RPG Role-Playing Writing - Round 4

[Mnemolth]

[b][color=red]STOP! Please read the following before you do ANYTHING in this thread!![/color][/b]

[b]The Assassin[/b]

There are just a few very simple rules to ensure everything runs smoothly. Please abide by them. Good luck everyone! :)


[i]For non-players:[/i]

1. If you are not one of the registered players, DO NOT post here. Period. If you wish to make a comment, laud praise or offer some criticism, please do so at the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19444][color=blue][/color]RPW General Thread[/url].

2. In an ideal world, I would ask that you read each story by each player BEFORE voting in the poll. But I understand this is not an ideal world so I would strongly you read at least a few stories before making you decision and to NEVER vote for someone before you have read their story! Please extend the players, who have spent time and effort in crafting their submissions, this small courtesy. ;)

3. Vote for the person whose story you like the most. You have until [b][i]midnight, Monday, 14th April, AEST time, ie GMT +10:00 hrs[/b][/i].

Thanks for dropping by. Everyone at RPW appreciates your support. :D


[i]For the players:[/i]

Round 4 is now open for submissions. Its a BIG Round. Be sure to start thinking about straight away. [b][i]The deadline is midnight, Monday, 7th April, AEST time, ie GMT +10:00 hrs. This will be STRICTLY enforced.[/i][/b]

The Objectives for Round 4, if you did not check the RPW website and know already, is [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/Stories/objectives.html][color=blue]here[/color][/url]. Read it carefully. If you have questions or queries, post them in the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19444][color=blue]RPW General Thread[/color][/url]. It may be other players are also unsure. If you're a little shy, or if its personal, email or PM me.

I have taken the time to write up some tips for playing RPW. Read the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/faq.html][color=blue]FAQ[/color][/url].

Please, PLEASE, ask questions. Even if its just to confirm some things. Don't write 3000 words of brilliant prose only to have it scraped cos it didn't fit with the Objectives or were outside the rules. I really hate having to send submission back to have players edit them. Chances are players will often be too disappointed to make the necessary changes or do not have enough time. In any case, that just robs us of a submission and we need every single one.

Can I once again request that ALL players, but especially the newer ones, please read the Chronicles page on the [url=http://www.roleplayingwriting.tk]RPW website[/url] to ENSURE CONTINUITY in the submissions. Your submissions MUST make sense and are in line with ALL previous submissions. Thanks.

[Corey]

?I am not the town historian. I?m just a unwilling participant on the horror thart this town is facing.? Acantha stood and walked over to a dark corner of the room. She sat in a nearby chair and stared at Burman. He cleared his throat and gave Acantha a look that clearly said ?Don?t make me do this?. Her face did not change, but maintained it?s icy stare. Burman cleared his throat again and swallowed audibly.

?The town was founded about three hundred years ago. The construction was... Difficult. I don?t know what our ancestors were thinking, building a town on swampland.? He spat out a mute little laugh and looked around the group. Everyone was looking at him with expectance. ?Ah... Anyway, many died. Uncharted deep waters claimed most. Small quicksand pits other. And still people killed eachother. Nerves ran thin when work was much and food was little... My great great grandfather was killed by another man because he took an extra piece of meat...? The mayors eyes glazed over for a moment. He nodded to himself and contiued. ?The wall went up about one hundred years ago and we?ve been living here ever since.? He spread his arms to show that he had no more to say.

?What about the two hundred year period between the founding and the wall, Burman?? Celestine jumped. Lacroix?s hands went to his kamas. ?Go ahead. Tell them Burman.?

?Show yourself,? Percy commanded. A man walked out of the shadows, very near to Acantha. She started and fell off of her chair. The man walked over to her and offered his hand to help her up. She hissed at him and got up on her own power, apparently unhurt except for her pride.

?Very sorry to intrude like this, but I thought it was time to reveal myself. I?ve been watching this town for some days. My name is Ryan. Ryan Schezar. But let?s not focus on me. Let?s listen to Mr Burman and the rest of his story.? Everyone?s eyes sluggishly shifted back to Burman. ?Please Mayor, continue.? Burman had gone pale. acantha slid over to the barkeep and began whipering.

?Um... Heh... Th, there?s nothing very notable during that period.? Ryan shook his head.

?How do you know this?? He turned to Jice the musician and smiled.

?I have seen it my good friend.?

?Impossible. You couldn?t possibly be two hundred years old.? Turning back to Burman, Ryan?s eyes sharpedned.

?Very true. I wasn?t alive. But I have see it, I assure you.? The others stared at Ryan. Lacroix, more sharply than the others.

?What are yo-? Burman started to ask.

?Everybody out! Tavern?s closed,? Darin said shortly. Acantha slid back to her former spot. Regulars of the tavern blasted the man with dissaproving statements and curses. ?Let?s go! No one stays!? He shot a look at Acantha and started pushing people out.

?Perhaps we should go. Your little group can spend the night in the shacks outside of the city.? Acantha began dragging the mayor out.

?Let?s go,? Xii said. She walked out of the building giving Darin a dissaproving look. He avoided her eyes and the rest that followed.

[center]~~~[/center]

?So what are you?? Lacroix stared fixatedly at me.

?I, my good people, am a Streamer. I, with the help of many others, help the world run smoothly by dissipating cataclysims.? A blank look slowly formed across the faces of everyone. ?Yeah... I expected that. Let?s say I?m a time blacksmith. I hammer the lines of time so that they are smooth and reletively unflawed.?

?So how come you can?t just stop this from happening?? Ryan looked at Jice with a smile.

?Just like a sword, nothing is without flaws. We can?t change this because we don?t know what?s doing it.? Percy sneered.

?Never have I heard of your kind. You?re not in any book I?ve read.?

?We don?t like to be known.?

?A likely explanation.? Lacroix said blandly.

[center]~~~[/center]

The sun shone into the windows of our little makeshift home. Everyone rose to find Lacroix reading a note.

?It was slid under the door during the night.? He explained.

?What?s it say?? Jice inquired sleepily.

?We?ve been invited to the Mayors mansion for dinner.? It was now midday. Everyone had slept most of the morning. Lacroix seemed to have been up for quite a while already. ?I think we should attend. It might prove helpful.? Everyone nodded in agreement and made their way out of the house. Ryan stayed behind. Quietly he pulled out a small blue orb. It was pulsing and glowing. The necrotic energy around this place was very strong. The draw ball had much to store.

?[i]Le?shan Tu Yuru Ishkhan D?Hantka...[/i]? A small crevace opened in the orb and whisps of black smoke were pulled into it. Necrotic enery in it?s true form, black and deadly. The orb bacame dark. Ryan picked up the now full ball and stored it in his pack. He looked to the window to see Xii gawking in at him. He hurredly walked outside.

?What was that?? Xii demanded.

?A device to hold necrotic energy. It?s what we use to alter time. The energy is very abundant here.?

?I know why.? She pointed to across the road. Another body lay completely torn apart. Chunks of flesh were strew every-which-way. Pieces of cloth and skin hung from the tree above. Bones littered the ground in powder white strips. Blood drenched the dirt like a pool of crimson water. Ryan stared fixatedly at it. ?Just the same as all the others,? he thought

?Mesmerizing, isn?t it.? The group turned to find Acantha standing behind them. ?Come, it will take us the next few hours to reach the mansion.?

[center]~~~[/center]

The Mayor?s mansion had the same wall as the village. Very high with a single gate leading in. Onc inside the obtrusive stone walls, the mansion was actually quite beautiful. It was stone. White marble. Almost perfect. Mayor Burman came out just as the sun was setting. Much earlier than last night...

?Come, it?s not safe during the night. Hurry.? We made our way into the large house. It was decorated with many different styles of art. Paintings, sculptures, etchings, pottery. Just about anything you could imagine.

?Amazing... So many pieces from so many different times.? Ryan gawked at all the art as the Mayor came in after us.

?If you all could follow me to the dining room, I?d be happy to serve you an early meal.? He lead the group into a long dining room and pointed out our respective places. ?Mr. Schezar? Would you please sit there?? He knodded and sat. The meals came and a wonderful aroma of assorted dishes filled the room. ?Please eat. Dinner conversation is always the best.? The guests began to eat.

?So where?s you female advisor?? Lacroix looked around the room again to reconfirm her absence.

?She?s... Uh... Sleeping. Listen...? He dropped his fork and wiped his mouth with his napkin. ?You all aren?t safe here. There?s... You?re just not safe... There are a few that don?t want the murders to stop... They think we deserve it. Maybe they?re rig-?

?Mayor Burman, shut up.? Acantha strolled in. She was clad in a crimson gown with rubies down the sides. The Mayor cringed away and began eating again. His face had once again went pale. ?I?m so glad to see you all here. Enjoying your dinner?? Eevryone just stared at her. ?Good. Eat.? The meal contiued in silence. Everyone was trying to make eye contact with Burman, but he wouldn?t look up from his plate. Lacroix jumped up.

?What the hell is that?? He pointed at Ryans pack. Thick whisps of black energy were rising from it.

?Oh... My...? Ryan said as he stood up. ?Someone has activated my Draw Ba-? An arrow flew from one of the open windows directly at Ryans head. Burman screamed and fell backward in his chair. Suddenly, the arrow froze in mid air. The black energy coiled around the arrow. Slowly the arrow began to dissapear. First it got opaque. Very clear. Everyone could see right through it. Then it flickered, and dissapeared.

?What the hell...? Lacroix walked over and ran his hand where the arrow had been.

?The Council apparently wants me alive...? Lacroix dropped his hand to his side and walked back over by his chair. There was a thin whapping sound. Ryan grunted and fell to the ground. There was an arrow sticking out of his arm. In mid air there was a black outline of the arrow. Breathing shallowly, Ryan layed on the floor unconcious.

[Mitch]

[color=black][size=1]This is extremely rough. Also, I'm trying to force myself to become familiar with the semicolon, so, this I've used it here. It certainly doesn't detract from the overall of it; but I'm sure I've used it wrong in places. Just give me time with it. Heh. I still might change stuff..kill me. It deserves to be shot. -_-

[center]...[/center]

"Being as exotically defined as I am so, I believe I do not have the right. My dear Burman, I do think?"

"?yes, I do think?"

There was a long and cold silence. Burman dutifully stood up. He placed his hands out, beckoning out to the many patrons in the tavern.

"By and by, my dear Acantha. Aiken?as she does stand here today?she was long ago founded by my great great great great great Grandfather's father?Sir Burman the first. Upon first standing, she was as glorious as she is beautiful here today. She?"

Burman was aptly interrupted as Lacroix let out a loud, masquerading laugh. He walked over to Burman, grinning devilishly.

"Burman, Burman, Burman. What in the depths of hell would we do without you? Aha, this a comprehensive history?"

"Well, yes. At least I?"

"?at least I would?"

"Pah, I could care less. Let's get out of here, shall we? Shall we take a trip?" Lacriox's face contorted into a large sneer as he led Burman away by the wrist. The rest of the party also followed, keeping their distance.

"Burman, look here?look here," Lacroix said, pointing. Lacroix's eyes were strangely murky. It was quite baffling?especially to Jice, whom fed off of the very tunes and echoes from the psyches of a person. Lacroix seemed to be sniffing the pungent, copper-toned splatters of blood allaying all upon the cold ground. Not just sniffling?he seemed to be thriving from it. Hypertensioning from it?from the very bowels of it.

"Do you not see Burman. Hm?" Lacroix said. "Do you not see the vile and malevolent act which has discreeted this very ground here?" Lacroix's words now sounded like a finely-tuned axe. They cut a ripped at the tight nipped air painting everything in a devil's paintbrush.

"I...I..," was Burman's reply. Lacroix's face spasmed into a v-line of hatred. It looked as if Lacriox was preparing to do something?there was some glint in his eyes?but Jice quickly put his hand tangibly on Lacroix's shoulder. Lacroix turned, surprised.

"Ah...my dear minstrel!. What is the purpose of this? I was merely?"

"?Enough is enough, Lacroix!" Jice said, his voice tuned quite a notch higher than usual. "We shan't find anything from the mayor here?there's no need to plague for answers. For, I am ascertained that there must be some gossip there in the tavern. Will you not take the leave with me?" and so it was settled. They all left, returning to the tavern. And not surprisingly, the mayor stayed behind, a look of morbid reflection bouncing back to the party as they left.

It was noisy. They all looked around, finding Acantha gone. Through the intermittent chatter and clang, they all turned to find Dahrin overtly beckoning them over.

"I got something for you guys," he said. "It's a little note Acantha left."

Lacroix's hand was the first to snatch away the piece of paper. He read it, and a sneer went bigger and bigger on his face. "Perhaps this is our answer, my dear minstrel. Perhaps."

Jice ripped the sheet of paper from Lacroix's holding, and quickly read it aloud. "We shall meet upon the stroke of midnight at tomorrow's chime. At the mayor's mansion we shall discuss and torrent our ways into this conundrum of the town. Do not be late."

"Could this be our answer?" Percy said, his eyebrow raised. "Could it?"

Jice set the sloppily writ note down, his eyes locked in thought. "We will now soon enough, I do suppose. As for now, I do believe it is time we rest."

Agreement was nuzzled, and they all left the tavern towards the local inn. It was a solemn place; quiet yet mingled with a sense of something more. All bleary-eyed and tired, they paid their stay and all were soon asleep. Except Lacroix. Jice also waned an open eye as he felt Lacriox's aural vibrations.

Jice had felt some suspicions of Lacroix. As uncertain and unascertained as they were, he could not help the nagging feeling that something unsettling draped over Lacroix. So he followed his instincts.

Trailing cowed and feeding on his emotional tides, Jice followed Lacroix from out of the Inn. He noticed how sneakily Lacroix walked; how coyly. The only likeness to this coy, frisky walk that Lacroix could think of was that of the Tiger stalking his prey. And it was to be likened so.

They came to the Tavern. Through the slight gleam of the poor light, Jice focused his eyes and his mind on Lacroix. He watched him; he read him; he saw him. Jice's mind was somewhere else. It was with Lacroix and only with Lacroix.

Lacroix bent over where the body of Calonice had once been. He stayed so for a long span of time. Jice tried to see exactly what was happening, but was not able to; it was too dark. But he felt Lacroix. The feeling coming from him was quite overpowering. Jice himself could not pin the feeling. It was to be likened with ecstasy, but with a very acute tinge of some rancid smell. It was overpowering for Jice. Every breath he breathed in the taste was there; every thought he thought the feeling was there; every motion of his body, every sway he felt encumbered with this emotion emanating from Lacroix. It tasted like blood lust but yet, at the same moment, it tasted sour and bitter; like something fighting, something trying to overpower itself.

Slowly, very slow, Lacroix finally stood up. Again, the feeling was there, but it wasn't as strong. Jice was still unnerved. He plodded and dug into what possibly Lacroix was doing out here; there just wasn't a logical answer. There wasn't.

Jice had zoned so entirely out that he hadn't noticed Lacroix leave. Where Lacroix once stood standing now only the darkness blanketed. Jice returned to the tavern. Lacroix was there. And soon Jice was asleep, his dreams spasming into nightmares of what could and couldn't be.

[center]...[/center]

The day was waning. Tediously the party had searched all the midday in hopes of finding some answers. None had come. They had searched numerous farms, stores, and the like. Yet no answers. Just more questions from more questions. It could be seen, upon all of the foray's faces, that they were tiring of the tedium. They were all anxiously awaiting the midnight meeting at the mayor's mansion. And slowly, as time does when one awaits something with want, it came.

The stars shone like a mosaic of shines. It was a nice, mild night as they approached the mayor's mansion. For them all, it was an even more nice night. Tonight, with hope, they would get some answers. Hopefully they would get farther.

They were lead into the main room of the mansion by a host of guards and briefly told to wait. They waited and waited and waited. Lacriox gave an impatient glare and strode off. "I'll show them wait," he could be heard mumbling underneath his breath.

Jice watched him leave with an especially critical glare. He knew something was wrong; he could feel it. He just didn't know what. As he sat there juggling his thoughts, the mayor soon approached. Acantha on his left wing, an uncouth figure on the other.

The mayor looked panic-stricken. His entire color was light and weary; it was as if he hadn't slept at all in the passing days. His hair was a frazzled mess, and his stomach knotted and bounced about him like some crazed ballet dancer frantically spinning in loops and twirls.

Jice felt the panic covering the mayor immediately.

"Burman, what is wrong? You look terrible."

"Ah, Jice, uh, your lives. Your lives are in peril. Something wants these calamities to continue. This something...they, uh, they don't want the truth revealed. I..uh...I?"

"?Burman. Settle down. You know you are overworking yourself. There's no reason to jump to assumptions, now, is there?" it was Acantha. Everyone glared at her suspiciously.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? The mayor is simply having a panic attack. He can't handle what is happening. He's losing it."

They all slowly nodded. Xii spoke up slowly, breaking the thin wall of suspicions and finger pointing.

" Mayor. Who's this new face with you?"

"Ah, this is Ryan. Ryan Schezar. He's what we call a streamer."

Some looked strangely at the mayor, others nodded in recognition.

"Ah, uh, a streamer. They stop calamities and such. They tap into the spiritual side of things. Magic and?"

Burman stopped talking. His eyes seemed to be straying; they seemed to be looking at something.

There was a loud noise. Jice felt his entire essence split and shatter. Something was horribly wrong. His entire sense was reeling. His entire feeling was heightened to extreme measures. And then there was a large and hitting pain. The world went black.

The other party members looked, in trepidation, at the emanation of the noise. Nothing was there.

The newly introduced Ryan quickly fled over to the fallen Jice.

"Clean shot. Right through the head," he said, placing his hand on the blood-warmed wound.[/color][/size]

[Mnemolth]

Voting begins. You have till [b]14th April AEST time[/b]. For this Round only, I have given a week's grace for submissions. This means that submitting and voting can be done at the same time.

A reminder that Sara and LA both have 2 votes and Harlequin has 3 votes.

[Sara]

[size=1][b]Done-ish, sorry it took so long.[/b]

Xii closed her eyes. Horror and lack of sleep had exhausted her; it had been a long day. She forced them back open quickly, though, behind her eyelids lay the scene just outside the tavern door.

"I'm hardly qualified to detail Aiken's history," Acantha began with a slow smile. "Suffice it to say that Aiken may not be quite as innocent as it appears."

Her words hung in the air, not followed by any further explanation. Burman blinked; he had expected something lengthier. When it became clear that Acantha had no intention of going on, he tugged at his ear--a nervous gesture--and spoke.

"Aiken was founded...well, quite some years ago. I don't know that anyone is sure of the date; there were people here long before the town itself was named. It's a small town, really, and began as little more than a hub for the surrounding farming communities. The city wall was built about a hundred years ago, quite recent, really. The town hasn't grown outward much since then, although you might say it's grown inward. Sturdy homes inside the walls; they can stand up to just about anything.?

Xii forced back a yawn and stuggled to listen to the mayor.

?The town records go back only about eighty years,? he was saying, ?although the older families have some old journals and what-have-you that date from who-knows-when. The town was named for the oak grove on the other side of the wall..." Burman paused in his jumpy narrative. "I guess that's about it. Nothing very interesting, I can tell you. I've lived here all my life, and until a few weeks ago Aiken's been the most normal little town you could see."

Dharin arched an eyebrow. "And you haven't the faintest idea why the attacks have suddenly begun?" he asked.

Burman stiffened, only now noticing that the bartender had been listening. "None at all," he said after a moment.

Lacroix looked severely unimpressed. "Well, if that's all the information you have for us," he said dryly, "Perhaps we should continue our investigations elsewhere."

"Or perhaps we could all get some sleep," Relee said, looking around. Xii looked at her gratefully.

"I agree," Alex said haltingly. It was far out of his character to suggest extra rest, but the group as a whole had been badly shaken by Calonice's...death, and very few were in any emotional state to do work. Things would be, if not better in the morning, at least further removed.

Lacroix looked with some degree of condescension at the others. Relee was right; the group needed recovery time. He, however, had no special desire to waste the night. Dharin caught his eye and silently offered discussion. Lacroix nodded; he would be up long hours with the barkeeper tonight.

"I can't.." Xii murmured softly, not sure what it was she couldn?t do.
She looked around, pointedly avoiding the direction where Calonice--her thought cut off abruptly, avoiding the memory. Her mouth still tasted vile, even after the water Dharin had considerately offered her.

Percy was watching her. They'd developed a rather lopsided friendship since they'd met in the forest--her spontanaety tempered by his rather reserved behavior. Still, he was fond of her. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.

Xii jerked, momentarily jolted out of her exhaustion by his voice. "I'm fine," she lied shakily.

"I see," Percy said, accepting the lie but not believing it.

Xii smiled faintly and took a mental count of the group members. Percy, right beside her; Acantha, reserved and watching the rest of them; Lacroix, already moving toward Dharin and the promised discussion; Burman talking quietly with Alex; Tylenia, shaken but silent. Relee was to be also taking stock of the group; her eyes met Xii's, and moved on to Percy. [i]Calonice[/i]--Xii shook her head fiercely. Two more bodies stood in the circle. [i]Jice[/i], she remembered, the minstrel. But who was the other..?

Relee seemed to have come to the same revelation, and spoke harshly to the newcomer. "Who are you?"

The man smiled. ?Ryan Schezar.?

There was a pointed silence.

?That?s very nice,? Tylenia said acidly, ?but we were looking for something a bit more than just your name.? The others murmured in agreement.

The man nodded to her. ?Fair enough,? he said. ?My name is Ryan Schezar, and I?m a Streamer.?

Xii watched dazedly as the man introduced himself. Percy seemed immediately interested and moved towards him, saying something. The voices in the room grew loud and slurred in her ears. She stood uncertainly at the edge of the circle, achingly tired. There was a commotion over by the new man?Ry?Ryan? Ryan. She swayed, suddenly at odds with gravity, and stuggled to remain upright.

Someone was at her side, gently supporting her. ?C?mon, Xii,? Tylenia said softly. ?Let?s get you to bed.? Xii smiled weakly, gratefully?and was already asleep.

--

Xii slept straight through the next day. Words were thrown about: [I]Shock, exhaustion[/I]. She didn?t hear them; she didn?t wake; she didn?t dream.

She woke easily to orange and purple light streaming in through a window. Sunset. Xii looked around; she was in a room at the tavern, upstairs?the inn. She breathed deeply, somehow very content.

There was a soft noise in the hallway, and Relee appeared at the open door.

?You?re awake,? she said, amusement coloring her voice.

Xii nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. ?I?m?sorry,? she offered, unsure of what else to say.

Relee smiled. ?It?s alright. We?re all going to the Mayor?s in a few minutes for dinner. Are you up to it??

?Sure,? Xii said, and was startled to realize she was telling the truth. ?When are we leaving??

?As soon as you?re ready.?

Xii glanced around the small inn room. Her backpack was sitting on a chair. She stood and slung it onto her shoulder. ?Then let?s go.?
--

[b]This part added.[/b]

The Mayor?s mansion was across the square from the inn, and the party crossed it quickly?few willing to admit it, and fewer willing to be caught outside after dark.

Burman greeted them at the door, and led the ragtag group to a comfortable den-like room.

?I thought we might meet tonight in a more?? words seemed to fail him for a moment. ?Comfortable setting,? he finished.

?Safer, too, no doubt,? Lacroix said witheringly. ?Don?t dare leave your comfort zone after last night, eh??

Someone laughed darkly.

Xii ignored this and drank in her new surroundings. Of all the places she had stayed thus far, this large room seemed the most like home. Or if not her home, at least [I]a][/I] home. Deep, comfortable chairs and well-worn tables furnished the room. She sat carefully in the chair opposite the fire, and smiled despite herself as she sank into it. ?Nice,? she murmured.

Percy took the chair to her left, and made a small noise, also pleased by its comfort. He looked worn and tired. Xii wondered how long he?d been awake while she was sleeping, but her attention shifted from him to Jice as the other man sat down.

Xii wasn?t sure what to make of the minstrel?he?d been contrary the night before, refusing to answer any of her questions; she?d had to retrieve Lacroix?and look what had happened. She closed her eyes and shook her head briefly.

He looked at her. ?Are you all right, m?lady?? he asked.

Xii blinked, curiously pleased by his courtesy. ?I..I?m alright, I guess,? she said. A shadow passed over her face.

?Considering,? Jice offered.

Xii nodded. ?Considering,? she repeated.

Everyone was comfortably seated; Burman spoke. ?Well?We?re all very upset about last night, of course,? he said haltingly. Tylenia felt vaguely sorry for the man?imagine trying to calm down a village of people convinced they?re going to be killed.

?This is Calonice? death was unfortunately only one of many such--? Burman?s voice stopped as someone else spoke. ?What was that??

?The first death,? Relee found herself repeating. ?Calonice was the first death.?

The others looked at her, some confused, others? eyes bright with understanding.

?I don?t understand what you?re trying to say,? Burman said.

?None of the others were ever found,? Jice said. ?They were simply disappearances. Relee is right, this was the first death Aiken has seen.?

?But why?? Percy asked. ?Whatever has been causing the disappearances?well, in any case, why didn?t it just [I]take[/I] Calonice, instead..?

?It?s not the same thing,? Ryan said simply.

Xii looked at him. ?How do you know?? she wanted to ask?but no one else seemed curious, and she assumed he had missed out on some explanation while she?d been sleeping that day.

?Well, if it?s [I]not[/I] that same thing,? Tylenia said slowly, ?then what was it? And why??

?Someone doesn?t want you to get rid of the problem,? Burman said, slightly rushed. Xii wondered if he?d suddenly realized that, or only now found the opportunity to say it.

?But why?? she asked. ?The entire town??

?Wants the disappearances stopped,? Acantha said smoothly. Attention shifted easily from Burman to her. ?Our mayor is getting a little paranoid, I?m afraid. He?s had a terrible time about last night. I don?t want him to worry you without good reason?and there is no good reason at this point.?

?A woman was killed last night,? Alex said coldly. ?I think that?s a pretty good reason.?

Acantha shook her head, almost sadly?a mother who knew more than her children, but didn?t explain herself. ?You?re a wanderer, Alex. You don?t understand how things work in this town.?

?What has this town got to do with it?? Alex asked, but his voice was lost in a sudden clattering of wood?the shutters flew open, and the candles blew swiftly out. Lacroix and Alex were immediately on their feet, ready to react to any stimulus?albeit in rather dissimilar ways.

The fire still glowed dimly in the fireplace, however, and nothing untoward had happened. Burman laughed too loudly. ?It?s alright, that clasp?s been broken for years. Here.? He picked up a candle from the table closest him and took a step towards the fireplace, lowering the taper in. There was a flare, and the candle began to glow.

?Not a problem,? he said again, touching that candle to another. Wind gusted throw the window once more, extinguishing them once again. Burman swore clumsily, and the remaining tension in the room dissolved.

Jice walked over to Relee and Tyelenia and tried to interest them in some form of ballad he was writing. Alex relaxed and began speaking with Lacroix and Percy. Xii couldn?t fathom what they might be discussing, but didn?t press the question.

She rolled her eyes and stood, walking over to the open window. It was furiously dark outside, and it smelled of a coming storm. She smiled to herself, and reached outside to pull the outer shutter back?the wind twisted, pulled it out of her hand; it slammed once more against the outside of the house.

?What are you doing?? Ryan asked.

?I?m trying closing the window,? she said dryly. ?Care to help??

Ryan shook his head, smiling, and pulled the outside shutters together. The wind fought visiciously, but they held for a moment, and Xii slipped the hook through the eye of the latch.

?Latch works perfectly,? Ryan muttered. ?Burman doesn?t know what he?s talking about.?

Xii laughed softly and fumbled with the inside shutters for a moment, finally pulling them closed. Ryan seemed to be staring out the window?or would have, if it had been open.

?What?s the matter?? she asked.

?Nothing,? he said.

?Timmons!? Burman called gruffly. A boy appeared at a door none of them had noticed was open. Xii blinked in surprise?it was by the fireplace, right across from where she had been sitting. How had she not noticed it?

?Aye??

?Get some more lanterns in here, would you? And have someone come with more firewood,? Burman said.

The boy ducked back out of the room. Xii shrugged at Ryan and walked back toward her seat. She fell dramatically down in the chair, expecting the ?give? she had received the first time, and receiving instead a knock on the head. ?Oh!? she exclaimed. ?Hey.?

Percy turned around. ?What?s the matter, Xii??

?Eh, nothing?there?s just something here?bumped my head,? she said brokenly. ?Here.? She pushed aside the thick cushioning to reveal a smoothly engraved piece of wood. ?No wonder I??

?Let me see that,? Lacroix hissed, pushing her gently aside. He glanced at the wood again, and turned his steely eyes on Xii. ?Was this here when we came in.?

?I think I?d have noticed,? Xii said darkly. ?Unless this is a different chair..?? But no, this was where she had been sitting before the window broke open.

Lacroix grasped the handle firmly, and, with one smooth effort, pulled it away from the chair. There was a curious [I]shwipp[/I] sound, and he was holding an elaborate knife in his hand.

?Oh,? Xii said softly. ?Oh,? she repeated, swallowing back what came to her mouth when she tried to speak. ?Well.?

The room watched her.

?I think I?d better sit down,? she said absently, sinking to the floor. ?May I have a glass of water??
[/size]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[color=darkred][size=1][b]I'd have gotten this in yesterday, but I got home, practically passed out and slept 15 hours straight. Go me.[/b]


?While I truly believe that such an accounting will help you,? Acantha stated, in a voice so slightly tinged with sarcasm almost no one picked it up, ?I?m afraid that I cannot account such a history to you. Mayor?? she asked, looking over at Mayor Burman, silently asking a question. Apparently, he agreed, for he nodded, and Acantha moved calmly over and sat down, scribbling something in a ledger. It was the first work Tylenia had seen her do.

Burman took over from Acantha, stating calmly that Aiken hadn?t seen many noteworthy occurrences in this town. He went on, ?There was of course some fights when we first built Aiken ? land disturbances and such ? but it all settled down quite quickly. Aiken became a meeting point, and, up until all these?matters?we used to hold markets each month. If you need information about that, you can see Majorie ? she lives just inside the walls. Her husband is the gate-keeper you saw when you first arrived. She used to organize all the ladies. When the animals first went missing, the were a few arguments and some finger pointing ? there still are ? but now it?s mainly fear. No one trusts each other.?

Tylenia nodded, listening but not hearing. All she could see was Calonice?s remains. It was disgusting, vile, putrid, and it [i]wouldn?t leave[/i]. Her brain felt like it needed to be scrubbed with a laundry worker?s brush, to rinse out the stains. She?d do it though, just to prove she was tougher than she looked.

The redhead looked around the room at it?s occupants, determinedly ignoring the semi-transparent image of Calonice?s body and focusing on the room beyond. All the group members were there; all the living ones, at least.

Tylenia walked over to Xii, who seemed to be about to collapse. She was shaking, and kept glancing over at the tavern door. Maybe Dharin had the same thought as Tylenia, because he was the one who called out to Burman. ?Perhaps we should continue this later. It?s been a hard day ? and traveling wearies the soul.?

Tylenia only had a few seconds to marvel at Dharin?s unaccountable niceness, and his remarkable impersonation of Acantha, before she hurried Xii up the stairs, feeling like someone?s mother.

[center]~~~[/center]


?Rise and shine.? Tylenia groaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets with her. That would teach whoever it was to try to pinch them. They yanked harder and stole her pillow. She glared and emerged from under the layer of hair covering her face, grimacing. She needed it cut, and soon. But first, she intended to reap revenge on the person who disturbed her slumber. It was Relee. Tylenia glared at her. ?You?re lucky you?re a girl. If you?d been anyone else, I?d have hurt you.?

Relee kept her calm, smiling serenely. ?Aren?t you a bear in the mornings?? It was a rhetorical question, but Tylenia opened her mouth to object anyway. Relee preempted the statement. ?I can handle myself, if worst comes to worst. Come on, we?re going to go question the people. The others have left already. You, Jice, and I are going to go question Majorie ? the Market Ladie. Acantha wrote it down for us, so we wouldn?t be mistaken. L-A-D-I-E. Isn?t that odd?? Relee seemed to be babbling a little, probably because Tylenia wasn?t speaking.

Tylenia grimaced. ?I wouldn?t know.? She smiled sheepishly. ?I can?t read. It sounds odd though,? she reassured as she pulled a worn-out tunic over her torso.

The girls met Jice downstairs. He grinned at them, showing nice, even teeth. Tylenia hadn?t had time to study him yet, but she?d realized quickly that he had the hands of a scholar. They were thin, elegant, and wouldn?t look odd covered with ink. She smiled shyly and fisted her own callous covered palms.

It seemed to be clear to Jice and Relee where they were going, and Tylenia started to feel put out until Relee explained. ?We can see the sign from here.? She pointed toward a sign with a cluster of lines. Jice glanced at them, then drew the correct conclusion and slowed down. She Relee silently; she?d thought they were keeping something from her.

Majorie met them at the door. Inside, Tylenia could hear at least three kids squealing and playing. As she led them through the rooms ? there were only a few, but they were well lit. The house wasn?t clean, but it held many materials and cloths. There was even a tapestry half finished.

? I hear you?re those strangers, although, I had the impression that there were more of you.?

Jice replied, explaining the situation, as Tylenia stared. Majorie didn?t speak in the local dialect. She had a crisp voice, with the kind of command of language only someone schooled ? or someone who?d spent time among the religious ? knew.

?Oh yes,? Majorie was saying, pleased that they asked about the markets. ?It?s quite popular. The tapestry was commissioned. Really, the markets are almost essential to our well being. Aiken is only a small town, and many miles from the closest markets. Holding the markets means that we get the produce we need, without traveling for hours. This way, we can also intermarry. Why, little Isadora ? not so little now, of course - married very well just last solstice.?

Just they were about to leave, Majorie pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to them. ?Acantha and Mayor Burman invite you to Mayor Burman?s house tonight.? The fondness in her voice was troubling.

Tylenia left frowning. She knew Majorie was nice. She also seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, and was doing a lot of good for the town. But now that it wasn?t just the townspeople around ? it was others, too ? there were a lot more people that could be trying to destroy Aiken.

There was the also the odd fact that Tylenia just didn?t trust Majorie. The refinement in her manner was unsettling.

Jice read the paper, whistled, and read it out loud. ??Mayor Burman cordially invites you to his house.?That?s all. Nothing more.?

Relee shrugged. ?So where is it?

?At the end of the walls.? Dharin?s rough voice came from behind them. Tylenia nearly screeched her surprise, whirling around to yell at him.

?Don?t do that!? Relee and Jice grinned.

?Jumpy today, aren?t we??

[center]~~~[/center]

Tylenia swore and looked around again. ?This is his house?? The damned thing was huge. It was a mansion, rather than merely a house. The entire thing was imposing. Part of it looked like a patchwork quilt of styles; some marble, other parts stone. Some was even made out of hardened dirt and clay.

The Mayor was standing on the top step, ready to welcome his guests. As the three walked along, he hurried down, his pudge quivering slightly with pride.

?Welcome to my house! Built by my great-great-great grandfather, and added to by each generation! As you can see, I haven?t added to it yet, but there are plans!? He continued on, seeming to know more about his house than he did the town of Aiken.

After a while, Tylenia butted in. ?Could we go inside??

?Ah. Yes. Certainly. Everyone else is already inside, so we can start dinner.?

He was right. Everyone else was inside, and sitting at a huge table. Acantha took her seat on the right hand side of Mayor Burman, who sat at the head of the table. Burman stood up and held up his crystal glass. ?Let?s make a toast. To the health of this town!? Everyone held up their glasses and took a sip. Tylenia registered the distinct taste of brandy, before she set the glass down again. She disliked brandy. They started eating, Tylenia feeling slightly out of place in the midst of all the finery.

Lacroix was the one who broke the silence that hung over the group. ?Who is that?? He asked the question that everyone wanted to, but which politeness had kept them from.

?Ryan Schezar.?

He introduced himself, eye gleaming. Tylenia raised a discreet eyebrow. Orange eyes? Well, she supposed, Xii had green hair. ?What is he??

Burman answered her rude question. ?He?s a streamer. He?s going to help us. Make things go easier.?

?Speaking of which,? Percy interrupted. ?Can we expect any opposition to what we do??

Burman was visibly shaken, not expecting that question. The look on his face said ?yes, quite easily?. Percy sat back, a pleased expression on his face. Obviously he?d come across something that had led him to this conclusion. ?Yes. Some people don?t want the tragedies to cease. I don?t know how to stop them and they?ll all be working against you -.? He said all this in one long sentence, finally silenced by Acantha?s steady look of angry calm. It was strange, like she?d suddenly snapped out and slapped him to keep him from speaking. All she?d done was stare at him. Tylenia wondered once again what their real relationship was, away from the public.

The conversation continued, but Tylenia?s mind didn?t seem to want to register anything said. She could hear it ? and if asked, probably recite it word perfectly, but the words didn?t make any sense. It was as if her mind was operating on shut down. She felt like sleeping ? like lying down and falling asleep. She didn?t want to.

It seemed like the worst feeling in the world. She knew she shouldn?t be tired; she?d had a full night?s sleep. But still she could shake off the feeling. Her mind was fuzzy and numb, cloudy, like there were dandelions inside her mind. It was getting harder to breath, and there was a sharp pain in her stomach.

She paused, waiting with an anxious expression for the feeling to stop. Even breathing made her feel sick, so she waited for her breathing to stop. Lacroix was sitting to her right, and she turned to him expression showing desperation It had to be the brandy. She wasn?t accustomed to it. That was all. She mustn?t panic. She?d make herself sick. She shouldn?t have drunk the brandy, that was all. She?d be fine. She?d be fine.

Tylenia slumped over in her chair, giving up the battle for air. If it made the pain stop, she?s cease breathing. If she?d had the strength to cry, she would have.

She?d be fine.

It was just the brandy.

She?d be fine.

[i]She?d be fine.[/i]

Lacroix?s voice echoed around the room. ?She?s been poisoned.?

[i]She?d be fine.[/i]

It was just the brandy. It had to be.

It had to be. [/color][/size]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]OOC: I'd offer an excuse for lateness, but I don't care. And I'd like to point out it's about damn time someone put in a fight scene.




"Aiken was always a small, quiet village. A good village, full of good people. Wasn't it Burman?". [I]Acantha, giving Burman an opening, neatly removed the need for her to say anything at all. She well knew that given the slightest opportunity, Burman would talk himself hoarse. Burman's immediate affirmation, and immediate expounding, focusing on some long dead pioneer by the name of Burman, just coincidentally, was almost uninterruptable. Even minor politicians seemed to be able to talk fast on their feet... And with someone like Burman, that was a lot of feet to be talking on, and a lot of inertia to compensate for to make any kind of speed...

Lacroix assumed that that the eventual product of Burman's speech would be the edification of Aiken, the Burman name, and most specifically, the current holder of that name. All couched in well meaning, utterly idiotic rhetoric that bore only the slightest resemblance to reality. Lacroix didn't follow most of the dialogue, interspersed as it was with random questions. Percy in particular seemed interested, asking quite a few questions about minute details involved in the town's founding, even though he had to speak over the mayor to get them in Unfortunately, Burman was more than happy to answer them, leading to multiple tangents within tangents, that even more unfortunately always lead back to how good a town Aiken was, and how good its inhabitants, at which point Burman always modestly layed a hand on his chest and thanked Aiken for allowing him to be born there for some reason, also were. Lacroix, instead, watched Acantha. She sat with her head slightly bowed, probably to hide her glazed eyes. Relee, Tylenia and Alex were showing no interest at all, and staring at random parts of the ceiling, Percy was fascinated, Xii was struggling to maintain the polite fiction she gave a damn, and Jice was inspected the other patrons...particularly the younger, female ones. Dharin came up and served another round of drinks, giving everyone another convenient target to stare at. Burman was truly reaching a new level of pomposity, nearly in proportion with the level of rotundity he had reached... Interestingly, Dharin winked at Acantha before he left. A spark in interest lit her eyes, and she winked back. Definitely an avenue worth exploring...

As she looked up, she noticed Lacroix's interest, and her eyes hardened visibly. He gave her a wolfish grin, and raised her glass almost imperceptibly to her. She didn't deign to offer any kind of response.

The intervention was fortuitous, else Burman's slip up would have been missed. He was rambling on, again, about the good citizen of Aiken, in what appeared, thankfully, to be some kind of summary.[/I]

"We're good, decent folk. Family folk. We're kind, hardworking, honest. We've had our share of troubles, and we have our darker elements that occasionally interfere with our life...-"

"-The area is occasionally subject to floods, and other adverse weather conditions, you know.". [I]Acantha's interjection was so smooth that it was barely remarkable. And as it served to shut Burman up in what looked to be almost abject contrition, everyone was simply too thankful to complain, or even take note of it. Lacroix took a quick glance at Dharin. The man was again wiping a tankard, but his knuckles were showing white as he gripped it. From Lacroix's position leaning against the wall, he could see Acantha's hand, as she dug her nails into her own leg, quite hard from what he could see. Sure, Burman did tend to belabour the point, but that was no need to eviscerate him. Or maybe it was. Lacroix cheerfully would have done so. But then, as a monk that worshiped the very concept of death, that was unsurprised. Acantha, picking up, started to explain how a nearby river could rise quite rapidly when inundated with spring runoff. She stopped talking after a minute or so, before it became too obvious she knew absolutely nothing about rivers.

She yawned theatrically, and Burman immediately turned to her in sympathy, taking her by the hand and leading her outside. As they reached the door, stepping gingerly over the still wet ground, Burman called back over his shoulder "Come to my house tomorrow, and we shall discuss further how to help the good citizens of Aiken".

Lacroix stared out the door for a long moment. Behind, Alex muttered "You lapdog", and received a spontaneous round of applause. They started to drift off, the table quickly becoming cramped. No one really noticed when Lacroix wheeled around abruptly and strode into the darker corner of the common room. The man sitting at one of the few tables looked up briefly, as Lacroix leant across the table, glaring at him. He took a longer look when the intervening table was suddenly thrown out of the way. The man looked at Lacroix in a strangely guilty fashion.

Lacroix's gaze was fixated on the orb the man had held concealed under the table. Black wisps of smoke drifted into it, coming from two sources. The doorway, unsurprisingly enough, and Lacroix. The man stood up, and made a move to leave, trying to tuck the orb away under his cloak. Lacroix's hand shot out, and wrapped itself around the man's throat. He pushed him back until he was against the wall.[/I]

"Drop the Draw Ball, and I'll be a little more civilised.". Lacroix's voice was almost friendly, but it was obvious he wasn't open to compromise. The man sighed, and withdrew his hand. Lacroix let him go, and stepped back.

"You know what happens when one of your kind attempts to siphon off energy from a monk of my order. We always know about it. And you know what we tend to do to your kind too. So why the hell did you attempt it?"

"The energy was so abundant-"

"-Lacroix, what do you think you are doing?", Tylenia interjected somewhat forcibly. The man turned to her, grateful for the assistance. Lacroix subsided, leaning against the wall and muttering to himself.

"My name is Ryan Schezar."

"Tylenia. What exactly was going on?"

"Well, I'm what's called a Streamer."

[I]The others had gathered around, most of them glaring at Lacroix. He rolled his eyes, and tossed them all a rakish grin, gesturing for Ryan to continue.[/I]

"We draw on necrotic energy to reshape time, averting catastrophes and the like-"

"You steal energy from the very fount of existence and use it to remake the world as you see fit, often to your benefit, and thus endanger the cycle of existence as a whole.". There was a strange venom in Lacroix's voice, giving the impression of some kind of long standing vendetta.

"But we save potentially thousands of lives". Ryan's voice was almost pleading.

"And thus try and deny everything its rightful passing and recreation.". Lacroix's tone didn't show him as willing to brook argument. There was an uncomfortable silence before someone at last asked a question. Percy, with his inquisitive nature.

"So what is it you Streamers do?"

"Well, we tap into the time flow, and when several a majority of streams of possibility point to widespread disaster, we alter it, melding other flows into an outcome more desirable for humanity as a whole.". Lacroix started to fire off another denunciation when Xii gave him a fierce look. He swore, and stalked over to talk to Dharin, in conjunction with another drink.

"Why does Lacroix have such a problem with you? Have you met him before?" This from Relee. Ryan shifted uncomfortably a bit, before responding in a reluctant tone. He responded at all only because he'd rather his version of the story to be the initial one told than Lacroix's.

"This Lacroix, as you call him, is a monk. He is a monk of The Order Of The Eldritch Heart, as they style themselves, an order that is concerned with the arcane, the esoteric, side of the universe. One thing they have uncovered is that everything is not only transitory, but also self renewing. Everything dies, even that which would not be considering alive in the first place, and becomes something knew. But before it becomes something knew, it exists as pure energy, which is what we tap into. Lacroix's order holds that by tapping into, and extracting that energy, we are threatening the regrowth of the entire universe. But you have to understand, this regrowth takes place over a colossal time period, a time period that life on this planet will not endure to see the end of. But Lacroix's order looks at things on a far broader scale, and doesn't except that life here is more important than some grand cycle of energy. The other problem is that Lacroix's order harnesses a form of that energy, combined with a spiritual energy known as ki, within their own meditations, making them a constant vessel for necrotic energy basically. They merely allow it to flow through them, rather than seek to extract it, thus do not diminish it. They do not understand that what we seek to achieve cannot be done by such limited resources. But anyway, they tend to kill us on sight, when they find us, thinking it fitting that we serve to help restore the balance we have upset. And they destroy Draw Balls without the slightest compunction."

"Draw Balls?". Alex sounded fairly bored with the entire thing. People didn't like each other, people died, everyday life, get over it.

"We store energy in them. When I felt the pulsating aura around this place, I just had to activate it, knowing that it would be a great benefit to my kind. I was unaware that Lacroix was what he was."

[I]This was greeted with prompt silence. Everyone had more or less picked up on the fact that Ryan had been drawing energy from Calonice's death. And nobody was willing to come to terms with it, except maybe Lacroix, who was still at the bar downing amontillado at a heroic rate, and not showing too many effects. His face was pretty grim, but that was nothing new. Dharin simply gave up counting, and wandered over to the group, asking whether they'd prefer to stay here or return to the house on the outskirts of town. Given previous events, no one was really willing to walk outside again, so they all gracefully accepted. When they left, Lacroix was still drinking like a man set on driving himself to unconsciousness.

Excepting Lacroix, they all rose early. He didn't rise at all. Xii knocked on his door, and received a string of curses for her trouble. Some of them really quite inventive. She merely assumed he was suffering one hell of a hangover and went downstairs, where the others were being entertained by Jice. The minstrel was obviously enjoying the situation.

In actuality, Lacroix was pacing. He had an obligation to destroy the Draw Ball, not to mention Ryan, but right now one of his kind would prove useful.

So while the others toured the small Village, spending most of their time at the markets, Lacroix stayed in his room, refusing to speak to even Dharin. Luckily, he was unable to get drunk...otherwise he would be suffering that hangover...

He returned to the world an hour before dusk, when informed that they were leaving for Burman's house. He came out reluctantly, glaring at Jice, who had happened to be the one voted into dragging him out. Lacroix didn't need much dragging, stumping down the stairs in a very truculent fashion. They left quickly, no one saying a word to the disgruntled monk. Apparently, the idea that moderation was for monks really, really didn't apply here.

Burman's house was a large manse on the outskirts of town. There was already a raucous din coming from inside, making it obvious that they were not the only guests. A clever ploy on Acantha's part no doubt. They were ushered in by a servant, strange fare for a small town. This was showing all the signs of a baronial party, not a small hosting by a village mayor. Aiken apparently did have a social life.

They were seated at a single table, with a place to spare, no doubt in case Dharin had decided to come along. They were far from the Mayor, who, beside the inanely smiling Acantha, was talking to a group of unwashed looking men, most likely farmers, about something that seemed to be earthshakingly important. Or maybe that was just Burman. Most likely. The topic of conversation quickly turned to how exactly Burman managed to obtain the position of mayor in the first place. Within a few minutes, aided in main by Jice's long practice at such things, and Ryan's desire to keep the conversation moving so he didn't have to look at Lacroix, the kind of light banter one would expect at a party had ensued.

Another servant came over, bearing a tray of drinks. He placed them down, and asked the guests if everything was in order. Normal waiter behavior. As he finished, he looked down at Lacroix, peering deep into his eyes. He nodded a few times, as if finally understanding a difficult problem.And whipped out a knife, attempting to slice open Lacroix's throat.

Lacroix's hand shot up, the blade dancing off his the bony ridge of his forearm. He rolled backwards out of his chair, coming easily to his feet, in a fighting stance. He smiled nastily at the attacker, who dropped into an identical stance, still holding the knife.

Lacroix leapt forward, right leg stabbing out into a sidekick. The man knocked him aside to his right. Lacroix landed on his outstretched leg first, his left leg coming to rest further forward than his right. From that position, he twisted, right hand coming around in a bridgehand strike. The man held his knifehand up to block.

Lacroix shot his reactionary hand forward in a midsection punch. It struck the assailants solar plexus, knocking him a few feet back. Lacroix took a step forward with his left foot, then spun right. As the man stabbed outwards, Lacroix's right leg came up in an outer crescent. His foot crashed across the man's face, the knife blade slapping into Lacroix's thigh. As Lacroix's feet got inside the man's guard, he brought it down, and tucked his foot in under the man's armpit, effectively trapping his entire arm. Lacroix pivoted slightly so that his heel was on the man's ribs...and kicked out.

The man screamed as his arm was ripped out of his socket. Lacroix untwisted his leg, spinning left. As soon as his right leg touched the ground, he brought his left up in a spinning heel kick that took the man in the temple, staggering him. Lacroix completed his spin and stood motionless for a moment. The man didn't fall down.

Lacroix stepped forward, right leg coming up in an inner crescent that again hit the man's face. Lacroix's let his leg continue all the way to the ground, and then came forward in a stepping sidekick that struck the man's sternum and ribs to the sound of splintering bone. The man flew a good ten feet until he struck the wall and slumped. In the sudden silence, his watery, bubbling gasps that spoke of death and little else were clearly audible. He shuddered once more, and died.

Lacroix strode over, and started rummaging around his person. He found a nondescript leather purse, drawstring pulled tightly and knotted quite firmly. He eventually had to yank it open and break the string. Inside with a ring, made of some strange dark metal. It was twisted, appearing to be made of strands of metal that fit together only by accident, completely random in form. Lacroix reached up to his neck and pulled out a necklace, an almost identical ring hanging from the end of it. He looked around, visibly worried.[/I]

"This ring appears to belong to my order, but it does not speak of any energies imprinted upon it, so it cannot be so. What concerns me now is not that someone tried to assassinate me, my order tries to all the time, but that someone should seek to blame the order for my death. All things considered, that is definitely a cause for concern."

[I]Ryan, in particular, looked worried, but that was probably because they were speaking of more people who wanted to kill him turning up...Lacroix, noticing the silence, gestured for the revelry to continue, and strangely enough, it did so. Lacroix returned to his table, absently examining the knife. Not poisoned, thankfully enough.He looked at the others, the happiest expression they'd seen so far plastered onto his face.[/I]

"Where would be without random assassination attempts?"





OOC: Alright then, my votes go to LA, Sara, and myself. LA, in main because I liked the feel of the post, particularly the ending, Sara, for basically the same reason, and myself because I simply feel it to hold more opportunities than Ryan's or Mitch's. Apologies to you both.[/font][/color]

[Sara]

[SIZE=1]Okay, here goes.

[b]DOK[/b]:[list]
[*]Sometimes it was very unclear who was speaking. [i]?How do you know this?? He turned to Jice the musician and smiled.
[/i] Ryan's the subject of the sentence, but I [i]think[/i] Jice was the one who asked the question. It's confusing.
[*]Burman seems a little [i]too[/i] intimidated by Acantha.
[*]I wasn't sure what just happened with the whole arrow thing.
[*]You missed a couple of the characters, I think.
[*]I sound terribly negative, don't I? Sorry. These were just things that jumped out at me. I'm not really familiar with your writing, so it's harder to judge. I'll be gentler when I'm used to your writing style.
[/list]
[b]Mitch[/b]:[list]
[*]I love some of the lines you threw in there for Lacroix. [i]Burman, Burman, Burman. What in the depths of hell would we do without you?[/i]
[*]Some of the other stuff seemed overdone, though. [i]discuss and torrent our ways into this conundrum of the town[/i]? Some of the stuff you write just seems to be words thrown together with now actual purpose in mind.
[*]We get to know a little bit more about Jice. He stood up to Lacroix, not something I expected. :p
[*]No other comments, really. I'd have liked to see more dialogue.
[/list]
[b]Sara[/b]:[list]
[*]The exhaustion-thing was a little weird. I was dead tired when I was writing it, I guess that's why I threw it in there. A little character development for Xii, she doesn't wear well.
[*]I stayed a little more with the "Burman is a decent fellow after all" feeling this round. He's not quite such an idiot, although not everyone likes him.
[*]Xii's friends with Percy. I suppose that started when they ran into each other in the first round. [And I suppose it also has to do with the fact I was more comfortable with Shy's character than any of the others, but there it lies.]
[*]I really didn't know what to do with Jice and Ryan; sorry you guys. I gave them both semi-generic conversations with Xii, just to get them in there.
[*]I think the idea was the someone had thrown a knife into Xii's chair while she was at the window...? And Lacroix, I'm sure, recognized some obscure design on it. I was just writing at this point, and really had no idea where I was going with it.
[*]Like I told Lady A, I am the queen of the anti-climatic. Xii's a bit stunned, and only asks for a drink of water, heh. I don't know, it just strikes me as funny.[/list]
[b]Lady A[/b]:[list]
[*]I'm just going to say again how weird it is to be reading something that I could have written, but didn't.
[*]Tylenia brings Xii upstairs. Heh, this made me smile. I'm just going to think you wrote that after reading my entry; it would be far to disturbing if you didn't. :p
[*]I liked your description of Jice's hands. It just seemed right.
[*]You had the guts to add a character, go you. Marjorie, huh? [*]I love the ending, very nice.
[*]Overall, I love it. Nice writing style, heh. [/list]
[b]Harlequin[/b]:[list]
[*]I finally figured out who Lacroix reminds me of. It's been bugging me since we started, heh. Anyway, it's the marquis from [i]Neverwhere[/i], if you've ever read it. A strange cross between him and Mr. Croup....ah, nevermind.
[*][i]Xii was struggling to maintain the polite fiction she gave a damn[/i]. Heh, love that line.
[*]Dahrin and Acantha? That's something I didn't expect.
[*]I liked the feud between Lacroix and Ryan.
[*]Some metaphysical stuff about the order of the universe that I actually didn't mind reading. You deserve an award.
[*]I also liked the bit about him trying to get himself drunk. It fit.
[*]And indeed, where [i]would[/i] we be without random assassination attempts?[/list]

I vote for [b]Harlequin[/b]and [b]Lady A.[/b][/SIZE]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[color=darkred][size=1][b]Dark Order Knight[/b]

[list]
[*]Some minor problems with possessive apostrophe and grammar, easily fixed, really.
[*][i]I hammer the lines of time so that they are smooth and reletively unflawed.[/i] I love that metaphorish similie. I can't quite figure out which it is, but I still like it.
[*]I didn't like the way you portrayed Acantha. It just really got to me, because it was pretty obvious what she was doing, when I see her as a discreet character.
[*]Nice explanations to things.
[/list]



[b]Mitch:[/b]

[list]
[*]You used a lot of '?' and I got a bit confused in places.
[*]I liked the part where Burman blurted out the danger. It seemed like he had a reason for blurting; panic.
[*]The half explanation of Ryan leaves it to be embellished later on, which is great.
[*]You left the ending for us to continue, which is both easy and hard, and actually quite a good idea.
[/list]



[b]Sara:[/b]

[list]
[*]I like how you expanded Xii's character; she doesn't like lots of excitement, doesn't live of the bad things like some people. [I know you said this, but it struck me too.]
[*]You made Alex become a more 3-dimensional character by creating concern for the group.
[*]Xii's human. I like that. People try to immoratalise themselves sometimes, and Xii's nice, 'I'm human' thing is refreshing.
[*]You switched points of view so that it wasn't just Xii's perspective. Building a character for us, even if it's our character.
[*]I know you said you're the Queen of Anti-Climatic, but I like the ending. It leaves it for expanding, and continuation.
[/list]


[b]Lady Asphyxia:[/b]

[list]
[*]New character. Majorie. Total whim, but it turned out all right, I think.
[*]Tylenia brings Xii upstairs. Yup, I partly nicked it from you, but mainly because I'm most comfortable with your character, because I can write her. Probably something to do with styles, again. o.O
[*]The repetition in the end is strange. I wanted to convey panic in there; the kind where you know you're panicking but don't want to admit it, but I don't think I did.
[*]A couple of spelling and grammar mistakes, which I've just picked up, so I'll hopefully get those in a little while.
[*]Actually, I really like this entry. I don't know why, I just do.
[/list]


[b]The Harlequin:[/b]

[list]
[*]I [i]love[/i] the ending. [Going backwards]
[*]Oh. Scapegoat killer. I like that.
[*]The conflict with Ryan is genius, and leaves pathways open for further stories.
[*]I liked the story, in general.
[/list]

My votes go to [b]Sara[/b] and [b]Lady Asphyxia[/b]. I was tossing up between myself and the Harlequin for a long time, too. [/size][/color]

[Corey]

My vote will be going to Mitch. I liked the way you ended it.

To Sara, I think I missed a few too. I plan on printing off a list of the characters and reading them in detail.

[Mitch]

[color=black][size=1][font=rockwell] My vote goes to Harlequin. I was originally just going to give myself the vote, but I love Harlequin's submission this time around. It reminds me somewhat of Poe's writing in some fashions, and I love the complexity of his writing. Anyways, mine didn't deserve a vote at all; I barely spent any time on it this time. I was kind of rushed for time, and, lately, I've been having trouble writing. Hopefully that'll change, though.[/color][/size][/font]

[Juu]

[color=ff00cc] [size=1]My vote goes to Harlequin, simply because the whole mood of his post was great. I loved the ending, and the whole spar scene.

It was really nice to see a fight in your post, since I love reading your spars anyway. I liked the way you described everything, so it blended in well to the whole mood you created.

And, I'm really sorry about not being able to post again. My comp's not working at home, and I'm not allowed to save anything on my dad's office comp.

Edit: Who voted for me in the poll? oO;;;;[/color] [/size]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]........You read my spars? *Cowers* God damn it! I thought I was the one meant to ....do...the stalking....or ....maybe it was.....something else. Yeah, that's the ticket, something else...

Poe hey? I'm very good with that. In fact, that's probably the second best compliment anyone has ever given me. (The best was when some dickhead at school started calling me Eric Draven, and thought he was insulting me...ah, profuse laughter)


Who is this Neverwhere you speak of by? I'll have to read it. If there's a character something like Lacroix, I need to do some serious revamping.[/font][/color]

[Mitch]

[color=black][size=1][font=rockwell] Heh, I don't know who this Eric Craven is, but I assume he is some wonderful novelist. Heh. Ah, yes, and I need to read this book Sara speaks of. Maybe in the transitional placings of reading the book I shall find my own character in likes with Lacroix. A...[i]twin[/i] of Lacroix, perhaps. Heh. You're welcome for the compliment.

I am amazed. I won the poll. O.o. Strange, these apparitions of late, Strange.[/color][/size][/font]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Eric Draven is the main character from The Crow. Now that is good.... If you, or anyone else, twins Lacroix. I shall get him (Lacroix), to hunt you down and make a lot of sarcastic comments before doing something evil, probably involving the blunt end of a fork to the eye....Mwahahaha....any respect I may have garnered over my stay at OB just went out the window, didn't it?

Congratulations on the pop. contest win, by the way. Who won the vote thing? I'd count, but I'm lazy.[/font][/color]

[Mnemolth]

It'd help a great deal if you'd vote Harlequin, along with others. But since oyu have 3 votes I'm picking on ya! ;)

[Mitch]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mnemolth [/i]
[B]It'd help a great deal if you'd vote Harlequin, along with others. But since oyu have 3 votes I'm picking on ya! ;) [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=black][size=1][font=rockwell] He did vote. A vote for himself, one to Sara, and one to Asphy. Heh, and I thought I was blind..

How the hell did Flynn suddenly get 4 votes, too? O.o

Ah well. He deserves it more than me.[/color][/size][/font]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Yeah, I don't get it either. I'll tell you what though, I was planning on saying you deserved the poll victory more than me, but then the bloody poll, which was, last we both saw, [I]closed[/I] with you on four and myself on three, showing us both on four....Most confused.[/font][/color]

[Mnemolth]

Gomen Harley. Didn't see the edit. As for the poll, I also saw Mitch ahead on 4 to 3, so I'm gonna stick with that. Cos if its 4 each there are no winners (Popularity poll has to be an outright win or else none at all). If anyone has a problem with that I'd like them to PM me.

I'll do the count, update the website and release RPW 5 during the weekend. Sorry for the delay but at the moment I've a shitload of stuff to do.

Why is it that university students do nothing all semester, then when the mid-semester exams/assignments come around they all expect their tutor to fill them in for 2 months of work?? I mean they're at uni, one would have thought they would have had their act together by now. Sheesh. :rolleyes:

And while I'm at it, why do people keep forgetting their passwords AND giving incorrect email addresses (so I can't script an auto-respond with the pass). Yes I am a network admin, but really I do have better things to do with my time than continually retrieve endless passwords for you!! :p

Oh well...

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson].....Alright. That's enough. What the HELL does "GOMEN" mean?[/font][/color]

[Shy]

[size=1]I will vote for Mitch. It seems like the entries this round were not as strong as ones in previous ones, but I might be imagining things. Oh well...

-Shy[/size]

[Mitch]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by The Harlequin [/i]
[B][font=gothic][color=crimson].....Alright. That's enough. What the HELL does "GOMEN" mean?[/font][/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=black][size=1][font=rockwell] My questions exactly. *_*'.

Hm. Yay, I won something. *feels special or something* Ahem, anyways, if you want to give the popularity thing to Flynn, it's fine by me. He put a hell of a lot more into his than I did this time. It doesn't matter, though.[/color][/size][/font]

[Sara]

[size=1]Gomen? Um...sorry. It means sorry.

...."Harley"? I stared at that for about three minutes before I realized who it was referring to.





....Harley... *shudders*[/size]

[Mnemolth]

Heheh. Isn't Flynn's last name Davidson? ;)

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]It's Mitchell you muppet. That's right, muppet. Small furry creature with no control of your arms and someone's hand up your ***. Bloody well call me Harley...You're lucky I missed that the first time I looked at it.

Gomen means sorry? What kinda wackjob came up with that word?[/font][/color]