Hiya, AChronum here! Although I'm relatively new to rping, I have plenty of writing experience and love trying new genres and styles. I absolutely love high magic fantasy RPs and am pretty much willing to do anything so long as I can create a charaxter, not play an existing one, and develop lots and lots of backstory! I'm perfectly comfortable with all mature themes as well, although smut for smut's sake is out of the question.
Interested in an RP? Send me a PM and have a magically marvelous day!
Location: Human Resistance HQ, New York, New York Skills: N/A
James felt himself relax, tension he wasnât aware of seeping out of his muscles and leaking a faint ache behind. Apparently, everything had overwhelmed him more than a little but hearing that Casper was alive and still remembered him and still cared for him if the message was anything to go by. He couldnât help the smile that played across his face, probably dopier than he cared for, but it was so good hearing that come from his boyfriend that he didnât bother hiding the relief. Even if the cute idiot was playing around in a S.H.I.E.L.D base. What else would his boyfriend be doing but finding the most dangerous, crazy thing he could do and jump into it head first? He couldnât hold back a quiet laugh and shook his head fondly at the thought.
James looked up as the stealth team came in and noted Klara led it. He wasnât particularly attached to the woman but he was glad she made it out nevertheless. She didnât deserve to die. None of those people did. He refocused on Reed as she explained what she knew, processing the information. An infinity stone cause that craziness in New York? He didnât know a lot, only that aliens and the avengers were going at it, but that seemed incredible. No wonder S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to keep an eye on them. He cocked his head to the side as the gears in his head started turning.
âWait a moment. So my boyfriend is pinging near the X-Men while he so happens to be in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility looking for a stone with the power to start wars with alien races while weâre all waking up to realize this is an alternate reality.â James spoke slowly, organizing his thoughts as he did. âOne of the stones is called the Reality stone, Cassandra? Or wait. Should I stick to last names? I think thatâs what I used to do but itâs kinda weird? You know, Iâll stick with Reed until you say otherwise. Why doesnât everyone just use first names? Itâs the code name crap all over again. Anyways, would this Reality stone have the power to fix our reality? Iâm not really sure how powerful these things are but it canât be a coincidence that S.H.I.E.L.D. has at least one of them and the regime they work for is responsible for this crap situation. And donât think we arenât discussing that little pity parade you had.â Jamesâ attention jumped back to Max, slipping his arm around his shoulders. âThis is your last call and then call it a night dude. Youâll wear yourself out faster than I do putting the Underground back in one piece.â
Location: The Mutant Underground (Floor 1) Skills: N/A
âWeâll get you all somewhere safer than here.â James didnât hesitate to give out hugs and encouraging words as he could. They were only kids, they deserve someone to hold them up. He thought about his own childhood, a mutation that could go unnoticed and it had. Heâd had a normal life, full of normal issues, full of normal promises, and he gave it all up to heal some poor kids after a completely unknown attack. He felt a little angry with himself for throwing it all away. He would have had a job and been above all this mess. He could have lived a normal life for as long as he could. But he only felt like that for a second, after the fifth, sixth kid he patched up, and shame lanced through him at the idea so he pushed that away again. He focused on the filming girl with a weary shake of his head.
âEveryone is in working order but would you two,â James spoke softly as he rubbed the back of one of the crying children, nodding between Cayden and Feedback. âWould you two help find their stuff if they have any? And maybe letâs get them away from you know who? I still have to get upstairs and see what the damage is there.â James stood, his legs trembling a bit as he bit back a curse. Heâd done a lot already today and he knew he was overexerting himself. He just had to keep moving. As long as he kept moving, heâd be okay. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. âEveryone, this is Cayden and Feedback. Theyâre going to help you for now. Caydenâs super strong and Feedback canâŚâ James paused for a second. He wasnât 100% sure what she could do but she did pick up messages from something so heâd run with that. âCan hear danger coming so youâll all be safe with them for now. I know everything is scary but right now, we need you to make sure youâre ready to go. Can you guys do that? Get what you have, Cayden and Feedback will help, and stand with them until everyone is back?â James gave them all a smile, murmured a quiet thanks to the other two, and made his way upstairs to continue his work.
Requiem
Location: The Hellfire Club Skills: N/A
Requiem waited as Jinx cooled down his hands, rolling his eyes at the boyâs inability to take care of himself. They boy did have a point; Shaw was another type of menace to handle but the girl came looking for him specifically. His own niece sneaking unauthorized personnel into the Hell Fireâs headquarters and causing a ruckus. Requiem sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was a wonder these people got anything done. As powerful as they may be, turning on each other was only a waste of their resources. Requiem shrugged off the annoyance. They saddled him with this child, whats dancing between four more?
âThen lets be on our way.â Requiem responded, grabbing his briefcase and making his way to the elevator. âThe girl mentioned her Uncle so weâre going to ask him where she is. Our first priority is to recover that data. They have time on their side and heâs the most direct line. Weâll head over to his beloved yacht; weâll likely find him indulging in his hedonistic tendencies.â
Location: Human Resistance HQ, New York, New York Skills: N/A
James only shrugged in response. The plan wasnât meant to kill so clearly the finer points got swallowed up by the single focus these people had. It seemed everywhere he turned, these people couldnât handle more than a single objective but so be it. James made his way over to Max and slid down to the floor next to him. The exhaustion of healing so much was creeping up on him now that everything slowed down for a moment. James nudged the other man with his shoulder and chuckled. âOut of the frying pan and into the fire, huh? Christ this is one shitty situation.â James shook his head with grim humor.
âWhat exactly determined all this nonsense?â James asked quietly. James didnât want to reflect on everything that had happened in this life, not with an objective so close at hand so in typical James fashion, he shut those emotions down real quick. That would be something to focus on later when he had time to unpack all those things. Maybe he wouldnât have time until they fixed it and then hopefully he could forget all of it. Hopefully, heâd forget all of it.
Aster laughed every time Jackson hit the ground, giving the new kid a rousing round of applause for the recovery and the amazing transformation. Watching Jackson hit the ground time after time was music to his ears and Aster made no effort to disguise that. âAw, what would dear old daddy say if he knew his little kid was pouting over fair? Aster cooed at the Ares kid. The idea of anyone from the Ares cabin playing fair made him rolls his eyes. They were notorious for wanting to win at any cost and pushing fights and conflicts farther than necessary just for the fun of it. Maybe it hadnât been such a good idea to rile him up and throw him at the new kid. Very rarely did Aster regret his actions but he could see this going sideways very quickly, even if the kid could change shape at will.
âIâm hoping the new kid wins this. I want to be able to tell everyone when we get back." Aster grinned at the girl. "And for the record, I take no responsibility if Jackson gets his ass flattened--well, it can't get much flatter but you know what I mean--by the new kid. I was unaware we'd have rhinos trampling around. But with how excitedly he jumped into the fray, I think he might find more than a few friends among the brutes."
The Market was busy for such an early hour, plenty of laborers bringing shipments to and from the docks. Carts whipped to and from one side of the city to the other, mostly hand drawn but a few horses could be found amongst the crowd. The market itself was a bright display of colors, clothes and hides trading hands as quickly as fruit and vegetables. A few food items from Genesis lined the wealthier looking stands.
Willow made a quick round, checking signs and store names, before finally ducking into a moderate sized apothecary. She paused a moment, reading over Ceceâs message and dismissed the image. The idea wasnât a bad one, some extra Renn in the guild coffeerâs wouldnât hurt but with the public disapproval of Datalink 66âs methods Willow was hesitant. Once someone lost the serverâs approval in something, it took a lot to earn it back and this game lacked the privilege of server transfers as far as Willow was aware. It was worth considering but she might need some advice before continuing with that idea. If Zeke ever showed up, sheâd have him do it and then just kick him from the guild in a show of solidarity with the Council but she could never find him.
The apothecary had a few individuals wandering the shop, various ingredients and potions labelled and bottled on shelves. An older woman in heavy glasses leaned on the counter as she went over a small list with a boy who nodded as she finished, dropped a small pouch of Renn on the table, and bolted out the door with a hurried goodbye. The womanâs tag read Valrene, Alchemist Trainer as she turned to Willow and those following her.
âWelcome, welcome!â Valrene waved at the trio, beckoning them closer. âYou look like fresh faces âround here. What can I do for you folks?â
âWe heard you needed help gathering supplies and we came to offer our assistance.â Willow responded as she approached the counter, eyeing some potions. If only she hadnât spent all her Renn.
âYes, yes! Running through my Welkin Gland supply. Nasty things but their poison can be used to make quite a number of remedies. Iâll need at least ten but Iâm always pleased to pay for a few extra.â The alchemist spoke as she rummaged under the desk, pulling out a small scroll and rolling it open. A long tailed serpentine creature was depicted on it and a close up of the poison glands behind the fangs and a quick description on how to extract it. âMake sure they donât get ruptured!â
Emergency Supplies Gather 10 Welkin Poison Glands. Return to Valrene for a reward. Optional: Gather 10 Additional Glands. Return to Valrene for a reward.
Valreneâs Bonus: Increased Drop Rate, Increased XP Share with Guild? Yes No
âIs there anything else we need to know?â Willow asked as she accepted the quest and shared it with the guild.
âHm, hm. Youâll need to be quick to kill them before you get coated with their vomit. The smell attracts other Welkin and can start a feeding frenzy if you arenât careful!â Valrene explained cheerfully as she rolled her scroll up and stashed it away. âGood luck! You folk seem like youâll do great!â
Willow stared at the woman blankly for a few moments, thoroughly disgusted with that information but pulled up the guild chat.
I have the quest from Valrene. Meet me at the bridge at the edge of town and weâll strike out from there. Make sure your gear is in decent repair on the way out.
Meanwhile....
At the edge of the market, a young girl tried to catch the attention of various adventurers. A large basket was strapped to her back and with every person who ignored her, she grew clearly more distressed. She was in no way bad off, her clothes clean and well kept and she was clearly well groomed, but she shifted from foot to foot as she tried to catch one manâs attention but was pushed a few steps back. The girl, Nanlia, crouched for a moment with tears in her eyes.
âYouâre such a sweet talker.â The woman, Farlie, tittered after their conversation. Her husband rolled his eyes fondly as he assisted another customer. âA silver off for a silvered tongue is only fair, donât you think? 5 silver a piece rather than the normal 6 and if you like, Iâll throw some bananas fresh off the boat from these bothranâs homeland. A few days old but theyâre perfectly ripe! Goes great with the cream the Verdant makes special.â
Acting Skill Points Gained: 2
MeanwhileâŚ
Bidthornâs Smithery was just as lively, loud and hot and full of workers. Various metals made their way in and out of the building, three large carts exchanging good with the shop and then on their way. Inside the shop proper was much quieter and several rows of cases displayed various items, ranging from horseshoes to weapons. A few suits of armor lined the walls. A balding man with a long braided beard stood behind the counter, weighing various bars of metal on a scale. Bidthorn looked up as Holly entered, squinting suspiciously.
âWhatâs a little lassie like you doinâ in mah shop?â Behind him, a massive hammer hung on the wall. Intricate patterns were carved into the handle and the dual sided hammer heads were emerald green.
âMaxwell Alderman⌠Aha, here we go.â The clerk pulled out a map of the housing areas and circled his new address. âAll of your belongings have been relocated as well. Your partner was given both keys as well.â
âMr. Spellman, both your keys are in count Astorioâs possession. We can issue you a new key if either of them were lost but it will take twenty four hours. Iâll have the request placed and you can pick it up at your convenience if you wish.â
The needle dropped delicately from her finger onto the surface of the record, taking just a moment to start playing. Soft piano notes floated out from the gramophone, a little scratchy with age, and she let herself indulge in the music. The quiet, desperate scratching of boots on the stone floor and the creaking of fingers, white knuckled and trembling, slowly splintering wood faded away into hazy memories of dappled warmth on her skin and the laughter of a family long gone, long replaced by time and responsibilities. So rarely did she let herself remember a time when the hunger never existed, a time when she thought the world was safe and happy, that demons were only fairy tales and monsters existed under the bed only in the imagination of the young.
But those were times best left where they were. Red eyes opened slowly as she focused on the world around her. She could feel her sisterâs impatient gaze on her back, she could smell the fear in his withered heart, she could feel the desperation rolling off her previous studentâs fingers as they scratched uselessly at Noxâs wrists. Letting out a long sigh, Ryner turned with a friendly smile on her face as she settled back into the chair in the cold room. A champagne flute sat on a small table next to her chair alongside a dossier and a plain cloth napkin. Count Lutheran sat across with fingers leaving indents in the wooden arms, staring past her at Nox whose hand covered Marietteâs mouth and kept her just on the tips of her toes. Before theyâd invited Lutheran in, the girl remained docile and cooperative and that wouldnât do. It ruined the ambiance after all. So Ryner murmured exactly why she was there and Nox sntached her up like a rag doll just as the Countess screamed and bolted for the door.
Ryner let Lutheran stew a while longer, picking up the dossier. She flipped it open, reviewing the documents about the murder of Count Dracul and the exile of his daughter Arianna, the disappearance of Ikelos, and the full investigation report of Mariette Eve and her familyâs extended vacation. Each report made her feel worse, not because her sister and she have systematically destabilized the House but rather Lutheran forcing her hand this far. Sheâd forgiven his incompetence the first time and spoken politely about it the second time. She still needed Varisâs influence for the time being and with this many problems, the noble brat wouldnât stay contently in the dark for much longer. Sheâd already dealt with a few unauthorized inquiries but there were bound to be more snakes in the garden if she didnât get this under control. She snapped the folder shut.
âThe Noila family isnât in the habit of letting mistakes go unpunished, let alone three, Lutheran.â Ryner spoke conversationally, like she was inquiring about the weather. âI would like to remind you, my Motherâs favor secured you your position. Just a few words, a rumor here and there, and a leaked report would ruin you, Lutheran. You have so many enemies in the House, each one with a better handle on their affairs and the affairs of their factions." She let the folder fall open on the table next to her, angled so the other vampire could clearly see everything in it. She pulled a letter out of the back, clearly addressed to Count Benjamin Eve.
"Dracul's would-be usurper managed to get his hands on a piece of history about my territory that was not authorized for release. Rather than bring the Council to bear against him, I believe I'd like to bind his spawn to me. Do you think you're capable of ensuring that information makes it into his hands?" Ryner asked sweetly.
"W-well, Princess that's a little difficult." Lutheran laughed nervously at Ryner's questioning look. "See, Pierce doesn't take orders all that well and that's a very specific thing you want. May-maybe something I'm not supposed to know about. So I'm not real-"
Rynerâs finger traced the rim of the glass as he spoke. A faint cracking could be heard and a muffled blood curdling scream. Lutheran watched in horror as a member of his house bled from the temples as Nox crushed the little vampireâs skull. She was slow about it, pausing periodically to let the girl scream herself hoarse. Lutheran made to speak, a protest on his tongue, but Ryner pressed a finger to her lips. She raised the glass and Nox let Marienetteâs blood drip steadily into it. Once Ryner waved her away, Nox crushed the vampireâs skull completely against the wall and took her place behind her older sister. Ryner swirled the glass, breathing in the metallic tang. Her smile never wavered.
âIâve always preferred Noble blood. And itâs been far too long since Iâve been allowed to indulge.â Ryner drank long and deep from the glass, a pleased sigh following her tongue as it darted out to lap at the stain on her lower lip. Rynerâs eyes never left Lutheranâs as she sipped at it again and again and again, showing no sign of the usual sickness vampiric blood afflicted. She drained the glass with one last content sigh.
"Please forgive me, Lord Eve. Duty has demanded my attention beyond my appetite's patience.â Her eyes barely cleared, still bright red despite the meal. She picked up the napkin and blotted her mouth. âNow, you were saying?â
"Nothing to be concerned about. It will be arranged as you wish" He spoke shakily.
"I expect so. Take this." She tossed the letter into his lap and with the press of a button, the shackles unlocked. Lutheran stood on shaky legs and bowed before he took his leave as quickly as he could. Ryner waited until the door shut behind him before covering her mouth with the napkin and retching. Only a few drops of blood came up and she clicked her tongue irritably. Her Sire forced her to acclimate to the experience all those years ago. Apparently, itâd been far too long since she drank and made a mental note to continue doing so. Behind her, Nox also made her way to the door.
âThank you for your help.â Ryner said as she stood, fetching her supplies to clean up the mess.
âNow I owe you nothing.â The other spat and slammed the door behind her. Ryner sighed as the display. She missed the nights they would spend together before they were driven apart. She chuckled at the memory of teaching the younger girl to ride, of teaching her how to loose an arrow and set a trap, of long nights of hide and seek deep in the woods shrugged off as survival exercises. Ryner thought sheâd be a useful ally but Greta discovered her plans and twisted the girl against her. Ryner sighed again at an opportunity lost.
Staring at the rotting corpse of a hundred year old vampire, Ryner considered asking one of the servants to clean up after it. But doing so would add one more unknown variable that the other Houses or even her own Sire could pick apart and she had little interest involving more individuals that she already had. ROlling her sleeves up, she picked up a trash bag and a bucket and mop and set to work cleaning up the mess her fun had made.
Location: The Mutant Underground (Floor 1) Skills: N/A
The name Shaw rang a bell, involved in a little bit of everything because they have the money to do it, but it didnât put up anything concrete. Clearly, this Shaw guy didnât like the Mutant Underground so he sent some people to blow it up. There was probably more to it, anytime any of these rich scheming folks did anything there was always a comical amount of layers to it, but James had caught his breath again. And for the first time since he was down here, he took a moment to look around. Mutants littered the ground, others caught in the crossfire of this insane attack, and James swore as he pushed himself to his feet. Other peopleâmostly children for Godâs sake!âwere hurt and here they were, talking about interrogating people.
âCan we split our attention for a bit? Weâve got injured people and if we want to find a new location, we need them on their feet first.â James asked as he made his way around the room. He spent enough energy handling the most serious issues as possible, getting people into good enough shape that they could move around safely. He felt himself shaking as he did, pushing himself right up to his limit. Heâd need food and rest after this, an unfortunate consequence of his abilities. James hoped theyâd have that luxury but in the few days heâd gotten himself into this mess, he somehow sincerely doubted it.
Requiem
Location: The Hellfire Club Skills: N/A
Requiem closed the tap and dried his hands, careful not to irritate them further. The cool water would keep blisters from forming but he should get some antibacterial cream in addition. This entire situation was a headache, with the one person he managed to work against the thieves knocked out immediately. And on top of it, he had to work against the people who were supposedly working against the thieves in the first place. Ms.Frostâs ugliness showed its head at the worst time, forcing him to specifically deal with one person when he could have shut them all down instead and because of it, she was taken out of the fight. He wouldnât linger here any further. He wanted to know exactly what possessed these idiots to pull this off. He stepped out of the restroom and watched Jinx pace around the room, kicking glass of all things.
âStop that.â Requiem snapped, his patience at its limit as he limped into the room to get his suitcase. âCool your hands in the restroom and then weâre leaving. Weâll be making a visit to Shaw to figure out what this girl wanted and where she is and then weâll be retrieving the computer before they can wreak havoc with the information inside. An attack on our grounds is unacceptable and after today, I donât trust the others to handle it.â Requiem pulled out his phone and dialed the extension for the janitorial staff, requesting a clean up service and the manager for the department to help set up repairs.
Kajinâs cheeks puffed out irritably as he stormed from the room, eyes red and watery from crying. The door slammed shut behind himâKajin was not proud to admit it took him a few tries. It was a very heavy door and he was small! This was a city of Lalafells, youâd think theyâd be more considerate.âand he stormed off, purposely making his footsteps as loud as he could until he turned the corner. Papajin had a few choice words for his little sibling that circumnavigated his authority and apparently thought threatening to have Mom fetch him would be enough to get Kajin to back down. Not only had Kajin already wrote Mom estactically about his new plans but sheâd completely supported the idea. Not everyone could sit behind a desk and read reports day in and day out. Kajin joined to help people. Not let his skills gather dust on a shelf somewhere in an archive. Their discussion, as Papajinâs missive worded it, consisted of little more than the elder Lalafell chasizing Kajin for his recklessness and telling him outside the walls of Ulâdah wasnât safe and he wasnât ready to blah, blah, blah. Papajin didnât appreciate someone replacing his words with those and things got heated, things were said, and feelings got hurt.
Well, Papajinâs at least.
As soon as the Lalfell turned the corner, the angry stomping and the pout vanished. A smug grin replaced the pouting and a little bounce entered his step as he whistled his way out of the Arrzaneth Oustuary. He pulled a small clear bottle from his robes and flipped it as he walked. Eye Drops. An excellent tool for flushing your eyes of sand when traversing Thanalan and, if you were like the Lalafell and hated anything in your eyes, a perfect way to start crying. He knew that conversation wouldnât be pleasant so Kajin took some... preparations. Hopefully Papajin will feel guilty in a few months and Kajin can come back to rub in his brothers face what a successful adventurer he was. Not mature enough to leave home. That chocoboâs backside had no idea what he was talking about and Kajin would prove it.
âHm, hm, hm⌠another family fued, Kakajin?â The bottle crashed to the ground as Kajin jumped and fumbled for the drops, the Duke of Destruction grinning at the display as returned from whatever business took him away earlier. Cocobuki was no stranger to the younger Lalafellâs antics. Papajin and Kajin regularly butted heads and Cocobuki more than once stepped in the middle when staves came out. âYou should give him more credit. He only wants you safe. The life of an adventurer is anything but.â
âSafe is boring! Observations, records, and learning are all only useful if you use them. He wants me to sit around all day and do nothing. He can do that himself!â Kajin retorted heatedly. âI want to see all the things Iâve read about, I want to challenge myself, I want to learn new things, I want to eat new things! I canât do that here.â Kajin sighed, the irritation bubbling at Cocobukiâs statement fading away. He shouldnât get upset with the guildmaster. Despite his teachings needing a little tweaking to fit Kajinâs advanced thaumaturgy, Cocobuki kept Kajinâs skills from eroding over the few years heâd been trapped in this city. Not that he didnât love Ulâdah but everything looked like a cage when you didnât want to be there.
âAnd absolve a family sin?â The guildmaster supplied. Cocobuki laughed with a fond shake of the head as Kajin nodded firmly. âYou canât suffer the weight of the past forever and there are more ways to help others than being involved directly but when you have the power to do so, I have to agree. Now go on, its nearly your meeting time. Walk well in the abyss, Kakajin Nanajin. Use wisely what you find there.â
Kajin popped out of his room at the hourglass, taking a moment the place heâd called home for the past three years. Hopefully everything would go smoothly and if they did, it would be the last night heâd stay. A twinge of sadness raced through him, almost enough to change his mind. Heâd grown attached to the little spot in the corner when the wood creaked if it got too windy, the slight space underneath the window where the wood warped so sand got in sometimes, and the scorch mark heâd left (and personally paid to have replaced now that he was leaving) after the first fight with his brother when he arrived. There were so many things about this room heâd miss, even the things he loathed, but he knew when he made his choice this would happen. It was the price of change. Not one he cared to pay but one that must be nevertheless. With a flourish of his staff, he turned away from the closed door and made his way into the bustling Quicksand.
A familiar aroma made Kajinâs nose twitch and his belly grumble. The Quicksand was known for one thing out of all of Ulâdah: Buttered Crumpets. And they were just made fresh. He paused at the bottom of the steps from the Hourgalss, closing his eyes as he sniffed the air. In his three years here, heâd managed to learn the differences between most of the batches made and the ones Papasu made. She knew just how much butter to put in them. And by that, he meant she put as much butter as she could without ruining the recipe. Heâd missed her last batch a few days ago but this time heâd feast. The thought made Kajinâs mouth water and he bolted for his favorite person, unabashedly smacking the blumbering peopleâs ankles as they got to close. They should keep a look out for him so a bruise would be a helpful reminder. He skidded to a halt just as Papasu finished bringing a round of drinks to a table.
âFour please!â Kajin shouted excitedly, practically vibrating at the thought of the crumpets. Papasu glanced at him confused for a moment and then laughed, patting Kajin on the head.
âAye, aye, Kakajin. I figure youâll take a mint lassi or two as well?â Kajin held up two fingers and then shuffled around in his coin purse for the gil. She took the coin and nodded. âYour normal spot is a little crowded so I wonât shoo you down if you sit on the edge. Donât need you getting stomped on in all this ruckus.â Kajin stuck his tongue out at her but took her advice. The advertisement drew more people at this time than normal and Kajin was a bit on the short side. All it would take was a few people getting too rowdy and Kajin would be flatter than a marmot steak. He knocked his heels against the little wall as he leaned against the railing, watching everyone get settled in. He thanked Papasu when she passed under with a tray and slid his order next to him and he munched on the crumpet. He sighed happily as it practically melted in his mouth, the smoothness soothing the building ache in his chest. It was just another thing he would be leaving behind, the familiar warmth of the Quicksand and the food it offered. Between his time with the adventuring guild and his responsibilities for the Eyes, he doubted heâd have as much free time as heâd enjoyed up until recently. A little voice that sounded suspiciously like his brother piped up in the back of his mind, threatening an âI told you soâ and Kajin quickly refocused on the scene in front of him as a Hyur addressed the room.
In fact, I actually need help from youâŚ
Kajin paused mid-sip at the phrase. Heâd picked it up to give her a moment of privacy while she spoke, clearly distressed at what he could only assume was a loss. His own memories of the Calamity were stressful, full of horror and frustration and despair as they rushed around Eastern Thanalan saving as many people as they could from the chaos the world descended into, but personally he hadnât lost anyone but he didnât have to imagine. Day after day, heâd seen and heard as people's worlds were buried in the sand, as everything they thought they could believe in and trust were purified in ice and lightning and fire. Sometimes he could still hear the wailing. It was why he didnât go home very much anymore.
He would have helped even if she hadnât asked for it but all it took was that one phrase and he would throw everything he could behind her. His family was sworn to do it, an ancient oath that anyone who learned their arts took before their teachings, and all it took was a simple request and they would follow without hesitation. The weight of their shame fell on their shoulders. Only repenting would see the family happy in the afterlife. He raised his glass with the rousing exchange, piping in with an ecstatic âAye, aye!â when the Miqo'te ended his rousing little speech.
And then the Pajdal spoke. Kajin literally spat out his drink at the sight of him, double a double take and then rubbing his eyes. He stared at the milk and mint drink for a long moment, squinting suspiciously. He didnât smell anything out of place, it was refreshing and delicious as usual, but there was absolutely no way a Padjal was here. In Thanalan. They never left the Shroud. He tossed back the rest of his first drink, grabbed his last crumpet and his other cup, and inched closer. Heâd heard stories of them, of ageless children working the wonders of White Magic, of children of the forest able to converse and quell natureâs anger with little more than a whisper. When he first heard of them, a barrage of questions spilled out of him mouth. They defied the very nature of aether, resisted the natural call of the aether of mortal souls back unto its basic form, and yet they existed much longer than they ought. Why did they live so long? How did they live so long? Did they consider their existence hypocritical as it broke the very cycles they sought to preserve? Heâd never thought too long on them. After all, he didnât have a subject to study, no one to discuss the finer points with.
But that all changed now.
Kajin scooted closer, hopping onto the pile of boxes and barrels that always seemed to crowd the back of the seating areas and down onto the floor with practiced ease before making his way to the Padjalâs table. He munched on his food, situation momentarily forgotten, as he took the time to just observe with wide, sparkling eyes. He wanted to touch but he would wait until after the meeting at the very least.
Location: Human Resistance HQ, New York, New York Skills: N/A
âIf we can retrieve Klara in tandem with your stealth team, weâll have three.â James ignored Maxâs request, focusing wholeheartedly on the issue at hand. He sympathized with Maxâs exhaustion but time was of the essence. Now that he knew this reality was a fraud, or at the very least somewhere he didnât care for, he had very little issue dedicating himself to the task. If this had been home, James would have been asking a billion questions and probably still struggled to understand everything since there was just so much. But here, James was a Red Guard and he knew his training well. âAnd then we should use mixed methods. If Princess Wanda is the reason this entire situation exists, I imagine it would be relatively easy for her to track us so weâll need to confuse her. If we fracture her attention and those of her allies, we have a higher chance of success.
âI can provide a list of some less known S.H.I.E.L.D. locations if youâd like. If we can follow up this attack on the Palace with concurrent assaults on sensitive locations, we might be able to keep them on the defensive long enough for the teams to find their targets, restore their memories, and return with little interference.â James offered. They wouldnât even have to do much to make it look like that was the plan. S.H.I.E.L.D would be too distracted covering its operations to hunt them down for a few weeks at the very least. âIt wouldnât take much. A homemade explosive in a car driven into the staging location and since disruption is the goal, we can reduce casualties with a relatively low impact bomb placed during the quieter hours. Feed the press some anonymous information about the explosions being risky experiments sanctioned by the crown and you could elevate it to a political shit storm if put properly. I know its a lot of moving pieces but considering you just kicked the hornets nest, I doubt motivation is what you lack. It would barely take a few hours to plan but most of the fine tuning would have to be on the ground based on what theyâve changed since the first wave of Red Guard deserters.â
âProme, vote at some point today please.â She worked her hardest to keep her tone even but there was still an edge to her words. What bliss, such idiotic igorance. But that wasnât fair and she wasnât going to let slip out anytime soon so she focused on finishing her food and chuckled at Hollyâs comment. âWhat can I say, seven apples a day keeps the existential dread from sitting in.â She stood up as she finished, downing her water quickly, and slamming the tankard back on the table.
âIâm going to hunt down this second quest and then weâll be heading out. Make sure your gear is in decent condition and youâre ready to take a few hits. Make sure you all eat enough. We should try and be beyond the walls as long as we can.â Willow grinned, excitement flaring up in her eyes. As horrible as the premise of the game was, Willow still loved fighting here. Sometimes she wished she picked a bit more of an aggressive class but sheâd start picking up some damaging spells soon just get that sweet, sweet DPS going.
âAlright, Iâm off! If anyone wants to join me, youâre more than welcome otherwise Iâll meet you down by the bridge in a bit and weâll head off from there. Willow explained as she headed out with a wave.
Hiya, AChronum here! Although I'm relatively new to rping, I have plenty of writing experience and love trying new genres and styles. I absolutely love high magic fantasy RPs and am pretty much willing to do anything so long as I can create a charaxter, not play an existing one, and develop lots and lots of backstory! I'm perfectly comfortable with all mature themes as well, although smut for smut's sake is out of the question.
Interested in an RP? Send me a PM and have a magically marvelous day!
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Hiya, AChronum here! Although I'm relatively new to rping, I have plenty of writing experience and love trying new genres and styles. I absolutely love high magic fantasy RPs and am pretty much willing to do anything so long as I can create a charaxter, not play an existing one, and develop lots and lots of backstory! I'm perfectly comfortable with all mature themes as well, although smut for smut's sake is out of the question.<br><br>Interested in an RP? Send me a PM and have a magically marvelous day! </div>
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