Rowan Victors's Story

The heartless, cold streets of the bowels were lit by the burning trash barrels that peeked from every alley. wounded men lay dying in the way of traffic, trampled as the mindless sheeple hurried home - if they had one. Children were crushed against the tide of foot traffic, while people were killed in back alleys and at the doorsteps of establishments. The bars were teeming to capacity as booze flew off the shelf - people squandering their last dime for a chance to escape at the bottom of their bottle. Prostitutes from ages as early as seven worked in public, tossing aside shame for preservation.

In other words, it was a basic night in the Bowels.

Save for Arthur Evans and his band. 'Ares' Rested his ass on a camping stool as he looked out over the assembled freedom fighters. His blade and whetstone lay on the desk - a battered and broken trunk. He held a bottle of whiskey in one hand ad a shot glass in the other. Liquid courage flowed down his throat.

"Tonight, the fight begins. Tonight, we decide that we are more than individuals. We are a people!" he slammed the shot glass onto the trunk, standing. "We need to band together, to raise our fists towards the heavens and demand equality!"

Arthur Evans smiled and got up, stretching slightly as he did so. "Right, feeding them their scrotums and such. Obviously you did a mighty fine job fucking over Psycho and her gang, but let's face it. that's one plant. There's how many others? Eighty? Ninety? Does anyone know anymore?" He sighed softly "We need to get an agent into Middle-Town. There's a slew of arms dealers who would love to arm a rebellion. Only problem is that we don't have anyone willing to be 'bought.'" He sighed and tossed the whiskey at the wall, causing it to shatter. "This fucking rebellion can't get off its arse without someone besides me showing some initiative." He pointed at Rowan. "You. I know you hate your past, but... maybe you can be a pretty little actress for the resistance"

ARES

Arthur walked over to Rowan and took the bottle, giving her a sad, knowing look. "We've all got shit in our britches, Rowan. I'm not saying you need to fuck anyone. I'm saying that we need you to help us. Please Rowan. I wouldn't ask if there was another way, but face it. Elysium is famous down here, and word travels pretty far. I'm wanted everywhere. Erik has his little cult of Hitler worshippers, so he'd be spotted instantly." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Please? For us?" His handsome face was a small gap away, begging her.

Arthur stepped aside and sat back down, letting Rowan go. He simply stared out at the congregation before him. He sighed internally and picked up a bottle of rum, cracking it open and drinking it down. "We will all have to make sacrifices before Snatch falls."

Arthur stepped aside and sat back down, letting Rowan go. He simply stared out at the congregation before him. He sighed internally and picked up a bottle of rum, cracking it open and drinking it down. "We will all have to make sacrifices before Snatch falls."

Elsa had stayed quiet for most of what was going on. She rarely spoke up, and usually kept to herself. Then again, where they lived things didn't really change. Everything seemed bad and depressing. People dying and starving all around, all of the time. For once there was a bit of hope in Elsa's eyes. The freedom fighters made her want to believe that they had some sort of chance.. If they actually did or not. She watched as the others got excited to fight, but she stood at bay with the idea. She wasn't much of a fighter.. But she still wanted to help in any way she could.

She agreed with Rowan on the idea of prostitution though, that wasn't something she'd be comfortable doing. Elsa was a bit more innocent and reserved for that, even living where she was. She watched as the girl attacked Ares who had edged her a little further on the idea. Though she didn't have the bold kind of temper Rowan had, she didn't blame the girl for reacting like that. Actually, she thought it was kind of funny.

She almost laughed, but felt it was best if she kept quiet instead. She decided she'd speak up if she had anything to add to the group, but otherwise just follow beside them, imagining she probably wouldn't be noticed anyway.

Ares went down quicker than a sack of bricks tossed from a side of the building. The impending call of gravity was too much, and his face met the ground with an austere ‘whump’. Elysium immediately crouched down to his side in hopes of getting their leader reoriented once again. It was apparent that the man could not hold his liquor, or if he could- that he had been drinking for far longer than the red head had assumed. As he tried to pull himself upwards he only met the ground once again and seemed to pause there- lamenting his choices in life. She smiled a bit at his words. It wasn’t a ‘you are drunk and I am sober’ condescending smirk that she might have given any other time, but a truthful little turn of the lips. “It is never easier from down here. If it was- then we would have already won. Come on Ares- even you know that.” Her arms went to his waist and he attempted to straighten the man to the best of her ability. “As my mother once said: ‘if you don’t fight for something- if it is just given to you- then you can’t know its’ value.’ I used to think that she was just being matronly and attempting to come up for little saying about everything- but- that wasn’t it. She was just trying to prepare me for this world. And it would be the same world that would rip her from me.” Elysium hesitated. “Maybe she knew.”

Yet that moment was cut short by Rowan’s return. Ever so poignant and exasperating the other woman was. “Bitch,” Elysium grumbled under her lips- even though Rowan had complimented her in a roundabout way. The woman just chugged along as if- well as if she owned the place and their leader wasn’t a puddle on the ground below. “I think your plan is just fine- I just think someone needs quite the stern talking too about how to take orders.” Elysium remarked- assured that she was going to have to do that part herself considering Ares was in no condition to start rabble rousing with the feisty woman. “It isn’t going to be real- right?”

While Elysium had to admire Rowan’s gung-ho spirit she was a bit put off by her painfully bleak nature. Being part of this Rebellion meant taking risks, and using one’s skill set to their full potential. Their cocky rogue only seemed to want things to suit herself, and not at all for the benefit of the group. While the redhead was assured that the other woman didn’t want to relive traumatic events of the past- Elysium realized what had to be done when it had to be done. Somewhere in all those depraved and cruel harems was her mother, and she was dead set on freeing that woman and feeding her captors their own innards.

“Ares- seriously- they will torture you.” Of course that is what he had meant by ‘talk’, but Elysium had to state the obvious to reiterate the point. Rowan reentered to finally commit to the job, and honestly Elysium was relieved to finally hear such news. Maybe they could put all this past them and finally rest their heads for the evening. It was apparent that two of these three for too drunk for their own good, and the sober one’s patience was wearing on thin ice. Elysium stroked the smattering of hair off of Ares’s brow and sighed. “There- are we all situated?” It was then she glanced at Rowan, “I’ll help you in any way possible. While I can’t do much publically- I can maybe keep an eye on you from the inside. I have a few connections there.” She grinned, “Let’s just say there are a few people that would love to owe me favors for not rearranging their faces.”
Elysium turned back to Ares. “Let’s get you to bed sugar, because as I said before: you look like shit.”

While strong- Elysium was no monster when it came to strength. Ares was out against her body, and she slowly stood in hopes of rearranging his unconscious form in a bit more of a pitiable direction. “Hey Rowan,” the redhead stated in an exasperated tone. “You think you could help me get our fearless and asleep leader back to his tent? I don’t think I can manage it on my own.” She paused. “And this is the part where you make fun of me for not being as strong as I boast. ‘Can’t even get an eighteen year old man to bed- what sort of fearless pit fighter are you?’” The situation was probably a bit too dark to start jesting about random this and that, but honestly Elysium couldn’t quite fathom how to properly engage in conversation with Rowan.
She didn’t know the rogue personally- not like she really knew anyone here that well, but at least they were comrades in arms and blood. The dark haired woman may not have had a reputation, but she sure as hell had a strikingly powerful silhouette. Her mouth may have shot off a few times in a manner that Elysium didn’t much care for, but her heart seemed to be in the right place- no matter how dark it was.

“Oh I think he had the intent to become unconscious- I just don’t think he was able to pick the ‘when’ out that well.” Elysium stated as sweet as she could muster as she maneuvered herself to the man’s legs and began to help hoist him up. “Hah-hah.” She stated flatly as she lifted Ares to the best of her ability. And mind you- that it wasn’t really the strength required to lift him that seemed to be most of the problem, but how to grab him that she wasn’t touching anything inappropriate. Elysium was assured that if Ares stirred awake at any moment it would be when she accidentally grabbed his crotch while attempting to readjust his legs. “I could get any man in bed- not that I would want any man- but I could. I bet you I could get Ares in my bed not drunk and/or unconscious.” She boasted like a prideful bird that had had her feathers ruffled.

As they both strained to return the man back to his bed- Elysium found that the awkward silence while manhandling their leader was a bit suffocating. “Are you sure everything is- ah- alright?”

“I figure it is about the same,” Elysium remarked but cautiously as they managed to slowly slid Ares into the tent he called home. “But getting the sense of power and authority you once had completely back- that is probably a lot harder. Men have always led, and women have always stayed at home and provided them sons, and support- not that they really ever act like they need the latter. But that is the way of things, and probably will be the way of things unless this world flips over and men start having the babies.” She sighed, “I’ve always wanted children- figured I probably would have had them by now. But life has taken an interesting turn. Maybe someday.” She paused. “Maybe never.” Yet her thoughts ended there as they crossed the threshold. Honestly the red head attempted not to eye Ares’s tent with too much scrutinizing. She figured if the shoe was on the other foot that he would attempt to duck his head in and out as quickly as possible to not learn about her life.

Her eyes plucked the bed out among his other furniture, and countless other things that made Ares- well Ares. She had to admire the man for holding it together for as long as he had, and offered him no fault in carrying his drunken carcass back to his tent. Honestly if she wasn’t watching her physical and mental prowess she might have joined him. “There we go,” Elysium remarked as she began to position Ares over his mattress in hopes of not releasing him too jarringly onto the thing. “It is your skills that got him to ask you of this- not because you’re a woman. IF he didn’t think you could handle it- you wouldn’t be handling it. And I’m sure your more valuable skills will be used in far more advantageous ways. Yeah? I mean I’m not always a blunt instrument, but that is what people view me as. Ares knows we have other tricks, and he knows we are loyal- you especially.” Elysium glanced down- there was a curious look on her face but she muffled it for sake of the conversation. “And when we win- well- we’ll have our own little penthouses. I know I know- equality- but for at least week it would be nice. And you will never have to worry about doing what you don’t want to do- ever again- except maybe this again. Can’t say Ares will stop drinking after this is done.” He hesitated, “are we ready to lower him?”

Rowan listened to Elysium and she was quiet. Once in Ares tent, She stopped and Rowan looked up. “It is your skills that got him to ask you of this- not because you’re a woman. IF he didn’t think you could handle it- you wouldn’t be handling it. And I’m sure your more valuable skills will be used in far more advantageous ways. Yeah? I mean I’m not always a blunt instrument, but that is what people view me as. Ares knows we have other tricks, and he knows we are loyal- you especially.” Rowan arched an eyebrow. She wasn't sure what that implied but it made her feel strange. “And when we win- well- we’ll have our own little penthouses. I know I know- equality- but for at least week it would be nice. And you will never have to worry about doing what you don’t want to do- ever again- except maybe this again. Can’t say Ares will stop drinking after this is done.” Rowan cracked a smirk. “ Yea, Probably not.” , “are we ready to lower him?” She asked and Rowan nodded. “Yea, I'm not changing his clothes.” She said with a bit of a smirk. It was strange. Usually, it was next to impossible to change Rowan's mind but Elysium and Ares had managed to do that twice. Elysium made her feel slightly feel better about the situation. It sucked, it didn't change that, at all.

“Oh me either-“ Elysium remarked. She set the man down with Rowan at the same time, and once her hands was free- they came to her hips and she glanced over Ares with a concerning eye. It was not her position in life to judge whether or not people were worthy of leadership as she was far from it. No she figured that Ares deserved this bit of respite from his usual stalwart demeanor. “Ah- well I guess we are done here. Night Rowan.” She really didn’t leave much interpretation to that as she slipped from her leader’s tent.

Tomorrow was a busy day, and she was more than aware the taxations of staying up late would have on that. More so she didn’t think her thoughts or motivations required any more explanation than that.

Rowan watched as Elysium walked out of the tent, bidding her good night. "Yea..'Night." She said and slipped out of the tent herself. She made her way into her own tent, snatching a bottle up along the way. Once in her tent, she peeling off her clothes, slipped in a long night shirt and decided she'd lull herself to sleep with whatever she had in this bottle.