Samara

MONUMENT.

@Wobbles, have you had any progress on a replacement leader yet? Did you want us to help recruit at all?

Locked in a Room

Leah stiffened as the well-dressed man told her to look under the beds. She didn't like being ordered about and singled out, however politely it was done. But she put on what she hoped was a serene expression as she turned away from the wall and the bearded man and started on her task.

The floor was clean and bare under the beds, and she saw nothing out of the ordinary, not even a speck of dust. She was halfway done with them when another girl woke and spoke to the room mockingly. Leah saw the girl give her a scornful look. Well, clearly she doesn't like me already. Leah gave the girl a wide berth when she checked her bed, avoiding her gaze.

The well-dressed man, who Leah was starting to think of as the leader, replied easily and confidently. He seemed unperturbed by the mocking girl's pessimism. Leah, however, had to agree with her. It didn't appear as if the person who kidnapped them would have left anything useful behind. The room itself spoke to the kidnapper's character. He was clean, organized, and smart, whoever he was. No, he'd let them know only what he wanted them to know. That much was clear from the TV set hanging from the wall. It had to be for some kind of communication. And that word...BROKEN. Leah stared at it when she was finished searching the beds. Nothing meaningful came to mind, and she frowned.

As she stared, she overheard the Jewish man and another girl with black hair exchange names. Thomas and Maele. Leah thought that it would be a good idea to introduce themselves, but she was far too shy to suggest it to the room herself. She hesitated, then strode purposefully to the well-dressed man. "Um, excuse me?" She waited until she had his attention before she spoke again, trying not to flinch at his gaze. "I think it would be helpful to know everyone's names. You seem to be in charge so far--do you think you could get everyone introduced? I'm Leah, by the way."

Locked in a Room

Leah's head snapped over to the man who had called her "Girly". She narrowed her eyes at him, but otherwise did not change her expression. It was best to keep her emotions to herself, even if she was irritated at the man already. He looked like the type of guy who wouldn't leave her alone if she simply ignored him, so she untangled her limbs and stood. Her fear made her shaky on her feet, and she could feel herself go lightheaded. She leaned against the side of the bed until the feeling dissipated, then walked over to the man who'd spoken to her. She put her hands up to the wall next to him, shivering slightly, and started feeling around for something, anything, unusual. Clearing her throat, she asked him "What should I be looking for?" Her voice was small and tremulous, and she hated herself for her timidity. She hoped she could at least blame her shivering on her thin pink skirt and white cotton blouse. It was quite cold in the room, and the beds had no blankets.

Furor Titanicus

Maris knew her tribe would be traveling southeast, following the Rotten River until it branched off to become the Blachten River. She decided she needed to travel in the opposite direction. Her decision solidified as she saw the trees poking up from the western horizon, lit by the rising sun at her back. It’s been too long since I climbed a tree. She grinned wide to herself and started off.

Her brisk, unencumbered pace ensured she reached the edge of Builthy Vale by nightfall. She marveled at how much faster she could travel without her tribe. Her earlier belief that her trident would make a good walking stick was proven correct, which pleased her immensely. She stuck the trident deep into the sand and made camp on the clearing underneath a large tree with twisted, gnarly branches. There were clumps of grass struggling up from the sand, and she made sure to sit on the soft blades to make herself comfortable. Sitting cross-legged in front of her small fire, Maris ate a quick supper of dried meat and crumbly cheese. She scanned the treeline, noting that there did not seem to be a path inside, natural or otherwise. The trees grew close together and she imagined that little sunlight would pierce the thick vegetation. Strangely, she could not hear any sounds of wildlife coming from the forest. The longer she stared at the forest, the more it unnerved her, until at last she shivered and snapped out of her transfixion. The temperature was rapidly dropping, and though she was no longer in the desert proper, it still cooled down considerably at night this close to the dunes. She took out a large, thick length of cloth, wrapped herself in it, and stretched out next to the fire, using her knapsack as a pillow. She slept that night on her side, clutching her trident and facing the woods, too nervous to put her back to them.

Maris woke a little while before sun-up, just as she intended. She wanted to have her camp all packed up by the time the sun rose, so that she would waste none of the precious light on anything other than her trek through the forest. She kicked sand on her fire, stowed her few belongings away in her pack, and brushed the sand off herself briskly, all while keeping a suspicious eye on the trees. It was now morning, but she heard no birdsong. She may have lived most of her life in the desert, but she knew what a forest was supposed to sound like. They’d camped next to plenty, even passed through some. There were always birds chirping, tweeting, singing, in all of them. But this one...she didn’t like this one at all. Her thirst for adventure, however, drove her forward into the forest, despite her misgivings. Yes, something was very wrong with Builthy Vale. Maris intended to find out what.

Locked in a Room

Leah woke to voices, but didn't want to open her eyes until she could identify them. She could see bright light through her eyelids, much brighter than it should have been in her dorm room. She hadn't had a roommate since last semester. But then who was in her room?

She sat up in her bed and opened her eyes, looking around wildly for something familiar, but her surroundings were strange and quite alarming. She was in a room with several other people in varying states of wakefulness, some up and walking around, some still asleep. Leah set her sights on a well-dressed man who was inspecting a large flatscreen TV mounted on the wall. From the back he reminded her of Jared in appearance, though he wasn't as tall. She shivered and looked at the man making his bed. He was wearing a small, bowl-shaped hat. Ah, he's Jewish. The next man who'd woken was still laying on his bed, complaining of back pain. He was trying to sound friendly, but something told her he was not to be underestimated.

Though none of the men were paying her any attention yet, Leah still felt the chill of intimidation creep into her limbs. She didn't like being so confined with men around. She decided to stay in her bed and watch them take charge of the situation. Obviously she'd been kidnapped. She didn't want to make things worse for herself by drawing attention. Perhaps in a normal situation she'd introduce herself and pretend men didn't bother her at all. But stuck in this doorless, windowless room as she was...she wasn't going to risk being polite. Leah turned slowly in her bed, pressing her back to the wall right next to her. She crossed her legs and spread her long, pink skirt over her knees. Crossing her arms defensively, she stared impassively at her new roommates.

Locked in a Room

@Macro, what are our characters wearing? Have they been re-dressed by the kidnapper at all? Or are they wearing what they had on before they were taken?

Locked in a Room

I'm thinking we need some guys up in here.

Kingsglaive {Filled}

well i've posted but it's so short...i'm sorry if it's not enough guys...

Kingsglaive {Filled}

Mirany heard the shuffling of many feet behind her and spun to meet several of Ivalice’s finest. She immediately drew her dagger and held the blade at the ready. As she listened to Nero’s orders, she saw that four soldiers had already decided to target her and were quickly closing in. She sprinted forward to the grunt on her far right, closest to the wall, her dagger held out in front of her. The remaining soldiers on her left sprang to intercept her, but she’d anticipated this. The closest incoming man was welcomed with Mirany’s swift feint towards him, stabbing her dagger directly into his throat. She heard her original target coming up behind her and dipped low to avoid him, slashing her dagger forward at the next soldier’s legs, managing a slice on one of his shins. Grunting, he stepped back in surprise and pain and she rolled to her left, out of their path. Springing up again, Mirany dodged the first man’s swinging fist, grabbed it, and pulled him toward her, stabbing him in the stomach. The man gave a low groan, and deep inside Mirany felt a guilty thrill. It bothered her sometimes how much she really enjoyed killing. She angrily shoved his weakening body into the last two soldiers. While they were tangled on the ground, she took the opportunity to kick one in the face, pull him up by his hair, and slit his throat. The last soldier managed to stand up before she was done and hooked an arm around her neck, pulling her against his body and grabbing the forearm of her dagger hand to keep it still. He squeezed her neck slowly, and Mirany’s mind raced against the growing need to breathe. She ground her foot into the man’s instep, to no avail. She was losing oxygen. Shit, shit, shit! She pushed both her feet hard against the floor and shoved her full body weight onto the man in an effort to push him off balance. Luck was on her side, and he stumbled backward, loosening his grip on her neck and her arm. She jerked out of his grasp, spun, and stabbed him in the chest. Breathing heavily, Mirany turned to the rest of the fray to see if her co-members needed any backup.

Locked in a Room

Here's my character pitch:

Character Pitch: Leah

Name: Leah Carr

Age: 21

Gender: female

Appearance: Leah is willowy and tall, 5’9”. She doesn’t have much womanly curve to her and is quite flat-chested as well, but she makes up for this seeming lack of femininity with her wardrobe--she often wears light, colorful dresses and skirts. She keeps her hair down most of the time, usually draping it over one shoulder.



Personality: Leah is shy and seems cold at first, but warms up to those she trusts. She keeps to herself in unfamiliar situations, preferring to observe rather than participate. She is suspicious of anyone who openly and deliberately seeks her friendship. Her trust is hard-won and easily lost. Once lost, it is nearly impossible to get back. However, outwardly she is friendly and even bubbly--to her, it costs nothing to be nice. She believes telling someone what you really think is the sign of true friendship and trust, so to those Leah considers friends, she holds nothing back. Tact is reserved for strangers. Brutal honesty is for those you care about, because anyone who knows the real you and keeps coming back for more is someone you can trust.

Strengths: diplomatic, witty, moves gracefully, is a fair artist, observant

Flaws: paranoid, emotionally closed off, distrustful, has more “flight” than “fight” responses in tense situations

History: Leah grew up as the only child of two career-driven, inattentive parents in an upper class home in New Mexico. She was very popular at her elite private school for her friendly demeanor and natural beauty. But she found that sometimes being popular only won you the appearance of friendship--not true friendship. In her senior year of high school, her parents were out of town, so she attended a classmate’s Sunday night party, complete with underage drinking and a distinct lack of adult supervision. Her boyfriend of three weeks, Jared, had been a bit rough with her lately in their frequent make-out sessions, but Leah was naive and thought nothing of it beyond lightly smacking his shoulder when he went too far. A few hours into the party, Jared suggested they find a quiet room to hang out in, and she agreed. Both teens had been drinking, but Jared, a 6’4” quarterback, held his alcohol much better than Leah did.

Once alone in the locked room, the two inevitably starting making out--but this time, Jared took advantage of their isolation and the extremely loud music. He beat and raped Leah. Jared left the party shortly after telling people he’d just broken up with her and that they should leave her alone for a while, because she was “being bitchy about it”. Bruised and bleeding, she stumbled out of the room when she felt she could stand again and asked her best friends for a ride home. They obliged, and on the way, Leah told them what Jared had done. But her friends didn’t believe her. They thought she was lying to get back at Jared for breaking up with her. However, the girls didn’t accuse her of lying outright. Instead, they comforted her, telling her everything would be okay and that they would confront Jared with her at school the next day. Slightly consoled, when Leah arrived at home, she took a long shower in her en-suite bathroom and went to sleep under her lace canopy.

The last few months of high school were torture. Her former friends told the whole school about Leah’s “lie”, and in one night everyone had turned against her. She suffered her peers limitless, sneaky cruelty until she graduated, at which point she enrolled in an art college several states away. Painting, drawing, sketching, sculpting--every form of art she could get her hands on gave her refuge from her trauma. She hid herself from the world and retreated into paper, paint, pencils, and clay. She is currently in her junior year, pursuing an art degree.