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Post by GingerBlues on Jan 16, 2016 21:31:22 GMT -6
 Since the solstice sacrifice, unrest within the herd has been evident, and no one knows who is friend or foe. There isn’t a single place that feels safe anymore, especially since your beloved Divine’s life was threatened.Your neighbor could be conspiring against everything the Talori stand for, for all you know! You can’t let the offense go on any longer, as it is evident Cascade is displeased with the actions of these traitors. Will you stand up for what you believe? Will you fight for what you feel is right? What kind of actions will you take to ensure that the Talori will continue to prosper?Event Journal// Located Here Premise Journal// Located HereHello Starborn, and welcome to Plot 002: Traitors in Our Midst! We have so much planned for you and your water babies, and we hope you enjoy the Chapter as much as we enjoyed making it for you! 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 posts. - Five posts is the minimum to earn the event AP/CS/FVR rewards. After you've posted five times, you receive 1 AP for every post after! - Your team is precious. Don't let anyone feel left behind! Try to interact with everyone. <3 - Have fun! Even if your pony isn't. 8'D Once the team leader has posted, you may begin posting as well! |
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Post by Jennycallie on Jan 18, 2016 1:43:23 GMT -6
Taishen | Guardian
Taishen was rattled. He did not like being rattled. It was unbecoming of his rank, it showed a lack of mental control, and he just didn’t look as good, either.
The stallion fought to keep his face placid and noncommittal (as a proper Guardian’s should be) as he slowly walked down the Temple steps, his sand-polished hooves tapping lightly in time to his even strides. He needed to get out of the Temple, for a while. He had been loitering there, at a loss of what to do while the Divine -his normal guarding responsibility- was cloistered in meetings. This separation during such a time of unrest was a large factor in Taishen’s current state of “rattled”, and he was well aware of it. Not that that helped anything.
He should be with her, protecting her! What sort of Guardian was he, if at the first signs of actual trouble, he was cast aside? Nostrils flared in nervous indignation as Tai took another step. Didn’t they see how important it was that he be there? Foaming froth and bubbles but sometimes they could be so blind-
“ACK-” Tai’s inner diatribe was cut abruptly short as one of his so carefully trimmed and polished hooves slipped on a stair, and the stallion almost fell, catching his balance painfully. What in the- scowling (and so much for Guardian-esque placidity it seemed) Taishen looked back at the offending stair, and then his scowl faltered, his stomach swooping unpleasantly.
Blood.
He had slipped in a splash of blood, still glinting ominously in the half-light.
Taishen stared at it, while the rising wind plucked roughly at his tail and mane. But he did not feel it, did not toss his head in irritation. His eyes were glazed as he stared, stared, pulled unwillingly into memories of that day- and worse, of that night.
Ah, bad enough to question his own heart, his own faith as he stared into the bewildered eyes of the young Sacrifice- but then later, when he thought he’d shoved it away, thought that if he just pretended it was fine, didn’t meet the gazes of his brother, of his Divine, if they all just pretended it was fine- when the riots started, when the city, his people, erupted-
Taishen was shaken out of reveries with a jolt as he heard hoof steps. He remained frozen for a heartbeat longer, and then the blood, the memories, released him. His foreleg, he realized, was shaking. That would not do.
He squared his legs, smoothed his face, and turned.
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Post by mariahwhy on Jan 18, 2016 15:56:24 GMT -6
Seven | Foal
The past week had been the most confusing of Seven's short life. Everyone was so angry. Everyone was yelling, and it always seemed to be about the same things - about the sacrifice, the Divine, the pegasi. Words that he did not understand were being repeated: extremists, rebellion, war. Technically he knew what the last one meant, but not in this context. Not in the context of his home. There were also a lot of curse words being thrown about too. He understood those, but he wasn't allowed to repeat them.
He was not sure why everyone was upset. The sacrifice had gone well. That blessed filly! And now, surely, she was a hippocampus, fresh and beautiful in her new skin. What wasn't great about that? About how important she must have been to be chosen so young? But everyone seemed to have gone mad - as mad as the sky - and it scared the young colt.
But he had no one at home to comfort him or to explain the affairs. His father, a guardian, had only been home once in the past week. Seven had tried to play with him as soon as he had walked in the door, but the stallion had been too tired. He'd slept the whole time. And his mother... well, he was used to her not being around or being a comfort. And still, with everything going on, she was gone. Gone to gossip with her close friends about what was happening in the herd, and Seven was certainly not allowed to come with her. His siblings, the few that still lived at home, were no better.
His father said that when you are scared and alone, you pray. And so that's what Seven had filled his time doing - praying. Praying at home if the storm outside was too bad, or praying in the temple if the rain stopped long enough for him to gallop there.
Today he had finally made it to the temple. He'd been there since the early morning, hidden in a dark corner, praying. Or, more so, talking. A young colt, even as confused as himself, only had so much to pray about, and so by this point in the week his prayers had descended into idle banter with the goddess; sharing his day, what he'd had for dinner the night before, and his thoughts on the subject of how star fish aren't actually stars (are they?).
Other horses came and went in the temple, but it was generally a lot emptier than he felt it should be. If everyone was so scared and angry, shouldn't they be praying too? Some of those that did come in were angry, but most didn't seem calmer when they left. A fight had even broken out on the temple steps that morning.
But, as he mused to Cascade about how seaweed was gross but she probably liked it, one horse walking through the temple finally caught his eye. He whispered a quick goodbye and an amen, then hurried out after the stallion.
He'd seen him before! With the Divine during the sacrifice! Why wasn't he with her now? Where was she, did he know? Didn't she need him? He bounded out of the temple doors after him, forgiving the heavy wind as it briefly stung his eyes. Blinking and tripping down the stairs as one does when they have still not gown into their legs, he just barely stopped himself from making the same mistake that Taishen had made.
He stared down at the blood for only a brief moment, then back up at the stallion - his original target. "You're a guardian aren't you? Do you know the Divine? Where is she? Is she ok?" the words tumbled out of his mouth as if needing to breath was optional.
(Post 1: 634 words)
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Post by swaggalatte on Jan 18, 2016 22:37:24 GMT -6
Kenneth | Agriculturalist
The walls of the the temple were rather comforting. Being surrounded in a place of the Goddess during this time helped Kenneth cope with the wild events of the past several days. He felt somewhat guilty for not being with Belle, but his fiancee had better things to do during this unrest within Aquore. He knew that she was safe, and that was all that he needed at the moment. He would not be gone for long anyways.
What is happening, Cascade? Kenneth questioned towards the end of his prayer, turning his gaze to the unruly storm clouds that seemed to have permanently settled over the land. The rain had lightened up some, only appearing to be a heavy drizzle. Hopefully it would wash away the filth from the past week, and things would return to how they would be. How could they though? How could anyone forget the sprout of a filly, her mind numbed, as she screamed at the loss of her wings? How could anyone erase the image of her falling into the embrace of Cascade?
"She was only a child," Kenneth muttered to himself. Was that not better, though? She would not have had to suffer the injustice at being born a pegasi. Cascade would rebirth her as a hippocampi. A blessing. The filly suffered little. It was most likely for the better.
With a sigh, Kenneth lowered his head and finished his daily prayer. As he turned to head home, he caught thin-legged unicorn colt bustling from the temple. A small smile crossed it face. It was always wonderful to see younglings praying. Where were his parents, though? Curious, Kenneth walked in the direction that the foal had gone. The tiny clatter of hooves skidding on stone resounded through the building, and Kenneth hurried on his way. He hoped that the lanky child had not fallen. Being that there were no screams of alarm, he assumed no.
"You're a guardian aren't you? Do you know the Divine? Where is she? Is she ok?"
Peering down the stairs, he found the small colt and a larger stallion below. Kenneth vaguely recognized the dark stallion. Not enough to know his name, but enough to remember that he had been at the ceremony. Contemplating the question that the colt had asked, he decided that he also wanted to hear what the guardian had had to say. Not wanting to intrude, he backed out of eyesight, but still within earshot.
Word Count: 413 | Post 1
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Post by farquaadstarquad on Jan 20, 2016 19:57:30 GMT -6
In the midst of all the chaos, Naveen sought comfort in the one place that he truly felt safe in; the Divine’s temple. It was in the temple’s comforting walls that he could pray safely. No worry of the storm that raged on outside, no worry of the chaos that plagued his beloved herd…
This past week had been a whirlwind of things. Whispers of rebellion swept among the herd, spreading words that made Naveen’s blood boil, and that he did not dare repeat.
Cascade was angry with her children.
He knew it. He could hear her angry cries in the pounding rain. She was punishing them with this storm, giving all of Talori a harsh reminder.
The solstice sacrifice had been the root of it all...
An small, precious child had sent the entire herd into uproar. The filly was young, but her age was of no concern to Naveen. She had been born as a pegasus, born into a body of sin, and Cascade had chosen her to be a sacrifice.
Naveen could vividly remember the day of the sacrifice. He had been there, a front row seat, watching as the holy Divine performed the ritual. He could remember the look of the filly, numbed by the sedatives, and how she began to cry as her wings were ceremoniously cut from her withers. And then the Divine recited the ceremonial prayer, words to comfort the sacrifice in their final moments as a pegasus. And then...the filly took her final steps over the precipice, and Cascade's waters embraced her body. It took a moment of silence before a single, angry cry rang out. Murderer! That single word, the word which erupted the entire crowd, still rang in his ears. Murderer!
They had turned the other cheek to the previous sacrifices, said nothing and went on with their lives, so why was there an eruption of rebellion for this one? Was it merely because of the fact that this sacrifice was a child? Hypocrites, the lot of them!
He would not - could not - stand for any of this madness.
Of course, Naveen did feel pity for the child, but not in the same sense that the majority of Talori did. He pitied the child for being born a pegasus. By being sacrificed, this child would be allowed a much better life, they would not have to be confined to the pegasus body any longer, and that filled his heart with joy. He was living proof that the sacrifices worked, his blessing allowed him to see visions of his past self, and he knew that this child would be reborn again. Naturally, when he approached the sacrifices parents, they had not taken too kindly to his words, and the father had lashed out at him.
His eyes closed. He took in a long, deep breath, and then slowly reopened his eyes on the exhale. Naveen pushed himself up from his knees. It was time to face the storm again.
As Naveen stepped out of the temple doors, he immediately paused, staring ahead the three figures that had gathered. The Divine’s guardian, a young unicorn colt, and another whom he did not recognize. His eyes narrowed. Just like the colt, he had questions of his own for the Divine’s guardian.
He took a few steps forward and then proceeded down the stairs, brushing past the spotted stallion that stood silently. He descended down the steps with a surprising amount of grace, despite the rain that slicked the steps.
“Ah, the Divine’s guard dog,” he spoke, his eyes on Taishen. "I must admit, it is a little surprising to not see you in the presence of the Divine. Are they not allowing you in the meetings with her?" He stood at the base of the stairs. The harsh winds blew his long, black hair across his eyes, and it was futile to try and remove it from his vision - the wind just blew it back when he tried.
(WC: 672 || Post 1)
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Post by Jennycallie on Jan 22, 2016 6:53:32 GMT -6
Taishen | Guardian
"Oh, ah, careful-" Tai began as he turned in time to witness the ungainly colt scrabble to a halt with the careless, haphazard confidence that only the young seemed to possess.
Then the colt was speaking, his words direct and blunt, without a thought or care towards anything but the truth. Again, a trait only of the young, and for a moment Taishen eyed the spindly grey colt with an air of wistfulness. Then he sighed, choosing his words carefully; as a guardian, he could not afford that same brand of honesty; nuances were imperative. (And what did that say, what might that indicate about the current situation? Ah, dangerous thoughts, thoughts above his pay grade-)
"I am indeed a guardian, my name is Taishen," he said amiably, making an effort at keeping the tension that roiled in his belly and pressed against his throat from seeping in to his voice. "And I do know the Divine, of course I do. She is," the barest hint of hesitation, the smallest of spaces between the words that let in an infinity of meaning, "she is fine." Blue eyes that ebbed and swirled like the sea, endless in their sorrow, their capacity to create and destroy, eyes that saw everything, too much, not enough, that strained, begged for understanding even as they rebuffed it. Yes, if that was fine... then she was fine. They were all fine.
Nuances, indeed.
"She is busy meeting with the Emperor and Council, right now." Tai had opened his mouth to add more, when-
"I must admit, it is a little surprising to not see you in the presence of the Divine. Are they not allowing you in the meetings with her?"
Ears tipped back as Taishen lifted his head from the colt, fixing with an instant flare of dislike upon the blue roan that addressed him. He did not know the stallion, did not recognize him as they locked gazes, the wind whipping both of their forelocks in a frenzy that neither moved to adjust.
"My place is wherever I am most useful to my herd; certainly it is not skulking about and questioning my superiors," he replied loftily, but with a razor sharp edge intended to cut keenly as it drew parallels in the air before them.
"Speaking of," and another of those pauses that let in all the meanings that words could never convey alone, "I do not believe we've met; I spend so much time with the Divine and council, after all." He smiled, a friendly enough gesture if one did not bother to match it to his mahogany eyes, which remained flat and unblinking.
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Post by mariahwhy on Jan 22, 2016 18:27:04 GMT -6
Seven | Foal
He knew it. He knew the Divine was okay. How could she not be? Cascade would not let anything bad happen to her.
Seven didn't catch the hesitation in Taishen's voice. Children never do. But each word was soaked up and internalized. He had always held the guardians at such high regard, given his father's rank among them, and to be speaking to any of them was always such a thrill to him.
And if there was anyone that widened his eyes more than a guardian, it was a hippocampus. So when Naveen approached Seven could barely contain himself. His little chest heaved in an excited gasp. Standing next to a guardian and now a hippocampus?! This had to be the best day of his life. It wasn't that he hadn't interacted with hippocampi or guardians before. It was a pretty common occurrence given the Talori population and culture. But each time was better than the last. Not to mention that this time he stood between both, on the steps of Cascade's own temple. Things could only be better if the goddess herself had been there. How could the herd be so upset when such amazing things were still happening?
Most of their tense words, since they weren't directed right towards him, went straight over his head. They mingled with the angry stares in the air above him, leaving him completely naive to the immediate tension between the pair. But he caught the tone of an introduction being exchanged, and he knew just what to do.
"My name is Seven," he piped up, eyes darting happily between both of the stallions. "And this is Taishen!" he added to Naveen, introducing the other stallion as if he hadn't just learned his name a minute earlier.
"Do you know the Divine too?" he asked the hippocampus. It was innocent, squeaked out in the voice of a child discussing one of his favorite topics, but it surely wouldn't help the current tension. His smile couldn't be wider.
(Post 2: 334 words)
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Post by teapocaiypse on Jan 24, 2016 0:55:25 GMT -6
Heidi | Indentured Servant
The Temple-- one of the only places Heidi could seemingly find herself these days. However, it was such a dreadful time that is was common for equines to stray to the Temple in hopes of finding peace. With all the riots and acts of protest, it seemed to be the only place where things were truly calm. Heidi had spent hours upon hours wandering through the Temple halls, praying and desperately trying to subjugate her mind from the chaos that raged throughout the Talori herd. She could only imagine what Eve was going through and Heidi could only pity her. It was when she finally realized she had been going in circles and the air was became thick and cloying did she make her way to the front doors, her head light and eyes permanently burned with the imagery of hallways.
When reaching the large doors, she quickly shoved her way through, greedily craving the fresh air but almost regretting it immediately when a blast of wind blasted in her face. Heidi stood quietly for a moment, taking in large breaths of air as the sharp air currents whisked through her mane and tail before shaking her head with a snort, suddenly focusing her gaze and attention on a small group of horses that stood at the bottom of the steps. They were all unfamiliar to her, the only one she personally knew was the Guardian, Taishen, but past that she was oblivious to who the rest were. But perhaps Taishen would know how Eve was doing?
Silently, Heidi carefully paced down the rain, and apparently blood soaked, steps to casually join the assembling posse of horses. Her slender ears gave a sharp flick as she listened to the final words of the conversations being had while her eyes curiously slipped from face to face. "Shouldn't you be at home little one?" She dared to question, as she stared down at a pale unicorn foal.
okay so im terrible at beginning posts so please don't kill me for this rip
Post 1 | Word Count: 328
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Post by swaggalatte on Jan 24, 2016 1:41:53 GMT -6
Kenneth | Agriculturalist
He could not help but smile to himself at the foal's questioning. Younglings could say whatever they pleased, never pondering whether or not bluntness would lead to repercussions. His humor immediately failed him, though, at Taishen's vague answer.
"She is... She is fine," he had informed Seven, the young unicorn. Kenneth knew that voice very well. The voice of a parent that did not want to worry their children. It went over the heads of everyone that was not attuned to having to suffer from an unsolvable issue. Especially one that came from someone that you loved. Especially when that loved one was hurting.
Kenneth almost jumped when another brushed past him. A blue roan hippocampi. He did not both to say anything to Kenneth as he passed, and the appaloosa's irritation spiked once the stallion spoke.
"Ah, the Divine’s guard dog. I must admit, it is a little surprising to not see you in the presence of the Divine. Are they not allowing you in the meetings with her?" He had questioned Taishen in a snobbish manner. Nostrils flared, Kenneth decided that he could come out of his hiding place now. He had no right to say the things he did. The hippocampi knew nothing of the situation at hand. What was happening between the Divine and her Guardians was none of his business.
Descending out of the confines of the temple was a little shocking. The wind was quite a bit stronger than it had been earlier, and child the middle-aged stallion to the bone. Kenneth had reached the small gathering just as Taishen finished addressing the roan, and he had no qualms with walking right in an joining their little group. Before Kenneth could allow his anger to blow up in the hippocampi's face, the little one began conversing loudly, and the appaloosa's temper died a little.
"Yes, who might you be, seeming to know exactly what it is that a Guardian should and shouldn't be doing?" Kenneth questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Word Count: 337 | Post 2
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Post by farquaadstarquad on Jan 24, 2016 17:33:52 GMT -6
A small, forced smile was all Naveen could muster in an attempt to hold back a scowl. “A shame we must meet on these unfortunate circumstances,” addressing the small group that had gathered. “I am known as Naveen, a dutifully serving agriculturist.” A small bow accompanied his words. “It is not entirely surprising that you do not recognize me, Taishen. The Divine has many visitors, and assuming you act with diligence towards your job, you likely find yourself too caught up in your duties to take a mental note on each of the faces that appear in the temple. I do not blame you, surely even the Divine cannot remember all of them.” Had the child not been with them, Naveen would had have thrown some unsavory words into the mix.
“I do know the Divine. She is a symbol of purity within Talori, a role model for youngsters like you, Seven.” Naveen told the colt. It was a delayed answer, but he had been caught up in addressing Taishen. Such a naive and innocent little boy this colt was. He questioned where the colt’s parents might be - hopefully within the temple, it was not safe for a young colt to be alone with the extremist running rampant.
And then there was a new voice, which Naveen did not recognize. Ah, the spotted stallion from the door. Naveen chuckled at his words. “I did not claim to know exactly what a guardian should or should not be doing. If you had actually been listening, I merely asked Taishen about why he is not with the Divine.”
Surprisingly, he had not taken notice when the temple doors opened up again, and another equine filtered down the steps. Of all equines, he had not expected it to be the Divine’s servant. How lovely was it that both the guard dog and the servant of the Divine were present in this small gathering.
“Yes,” he agreed with Heidi and then looked to the colt once more. “Where are your parents, Seven? I reckon they must be worried about you.” He then paused and looked up to Taishen, “perhaps Taishen can escort you home, to make sure you do not get hurt by the extremeist that run rampant on the streets.” And again, that forced smile.
(WC: 384 | Post 2)
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Post by Jennycallie on Jan 25, 2016 7:21:35 GMT -6
Taishen | Guardian
Taishen bit his lip; it was a struggle not to allow his lips to twist in to the sardonic grin his petty heart so wished for when Seven introduced him to Naveen. Calm heart, placid face, Taishen reminded himself, one of his father's many idioms. He had just mastered himself when more hoof steps clattered on the steps, and the stallion looked up, past Naveen's shoulder to see-
"Heidi," he greeted the mare in some surprise. What on Hireath was she doing out here at this time? His ears flicked uneasily as, viewing Seven and Heidi side by side, he was struck suddenly with the realization that this was not perhaps the safest place of them to be. Any of them, to be sure, but especially a foal, or a delicate mare like Heidi. Oh, Heidi could be fierce, sure enough, but she was small, and no match for these revolutionists that dared profane Talori. She certainly was no fighter, and why should she be? What a time it was, that the streets of his herd were now unsafe for any not trained in combat? A sour taste flooded Tai's mouth, but Heidi had moved on, was addressing the colt.
And then- more hoof steps. Another agriculturalist, a face Taishen recognized but didn't know by name. Whoever the appaloosa was, Taishen took an immediate liking to him as he too scorned Naveen.
As said blue roan began spouting off that ridiculous mouth of his again, Tai's ears tilted backwards, although by sheer effort of will he kept them from completely flattening. His heart sped up though, a lurch in the rhythm as Naveen's barbs struck home. Taishen's tail snapped once, but he managed -mostly- to keep a hoof on his temper. With so many Talorians now surrounding him, he felt it more imperative than ever that he uphold the dignity of his rank, and by extension, the Divine.
But it wasn't easy, and unbeknownst to the chestnut stallion, the puddles of rain water pooling at his hooves began to tremble, ever so slightly, tiny droplets dancing on the surface. As Tai fought down the wave of anger, so the puddles calmed.
"Naveen is right," Taishen managed finally, keeping his tone neutral. "Seven, you should not be out by yourself in this-" he hesitated, "storm. Nor you, Heidi. These are dangerous times." He glanced back up the Temple steps, towards where he knew his brother Eden still remained. Tai was none too pleased about Eden being out and about either but- if he wasn't safe in the Temple, where would he be? He sighed.
"I was going to do a street patrol, but I suppose I can do as much while escorting you home, Seven."
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Post by mariahwhy on Jan 26, 2016 19:28:47 GMT -6
Seven | Foal
Seven's head bounced back and forth between the adults, doing his best to follow their conversation. He kept trying to throw in his own simple-minded opinions whenever a word would catch his attention, but the banter was too fast paced. Particularly once the appaloosa joined.
Even the ingenuous, young colt could now tell that the tone wasn't exactly friendly. It had turned into the sorts of conversations that had been happening all over the city since the sacrifice. His brow furrowed at the realization that things were not going as he had thought (aka they weren't all best friends now), but he continued to smile, his face one of worried confusion.
He took one step back. As gregarious as he was, his mother had taught him well that when adults were talking about adult things you stayed out of it. The tone of the three stallions told him this was definitely an adult thing, and his thoughts would have to wait. But he was halted in his second step back, as he bumped into Heidi, not having realized that she had just joined them. He looked up at her apologetically, and was greeted by her words of worry for his own safety. Her feminine voice, immediately focusing on him rather than the topic that the stallions discussed, subconsciously calmed him. The lanky, speckled body relaxed into its loose, playful posture once more.
Suddenly the conversation turned to him, and he smiled at each horse in turn as they spoke to him. "Oh, no, my parents aren't worried," he shook his head. "They don't worry about me. They're too busy." There was no remorse in his voice. It was simply a fact. "No one is home - that's why I was here at the Temple. But we could still go to my house!" He looked invitingly to each in turn, already thinking about showing them his bed, and his toys, and where he ate, and where he kept his sea glass collection...
"OR!" a better idea crossed his mind. He nearly jumped off of his current step in his excitement at the thought. His little hooves landed quickly, skidding in a puddle. Seven caught himself without seeming to have even noticed he was falling. "We could all go on patrol! We could help you, Taishen, since all of the guardians are so busy!" A small voice in the back of his mind told him that the hippocampus probably would not agree to such an idea, but Seven never listened to that little voice. Why start now?
He bounded up and down the stairs, little hooves clicking wildly. "Can we? Please?!"
(Post 3: 439 words)
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Post by teapocaiypse on Jan 26, 2016 22:16:52 GMT -6
Heidi | Indentured Servant
Upon hearing her name being used, her ears flicked before she turned to dip her head in greeting when Taishen addressed her. There was a moment between everyone's words where the mare could feel tension between the Guardian and roan Agriculturist, but thankfully it had been cut short by the appaloosa only a few minutes after her arrival. However, it was also plainly clear that not even these stallions knew better than to speak so foul in front of a child.
Giving a nod as the two took Seven's safety into consideration, Heidi mulled over their words. It was a dangerous time for Seven to be running around, even if he was only at the temple, he still risked the chances of being injured-- or worse, killed. Heidi wasn't as much worried about herself, it was true her combat skills were questionable, but she was an adult and could sustain far more injury than a foal. When hearing Seven's shrill voice pipe up, the mare blinked herself into reality and shook her head. "Who would leave a child unattended these days?" She growled under her breath, a glare of disapproval lingering in her pale eyes. As the colt continued babbling, the mare glanced to Tai. Surely he wouldn't let a youngling tag along while patroling the miserable streets would he? But it was a better idea than leaving him alone.
"Don't get too excited." Heidi advised, "Taishen is a busy horse, as are the rest of us. We all have our jobs and responsibilities."
Post 2 | Word Count: 257
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Post by swaggalatte on Jan 27, 2016 18:20:10 GMT -6
Kenneth | Agriculturalist
The appaloosa continued to glare at Naveen, his ears tipped back the whole time. His tone was more than unpleasant, and every word just fed Kenneth's irritation. He almost opened his mouth to give a snappy retort, until he brought Seven back to the spotlight. Looking down at the young unicorn, Kenneth raised his eyebrows at him. The lack of parents was concerning. With the recent events, how could anyone abandon their families? Especially a child. Anything could happen to him, and anyone could be a target. Kenneth dared not think of what would happen if Seven was caught in the crossfire of a fight.
"...my parents aren't worried. They don't worry about me. They're too busy," Seven had explained about his being alone at the temple. It broke the older stallion's heart. A foal his age should not have parents that are "too busy". Parents should always make time for their children, and if they simply cannot find time, they should hire a babysitter. It was not hard to find one. "We could all go on patrol! We could help you, Taishen, since all of the guardians are so busy!"
Bless his little heart. Seven had no concept of tone and subtext, and could no way understand the tension between them all. Besides, Taishen would most likely perform his job better if he didn't have equines like Naveen tagging along. Heidi voiced his opinion, and he nodded in agreement.
"Being a guardian requires a lot of attention, and we shouldn't get in the way too much," Kenneth followed up, looking over at the darker stallion. "I am not going to be too busy, though, and someone else could come with if Taishen is too busy?" He offered, looking to the other equines around them to see what they thought.
Word Count: 302 | Post 3
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Post by farquaadstarquad on Jan 27, 2016 22:43:19 GMT -6
The words, “Naveen is right,” was not what he expected to ever come out of Taishen, and so it of course left him feeling a little smug. Well, at least they all agreed on one thing. This colt needed to go home, because it certainly was not safe for him without proper supervision - But then the child brought up the ridiculous idea for all of them to go patrolling with the guardian. Really? Naveen nearly rolled his eyes. His annoying, high-pitched voice rang in Naveen’s ears. Naveen had no intention of entertaining the child’s wishes. Go on patrol with the guardian? No thank you. He had much better things to do. Besides, it was not his duty to protect the herd, it was a guardian's duty. He was not going to willingly wander the streets with all the current chaos, especially with a child tagging along (that just seemed to be begging for trouble).
“Do not get your hopes up on that, kiddo,” Naveen said, watching the colt bounce with eagerness on the temple steps. “I have...other things to do, I am afraid I would not be able to tag along on this control either way.” Which was not entirely false. He did have other things that required his attention.
(WC: 213 | Post 3)
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Post by Jennycallie on Jan 29, 2016 18:52:54 GMT -6
Taishen | Guardian
Taishen's own ears had tipped back as Seven nonchalantly disregarded his parents. That wasn't right. They might be busy- Cascade knew they all were, right now, but a foal shouldn't be able to wander the streets alone. He'd be having words with the parents, or at the very least making an official note of it on his report. He glanced at Heidi as the grey mare muttered under her breath, clearly as equally annoyed with the situation as he was. Taishen's serious expression softened, however, as Seven began talking again, bouncing on his young, enthusiastic hooves, hooves that were hardly dampened by Heidi and Kenneth's cautions.
"It's alright, I'm not too busy to escort you home, Seven. And we certainly will patrol along the way; I can teach you a bit about what it means to be a Guardian, if you'd like. And part of being a Guardian is knowing not to disregard help when offered," he continued, eyes lifting to acknowledge Kenneth and Heidi, before finally settling on Naveen. "So all company is appreciated." Best not to be caught alone on the streets right now, Tai added darkly to himself, although he did not speak it, did not voice the thought that twisted his heart. How far his herd had fallen, and how quickly.
Instead he gazed at Naveen for another moment, considering asking him what it was the Agriculturalist found so pressing that he couldn't spare a few minutes to help a Guardian, and assist a foal, but Tai stifled the impulse; it was beneath him. Still, the words sat sourly on his tongue for a moment, fueled by the roiling discontent in his heart.
"Well, let's be off, then," Tai said finally, looking down at Seven. "You lead with me, partner." The sky was looking more and more ominous; best to get moving. And he wasn't lying, he would use the trip to scan the streets, get his hoof on the pulse of the city. And so he set off, descending (carefully, as the thought of slipping again with witnesses was too much to bear) the temple steps.
"Storm's getting stronger," Taishen observed aloud, barely 10 strides away from the temple, passing a darkened cross-street. "Sounds like-" but he broke off mid-sentence, a frown creasing his brow as he felt the icy breath of premonition brush his awareness. He was not blessed with this awareness, but he was highly trained for sensing danger, wrongness, and had spent years honing such abilities. "Everyone, hold on a moment, I-"
Then all hell broke loose, a target gust of air knocking Taishen off his hooves, his shoulder and haunches slamming painfully into the street.
Shouts, screams and launched blessing attacks ripped through the air as a group of what could only be revolutionary Pegasi and their supporters exploded out of the alley, surrounding the group and advanced, brandishing weapons, violence in their eyes.
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Post by Jennycallie on Jan 29, 2016 20:48:34 GMT -6
 Before you could even really start off, your party was attacked by violent dissenters. There was no less than ten of them, and they're well armed, well blessed, and damned furious! It looks like it's going to be a fight for your life...
Notes: You may control a dissenter NPC in your post (either to attack your character or react to your character attacking), just be sure to play them as competently as you'd want your own character to be played! These are rebels with a cause, they won't go down easily - especially not in just one post!
Plot 003 is joining us - they have heard the ruckus outside and are on their way to help!
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Jan 29, 2016 21:50:28 GMT -6
Sven | Talori | Entertainer
Sven winced slightly as the Cleric put his balms and juices on his wounds after giving them a thorough cleaning. The stink of the medicine going to work was a lot less painful than the stink of mud and caked on blood though, and Sven nodded his thanks to Eden when he was finally finished bandaging his wounds.
His ears trained on the white mare as she seemingly awoke from her dazed state from the side of the prayer pool, and he watched her with interest at her calm, even tone explaining what she knew about the Emperor and the rest of the politically powerful horses of their herd. It was only a little comforting to know that they were trying to figure out what to do, but Sven couldn't help but imagine that they were probably also hiding and waiting out the storm, only praying that the rest of them would find a way to survive all of this.
As the others began to introduce himself, Sven nodded his head in greeting to the small group, standing up from his position on the floor to test of his bandages. "And I'm Sven." He said in his melodic tone that hinted at his Entertainer ways.
But just as Eden had begun to introduce himself, a loud clashing of noise sounded up the stairs of the Temple, ricocheting off of the walls and into Sven's ears. Hooves. At least a dozen or more of them from the sound of it, but he couldn't be sure. Before Sven could even open his mouth to speak though, Eden took off toward the door, skittering out of the door and into whatever was going on outside.
Sven snorted in fear and agitation as the sounds grew more familiar to him. A fight had begun outside of the Temple doors. His green eyes glanced around at the rest of the horses around him. None of them were fighters save for the Guardian, Lukan, and he knew for a fact that a few drunken, bar fights probably didn't make him a seasoned fighter at all. At the sound of a scream, Sven's ears laid flat against his neck. "I'm going out there to see what's happening. Others might need help, and we've gotta make sure Eden is okay. Stay here if you think you should." He said, shrugging his shoulders slightly before darting out the Temple doors without glancing back at the rest of the horses in the Temple.
Sven was greeted with a sharp pain in his shoulder as a horse collided into him when he finally made it to the end of the stairs, slashing at his shoulders with a dangerously sharp blade. The Entertainer ducked out of the way just in time, though he could feel the sting of the blade as it glazed over his skin. The cold rain dripped down his back as he glanced around him for a moment before having to backpedal away from the crazy horses around him. "Shit." There were at least a dozen horses with weapons of all shapes and sizes in the street, fighting seemingly defenseless horses. His heart clenched in his chest when he caught sight of a foal in their midst, and he gritted his teeth angrily that these beasts, whoever they were, would even dare try to harm such a young horse... though he supposed if they were apart of the pegasi revolutionaries, they were probably thinking the same thing of the rest of the Talori with the young filly that had been sacrificed. Without a second thought, Sven dove into the blur of horses around him, galloping in the direction of the young colt. He knew that if he were any of his younger siblings, he would wish that someone would be there to protect them, and Sven wasn't about to let anything else bad to happen. "Kid," He called out when he was finally close enough to the colt for him to hear him clearly. "Go into the Temple and find somewhere to hide! It isn't safe-" Sven was suddenly cut off by a sudden shove that almost knocked him to the ground, and he turned just in time for a large stallion to barrel into him. "Run!"
Word Count: 708
Post 4
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Post by mariahwhy on Jan 29, 2016 22:16:46 GMT -6
Seven | Foal
His pale, cloven hooves clicked like a metronome, the cadence of which slowed with each disappointing word that he got in response. By the time Naveen had completely dismissed the idea his hooves had stopped completely. The strange, tense silence of the feuding city took over once more between the words of the adults. Seven was crest-fallen, and looked forlornly down at his hooves in an unintentionally exaggerated gesture of dismay.
But with the sudden lows of childhood also comes the immediate highs, and Taishen's words brought the colt back to life. His head snapped up. Any tear that might have been forming had dried instantly. The guardian was a hero. If someone had asked him right then what he wanted to be when he grew up he'd say without a moment's though he wanted to be just like Taishen. He made a quick mental note to start looking for a blue roan, hippocampus colt his age to practice arguing with about boring adult things.
"This is going to be great! We will be the best patrol EVER!" he shouted. In his excitement he ran up the stairs, ducking between Heidi and Kenneth. He smiled wildly at them. Then, in a sudden moment of childish seriousness, he paused next to Naveen. "All company is 'ppreciated," he offered, in the most guardian-like voice he had. Then he bounced once more down the stairs to stand next to Taishen. He puffed his narrow chest out as far as it would go.
The colt marched alongside Taishen, every movement copied and exaggerated. When the guardian looked to the sky, so did the colt, before turning his head to give somber nods to the others. But, in the same lack of sense as he displayed earlier, he could not tell the new change in the atmosphere. He curiously awaited his new orders, but next moment he knew Taishen was on the ground and they were surrounded.
He didn't know what was happening. He had never been in any such situation, and could hardly comprehend it. A squeal peeled from his throat, and he scrambled backwards. His haunches bumped into someone, and he whipped around hoping to find Heidi, Kenneth, or even Naveen standing there. Before he could even focus on them a large body rammed into him, sending him rolling.
He struggled to his hooves, a blessing attack just barely missing his back as he stood. His vision was swimming. Everything sounded distant except for the roar of blood in his ears. But he could just make out an unfamiliar voice calling for him to run. He didn't even bother to look around to find the speaker. He was scared. So scared.
He turned to the temple, to Cascade, and ran.
(Post 4: 457 words)
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Post by sapphiresquire on Jan 30, 2016 0:12:48 GMT -6
Lukan || Guardian
The Guardian would later be ashamed to say that the ruckus from just outside the temple had taken him by surprise, but for the moment he pushed that aside and was already only a few strides behind Eden; a second thought made him pause to look back at the rest of the temple's occupants. Besides seeing Taishen leaving just a few moments early - and suspecting the other guardian was already involved in whatever conflict had approached them - no one here had any sort of training in combat, at least not that he was aware of. They were all servants, entertainers, healers, and children, all of the horses he was meant to be protecting. Gritting his teeth, Lukan turned to look back into the temple, ears angled back to listen to the commotion outside. He spoke quickly, fear clenching his heart for the safety of everyone his eyes fell on as he looked around the temple. "If you can help do what you can, but otherwise stay inside the temple. Hide if you can, defend yourselves if it's necessary- Sven!" As the already injured stallion brushed passed him Lukan called out his name trying to stop him before half rearing to turn around once more, long quick strides taking him to the temple's steps.
With his heart pounding the stallion looked out into the shadowy rain soaked street with wide eyes, first looking to the group of temple goers stopped just beyond the steps. Taishen was already on the ground, Sven was racing into the fray and a young colt was streaking back toward the temple. The aggressors advancing on the group looked nearly savage to Lukan, brandishing their weapons high and with a wild venom in their eyes. It was a horrifying sight but the Guardian was not scared - he was stuck. It felt as though his hooves had grown roots in a matter of seconds. He had broken up countless fights in the streets over the last week, but never had he expected to witness such an attack and on the very steps of a sacred place no less.
"Stop!" Lukan cried from the top of the steps before leaping down the stairs two at a time. They had already attacked, but perhaps it was not too late to make them see reason.
Words - 386
Post 4
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Post by Queerly on Jan 30, 2016 0:21:51 GMT -6
Nine. No, ten. Ten faces contorted into malice, and only five twisted in fear. Two to one wasn't very good odds, least of all when the bigger party had weapons. Even coming down the stairs, the rain stinging his eyes, Eden could see the sharp glint of blades and taste the spellwork that flitted through the air like lightning - some of it quite literally. Of fucking course these rebels would indulge the utter impudence of Ignacio's favor, would dare to bring such irreverence into their midst. Gods' sakes, they were bringing a fight right to Cascade's mortal doorstep. Her heart would bleed ichor for it, and Eden hoped the dissenters would bleed all the more. He was a pacifist by nature, but it stopped- oh, did it ever stop- when it was his brother's life on the line. When it was children.
A war cry stumbled from his lips, lacking practice but embodying every inch of his rage. He'd reached the bottom of the temple steps, and the colt was running towards him. That was good, that was very good until it wasn't, until right before his eyes a lightning bolt had ricocheted from those fighting and struck Seven's delicate ribs. He crumpled, and Eden felt his hips drop before he'd willed it, forward gallop becoming a clumsy sliding stop. Nearly he fell ass over hooves, legs scrambling to keep purchase on the wet stone. Nearly, nearly. But then he was there, at the foal's side, he was there and he could help, just maybe.
"I'm here." He breathed, though he knew not the colt's name, had never even seen him before in his life. Sometimes a voice was enough to soothe. The buckskin circled him, shielded him from the fighting so that any other spell, or weapon, or gods-damned horse would have to go through him before it could even hope to make another mark on Seven's fur, let them try. Eden wasn't strong, wasn't even particularly fast, but by froth he was solid.
OOC// Mariah, I hope the bit of godmoding is okay as I figured you might want Seven to stay in the middle of the action! If it's not, PLEASE let me know and I will re-write asap <333
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Post by teapocaiypse on Jan 30, 2016 1:25:25 GMT -6
Heidi | Indentured Servant
Dipping her head ever so slightly, the mare was relieved when the stallion still stuck on the task of taking little Seven home. However, she didn't count on him just leaving the colt, no Guardian would do such a thing. "I will accompany you and Seven," Heidi offered, flicking her damp locks out of her eyes. Returning back into the Temple was the last thing she wanted to do at this point, she had already spent hours wandering those halls, and she certainly wasn't going back in there to spend a few more. Besides, even if the weather wasn't particularly great, it still gave her a chance to get some fresh air. At Seven's excited, but shrill, little voice, she couldn't help but smile in amusement. Of course the young weren't sold on everyone, but Heidi found a soft spot in herself while watching the colt skip around joyfully.
"Everyone, hold on a moment, I-" And just like that chaos erupted. Taishen was the first one to go down and Seven would likely be the next, but Cascade seemed to show mercy, several more horses barreled through the Temple doors to join her and the others.
All Heidi could do was blink. Had all this really just happened? Only Moments ago had Taishen been attempting to rally a small patrol to help Seven home, and now the group was being ambushed by a thrall of armed Pegasi. It was a blur around her for a moment before reality hit, and in all honesty, she seemed just as dazed as Seven was when mayhem hit. It was fight or flight, and flight was no longer an option! When witnessing Taishen be bowled over, the mares gut practically flipped, "Taish-" She went to call, but suddenly winced and staggered to the side when flying hooves hit her side, barely being able to catch herself from falling. "Bastard!" She snarled at the one who dared to strike her; a larger mare with teeth bared and weapon drawn. Without a second thought, Heidi charged, ramming the enemy mare in the chest with full force. She sure as well wasn't going down without a fight.
Post 3 | Word Count: 363
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Post by Jennycallie on Feb 1, 2016 13:53:32 GMT -6
Taishen | Guardian
Well, if there was anything more embarrassing than being knocked ass over hooves by a gust of air, Taishen wasn't sure what it could be. He wasn't hurt, not really- his hips had barely scrapped across the stones before he was twisting, surging back to his hooves again with reflexes honed by years of training. And easy enough to turn embarrassment in to anger- in to fury. Indeed as Taishen regained his hooves, he felt a trembling, a resonance deep within his heart, his soul, a resonance that surged in time to his pulsing waves of fury. Unknown to the stallion, the puddles at his hooves were trembling in time to these waves within his heart, droplets dancing across the agitated surface.
He had been blessed by Cascade for some months now with water manipulation, but had yet to achieve anything with it, had at times wondered if She was mocking him, passing judgement on him for being a horse, unworthy to truly wield Her blessing, to use Her holy water. They were unworthy, thoughts, he had known that, but mastery over one's mind is a difficult feat indeed.
But now, heartbeats after the attack was sprung, as Tai stood and looked around in to the eyes of these- these dissenters, daring to attack Talorians practically at the temple steps, to attack a foal-
Something was boiling in Taishen's soul, a building wave of pressure that he would not, could not stem. Water is kind, water is gentle. These things are known, are loved by the Talori. And they know another thing, too: water has no mercy for those who do not respect it.
As Tai's brown eyes swept the chaos, his pupils contracted to tiny pricks of light that flashed blue-grey, just once, in (surely) the light of a passing spell. Then they dilated again, and all the power and rage of Cascade's ocean swirled in their depths. And then the dam within his soul broke.
Taishen screamed his fury, the sound lost in the swirling chaos of the battle but even as the sound left his lips, the puddles at his hooves, the other's hooves, even the falling rain near him began to coalesce, wreathing him in whirling orbs of water. Without hesitation, without thinking about it, Taishen launched the water missiles with a flick of his mind, one taking out the nearest combatant, the other sent hissing towards Heidi's attacker. Even as the orbs were launched, Taishen was forming more without conscious thought. His mind was focused on other things.
Seven, where was Seven? If he had gone down in the clamor of hooves-
He heard a distant shout, recognized Lukan's voice even over the din. Another Guardian, thank the waves- as Tai's eyes cut towards where he had heard the shout, he saw-
Eden? Oh, no, no, no- and-
"SEVEN," Taishen screamed, seeing the fleeing colt, watched him struck, crumple. The very rain seemed to tremble, to bow away from a palpable aura around Tai as he vented his rage, as he tried to get to them.
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Post by farquaadstarquad on Feb 2, 2016 0:11:41 GMT -6
“Farewell,” Naveen bowed his head to Taishen and Seven. “I wish you a safe patrol....” The forced smile made another reappearance as he watched the pair leave. “It was a pleasure to meet all of you,” and on that parting note, he made his leave.
He was not even a few strides from the temple steps when, out of nowhere, extremists poured out from a nearby alley.
Like a swarm of angry wasps they came. Their angry cries of rebellion filled the air - promises of destruction, foul words intended to cut as deeply as the blades they carried with them. He could see the gleam of madness in their eyes.
The gall of these extremist for attacking a holy place!
Naveen was disgusted, outraged, and wished for nothing more than to see these extremist dead - or better yet, shipped off to Valore as slaves. They were all foul creatures who did not deserve the affections of the holy water mother. The duty to exterminate these extremist fell upon his - and the other temple-goers - shoulders. He would not stand idly as the extremists attacked the temple. It was a sacred, holy place, and it was vital that it be protected. If a few lives had to be taken in the process, then so be it.
“TRAITORS!” He bellowed.
Naveen charged towards the extremists. One had already knocked the guardian down (which, in all honesty, he found a little amusing). Though the status of the others was not of much concern to him for the time being. He hardly paid mind to the other equines that had come rushing out of the temple.
Out of nowhere a water missile hit him right in the face. Blinded by the water in his face, he lost his footing and was sent to the ground.
One of the pegasi extremist took this as an opportunity of attack and made a beeline for him. Just as he made a move to get up, she barrelled right into him, and flared out her wings. He was sent to the ground once more.
Naveen scrambled back up on his feet as fast as he could, and whipped around to face her. He was soaked, his knees were scraped and blood dripped down from them, and his hair was an absolute mess. “Cascade frowns upon you!” he yelled at her, anger twisting his features. “You are all idiots. The sacrifices are a necessity. Pegasi are impure, unworthy of Cascade’s love. But our water mother is gracious, and she allows them to be chosen, to be reborn in her image. How dare you impugn that honor!"
She merely laughed at him. “Show me what you’ve got, pretty boy,” she taunted, circling him. The gleam of a dagger caught his eye.
Without hesitation, Naveen lunged at the mare.
(WC: 469 | Post 4)
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Post by swaggalatte on Feb 2, 2016 23:07:16 GMT -6
Kenneth | Agriculturalist
The older stallion had to admit that he was a bit surprised that the Guardian made time to escort the foal. Kenneth supposed, though, that it was a part of protecting the civilians. He was glad that they had come to the conclusion of taking Seven home. Especially since Naveen would NOT be coming along. Kenneth questioned whether or not another equine had ever caused him so much irritation in less than four sentences. He hoped he would never have to work alongside him.
Just as their quest had begun, though, it had been immediately halted. When Taishen slowed, informing them to wait, Kenneth felt his skin prickle. Something was not right. The wind had picked up, and the rain turned colder.
"What is it Ta-" he had started, only to be interrupted by a sudden explosive wave of magical attacks. Pegasi extremists were attempting a raid on the temple.
Kenneth's battle instincts kicked on immediately, and he placed himself between Seven and the assailants. Kenneth had experience, but his target had youth and a blessing. He had not been lucky enough to possess a blessing, and at 47 years old, he doubted he would get one. Maneuvering tactically, the large appaloosa utilized his weight and build to press hard against the rogue pegasus,only to feel his skin burn and quiver. His forelegs felt weak. What had he been hit by?
As he rammer into his assailant, the pegasus tumbled back, landing heavily on their hooves. They immediately continued their attack, and a spark of light shot from them, and Kenneth had to dodge widely. Electricity manipulation.
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Word Count: 270
Post 4
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Feb 4, 2016 9:33:43 GMT -6
Sven | Talori | Entertainer
Sven dodged and ran through the rain to get away from the constant dangerous individuals that came after him, only to return to the heat of battle once he was out of reach. His eyes squinted through the rain when he saw a brilliant flash of light. He saw lightning form from one of the attackers aimed at the temple, and Sven could feel his gut clench anxiously when he saw the attacker's target: the colt. It was like watching the scene in slow motion. The lightning shot from the horse and created a sickening crack as it collided with the young unicorn, and Sven felt himself stiffen as he crumbled on the stairs of the Temple, immobilized by electricity of the attack.
Just as soon as it was over, the world rocked back into fast forward. He heard the angered shout of a stallion not far away that was staring at the fallen colt, and Sven's brows furrowed at the sight before him. Was the rain... pulsing around him? The water formed orbs in the air as a crack of lightning illuminated the sky above them. Before he could make out what was happening, his hooves were knocked out from underneath him as one of the attackers tackled him to the ground. The wind was knocked out of his lungs, and he felt his skin scrape across the ground. Thankfully, getting knocked to the ground worked in his favor though, as the stallion, who Sven was almost positive was a Guardian, shot the bullets of water around him. One of which hit his attacker square in one of his legs that made a sickening crack as he cried out in pain.
Sven quickly gathered himself and returned to his hooves to gallop over to where the colt had fallen. Eden was already there, protectively standing over the unicorn in case any of them thought about attacking the child again. His green eyes filled with worry at the sight of the poor kid, and he couldn't help but imagine if he were one of his own younger siblings, who he prayed were safe from all of this right now. "Eden, is he going to be okay?" Sven shouted over the rain and the fighting, feeling his wounds sting and his face swelling up slightly where he had fallen on it. His head snapped to the side when he heard the crack of another bolt of lightning from the blessed attacker, but this time the bolt was aimed at an appaloosa stallion. Sven snorted, trying to figure out a way to take down the assailant. As the larger stallion knocked the pegasus back, Sven trotted to stand close by him, glancing over in the appaloosa's direction. "Care for a little 2 versus 1 match?" If one of them were to distract the rebel from attacking them, maybe one of them would be able to get in a shot.
Word Count: 489
Post 5
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Post by mariahwhy on Feb 4, 2016 15:05:20 GMT -6
Seven | FoalSeven's small body was his only advantage. He raced through the mob of horses, managing to dodge many of them without even trying. This was fortunate because he couldn't see anyone - it was a blind panic. Friend. Foe. None of them registered. All he could see was the gold of the temple shining in front of him like a beacon. The journey seemed longer than it really was, though the first attacker had knocked him away from the shrine. But he was so close now. Just another two strides and he'd be on the stairs. They were covered in horses as well, but that didn't matter, because Cascade was there too. But he never made it to her. It was like another horse, even larger than the first, had slammed right into the side of his rib cage. The breath was knocked out of him, and there was only a split second before everything went black. It wasn't even long enough to realize that it hadn't been a horse that had slammed into him, but a bolt of lightning. His body fell to the ground. Seven wasn't unconscious for long. Just long enough to be barely missed by a few horses that did not even realize they were stepping over him. The first thing he could understand was that someone was talking to him. The voice seemed distant, yet clear, like it was being spoken underwater. 'I'm here.' His big eyes blinked several times, not quite focusing. His vision was coming back too, just as slowly as his hearing. The horse that seemed to have spoken was standing over him, a golden mirage against the dark sky. 'I'm here.'All of the images of Cascade depicted her as a striped, bay; a lot like Emperor Hawkeye, but with a magnificent green mane and fins. But perhaps they were wrong. It would certainly be a lot more magnificent if she were golden. Made of pure gold, just like the statues in the temple. Never mind the short brown mane she now seemed to be sporting: she could look however she wanted. A small smile tried to creep across his face. "Cascade," he mumbled, barely coherent. "You're here." He struggled to sit up. He was fully alert now, and could get a better look at the horse above him. Ok, so they weren't pure gold. But perhaps it was still Cascade? Or at the least she had sent them to protect him. Of that he was certain, though he couldn't stop himself from holding onto the smallest thread of hope that it was Cascade in that body. He had managed to prop himself up on his chest, but that was as far as he could go. He tried to place a hoof on the ground, but his leg, no matter how hard he seemed to be trying, only moved a few inches. Trying to control his legs felt like trying to control water. It was like they had all fallen asleep, and he couldn't wake them up. Realization was finally starting to sink in. The noise of the continuing battle had filtered through his imagination, and the inability to stand brought a bolt of worry heaving into his chest. He suddenly felt sore - not painful, but incredibly sore. He was tired. He wanted to be home. This wasn't fun anymore. The tears welling in his blue eyes made them shimmer just as the stub of his horn did. He turned them up towards his savior. "Please make the fighting stop."
(Post 5: 588 words) (Julie, you're totally fine. I had planned for Seven to be attacked in my next post anyway, so the fact that you did it is even better.  )
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Post by posy-punch on Feb 7, 2016 21:00:27 GMT -6
Sinclair | Servant The wraith-like mare was assaulted with sudden noise and a clash of body against body, audibly from outside the temple. She was stood frozen for a moment, she was not one to investigate such noise, such a brutal sound to her delicate ears. Then everyone in the small group she was in tore of for the steps. She stood for a moment longer and then began to creep to the scene. From a column just outside of the main entrance came a whisper of noise. She immediately went on alert and then completely lost sense when the horse stepped through the bricks. She barely contained her scream as the actual ghost horse attacked her, the black stallion's sharp teeth closing around her neck as he became tangible and snaked around her defense. She writhed and finding no apparent escape went limp. Her weight dragged down so much in that last ditch effort that skin tore and teeth finally clanged as they snapped together. He'd lost his hold of her. She scrambled on the tiles, blood stained, her blood. Her white coat dripped with the red oozing liquid. It created rivulets on her coat. Had she not been in excruciating pain and in overbearing fear she would have found it almost sadistically beautiful. The stallion was in a daze almost. She stood shakily and near flew down the steps. How enchanting for the ghost to meet the ghost. Her blue eyes glittered in pain and tears. The stallion pulled from a sheath at his knee a wicked looking blade. "Come here pretty, you look almost like a swan. You lack the wings though." He had continued with something, but she was distracted. His voice was like silk and it was laced with poison. He was insane. Pegasi were the lowest race, Cascade didn't demote. Especially the devout. The fact that what the stallion had spoken was so blasphemous. The very fact that he'd threatened and attacked someone in Cascade's temple. She was filled with rage and forgot the wound at her throat, the wound that still spattered the tiles and steps now that she'd dashed into the light. He went intangible. She could pick up his tricks now. He danced like a snake. He moved like Cethin. As if he were always thinking of the best moves, blind to the stupid mistakes. He was too much like her brother and yet so not her brother. The fact that this was such reassured her that there was hope, but made her extremely worried for the outcome for her. How dare he, the thought, his speech, it still tore at her heart and she immediately craved to teach this one a lesson. He was moving now, fast but laid back. He thought she would be an easy target. He came to clash at her again and she saw the very moment he went tangible. She then did a wild dash to the side and struck out with her back legs, aiming low, for the legs. She felt her hoof connect with hard bone and then she slipped. You heard. She just tripped her attacker and now she was rolling down the steps. Slipped on her own blood. He was on top of her again, infuriated that she'd landed a hit on him, someone so incompetent. She screamed then and then gasped for air as she depleted what was in her lungs. He had a dagger pressed to her neck. He was insane, he must be. The small dagger made neat curved lines. "There are your gills, better hope Cascade offers you the 'honor' of rebirth too." With those last unhealthy words the stallion danced away from her, sprawled on the steps in desperate need of healing now. And then she lost consciousness. [629 Words]
OOC:// Sin's not much of a fighter, she's probably the most inept in this fight. Her attacker should be moderately simple to incapacitate since he fell on the steps and is weak from using his blessing so much |D |
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Post by Queerly on Feb 12, 2016 7:42:12 GMT -6
Eden was at a loss. How do you look into the bright, desperate eyes of a child and tell them there's nothing you can do- that you can't save them, not really, you just hope that your will and body will be enough to safeguard them until more able help was available? You can't, or at the very least your heart is unwilling to let you. The words couldn't leave his mouth, stuck in his throat like tar. Eden swallowed past the lump, tasting the bitterness of all his shortcomings. In the haze of disorientation, the boy had called him Cascade. How the hell was he supposed to live up to that? "Don't worry about them." He said, stepping over Seven so that colt was between his front legs, "Cascade doesn't let bad guys win, you know?"
The chaos was growing steadily out of hoof, if it wasn't there already. Eden turned his gaze to the main brawl, where hooves and teeth and the wild, furious flash of water manipulation drew blood. Eden had never seen his brother's blessing so potent, so wildly out of control and focused at once. The paint was on his way towards them, and that was certainly a welcomed sight, for Taishen had more mettle than himself-
Someone screamed. Eden felt the sound reverberate in his soul.
Frantically he tore his eyes from Taishen's approach, looking about wildly for a moment before he found the source, found it just in time to watch Sinclair's throat be slit- but not quick enough to stop it. It was a sight that would haunt him for years, would keep him awake on long, merciless nights but for now? For now he had to struggle with a need to both save the mare's life while keeping his current charge safe.
"Taishen," He bellowed, and hoped that it would rally his sibling to fly to his side quickly.
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Post by swaggalatte on Feb 12, 2016 20:26:42 GMT -6
Kenneth | Agriculturalist
His head was a little frazzled, and his vision seemed to be dimmer and more blurry than normal. Shaking his head in an attempt to refocus, he felt warm liquid drip from his nose. It felt as if someone was pressing hard against his chest. One hit and he was nearly out of the game. If he hadn't been so intently focused on the assailing pegasi, he might have been embarrassed. For now, he would ignore his possibly failing heart, and protect those around him.
"Care for a little 2 versus 1 match?"
The attention from both Kenneth and the pegasus was drawn away from the conflict between them, and instead was attuned to the new equine. Kenneth expected it to be another extremist, and he tried to stand taller with a wider stance. When he actually saw the newcomer, though, a relieved smile grew on his face. He had seen him before, but he could not remember his name. That did not matter right now though, all that mattered was that he was here and on Kenneth's side. That appaloosa moved his head a little too quickly as he turned back to the pegasi, and he was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea.
"You might want to find one more if you want to have an even match," the pegasus taunted, charging another attack. Laying his ears flat on his head, Kenneth stood to his full height.
"I don't need a Blessing to be able to defeat my enemies," Kenneth spat, moving to start circling the other horse. If he could hold their attention, the entertainer could hit him from behind. And if he couldn't then he could attack while his ally distracted. As he awaited for another electric shock, he began to formulate a plan. If he could seem wounded enough to not be a threat, he might be able to sneak attack the pegasus while the other had his attention.
Word Count: 326 | Post 5
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