Saltwater Thief

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

I'll be posting Friday after work. Should I have Alexander react to Eleanor or not just yet?

Closed

I'm about. Not sure what flight phase means or if it concerns me, but I'm here.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Zeldria Miphras

(Titles and Relations TBD)

The morning hike was far from a pleasant trip. The winds whipped and snapped while the cold air bit and chewed at any exposed piece of Zel's skin, and with the meager shielding she'd been provided covering up completely was impossible. The staircase was far from forgiving as well, being hewn from rough stone and tended to only as needed by the equally rough soles of a Drakken. All of this, combined with her ever-growing fears from the previous day, did little for her peace of mind. "There isn't a spring at all, is there?" she muttered to herself, her voice inaudible in the wind as she shivered, "They're just bringing us down here on a march to break us more, and they promised the spring so we'd get our hopes up..."

Having been ordered to leave everything but their towels behind only deepened her worries. Naked exposure to the elements, was it? More humiliation, on top of everything else? But again, she did as she was told; better to bear the ice and snow than whatever parallel to the scorches soles they had prepared for any Gems who refused. Or so she hoped. As they walked further down and came upon the large, imposing stone wall the fears were all but confirmed in Zel's heart. Any second now one of the Drakken would order them to gaze on the wall and its designs, point out how they signified the Gem subservience and worthlessness, and then they'd be ordered back up the stairs while the guards smugly looked on all of the crestfallen little girls who'd let themselves believe they'd get something nice in this frozen hell-

A sudden wave of heat and steam tore Zel's thoughts from her head as the stone slab swung open. The warm humidity she'd spent the entire climb down convincing herself wasn't there all but smothered her senses, and her mouth fell open in shock. She stood there staring, wide eyed and stunned, until another Gem bumped into her from behind walking forward. Zel shook her head and joined the procession again, looking around her with marvel... and with caution. This couldn't be real, she thought to herself. What was the catch? Where was the trick? But for all her looking, she couldn't find any sign that anything was amiss. For all intents, purposes, and appearances, this was a natural hot spring for them to enjoy, exactly as promised.

But even as the other Gems practically jumped into the water to begin bathing, Zeldria remained standing and wrapped in her towel, staring at different spots in the cavern. It didn't make sense. Why make such a showing of brutality, send the message that their well being meant almost nothing, and then present them with this? There had to be something, she just knew it. At the same time the warmth of the springs pervaded her, and the temptations to let the warm water wash over her and take her dirt and stress away for a time was every bit as great as her concerns that this was some sort of cruel joke. Paralyzed by indecision, she stood by the side of a pool, unsure of what to do...

Summary

Zel is standing near a pool, not sure whether she wants to get in or not. Somebody splash her.

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Well, it's short, but it hopefully still counts. Will probably concoct an obstacle for the next section, but for now the glacier seems rough enough by itself xD

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Marshall Narquis

It was a talented group they had this year. None of them seemed to have significant trouble with the geysers, a few scalding burns here and there as punishment for being presumptuous, but nothing serious enough to demand withdrawal from the course. The glacier, however, would be much more demanding. It was a wall in both a literal and metaphorical sense, and it gave every student pause. In all truthfulness, it wouldn't have surprised him if a few of them threw in the towel then and there- but none did. In fact, each one of them took their time and came up with a solution.

That did not mean, however, that they were without their shortcomings. Marshall had helped insist that the other teachers leave the spoiled little princess be after her brief dive, worried that an intervention would prevent her from learning and also generate more ire toward the Academy. "Three minutes," he told them, "If she's not moving again in three minutes, I'll go get her." Mercifully, she had roused herself before then, and was now back at it- albeit with an unorthodox method that he was sure would put undo strain on her body. It would be her method, however, and that was arguably the most important factor of the test.

The same could not be said for ShiZhen. The smart little lass had put her mind to work as well as her element, and with chemistry bent to be her ally any lack of elemental force was made nearly irrelevant. However, she was struggling and beginning to falter so close to her goal. More to the point, she was permitting herself to lull into a sleep. A sleep that, if left alone for too long, could well become permanent. Testing the students with difficult problems that demanded creative solutions was the intent; giving them hypothermia was not. So, Marshall cracked his knuckles, furrowed his brow, and put his innate precision to work.

ShiZhen would shortly begin to feel a small series of water droplets land on the bridge of her nose. Marshall engineered them to conjure and fall in a consistent pattern, wanting to wake her quickly but not suddenly, and kept them about at room temperature so they wouldn't merely blend with the cold. "Come come now, Miss Fang," he said to himself beneath his breath as he focused on his droplets, "You're nearly there, let's not have you retire now..."

@Stern Algorithm

Closed

Apologies for the radio silence, been tied up in a few things. Will be posting for Marshall within the next day.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

@Siaya Dragalorn Fine by me!

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

@Siaya Dragalorn Oh, btw, since this is likely to be something of a back-and-forth, if you wanted to do a collab post for Ryker and Alexander I'd be A-okay with (I'm also fine if you just want to post normally, it's up to you).

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Zeldria Miphras

(Titles and Relations TBD)

Zeldira's stance faltered and her hands flew to cover her mouth as Shadow Worth's lord began his lesson. The Reapers and the guards had been far from gentle with her, but she had at least come to expect that they held respect for their status as Brides and would refrain from seriously harming or disgracing them out of fear of a future husband's wrath. But here, in front of everyone, she watched Sek Leon strip away those assumptions as effortlessly as he tore away his victim's clothing and crush those adorable little lies she'd told herself as nonchalantly as she was sure he'd crushed the other Gem's ribs.

She'd convinced herself they'd menace and belittle her, brandish their weapons and threaten violence to keep them in line, but never actually harm them. She'd drawn strength and comfort from that idea, and now it was all falling apart. Of course they would readily harm them; there were dozens of Gems here in the castle, what did they or any man in Drakka care if a few were destroyed before they got to the bidding block? What did it matter if the guards broke a spine or tore out a heart? She wasn't some prized jewel to be handled with care because she was desired. She was just a piece of meat and pretty flesh that could be bruised, battered, and marred at will. And if she ended up beyond salvaging? She'd just be tossed aside, sent to join however many souls, forgotten in the shadow of the peaks.

She barely registered what was happening in the hall around her. She started to sink, and then outright fell to her knees, not out of self-correction of her bowing technique, but because the shock had rendered her legs unable to support her. She sank down, her eyes still wide and her mouth still covered, as her gaze locked onto the floor.

She was roused from her stupor by a thick-soled boot being pressed into her upper back. "Lower," growled one of the guards as he forced her into a more submissive pose. "Now get up, you have places to be. Move!" The boot released its pressure, but as soon as it had its mate struck her in the side, knocking the wind out of her and sending her sprawling on the stones. Briefly she looked up at the Drakken, but far from any sort of resentment she could only wince and hurry to do what he said. Anything, she told herself, to keep herself from being noticed. Being noticed is what got those other girls beaten. Being noticed is what got the other girls... she shuddered as she remembered the pervasive scent of scorched skin. Her bow had been standing; just how narrowly had she avoided that fate? Moreover, how many more encounters like that would she have to bear? How many could she bear? Such thoughts ran through her head as the day progressed, unceasing. And try as she might, she found no answers...

Summary

Zel wound up on her knees from the shock and having her naive little expectations shattered, managed to avoid a burning by pure luck. Don't expect that to hold out long...

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Wilhelm the Black Blade

(Titles and Relations TBD)

The craftsmanship was exquisite, Wilhelm thought as the completed and finely polished scabbard was at last presented to him. He eyed it carefully, turning it this way and that, and running his hand along each part of the piece. Not a crack or blemish in sight, and not a drop of dye out of place. He drew the black sword, glistening in the receding sun, and pushed it into the sheath net, to ensure the size was correct. It slid in tightly, requiring pressure but not an inordinate amount, and the length was practically perfect.

"Immaculate," he remarked, "I do believe I shall be commissioning your services in the future. I pray your skills will maintain this quality then as well."

At that moment a younger Drakken appeared just behind his left shoulder, clad in the livery of Wilhelm's house. He was one of the two servants the Black Blade had brought to the capital with him, and he carried a piece of paper marked with the royal seal. Recognizing it, Wilhelm quickly took the note and read it. He grimaced as he reached the end, but nevertheless folded the paper neatly and tucked it into his pocket. "I seems I shall also require a few of your finest whetstones," he said to the shopkeeper as he untied a pouch of money from his belt and laid it on the stand, "Here is your payment. Quickly, there is much for me to do tonight."

A tournament. Of course there was; after all, the cretins all so loved to gaze in awe at those who dared where they lacked the spine. And an invitation had been extended to him. Of course it had; ever since the passing of his most recent bride, his presence here was a foregone conclusion. And who better to display in the pit for the masses than one of Drakka's finest swordsmen? It was all such a farce, but it was still a challenge to combat. And the Old Ways were very clear; any challenge to combat must be answered.

Perhaps, this time, there might be someone worth his time? An entertaining idea, he concluded, if a bit far-fetched as he made his way down the street toward his lodging. He would need to take his time with the sword, tonight; if he was to battle before the whole of Drakka, he would ensure his sword was in its absolute best condition. Anything less would be a disgrace.

Summary

Wilhelm's going to be at home caring for his sword tonight. WHat's the point in kicking ass and taking names if you don't look stylish while doing it?

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Alexander

Alexander's lips pursed as the clearly uptight and stuffy looking family stepped out of their car. No wonder Elenore wanted to disguise his Nonsense for them. Well, if his new roommate was going to be just like them, things at the school were about to take a turn for the worse. But, he reminded himself, he'd have to keep things in check for a little while. Keep up the show, as it were; Great Eagle only knew what these people would do if they thought for a moment the place was anything but normal, he could tell just by looking at them. So, he stood with his heels together, his back straight, and a small smile on his face- all the things he'd done when the Captain came on deck except the salute. It was a practiced thing for him, which made it easier to do.

Thankfully, Elenor seemed to sense his discomfort at holding it and, after introducing herself, beckoned him to take the boy, Ryker, and his bag up to the room. "Right away, Headmistress!" he responded cheerfully. It took far too much effort to resist the urge to spring forward and instead walk to the bag, but he managed. "Hello Ryker," he said as he actually got a good look at the boy. He was interesting, to say the least, had some sharpened features. His ears were a bit pointy, which was unusual, but outside of that he certainly looked Logical. And yet, there was something in the way he sighed and slouched, almost in rebellion against the two adults he was with. He looked entirely out of his element next to them. That gave Alex hope. "My name's Alexander, and I think I'm your roommate from here on. Come on, I'll take you to the room!"

And with that, he took hold of the suitcase, waved his hand for Ryker to follow and took his slow, almost too measured steps through the door and up the staircase. Once they reached the first landing and Alexander knew they'd be out of eye and earshot of the porch, he leaned against the wall and took a great, deep breath. His entire posture changed on the exhale, restoring him to his usual casual half-slouch and springy gait, as though the air he'd blown out had been holding him up. "Oh, thank the clouds THAT'S over with! No offense if that's the kind of place you're from, but me? Trying to force the Logic out is for the birds."