Takashi

Mirror, Fox, Key

TEAM RUTABAGA

Telio's family took the news of his departure as one would expect. Tears, a last supper together, one last word of advice from his father, and one last hug from his mother. However, neither of them could truly object to his decision. He was an adult now, and he had already proven himself successful both in his craft and financially. He has completed all outstanding work, closed his account books, and there were no obligations tying him to the city any longer. Well... there was one person who objected.

"Telio Lenocci, stop right there. I know what you are up to, and I think I deserve an explanation!"

How did he even find out? Telio thought as Baron Dupoir ambushed him on his way to the city gates. "Sir, with all do respect, I am a free man and this is simply what I wish to do with my life. I assure you that there are no personal grievances between us that have influenced my decision... No, the Baroness is a lovely woman and I am proud of the many portraits that I made of her... This has nothing to do with payment. I have already accumulated a small savings under your employ that I'm sure will help me on my journey... No sir, there is nothing you can do to change my mind. If you'll be needing a replacement artist, I can recommend my friend Turel Argot, but that is all I can do for you... Yes sir, I wish the best for you and your family."

After that conversation, Telio didn't care that the weather was cloudy and damp. He reveled in what occluded rays of sunshine he could, for he would never have to draw Baroness Dupoir again! Not holding a teacup, not looking to the left, not in a red dress, not in a blue dress, And certainly not with that ridiculous fake smile she always made for his portraits. Oh, and he would get to explore the world, see things that people only dreamed of, etc. etc... and those things most definitely would not include Baroness Dupoir!

Telio approached the gate in high spirits, whistling a happy tune to himself. He wasn't sure what he was going to need for this journey, but he brought along with him some common senses essentials. A filled up waterskin, some dried meats and rations, some bandages, and of course a whole bunch of art supplies. Even though a large crowd had gathered, the Traveler hadn't shown up yet, so he took out his sketchpad and began drawing the last landscape he would ever make of Enn. He had no hatred and quite a bit of fondness for his home, and this showed in his final drawing. He remembered that when he was younger that building had a weather vane, so he drew one in. There used to be a small garden over there before the flood, as well. By the time Spook showed up, the drawing was finished, and as far as Telio was concerned, his final work in Enn held more truth than anyone's eyes could reveal at this time.

Spook was bizarre. Telio immediately decided that he liked him. He and three others were ordained "Team Rutabaga," an interesting choice, but unique to say the least. Telio then realized that he had never drawn a rutabaga and wondered what an insignia would look like... but that would have to wait; manners came first. "Hello everyone," he said in a cheerful tone as he fell in with his group. "My name is Telio Lenocci, son of--" He cut himself off when he realized that there would no longer be a need for formal introductions. "Actually, just Telio. It's a pleasure to meet you all and--"

Once again, he cut himself off when he realized that he recognized one of his teammates. "Miss Anzivino! It's been ages. I suppose you couldn't stand being cooped up in the aristocracy?" They had both grown a lot since they last met, but neither had changed so much that they would be unrecognizable. Telio had gotten along well with her when they were younger, and he was optimistic for more of the same. He made no mention of a team leader because he had a feeling that a certain swordsman would claim that title very quickly, which was fine by him. Telio had no experience bossing people around, nor did he have any desire to do so.

@Turboshitter @c3p-0h @Apokalipse

Mirror, Fox, Key

I'm from New York, but I can speak with a southern or a British accent as well.

Mirror, Fox, Key

<Snipped quote by Takashi>

Ah, perhaps they met as kids when he drew a portrait of her for the family!

@Turboshitter

I like that idea. That could be how he got the attention of Baron Dupoir. His father was doing a job for Lord Anzivino, and had to bring Telio along for one reason or another. Telio meets Fiametta on the estate and offers to draw a portrait of her. Maybe he sees her practicing with a sword and wanted to draw her in a "cool pose" or something.

Mirror, Fox, Key

@Turboshitter Well Telio has been working for the nobles for a while, so he actually knows his manners. He just may or may not choose to use them depending on his mood.

Mirror, Fox, Key

Team Rutabaga needs a theme song. I suggest This.

Also, Telio is the only Rutabaga with a Y chromosome as well. lol.

"Ki can make Ice too!?" Battle of Ki Users, Brighton vs Tanzo

"You flatter me," Ryozan said, responding to Mr. Sunshine's compliment, but now the time for exchanging words was over; it would soon be time for them to exchange blows. He looked over to the coliseum as well and nodded. He could only imagine the unsung history that took place withing; how many warriors had spilled blood within those walls, and for how many was this place a grave? And yet their glory was every bit as transient as their lives, for not one of those battles was written in the annals of history. But perhaps that was what made those battles so great. Nobody was left to revel in the fighters' glory save the spirits that chose this coliseum as their final resting place. And Ryozan could feel the spirits stirring here, the thrill of battle, nearly tangible, permeating every stone and speck of dirt on the island.

The kitsune lowered his blade so that the tip was just above the ground, and began his solemn walk into their battleground. The torches that once lit the passage had long rotted away, and only a few spears of light managed to pierce through the cracks that time had etched into the ceiling. For a brief moment, Ryozan was engulfed in darkness, then as he turned a corner he plunged back into the light of the open coliseum. He supposed this is where the crowd would cheer, lauding their champion or denouncing their villain, but stone could not speak so all was silent.

Still, something was strange about this place... or rather impossible. The floor, though made of dirt, was smooth, compact, and clean; not a single trace of battle, be it blood or bones, marred the pristine ground. And every seat, though empty, was intact. Given the age of this structure, such a state was impossible. This floating island had surely endured storms and weathering, and nobody was around to clean up. But somehow the coliseum seemed to be in as fine a state as when it was built. It was as if the building itself had a soul, and it had been sustaining itself on the fighting spirit of those warriors that found -- or rather were pulled -- here over the years.

Ryozan took his place in the center of the coliseum, then turned to face Mr. Sunshine. He clutched the hilt of Shirogami with both hands and brought it up in front of him in a guarded stance. He lead with his left foot, dragging his right a bit behind the other, and angled his body to reduced the exposed surface area. He took a deep breath, and upon exhaling, a cool white smoke came out of his mouth, a result of tiny ice crystals immediately evaporating in the warm air. Ryozan was was ready to create a story much more exciting, and much brighter, than the one he had told.

Mirror, Fox, Key

1.) I post... on average once a day. Sometimes more or less depending on the length of the posts or what else is going on.

2.) I choose... Book. As awesome as a sword-slinging cartographer would be, we'll stick with books.

3.) If the choice is "Dragons or [insert non-dragon choice here]" the answer is always dragons.

4.) Bok Choy. Because I know nobody else will pick that.

Mirror, Fox, Key

Name: Telio Lenocci

Appearance:

(No gun or headphones)

Abstract: The artist who wants to draw the world.

Detail: Telio was born into a long line of artisans. It is said that every building in Enn has something in it that was made by a Lenocci, and if not, then the building itself was made by one. Telio's parents made a comfortable living making all kinds of arts and crafts for the noblemen to show off in their manors, and it wasn't long before Telio was introduced to a client of his own.

Telio kept a sketchbook as a child and enjoyed drawing what little wildlife found its way into the city. He would spend hours making detailed drawings of plants, insects, and birds. His most prized possession was his pair of binoculars that a Traveler brought to the city one day. A nobleman purchased them as a curiosity from a merchant, then offered them as payment to Mr. Lenocci once he became bored with them, and they inevitably got passed on to Telio. Much to his parents' chagrin, he liked to climb to the top of the walls and look as far as he could with his binoculars, drawing down what he saw. He would imagine what the world was like out there and draw fictional maps of all the places he wanted to visit.

When he became older, the locations he drew maps of ceased being fictional. He had a few blueprints for some impractical oddball inventions, but he had amassed the most detailed map of the city of Enn ever produced. He made an entire atlas of the city, created an index system, and learned how to alter the scale of his maps. It contained symbolic overhead views, as well as detailed "street view" drawings of points of interest, and on his 18th birthday, "The Atlas of Enn" was acknowledged by royalty as the official comprehensive map of the city, and so he was commissioned by several noble families to make copies.

Eventually, Baron Dupoir took a personal interest in Telio's abilities, and sent in numerous drawing requests. Now Telio was making full-color drawings, not mere sketches for the nobleman, and making a comfortable living out of it. The only problem... well perhaps his portfolio speaks for itself: Baroness Dupoir, Pensive Baroness Dupoir, Baroness Dupoir holding an apple, Baroness Dupoir drinking tea, Baron and Baroness Dupoir, Baroness Dupoir smiling, Baroness Dupoir next to a candle, etc... It was heartwarming to see how much the Baron cared for his wife; unfortunately, Telio didn't care for her nearly as much, and was getting sick of all those fake poses and half-smiles that the nobles through at each other. However, he was stuck in a trench. Everybody knew him as a drawer of portraits now, and that was the only decent paying job he could get. Besides, it's not like he could actually leave the city...

"No experience necessary eh?"

"Ki can make Ice too!?" Battle of Ki Users, Brighton vs Tanzo

Ryozan found it difficult to believe that a man could partake in many battles and never be struck by a blade. Perhaps when one has the luxury of picking and choosing when and whom one fights such a feat was conceivable, but even so, the man before him must possess tremendous skill for his words to be true. He watched Mr. Sunshine play with his blade, trying to catch a glimpse of the style that he used, and what he saw was perhaps the most dangerous style of all: the blade moved as naturally as when he had stretched. No effort, not a single thought seemed to be involved in his flourishes; indeed, if a blade was that easy for him to hold, then perhaps there was some credence to what he was saying.

Then, Mr. Sunshine plunged head-first into the tale of how he got his sword. It was an archetypal story of a man thinking he was invincible because of his weapon, and that overconfidence leading to his downfall. His people had plenty of folk tales like that, but apparently he had lived this story. As Ryozan listened, though, his defensive posture eased up a bit. Hearing this tale, Ryozan felt that this man knew not how to be duplicitous; he was what he appeared to be. This change of demeanor had little to do with the fact that Mr. Sunshine portrayed himself as a righteous hero -- anyone could make such claim -- and more to do with with how the story itself spoke to him. Ryozan could tell that Mr. Sunshine didn't care if he believed him or not. He just felt like telling a story. The devious make far more sense than that.

Ryozan was quiet for a few moments after Mr. Sunshine finished, but not the same stoic kind of silence that he had set foot upon the island with. Rather, he was savoring the story which, admittedly, he enjoyed hearing quite a lot. "We have a saying where I come from," he said at last. "A story is only as good as one's love of telling it. It seems apparent to me that you enjoy that you enjoy telling that one quite a lot. I also feel it would be rude not return the gift with one of my own, though I'm afraid that I'll not be as skilled in my storytelling as you are."

Ryozan pointed to the horizontal scar under his eye. "I'll tell you how I got this one." Ryozan made an effort to take the ice out of his voice and take on a compelling narrative tone as he spoke. He had some success, though he couldn't match Mr. Sunshine's expertise. "When I was 17, an underground rebellion attempted to overthrow the Tanzo family. The politics of it are complex and unpleasant, but what you need to know is that an unknown group of people wanted my family dead. They had already made one attempt on my life, but we were on high alert investigating the matter, and were very close to identifying the mastermind.

"However, they moved first using traitors to set fire to our home in the night. Our guards both gave chase to the arsonist and tended to the flames, but that diverted enough of our resources for them to stage an all out attack. At that moment, it was revealed that two of our guards, one maid, and one gardener were traitors. Four out of a staff of over one-hundred does not seem like a lot, but it was all they needed. They maid could collect gossip and report guard movements from within our complex, and the gardener could do the same from without; all they needed was to wait for the day when their guards would be on duty to let them in.

"I was woken by my bodyguard when the fire started, and fortunately I had taken to sleeping with my blade beside me. He led me through our escape route, but their spies knew of it and ambushed us. It was seven of them against two of us, but my bodyguard kept them at bay and sent me to run down another corridor. There I found a maid -- their maid -- who appeared to be clutching her side and bleeding. Naturally, I stopped to help her, but I saw a faint glint of metal in the torchlight at the last possible second. The slash was meant for my throat, but I was fortunate and ended up with this." He tapped the scar beneath his eye once more.

"But, as you can see, I'm still here, so we managed to stop them and nobody in my family was killed, though many brave warriors gave their lives protecting us." Ryozan omitted how he delivered the killing blow to the maid. It was not something he was proud of, but he was not one to hesitate in a kill or be killed scenario.

Upon finishing his story, Ryozan took his own sword out of its sheath, not threatening Mr. Sunshine with it, but letting the blade meld into his hand, becoming just another appendage for him to exert his autonomy over. The sunlight augmented the faint white glow that Shirogami naturally emanated, creating a dazzling spectacle that was merely a prelude of the swordsmanship that would follow. "Well, Mr. Sunshine," he said, his tone shifting away from that of a storyteller and towards that of a young samurai. "It's been fun swapping stories, but I'm afraid I'm getting a bit restless. You say you've never been cut before? I hope you don't take offense if I consider that a challenge."

Mirror, Fox, Key

Telio Lenocci

Name: Telio Lenocci

Appearance:

Telio

(No gun or headphones)

Abstract: The artist who wants to draw the world.

Detail: Telio was born into a long line of artisans. It is said that every building in Enn has something in it that was made by a Lenocci, and if not, then the building itself was made by one. Telio's parents made a comfortable living making all kinds of arts and crafts for the noblemen to show off in their manors, and it wasn't long before Telio was introduced to a client of his own.

Telio kept a sketchbook as a child and enjoyed drawing what little wildlife found its way into the city. He would spend hours making detailed drawings of plants, insects, and birds. His most prized possession was his pair of binoculars that a Traveler brought to the city one day. A nobleman purchased them as a curiosity from a merchant, then offered them as payment to Mr. Lenocci once he became bored with them, and they inevitably got passed on to Telio. Much to his parents' chagrin, he liked to climb to the top of the walls and look as far as he could with his binoculars, drawing down what he saw. He would imagine what the world was like out there and draw fictional maps of all the places he wanted to visit.

When he became older, the locations he drew maps of ceased being fictional. He had a few blueprints for some impractical oddball inventions, but he had amassed the most detailed map of the city of Enn ever produced. He made an entire atlas of the city, created an index system, and learned how to alter the scale of his maps. It contained symbolic overhead views, as well as detailed "street view" drawings of points of interest, and on his 18th birthday, "The Atlas of Enn" was acknowledged by royalty as the official comprehensive map of the city, and so he was commissioned by several noble families to make copies.

Eventually, Baron Dupoir took a personal interest in Telio's abilities, and sent in numerous drawing requests. Now Telio was making full-color drawings, not mere sketches for the nobleman, and making a comfortable living out of it. The only problem... well perhaps his portfolio speaks for itself: Baroness Dupoir, Pensive Baroness Dupoir, Baroness Dupoir holding an apple, Baroness Dupoir drinking tea, Baron and Baroness Dupoir, Baroness Dupoir smiling, Baroness Dupoir next to a candle, etc... It was heartwarming to see how much the Baron cared for his wife; unfortunately, Telio didn't care for her nearly as much, and was getting sick of all those fake poses and half-smiles that the nobles through at each other. However, he was stuck in a trench. Everybody knew him as a drawer of portraits now, and that was the only decent paying job he could get. Besides, it's not like he could actually leave the city...

"No experience necessary eh?"