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Adell Williams

"The hero is never the star of the story."

0 · 1,123 views · located in Otanis

a character in “The Skylands of Novahlis: The Heart of Otanis”, as played by FamishedPants

Description

Adell Williams
"Do not halt in the face of injustice."









Name:
Adell Williams
Gender:
Male
Age:
22




Height:
5'9"
Weight:
162
Sexual Orientation:
Heterosexual





Likes:
Strawberries
A Good Fight
Justice
Order
Peace
Captains
Admirals

Dislikes:
Bad Intentions
Murder
Unwarranted Violence
Discrimination
Bounty Hunters
Jacks (Or "Jack" in this case)
Most Mercenaries

Fears:
Being useless
Defeat
Inability to become an Admiral
Failing to protect someone





Group:
World Government





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Skills:

Combat/Warfare - Despite his young age, Adell is very capable with most conventional weaponry, capable of making it out of most situations alive and well due to his natural talent and training he's underwent since he was younger. He is more or less a genius when it comes to actual combat, having talent years above his own age. Most will agree that he is very suited to becoming an admiral sometime in the future, so long as he makes use of his potential. He does does lean towards close-range combat, able to use knives, his hands, and pistols a bit better than anything else.

Athletics - Adell has little problems with endurance, stamina, strength, and speed. Engaging in long, drawn-out chases and being forced to push himself is nothing new or worrying to him. This further helps him in combat, chasing, or even helping an old lady with heavy objects. He is also fairly agile and is hard to shake off, even for those who attempt to flee by climbing or something similar.

Tenacity - Williams is not one to give up on anything at all. If there is an obstacle he can not overcome, then he will improve himself and try again until he has done so. He's also a hard one to keep down too. He'll keep getting up until he's no longer physically able to.





Weakness(es) - He is prone to doing before thinking. If he sees someone in trouble and it is severe enough, his first thoughts are how to save them and he might not pay attention to his surroundings or orders. Because of his focus on the physical aspects of being part of the World Government, he is a bit naive when it comes to most other subjects. Though he is very capable in an academic sense, he is blinded by idealism and optimism, and is fairly easily fooled. He wholeheartedly believes and trusts in admirals, not matter what they may say, to an reasonable extent.

Equipment

Dual Saviours - A pair of handguns his father had given him to commemorate the end of his training. These are his preferred weapons and he does take care of them, never allowing anyone to hold them, although he does tend to show them off on occasion. They have golden designs that almost make them look better for display, but they're certainly well-manufactured pieces of work.

Combat knife - There is nothing much to say about this. A standard 7 inch blade designed for when close encounters are inevitable.

Static Glove - A not-so-simple pair of brown gloves. They differ in that they're capable of producing an electric shock capable of rendering someone unconscious, though they take time to recharge between use. One charge per glove means that he can disable two people before they're out of juice.

General items - Adell also has other items that one would would expect anyone to have. He owns a wallet, of course. He also carries a whistle with him, for whatever purpose. Instead of something like cigarettes or the sort, he enjoys a stick of gum every now and then, and doesn't usually like it when people comment on it.



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Personal Description:
Kyte is a young man of average height with medium length brown hair (with a cowlick that falls with its weight) and green eyes. He is usually seen wearing a white, high collar jacket over a tan sweater vest, a pair of black pants and combat boots. There are not too many occasions where he doesn't wear gloves, for certain reason, and more often than not, he does have some form of protective chest-piece under his clothing.

Because he was trained at a younger age, he owns a lean muscular physique that hides more muscle than its appearance leads on. His general size is very misleading because many assume that definition equals strength, so it does catch people off when he shows feats of strength. Though more often than not this is because he's attempting to help someone, so it's not usually intimidating. In fact, unless he is very angry, he doesn't seem to have much in the way of fear-inducing looks.

Personality:
Adell is quite a bit immature and naive, having always wanted to believe that the World Government was a power made for justice and that they could do no evil. He loves that particular word, justice, a bit more than one should and is eager to prove himself as a capable person. He is the kind of young man who would go out of their way to help someone else who seemed to be in trouble, even if it may look a bit shady. He takes great pride in the work he does and listens obediently to his superiors, always intending to make the best impression on not only them, but most people he comes in contact with. His determination and desire to rise above the rest, to show that he can become an admiral like his father, is unwavering at this point.

He generally acts like he listened to everything mother had to say until it became his nature. He goes out of his way to help people with just about anything, treats everybody with respect. Adell very much despises those who harm others, unless of course they're fellow members of the government doing their job, and he won't tolerate any 'injustice' he sees before him, as he takes his job completely seriously. Things like murder, rape, or serious crimes like that do not go unpunished, even by him. He is perfectly willing and capable of killing someone who is dangerous without hesitation, though he does dislike being forced to go that far if he is not required to.

His nature is heavily influenced by the image his father gave him of the World Government, and it's immediately obvious he holds everyone and everything about it in very high regards. In the face of a situation he is unsure about, he almost always attempts to stop and think about how his father would handle it, and then goes from there. In the presence of an admiral, he usually stares in awe, listening intently on what they have to say as if they are some higher being, mainly because he believes they are the strongest and most moral of people. The people he wishes to become. Perhaps even annoyingly so, his curiosity can get the better of him and he'll ask many a question until told to stop.

As he is honestly nothing but an awe-struck child at heart, it can be endearing to see him put all of his being into bettering himself. When one might say they've done 'good enough', he tends to think, 'Couldn't I do better?', always striving to push himself as far as humanly possible. He won't ever do things half-assed either, which makes him oddly reliable in a way. Most of his actions are made with the intention of them being a guide by which others may follow, so that he may be a role model to those aspiring to bring down justice's swift and deadly fist.

Unfortunately when it comes to anything not related to academics or fighting, he is fairly stupid. He is a very literal person and is not really privy on the workings of the criminal underworld or the like, so he's not too comfortable being an investigator or a spy or what have you. His common sense is very lacking and can easily lead him to trouble. He blindly trusts those who seem nice, even if they might look odd and won't think a second thought on the subject. It is very safe to say that the exceptional combat prowess came with a price.

Adell's actions are usually dictated by his heart, which he wears on his sleeve. He is not one to beat around the bush in a conversation and his straightforwardness can be a bit off-putting, as he won't hold back much even towards a higher-ranked personnel. There is little to no problem telling if he likes or dislikes you simply on his expressions and tone. William's mind is always made known to those around him, and though he respects his superiors almost blindly, that does not mean he won't show discomfort at being ordered to do something he does not like. He does have a sense of humor and will make jokes on occasion, especially if he's dealing with someone he doesn't necessarily like.

It is important to mention that as far as relationships go, Adell has never had anything more than a simple friend. Even the one he'd lost just a bit ago was not someone he would consider 'very close', like most people have. It is very likely due to his obsession with his work and his naivety, but close relationships have never really formed between him and another. He is entirely oblivious to social cues and hints, so even if someone might have had an obvious crush on him, well, he was much too dense on the subject to tell. He can't remember every being attracted to someone on an emotional scale, though he's definitely not immune to physical charm, despite his unwillingness to admit it.


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History:

"I don't remember anything about my mother because she passed away giving birth to me. All I know is that, despite this, my father loved me as much as any parent could, and raised me to be like him - an admiral. Since I was young, many people I talked to spoke so highly of my dad. He was very much respected as a strong, reliable soldier who could face any dangerous situation with the smallest bit of effort and he always did what was right. Dad was a symbol of what an admiral should be, at least I think he was. And there has never been a point in my life when I did not look up to him, because he was the coolest, nicest, and strongest dad I think there could ever be. That's why.... I won't forgive the man who murdered him.

But enough about my father. Since I was a little boy, my father had encouraged me to do what was right and to be strong so I could protect those who needed to be protected, as not everybody could fight for themselves. When he was able to, he personally helped me along and trained me so that I could grow to become an admiral, and I'm sure that that's why I've made it this far already. Because my father had treated me so nicely and because I was always attempting to push myself further, I never really thought that not having a mother was a problem. I will admit I was always a bit jealous when seeing other people, but since there's nothing I can do about it, I just trained some more.

There is not too much to speak about when it comes to my joining of the government. I did fairly well with most, if not all tasks I was given and steadily grew more and more renown amongst my peers. I was probably the best of any I personally knew when it came to actually fighting and using my body, though I can't really claim that I was the smartest of my peers. Over the course of time I had made a friend who had been investigating some group that rumors had been sparking up about, though nothing had given them solid evidence to prove their existence. I had encouraged him to do what he thought was right and if someone was threatening peace, then he should do his best to ensure they're found and brought to justice. I regret these words, because not long after I said them, he died doing exactly what I had told him to.

His death was not a painful one, I at least know this much, because I had heard the gunshot that ended his life, and by the time I arrived, he had already passed away, no dramatic goodbye nor final words, at least none that I was able to hear. All I know is that, when I saw his bloodied body, I wanted to avenge him. I wanted to make the criminal pay for what they did, and luckily for me, they weren't very fast. I had arrived at the scene of his death just as the man was attempting to flee, and no sooner than he saw me did he try to run, sprinting as fast as he could through the tucks and curves of the city we were in and dropping his gun somewhere in the process. I gave chase, making sure to pick the gun up. It pained me to leave my friend behind, but I knew there might not be another chance to catch the man if I didn't now, and I knew just how helpless I was when it came to investigating. So I threw all I had at this man, not relenting in my pursuit until he had eventually begun to slow down. But even when I thought I had caught him, he was only merely playing the exhausted murderer, and had been leading me into a group of his buddies, whom then attempted to make short work of me after they had managed to knock the gun out of my hand. At the time, I was lucky those men had improvised melee weapons, because it only really takes one shot to end a life. Even though I was unarmed, I was more than enough for a couple of thugs with bats. After a brief struggle, I had succeeded in knocking one man out and was about to do the same when the murderer had begun sprinting away again, perhaps realizing that things weren't going as he'd hoped. I did not waste time disarming and knocking the next man out before resuming the chase, once again picking up the gun. I was now expecting another ambush at this point and, regaining some of my composure, decided to radio in the current events to my superior at the time, who instructed me to continue following him. I would have done so anyway, though.

When the murderer ducked into an older-looking warehouse of sorts, I prepared myself for the fight to come. The possibility that there were more people in this place was very high, but I could not lose sight of him or my friend's murderer could get away forever. Steeling myself, I made sure the gun was ready to fire and followed in. Immediately as I did, I heard shots rang out as a few bullets whizzed by my head, and I promptly took cover following this behind the nearest available wall. There were quite a few many men in this building, and had they all owned guns then I surely would've died, but all the preparation for me they had was the murderer running in and shouting his head off, or so I assume, so only a few thugs were using a firearm, the rest were completely unarmed. The firefight that followed was quite stressful, but as none of them seemed to have any actual training with a gun, I eventually wound up victorious. I took a few lives that day during the firefight and escape physically unscathed, but mentally exhausted. Since the man who murdered my friend had found himself another gun, I was given little choice on what to do with him in the end, but I can't bring myself to regret that. When all was said and done, I had somehow managed to bring most of these men to justice, enough to know that this particular group was disbanded permanently. Still... I did not feel relieved in the least, only regret towards being someone who couldn't even protect their own friend. I made sure to attend his funeral, gave a speech about how courageous and strong of a person he was. And I made a promise to him that I would make this world a better place when I became an admiral and while I was becoming one.

I was rewarded the position of Lieutenant for my achievements during that day, and I knew although his death was tragic, it was not in vain. A few months since my promotion, I was assigned to be under the command of an admiral named Troth. I won't forget my friend, nor how helpless I am when it comes to using my head. I've heard that Troth is less inclined towards running straight into a mess, whereas that is all I ever seem to do. Maybe I'll learn a few things from her? I can only hope I'll become better fit for the rank of admiral by learning from one. "





Extra:
Like is a very.... tame word for his attitude towards strawberries. It is safe to say that Adell is also a human too, and that he may or may not have odd reactions if a woman were to, say, eat a strawberry in a very provocative manner.

So begins...

Adell Williams's Story

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Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: Karen Troth
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Shh, nothing to see here.

The setting changes from Novahlis to Otanis

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Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: Karen Troth
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Adell Williams




"Young!"

"Reliable!"

"Beautiful!"


Adell was a young man who lived by the rule that you treat people how you would like to be treated. It was a simple, clear rule that need not be elaborated upon. Easy to understand, easy to execute. That is why he always showed respect to people he met, even if they were complete and total strangers. And until they gave him reason otherwise, he would not disrespect someone. This thought process was one he really wished everyone shared, but it seemed that this was not the case. Because a bit of warning about Admiral Troth would have been appreciated. Instead, he only heard praise about her.

As an aspiring Admiral, the young Lieutenant had become ecstatic upon discovering he would be working with an Admiral directly after receiving his promotion. Admirals were strong people. They fought for what was right and they did not allow evil persons to harm the innocent. Defenders of justice, if you will. The light in which Adell saw an Admiral was a bright, shining beacon of justice that would never waver, even in the face of evil. So, of course, as you might expect, the man was under the assumption that they would be a little less....

...Trothy.

While he was unwilling to speak ill of an esteemed Admiral, he can safely say he was expecting something much different. She certainly did not share the same sense of idealism Adell had, that was made quite obvious even to him. While she commanded respect from those around her, it was not because she led by example but more because she gave off an air of 'people better fucking listen or shit's not going to be enjoyable'. His ideal vision of the Admiral was shattered within about six seconds of actually meeting her. But even if she wasn't what he had thought she would be, she was still someone he respected immensely. Her position was not given out lightly and, taking that into consideration, Adell figured that she must be a productive member of justice in her own way to make it to where she was, and so young too. In a way, she inspired him. She was a proof that it was possible to become an Admiral at a young age, and that gave him the motivation to see things through, not that he didn't have enough already.

But there was no reason to dwell on the topic. He might not enjoy her character so much at the moment, but he did not have any reason yet to doubt she could help him along his path to becoming an Admiral, and that alone meant that he was more than willing to follow her, wherever she may take him on this journey.

And besides, she was actually very beautiful.

It was in the cockpit of the small airship, Troth's own personal vessel, that Adell found himself now, along with the aforementioned Admiral. He had to admit that though he had an above average aptitude for flying, he never really cared much for it. His preference was towards walking or running, using his body instead of sitting around. That being said, he was 'asked' to, so there really wasn't a choice in the matter. Besides, they were headed towards a dock in the seemingly-wonderful Otanis Kingdom. It was quite lively with multiple ships already docked and many people scattering about to do their business, from what he could see in the pilot's seat. A few of acquaintances Adell knew had told him that the general population was very kind and friendly, and he had often thought of taking a vacation here to see that for himself. Maybe if he was lucky, he would be able to stop and take in the sights at one point, probably after they met whomever this 'Konrad' guy was.

The ship was maneuvered expertly into a position in the docks except for some small scratches to the paint. "Don't worry, Admiral, those will buff right out.". It may not have fit in well with the abundance of merchant ships around them, but there was not much a pilot could do about that, as aesthetics were beyond his capabilities. At the very least, they weren't trying to dock her actual ship here. There would have been many complications with that, besides the space needed to do so.

"We've docked, Admiral Troth." Adell stated, perhaps simply due to habit from his pilot training. With a ship like this, it was not necessary to relay this since you could could see and feel the ship come to a halt. Adell did mandatory checks across the various indicators to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything during their flight and before long, felt comfortable he hadn't caused any damage to an Admiral's ship during their short flight. Now if he remembers correctly, he simply needed to wait for the order to get off the ship or some mumbo-jumbo, right?

Perhaps he should have taken a bit more interest in the flying aspect of being an Admiral.... Oh well.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: William T. Konrad Character Portrait: Karen Troth
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#, as written by Taunbon
Kingdom of Otanis, Docks
Image




Karen gently reached forward, her long, thin fingers roaming over her dark suede pants to smooth out a rather stubborn wrinkle that had arisen when she had crossed her legs during the flight. Moving her hands back to her lip, she crossed her fingers once again and let her sharp indigo eyes move to examine the islands coming into view, the Kingdom of Otanis. In truth, this would be her first trip to the small, neutral kingdom as it had never required, or warranted, her attention until now, but insects had a way of scurrying in every nook and cranny; minor things like jurisdiction and wrongful military presence meant just as much to them as it did to her.

In fact, it was such an occasion that led to her dressing up in 'civilian' clothing which took a fair amount of concentration to not pick and probe at as the unfamiliar clothe irritated her skin beneath, having long adapted to her own uniforms and military attire that fit her far better. The civilian clothing, the dark purple suede pants and black shirt did not have the same effect upon her visage making her look remarkably 'human' which did not suit with her, and she refused to dwell on what it did to her image as she had little patience for any attention that the locals may attempt to shine on her. Karen had long since settled on her unusual hair color being the reason for the unwarranted attention, men believing that her hair color choice promised promiscuity or frightfully low standards, perhaps a share of both?

Tearing her mind away from the uncomfortable clothes that hugged her hips too lightly and created an uncomfortable, and unreachable, itch between her shoulder blades, Karen reflected on the situation. Of course, she knew where she was going as she would never enter such a place without having reports on it first. While she had not told Konrad where to meet her; she had told him to expect her, and she had little doubt that he would have picked out the worst ramshackle cesspit he could find to climb in and drink himself into oblivion on dubious beverages, so finding that had been relatively simple. Such was the normal workings of their meetings.

Turning her head slightly, she examined her newest officer, one Adell Williams, relatively fresh that she had secured the transfer to her command. Even now she pondered on the wisdom in her decision, while the boy had potential, the amount was still in question, but from what the instructors had told her, it seemed he was an idealist and that amused her to no ends, and she had bet that it would continue to amuse her. An idealist. Someone who had the luxury of a conscious, it was not too rare to find, but from what little she had seen, the extent of an idealist the young lieutenant was could almost be linked to a young child still believing in heroes and valiant knights and that made him interesting. While his test results were very good, it was that little facet that had caught her attention.

Turning her attention back to the sky before her, she settled in to enjoy the ride and ignore that abdominal itch.




Karen couldn't fight the raise of her thin eyebrow at the declaration that they had docked, she couldn't fault him for being green and nervous, but it was still something she did not expect and she also could fight the words that slipped out of her mouth, "Truly?" She asked rhetorically, making a show to turn her head and look out, "Why, yes, it seems so. Thank you for sharing that vital information, lieutenant Williams."

Stepping out of the ship, and she let her back stretch for the first time since they entered the ship, enjoying the feeling of the muscles in her back stretching and straining even if it was under that infernal clothe, "Williams," Karen said, her voice crisp and sharp, "While here, you are not to refer to me by rank, you may call me Lady Troth for the duration of our visit. If anyone inquires, I am a minor noble from Toten staying at the Korvan Estates. I am sure you can figure out your own position in the household should anyone pry."

Pausing to let her sharp eyes roam the surrounding boats, ignoring the shouts from far off voices, "Konrad is within an establishment known as 'Peg's Pitt' within the lower finical district. I trust you can take point?" She said gesturing before them with her left hand.

The setting changes from Otanis to Novahlis

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Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: Karen Troth
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Okay. I just.... T_T

The setting changes from Novahlis to Otanis

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Adell Williams






...at least she has a sense of humor.

Whether it was because he was embarrassed or because he was irritated, Adell remained quiet until they had departed from the small ship, but quickly recovered when he took his first breath of fresh air from the outside world. A part of the reason why he did not care much about flying a ship is because they tended to make him feel claustrophobic and the filtered air just did not appeal to him as fresh air did. Much like his superior, he took his first moments to stretch his limbs but immediately stood up straight when she addressed him with her usual, firm tone.

....And so he became a manservant just like that. Or a butler. He found himself hoping he was the butler for a brief moment before realizing that it didn't matter.

She said she was a minor noble anyway, so she should not be loaded enough to warrant there needing to be a head of servants.

..........
......
...
.

"Alright, Adm---...." he began, but catching himself. He cleared his throat before making his second attempt at his confirmation of orders. "I mean, as you wish, Lady Troth." he did not offer any sort of bow or flourish with his hands, but not because he was able to realize it would probably be seen as mocking her. No, he just simply did not know that much about his own role, save for the vague, general idea of what a servant did.

Williams had a basic understanding of the Kingdom from the map he had, on more than one occasion, looked over to find areas he might want to visit during vacation. Even though he had never been here before he could at least navigate to important landmarks and knew how to reach the different districts. This bar, the 'Peg's Pitt' had apparently developed a nasty reputation with one of the acquaintances he had spoke to about points of interest. They explained to him that it was a 'cesspool of Otanis scum' and 'a hellhole with shitty liquor and a stench that could kill a man'. So it made sense that he was going to avoid this place by any means possible were he to have a choice in the matter.

Of course the Admiral had to meet up with the Konrad guy there. The ONE place he did not want to go.

But Adell simply had to grit his teeth and bear it. He was a manservant, after all. And so, he did as instructed and took the lead, leaving their ship and the cacophonous screeching of ships moving to and from the dock at a moderate pace. With walking not really being the most exciting thing ever, Adell's mind started to wander a bit in order to entertain itself. Talking is usually the way to remedy this, but Admiral Troth just, for some strange reason, did not seem like the kind to enjoy a nice chitchat with one of her subordinates, especially not her newest one. The way in which Adell's mind wander was like so:

Now that I think about it... can I even pass off as a servant? I don't have the proper attire, do I? No, I don't! What kind of manservant wears a sweater vest, for crying out loud! Aren't they supposed to wear elegant, fanciful black clothing? This plan is just asking to be breached with such an obvious hole in it! Also, why do I have to lie? I hate lying. This is dumb. I should just go ahead and speak up about this, shouldn't I?

No... wait. I'm being a fool, aren't I? This is a plan by my superior, Admiral Karen Troth. A beautiful woman of young age who, while quite obviously out of her comfort zone in those normal clothes, made it to the rank of Admiral. I can not pretend like questioning her decisions is okay. Think, Adell. You know what you're good at. All this planning is beyond you currently, whereas Admiral Troth is known for it. It will be okay.

It will be okay.


By the time Adell.... well, calmed down, they were already pretty close to their destination. He exhaled in relief and it was audible enough for even Troth to hear, unless she was focused on something else for some reason.

Compared to the docks they had arrived at, the southern area was noticeably less-tended to. Trash littered the ground, the upkeep on the surrounding buildings was not being paid by the looks of it, and the occasional thug strode by, glaring at Adell and likely shooting lewd looks at the woman following him. It was anything but welcoming to the young man. Why couldn't they just go north? The richer districts were unlikely to make him feel like a mugging was going to occur at any minute.

No sooner than he was thinking this, the brilliant, bring neon sign of the 'Peg's Pitt' stole his attention. It stood on top of a large, clean build. With crystal-clear windows, huge wooden doors, and a pleasant smell, it looked like a mini castle compared to anything else around here. Wealthy-looking people entered and left the establishment, greeting each other warmly as they passed by, just like they were all old friends. It truly looked like a token establishment hidden amongst the garbage pit that was the rest of the lower district.

....except not.

What Adell actually found was a smaller, dirty building with a few punks standing outside of it and the sound of fighting coming from the inside. On the roof of the building, there was a place where a sign had obviously used to be, but the keyword was 'used' as in it no longer existed, having most likely fallen down quite some time ago. Williams managed to figure that it was probably the building they were looking for, since he could not imagine a worse place to meet up. To confirm this, Williams figured they would be better off asking one of the locals. He choose the least thugly-looking one that passed by, who happened to be an older man.

"Ye'! Now git outta my face!" was the exact response he got to the simple question, "Is this the Peg's Pitt?" before the older man stomped off as if offended by Adell's very presence.

"What a rude man." Adell thought aloud as his figure disappeared into the distance.

Feeling a bit down for being yelled at for no justifiable reason, Adell moped over to the shoddy door of the bar and opened it, waiting for the Admiral to enter before he would follow right behind her. Although this area really stunk of cheap booze and criminal activity waiting to happen, he at least retained his ability to politely open a door for a lady, much like any champion of justice would do. It raised his spirits just a bit to know he could at least do something for someone else. Even if it was something simple like opening a door.

Even if the person he opened the door for had just made fun of him not too long before.

The setting changes from Otanis to Novahlis

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Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: Karen Troth Character Portrait: Erik Adalia
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Whelp.
Does this mean I'm officially part of the club now? :')

The setting changes from Novahlis to Otanis

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Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: Karen Troth Character Portrait: Erik Adalia
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Erik dawdled in the horrific pub he was in for a few more minutes before deciding to leave. He had splurged, using a few of his shiny new coins to buy himself a pint of his own, one that wasn't half full with someone else's backwash. It certainly wasn't the artisan brew he had grown accustomed to in Daniel's house, but it hit the spot well enough.

Placing his payment on the counter as he strolled out, Erik looked back, with almost some vague fondness, at the stain on society known as Peg's Pitt. It was truly the most disgusting establishment he had ever been in. But he had been in it three or four times in the past few days he had been in Otanis, and it had begun to grow on him. Luckily, he would hopefully never step foot in it again after the next day, so he'd no longer have to breath in the foul stench the permeated every cubic inch of the place. He breathed in deep, a last farewell, and stepped out into the daylight.

Two rather out of place figures passed by him on his way out, and he wondered exactly what two people of clearly military status were doing walking into the most un-military locale in Otanis. Then again, judging by the way they were dressed, they weren't hoping to be recognized as military, but the detail did not escape him. It was all in the gait. People could talk about eyes all the wanted, but eyes lied. Now, the way one walked? That was special. People often didn't know enough to lie with their entire body, and that made someone's bearing an excellent thing to judge them by.

He paid them no mind. Whatever nefarious things the government was up to, that was the government's business, not his. He stayed out of the public eye, and that included never remaining on an official's mind for long.

He whistled softly as he walked. It was, after all, a good day. He had conducted good business in Otanis, established some quality contacts, and made some nice cash. A good day indeed. And it would have continued to be a good day if a weight hadn't suddenly pounced on his back with a giggle, hands encircling around his head to cover his eyes.

He hadn't heard footsteps, so whoever the mystery person was must have been lying in wait for him, he rationalized. He should have known. Perhaps the alcohol had dulled his senses. Just then, the figure spoke.

"Guess who?" a feminine voice whispered in his ear. She sounded on the brink of breaking out into peals of laughter.

Erik's jaw clenched, and with a quick movement, he quietly ducked into a side alley that was empty of people. Hastily, and slightly angrily, he pulled the giggling girl off his back, who instantly pouted.

"Erik," she whined, "aren't you happy to see me?"

"What are you doing here, Alana?" he hissed brusquely. The girl's face fell. A twitch in Erik's jaw betrayed his guilt, but he plowed on. "Daniel will have a fit if he finds out you're here! A respectable lady of nobility doesn't sneak off to another goddamn country without protection, for Christ's sake!" He turned swiftly, his cape flying behind him, as he rubbed his cheek in frustration. "Dammit," he nearly shouted. It was accompanied with an aggressive punch to the brick wall. Alana flinched at the sight of his now bleeding knuckles.

Erik tried to ignore the soft sobs that now came from behind him. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking, "I just wanted to see you. And I thought... I thought you'd be happy to see me."

Erik's arm trembled as he bit hard into his bottom lip. God, he was an asshole. Just as suddenly as he had turned away, he turned back to the now frail-looking girl. Grabbing her, he pulled her into his arms, placing his forehead on her shoulder. She instantly buried her face into the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around him.

"Shit," he muttered, "I'm so sorry, Alana, I'm so sorry. I was just worried about you. It's so dangerous for you to be out here alone, and I can't lose you too, dammit, you know I can't lose you too.Of course I'm happy to see you. I miss you and Daniel more than you could ever know. "

She pulled back, staring angrily into his eyes, her red rims making her irises look greener than ever. "Then why won't you come home?" she exclaimed, loudly. Then, leaning into him once more, quietly, "If you miss us so much, why won't you come home?"

Erik swallowed down the ball forming in his throat, guilt wracking him. He had left his family behind with the barest goodbye, never really stopping to think how it might have affected them. Daniel had been as stoic-faced as ever when he left, Alana the visage of the perfect gentlewoman. But thinking back on it, hadn't he seen a twitch in Daniel's jaw, an unshed tear in Alana's eye?

"I...I can't," he finally managed to get out. "I just can't, Alana, not now."

There was a pause. Then, "What if I call Jericho?"

Jericho. A stupid game he and Alana had played in the past when she preyed on his pride to make him do stupid things for her. It was named after the first term she had given him, to steal a trinket from a boy named Jericho. He had insulted her, and she had wanted revenge. Luckily for her, all she had to do was tell Erik he was incapable of accomplishing the task. She had her trinket within the day. Over time, it evolved. She gave him a task, and if he couldn't accomplish it, he had to do one thing for her.

"No, Alana," he said, definitively, an edge to his voice. He wouldn't be falling for her tricks.

"Please," she pleaded.

Another pause. He sighed. "Fine." He had grown in skill. Whatever goal she assigned, him, surely he would be able to complete.

She brightened, immediately stepping out of the alley to glance around her surroundings. Her eyes settled on the palace, a wicked gleam in them. "Rob the palace," she said suddenly, giddiness in her voice. "You have a week."

"What?" he shouted, but it was too late. Alana was long gone, practically skipping down the street, leaving him to wonder exactly how in the hell he was supposed to steal from the most secure building in the country.

The setting changes from Otanis to Novahlis

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: William T. Konrad Character Portrait: Karen Troth
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#, as written by Taunbon
In my defense... there was a lot of editing involved... and I forgot to change the little tab thing which I swear people only put that in to make writers mad. >.>

The setting changes from Novahlis to Otanis

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Adell Williams Character Portrait: William T. Konrad Character Portrait: Karen Troth
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#, as written by Taunbon
Kingdom of Otanis, Lower Financial Section - Peg's Pit
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Konrad's fingers continued their rhythmic beating upon the stained wooden surface, an almost involuntary action as he continued to wait for his 'handler' and his patience was wearing thin. He had not bothered to keep track of the time as he had an inkling that doing so would have only frustrated him further. Besides the tapping, atrocious concoction that was 'Peg's Special', he had very little in the way of entertainment, and so studying the nearby patrons was all that was left for him.

It wasn't such a tragedy as small pubs had a way of attracting the... oddest of flavors. Since he arrived, there had been a total of three fights a few of which ended up with a fatality who was unceremoniously dumped into the streets after their pockets had been rifled through, two of which started out as nothing more then one party feeling like the other was giving them the stank eye, but Konrad strongly suspected that the second had been a calculated hit by an enforcer to send the proper message, but if it, indeed, was that then he could only hazard as to what kind of message it was. The most common was, 'Don't fuck with us,' which would work if the dead man had been a part of a rival or new and coming small time gang. The final had been his personal favorite, two large, rather stupid, men fighting over the attentions of a rather comely woman that Konrad strongly suspected would have happily followed whichever flashed the most cash.

Still, Konrad supposed every man liked to feel like a hero once in awhile, there to save the dashing damsel in distress, prove their manliness to all the reprobates nearby by both beating down another man but insinuating a different kind of fighting between the sheets with said damsel, personally, Konrad would have advised them to go behind the pub and simply pay a small fee to one of the working ladies who were, more often than not, ready to indulge fantasies for a little extra.

Lifting the tarnished glass to his lips, he took a small sip, only a high tolerance to dubious drinks kept him from retching as the thick, chunky liquid-akin concoction slid down his throat burning all the way down and forcing his liver to crumble in crushing defeat. His eyes rose to the door as a young... boy? Boy, opened the door for the almighty bitch herself to step into his temporary sanctuary, "About fucking time."


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Karen's eyes danced and zipped around, examining people, the trash, the buildings, the windows, the loose pebbles kicked by people's feet as they shuffled along in their drab existences as she absorbed the world she walked through. The further they got into the lower financial section, the more Karen felt at ease. While, yes, she had no doubt that many of the men, and a few of the women, would happily attempt to remove her from her valuables, dignity, and clothing if given the chance, they were all easy to read. Their motives always shown upon their face.

It was the world of white marble, glittering gems, and glimmering metal that Karen had learned to tread with care. The world of half-smiles and half-truths, false hopes and hidden blades. People assumed beauty meant safety, but they were wrong. The 'common' people and the 'nobility' or the 'wealthy' all had their own vices and monstrosities, they were merely more inclined to hide them then the people currently walking past the duo. She always found it amusing how much people feared and dreaded running into a mugger, when they should have been thankful, a mugger would at least look them in the eye when stealing their belongings, the same could not be said of kings and bankers.

Already assumed to her role as a posh, but naive, noble looking to do something rather dangerous and risque, she would let a light blush fill her cheeks, let her shoulders sink into a signal of submission, and glance away whenever a man made lewd gestures at her or groped her with their eyes. A fellow slave once told her that a man will always be willing to believe a woman is both helpless and interested in them, and it was something that had always proven true. Even among the military where her title was known, it was not uncommon for her to run into men believing she needed their protecting or underestimated her due to her appearance, but it worked to her advantage often enough to avoid being a true annoyance.

The edge of her lips tipped up at the man's rather inspired response to her lieutenant's question. Lieutenant Williams was lucky the man had responded at all, but she could not help but feel the tinge of amusement out how out of place he looked. She was intentionally trying to appear out of place, but he truly looked like he did not belong. Almost as if something incredibly unpleasant had latched itself to the bottom of the shoe, and she had to admit it was the right choice to bring him along even if only for his discomfort.

But he was to surprise her, it wasn't him opening the door that surprised her, it was why he did it. It wasn't unusual for people, especially men, to open the door for her seeking either her favor as an admiral or a woman, often times both, but at least from what her eyes could see, he merely opened the door because she was a woman. Not for, but simply because she was. A polite, and innocent gesture born from a subconscious action extending from morale values, it was... an interesting anomaly. Karen paused in the door way, letting her eyes trace his face for a few moments, before finally giving him a small nod and stepping into the dark, dank tavern. The first thing she noticed was not the people, the lighting, the dubious spills on the ground; it was the smell. The smell of sweat, grime, mold, and other quantifiable things even she would not mention in polite conversation.

Her Indigo eyes scanned the room before falling on the small booth near the back of the pub, on Konrad.

Slipping through the tables and careful to avoid any puddles, she made her way over to the bounty hunter when a movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eyes, the world seemed to slow as the small, toothless man leaned out of his chair and raised his hand, crushing an internal sigh, she watched the hand inch closer and closer until the resounding smack filled the air as the man smacked her rear earning a howl of laughter from his friends and followed it up with a rather lewd comment on what he could do for and to her.

Karen played her part, stumbling forward slightly, lips parted and giving out a soft cry of pain and surprise. A strand of her hair laying across her face, knocked free from her movements. Placing her hand on the spot, she covered herself and lowered her shoulders, once more giving off the illusion of fear and submission as her eyes lowered to the floor. Annoying, yes, but she was rather glad she caught the movement, if she had not seen it, she would have been rather nonreactive to it as even though she had watched him hit her, she had not felt a thing the only alert to her was the light pressure and sound. It would have been a simple matter to crack his wrist, or to shatter the small glass and impale his throat down upon it and enjoy the satisfying gurgles and pathetic gasp for life, or perhaps to show mercy and snap his neck with her thumb, but she had a role to play at the moment so she did none of it, yet unbeknownst to the man, he would rue that singular moment for the rest of his misbegotten existence.


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Did he do something wrong? A simple nod would not have made him feel uncomfortable in the slightest, but the blatant stare made Adell think something was wrong with what he did. He couldn't imagine what was wrong, though. Could it, perhaps, have something to do with how he handled that old man? No, she did not seem mad or anything. At least, not anymore than she typically was.

Unsure as to what the whole moment was about, Adell followed behind his Admiral into the smelly tavern and investigated his surroundings with a disgusted, but curious eye. While he could honestly sit back and write an entire essay on all the reasons why he thought this bar should have some form of air freshener or the like, he was more concerned about the appearance of this place, which managed to look even worse on the inside than the outside. He had, originally, thought that possible. Drunken yelling and shouting, dried blood on the floor, and questionable hygiene characterized the entirety of the bar. Aside from Lady Troth and himself, there really was nobody else who looked like they'd seen a shower before, and Adell couldn't help but breathe through his mouth while they walked through the establishment.

The thugs in this place all looked ready to start a fight from the moment he and Troth had entered. Adell was not blind to the mean looks he was receiving and it had made him quite nervous. Would someone here attempt to start a fight on him just because? He couldn't answer that question with an answer he wanted, so he tried not to think about it. It would be great if they could just maneuver through the sea of filth and deal with their business as fast, quiet, and efficiently as physically possible so that they could vacate the premises before anything violent happened.

Yes, that is exactly what Adell was thinking just before a toothless customer decided it hilarious to give a firm smack to his superior's ass and then laugh and joke about it.

Up until that point, he would have loved nothing more than to be the silent servant that Troth had wanted him to be. Up until that point he wouldn't say anything unless asked to by Troth. Up until that point, Adell wasn't completely angered. Forgoing the whole common sense thing and instead opting to take a more brutal, violent response to the lecherous man's actions, Adell did what he did best, which is beating people up. The speed and strength behind the young man's punch was nothing to scoff at. The very action of punching was almost too quick for someone to notice, especially by the very man it was aimed at, who was certainly not expecting it. As it flew through the air, Adell briefly wondered if this was the correct course of action. He was certain that the Admiral could give this man a beating much worse than he could, and her visible reaction was unlike what he'd expect from her judging by how she acted before this point.

So she really wanted to play the helpless noble? Oh...

Well, it was much too late for him to do anything now. His punch was thrown, and it certainly was not going to be stopped by anything other than this unfortunate man's face. All he could do is watch as it connected perfectly and sent the man flying out of his chair and onto the ground, where he then lay unconscious.

As he then received many looks of confusion from just about the entire bar, he thought of a way he could recover from this. He cursed his inability to remain professional in the face of an injustice, but he did not regret what he did to this man. He deserved it. And any other pervert who would dare lay a hand on a lady like that deserves the same. In fact, this man was lucky the woman he had groped hadn't decided to retaliate. Justice was served to him and there was no going back now. He knew he had to make it clear what just happened and why.

"I do not tolerate disrespect towards Lady Troth." he clearly stated, almost as if a challenge to everyone else in the bar. At the very least, nobody said servants can't kick ass, right? Yeah, he was one of those.


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As her eyes recorded what happened, imprinting it on her mind for future reference, her face danced to the tunes and acts of the humble play before her. Karen let out a surprised gasp as her apparent bodyguard and white knight struck down the villainous cur that had rose hand to fair lady. Clasping her hands in front of her small chest, she once again made herself seem small, eyes shining with mighty admiration and adulation for her mighty hero and bodyguard.

But her mind was elsewhere. While, by herself, she would not have bothered with a persona, she had been curious to see how he handled it, and so far... she wasn't quite sure. Karen had purposely left his position open to see what he would pick for himself, a simple servant? An estranged relative? A secret lover? A dearly beloved? And it seemed he had settled on a bodyguard position which fit, she supposed. Of course, if he had meant to be a bodyguard then he was doing fairly well even if he did not have the intimidating visage that was normally needed... Or had he chosen another role for himself and this was merely his sense of justice born from naivety and years of carefully spoon fed propaganda showing through? If she was to be honest with herself, as she always was, she was leaning more towards the latter. It was endearing, having someone stand up for her honor, if she still had such a thing, and she couldn't help but link it to a small puppy bringing her a trinket. She may not want the trinket, may have no use for the slobbered thing, but it was still charming.

Stepping closer to him to hide beside Adell, Karen reinforced the image of the scared young lady hiding behind her valiant warrior. Reaching out, she tugged on his shirt to urge him to move with her to the small table where a plain man with a hard glint in his eye was trying, unsuccessfully, to hide a large grin behind his glass.


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Konrad leaned back in his seat watching the bitch and her newest pet make their way through the small pub, he was confused as to what she was up to with her.. act as while it wasn't uncommon for her to go without her military uniform, it was uncommon for her to purposely put on in act in this side of the economic status, especially one that stuck out so much. The last time she did this she had pretended to be a prostitute much to the annoyance of her last pet, was that what this was? Some test or game to taunt and tease the newest puppy? He wouldn't put it past her. She was a bitch.

Then it happened, a moment that he would hold and cherish for a long time, an old man reached out and smacked her right on the ass. Being the tight ass she was, he was surprised his hand didn't shatter, but he let out a loud snort none the less. She needed a good spanking once in awhile to beat the bitch out of her, and while he toasted the man's unknowing bravery and newly signed death certificate; he was surprised, once more, by the little puppy lashing out and knocking the man over and out.

The declaration he made was almost adorable. What appeared to be an untried youth giving out a declaration and warning to a bar full of testosterone filled men was generally not a good idea despite what novels and stories had people believe, and was really, a quicker way to get someone's teeth knocked out. Spotting a few men starting to stand up, Konrad started laughing, a deep, hearty laugh which spread to the rest of the pub as they all brushed off the obvious challenge instead enjoying the antics that had just taken place. A few men pushed each other making jokes while most of the others returned to their drinks, but the old man, knocked thoroughly unconscious was being lifted by his friends and carried out, the looks upon their faces declaring, loud and brazenly, that they would be seeing the two again. Was it because they wanted to kick ass to avenge their friend? Or was it one of those macho trips that kicking their friends ass, somehow, implied a lack in themselves, but then, he further reckoned that it didn't mean jack shit in the grand scheme of things. It was a shame the older man had been left unconscious and carried out as Konrad would have bought him a drink, a feat onto itself as the only person Konrad bought drinks for was himself and even that was reluctant!

Leaning back in his seat, he moved his legs to make room as the bitch slid into the seat before him, moving against the wall to better conceal herself from what little light was there, but she took extra care to not actually touch the wall, itself which had... well, it was best to not think about what could have been on it over the years.

"So..." Konrad said drawing out the vowel as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, "It is just so lovely to see you, your royal Bit-... Admiralness," he said purposely catching himself, "And you brought a little boy toy as well! I didn't know you were into the younger boys, so does he crack the whip or do you? I know how much you love to hear grown men squeal. Or is it the other way around? A reverse dominatrix kind of thing?"

"How disrespectful!" Adell wanted to interjected disdainfully. Who did this man think he was, speaking so openly ill against both himself and the Admiral? If Adell had taken a seat then he would have stood straight up, ready to bare his fists at this ignorant man. Though any actual attempt to voice this was purely in his head, his tense expression betrayed his unhappiness.

Karen said nothing, waiting for the normal spew to end, it was almost a routine they did. Normally, she would fire back, but not today, today was about watching the lieutenant and gauging his reactions and actions to the world around him. "Charming," Karen said, "My 'ass' is doing quite well as I am sure that was your next line of inquiry."

Konrad huffed at being denied the jokes he had saved for that moment, he had intended to save the best for last, but now it held little point. He had so much planned for that little instant, and such a thing was a long time coming, but no, she couldn't let him have that little tidbit of enjoyment. "Well, I hope it heals in time for the latest pet to be able to give it a rough spanking when it is 'morale' inspection."

Considering the first inappropriate statement was enough to rouse irritation at Adell, his subsequent voice of disapproval of Konrad's jabs and insults was nothing anybody paying the slightest attention to him should be surprised about. "You...! Stop calling me a pet and projecting your sick, masochistic desires onto me!" he growled. Why this man seemed to be so fond of pretending like Adell was some sort of sick deviant was beyond him, but it was not appreciated in the slightest. Plus, Adell never did have time to even think about s-s-s....sexu! And to think he would pair Adell up with the Admiral, of whom he admired and respected!

...He actually wouldn't mind, ///blushu

Needless to say, Adell was overwhelmingly pissed.

Konrad hide the small smile with practiced ease as the feeling of trimuph rose in his chest, while it was annoyingly difficult to get a rise out of the frigid bitch, getting it out of her newest pet was looking incredibly easy, "Is the 'ittle puppy mad? Does he want a biscuit? Do you want a biscuit boy?" he taunted waving an imaginary treat in his hand.

"Ugh! You're so insolent for some lawless thug!" Adell fired back, and Konrad could almost see the pet trying to wash himself of the conflict early, but there was no way in this righteous side of hell he was going to let that happen.

"Oh!" Konrad said purposely exaggerating it, "He pulled out the big guns! Insolent lawless thug! How will I ever recover from that?! It would sting even more if it didn't come from a yapping lap dog, go outside and chase after people, pee on things you want and play dead, the people are talking."

"Enough!" Karen barked, their display doing nothing more then waste time, more importantly, her time. Getting dragged into Konrad's games was not something one wanted to do. Arguing with a fool only created two.

Konrad opened his mouth to say something more, but decided he had poked fun at the kid enough, "Whatever," He said sullenly, like a child reprimanded by their parents, crossing his arms and pouting.

Making a show to look at her nails, rubbing her pointer finger to her thumb as if picking something distasteful from underneath her fingers, Karen shrugged, "And here I was considering giving you payment for your services this time."
"Whoa, hold on," Konrad said, his internal greed overcoming his pouting act, "Lets just slow the fuck down, you still owe me more then a few service fees."

"No. No I do not," Karen said, her voice holding a dangerous edge, "I deducted such cost for the destruction of the Esmeralda."

Throwing his hands up in mock exasperation, "I did you a favor. It was a shitty ship anyways, and that wasn't even my fault. It was a communications error."

"Of course, it was just like all my payments to you got lost devoured by the very same communications error," Karen replied easily, leaning back in her seat, while she was talking, her eyes were constantly dancing between the bounty hunter and the surrounding area never quite at ease.

"A nasty thing, that communication error," Konrad said, their eyes holding for a bit as the tension rose. It remained that way for a bit, the two staring at each other, Karen's face void of emotion and Konrad wearing his false half-smile.

As always, Konrad broke contact first leaning forward, "What's the job?"

Reaching into her pocket, Karen removed a small card and slid it across the table. Lifting it up, Konrad flipped it over and examined the apparent random numbers and letters, "Simple enough, why do you need me for this?" He asked curiously as his mind, long practiced at these dealings, deciphered the code she had chosen to use this time.

"It is time sensitive," She replied easily.

"Mmm, one of those. Alright. I can do it in... three hours," Konrad said before following it up, "Yes, yes, I know, I have one hour, but then I say I can do two hours then we settle on one and a half." He let his hand wave in the air dismissing any possible rebuttal as that particular dance was one he had no desire to participate in.

"Why don't you, my Admiralness, take the puppy for a walk while I am out. I shall leave the information at your ship, I would hate to force you to look upon my gorgeous face then deprive you of it again," Konrad said, placing his hand on the center of his chest... under his fairly plain face.

"How very noble of you," Karen said, her normally sharp voice filled with a slight bored tone.

"The noblest," Konrad said draining his dubious drink and pushing himself up from the table, "Don't let anyone smack you on the ass on the way out."

"Charming," Karen said as she slide out from her chair, "Leave the information on my ship in the docks."


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It had been surprisingly easy to find the mark, a small, weasel like man with a nose that was two sizes too big for his thin, almost sickly, face.

"I ain't tellin' you nuttin'" The weasle said, struggling in the bonds that held him to the wooden chair, the entire situation struck Konrad as entirely cliche. Small, weasel man, tied to a small chair in an abandoned warehouse, declaring he wouldn't say nothing in an exaggerated slum-born accent. It was moments like this that almost made Konrad believe he was in some two-bit over played story, all he really needed now was a monologuing archnemisis, an escaped princess, and the 'valiant' hero to really build up the tale, unless it was the kind of story where he was supposed to be the valiant hero, and he wasn't sure which he preferred.

A soft pat snapped Konrad back to the room as the man spat on the floor, "Really? Really?" Konrad asked, "You know I don't live here right? So you spitting on the floor achieves jackshit. Do you really think I would bring someone I was going to slowly torture for information to my home? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get bloodstains out of carpet? Well, not like there is carpet her, but you understand the general point."

"Fuck you," The over-sized nose declared, lifting his chin up, his eyes daring Konrad to make him talk.

"Okay, I am going to let you in on a secret, I am going to torture you. I am going to take those shears over there, and I am going to start removing your fingers all whilst playing this little piggy," Konrad said lifting up the large metal shears in question, "You are going to not say anything until about the third finger when I ask you, 'does this little piggy want roast beef?' which is going to be disappointing for both of us as I have always wanted to say, 'This little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home,' as the digit hits the ground, so how about we skip the cliche, I get to removing the fingers, you get to screaming, and I get the information, yea?"

Reaching down, he grasped the wiggling mans hands, the weasel trying his best to... well, weasel out of the straps, his mouth clenched as odd sounds struggled to escape the pressed lips, "So," Konrad said, the metal blades moved around his thumb, "This little piggy went to the market..."




Konrad tossed the bloodied shears on the small table, wiping his hands down with the weasel's dirty shirt, "See? Was that so bad," he taunted, some of the dried blood proving difficult to get from his skin with the shirt, looks like he would need to wash it which was just... wonderful since the warehouse lacked running water which meant he would have to walk around with his hands in his pockets. He should have brought gloves.

The weasel like man was bent over, his long, greasy hair a curtain hiding the tears that ran down his face, but not the broken sobs that escaped between his gasps for air, "Please, please let me go," He said, the word shaky and punctured be nemours deep gasps for air.

"We both know how this is going to end," Konrad said tossing the shirt aside, giving up on the prospect of getting the red stains from his hands, "Come on, you knew the second you entered this building that this is where you were going to die," he said, his fave devoid of the usually mocking grin that had been on his face before, an intimidation tactic to get information that was no longer necessary.

"P-please don't kill me," he pleaded, "Sorry," Konrad said, his voice not conveying any true feelings of sorrow or regret at the prospect, "But I have my orders."

Drawing one of his pistols from its holster, he leveled it at the mans forehead and pulled the trigger, ending the man's pain and life, his dreams and desires, his past and future, in a single moment... and recoloring the wall behind the weasel in new shades of red and bits of gray.