via the face, both Laramie and Forte's hearts dropped, a sinking feeling encompassing them both. What was going on?
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 9:20 pm
Ardelle walked ahead of Laramie and Forte, leading them out of the music room and around the circular library. By the wall at the bottom of the hall stood Glee, waiting with a dark look on her face. Ardelle had already fetched her, and heard a little bit of the story of what happened. Then Glee had told her where she could find Forte - but she hadn't known where to find Laramie, up until the moment he came out of the music room with Forte. ...Hm.
The hum of tension from Ardelle's silent disapproval was tangible. It was clear they were all in trouble, but just how much trouble they were in was not apparent until they mounted the stairs to the second floor and rounded the corner. The group of administrators sat waiting for them. Faced with Lorika, who looked reserved and projected a stonier aura than usual, and Jessie, who sat beside her like a handsome guard dog, and the two other priestesses (including Ardelle, who took her seat), a distinct wave of "s**t hitting the fan" passed through the trio of youths.
"Well done, Ardelle. Thank you for collecting them. Good morning, Forte and Glee - and I'm afraid I don't know your name."
This was directed at Laramie, of course. Ardelle offered it in his stead. "Glee tells me his name is Laramie. He is her boyfriend."
"I see. I don't believe you are a member of our Order, young man. I might be mistaken, though. We do have a lot of members."
"He isn't."
"Are you sure?"
"Let him speak," said Jessie, with command. Lorika was instantly glad that he was there - and relieved that she was not the one under his scrutiny. The silence that fell was expectant. Laramie agreed that he was not a member.
"Thank you. This morning, bright and early, the proprietor of a restaurant in town made the trip down here to lodge a complaint that three of our members had caused a disturbance on his property last night. It seems he might have been slightly mistaken, but tell me - is this true?"
"It is true. The girl has told me," said Ardelle, and her eyes betrayed a look of disgust.
"I want to hear it from them."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 10:14 pm
The trio fell silent. None of them knew what to say. Not Glee, who felt she had been ditched by her boyfriend at the restaurant. Not Laramie, who had run himself ragged searching for Forte, concerned about her well-being. Not Forte, who had been emotionally and physically distraught that previous evening.
Finally, it was Laramie who spoke up.
"Well...to be honest, it depends on who you ask," he said. "We all have different versions of the story, and each one is tailored to the person telling it, so...it's hard to determine the exact truth, if there even is one."
Forte looked up from the floor. She glanced over at Laramie and noticed that his hands were behind his back. They were shaking violently out of fear. He pocketed them a few seconds later.
If he could address them properly even though he was deeply afraid, so could she, even while recovering from emotional trauma and wearing her pajamas.
"Yes, indeed," she said, finding her voice after a few seconds of silence. "The truth may be difficult to determine since the evening was experienced from three drastically different points of view." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "Please forgive me for being so forward, but knowing this, I beg of you not to make judgments so hastily."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 10:36 pm
Lacine didn't say anything out loud, but she leaned in to Jessie and whispered something in his ear. He looked at her, and then repeated the message to Lorika, who frowned. While she was thinking - composing her thoughts and getting together what she was going to say next - Jessie took the initiative and spoke. "I think it's very good of you to admit that you would be at a disagreement. It's better that we don't muddy the waters with false accusations and passing blame back and forth."
"I agree. I'm sorry for whispering just now. What I said is that I really don't think it's our business to discipline Laramie, seeing as he isn't one of our members."
"Yes, I was going to get to that. I'm just rather preoccupied with the whole issue. It's worryingly serious, with everything taken together. Laramie, you may leave if you would like, or you can stay to support your girlfriend. You're involved in this whether you like it or not, so it's really down to you."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 10:58 pm
Laramie thought a moment.
"If I may, I'd like to stay to support them both," he said. "As much as I want to defend my girlfriend, I have to say I should be able to defend Forte as well. If anyone got hurt the most during this incident, it's her."
Glee shot him a dark glare. "Laramie!" she said suddenly.
"Calm down Glee," he told her. "We're all in hot water, it's best not to make it worse."
"Why are you defending her?!"
"Because no one else will!" he said back. "It's just like high school; she's always alone, people pick on her, and nobody's in her corner. I'm tired of it. I won't let that happen anymore."
"Laramie, what are you saying?!" Glee said back, upset.
"Will the both of you calm yourselves, please?" Forte said, putting her hand on her forehead. "I'm not well this morning; my head's quite sore, and the two of you quarreling isn't helping any. And not only that, but disagreements will only sink us deeper into the quicksand that is our trouble. So please, for Heaven's sake, simmer down."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 11:28 pm
Lorika nodded gravely, and put her hand up for silence. "Yes. Please, let's not obfuscate the reason for why you're here. Laramie, I have little idea what role you played in the scene that was caused last night, but perhaps what I'm going to say will contain some lessons for you, too."
"I have called you here today because I want you to know that this behaviour is completely unacceptable. So long as you are here, under our care and guardianship, you must always act to uphold our standards and beliefs. This means behaving with love and compassion, and upholding the law and order of society. We are paragons of goodness. We do not draw attention to ourselves and make scenes in public places! We do not start fights! Forte - the proprietor tells me that his manager was kind enough to allow you to play piano on his stage and entertain his clientele. This was an honour. And you abused it. Glee, you abused your position, too. When a customer enters a business, the proprietors should be able to trust that they will not cause trouble. You breached that trust. I hope you both understand why your own behaviour was unacceptable."
"Glee, to you specifically, I must say I'm very disappointed to have to see you here again. The last time I spoke to you, I advised you to re-examine your behaviour and grow. It's clear from this that you haven't listened. If anything, your bad behaviour has escalated, and now you've embarrassed yourself and the Order outside of these walls. Your persistent bullying and childish behaviour is absolutely not acceptable. But today Jessie tells me that he has witnessed the both of you make the kind of scene the restaurant witnessed last night before now," she continued. "He tells me that the first day he met you both, you were running wild through the halls like animals, chasing each other and screaming bloody murder. I am utterly shocked. How old are you both? You are not children. The children of the Order behave better than you!"
Jessie held his tongue. For a moment, he wanted to point out that Forte had already apologised to him for the scene she and Glee caused that day. However, in the split-second decision-making process, he decided it was not worth the risk of showing preferential treatment.
"I am disgusted with you both. My priestesses are also disgusted with you. Bullying - fighting - screaming and throwing tantrums and scrapping like cats in the gutter. I don't care who started it. I care that you are both participants, and I and the rest of the administration completely condemn your actions up until this point. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
"Anything that is not whining or finger-pointing?" Jessie specified, his tone tart.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 12:03 am
Once again, no one said a word. Collectively, all three of them felt that defending themselves was useless. Glee felt both guilty and angry in general. She knew she had done wrong but was too afraid to admit it. Laramie wanted to say a few words on the behalf of all of them, but he wasn't sure how. The room was completely silent. All that could be heard were the sounds of breathing.
"I see no reason to draw this out anymore," Forte said finally after what seemed an eternity. "Very well; you are correct. I apologize on my behalf, as well as Laramie's and even Glee's. It was wrong of us to act in such a manner and henceforth it shall not be replicated. I cannot speak entirely for the both of them, but as for myself, I--"
She stopped suddenly, overcome by that strange feeling in her head. Her eyes widened.
Laramie looked over at her. "...Forte?" he asked.
The musician slowly brought her hand up to her head. "I-I'm fine," she told him. "Anyway, I shall not conduct myself in such a fashion so long as I am in the Order. I solemnly...swear this."
The feeling in her head was intensifying. It wasn't exactly pain; it was more like a sort of twisting and turning. Like she needed to lay down. Now.
She sank to a seated position on the floor, her black nightgown pooling around her.
"Forte!" Laramie said, crouching down to her level. "What's wrong?!"
"My head..." the composer said, her breathing heavy. "My head, it...feels like it's twisting and turning...I want...to lay down...."
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 12:21 am
Lorika and Jessie jumped to their feet - but Jessie was quickest off the mark, of course, and in a split second he was knelt down beside her.
"Forte?" he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I've got you. Don't worry."
"It's alright. Don't panic," said Lorika evenly, swooping down beside him. Behind them, Lacine hovered anxiously. Ardelle, out of sight of the others, had rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She obviously didn't have any sympathy for troublemakers. "She picked the best place in the world to collapse."
The high priestess proceeded to heal her, alleviating the pain and swimming in her head, at least for the forseeable future. "There we go."
She turned to Jessie. "I think maybe we should hold off on punishment for now..."
"She must rest. And it will give us more time to think of something suitable."
"Forte, I want you to take it easy, alright? I know this has been upsetting for you. Make sure you rest. Don't tax yourself too much. You might want to hold off on composing anything for a couple of days. Give yourself a break for once."
"Can you stand...?"
That was the end of the meeting. Jessie helped the young composer up and accompanied her down the stairs, as far as the dorms. The other two tagged along behind - Laramie looking worried, Glee... well, let's just say her face was still dark. "Are you going to be alright? I can arrange a room for you in the medical center if you want to rest completely by yourself."
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 1:40 pm
The commotion affected the trio in different ways.
Forte, who was on the verge of passing out again, felt a sort of comfort in the Captain's touch and the High Priestess's healing. The feeling in her head went away and she opened her eyes slowly. Glee stepped back from the commotion, not really paying any attention. Looking around the room, she happened to notice Ardelle's look of disapproval. Laramie stood up when he noticed how fast Jessie had gotten to the musician's side, partly due to shock. Before anyone knew it Jessie was helping Forte up and carrying her away from the room.
As she and Laramie followed Jessie and Forte out, Glee couldn't seem to get Ardelle's stare out of her mind. That was kind of rude, she thought. Someone holding their head and almost passing out isn't something to take lightly....
Of course, since it happened to her nemesis she didn't particularly care, but she knew that if it were her on the receiving end she wouldn't be too happy.
A few minutes later, the group was standing outside of the dorms, Jessie offering to get Forte a room in the Medical Center if she wanted.
"No, that won't be necessary," the musician told him. "I'll be fine, though I agree a bit of rest will do wonders."
All of a sudden she remembered that she'd left her composition book behind in the Music Room. Laramie offered to go get it and left. Glee stared at Forte with a dark look still emblazoned on her face, but it wasn't contempt she felt for her. No, for once the curly-haired brunette was emotionless toward her nemesis; it was her boyfriend she was furious at.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 9:05 am
Jessie was hesitant to simply abandon Forte, especially with her nemesis so nearby. There was not much more he could do, however... and all she really wanted was to be alone.
"No more fighting," he said to them both before he left. "Don't make things worse for yourselves."
He headed back up to regroup with the others. The three women were seated, having a conversation he could hear as he came up the stairs:
"She was putting it on. I've seen it before. I get it sometimes at night from the kids in the dorms. Very convenient things happen to get them out of trouble."
"I really don't think she was faking it..."
"Poor Forte. I think she's been through a very upsetting time this past day. And she's only young."
"We are only young. Hardly anyone in this organisation is over thirty. Age is not an excuse. In my homeland, nobody gets a break, no matter what age or gender they are - rich or poor, pregnant, with children, elderly, no one. If there's one thing I have learned, it is that you must be strong in life," she said, in a passionate torrent. Ardelle's pink hair was misleading - her natural, fiery red hair befitted her much more at moments like these. "...I'm sorry. I know this sounds unforgiving."
"I didn't think I'd ever hear a gentle servant of the Overseer speak like a warrior," said Jessie, smiling as he took his seat. "But then, it is you, Ardelle."
"I am a warrior first. I fight to serve my people. At the moment, I am serving another cause, so that I might learn to heal them as well. Captain, you understand what it is like, on worlds like ours. There is no mercy."
"Not unless you are merciful yourself."
Ardelle inclined her head slightly, her eyebrows furrowed. "Yes... I suppose. There is no mercy because no one can bring themselves to be merciful."
The unspoken words that filled the silence were: 'Including myself.'
"Well. This is all irrelevant, anyway," Lorika proceeded. "How did she seem when you left her?"
"Tired. She wanted her composition book. The boy went to fetch it. I don't know if she should be working in her condition, but... if she's happy, that's what's important."
"I'm not sure a stranger should be wandering around the Temple unchecked. But I suppose... under the circumstances..."
"There's no harm with him. He seems like a nice guy! But um, we're forgetting about Glee. I don't think she can be very happy, either. She's kind of the root of the problem."
"I don't know if it's possible to distinguish the 'root' anymore. They both hate each other. They both participate, as Rika said. They're in a vicious cycle, each fuelling the other."
"What are we going to do about punishing them?" asked Lacine, chin resting on her fist. Lorika sighed.
"I don't know. Obviously, conventional punishments, chores or what have you would just be pointless. We need to give them something to do that could help them grow. I don't know if it would be better to punish them together or separately, or... Jessie, do you think you can come up with something? You're much better at discipline than I am..."
"I thought you did an excellent job of disciplining them just now. But yes, of course, if you want me to, I'll take them on myself."
"Would you really? I'm sorry for this silly little issue to be such a hassle to you."
"It's no hassle at all, really! And it's not a silly issue. I want to help the girls just as much as you do. They have to learn that this kind of feud is just a waste of energy."
"What do you think you might do?"
"I'm not sure. I know a few exercises that are meant to teach the meaning of co-operation. But I can't guarantee that anything I try will work in the long term-"
"Of course not!"
"-If at all. It's not like flicking a switch. There are so many parameters. Nobody grows or changes overnight."
"We're not asking you to work miracles. Just... anything that can get them doing something different. It's only a 'punishment' in the sense that they're being made to do it because they misbehaved. Our goal is for them to grow, not crumple."
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 2:17 pm
After Laramie returned to find Jessie walking away from the two girls, he handed Forte her composition book and asked her if she needed anything. She replied no, so he took Glee and the two of them left. As they walked away, Laramie looked over his shoulder to make sure the musician was okay. As soon as they were gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. The only thing Forte had wanted was to be alone; she’d had quite enough of people in the last 24 hours. Not to mention the laundry list of things she now had to think about. Slipping into the dorm—and finding it virtually devoid of people—she placed her composition book in one of the drawers underneath her bed and exchanged her slippers for a pair of sandals. Taking care not to move suddenly lest her head start spinning again, Forte exited the dorm and headed outside. It was windy and somewhat cloudy out that late morning. Normally the young woman would have sat down in the sand and started thinking up a song, but today nothing came to mind. There was no music flowing through her head today; just silence. Originally her plan had been to go to the beach and lay down, but there were too many people around, making it nearly impossible for someone with a headache to recover. So instead she decided to go to a small forest area that happened to be close to the beach. “Seems I’ve really besmirched my name this time,” Forte said to herself as she lay down on some leaves in a clearing. “Although how simply defending myself could’ve gotten me into this mess I cannot fathom. Upon reflection I do suppose it could’ve been done quieter, but self-defense, no matter how rambunctious, is a reflex, isn’t it?” She sighed deeply. Just thinking about everything that had happened made her head spin and her heart hurt. She suddenly felt herself being overcome by emotions again. “Ugh, what’s come over me?” she said, rolling over to her other side. Tears fell from her eyes; she sat up and wiped them away, but they kept falling. “Why, I’ve not cried like this in years, and look at me! I’m bawling like an infant!” The musician wiped away more tears. “Is it shame, or guilt? Worry, maybe? Or perhaps…loneliness?” She shook her head at that last one. The girl continued to wipe tears away till the point where her fingerless gloves were near soaked. “Ah, no matter,” she said sniffling, realizing her efforts were futile. “I suppose I could let myself cry…just this once….”A few seconds later, Forte slipped into an ugly cry, falling over onto the leaves and sobbing heavily. ~~~ Laramie and Glee walked together alongside the outer walls of the Temple in complete silence. Neither one knew what to say to the other about anything; not about last night and certainly not about what had transpired earlier that morning. Glee couldn’t really feel emotions, a strange sensation for her since her personality usually radiated with emotion. She stared ahead with a blank, dark look on her face, unable to put concise thoughts together and, truthfully, not really wanting to. Her boyfriend, however, was filled to the brim with emotions. He was worried about his girlfriend, hoping she wouldn’t be punished too harshly, despite knowing she was the aggressor in the incident. Even though she could be ridiculous at times and even cause her own problems, the boy still cared for her. On the other hand, there was the composer, who was a mystery unto herself. He worried for her too, knowing how closed she was to the world and hoping that she wouldn’t close herself off even more. Feeling uncomfortable, Laramie broke the silence. “Kinda cloudy today, huh?” he asked, turning to look at his girlfriend. “…I guess.” Glee continued staring straight ahead as though she was in a trance. Laramie followed her gaze but couldn’t figure out what she was staring at. “Are you…worried at all about what they might do?”Glee stopped walking. “Worried? Worried?! Of course I’m worried!” she said, releasing pent up emotions she didn’t know she had. “I hate this! I hate constantly getting questioned for things I do! I just want to be able to live my life without having to worry whether or not somebody will criticize me for my actions!”Laramie put his hands up apologetically. “Geez, sorry I asked, okay?” he said. “I was just asking a question; I didn’t mean to start trouble.”“Well you did! Last night,” Glee said, starting to cry. “You ditched me Laramie. You ditched me.”Her boyfriend’s expression saddened. He hadn’t even thought about that. He had ditched her; most likely she’d walked back to the Temple all by herself late at night. Suddenly he felt bad. “Oh God, Glee, I’m sorry,” the boy told her, pulling her close to him. “Believe me, I am. My intention was to take you out to a nice dinner and have a wonderful time with you. But…” He trailed off. “But what?”“Well…” he said, as though hesitating, not wanting to upset her further, “at the restaurant, you stirred up trouble by harassing Forte, who wasn’t even bothering us at all. If anyone should really be upset, it’s her.”The girl pulled away from him, glaring angrily. “Well I’m sorry you feel that way, but I was just doing what I thought I needed to do.”“What, you felt like bothering an innocent girl who was just playing the piano for a crowd of people simply because you hate her?” Laramie asked, confused and getting frustrated. “Glee, do you even hear yourself? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! Do you even feel ashamed about what you did? At all?”She couldn’t answer. There were no words; she couldn’t figure out what to say. Was she ashamed, or wasn’t she? It was a simple question, and yet there was no answer. She didn’t know what to feel. Disgusted, Laramie gritted his teeth and turned away from her. “I honestly can’t believe what I’m hearing right now. Or rather, what I’m not hearing! You cause trouble at a famous local venue by harassing an innocent person and you feel nothing afterward. Right.” He turned around and started walking away. “Laramie, wait! Where are you going?!” his girlfriend cried out after him. “Away from here,” Laramie said. “I can’t take this.” He continued walking until he got back to the Temple entrance. He opened them and went inside, the doors slamming shut behind him. He stomped to the Library, hoping it would be quiet so he could think. He couldn’t believe that his girlfriend could be so insensitive. The boy’s head was spinning; he couldn’t think. For some reason his stride took him to the back of the Library, where he came face to face with the Music Room. Seeing it somehow calmed him, allowing him to think clearer. Replaying last night in his mind, he tried to remember if he had done anything that might have intensified the situation. Maybe I should have been more assertive with Glee, he thought. If I had maybe she would’ve backed off of Forte and then none of us would be in this mess. Still, Glee was the one at fault. As much as I care about her, I can’t deny that.Laramie looked up and found himself staring at the piano. His mind began to wander. He thought of Forte sitting there last night, playing and (he could still hardly believe it) singing. Even now after so much had happened the memory was vivid in his head. Closing his eyes, he could still hear her voice. All right! That’s it, the boy thought. I’m going to get cleaned up and then I’m going to go pay Forte a visit. I’ll take my time though; the more sleep she gets, the better. He smiled as he exited the Library and began heading upstairs. I just hope she’s all right.~~~ A while later, Laramie was walking through the hall on the second floor, clean as a whistle and wearing fresh clothes. Thinking about how he would talk to Forte, he approached the girl’s dorms and, being polite, knocked on the door. A young girl with purple hair answered. “Um, hi,” he said. “Uh…I was just wondering, is the girl who plays the organ in there? She was dropped off here a few hours ago, needed to lie down. Her name’s Forte.”“Oh her?” the girl asked. “She left shortly after she came in here, I think. My friend saw her go. Says she hasn’t been back since.” What?“Okay, thanks anyway,” he told the girl, trying to sound as calm as possible. “No problem,” she said, closing the door. Laramie took off running down the hall. Asking a few more people he happened to pass by, he learned that Forte had gone completely outside the Temple. He hurried out. What is she thinking, going outside in her condition?! Laramie thought frantically, his heart racing. She’s already in a weakened state; she could get hurt even worse! I have to find her!But luckily for him, he didn’t have to look far. Standing at the water’s edge on a now-deserted beach was the musician, her long black nightgown swaying in the breeze. A few hours ago she’d woken up in the forest, not knowing she’d fallen asleep. The girl, feeling well-rested and having cried more than enough, had spent her time thinking about everything that had gone down and then some. She stood with her back to him, looking out at the ocean. Laramie approached her cautiously. “…Forte?”She didn’t answer. Like Glee, she continued staring straight ahead. “Forte?” he tried again. “…Are you…all right?”The girl still didn’t answer. She took a deep breath and continued to look out at the ocean. About a minute of silence passed before she finally spoke. “Have you ever looked at the ocean, Mr. Anderson?” she asked, still not turning around. Laramie wasn’t sure how to answer her, so he didn’t. “When I was a child I used to dream about it frequently. The ocean…so vast and so deep…I’d often wonder what sort of mysteries it held. This fascination was bequeathed to me by my mother, who’d had the same interest in her youth. Every time I’d glance upon pictures of it, read about it or even study it, a sort of calm would wash over me. It became my stress reliever, that is, until I fell in love with music. And even now there’s still a part of me that feels calmed by looking out at the ocean.”Laramie remained silent. “What do you feel when you look at it, Mr. Anderson?” Forte asked, bringing her arms up and holding onto her elbows. “It keeps many secrets from us, doesn’t it? But have you ever asked exactly why it does this? Perhaps there’s a reason for its secrets being locked up tight. Of course, whether there is or isn’t I know not, but it has frustrated the tar out of scientists for years. Sure, humanity knows a lot more about the ocean and its depths than our predecessors, but exactly how much do we know, and how much do we think we know?”A breeze rustled the composer’s nightgown and sandy-brown hair, sending them flying out to her right. Laramie watched her, taking everything in. “People are like that too,” she continued cryptically. “We never want to reveal our deepest, darkest secrets to anyone, not even to those we trust. Why is that? …I suppose embarrassment or fear is what takes hold; embarrassment at the actual reveal should it occur, and fear at what others will think of us or how they will perceive us. Perhaps…it is the same for both cases. But then…why would these fears even exist? Who put them there? Who created them? Even that answer I cannot tell you.”Laramie wanted to say something, but before he could think of anything to say, Forte spoke again. “And what of the fear of actual discovery? Do you think the people who discover these secrets are fearful as well? Maybe this is the reason things are not explored; because people are too fearful to even try, afraid of what they may find.”The musician reached straight up in the air with both hands and stretched, yawning at the same time. Laramie didn’t outwardly say it, but he thought it was kind of cute. “For the past several hours I’ve been thinking things over, and I…I’ve come to some conclusions,” she said, putting her arms back down. “I’m…considering leaving the Order.”“What?!” Laramie said, finally finding his voice. “What do you mean?”“Exactly as I said, Mr. Anderson,” the composer told him. “I’m considering leaving the Order.”“But…why? What are your motives?”“Exactly the same as they’ve always been. Come now, you can’t honestly tell me you’ve not heard them before? But they haven’t changed at all, not since...oh, about Freshman year of High School, if memory serves? Very well. The bottom line is this: I’m an outcast. I needn’t be informed twice; it’s quite obvious. People have excluded me, criticized me, spread rumors, and talked about me behind my back for years. It’s even happening here, although I must admit during the war I felt a sense of peace because no one knew who I was. But I’d never, ever wish to go back to that time; not even for that. When it gets right down to it—and forgive me, for this might seem somewhat childish—no one understands me.”The brown-haired boy fell silent again. Finally, Forte turned around to face him, arms outstretched. “Hah, don’t you get it? NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME! NOT A ONE! NOBODY!” she yelled out, laughing. “I have no one. I’m a loner, I’m a recluse, and I’ve always been like that. This is how I’ve been conditioned; this is how my mind works! In the eyes of others, I’m no longer a person, but a freak! A reclusive, wretched, organ-playing freak!”Her shouting startled some seagulls that had been swimming in the ocean. They flew away squawking, startling Laramie. A few seconds after they flew away, Forte fell silent. The boy was about to speak, but once again, the musician did before he could. “A while back there were even times when I wondered, what would happen if I were elsewhere? That is to say, if I were gone? I even thought about what it would be like to fade away….”“NO!” Laramie shouted. “Oh, but I wouldn’t do that,” the composer said turning around to face the ocean, the tone in her voice becoming almost playful. “I thought about it, yes, but never once did I consider going through with it. Though there might be some poetic merits to it, that occurs only in literature, not real life.”Laramie breathed a sigh of relief. “But even so…this is who I am,” she continued, looking down. Her hands were outstretched in front of her. “I am a recluse…I dislike confrontation, I despise violence with every fiber of my being. Music is a part of my soul. Every time I play the organ or the piano I feel like I’m sharing a part of my soul with the world, even if that world is just myself. I dress strangely; I choose clothes no one else would ever think to wear simply because they’re old-fashioned or out of style. Hell, listen to the way I speak! My own parents even had trouble understanding me a few times because I speak so archaically.”“Forte…”“But…even so…this is who I am.” The composer’s voice was soft. “And regardless of what others think of me, I will remain so, even as the years go by. I refuse to change who I am because others see fit to brand me with names and labels such as those used back in High School. As far as I am concerned, that is the past, and I am looking ahead toward the future. And to go into the future allowing myself to be put down by those who hate me, fear me or think ill of me, why, that would not be my style.”Forte smiled and wrapped her arms around herself. She raised her head and inhaled deeply, the scent of the ocean calming her once more. “Albert Camus once said, ‘One must imagine Sisyphus happy.’ And so I will be happy. I shall take those insults, those labels, those names, and I will say, ‘To hell with all of them! To hell with all of you!’ I will live my life looking forward, not backward. You can say what you want, you can call me what you want, you can even think what you want of me, but the fact of the matter is I no longer care anymore. I…no longer care.”Laramie stood there speechless for the umpteenth time. This young woman fascinated him to no end. She was a walking enigma, closed off to the world, yet at the same time she was a kind-hearted girl with intricacies and vulnerabilities. He longed to be closer to her, emotionally and physically. He wanted to connect with her, to understand her. Forte turned around to face him, feeling kind of embarrassed that she had spilled out everything she’d been thinking of to him. This guy, the boyfriend of her nemesis…oh well. Sometimes that’s just how things work out. “I apologize,” she said, stepping away from the water’s edge. “You must think I’m some head case or some sick, twisted individual. And I am.” She smiled, tilting her head to her right. Unable to help it, Laramie laughed out loud, so loud he startled some more seagulls that had stopped by the beach for an afternoon stroll. “You…are no such thing,” he said, trying to stop laughing. “You are possibly the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”The composer’s mind went blank. What did he just say? “I’ll say this,” Laramie added, “you better not quit the Order, you hear me? Not when I’m considering joining. If you want to leave, you’ll have to fight me first.”Now it was Forte’s turn to laugh. “Me, fight you? Good Heavens, have you gone mad? I already told you I despise violence. And in case you haven’t noticed, should a fight ensue I do happen to have some fighting skills under my belt. I did fight in a war, mind you.”The brown-haired boy laughed. “ Yeah you did, I’ll admit that. But you’re not so tough.”“What was that?” A dark expression found its way onto the musician’s face. “You heard me,” Laramie joked. “You talk tough but in reality you’re a big softie. You’re too kind to hurt anybody.”“And why do you think that?”“I don’t think it, I know it.”“Where’s your proof?”“Your song.”Forte fell silent, her face turning red in embarrassment. She plopped down in the sand. “I’ll have it known that I hate singing.”Laramie sat down next to her. “Why?”“Because,” the composer said, sighing. “These days all young singers do is use it to promote their self-image. It’s no longer about the music; it’s about satisfying ever-growing egos and public relations. It’s inauthentic, it’s fake. They’re more concerned with how they look onstage to an audience than how their music actually sounds. It sickens me. So whenever I write or play music, I omit or ignore the lyrics, respectively.”“Then why did you sing last night?”The girl didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “It’s…complicated,” she said, starting to draw in the sand. “See, I have this rule. If I come across a song that will not, no matter how much I tweak it, sound authentic without the lyrics, then…” She sighed. “Then I will include the lyrics. Begrudgingly. Last night the song I played was one of those. Such an occurrence does not often repeat itself. In other words, outside of those very rare circumstances, I don’t sing.” She stressed that last part, staring the boy down for emphasis. “I see, I see,” Laramie told her as she went back to her task of drawing little lines and shapes in the sand. He looked out at the Temple and the somewhat cloudy sky above it, sighing. “What a waste,” he said. “You have such a beautiful voice.”Forte stopped drawing, her face reddening with embarrassment again. She looked down to try and hide it. “Um…thank you, I…I guess….”A slightly awkward silence followed, but it was soon broken by Laramie. “You know, I only know two people here at the Order so far,” the boy noted. “Glee and…well, you. I already know Glee well—I should, she’s my girlfriend!—but I’d like to get to know you too, Forte. I guess what I’m trying to say is…I’d like to be your friend. You…do know what that means, right?”The musician looked at him. “…You,” she said. “You want to be my…friend?” The word felt awkward rolling off her tongue. When was the last time she’d said it? “…A-are you sure? You do know what kind of a person I am, don’t you?” She laughed. “Yes,” Laramie told her, smiling. “And I like it. I want to be your friend, Forte. Is…that okay with you?”The girl took a good long look at him. This boy wanted to be her friend, the first one she’d had in quite some time. She wasn’t quite ready to trust him just yet. “Why?” she asked. “Why do you desire such a thing?”The boy looked a bit taken aback. “Well…it’s like I said before. You’re an interesting person, and I want to get to know you better. To be honest, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to be your friend.”The musician was quiet. “So…is it okay to be friends with you?” After a few moments of silence the girl sighed. This is unsteady ground I’m about to step upon, she thought. Still, he does seem friendly enough…but he’s the boyfriend of my nemesis. I should tread lightly, just in case. Regardless, this will surely come back to haunt me, I know it.“Very well,” Forte said. “Do as you wish.”“Does this mean you’ll be my friend as well?”“I suppose so. If I remember correctly, friendship is a two-way street, is it not?”Laramie laughed. “Yes it is.”The two stopped talking, listening to the sound of the ocean for a short while. Forte then asked a question. “So, when did you start remembering my name?” she asked. “Before you’d call me the monikers given me by our former classmates. Now out of the blue you’re addressing me by name?”“Well…truthfully, I’d never heard your name before until Glee said it at the restaurant. Terrible, I know,” the boy told her. Forte looked at him confusedly. “You simply must be joking,” she said. “How is it that you go years without ever hearing a person’s name before?” She laughed. “Totally stupid, but it’s true,” he said, laughing. “One thing’s for sure though; I know I won’t forget it.”Forte wasn’t sure how to interpret this comment, so she didn’t say anything. After a few seconds of silence Laramie decided it was his turn to ask a question. “So how embarrassed are you knowing you’ve gone through all these ordeals in your pajamas?”“Mortified.”“Really?”“Nah, I’m surprised at how little I care, actually.”“You know, we could go back to the Temple now,” Laramie offered. “That is, if you’re still going to be in the Order.”Forte stood up and thought about it. “Well, all my stuff is there at the moment…and I would kind of miss the organ and the piano…”“That’s what I like to hear! So…how about we head back? Then you can finally get dressed.” The boy laughed as he stood up. “I’ll race you…No wait, I take it back. You shouldn’t run…your head...”“I’ve recovered some,” she said. “A race sounds quite entertaining, actually. Let’s see if you can beat me!” The composer took off running. “Hey, wait!” Laramie cried, running after her. “You still shouldn’t run! You could get hurt again! Argh, get back here you cheater!”The two of them laughed as they headed back to the Temple. So this is what friendship is like, Forte thought as she ran. Huh. Call me crazy, but I believe I could get used to this.[[Aaaand after all this, read signature. XD]]
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Maborofel rolled 3 6-sided dice:
1, 6, 5
Total: 12 (3-18)
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 9:54 am
 Shaking Sven's hand, Xeiashi exclaimed "Long story? I'd hope so, to get two people in one body! I want to hear all about it....but first, we are running late! Look at the sky, the sun's already starting to drop past Noon, and we haven't even started on our way. The city is a good deal away, and I for one don't plan on camping out tonight. Onward and forward, everyone! At this, he turned on his heel and began walking quickly along the path to the city. The only appropriate way to describe his gait was parade-like, with grandiose movements while the novelty of the path persisted. Shortly enough, he slowed to a pace that allowed the other two to catch up, and the remainder of the journey was filled with many types of idle chatter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [That Night] "How hard is it to find people these days, I swear...that Google thing didn't work. Nobody around here even knows who we are talking about. Overseer above, if this keeps up, we're going to need to find a place to stay the night, and I'm flat broke! Alexi, are all cities like this? Because if so, cities suck." Xeiashi said grumpily as yet another passerby was unable to direct them on their way. Making matters worse was the fact that full-on night was rapidly approaching, and the streetlights in the shade of the taller buildings had already started glowing an impersonal orange. At this, he turned to his Adventure Assistants to decide what to do next. All that greeted him was a pair of tired faces, evidence of the rapid journey that brought them to the unhelpful city. Beyond that were another pair of faces, heading into some building, and beyond that, a pair of small persons glaring at the party. Curious as to their glares, Xeiashi looked closer and saw them. The rabble. Those who are underfoot. "Nestor.....and Julian." he muttered, then spoke up to shout "Hoy, why are you creeping around back there, can't you see that I couldn't possibly be doing anything worth wrecking? Go home or something, we're busy looking for someone!"In response, the boys used the only distraction they had at their disposal, hoping to make a quick getaway. From one pocket came a slingshot, and from the other came a few small rocks. With the speed that comes with long practice, hasted further by Nestor's threats, Julian made the rocks sing their way through the air to their destination. There were three shots, all destined for the wizard's head. For the sake of the bystanders, Julian hoped that he didn't miss. 
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