Cicero

Space Pirates!

Ajan's eyes were still closed as he imagined the blade coming to rest on his heart, piercing it with impunity and finally ending an existence that was both demanding and which drew little respect, especially from those of the military ilk. Politicians, or those who fought with words, were often looked upon with suspicion, and he as a diplomat was no different. He'd fought hard to oppose the destruction of Earth, but nobody listened. Nobody listened unless it was to their advantage. Such was Earth politics. It seemed tempting, the idea of flying off into space and having not a care in the world, but it was an existence far beyond his comfort zone, opposing everything he had been taught to believe. It was frightening, in a way. More frightening than even the possibility of death.

But the killing blow did not come. Instead, he heard the sound of a sword being sheathed, and opened his eyes in muted surprise. He'd been spared. Was it an act of compassion, or one of pity? Did she relish the fact that she could have him on her ship as some sort of jester, playing to her every whim and fancy? Well, that certainly would not happen. Nevertheless, there was some form of relief at his life having been kept intact. Perhaps the pride he'd inherited from his forefathers had come in handy this time instead of bringing him down in the eyes of his fellow human wealthy. Finally able to move his legs again, he sucked in a trembling breath and started after Renfred, stalking past the pirate captain as quickly as he could manage.

"Renfred." Ajan said uneasily as he got within a meter of the man.

"Yes, Ambassador?"

The words were hard to get out, but Ajan managed. "Thank you. For trying, at least, though frankly it wasn't the best way of going about it..." He shook his head - could he not manage a simple expression of gratitude without going on a tirade? He took another breath, finally allowing his tensed shoulders to relax. "But yes. What I mean is...thank you. I am grateful."

Renfred seemed momentarily shocked. "I-It's no problem, sir."

Now that the heartwarming moment was over, Ajan steeled his nerves and followed the rest to the airlock, finally going on board the Queen's Glory. He'd never been surrounded by scoundrels and criminals before, and it'd be a lie if he said he wasn't intimidated. Still, he kept his calm, adjusting his rumpled uniform. "I suppose you'll be embarking on some new adventure now," he said offhandedly to the woman who was now in charge of him. Despite being bitter about her Dracian heritage, he kept his emotions reined in for the time being. "I will do my best to be useful."

Space Pirates!

One of the first things Ajan's parents had imparted to him was that a Wolfe was never to bow his head in surrender. It'd be a shame if they saw him now, he thought, completely helpless against a part-Dracian woman - pirate - the epitome of that which he loathed. He had to do something instead of remaining there on the ground, looking like a groveling fool whilst her blade was essentially burning a hole through his uniform. Where did she get that blade, besides? In an age of guns, usage of melee weapons was mostly ceremonial; obviously, the pirate harbored a liking for the archaic. A pity Earth was now a desolate wreck, thanks to bad decisions regarding the remainder of the planet's natural resources. Man had moved on, and despite ongoing efforts to restore the homeworld, it would likely take years before Earth was returned to any semblance of what it once was.

Convince me, the pirate had said. And then, for the first time in his life, Ajan took so much offense that all words escaped him. Never before had he been faced with someone talking so directly down to him, never had he been so humiliated, toyed with, made a buffoon of! Instead of "convincing" her, as she so elegantly put it, the diplomat pulled abruptly away from the touch of her sword and stood up, dusting off his sleeves in a huff. He looked up, glaring directly into the woman's eyes as he channeled every single ounce of hatred he had for the Dracians and their kind. The Dracians, to whom he had been forced to play friends with for the sake of peace. "I am an ambassador, the son of an influential Association family and exceedingly well-educated. However, it appears you are more interested in making a joke of me than doing any actual negotiation, so I will make it quick. You may kill this "soft human boy" if you wish, because I'd rather be dead than continue to partake in your little game!"

His voice had gone up in pitch, indicative of his anger as he stood there and stretched his arms out in a welcoming manner. So, this was how it was all going to end. Ajan had always assumed he'd die in his sleep, but this was almost like life had decided to completely skew his expectations.

It was then Renfred spoke up from some distance away, in the midst of escorting the rest to the airlock. "H-His family is really rich, if that makes any difference."

Shut up Renfred, thought Ajan as he closed his eyes, waiting for the killing blow to come. He'd always treated the awkward Renfred like an imbecile, but within he felt a small pang of guilt at the fact that even now, the man was trying to bargain for his life. Stupid, stupid Renfred. Not that he thought the woman would actually consider what Livet said.

Space Pirates!

If the woman found her threat of blowing people out the airlock amusing, it certainly did not strike any humorous chords with Ajan. Inwardly he cursed the day he'd turned down his father's offer to have him sent to the military academy - "for your own good", the old man had said - the last time he had spoken to his father was before he'd boarded the Fortuna, and though he sometimes resented the man for his meddlesome nature, he now wished he had the ability to perform sudden, superhuman feats to stun and astonish the pirates into subsequently surrendering. Alas, but a man could only dream. Right now, words were the only weapons he had, and devolving into a stuttering mess was not at all a pleasant way with which to pull the trigger. The diplomat sighted Renfred from the corner of his eye, and was surprised the captain had not already emptied his bladder out of sheer fright.

But then, it was Ajan's turn to yelp as yet another bolt whizzed past him; with remarkable precision it struck a crewman who'd been attempting to call for support, sending the man crumpling to the floor in a smoldering heap. Again the diplomat's stomach lurched uncomfortably, his stance unsteady in a mixture of fear and an attempt to appear more confident than he actually was. Pirates surely wouldn't like a sniveling worm as a hostage, would they? Still, Renfred had been offered a way out, and he'd obviously taken it. They were asking for it, really, in bringing that incapable man aboard. No matter, he'd likely be marooned on some far-flung planet within a matter of weeks.

Then it was his turn to be victimized.

"Beg?" The word dropped from Ajan's lips with utter disdain. A man of the Wolfe lineage certainly did not beg! His family did not establish itself as one of the most influential in Association space without blood, sweat and tears! Well - his parents' and grandparents' blood, sweat and tears, to be more precise - but nonetheless! The man swallowed nervously, feeling a lump get lodged in his throat as he tugged absently at his collar. His regal apparel seemed far too suffocating now, the collar seeming to constrict about his neck. Perspiration beaded on his forehead, showing just how threatened he was feeling despite his attempts to veil it. But when the woman got closer, and ever closer, what he saw made his blood run absolutely cold. Her eyes - those were Dracian eyes. It couldn't be - could it? Had she one of the lizardmen in her lineage? That seemed likely, considering how she stood over him when his own height was already quite above average.

A sudden hatred stabbed at his belly, and Ajan struggled to keep calm even as a red mist of hostility clouded his mind. It just had to be a Dracian-blooded pirate captain looting his vessel! Had she been sent by the Dracians? Had the Association been tricked? No, that's highly unlikely, the remainder of his logical brain responded. Pirates are considered disgraceful in Dracian society. Now, the last thing he wanted was to beg, but then it certainly seemed a better alternative than instant death. Grudgingly, he lowered himself to the ground, knees meeting the cold floor of the bridge.

"Please, spare my life. You'll find that I am capable and will be of great use to you - moreso than Renfred, at least." He couldn't resist throwing that one, final barb at the Fortuna's former captain, even when bargaining for his own continued existence. But the words - Dracian, Dracian, Dracian - continued to ring.

Space Pirates!

"Ambassador..."

"What?!" Ajan whirled on Renfred, who had gone pale as a sheet. He wiped his sweating palms nervously on the sides of his crumpled uniform shirt, chewing anxiously on his bottom lip. From beyond the bridge, sounds of battle could be heard: screams, yells and various other noises indicative of the Fortuna's crew getting slaughtered. Already the diplomat was beginning to feel like an animal cornered, the approaching pirates akin to grinning butchers. As if, thought Ajan, the news could get any worse. Renfred had been the absolute wrong choice for this mission, unless of course the Association thought him a laughingstock and had dared enough to send with their beloved ambassador an escort of cretinous morons. And so Ajan held his breath, prepared for the verbal onslaught his idiot of a captain was about to unleash upon him.

"The escape pods are non-functional."

Ajan exploded. "Non-functional?! This level of incompetency is absolutely preposterous!" He lunged, seizing the captain by his gold-embroidered lapels and giving the man a good, violent shake. It was like the terror he was experiencing was bubbling up into his eyes, wide and panicked, while his mind processed the dozens of ways they could be consequently dispatched. Blown out the airlock, shot with a superheated plasma bolt, beheaded, disintegrated...all these awful means of death only served to further reduce Ajan's nerves to jelly as he finally released Renfred and sagged against the control panel, mouth pressed tightly in an effort to hold back an oncoming swell of emotion. He would not bawl like an infant, he told himself. It was hardly the proper way for a man to present himself, especially one of such standing as he.

"I'm sorry, Ambassador." Renfred piped up in an effort to redeem himself.

"Take that 'sorry' and shove it in that gaping orifice you call a -" The beginnings of what would've been a classless tirade was summarily interrupted by an incoming bolt, which struck barely a hair's breadth away from Ajan's cheek. Freezing, he raised his eyes to the door separating the bridge from the rest of the ship - a door which had been blown open. Through it barreled the surviving members of the crew, some running at full speed whilst others crawled pathetically on hands and knees, leaving smears of blood in their wake. The entire scene was sickening beyond compare, especially to Ajan who had never before witnessed first-hand the complexities of bloodshed. Nausea surged up his gut, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and gulped several lungfuls of air. This wasn't good at all. As the crew members formed a cluster, Ajan shoved several persons aside in order to get a better look at the Fortuna's conquerers.

The woman who appeared to be the captain was dressed, oddly, like an antique from Earth's old days. The utter confusion and incredulity Ajan would've felt was largely overcome by his instinct for self-preservation, even as he pushed the trembling Renfred aside and cleared his throat, wanting to present himself as someone more than any ordinary crew member. He was dressed differently from the rest, in a dark, high-collared tunic with silver trim, white silk gloves and polished boots. A man of words and certainly not violence. He looked well-bred and positively expensive, something that he hoped would largely work to his advantage. "Ah...perhaps we may...converse...before you proceed to fry us all?"

Space Pirates!

Aww yeah.

Space Pirates!

"Progress report, Captain."

"Approaching the King's Freeway, Ambassador."

The path was obvious - much too obvious. Any harebrained fool would know that this famed route in particular was constantly beset by pirates. And in the course of the conflict between the Association of Free Human Worlds and the Dracian Hegemony, aforementioned opportunistic pirates had seized the day - or night; it was quite difficult to achieve chronological accuracy in the bowels of space - and plundered dozens of merchant vessels. Needless to say, the ASV Fortuna, with its gleaming hull and Association stamp, was practically an open target, gliding phantom-like through the empty, star-strewn depths. The name wasn't much of an assistance either - it resembled more of a subtitle, graciously informing the looting scoundrels that this ship in particular was a veritable trove of riches.

Dracian leaders had agreed to peace talks, but - in typical Dracian manner - had demanded an Association representative be sent physically to participate. And there it was - Ambassador Ajan Wolfe's biggest assignment yet. And he wouldn't have pirates, of all things, interfere in what could possibly be his greatest crowning achievement. He'd worked for this - endured the whims of undeserving superiors and mentally-stunted politicians, to become the rising star in the Association Diplomatic Service. Of course, he wanted no better than to have all members of Dracian leadership publicly perforated, but diplomacy was a game of words and unsuited to those of wrathful construction. That, and any trained Dracian soldier would throttle him in a space of ten seconds. Damned aliens.

"Don't worry, Ambassador, you'll be safe," said Captain Renfred.

"Empty words until proven, Captain," snapped Ajan coolly, a dark brow raised questioningly as he rested a hand upon the plasma pistol at his belt. At the very least, he was trained in the handling of minor firearms. The lean-built ambassador kept his spine straight, gazing down the length of his nose at the scuttling crewmen, his eyes dark and sharp like a hawk's. His hair, black as pitch, was short and swept back over a high, pale forehead, bloodless mouth twisted in a display of impatience even as the bridge lights shadowed prominent cheekbones. Though his posture seemed to exude confidence, the man within was getting rather antsy. Truth be told, being raised in the Association equivalent of nobility meant he was a spoiled child who was gifted everything he'd ever wanted. Having had no brothers and sisters, he'd been endlessly coddled, praised and surrounded by groveling sycophants until, perhaps, he'd developed a greater sense of self-worth than was true.

So far, nothing. He would've possibly just breathed a sigh of relief when alarms exploded all over the deck.

"What's going on?!" Ajan demanded, gripping the rail in front of him until his knuckles blanched with the effort.

"W-We're under attack, sir!"

"By whom? Pirates?!" The diplomat almost shrieked, sending his voice octaves higher than normal. The outraged declaration dwindled to an unflattering squeak as he strode hurriedly to the wide windows, watching as their escort ships were disabled and fired upon. "Damn it! General Roshan promised me his best men!" Despite the initial shock, Ajan knew they were just about done for. Trapped in the middle of a great void, the Fortuna was a sitting duck. And from Renfred's guilty silence, Ajan knew that it was, in fact, the pirates that he'd feared. General Roshan had never much liked the Diplomatic Service, and now his biases had handicapped the convoy.

"We've taken a direct hit. Shields are down. Engines have failed to respond."

"Well, reroute all auxiliary power to the shield generators!"

"With all due respect, Ambassador -"

"You know the phrase 'with all due respect' essentially means 'kiss my ass'! You think I don't know what I'm doing, Renfred?" Ajan marched to the control panel, prepared to exercise what little he knew of starship maneuvering, when the lights around them begun to flicker, ceiling panels spitting electrical sparks. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, the ambassador fought to repress his fear as he glimpsed what he thought were the Fortuna's aggressors. "Get everyone to the escape pods! Quickly, before they board!" Renfred twitched visibly, but seemed to regain his senses a second later, bellowing that the crew members should begin evacuation procedures immediately.

[Advanced] Cicero's Search Thread

Edit: Slots full. Thanks everyone.

[Advanced] Cicero's Search Thread

Greetings, fellow roleplayers. As evident from the above title, I am searching for a limited number of roleplay partners with whom I might create a potentially riveting tale.

---

But first, the annoying part: the rules (yes, I don't like them either but they're completely necessary so read them, please).

Rules

1. I strongly prefer roleplay via PMs.

2. I do both MxM and MxF, pairing-wise.

3. I am female. But I don't exclusively play female characters. In fact, I do admit I play male characters more often than I play females.

4. The "advanced" bit of my title refers more to quality rather than quantity. If you're going to write a page about how amazing your character's shoes are, then it's not going to work out between us. I adore descriptive writers. What are your character's thoughts? Motivations? Feelings? How is he/she being affected by his/her current circumstances? What do the surroundings look like? ...et cetera. All these things make for a great read. I'm not asking you to write a book - lord knows I can't do that all the time, especially when busy. So I'm not going to set a "at least (insert numbers here) words" rule. Write however much you think you can.

5. Please know the difference between your/you're, its/it's and there/they're. Typos are fine every once in a while, but if I keep seeing confusion between these words, it's honestly going to exasperate me.

6. I am over 18; please be over 18 as well. This is due to the fact that I quite like romance and mature themes may occur. I do not fade to black. I also have no limits on gore/violence as long as it makes sense in context. Profanity is also fine as long as it's natural and not dropping five F-bombs per sentence.

7. I am a busy person. No, really. I am extremely busy; I often get stressed, and as such I might sometimes only be able to respond once a week or longer. If it's been two weeks and I still haven't responded, then you may send me a pleasant reminder. My disappearing is never intentional, and I will do my best, if possible, to keep you informed. Real life comes before roleplay, after all. If you don't like that or cannot accept the fact that I can't post five times a day, then please don't contact me.

8. I highly dislike overly submissive characters. Even if the character you're playing is gentle or meek by nature, there should be no constantly falling-to-their-knees/crying/trembling/begging for help/relying on my character to save yours. It's obviously okay for a character to experience intense fear and sadness, but there's a limit. Seriously. Please. Strong-willed characters automatically receive pie.

9. I'm a nice person and I love to chat OOC. Alternatively, if you just want to roleplay, then that's fine too.

Genres

These are the genres I like the most, in no particular order:

- Action/Adventure
- Science Fiction
- Medieval Fantasy
- Post-Apocalyptic
- Dystopian
- Crime/Thriller
- Horror
- Supernatural/Paranormal

Any combination of the above also works for me.

Cravings

In bold are the roles I wish to play. Some are pairings, others are generic ideas or concepts.
A * means I'm really, really craving this.

===Medieval Fantasy===

Cleric / Any
Ranger / Any
Paladin / Any
Arcane Warrior / Any
Sorcerer / Any
Ancient Deity / Priest(ess)

I'm most fond of Dragon Age-esque dark fantasy, so if you've any plots or ideas you've been dying to try but are not listed above, shoot me a message anyway. This genre, like science fiction, has a wealth of possibilities, so I'd be more than happy to come up with something of our own.

===Science Fiction/Futuristic===*

Someone do one of the below with me, pleeeeeease~

Escaped or Former Convict / Civilian
Criminal / Civilian : By "criminal", I mean a Han Solo-type scoundrel with quick wit and a quicker trigger finger.
Soldier / Alien
Soldier / Soldier : Survival horror style. Stranded on an unknown planet, sent to investigate an abandoned dreadnought...could alternatively be a generic space war scenario.
Mercenary / Any
Assassin / Target
Security Head / Corporate Whistleblower
Space Fantasy : Something like Dune or Star Wars with noble houses and the like.
Crime : Futuristic crime - what's not to like? Something like Minority Report, et cetera.
Horror* : Something like Dead Space or the Bioshock series.

Science fiction is one of my favorite genres, if not the favorite genre. There are so many possibilities contained within this genre, and I'd love to work on an original plot that doesn't involve any of the above, as long as you have an initial idea to pitch.

===Dystopian/Cyberpunk===

Government Soldier / Resistance Operative
Government Soldier / Government Soldier
Government Soldier / Civilian
Vigilante / Civilian
Vigilante / Government Soldier

===Post-Apocalyptic===

Survivor / Survivor : Zombies, 'nuff said; except, I want this to be dark, complex and gritty instead of the usual 'guns and chainsaws' blood-fest. Not that, y'know, guns and chainsaws are bad or anything...*ahem*

===Modern===

Scientist / Experimental Subject
Security Agent / Escaped Experimental Subject
Crime Lord / Civilian : I have an idea about a sketchy, but wealthy businessman who does illegal things on the side.
Spy / Civilian or Spy Partner*
Detective / Psychopath
FBI Agent / Forensics Specialist
Undercover Law Enforcement / Gang Member
Astronaut / Astronaut
Guerrilla Soldier / Tourist : Inspired by the Far Cry games
Kidnapper / Hostage : Hostage has to have a backbone, or it's a no-no for this pairing.
Supervillain / Superhero

===Horror===*

Journalist / Any* : Inspired by the games Outlast and Silent Hill, the journalist infiltrates some hellhole in order to get his story, and well...
Ex-Soldier or Cop / Any : Survival horror, similar concept to the above.
Survivor / Survivor : Inspired by the game The Forest, and maybe the show Lost. Plane crash, deserted island, weird occurrences. Yep.
Asylum
Haunted House
Abandoned Hospital

===Supernatural===

Mysterious Photographer / Journalist : This photographer in particular always seems to be present at horrific death scenes moments before the person actually dies...
FBI Agent / FBI Agent : Inspired by The X-Files, this involves two agents investigating strange occurrences countrywide.
Supernatural Creature / Hunter
Supernatural Creature / Any

===Historical===

Ancient Rome
Regency/Napoleonic Wars
Victorian
World War I
Roaring Twenties
World War II
Vietnam War
Historical Individual / Modern Individual : Essentially time travel.

If you're interested in anything under the "historical" category, you'll have to give me a good plot as I'm not too keen on this genre at present. The only exceptions are (possibly) the Roaring Twenties and WWII.

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I'll add more as they come to mind. In the meantime, if anything catches your fancy, drop me a PM. If there's anything you desperately want to try but is not included up there, drop me a PM anyway. I do love ideas and suggestions. But please, when you contact me, include the following:

- Ideas/pairings/etc. you're interested in
- Pairing you're interested in (MxM or MxF)
- Gender and role/character type you're interested in playing
- Any plot ideas? (You get major major major brownie points if you come to me with a plot idea.)

Saves me the trouble of asking later on. And that's it - happy roleplaying!

PM ME, DON'T POST HERE. -insert awkward smiley face-