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Corin Apollonius

"So it goes."

0 · 467 views · located in Ankáthia

a character in “Seeds”, as played by Mac n Cheese

Description



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« "It is sometimes difficult to accept what you are given, but more difficult still to reject it entirely." »


[url=link to theme song]Theme song name | then artist[/url]


Fᴀᴄᴇ Cʟᴀɪᴍ ◆ Saki Watanabe ❘ Pᴏʀᴛʀᴀʏᴇᴅ Bʏ ◇ Mac N Cheese


Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ◆ #30004a ❘ Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ◇#5e5ca7



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FULL NAME
Corin Adima Apollonius
⌊Kor • EEN ❘ Meaning Spear, or Maiden, depending on origin⌉
⌊A • di • mah ❘ Noble, Renowned⌉
⌊Pro • nun • ciation for Last Name ❘ Meaning⌉


TITLE(S)
⌊Cori [Kor-EE] & Princess⌉

GENDER
⌊Female⌉

AGE
⌊Twenty-Two [22] ⌉

SEED
Cyclamen ● Original Seed ● Goodbye, Separation⌉

ROLE
⌊The Princess⌉

SEXUALITY
⌊Bisexual⌉

NATIONALITY
⌊Mix of German, Spanish, and Korean⌉



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I suppose I bare little resemblance to the king.
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HEIGHT ❖ WEIGHT

⌊5'4" ❖ 120lb⌉

HAIR COLOR

⌊Corin has unremarkable brown hair, rather dull in comparison to that of the king and his knights' hair, though in the sunlight one can catch threads of red hidden among the dull colors, like embers buried by ashes. She used to keep it very short, but has grown it out and often leaves it in a long low ponytail, tying it higher up only when necessary and very rarely leaving it down.⌉

EYE COLOR

⌊Somewhat more interesting than her hair, Corin has clear amber eyes. To look at them, one would think they lead straight into her soul. Still, they lack a certain expressiveness. ⌉

SKIN TONE

⌊Fair-Pale⌉

FACIAL MARKINGS

⌊Corin has no distinct facial markings.⌉

SCARS ❖ BIRTHMARKS ❖ ETC.↩

⌊Corin only recently ingested a seed, and thus the physical effects are still minor but growing every day. Faint roots reach through her skin, most visible at delicate areas such as her wrist and neck, and their is marking on her chest of the growing flower.⌉

GENERAL APPEARANCE

⌊If most people were asked to describe Corin, they would likely have very little to say. She is a young woman of unremarkable appearance, one of those faces easily lost in a crowd and not considered worth remembering. The only unique aspect of her may be those large amber eyes, if only because they seem to have the constant impression of observation and insincerity. Most recognize her only because she is the adopted child of King Apollonius, and for no other reason. ⌉


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Objection is a luxury for those who are able to stand on their own feet.
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PERSONALITY
§ Reserved § Survivalist § Cunning § Humorous §

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⌠"The best thing one can learn is how to lose."⌡
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⌊Having grown up the child of a family very low on the social totem pole, Corin was taught from a very young age how to hold her tongue and behave properly. Not behave properly in the sense of acting with dignity and pose, but rather to obey immediately her superiors. She came from a village in which saying the wrong thing to a socially superior person could have rather grievous consequences. While she was adopted by the king when still a child, and thus has come to fill one of the highest positions in the kingdom as the daughter of the absolute monarch, she never lost this reservation. Servants may constantly have reminded her that she was now a woman of rank, and the king never mistreated her, but the lessons ingrained while she was still very young remain. Many believe that personalities are just as much a result of genetics as they are environment --perhaps she is a prime example of this theory. Regardless of her situation, Corin is one of those people who are slow to speak their minds. This is especially true, until recent events, regarding the desires of her father: if he asked anything of her, the girl would say yes, for the still present whispering of servants reminds her that it is due to his kindness and pity that she is even still alive. Her debt to him has her striving to be as acceptable as possible in terms of avoiding argument of any sort. While she hardly lacks her own opinion, she is not one to express it if not asked for it, and even then will avoid conflict if at all possible. When people greet her she will smile and go along with what they say, trying to be as agreeable and as small a burden as possible. Where she comes from, making one's self small is the cleverest thing for those without rank to do, and in the end she is still a peasant girl, regardless of having spent now most of her life in the castle.

And yet, despite this desire to fulfill her debt, the girl has fled the castle. This is because the desire to continue living is very strong in Corin, who watched her own parents die. They died in such a way so that she may live, and while the memories she has of them are few and fading still, she remembers their plea that she run, and live. Thus, if it comes to a case of life or death the princess does not mind getting her hands dirty or stooping to low tactics. As far as she is concerned, the lowest thing a person can do is allow themselves a useless death, and she will avoid such a fate if at all possible. Unfortunately, this may run the risk of her looking out for herself when a situation becomes truly dire, and allowing her loyalties to take a backseat. If she has the opportunity to escape, or win a fight, she will take it without hesitation. In this since, the young woman is merciless. She may not be as well trained as other people, but she has the advantage of a keen sense of survival standing above nearly all else.

Luckily, the girl has a certain level of cunning to contribute to keeping herself alive. When one is as reserved as she is, and so intent on doing well the part she is assigned, they become rather good at reading atmospheres and situations. In a place like a royal court, once must have a certain level of situational awareness to get by, after all. Corin is an intelligent young woman, offered high quality tutors by her position in the castle, and environments in which to develop her intuition through the various social functions and exposure to court intrigue. Growing up in the palace she preferred the library to the salon, but is perfectly able to feign interest in such things in order to make others feel more comfortable. She aspires to become the perfect lady, after all, as though doing so can prove her worth. This is likely where the lack of sincerity in her eyes comes in: she has become accustomed to adopting airs to fit best whoever is speaking with her. It takes a measure of cunning to do such a thing, keeping everyone convinced of her being a cheerful, poised young lady, rather than the resigned, selfish, and somewhat cynical girl she truly is.

One thing that Corin seems unable to really help is her response to jokes. It is a large one, and unexpected from someone who usually seems so reserved and, frankly, solemn. When something funny happens, the girl will burst into laughter and be unable to stop it from spilling forth. It is the truth behind her act of cheerfulness, the reason people can believe her false smiles: because of course she has some source of joy, this is how she makes it through life. The girl has a secret obsession with silly jokes and other forms of comedy, seeking it as someone lost in a cave seeks threads of light. She frequently mutters things under her breath, and while many believe she is saying something apologetic or rude, it is often something she finds funny, a reference or a joke. It is very odd, when one first sees the very poised princess collapse onto the ground, unable to read. In fact, some find it creepy.⌉

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Happiness is a choice I'm trying to make, with gains and losses.
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LIKES
◊ Independent People ◊ ↣ Many admire in others that which they themselves do not possess. Corin believes herself rather useless and dependent, and thus tends to idolize those who are entirely self sufficient.
◊ Lessons ◊ ↣ Corin enjoys lessons because they mean broadening her own knowledge --something that she at least can develop of her own strength. She is also fond of lessons such as horseback riding and archery, though they are less frequent.
◊ Cats ◊ ↣ Without a doubt, the young woman is a cat person. If she could, she would adopt all of the stray cats in the kingdom. She likes their attitude.
◊ Blunt Honesty ◊ ↣ Corin is not accustomed to people speaking what they think directly to her face. Thus, when it does happen she is often taken aback at first, but soon finds herself appreciating it. Much like independence, it is something she admires in others.


DISLIKES
◆ Confinement ◆ ↣ The strange thing is that much of Corin's confinement is self-inflicted. She is free to roam the castle, of course, and if she asked would likely be allowed beyond this, and yet refuses to ask. She loathes confinement, but has only herself to blame for it.
◆ Loud Talking ◆ ↣ People who are incapable of regulating their volume bother Corin to no limit. She realizes it might be trivial of her, but when a person is constantly projecting a conversation for the world to hear she tends to form very poor opinions of them.
◆ Shoes ◆ ↣ Now this is simply silly of her, but Corin dislikes having her feet confined. If it were acceptable, she would never wear shoes.

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HABITS ❖ QUIRKS
◊ Counting Syllables ◊ ↣ When Corin was younger, she used to be bored easily and would count people's syllables as they spoke to her, often mouthing their words like a mirror image. She was told this was creepy and thus tries to suppress it, but when nervous tends to let it slip.
◊ Muttering ◊ ↣ Another thing Corin knows isn't particularly proper. She tends to mutter under her breath a lot, though she tries her best not to allow others to hear the little quips she makes, which range from bitingly sarcastic to those dumb jokes of hers.
◊ Shoes ◊ ↣ When in her own quarters, or alone at all really, Corin takes off her shoes almost immediately.


❖─────────────❖─────────────❖

STRENGTHS
◆ Survivalist ◆ ↣ A strength and a weakness, Corin's drive to survive means that she might be more willing to fight dirty when the need arises, and less likely to hesitate in situations of life and death.
◆ Clever ◆ ↣ Having been raised in the castle for over half of her life, Corin's street smarts, once sharp, have fallen in favor of book knowledge. She is quite well read, thanks to many tutors and a love for the quiet of a library, and life in the court has made her observant.
◆ Rank ◆ ↣ Hardly a strength she can really claim her own, but rank does have obvious benefits. She need merely reveal her identity and the princess would be provided shelter or food. Perhaps less of a strength now that she has fled the castle.


WEAKNESSES
◊ Inferiority Complex ◊ ↣ Although she is one of the highest ranking individuals in the kingdom, the nature of Corin's origin, as a very poor girl, has always left her with the feeling of an imposter, someone who was let in by accident. Because of this, she tends to feel inferior to others.
◊ Cynical ◊ ↣ Corin tends to expect the worst of situations, and while this allows her to brace herself, it can bring down the mood of others when she doesn't reign herself in. Luckily, she typically remembers to hold her tongue-- leaving it to mostly affect herself, exclusively.
◊ Soft-Spoken ◊ ↣ Corin knows when to hold her tongue, but is less well versed in when to speak. Because of this, she is less likely to make her opinions known, even when they may benefit the group.


❖─────────────❖─────────────❖

FEARS
◆ Permanent Dependence ◆ ↣ Corin fears never truly standing on her own strength. She has been leaning against the king for support for so long, she worries that she will falter without this crutch.
◆ Death ◆ ↣ As might have been guessed by her survivalist nature, the young woman abhors the idea of dying. Although, whether this is truly a fear or an adherence to an old promise depends very much on what the means of death that faces her is.


❖─────────────❖─────────────❖

SECRETS
◊ Various Habits ◊ ↣ Hardly a life threatening secret, but Corin tends to hide various little things, her loathing of shoes and counting syllables thing, for example, from those not very close to her. Mostly because she finds the habits silly and embarrassing.
◊ Knight Complex ◊ ↣ When she was growing up Corin would often see the king's knights training and going about their business. The equality granted by their armor, the strength which they possessed: she envied them for it. Even now, Corin would give anything to be a knight, serving the man who saved her as well as exploring and going about her own way.
◊ Childhood ◊ ↣ Everyone knows that Corin was adopted out of poverty, but they do not know why her parents died: they made what little money they had by begging and, when that didn't work, stealing. Imagine, the princess having once been a thieving beggar.

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It's strange, that a simple seed can make others into gods.
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VOCAL INFLUENCE

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⌠The ability to make your thoughts someone else's.⌡
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⌊Corin's power is one which could be rather dangerous, if developed properly. For now she of course is only a threat to herself, for she does not know of her ability. With her voice, she is able to influence the thoughts of others. She does not force someone to do something, per se, she cannot make them complete puppets [Perhaps with time]. Rather, people feel compelled to obey her command. Call it the ultimate charisma.⌉

❖──────❖──────❖

POWERXLIMITATIONS

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⌠If you stop it at it's source, the power is ineffective⌡
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⌊The most obvious limitation is that Corin's power is very much tied in with her ability to speak. Simply bind her mouth, remove her tongue, or do away with your own hearing and her ability is rendered useless. Besides this, at its current level her power can be dulled down by those well practiced in the blocking of their mind. Then, the desire to obey is merely an itch, not a full blown compulsion. The fact that the ability's source causes such damage to her body is certainly an unfortunate complication as well.⌉

❖──────❖──────❖

BOW & ARROW
⌊Arguably, Corin's weapon might be the equipment of an archer. Like most young ladies of standing, she has taken archery courses with the intent of it as a leisure activity. That being said, she has never used the skill practically, and thus for now it is more likely that her seed and her survival instinct are her best weapons. With merely a bow and arrow against anything more threatening than a rabbit, she might be at a disadvantage.⌉

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What's in the past cannot be relived, but it can be learned from.
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BIOGRAPHY
⌊Corin did not always bear the most noble surname of Apollonius. In fact, she was born into a family that had a surname only because everyone is expected to have one. In fact she herself is the child of orphans, who assigned their own names and never had nearly as much luck as she would later in life. Instead, Quinn & Wesley Owen were raised in a kingdom institution for orphaned children until they were of age, at which point they were promptly booted out. Not having many skills of their own, the pair got by doing menial labor jobs. This supported them well enough until they began having children, and they had a decent amount. Yes, Corin is not an only child. She was in fact the youngest child of her family, and thus the one inducted into the trade the earliest.

Menial labor did not properly fulfill the family needs, and so Quinn and Wesley turned to other methods to support their family. At first just begging and jobs carrying out nasty business, but soon they themselves were stealing as well. Corin was still a baby when she was used in this, for people give more money to mothers with infant children. She grew up stealing apples, food, the occasional coinpurse. Do not be mistaken, her family was not necessarily cruel itself, that would be an error of fundamental attribution. At home they were warm and loving, doting on their children though they could not give them all they wanted. Corin knew who had more than her, who to be respectful to and such, but she never felt the need to compare her own happiness to others. Perhaps because she was still young.

Her youth saved her. Three years younger than the sibling closest to her in age, when the family was involved in a scheme far larger than they were she was left at home. As it turns out, the deeds that they were carrying out for a much wealthier, higher ranked person, were ones meant to be kept a secret. And just as emperors have killed those who built their tombs so that the secrets would never be spilled, the Owens' employer decided to tie up loose ends. No one would miss a poor, beggar family with a reputation for dirty jobs. He sent his men to tie up the loose ends, and only the Quinn managed to escape, fleeing to the house to warn Corin to hide. This act, running to try and save her children, is why she was found and killed as well. Luckily, the man did not know of the youngest Owen daughter, and Corin survived.

She would have been doomed to roam the streets, an urchin, if not for the generosity of one man. She had been living on her own for a year when she tried to steal from the wrong person-- a king's knight. She ought to have been punished severely, but instead the king took pity, or for whatever reason, and adopted the filthy street urchin. Thus, Corin was whisked away into a life that had previously seemed only to exist in fairy tales. Unfortunately, there would always be the knowledge of her roots, leading to a large inferiority complex.

[will add more to bio if accepted, because life in palace may be dependent on knights and king and such.] ⌉

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Family is not defined by blood.
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FAMILY ❖ OTHER
❖ Biological Mother ↔ Quinn Owen ↔ 35 ↔ Deceased ❖
❖ Biological Father ↔ Wesley Owen ↔ 36 ↔ Deceased ❖
❖ Biological Sisters ↔ Annelise, Josephine, Delphine ↔ Deceased ❖
❖ Biological Brothers ↔ Theo, Matthias, Venn ↔ Deceased ❖
❖ Adopted Father ↔ Helios Apollonius ↔ Unknown ↔ Alive ❖


ⒸⓄⓅⓎⓇⒾⒼⒽⓉ ⓌⒶⓇⓃⒾⓃⒼ
cs by © ઽ૮૨Α
filled by Here

So begins...

Corin Apollonius's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard
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The setting changes from Louloúdia to Ankáthia

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

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⌠There is no room for me to fail.⌡
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The second group that advanced through the weald did so much more quietly, owing partly perhaps to the demeanors and skills of those that comprised it, but also to its much smaller size. Indeed, this group was nothing more in number than a man and a woman, the former having taken the front, and apparently going to pains to prevent any of the natural hazards of the forest from damaging his charge. He was careful to hold off thorny vines until after she had passed, using his superior height and familiarity with the trail inwards to put himself between she and the features of the environment that would otherwise have accosted her.

He did not, however, aid her any further than that. She walked by the strength of her own two feet, though that was by her disposition and not his. He would have offered to make it easier on her by carrying her the whole way himself, if he believed she would accept. But no, Sir Rainier knew the princess very well, and her refusal was obvious to him before the question was ever asked. He had to admit, he admired that about her—many in her position would have gladly taken advantage of all the things that came with their newfound station, but Corin had always been more modest than that. Sometimes frustratingly so, but he declined to tell her that.

After all, he’d already uprooted her entire life this morn, and he had no desire to make things any worse than they already were. But there it had been, that rogue thought in the King’s head—that those with the new Seeds must die. It was something he had acted upon immediately, enlisting Argo to see to the main group’s escape, considering how well-suited she was to it. Then, he had waited long enough for the news to break, and with the other knights, gone out in a search party, directing his eastward—a way he knew they had not gone. Those in his party were loyal to him first and foremost, and so when he told them to carry on the search without him, none had so much as batted an eyelash, and it was simple for him to avoid the notice of others as he doubled back into the palace.

He hadn’t been able to explain much to the princess, and he knew that she was taking much of this on faith, something that troubled him. Should she trust him so? She was his best friend, his oldest friend, but she was also the princess, and he a knight with a traitorous streak. There was so much he had not told her, for her own safety even more than his. That he would do it all again the same way did little to quell his unease.

Still, they were in the forest now, and he sensed no other minds nearby, only the faintest brush of animal consciousness, content to leave them be if they would do the same. Perhaps there was yet time to rectify some of his error. “Highness,” he started, his voice contrite. He only ever called her that when he felt he had erred, or was uncomfortable, or formality was necessary for some other reason. She was never just a princess to him, after all. “I feel I should apologize. I have told you very little of why we must do this, and I fear it is not happy knowledge. There are those who can tell the most of it better than I, but… I feel I owe it to you to try myself anyway.”

Rainier glanced back over his shoulder, a slightly-wry smile just barely touching his lips. “Is there somewhere you would like me to start?” He didn’t need to imagine her thoughts right now—he could perceive every one of them with all the clarity of daylight. He had not felt such regret in a long time as he did now—that she had been drawn into this shadowed corner of his world, she who was far too innocent to deserve any such thing.




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⌠Rescue or no rescue, I don't do cages.⌡
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Felix was hardly the type to trudge, but then he supposed the same could not be said for everyone. He carried himself through the forest with a sort of cervine grace, picking his way over and around obstacles rather than trying to move them aside. Of course, this was hardly any assistance to the people behind him, but he had to admit he wasn’t really thinking about them overmuch at the moment. An unforgiveable breach of courtesy, on most occasions, but he figured if anything gave a person a free pass, it was the events of roughly the last three days.

It had all started with the marks on his skin. Being from a military family, he recognized what he saw, he just didn’t understand it. He had ingested no Seed, and would certainly never volunteer for such an ignominious fate. For a darkly-tilting, paranoid moment, he imagined that someone must have slipped him one somehow, but soon discarded the notion as impossible. He was very good at what he did, and part of that involved sleeping lightly and being very careful about the sorts of things one eats and drinks. His skepticism had lasted as long as it took the blue-purple flower to take faint form on his chest, and then he’d almost begun to panic.

He’d told no one, but somehow they’d found him out anyway, or else they’d found out about his other secret, and either way, he’d found himself soon imprisoned within the castle. Protestations, delivered flawlessly in-character, had gotten him nowhere, not even when he threw his (rather weighty) surname and lineage into the equation. Well, he’d met very few things in life that didn’t bend for the Brandt name. He wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or impressed, so naturally he’d settled on cynical. Call it a coping mechanism.

And now here he was, but a day later, traipsing through the Thorn Forest at the behest of some diminutive double-agent, or whatever she must be to have palace access and also want to prevent whatever was planned from happening to them. Or perhaps it was all part of the same ploy, though if so, he would have to tip his hat to the planner, because he could make neither heads nor tails of it. Grimacing at a hanging vine that dared to try and entangle his hair—and that had been an exercise to try explaining to his mother—he continued forward, for once bereft of his usual smart mouth.

It returned, however, when the little agent went so far as to inform him what he may do if he so desired. Like reflex, an eyebrow ascended his forehead, and he blinked behind his sunglasses, proving quite useful now in the glare of morning sun. Raising his hand, as one about to ask a question in a classroom, he didn’t actually wait for permission to speak. “Not to seem ungrateful for the… assistance, Miss Argo, but I do have a question. Can I leave, if I wish?” he used the same phrasing as she had quite on purpose, though the emphasis to it was only slight, his tone one of polite inquiry, though that was hardly the motive behind it.

He figured, of course, that the answer was no, but he was, in certain circumstances, far too snide a bastard to let it go unremarked upon that for all their wishes, they were no less prisoners here than they had been a few minutes ago, it would seem.

Captivity didn’t agree with him.




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───────────────────────────────────────────────────
⌠The forest speaks, to those who will listen.⌡
───────────────────────────────────────────────────

The area to which Argo had led the strangers was, in fact, more than its location in the forest would cause one to believe. Though they were currently halted in a clearing, not too far beyond it was something considerably different from that. It was actually a small village of sorts, protected by the weald itself as well as the man who led it, and those who followed him. The first of those followers, though perhaps neither of them would describe her as such, was currently down by the river that ran to the west of the settlement, curling her bare toes into the silt of the riverbed, soft and smooth and thick against her skin. Crouching, she filled first one of the wooden buckets she carried, and then the other, attaching them to either end of a long pole, which she then set over her shoulders and stood with, her balance apparently effortless.

It was on the way back that she felt the subtle shift in the life-force of the forest that tipped her off to the fact that something had changed. Her eyebrows drew together in a faint furrow over ruby-colored eyes, and she pursed her lips just faintly, taking a detour from her planned trek to drop the water off at a closer location and then head, not towards the disturbance, but rather in the opposite direction.

It had been remarked before that Aurel was, when he so wished to be, a very difficult person to find. Aria had never encountered such difficulty, though it was hard to explain why not. It was as though she simply knew where he was at any given time, the same way she knew where the parts of her own body were—it didn’t stick out at her unless she thought about it, but the knowledge was always there anyway. So she knew that he would be, presently, on the roof of his library, and it was indeed there that she found him, for once bereft of his foxlike mask.

Her feet made no noise over the roof as she padded over to him, but their awareness of one another’s presence tended to work both ways—she had no doubt he knew she was there. When she reached him, she crouched again, hugging her knees to her chest with one arm, and then reached down with the other, the very tip of her index finger meeting the end of his nose with a gossamer touch. It was something she did habitually, almost, a gesture familiar from the oldest days of their acquaintance, when both of them were much different.

For a few breaths, she was silent. Then: “Something new has arrived with the sun this morning. The east clearing, I think.”

The setting changes from Ankáthia to Louloúdia

Setting

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Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard Character Portrait: Corin Apollonius Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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The setting changes from Louloúdia to Ankáthia

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Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard Character Portrait: Corin Apollonius Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Corin did not like being left in the dark. That being said, she has spent most of her life in a castle full of locked doors and whispers that are just beyond the range of her hearing. Perhaps people begin to loathe that which they are so accustomed to, and in the case of Corin it is this omnipresent secrecy which itches at her brain as an infection might. However, the person who is keeping her in the dark is the one whom she has always trusted above all else: Rainier. He has been her closest companion, her best friend and her protector, for many years now and thus she trusts him enough to follow blindly into the woods on nothing more than his word. His word has come to mean more to her than everything short of empirical evidence, after all.

Still, she prefers to walk behind him, not simply because he has insisted on clearing the path but also so that she might focus on clearing her mind. Rather, on making sense of all that has happened within the past few days. Everything she has known has been turned upside down once more, a repeat only of when she was first adopted. Corin knows, of course, that Rainier is completely aware of every thought that is in her mind, whether he wishes to or not. She has known of his ability for a while now, and unaware of the consequences of it has occasionally found herself envying it. Soon she will remind herself that it is not all positive, but such access to the truth is tempting indeed. Regardless, she has long ago become accustomed to having her thoughts not be entirely her own. If anyone is to have access to her mind, let it be Rainier.

I did want a chance to venture outside of the palace. Ungrateful thoughts, I suppose, she half scolds herself, knowing that any lady of the court would have killed to be adopted into the royal family and left alone in a gilded cage of sorts. Corin stares at the back of Rainier's head, her large amber eyes, their clarity perhaps the only remarkable thing about the girl physically, and wonders when she will be given answer. She will not press for them, of course. Not yet, for time is of the essence and she understands this. At least he had not insisted on carrying her, as she has known him long enough to know he probably wanted to do. Corin would hate to be so further useless, not only ignorant to her circumstances but treated as though she had some sort of physical handicap as well. The dignity of walking is at least one thing she can be afforded, and Corin is grateful for it.

The moment Rainier finally breaks the near-silence, filled previously only by the occasional movement of animals and rustling leaves, Corin tenses. Highness. She hates to hear him use that word, so formal and distant. It is a clear indicator that he feels in the wrong, and it does little to ease Corin's tension. Hearing one's best friend using a title is always disconcerting. "Rain, please--" he continues, her words perhaps too soft or his too important.

He looks back at her and smiles, but it is wry and hardly comforting. Still, at least he is finally making eye contact with her once more. Corin studies the silhouette of his face for a moment, trying to compose her thoughts into solid questions. Do you not believe you deserve my trust? she wonders, fully aware that he can hear the thought with perfect clarity as though it had been spoken aloud. "I do trust you," she speaks finally, her voice at it's normal volume, almost hushed but not quite.

"And if you trust the people we are going to, I do as well. But I cannot be sheltered anymore, it seems. Start at the beginning-- with the rain? Please,"
she increases her pace slightly too match up with his longer strides, though he had been careful up to this point to ensure she needn't hurry in order to keep up with him. She does not want to follow behind him, seeing only the back of his head. This conversation requires they be level with one another.


Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard Character Portrait: Finnian Amsel Character Portrait: Corin Apollonius
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⌠The truth can be infinitely more painful than a deception.⌡
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Rainier was silent for a few minutes after the request, though Corin would be able to tell from the way his face assumed a vaguely-thoughtful expression that he did intend to answer. He gave no protest when she drew as level with him as she could—though no matter what either of them did, he would always be an exceptionally-tall person, and so in that sense at least there was little for it. But though he did in the literal sense have to look down to see her, he didn’t in the figurative sense. They were actually very much the same, in some ways, though he chose not to linger on it.

“The rain…” he murmured. That was indeed Téo’s best guess—that the rain had delivered unto those five people their new burdens. He didn’t truly understand why, and perhaps, were there an opportunity when he returned, he would have to make inquiries of a very unique sort. But that was not something to think about now. His first priority had to be seeing Corin and the others to safety. Whatever the reason, he knew it had to be important. It had to matter.

“What you have… the reason for the changes you’ve noticed. It is a Seed.” He paused, filtering through the information he had at his disposal. The others had thought a great deal about what had been happening to them, not that he could blame them. He knew that at least most of them could already see the outline, however faint, of a flower. A process that usually took a much longer period of time. “But it is not like other Seeds. Already, it… it has too much hold, and you are not the only one with this problem.” He sighed, so soft it might be mistaken for an ordinary breath, out his nose, pushing aside another hanging vine with a gentle hand.

“There are four others. You know that Seeds are not freely given to those outside the army, and so when four civilians began exhibiting symptoms… Helios had them arrested and imprisoned within the castle.” Two of those people, he knew, one somewhat better than the other, but nonetheless, he was aware that it was a substantial risk to imprison at least the Brandt heir. That was a powerful family, after all, and even the king required the support of his nobility, at least to an extent. It was part of the reason why Helios’s resolution had surprised him. But… the king was not always a predictable man, even for Rainier, and that meant he had to take every potential threat seriously. Better to be too careful than not careful enough.

His brow furrowed slightly, and he glanced over to Corin, meeting her bright eyes with his own hazel ones. He wasn’t sure how one could say this gently, if there was any way at all to make it less horrifying than it really was. But he tried. “The king, he… he decided that he would have them executed. I do not know if that decision was also to apply to you. I sincerely hope that it was not. But I could not ask, and there was no other way to be certain. Had I the time, I would have told you everything before we left. If you yet wish to return, if you believe he will not harm you, then I promise I will see you safely back, but.” There was another long pause, and Rainier’s jaw tightened. He didn’t trust the king that much, but he didn’t want to influence Corin’s judgement unduly. She knew and understood a different facet of Helios than Rainier did.

“I could not risk your life, not on such uncertain ground.” He stopped, turning to face her fully. It was not his place to make important decisions about the course of her very life. It was, however, his place to do everything possible to make sure she got to make those choices. “Nor can I promise that what follows will be easy, or enjoyable. If you wish to turn back, I can make it seem that you never left at all. But I do not know what would become of you. Even if the king….” He shook his head. “Seeds are dangerous enough as they are. The people I’m taking you to know a great deal about them. I hope it is enough.” That was a great deal more than he usually said at once, but he wanted her to understand just how fraught this choice was that she was making. It was not an easy situation, and he deeply regretted that she and not someone else had been placed in it. That the five of them had. He would not wish this upon anyone he knew.

But though he was her friend, he was also her bodyguard, and because he was both, he would give her the choice, and respect whichever one she made. That was both his duty and his honor.




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───────────────────────────────────────────────────
⌠Well, isn't this just quaint?⌡
───────────────────────────────────────────────────

Felix held perfectly still when the little agent removed his sunglasses, partially, he had to admit, out of some surprise that anyone would dare invade his personal space in such a way without his permission. Oh, he was a tactile man, to be sure, but generally speaking, people didn’t initiate contact with him, it was the other way around. He suppressed a small flare of irritation, the emotion not even making it close to his expression, and instead smiled at the young woman wearing his sunglasses. “Fetching,” he offered, reaching out with an index finger to push the glasses the rest of the way up the bridge of her nose. They were bound to slip, being made for his face specifically. He wore the most benign of smiles, mild enough to be downright suspicious, actually, and shrugged.

“So, I’m free to go, but only under threat of grievous bodily harm? Well, I do love a little risk every now and then.” And then, of course, he had the audacity to wink, and tousle Argo’s hair with a gloved hand, false smile firmly in place. He withdrew far too quickly for her to actually make good on the threat intended by the half-drawn knife, however, surprisingly agile and sure on his feet for a fellow of his sartorial sensibilities.

In truth, however, he was also a little curious. Luxie had about the right of it with her questions, and he, despite all appearances to the contrary, preferred to act with all the information in-hand. He had little doubt in his ability to navigate this forest back to the city, and even less about his ability to disappear beneath the radar when he got there, but it was not a particularly appealing option, and he might as well see what all this ruckus and fanfare was about first.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Acantha Periit Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros
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#, as written by Scra

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─────────────────────────────────────
↪If you listen closely you can hear the whispers of the wind.↩
─────────────────────────────────────




Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #5dbede || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #aedede





































































Aurel couldn't rest or more like something was preventing him from resting. It was only moments ago that Aurel was enveloped in silence, than the peace was quickly invaded by noise. Not noise one could hear with their ears or see with their eyes. No. It was the one you could feel with your gut, an impending noise that if not contained it cold cause much havoc. Maybe it was this that was causing him such disarray, such uneasiness in his mind.

A soft touch, almost like a feather, landed on his nose. In reaction he quickly twitched his noise and he heard a soft laughter. Slowly opening his eyes, Aurel locked his eyes with Aria’s own red orbs. His sharp gaze stared at hers for what seemed forever, but was only a few seconds. He quietly listened to his friend's voice, ”You are right Aria. Something is here. And just not in the clearing, but throughout the forest.” Reaching for his mask, Aurel put it back on. Silence once again returned until he spoke up, yet this time one could no longer see his expressions as the mask restricted their visibility.

He stood up and stared out toward the east, “But….someone has passed my illusions.” Aurel could feel Aria’s gaze on him and he turned to her, his expression soft behind the mask. ”Do not worry, it is just Argo and Rain.”

Aurel spoke cheerfully, though he had left out the small detail that they weren't alone. Though he knew Aria must have felt this as well, so he said nothing. Walking to the edge of the rooftop he swiftly jumped down onto a nearby branch. Once balanced he than preceded to the next and to the next until he had finally reached the bottom. He didn’t even have to glance behind him to see if Aria was there, as he could feel her soft footsteps following him with great ease.

About to exit the village, he paused at the sound of extra movement behind them, “What is wrong?” He saw that some of the villagers stood behind Aria and Aurel with grimaces on their faces. One of them spoke, a tall muscular man by the name of Decim, “Aurel! Why are you leaving the village?! Is something the matter?”

Aurel stared at them for a while before speaking in a calming voice, Well…it seems Argo has brought back some new friends. So I was- “ Before he could finish Decim interrupted, “If it is new refugees why hasn’t she brought them here? Why has she kept them out of the village, if they are allies?!”

At this question Aurel looked straight at Decim, ”Do you…not believe in Argo or I?” At these words everyone froze saying nothing. A different kind of silence surrounded the area and everyone could feel it.

Quickly Aurel lightened the mood making everything seem as if it had only been a minor issue, “Well! Why don’t you come with us Decim? I would like for you to see our guest, and maybe if they see you they won’t be so uneasy."

Decim could sense the hint of teasing in Aurel’s tone but he only let out a simple sigh, “Of course. If you want me to than I will happily come, Aurel.” With those words Aurel, Aria, and Decim exited the village.

Arriving at the clearing Aurel spotted only one familiar face, which was Argo, quietly walking up to her he noticed that the others had their eyes on him. He lifted a finger to indicate them to stay silent. Standing behind Argo he spoke to her, “Argo you weren't being mean to our guest were you?” He said this in a playful tone as he knew Argo was not one to play around. She was a woman who got the job done without any unneeded attachments. So if that meant the people who she helps doesn’t like her, oh well.

Aurel was now crisscrossed on the ground examining the four new intruders. Was that a harsh word? Well, that was what Aurel thought of them, and he was doubtful he wold change it anytime soon. “Well isn’t this a surprise. When you told me you had some new faces…I didn’t expect them to look so…interseting.” He couldn't help but let out a light laugh at the expressions of the four. But than he stopped and looked at them. The air turning sort of serious.

“Well, to be honest I don’t quite understand all this either. All I know is what Rain has given me. He told me that five people need my help. But…” Glancing around Aurel surveyed the surrounding area, “It seems neither he nor our fifth guest has arrived. Oh well…I guess I can introduce myself in the meantime.”

He stood up with ease and bowed at the four, “Hello, it is nice to meet everyone. My name is Odysseus Aurelius, but you can call me Aurel.” Pointing his finger behind him he introduced the others, ”The one with the doubtful expression is Decim, Decim Titian. And the other one is Ariadnê Spyros, but we all call her Aria. And it seems you already meet Argo.

He glanced over at Argo, than back at the guest, ”It seems you have a lot of questions and not a lot of information, though until a certain person arrives I can’t tell you much.” He said this in apologetic tone. Suddenly he heard the crunching of twigs and maybe Decim heard it as well as he stood in attention with his weapon readied. Though he slowly lessened his grip once he saw who it was. You could see Aurel's mannerism change, happily welcoming the visitor, “You’re finally here Rain! I was wondering how long you were going to be.” Seating himself back down, Aurel let the side of his face lean on his fist. He waited patiently for Rain to draw closer so he could explain all the commotion.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Acantha Periit Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros
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Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Acantha Periit Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros
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Four others. Corin's sense of confusion only grew for this statement. It was enough to have been left in the dark on the subject of the seeds, there hadn't been much time after all, but the existence of four others? Where in the castle had they been kept? Some part of Corin must have realized that other people had been affected as well, had begun to see the outline of a flower over their heart, but perhaps her mind had wandered from this fact. A strong need to meet these other four develops as a matter of course. She can figure out why she had been kept in a different room than the other four, given her position, but still is lacking her preferred state of clarity on the matter as a whole.

This, however, is not the most important thing to be dropped upon her. Father was going to kill me? There must be a misunderstanding, Certainly, King Helios is not always the most open of men, and it is difficult to read him at the best of times, but Corin has always been quite decided on the fact that he is a good man. He took her in off the streets, after all, gave her the means to become literate and well-informed. This is the man to whom she has grown up owing her debt to, striving to please and prove herself to. Rainier is her closest friend, but Helios has always been a sort of higher power to the young woman who calls him father. In another situation, this news would be enough to stop the girl in her tracks. However, she merely hesitates briefly and continues walking.

The girl hardly processes what Rainier says following his reveal of the king's orders, for her mind has become so dominated by this news. She had partially expected that her leaving the castle had been the bidding of the king to some degree, the steps of one of his strange schemes; after all, Rainier is his spymaster and one of his highest ranking knights. His loyalty, one would expect, must lie with the king. Yet he goes against his king. Corin does not want to accept this as true, but her will to survive has always been incredibly strong. She wishes it were merely her trust in Rainier that pushes her to the decision to seek out these strangers, but it is also the fear of the chance of dying. She'd rather take the risk of upsetting the king, her father, than that of being executed at his hand.

The young woman remains silent for a long while, the pair returning to the music of crunching leaves and the occasional twitter of birds. Her eyes flicker up towards his profile. It is indeed up that she has to look, for Rainier towers over her by an even foot. She has spent a good portion of her life looking up to this man, who fills her dream position as a knight, a servant of the kingdom. Her arm stretches out to briefly place her hand on his shoulder, feather light as she does not place any weight upon the hand.

"So it goes, then,"
this is really all that needs saying for her decision to be clear, something Rainier would know even if he hadn't likely been listening to the conflict within her mind for the past several minutes. Corin smiles very slightly, but it is the smile one gives when offering comfort, perhaps blended with her court smile. It lacks the usual sincerity of smiles shown to Rainier, but for good reason.

It vanishes as they come upon a group of people in a more open area. To Corin's surprise, there are people here she recognizes: Luxia being the first to catch her eye. There are also people from the court, however, such as the Brandt heir, a notorious flirt, and Violet Kodoku, who she knew as a member of the king's army. Very curious, however, is one person she does not know. Given his mask however, the peculiar thing about him, she wouldn't be aware even if he were someone she had already become acquainted with. It becomes quickly clear that he is friends with Rain, leading her to wonder what else Rain has never told her about himself.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Acantha Periit Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros
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#, as written by phnx
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Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏuʀ ◆ #b24db3 ❘ Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏuʀ ◇ #e4b9ad
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The Sun had not yet risen when Acantha woke, a sharp ache pulsed through her entire body instantly rousing the young woman. Softly sighing she rubbed her temples. The nightmares had gotten better but once in a while she's still wake up covered in cold sweat with strange kind of pain making her chest throb. Going back to sleep was out of question, these night horrors would often leave Acantha feeling paranoid. She just couldn't escape the feeling that once she closed her eyes she would be back in that room, that her escape had been nothing but a hallucination.

Having regained her composure Acantha left the bed, she was an early riser anyway. The village was still asleep so she quietly made her way to the river. Acantha's special spot was a secluded area on the riverbank. It was a perfect oasis of calmness and tranquillity, the only thing disrupting the otherwise silent scope had been the gentle murmuring of the river.

The Sun was slowly rising, its light passing through the thick forest of thrones. Acanthe relished the feeling of sunlight, the rays were dancing across the woman't pale skin, heating it with their warm glow. A small smile formed on Acantha's lips she found it funny that a simple mundane things like sunlight or birds chirping could fill her soul with more joy than she's felt in years. Beneath her distant façade she was still that simple little girl who wanted nothing more than to be happy.

With the day starting and herself now completely calm Acantha returned to the village. She was surprises to a group people collected around something or someone, Acantha wasn't sure what as the growing crowd was blocking her view. Dark thought immediately crossed her mind, what if the king's guard had broken the barrier and found them?

Wanting to know just what was going on Acantha pulled on one of the bystander's sleeve. The only indication of a question was the worried look in her eyes and a nod of her head towards the crowd but the man understood her intentions. Their interaction had been done without a spoken word as the other simply pointed toward the people who were slowly being surrounded by the crowd.

She could now see Odysseus and Aria, they seemed to be leaving the village. The words coming from both Decim's and Auriel's mouths escaped her hearing but she could sense that Decim was worried about something. Watching the duo turned trio leave the village and the crowd clearing Acantha wondered what the ruckus had been about. Maybe we're having visitors? The prospect of being confronted with new people was a bit terrifying as well as exciting for Acantha. Having decided not to dwell about visitors who may not even be coming, Acantha occupied herself with work at the village. The thoughts of just who might be coming still ended up occupying her mind but it seemed like Acantha would just have to wait and see.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard Character Portrait: Finnian Amsel
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⌠There is not one part of this that I enjoy.⌡
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He hoped he had made his own doubts sufficiently clear with his words. Even he found it difficult to believe that the king would do away with Corin as easily as he would with other people he believed to be threats to him—but that also did not mean that her mere survival would be good news for her. Rainier was a little too familiar with how the palace’s science division tended to work, and they were under the direct orders of Helios, always. But regardless, he could only do what he believed had the greatest chance of keeping everyone alive and well. He had his own goals, too, of course, and generally speaking, when the king wanted a threat eliminated, that meant Rainier wanted it preserved. There were so many threads, woven together, and while he saw more of the tapestry than most, he did not delude himself into believing he understood the entirety of it. He doubted anyone did, not even Helios, perhaps.

Her internal musing about how much he’d kept from her stung, mostly because it was true. There was a great deal she didn’t know about him, and he’d intentionally kept some of the details from her. What did she need to know of how he had come to the position she so admired? The pain of it wasn’t something he really wanted her to know about, nor indeed Helios’s role in it all, nor what he had discovered and decided after. The world was an ugly place—was it terrible of him to want to spare his friend that knowledge? Perhaps it really was.

Worse, perhaps than the thought was that the smile was false. He couldn’t have expected it to be otherwise, however, and he appreciated that she was trying to help him, though in truth he thought that rather backwards of her. He was not the one who had just been torn from the comfortable atmosphere of his previous existence and thrust into a bright world of suffering that could—and would, unless a solutions was found—kill him. No, that had happened to Rainier a very long time ago, not this morning.

In time, they drew close enough to the rendevouz point that he could hear voices, including a slightly-muffled one. That would be Odysseus then—the man rarely took off his mask. Rainier hadn’t seen his face since he started wearing it, actually, and wondered how much the years had changed him. But it was a fleeting thought, and he stepped fully into the clearing, Corin at his side. At the masked man’s words, he inclined his head faintly in acknowledgement. “Your pardon, Odysseus. Certain facts made our taking an alternative route necessary.”

He caught a few looks of recognition for himself, and even more for the princess, and he knew several of the others as well, taking moment to spare a small smile for his acquaintances. Actually, he knew all of them, though at least two as nothing more than names, faces, and the occasional stray thought. “I apologize in advance, but I fear there is not much time for courtesies. They have seeds, gained naught but a few days ago, and already, the flowers show.” He paused to purse his lips, raising a hand to his chin in a thoughtful sort of way. “The king desired to kill them. You know better than I do what that must mean.”

Beside Odysseus, the young woman introduced as Aria stirred for the first time, looking intently over the newcomers with a slightly-unsettling pair of bright red eyes. “The Tree,” she murmured softly, and Rainier nodded his head.

“I suspected so, and therefore I had them brought here. I don’t understand why things have worked out this way but… they are meant to be here.” He did not say how he had come by the knowledge, but he knew Odysseus and Ariadnê would understand what he meant.

The setting changes from Ankáthia to Louloúdia

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard Character Portrait: Finnian Amsel
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#, as written by moahi
Jesus I keep forgetting.

The setting changes from Louloúdia to Ankáthia

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard Character Portrait: Finnian Amsel
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#, as written by moahi
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"Are you okay?"
Finnian raised his eyes to meet a pair of deep pink ones, belonging to a girl who was now kneeling in front of him. He instinctively moved back a few inches, before his thoughts caught up. She was a new face, one that he hadn't seen before, and it took him a while to think of what to say to strangers. Been cooped up all your life doesn't really help the fact that he was at a loss of how to speak to the strange girl in front of him. "I... I guess." Answering her question seems to be the right decision for now, but what was the next step? Talking to strangers is harder than he expected. He could feel the slight flush creeping up his cheeks when their host spoke again.

"Oi, futari tomo! Please refrain from planning a tryst, yeah? There aren't any romantic spots out here in the weald, I can promise you that! At least wait until the leader gets here to bring us to the village!"
Argo called out to them, only serving to cause his cheeks to heat up more as the realisation of how awkward their positions must be right now. He completely understood her message, unfortunately for him. His vocabulary range was wide, and though he didn't know the japanese terms, the rest of her message through easily comprehensive. "Excuse me." His manners were still present, even when he was feeling flustered and awkward. Backing away a few more inches, he lifted himself off the ground, brushing the dirt off himself and trying his best to look cool and collected. He bent down and offered his hand to the girl however, as despite the fact that things might be more uncomfortable for him, she was still a lady. It was rude not to thank her for being concerned about his health, even more so by inconveniencing her without helping her to get up. As he helped her up, a sixth person entered the clearing.

A new man entered the clearing, his face obscured with a fox mask. Is he a spirit? The first thoughts that sped across his mind was the teenage from Japanese folklore his parents used to read to him when he was sick in bed. The mask certainly had the same design to it. Although he knew that it couldn't be true, for a moment, he believed that they were truly spirits hidden in the forest. The man placed a finger on his lips for silence, before speaking to Argo, teasing her gently. So he wasn't a spirit after all. He had been expecting that, but he still felt his heart fall in disappointment.

“Well isn’t this a surprise. When you told me you had some new faces…I didn’t expect them to look so…interseting.”
Interesting? Finnian raised an eyebrow at that. In what way? It must be the hair. Other than that, his appearance was by far the most normal out of all of them, with the odd hair colors of two of the escapees. “Well, to be honest I don’t quite understand all this either. All I know is what Rain has given me. He told me that five people need my help. But…” “It seems neither he nor our fifth guest has arrived. Oh well…I guess I can introduce myself in the meantime.”

There was a fifth guest? He was surprised that the person had not escaped with the rest of them as well, judging from how things are. One would think that escaping your death sentence would be the most important

“Hello, it is nice to meet everyone. My name is Odysseus Aurelius, but you can call me Aurel. The one with the doubtful expression is Decim, Decim Titian. And the other one is Ariadnê Spyros, but we all call her Aria. And it seems you already meet Argo.” Finnian's eyes moved to the figures standing behind him, just noticing them for the first time. His attention was completely attracted by the mask that he had not noticed the others following behind him. The man with the mask must be their leader, judging from how they were all following him. The leading figure usually speaks for the rest, standing out as a leader. At least, that was the way it was put in books. Whether it applies to real life would be something he needs to figure out.

A man bearing a girl came into the clearing then, most likely the 'Rain' person the man in the mask was talking about. More and more people were now entering the clearing, and he wasn't sure if he liked that. He would probably make a fool of himself in front of so many people... Biting his lip, he managed to make himself move just a few steps closer, enough for him to hear the whatever he had to say. He had a feeling that it was going to be important. “I apologize in advance, but I fear there is not much time for courtesies. They have seeds, gained naught but a few days ago, and already, the flowers show.The king desired to kill them. You know better than I do what that must mean.” The man knew about the flower? He had never told anyone about it before, hiding the blue bud on his chest. How could he possibly know about it? Moreover, it means that they were all alike, with the same issues he was facing. Was that the reason why the king wished to execute them? Perhaps it was actually an infectious virus that might affect the whole kingdom if not dealt with immediately.

“I suspected so, and therefore I had them brought here. I don’t understand why things have worked out this way but… they are meant to be here.”
Finnian could feel the slightest hint of annoyance touch his heart. Meant to be here doesn't exactly cut it. From the information he gathered, the things in them were like some sickness that were consuming them slowly, and now the man was saying that it was all meant to be like it was in some part of a destiny. In most situations, he would be thrilled, but right now his life was being threatened and he was not getting the answers he needed. It was nearly infuriating, but it wasn't the right moment to interrupt. That was impolite, no matter how indignant he might be feeling right now.

The setting changes from Ankáthia to Louloúdia

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard
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The setting changes from Louloúdia to Ankáthia

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Rainier Abélard
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#, as written by Scra
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↪If you listen closely you can hear the whispers of the wind.↩
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Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #5dbede || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #aedede



























































































































Aurel was at a loss for words, which, if you knew Aurel, that rarely occurred. He always had an idea or something to comment on, but this time he was clueless, or maybe a better word would be cautious.

He silently gazed at the people who Rain stated held Original seeds. Such a rare thing, and if true it could only come from no other than it. Aurel felt the eyes of the strangers bouncing back and forth from him to Rain, trying to understand all this vague information.

Standing up Aurel faced Rain, his usual happy demeanor overlapped by a very serious air, "The Tree..." He didn't even have to wait for a reply as all his questions were answered by Rain's stone cold expression. Aurel turned to face Aria who looked just as worried as him, if one could see his face.

A small sigh escaped from behind his mask. One could feel how heavy it was, as if a huge burden had just landed on the man's shoulders. It could be interpreted for the fact he had just gained new people to take care of, but that wasn't it. No, what worried him wasn't them. It whats inside of them, its because they have Original seeds, and that in itself is a huge deal.

The man seemed to be pondering very deeply about the whole matter, "Rain..." Aurel's voice still remained in its unusual serious tone, which commanded the attention of everyone, "You know I trust your decisions...but..." He stared at the five one by one, "Originals...and on top of that they are wanted by the King..."

Aurel knew Rain would have never came to him if it wasn't extremely important. So all he could do was hear him out on this. He would never bring them here if he didn't believe they would be safe, "Okay Rain... They can stay with us."

At hearing this Decim spoke out, "What?! Aurel, you can't be serious?!" Aurel tilted his head, "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Decim hit his palm against his forehead, "Didn't you just hear what that man just said?! You even said it! The KING is after them! The King! And lets not leave out yet another important fact. If the citizens learn who she is, they would definitely not approve."

He didn't even try to hide who he was talking about as he stared dead at the girl beside Rain, "Isn't she the King's daughter?!" Decim had only vaguely worked inside the Palace near the King, though he had seen her only a few times he had come to know who she was by the gossiping inside the Palace walls.

Aurel nodded slowly, "Hmmm, you are right. I guess we are gonna have to make sure no one figures it out. Right?" Aurel was staring Decim straight in the face, and this made Decim avoid the masked man, "Right...Aurel." You could only guess that Aurel was smiling brightly behind his mask.

Finally having the situation settled, sort of, the masked man nodded at everyone, "Now that everything is settled. You five are now under the protection of the people of Ankáthia, or what the people of the Kingdom call us, The Outsiders. I hope you five can come to trust us, even if it is only a little."

Pausing he looked up at the sun for a moment, "We must get going before darkness hits, and since we have five travels unfamiliar with the terrain, it might take us a little longer to reach the village."

Aurel let out a light laugh, "But do not worry I will teach you five how to maneuver through the forest later, also since I now understand the situation and it seems some of you want answers as soon as possible, once we get you all situated I will answer all your questions."

Believing he had said everything on his mind he started walking off but than suddenly stopped, "Oh! And don't lag too far behind me, because if you do, the forest will eat you." As Aurel said this the forest around them started to slowly grow closer towards them, and the clearing they were once in little by little began to disappear. The small rays of light that provided them with warmth and everything else was disbursing as if it was only an illusion. Without waiting for an answer he continued to walk.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luxia Hale Character Portrait: Odysseus Aurelius Character Portrait: Violet "Argo" Kodoku Character Portrait: Avra Stavros Character Portrait: Ariadnê Spyros Character Portrait: Finnian Amsel
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Argo quite nearly begun swinging her katars around when the male she had previously conversed with pushed up on the glasses perched upon her nose and proceeded to ruffle her hair. Luckily for him, unluckily for her, he was somewhat faster than she initially expected. Nothing she couldn't handle, she was sure, but this was not a time for bickering. She slowly eased her grip on the handle of her katar and took a deep breath to calm herself down for it was the turn of the girl to ask a question now. Svoloch! Mukatsuku! How about I throw your stupid glasses into the woods so you can go fetch that! She thought to herself, as she faced the girl.

"I was just wondering if you could explain to us exactly why we are here ma'am? I am thankful for being relieved of my death sentence, but I would like incite as to what these markings on my body mean, and also I would assume you affiliate yourself with a group. Who would they be?"

Violet had expected at least one of them to ask such questions. Given their current situation, the markings on the body, them being wanted, the sudden prison escape, it was only natural for them to be curious and wanting to know more about what was going on. "Ah, ah. Straight to the point? You don't waste any time, do you?" Argo answered with a nod, "For the first question... You're here because, well, I'm not sure how to answer that one. I'll let the Commander or the Leader fill you in on that once they arrive. I'm sure they'll touch upon that info. Same goes for the markings on the body, I think they'll get to that. And yes, I am part of an organization. While we ourselves go by a different name, the people of the Kingdom, that is you, most likely know us as 'The Outsiders'"

Almost immediately after she was done talking, Violet had heard sounds of approaching footsteps coming from beyond the clearing. As a reflex, she dropped to a knee and drew a katar, preparing herself to make a dash at the enemy. She relaxed as soon as she saw a familiar masked face appear at the edge of the clearing, putting her katar back in its sheathe.

“Argo you weren't being mean to our guest were you?”

Argo sighed and replied simply with a shake of the head. Which, in her mind, was not a lie, though it may have seemed that way to others. And soon enough, the final members of the operation had arrived on the scene, Rainier and the Princess. While she did hope to give her debriefing right now and go back home to rest, Violet knew this was not a good time. Rainier acknowledged the presence of everyone else in the clearing, but immediately went to Odysseus, the stone cold expression was one she wished she could not read. She tried not to listen in on the conversation happening, but she caught two words and her expression went from stoic to menacing. The Tree... She looked at the four people she was entrusted with escorting and if she was interpreting those few words correctly, the stakes couldn't be any higher.

Decim's words, as though the idea of volume didn't exist to him, echoed throughout the clearing. His obvious reluctance towards the situation, his obvious objection towards involving the people of the village. It was a pointless argument at best, but... Violet couldn't help agreeing with the man for once. Is the risk worth the reward here? Is the trade-off worth it? I'll have to confirm my task with Rainier or Odysseus later. She thought to herself, rubbing a gloved finger on her temple.

As the group set out to the village, Argo allowed herself to stray to the back of the group. This allowed her to keep watch for the rest of them, make sure no one got separated , as well as give her some time to think about what comes next. Chyort! I didn't enlist to do this kinds of stuff. Damn it...