Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 5:16:17 GMT -6
Hello Starborn, and welcome to Vagabond Plot 703: The Great Divide Team Leader: Illidis Participants: Zahra, Shale, V, Ming, Twitch, Amadeus, Dinah, Akahana Please keep the following in mind!- Posts must be a minimum of 175 words. There is no maximum!- No strict order is enforced, but there must be at least two posts between your own character's.- No god-moding or reading characters' minds (unless your pony is a literal telepath, anyway)
- Always get consent before harming another character!- Your team is precious. Try to interact with everyone. <3- Have fun! Even if your pony isn't. 8'D
Prompt: The Bunker has been busy as of late. Crowded, even. What was a tightly knit, familial community just a few months ago has now grown into what seems like a band of strangers. Supplies have been closely rationed to meet increased demand, and raids on caravans have not been as successful. Simply put: there is tension in the air. As you impatiently wait to hear back from your two scouting teams, the tension snaps. Location: The Bunker Time of Day: July 12th, afternoon Weather: Warm |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 5:27:36 GMT -6
ILLIDIS:
The atmosphere in the bunker was tense. Filled with unfamiliar faces, Illidis felt more than out of place, standing to the side, watching nervously and impatiently for a specific equine to appear. He had questions. Burning, painful questions. Shale, he believed the name of the equine was, he saw taking food to someplace different. He wasn't quite sure what it was for, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he crept after Shale as best he could, following him to the bottom level. And there he saw them.
One was a pale unicorn he didn't recognize. But the other, the other was starkly recognizable to the former Aodhian. Amadeus. The child king. The king who he, and almost everyone in Aodh, believed to be dead. It shook Illidis to the core. He had given up so much, believing Amadeus to be dead, to believe Isador had led a coup to take the throne. He'd made enemies, he'd sacrificed his very leg, because of what he believed. But the king was alive. Here. In the bunker.
Legs trembling slightly, he continued to watch, waiting for the unicorn to appear. Finally he saw him, spotting the unique horn shape. "S-Shale!" He called out with as much strength as he could muster, quickly storming over to stand in his path. "I saw what was in the lower levels- W-Who was in the lower levels. You're keeping the king here. Amadeus, t-the rightful ruler of Aodh, why is he here?" He didn't want to be rough, he didn't want to be direct, but he stood his ground in front of him, blocking his path. He wanted answers. No. He needed answers. He wanted to know why he had sacrificed his career, his leg, everything he had known for his entire life. Had it been for nothing? Had he made a mistake, believing Isador to be a corrupt liar? He needed to know. He couldn't stand it. "Tell me, why is he here?" He asked with a slightly louder voice, staring Shale down.
340 words | post 1
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2019 22:45:13 GMT -6
To say the tension had been building was an understatement – it had been brewing, simmering on an open fire. It did not lift Shale’s mood to be on the food duty, to deliver anything to their captives who he perceived more as risks than assets. Rations were thin as it was, with so many more mouths to feed lately. Gods knew how many had been left out there to starve. He had taught himself a long time ago to value freedom above anything else, even at the cost of death. For others, for himself. Brutal, radical equality.
The cold hazel gaze snapped into Illidis as he stormed over. Illidis was taller, but the bull-antlered unicorn did not seem one bit unphased. Shale’s mouth grew into a tight, displeased line as he gritted his teeth and pinned his ears.
He might have brushed past the new recruit, but he seemed intent on this nonsense, voice just raising. It was inconvenient, if nothing else. There were many reasonable answers. Clearly Illidis was upset, and Shale should have known better. What came out of his mouth, however, was the pinnacle of the frustration he had been boiling up inside for a while now.
“What do you think?” he growled, voice gaining amplitude with every word: “Why wouldn’t we use every card we can turn? Not that that little rat has been much use for us yet. I don’t see why it should concern you so much, if not for the food they are wasting.”
Shale did not necessarily realize how loud he was being, matching Illidis easily.
Word count: 264 | Post 1
|
|
|
|
Post by SaintPumpkinMuffin on Jan 4, 2019 9:53:14 GMT -6
Twitch | Cabbage Queen Soldier Twitch rather liked it when she was able to enjoy relative solitude in the Bunker, since it was such a rare thing while communally living with lots of rowdy and... passionate people, such as the vindicators. It had been a slow transition that got her from a quiet assistant at The Kingfisher Inn to a vindicator soldier. Truth be told, Twitch had never been the best at large groups, and combined with the grief of her circumstance, she had been hard for most anyone to talk to. Luckily Gallows had helped, and a few older vindicators. One even suggested that Twitch use her farming background to keep herself busy growing food for the warmer months to supplement the food gathered on raids. That's where she spent most of her time: topside, tending Kaia's earth. Not many vindicators had agricultural skill, and fewer still had interest in learning. Sometimes she went with curious company, sometimes not. Regardless, it felt good to be contributing to keeping her newfound companions safe... better still to receive genuine praise and attention for it. Still, what Twitch managed to grow never seemed to be enough. Sighing, she assessed a small clump of mushrooms growing in the corner of the bunker, one of the patches she monitored and harvested to also use as food. There were a few quiet vindicators in the room with her, but Twitch kept to herself. She had more than enough stimuli. What would have been silence for the other soldiers was a cacophony of vibrations for Twitch with her blessing. She always knew where the horses were inside the bunker, no matter the floor. Underground, everything vibrated: the ceiling above, walls around and floor below. It had taken time to adjust to being underground, but by now Twitch was adept at reading unique steps and heartbeats. That is why, upon feeling Idillis' approach, Twitch stood upright and tilted her head in his direction before he exploded out at Shale, who was coming from the other direction with supplies. Twitch flinched at Shale's deep angry voice. An ingrained instinct having grown up a mare in the Forged. She didn't have any idea about intra-herd politics, but even she knew that a king in the basement was a big deal. She'd known about there being bodies below, and even about the dragon somewhere from Gallows, but the identity of them had been a secret to her. Illidis was a gentle soul in most cases, and Twitch had no reason to dislike him. She knew he'd been a slave, and that won her over some sympathy. Shale Twitch was less familiar with, as she tended to avoid him. Crass, aggressive, hardened... unnerving. But this news sparked her interest. "It's a KING?" Twitch spouted with surprise and curiosity. "Well who are the other people down there then? There's more than one person. Are they kings too?"
WC: 480 | Post #1 |
|
|
|
Post by Queerly on Jan 4, 2019 15:29:54 GMT -6
AmadeusRevolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string - Oh, who would ever want to be king?Amadeus wasn't sure how long she'd been in a cell. She couldn't tell time without the turning of Ignacio's sun, and meals, it seemed, came with too much irregularity to accurately count. Her prison was so dark, so damp, that sometimes she couldn't tell if she was waking or asleep - for certainly even her dreams did not spare her with visions of a better place or happier time. Oh, there had been the few in which she'd escaped, or even been rescued by a friendly face, but those dreams were cruel. She woke from them with brief euphoria fluttering in her heart, only to recognize the moist-earth scent of the bunker. It shattered her every time. She'd given up on trying to speak with the Vindicators. Where they did not sneer or bark, they met her desperation with an apathetic stare. There was little pity to find among their number.
(Amadeus supposed, in her heart of hearts, that that was fair enough. How many times had a slave begged for mercy and found her captors lacking in compassion?) And so when Shale - he was Shale, she was sure she'd heard his name mentioned before - brought their meal, Amadeus offered nothing more than a meek thank-you. The food was plain and tasteless, something she'd come to expect, but the presence of a small mandarin was a welcomed surprise. Amadeus marveled at it, plucking it up in her teke to peel back the skin. "Frannie, Rosie, look." She called, turning to her companions as she plucked the flesh into three even portions. Amadeus couldn't remember the last time she'd had anything sweet to eat. The sudden commotion nearly caused her to drop the fruit. Amadeus turned to regard the door beyond her cell bars warily. She couldn't quite make out the words, but... strangely, she thought she recognized one of the voices involved. But from where?
|
|
|
|
Post by Jennycallie on Jan 4, 2019 16:48:15 GMT -6
 Dinah
Paladin
The silence of the forest was oppressive.
Dinah stood a statute among the gently swaying pines, her eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. Old injuries and older bones ached whenever the Paladin stood still for too long, but Dinah ignored the familiar pains, long since accustomed to trading comfort for safety. She needed to stand still, so that she could listen.
She hadn’t always worried about every absent scouting group (or if she had, at least not with the same gnawing, obsessive drive that sent her pacing into the forest, every sense taut). But then, she hadn’t always had a dead King of Aodh in her cellar, either.
“What is your life worth?” Dinah had asked the King so many weeks ago, her hoof at his throat and an audience on either side, eyes wide, mouths silent, and the rain had fallen around them all, the only sound as it splattered against the earth.
Apparently, his life had been worth the precise cost of Dinah’s slowly eroding sanity. The mare bared her teeth, golden eyes flashing in the dappled light of the trees as she played the following weeks over in her mind, recalling the conversations, plans, secrecy. What a situation. She couldn’t let Amadeus go; on that she and the Vindicators (those who knew of the situation, at least) were in agreement. Nor could she kill him ( and on that many of the Vindicators were not in agreement) no matter how appealing the notion could at times be. He was too valuable an asset, though one that seemed to be depreciating over time as he and his companions consumed resources and Dinah’s sanity. The King’s companions could have been an asset, but they had both refused to leave their monarch’s side, sharing his cell. Fools.
Dinah shook her head, turning back to the Bunker. She had never wanted to be a jailer; it did not sit well on her heart. That more than perhaps anything was the cause of her increased agitation.
… or it was until the raised voices became audible. Dinah’s ears flew forward, then immediately flattened as they distinctly caught the word King. Oh, by the bloody burning stars-
“If I can hear your conversation ten paces or more from the entrance,” Dinah interrupted, “then so can the Raiders and Scouts.” Her voice was not loud, but it was clear, each word cold and hard. She swept a gaze that was equally matched with her voice across the gathered group, and rested it finally one one of the newer recruits, Illidis. A former slave, which explained his actions, even if it did not excuse them.
“There is no 'rightful' King,” Dinah continued, and though her voice remained steady, her eyes blazed molten. Lips scarred from years of bits lifted slightly from her teeth as she added, “not in Aodh, nor anywhere else.”
But she did not deny Amadeus’ presence.
Post 1 | 496 words
Badge by Chipo-H0P3
|
|
|
|
Post by loveboxer123 on Jan 4, 2019 17:01:11 GMT -6
V Hey panini-head, are you listening to me?
 214 | 1 There was calm.
Then, there was V.
The cuttlefish hippocampus hissed as their teeth clicked together. They had given the prisoners an orange today. Figured since they had so many of the damn things. Then, the raised voices made their ears flag back. The cook leered from their kitchen at the two who dared yell within range of their long ears. They watched Dianah as she spoke, a snort leaving them as the plodded from the kitchen, dipping their head in greeting. Then, their purple eyes turned to Illidis and Shale. The former they barely recognized. The latter they knew from a distance. Hardened, purple turned to Illidis.
“Would you like for all of Onea to know we are here? Because they wont care if we have a king or not. We die by their hand, or if they think we have some use as pretty little circus pets, they ship us to Aodh.” They said coolly, standing idly by Dinah.
“Please, be indignant about the one who stood idly by as you were carted around like a living mannequin being here. I don't really care to hear it.” They turned to head back in their kitchen.
“Continue, and i might just withhold some rations for the night.”
|
|
|
|
Post by FaunaFawn on Jan 5, 2019 16:11:59 GMT -6
 Ming: The LostThe fear is what shelters them.
It's what shades their eyes and muffles their ears.
Keep them inside.
Lock them up in a closet known as home.
The darkness, the cramp area of it all, reminded her of the early moments in Breim, with the gods with eyes, and the one that lulled her in her sleep. At least Ammy and Rosie still remained by her side, at least they were still all together. Together they would survive as they had done before. They always will right?
Yet as the days crept on, and the lack of what seemed to be outside knowledge the more she felt the burden of her existence. Ming, no Frannie, shook her head, the two lives she lived still ragging war, who was she outside of Aodh? Ming or Frannie? Was there both?
The slop of food they fed her was a crime in itself, not as if everything should be grand dinner party, she missed flavor. Missed the spiciness of grilled veggies, seasoned to perfection. Or how crisp and cool, mint was in tea, but gods what she truly missed? Sweets? The taste of a cupcake iced to perfection, the honey glazed bread the baker in aodh used to let her have the ends off. Gods be damned she missed peaches, peaches. Tears wanted to fall, but she never left them, not her among friends.
The call of her name drew her out from her dreadful head space. "A mandarin?" she remarked. The word was foreign to her anymore, it had been such a while. The scent of it filled the space as she watched her friend split it into portions for them all to share. The mere scent of something so sweet, was nearly enough to make her cry. Just nearly. Yet as the commotion was heard and M..Frannie jumped slightly and nearly watched as Ammy dropped the precious delight.
Thank the gods for Ammy, she was quick enough to snag them secure them. She let out a shaky breath. "Im sure its alright." she said, something that seemed to be on replay in her mind. Yet her eye glanced the fruit, whatever was happening up there could surely wait a few seconds for them to enjoy this right?
WC:350 | Post #1 |
|
|
|
Post by Mad-Manx on Jan 6, 2019 7:04:10 GMT -6
Zahra | Cadet | Mare
The sounds of raised voices shattered Zahra’s focus, her head shooting up from the small, worn book that balanced precariously between her two folded forelegs. Her pale blue eyes fell on the scene, and immediately she found recognized one of the perpetrators of the noise as one of the newer recruits; one of the old slaves that had accompanied her mother home almost three months ago. Across from him stood Shale, a soldier she did recognize.
Normally the filly was not shy about snapping out a sassy remark in reply to being disturbed from her reading, but with the tone of their voices, the words died instantaneously on her tongue. The cacophony of sound fell harshly on her small ears, and Zahra could feel her stomach twisting into hard knots as she listened to the argument erupt. Instinctively, she allowed the now forgotten book to slide to the ground and crept quietly towards V, one of the few adults she actually recognized.
“What are they arguing about?” Zahra whispered, eyes turned searchingly up towards V. “What do they mean we’re keeping the King?”
___________________________________________________________________Post #1 | Word Count: 183
|
|
|
|
Post by SagaWolf on Jan 6, 2019 13:19:39 GMT -6
Rosie
Akahana, Commoner, Healer
Somehow she hadn’t expected to end up in a cell when demanding to stay with Ammy and Frannie. She’d thought they would be able to explain everything to these Vindicators and that they would be met with compassion. Surely they would understand that Ammy was no enemy but just a youngster who held no power in the world. She had expected a locked room, perhaps with a single bed. They would no doubt take turns sleeping in it and Rosie would take care of stiff muscles with a little massage. They would remain spirited and hopeful and in time they would be left to move on.
She’d never expected to be hidden in a hole in the ground, locked in a dungeon.
Horn and hoof polish had chipped to show the true rose quartz beneath and her dyed mane tail tip showed pale roots all over, except for the streak of grey. That one was all Rosie and not Akahana. She was stripped of her jewelry, the last things that made her feel truly Aodhian, but at least she had her Breimian clothing, somewhat warm, mostly damp. Chedva, her serpentine companion, had been lost somewhere along the way, Rosie no longer remembered how. One traumatic event bled into another and muddled her timeline fiercely, she just knew she had woken one day and the snake had been gone. Curled up somewhere warm, she hoped and then pushed the thought aside.
Rosie did what she could to keep her companion’s spirits high. She told stories and when she ran out of those she spoke at length of anatomy and the equine body. Spoke of herbs which could soothe a sore throat or ease the pain of a pulled muscle, anything to keep the silence away. She huddled close with Frannie and Amadeus when they would allow her, desperate to feel them beside her.
Food arrived and Rosie paid it little attention, didn’t even raise her eyes to look, not until Ammy’s soft voice rang out. Mandarin? Why would they be giving them treats now? Or were they simply providing some vitamin so the three prisoners didn’t develop scurvy? She was suspicious but the smell of citrus in the air made her lean in close, pink teke reaching out gingerly for her portion. She startled alongside Ammy and Frannie, sucking in a sharp little squeal at the sudden commotion. Whatever the cause, the words were too muddled, Rosie wouldn’t let it keep her from this sweet treat. Weary eyes kept watching the door as she took small bites, savoring the sweet juice and fruit flesh.
“Perhaps they decided a mandarin was too good for us, “ she mused darkly, imagining that dreadful mare (Dinah) crashing through the door to demand her fruit back.
Word count: 460 | Post: #1
|
|
|
|
Post by Moose-On-Ice on Jan 6, 2019 14:41:22 GMT -6
"I'm standing in the ashes of who I used to be."
Illidis took note of the displeasure Shale clearly gave off. The pinned ears, the tight lipped line of his mouth. The response that he gave back showed an equal amount of displeasure, something that made Illidis twitch, and consider backing off.
But not today. He wouldn't do that today.
"It concerns me because me, and everyone in Aodh, thinks he's dead! For better or for worse- I-I- After he died, or- After we thought he had died, things got bad. They-They thought it was slaves who had killed the king!" He paused only for a moment to briefly look to the ground, to regain his strength.
"What do you think that meant for us- For the slaves? W-What little freedom we had was met with suspicion! Reins and bits tightened, both out of fear of being accused and fear of rebellion!" He sucked in a sharp breath, hearing another voice. "I don't- I only saw the King..." He looked back to Shale.
"I-I thought... I had heard the Advisor Isador speak of removing Amadeus from the throne before... The assassination. I thought that he had planned it all, that he started a coup. I spread the word, I made enemies... I put other slaves at risk with such an idea! Such things could have gotten others killed-" He was cut off sharply by the strong, cold interruption. The Paladin.
Eyes wide, ears flat, Illidis fearfully looked at her. No rightful- He bit his lip, hesitating to talk back to her. He knew she was the leader. She had a reason to hate Aodh more than anyone else. "...Amadeus... Is the rightful King..." He started hesitantly. "...He cared for the slaves more than any other King I know of... He... He could have done good things for slaves! But he didn't get the chance!" His voice grew in strength again.
He balked, another voice joining the Paladin. "He needed time- He-He was a child! He could have done things in time! Sometimes... Sometimes you can't rush things." He again sucked in a sharp breath. "F-Fine! Withhold the rations! I can go hungry for a night!" He snapped back.
"There are slaves who likely are suffering the same fate in Aodh! I can join them! Because of you, doing what you do best, helping the slaves escape, everyone else was forced to join the labor force! Children, elderly, all slaves were taken for work as laborers!" He stomped his metal leg on the ground, a loud clang coming from it.
"Isador- Isador isn't... He's not making things good for slaves. I came here seeking help. I came here trying to fix things. Isador is killing people! He has a wyvern, a dragon... He used it to condemn others... The ones who supposedly killed the king... They were eaten, burned. I-I... I see the King here... And I know their deaths were in vain, that they were innocent! Isador is a murderer, and by keeping the King here, you are letting him roam free with blood on his hooves, letting him force children to work in conditions they can't handle until they die! Doesn't this mean that the blood of children are wetting your hooves too!?"
Was he terrified? Yes. Was he growing desperate, now that he was outnumbered, especially with the Paladin opposing him? Yes. He took a step back before steeling himself, forcing himself to stand his ground.
Word Count: 567 words; Post 2
(Queerly, I apologize if I have Amadeus' pronouns wrong, I wasn't sure which one to use since Illidis has only known Amadeus as "he"!) |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2019 20:50:26 GMT -6
The sound that erupted from Shale’s throat was cold and hollow, an entirely humorless laugh that sounded more like a bark. Kings on their thrones making plans and cutting throats, what a fucking surprise. Before he had a chance to snarl a response, Dinah’s interruption caught his attention and momentarily his ears pricked, then flattened again. He was predisposed to respect the Paladin and almost, almost shut his mouth, but he was so deeply dissatisfied the situation that V’s remark combined with Illidis going on tipped him over the edge.
Hazel eyes shot daggers at the cook, and stopped at others who were caught in the ruckus. He felt a small pang of guilt looking down at the worried look on Zahra’s face, but quickly brushed it off.
“I don’t know who you think we fucking are. We don’t deal in politics. You are not an Aodhian anymore either, Illidis. Bold of you to accuse us when we have been risking everything to fight so people like you could be here talking”, Shale said, his tone starting out loud but quickly lowering into a cold hiss, eyes equally stony with a dangerous glint. Had it not been for Dinah’s presence, he would have been in serious mood for a more physical approach.
Instead, his expression settled into something that momentarily looked like a cold grin: “But don’t believe me. We can see about this oh-so-called King.”
Before anyone had time to stop him, he spun around and stormed to the cell. He opened the door fast enough for it to slam, and barked an order to the two unicorns: “On your feet and follow, don’t try anything stupid.”
The King he grabbed by hair with his teke, easily overpowering the small pegasus as he dragged her for the others to see. Anything short of cooperating earned a painful twist, not that Shale really waited enough for there to be a chance for this to be remotely comfortable.
"Is this pigeon where your loyalty lies? This excuse of a horse?"
Word count: 339 | Post: 2
|
|
|
|
Post by Queerly on Jan 6, 2019 21:35:53 GMT -6
AmadeusRevolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string - Oh, who would ever want to be king?Amadeus' bones rattled as the door slammed open. Her wings unfurled, shielding her companions from view as though it mattered, as though it could possibly have an effect - and then, so quickly that it left her dizzy, Amadeus was being dragged from the cell by a teke-full of hair. Her hooves scrambled on the floor as she tried to keep pace, neck at an angle that hurt.
Shale stopped abruptly, and so too did she, blinking wetly against the chamber's lantern light. It took several seconds for her vision to adjust (several tense, painful seconds as angry voices swirled around her) but when it did, she found herself staring into Dinah's golden eyes. Amadeus immediately regretted that she'd been able to see at all. Grimacing, she twisted her head to look at the others, at faces and voices she didn't expect to recognize - until she did. As her gaze connected with Illidis' green eyes, Amadeus felt her heart drop five stories.
She knew this horse. She knew his name, had heard it chanted from a roaring crowd as he took to the Crucible's dusty arena or bit deep into the flesh of another horse. Illidis. A pit fighter. A slave. Amadeus would have lowered herself to the ground had Shale's grip not kept her standing. One could only imagine how eager the subject of so much abuse would be to vent his frustrations on the privileged, the complacent.
(And really, could she blame him?) Yet Shale's words were strange. That a battered slave should be loyal to her was a narrative she didn't entertain. Indeed, she could not comprehend it at all.
"You're hurting me." She breathed, because pain was the one thing she could still comprehend.
|
|
|
|
Post by SaintPumpkinMuffin on Jan 7, 2019 8:18:34 GMT -6
Twitch | Cabbage Queen Soldier Twitch's flopped ears quaked as they instinctively tried to perk up as the voices go intense. Dianah and V heard the argument and appeared from the proverbial woodwork. V in particular, the cook who Twitch often brought fresh ingredients to, caused Twitch to bristle. Depriving an indignant voice of food, expecting that to silence them? And to not even give them the satisfaction of an answer... It reminded Twitch too much of how her family had been in Onea. Twitch only knew very little of Aodh: just that it was were the Stone Hooves sent free horses to waste for the rest of their lives. But basic belittlement was something Twitch knew well, and she went to stand besides Idillis, angry by the sheer number of horses were ganging up on him. If V didn't feed him, she would. As Idillis continued to share his opinion on the politics of Aodh, Twitch stirred uncomfortably at all this talk of slavery and rightful kings, and yada yada. She was so busy stewing over the gray morality of it all that when Shale stormed by and snatched Amadeus from his cell, Twitch had no idea what was happening until she had the small crumpled form of the King in front of her. At this distance, even blind, it was clear to Twitch that Amadeus was no king. Her tremor sense brought every quiver of his voice, every expansion of their bony ribcage, and their small fluttering heart to her mind's eye. Amadeus was small... smaller than Twitch even. He couldn't be older than her, either. His voice sounded watery and feeble. Twitch pawed the ground and stepped back a few steps, shocked with what she was witnessing. She cringed as she was reminded of only a few short weeks ago, chained up by strangers and being kept away from anyone else, neglected into silence with a destination unknown to her, but her imagination filling it with nightmares. They were doing the exact same things to Amadeus. "Its a kid? It's just a kid!" Twitch said to no one in particular, moving back and forth with nerves. "Let go," she demanded to Shale, her temper getting the best of her. Then realization hit her. "Are the other people down there kids too? You lock kids up now?"
WC: 392 | Post #2 |
|
|
|
Post by loveboxer123 on Jan 7, 2019 8:39:45 GMT -6
V Hey panini-head, are you listening to me?
211 | 2
V was about to answer Zahra, when Shale reacted. And, for the first time, their purple eyes landed on the pitiful form of the former king. A child. Their brow furrowed.
No They reminded themselves. This was no child. This was a monarch, one who condoned suffering, the blood of slaves wetting that pristine white coat. A sneer crossed their face, as they stepped in front of Zahra. She didn't need to see this false prophet.
“A child who sat at the top and watched as nobles killed indiscriminately for nothing at all.” V spoke out, their calm voice bubbling with a vicious rage. They lowered their head, tentacles whipping the air.
“The one who brought dragons to Briem. Illidis, you speak of blood on our hooves. You call for some sort of vengeance, as if this king has ever spared you a glance beyond seeing you as property. To him, that's all you are. You were no person, nothing that thought, nothing that spoke beyond pleasantries and stayed in the background. Or did you forget that?” Their head rose, teeth snapping together viciously. Their ears went back.
“If we have blood on our hooves, the king is swimming in it.”
|
|
|
|
Post by SagaWolf on Jan 7, 2019 9:26:32 GMT -6
Rosie
Akahana, Commoner, Healer
It wasn’t the horrid mare who threw the door open and nearly scared the trio to death, but it wasn’t anyone better. Rosie barely registered the unicorn who returned before he had Ammy by the hair and had pulled her from the cell. Air caught in Rosie’s throat, terror paralyzing her limbs before a shrill “NO! “ tore from her throat and she scrambled to her feet. She had nothing to defend Ammy with. She didn’t have Frannie’s energy shields and doubted those could even be wedged in between Ammy and her attacker, even without the collars. She didn’t have her metal-tipped staff and her fighting skills were mediocre.
She’d have even less if they killed Ammy now and she felt her body tremble with the urge to attack, even if just to screech furiously and pull at hair. Then her brain caught up with her emotions, she realized just how many strangers were packed into the hallway and her bravery turned ice cold and fell into the pit of her stomach. What could she do? Nothing..
‘You're hurting me.’
“You’re HURTING her! “ Rosie echoed in a voice so desperate that it cracked and threatened to turn into fat sobbing. The rundown unicorn took deep breaths of air, fighting to keep those fat tears from rolling again. By Ignacio… couldn’t she stay strong for once?! Guts didn’t make her cringe, blood and shattered bones only made her curious as to how she could fix them, but Ammy in pain? That shattered Rosie completely.
“Please, “ she begged, voice barely above a whisper. “She’s just a child… “
Rosie stayed back, too frightened now to make herself a target inside this hornets nest, reaching out to Frannie with her pink teke, resting it on the other unicorn’s shoulder, trying to keep her back as well.
Word count: 302 | Post: #2
|
|
|
|
Post by FaunaFawn on Jan 7, 2019 12:49:34 GMT -6
Ming: The LostThe fear is what shelters them.
It's what shades their eyes and muffles their ears.
Keep them inside.
Lock them up in a closet known as home.
As soon as the door slammed open Ming wasted no time gobbling up her portion of the precious fruit they had given them. The juices ran down her chin, she ate like a wild animal, but gods be damned if they take away even a single moment of pleasure for her. Damn them all. Yet nothing good ever last long here, among monsters of men. They speak of their right ways, but they know nothing. Eyes narrowed as Shale grabbed Ammy, pulling her by the hair and ordering them to follow. It was by sheer will of being an obedient slave she did what was told, followed after making sure Ammy never left her sight. Eyes turned to Rosie praying the older mare had an idea a plan something to help?
Being pulled outside for all to see, was humiliating to say the least. Surely she looked so unkempt, her what used to be fine figure, now thinner, mane tangled, and dirt and lord knows what stained on what used to be white coat. Some demanded answers, another shouting they were just kids and poor Ammy once more being bullied and forced by the will of others, dangled at end.
Ming keyed in as Rosie spoke, watched her get brought to tears, had they all not suffered enough? Now they were brought up to be made a fool of, to jest of to make them all seem so much better. So this is what Vindicators do? Eyes narrowed as she bit her bottom lip. A nervous and anxious habit, turned to keeping her mouth shut. Eyes looked to Shale with utter pure hatred. Prayed hard for the gods to take him where he stood. Make him vanish, she begged as she had begged for others to vanish, disappear that had crossed their paths.
Perhaps that Gods would frown at such an act, but they meddled in other things so willing, could they not spare but a moment, a moment to give them a winning chance, to cleanse them of the true filth that surronded them. She was once a slave, a maid. She had spend her whole life serving, surely it was enough to count for a single miracle. Attention turned to Shale, as she spoke out coldly. "Have you had you fill of fun yet?" she sneered with disgust.
WC:386 | Post #2 |
|
|
|
Post by Jennycallie on Jan 9, 2019 18:09:03 GMT -6
Dinah
Paladin
Dinah was not known for her grand speeches or casual conversations. She never used five words if four would suffice, and preferred companionable silence to friendly chatter. But for all that she did not tend towards the loquacious, the Paladin was not often at a loss for words, even if she chose not to speak them.
But as Illidis continued to speak, continued to affirm his belief in Amadeus as a “rightful” King who had, apparently, ushered in a golden age of freedom and joy for all slaves, the Paladin found that she was well and truly speechless. Perhaps Illidis had led a particularly privileged life, for a slave (though she rather doubted it), but surely he had to be aware that labor slaves had still been very much a facet of Amadeus’ short tenure? Surely he wasn’t so dazzled by guileless blue eyes and rosy locks that he thought there had been no child slaves in Aodh, before Isador?
Is this what we’ve come to? Dinah wondered, still staring flabbergasted at Illidis. The world has gone so mad that we now have recruits who don’t even know who we are and what we do? Is this how deep the blight of Aodh runs, that its very slaves prop up the system that exploits them if it has a young face and sweet voice? Perhaps Shale and the other more disgruntled Vindicators had a point...
Still temporarily speechless, Dinah was thus slow to react to Shale’s departure, and by the time the Paladin had turned, it was too late. A reprimand died on her lips; perhaps it was for the best, out in the open like this. Shale reappeared, dragging the King and trailed by the other two prisoners. Dinah met Amadeus’ large, frightened eyes dispassionately enough, but whatever the pegasus read in her gaze was apparently too much, and they looked away at once. Yet when the King looked to Illidis, they seemed to age by a year, collapsing in on themself. Dinah’s ears twitched. Even this fool child understands the nature of their relationship better than Illidis does, Dinah though sardonically, listening to the uproar Shale had so wonderfully incited. Dinah met his eyes.
“Shale. Let them go.”
The Paladin turned her eyes then to Illidis and Twitch, though one ear remained trained on Amadeus, Ming and Akahana. Dinah eyed the two new recruits, both of them bristling with outrage and ignorance aplenty. It was not lost on her how the two stood, as if against the Vindicators they were supposedly a part of. I’m getting too old for this nonsense.
“When the ‘kid’ happens to be a King of Aodh, yes, we do lock them up,” Dinah said slowly and clearly. She had not expected the former Forged to be so inclined to sentimental foolishness. “Perhaps you have forgotten who we are and what we do, but when the greatest enemy to not only us but our very beliefs stumbles within our grasp, we are disinclined to set them on their merry way.” Dinah’s heavy gaze moved to Illidis.
“Look how this King cannot hold your eyes,” Dinah said in a low voice. “They condemn themself. If they were so good and innocent as you profess, they would not grovel before you. Me, they hate more than fear. But oh, see how they cower when confronted with one they had a hoof in repressing? You, they fear. Amadeus understands the role they’ve played, even if you do not. The oppressors always live in fear of the oppressed.” Dinah turned, looking down at Amadeus, and her lips lifted again, a faint sneer.
“Or is Illidis correct, little King? Did not labor slaves toil night and day under your reign? Were children born to them not forced into slavery as well? How many laws did you pass, in an effort to free your fellow equines from bondage and let them walk beside you as equals? Of course, you are young- forgive me. How many laws might you have passed, if given ‘time’? Difficult to say of course. Easier perhaps to ask how many labor slaves might have died, how many children might have been born to willing and unwilling parents alike, how many Vagabonds and culled Forged might have been stolen from their families for a sackful of coin.” Dinah’s voice had roughened, emotion seeping up around her words.
Dinah looked away, raked her burning gaze across the room. Her eyes settled again on Illidis and Twitch.
“It was not Isador who ruled when you first fought in the Pit for the entertainment of others. It was not Isador who ruled when I was captured in these very forests and sold in a public market. It was not Isador who ruled when I was forced to conceive and bear a child I did not want, and it was not Isador who ruled when that child was then taken from me. It was not Isador who ruled when the first Aodhian put one of its fellows in chains, nor he who allowed the first child to be born into slavery. He is only the most recent in a long line of Kings, and if we are successful, he will be the last.”
Dinah released Illidis and Twitch, her burning gaze returning to Amadeus.
“There-is-no-true-King,” she repeated, and though her voice was soft, venom dripped from each word.
Post 2 | 902 words I'm so SORRY
Badge by Chipo-H0P3
|
|
|
|
Post by Moose-On-Ice on Jan 9, 2019 20:50:58 GMT -6
"I'm standing in the ashes of who I used to be."
H...He knew that... He knew that they didn't deal in politics, but still, he had hoped that they could help. If not for Aodh, for the Aodhian slaves who were still in the city. He swallowed bitterly. Risking everything to fight so people like himself. But it hadn't been the Vindicators who had freed him. Who had freed Galloway, or Umbra, or anyone else who he had trenched through the sewers with. The Vindicators had caused the problem which they used to escape. But had the sewer not been there, had the others around him not started the fight, he would be in the Dark District by now.
What good would the Vindicators' efforts have done then? He blinked, watching Shale storm away. Where was- No. He was- Watching the hallway with wide eyes, Illidis heard the scrambling of hooves, the fluttering of feathers.
And he saw the pale form of the king be dragged in front of him. Staring down, he met the king's gaze. Recognition. He recognized him. And he saw that the king was afraid. Afraid of him. The broken, breathed words made his chest hurt.
The words of the small mare, the only one on his side, were cotton in his ears. He heard nothing of what she said. The words from most were muffled. Blood. He heard them speak of blood. The king, he was swimming in it...
He heard the shouting of the other prisoners.
And then Dinah spoke.
Slowly, green moved to meet gold, and the molten fury from the Paladin's gaze made his stomach drop. The king was... His gaze moved back to the king, his lips parted slightly, words caught in his throat that he could not force through as he listened to Dinah in silence. He closed his eyes, drawing in deep breaths.
"And it can be someone who is not Isador who ensures that none of that happens to anyone else." He finally said, looking to Dinah. He bit his tongue, holding back for only a moment. "It... It only takes one to break a chain. You yourself have done that, done your best to do that.. How do you know that he won't be that one to bring about change?" He finally said, stomping his metal leg once more.
Illidis sucked in a sharp breath. "Maybe there isn't a true king for you. Maybe not for some of slaves. But I wasn't captured in these forests. I wasn't- I wasn't born free like you were. My life, all I've known, has been Aodh. My mother was born a slave. My father was born a slave. For me- For me there is a true King... And... And I also have hope. I have hope that there will be a change. That he can bring about change. That he can be the one to kick start that change."
He looked to Amadeus. "...If he proves me wrong... Then I will admit I... I've made a mistake. That I was wrong. And I will accept the consequences of my words so far..." He stepped towards the king sprawled on the ground, and after a moment, he knelt. "Amadeus," he would... He wouldn't call him king now... That might make them more upset... "...I want you to look at me... And answer me truthfully... I will not hurt you regardless of your answer..."
He hoped he wasn't making a mistake. His tongue tasted sour in his mouth. "...From the deepest cores of your soul, of your upbringing, what do you view us as? Answer me with... With honesty. Not with what you think I want to hear. Please." He asked, his voice trailing into a whisper, the last word coming out hoarse.
Ignacio... Ignacio, if he could hear him... Please... Please don't let him have risked what little he had left on this...
Word Count: 641 words; Post 3
(Side note: im 100% blaming jenny for making me make a ridiculously long post as well) |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2019 17:27:29 GMT -6
Shale was much too pissed to care about the uproar, his eyes steel and lightning as Twitch joined Illidis’ side. Proving his very point. The prisoner’s plea, Amadeus’ complaint or Twitch’s demand did little to make Shale release his grip, if anything he held a little tighter. He felt like his blood was boiling and he was meeting the gazes of the other Vindicators, looking to see who might have seen where he came from. Despite not having appreciated V’s words just a moment earlier, he now nodded in agreement.
He didn’t really wish to meet Dinah’s gaze, to let go of any part of the rage that had ignited his actions. But he did; he had been holding up Amadeus with his teke, and while he didn’t toss her, the removal of the teke was sudden and offered no support. His ears remained pinned as he looked from the small pegasus to Illidis and listened to Dinah’s words. She rarely gave such a speech and no matter how disgruntled Shale was with the situation as of late, she was right. Shale pawed the bunker’s floor pointedly at Illidis.
Whatever he had expected from the former slave, he did not expect for him to kneel, to not hear the Paladin. Shale stared with open disgust.
“Oh do tell us, little King. How would you help your loyal friend?” Shale asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Word count: 236 | Post: 3
|
|
|
|
Post by Mad-Manx on Jan 10, 2019 17:58:56 GMT -6
Zahra | Cadet | Mare
Shale disappeared for a moment, and for a heartbeat Zahra thought that might be it, that the fight might be over. The filly let out a single, shaky breath before he suddenly reappeared, and this time he was not alone.
Zahra recoiled, her eyes blown wide with fear as the pale equine was thrown to the middle of the room, their companions following behind. The arguments fell on uncomprehending ears, the young filly unable to grasp the complexities of politics that were thrust like daggers among the adults. Yet the accusation of hurting one that was but a child struck hard, and Zahra turned to press her face into V's side, thankful to have the familiarity of an adult so close.
Their politics she may not understand; but the quiet utterance of, "you're hurting me", was one she could.
Why would they want to hurt someone who wasn't hurting them back?
Her gut twisted with each additional voice added to the fray. Zahra desperately fought back tears, to no avail; and twin pairs of glistening wetness slid down each cheek as she watched the scene unfold from the corner of widened eyes.
___________________________________________________________________Post #2 | Word Count: 189
|
|
|
|
Post by Queerly on Jan 31, 2019 4:45:10 GMT -6
AmadeusRevolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string - Oh, who would ever want to be king?There was blood singing in her ears as the voices washed over her, striking like blades between her ribs. Pressure built in her head like a headache; she felt as though she might be going mad.
As Illidis bent to her level and posed his question, Amadeus looked up, wondering why on earth this former slave might be interested in her opinion, wondering why he wasn’t angry, as surely he’d the right to be.
It was hard to speak. Her throat felt tight. But Amadeus owed him an answer, if nothing else.
"An… an Aodhian." She said. It was a simple answer for an immense sentiment, one that admitted so many terrible truths about the home she missed, but Amadeus had never been eloquent. She simply hoped Illidis understood; it didn't matter to her if the others didn't. The answer wasn't for them.
Amadeus bowed her head, but it seemed that her tongue wasn’t finished. “A-and… you’re wrong, Dinah. I do fear you. I fear you, and hate you, as much as everyone else who lost someone when you attacked the city.”
She flinched when she met the Paladin’s eyes. It took several seconds - seconds in which her heart was a weight in her throat - to muster enough courage to say her piece. “I don’t know what I could or would have done. But your solution… it fucking sucks.”
Well, she wasn’t eloquent.
Amadeus wobbled to all fours, her legs quivering. Adrenaline from her daring had kicked in, for better or worse, spurring her boldness. “You murdered hundreds of slaves and children when you attacked the Crucible. You freed laborers who didn’t have the faintest idea of survival into the middle of the woods! We found bodies across Eithne - bodies starved, poisoned, mauled by animals, and for what? Because you think dying slowly and horribly is somehow better when you’re free? That’s stupid! You just take them out of one bad situation and throw them into another, and you feel good about it because of your intentions." The shouting left Amadeus panting heavily, her eyes as bright as twin moons. For a moment she felt proud to have spoken her mind - and then all at once seemed to remember that she was speaking it to murderous terrorists. Her heart dropped to her stomach. You're an idiot, the soft, more clever voice inside head lamented.
|
|
|
|
Post by loveboxer123 on Jan 31, 2019 6:21:58 GMT -6
V Hey panini-head, are you listening to me?
223 | 3
“THEY HAD A CHOICE”
V was utterly furious. This..this child of golden streets thought it kindly to inform them that their solutions killed people.
“What of the thousands killed by fire in your streets. Vagabonds who have nary spoken to us, burned for the crime of existing outside your empire. What of the children killed by labor? The slaves? Did you forget the fact that slavery isnt all bows and fights?!” V slammed a hoof into the stone of the floor, their head thrown back.
“Tell me, of your poor, who have you given a glance to? People starve in your streets, and you come here and tell us all this drivel of who we have killed in your eyes. Look to your own streets. Your empire is built on horses like us, while you stand high and mighty throwing parties and drinking booze. ” V shook their mane. They suddenly wished they had a more offensive blessing instead of just Intangibility.
“The difference is, oh King, that those laborers had a choice. They could leave. They could walk on and go to a different herd. A different place. Instead of dying as a number and getting replaced by another sunken eyed laborer. And what do your slaves get if they try to walk away?”
|
|
|
|
Post by Moose-On-Ice on Jan 31, 2019 11:19:37 GMT -6
"I'm standing in the ashes of who I used to be."
Illidis wanted to snap at Shale to be quiet, to give Amadeus time. But he stayed silent. He kept his knees bent, down at her level, and he waited with fearful, baited breath. What she said could shatter everything he had hoped for thus far.
And then she spoke.
Her words rang in his ears. An Aodhian. An Aodhian. An Aodhian.
He almost wanted to laugh out of joy. He knew what she meant. Slaves were not citizens. Slaves were not considered true Aodhians, true children of Ignacio. But what she said, what she said contradicted that mindset. And tears came to his eyes. Still, she spoke, and he listened in silence, keeping his kneeling position as if it was to offer some semblance of support.
He also looked to the Paladin, a slight nod echoing Amadeus' words. He looked back to the child king, and he also climbed to his feet. As she spoke, he moved to stand by her side. He knew where his heart lay. He knew where his hopes laid. Jaw set, he lifted his head as high as he dared, staring down the Paladin. Amadeus' words rang true, and his ears flicked backwards when another of the vindicators started adding in their two shards.
"Did they know what awaited them because of this choice?" He snapped back. "I-I thought the Vindicators would be freedom, that they would be champions of justice. And look what I found! I'm almost certain that they didn't know what their choice would do!" He returned V's hoof slamming into the ground with another loud metallic clang of his own metal hoof slamming the ground.
"Y-You people hold a grudge like no other. You dare not to give a chance for change to happen u-unless you yourself hold the reins so tight that it harms the mouths of i-innocents. Maybe it harms the mouths of those who are drenched in pitch black sin, b-but you have no way of telling who is who when you hold the bundles of reins, entwined so deeply that it blots out the landscape!" Illidis shot back. Ears flat, he drew in a sharp breath. Was it pointless? They were so set in their ways, so firm in their beliefs that the king was evil...
"I care not i-if my words mean little to you... I've said what I-I think... And my heart, my hopes, they lie with Amadeus... I know what the king thinks of us, I know... I know, in my heart, that if given the chance, change can come. But the question remains, w-will she be given that chance?" He glanced to the king beside him. P...Perhaps it was wrong to side with one who ruled over slaves... But what she said... She didn't see him as one. She saw him as an equal. As a child of Ignacio like any other. And that is why he sided with her now.
Word Count: 488 words; Post 4
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2019 16:40:05 GMT -6
“A choice to die free is better than none at all. Intention is everything”, Shale joined with V. A kid who had grown up with a belly full of food and no true fear of tomorrow could not comprehend this, of that Shale was certain. To him Illidis was an example of how badly someone could be broken down, how badly a spirit could be battered to still think it would be better to accept a bit and believe that the ones holding the reins wanted what was best. A mockery of everything they were trying to accomplish, and he shot a baleful look at Dinah.
“I don’t think even the kid is as naïve as you”, Shale pointed grimly to Illidis, nodding towards the weeping child. He did feel bad for Zahra, and momentarily wondered if Eshana would kick his ass for this. He would worry about it later.
“Is this what we are trying to do? Bring in soldiers who are more willing to side with Aodhians than us? What would happen on a mission should one of our brothers stand side by side with someone not loyal and it came to life and death? We are compromising everything.
Our numbers are rising beyond control, we need a better plan. I think we need a secondary bunker, and we need to make damn sure everyone we take on has their hearts set on our goals”, Shale went on, rising his voice just a little so everyone gathered could easily hear.
“You would give the kid a chance. Granted I’m sure she knows things about the wyvern and Aodh we do not, but we will not harbor a menace or a traitor no longer”, his words were first at Illidis, then turned towards Amadeus.
“If you want to change things, if you care as much as you claim, you can join us. You will stand by our side and join our effort.
If not, you can die. We will make it easy, much kinder than you ever did for anyone. It is more than you deserve, really. But it is the same choice. It is fair.
Now choose.”
Word count: 359 | Post 4
|
|
|
|
Post by FaunaFawn on Feb 6, 2019 12:59:47 GMT -6
Ming: The LostThe fear is what shelters them.
It's what shades their eyes and muffles their ears.
Keep them inside.
Lock them up in a closet known as home. Ming knew when an argument arose, when the fighting began to shift into the common place she knew so well. The salve side of her, the one that could still herself and be looked over, she knew that role so much. Though it was easy to negate attention from herself, when all eyes was on the former King of Aodh, her best friend, who now decided was the grand time to lay out a speech. Eyes looked at the others and she let out a soft sigh and she nudged Ammy a bit and offered a kind smile, a supportive one, and as if to say, still in this together. Like always, from now until she was no more, she would remain steadfast to her side. Not out of duty, but out of the bond that had grown between them, there was no lengths she would not go to for her best friend.
But whatever tender second there was, it seemed so easily snatched away by Shale. Brows narrowed down as she gritted on her teeth, wanting to bite at their ankles. Did everything with the Vindicators have to be so dramatic, so extreme? Eyes looked to Ammy and she prayed her friend knew no matter what she would follow. Regardless. But if Ammy choose to side with the Vindicators she prayed things would change, methods would not keep causing many to die within the process. Had there not been enough death? She had been to close to it many times, and for once it would be nice to not feel it linger over her, like some dark presence.
WC:269 | Post #3 |
|
|
|
Post by SagaWolf on Feb 8, 2019 12:48:02 GMT -6
Rosie
Akahana, Commoner, Healer
Rosie had never doubted that given time, Ammy would work to change things in Aodh. Although she herself had advocated slavery her entire life and never seen anything wrong with it, she had often wondered if those lives couldn't have been handled better and after all this time on the run, she'd had a lot of o time to really think about the slaves. Ammy, with her heart so grand it barely fit into her chest, she would surely have grown into a kind and beloved ruler, she would have changed things, made things better. She just never got the chance and it made Rosie bitter to hear Amadeus judged for that.
She held back tongue and body, lingered behind while the scene unfolded before her, let pink eyes dart between faces and bodies while struggling to keep her breath even. Panic was scraping along under her skin, and only deep breaths kept it at bay. Raised voices made her body jerk and her eyes flatten, and the hate which permeated the air was making her eyes run wet (weakness!).
It was shocking to watch the kneeling stallion, Illidis, move to stand beside Ammy, to throw in his support with the little king when she had expected violence. There was something familiar about that one, but Rosie's brain didn't have the capacity to wonder at the moment. Shale was speaking once more, making demands which had her skin turn to ice.
“If you want to change things, if you care as much as you claim, you can join us. You will stand by our side and join our effort. If not, you can die. We will make it easy, much kinder than you ever did for anyone. It is more than you deserve, really. But it is the same choice. It is fair.
Now choose.”
Frannie joined Amadeus with no hesitation, as devout as always and one of the primary reasons Rosie herself had begun doubting Aodh's way of life. Would Franny and herself be killed by extension if Amadeus refused to join these terrorists or would they be allowed to chose for themselves? Could she even make that choice? She could follow Ammy in life yes, that was easy, but could she follow her in death too?
Trembling, Rosie walked over to Frannie and pressed her side against her spotted friend, needing the contact, needing to feel her warmth. Low, under her breath and meant just for Frannie and Ammy, although any straining ear could likely catch the words, she whispered softly: "I am with you always. "
Word count: 428 | Post: #3
|
|
|
|
Post by SaintPumpkinMuffin on Feb 10, 2019 16:03:21 GMT -6
Twitch | Cabbage Queen Soldier A lot happened quickly, and Twitch's thoughts were tossed asunder in the whirlwind. She wanted to rebuttal Dinah. Twitch did know what they stood for... or at least she thought she did. Freedom, choice, to fight against an unjust system. A system that had almost shipped her off not once but TWICE in chains to Valore. Twitch bit her tongue before she could shout indignantly, the group of other vindicators falling into a more serious discussion and addressing the King. She stepped back uncomfortably from the circle. She feared what Amadeus' answer would be. 'A slave' is what she expected. An object, a product, an inanimate thing, a valueless and wasted life. It was such an insult to everything Twitch wanted to believe. Imagine her surprise when the King answered with 'an Aodhian' instead. Twitch tilted her head, feeling like she was missing something important. I mean, slaves were still Aodhian, to her. Well, the ones born there. That was almost worse, to be a slave and never taste true free will. There was a puff of sound as Twitch let out a frustrated if not relieved sigh. Until it seemed sides were being formed again. Her eyebrows shot up at Shale. Join us or die. It wasn't until Rosie's voice, soft and quiet in the fray, caught Twitch's attention that Twitch could find her words. Rosie had stabbed at Twitch's empathetic heart. She wanted no part of this. No part of this at all. "Why didn't you change anything?" Twitch whispered angrily at the 3 (4 now?) Aodhians who seemed united in... what their heritage? Crystal hooves stamped against the bunker floor. "Change it now!" she demanded. "You don't get to die and get an easy way out. Fix it." Twitch resisted the urge to tack on an extra please. No one had to die today. WC: 315 | Post #3 |
|
|
|
Post by Jennycallie on Feb 15, 2019 22:41:49 GMT -6
Dinah
Paladin
Various levels of outrage and shock (and in one unfortunate case, sympathy) met Amadeus’ torrent of words. If the King had been hoping to elicit a reaction from Dinah, however, they were disappointed. That ever-present fury burned in Dinah’s gaze, but it was a cold, focused fire that did not so much as flicker at Amadeus’ attack. Why should it? They said nothing new, nothing no self-proclaimed “decent” Aodhian didn’t accuse the Vindicators of every day, and at that thought Dinah’s eyes focused on Illidis. Indeed. What a broken, foolish wretch. The best case for her argument; indeed, he was too good. Too Aodhian. The irony was not lost on Dinah. Well, he wasn’t alone. Dinah wondered idly if she’d have to kill him. With the knowledge he now had, and his dog-like eagerness to again kneel at a master’s knees… he was dangerous.
Shale had been clearly thinking the same thoughts; unfortunately (and unsurprisingly) he voiced them. A flicker of emotion passed over Dinah’s face as she turned to the young stallion. Well, he’d really gone and done it; there would be no taking back those words. There would be many more words exchanged, though; that much and more Dinah promised him with her furious glance and flared nostrils. Of all the blazing times to make his scene… Well, it had been a long time coming. Dinah lifted her head.
“You do not decide who lives and who dies, Shale,” Dinah said sharply. “We all of us decide; do not make the mistake of imitating the enemy.” But he was right; they would harbor no traitor, not when the lives of the Vindicators and those they freed hung in the balance.
Dinah’s eyes roved the room, and she caught sight of Zahra. Oh, bloody burning stars. Damn it, Shale. Dinah moved towards the child, tacitly placing her body between the cadet and the Aodhians. Not enough that Zahra could not see, because Dinah was not a patron of the “shelter and censor children from problems” philosophy, but just enough that Dinah could offer a leg in support… and protection. Constant vigilance.
“Dry your tears, little one,” Dinah said softly, though her gaze and ears tracked the swirl of conversation. “Never let them see you cry.” Stars knew, they were not worth it.
A lull in the conversation, and Dinah lifted her head again, though she stayed at Zahra’s side.
“They did not change anything, because why would they? They were on top,” Dinah answered Twitch. “Bred, born and raised to rule atop the blood and lives of slaves; why would they throw that away?” Dinah shook her head, tiredly. She ignored Ilidis’ words completely, as she would any ravings of a mad, broken creature. Grudge? Grudge? It was too mild a word, too petty a concept, to encapsulate a slave, and yet he threw it at them as if they were children squabbling over a sweet, and not living, thinking beings who wished to save their fellows. Perhaps he had not suffered, as a slave. Perhaps. Or perhaps he was just too broken. Either way, Dinah ignored him, the twin suns of her gaze returning to Amadeus.
“Thus far you have been kept safe, been fed, and given companionship. I wonder if we were to start working you day and night- beating you, or perhaps your companions, when you refused-, if we were to stop feeding you, if perhaps we were to decide to force your body to our pleasures? Bear us a child from your own flesh, and then put it to work, and eventually use its body as well?”
Twin suns bore into twin moons, unflinching, unyielding. “I wonder if then, you might reconsider the risk of dying horribly while free. Perhaps then you might understand why your slaves poured themselves from the gates we opened, why they risked that death with opened eyes and joyous hearts.” She shook her head again, slowly, uneven mane cascading over her scarred neck.
“You enslave them. You break and violate and murder them. Do not you blame me, King, when they die after the shackles have been removed. That is still. On. You. I have killed hundreds? You, your people, have killed millions. Don’t you dare belittle their last moments, the lives and deaths of freed souls. Not until you have stood in their place.”
And oh, believe me, child king, you have not yet stood there. You know nothing. I am not you.
Dinah looked away, and didn’t so much release Amadeus from her gaze as she rejected them, a piece of refuse kicked aside.
“We shall discuss this further. We all of us have much to consider.” Her eyes lingered on Shale.
She would trust no “choice” made by those who were imprisoned. Not now, perhaps not ever.
Post 3 | 811 words
Badge by Chipo-H0P3
|
|
|
|
Post by Queerly on Feb 16, 2019 19:24:54 GMT -6
AmadeusRevolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string - Oh, who would ever want to be king?Become a terrorist or die. Amadeus stared at Shale, dumbfounded. It wasn't much of a choice, but coming from the Vindicators, it hardly surprised her.
Certainly it felt surreal to have Illidis at his side. Frannie and Rosie were welcomed companions - she hadn't expected them to stand with her as she made a fool of herself, but they had all the same. If she was the poetic sort she might have likened the warmth of their proximity to a warmth in her heart. Courage came from within, her mother had said, but Amadeus found it in friends. Illidis, though. That was unexpected. Not unwelcome, but she didn't deserve it. And if he suffered for his choice, could she live with it?
(Amadeus supposed she would have to. She already lived with so many terrible truths, and what good was she if she couldn't weather them? Others had weathered worse. So much worse.) The Paragon pierced her as painfully as any sword. Her mouth went dry, working uselessly to find words where there were none. What could be said that wasn't hypocrisy or trite defenses? Amadeus hated her with every fiber, thought of her even less when it came to what the Vindicators called politics. But beneath her gaze, beneath the weight of her pain and the depth of her resolve - beneath the truth she wielded like a weapon, the King felt terribly small. Amadeus was a coward. She knew that well enough, and remembered it as she turned her gaze away.
An ear flicked backwards as Twitch spoke. That demand she could contend with. "I-" Amadeus began, half-turning to look at the blind unicorn. "I was trying! But I'm not the King anymore! We were on our war to Skeldr, I was going to ask for an audience with my aunt -- that is, the War Lord - I wanted her to help us." She looked back at Shale and Dinah. "But now we're here, with you.
Amadeus looked across their faces. To V, who had shouted her down with pain and fury in his voice; Zahra, who wept, reminding the former king painfully of the sister she'd lost. Finally she looked at Shale and the Paragon. "Fine." She said. She'd meant to snarl it, but the word came out flat instead. "Fine, I'll work with you, if that's what you decide you want. But what about them?" She jutted her chin to her companions, to Rosie and Ming. "Are you going to force them to become terrorists too, or will they have a choice - a real choice?" Amadeus had meant to end it there. To leave the words hanging in the air, with all the lethal seriousness she could muster. But then something clicked - a word that had been said, one she hadn't paid any mind until now. Her voice lilted higher with question and panic. "You have Pepper!? You have my dragon here?"
|
|
