Aces Away

Castle Grimm [A Fantasy Drama]

Geoffrey let out a small sigh before speaking. "I don't think I'm too distraught about the soldiers - granted, they all look like worthy foes, yet ever since we entered this valley, I haven't been able to shake this feeling..." He stood and turned his head toward the castle's large doors, wondering how long it would be until the messenger arrived. He looked over at Kehah, the muscles in his face beginning to tense. "I may be thinking on it a bit much, but there's something going on here. Much bigger than just war negotiations." The young tactician's icy blue eyes met the woman's gray gaze.

"I have to ask - I read your report, so I know who you are. You've proven your capability as a warrior many times over. Even put some of our superiors to shame with how you handle things on and off the field. There are even rumors, though I'm not one to gossip, about a group of mercenaries you tagged along with. So you're obviously a force to be reckoned with. But I don't think you came here to show off your skills, and none of the commanders have ever said this is an obligation. So, simply put - why are you here?"

The muscles, which had loosened during the conversation with the young Lieutenant, once again coiled in response to his line of questioning. Any emotion one would have seen in her eyes now shuttered closed. "There's no doubt that there's more than war negotiations going on, Lieutenant." Was her terse reply. She contemplated not answering his questions about her; she didn't believe they were any of his business. But his tattoos- the same exact ones that Maar'von had on his right arm- 'And don't those one's indicate lineage? They shouldn't have the same tattoos unless they're...' Her eyes slid to his auburn hair, his fave shape, and his eyes. His eyes, which were too blue to match Maar'von's deep brown, yet seemed to hold her gaze just the same. '...Family. Shit.'

"By the Spirits' Graces." She muttered to herself. Now she really had to keep him alive.

Shoulder's squared, she crossed her arms and leveled him with a steely glare. "Barring gossip, which your soldiers seems to have more of than skill," Ok, so the jab was unnecessary, but being underhanded is kind of her job. "I traveled with a group that trained me in all manner of offensive, defensive, and general tactics. They, overall. taught me how to survive. I'm sure my blade tutor taught me fighting skills you'd recognize from your tribe." Both her and Maar'von had traditions and skills born from being born at forest-lined villages. Though her village had no traditional tattoos, she has a few on her back and shoulders that Maar'von insisted she got once she was a full member of the mercenaries. He said it was a shame that a village like his own had no way of representing themselves.

"And for that last part?" She added, as though it was an afterthought. "I came to kill them," Her eyes cut to the Onyxians. "For what they represent. For what they did nigh on ten years ago. Simple as that." A cold wind pushed her hair forward, casting an ominous shadow across her face as she spoke her last words. "I'm not complicated enough to have a noble or patriotic reason. I just like to kill."

Geoffrey listened intently as Kehah's words turned cold, noting the animosity in her voice as she spoke. He glanced back toward the other White Rock soldiers, watching them sit or stand in huddled circles, occasionally looking across the field at the Onyxians, then back to their small groups. It was impressive that they contained themselves so well - most of these men had seemed so anxious to fight during the trek up the mountain, but now that they were finally here, they seemed more reserved then ever.

"Our fabled Lord Grimm sure likes to keep us waiting," Geoffrey mumbled, looking again at the large doors. He tried to see inside of a few of the windows high above, but was met by dark shadows inside.

He turned back to Kehah, watching as she peered over at the Onyxians, a definite hatred burning in her eyes. He slumped back against the wall and stared up into the sky, spotting just a few clouds dancing across the otherwise clear blue air. "So, I hate to ask this of you, but..." He put his head back down, revealing a small grin across his lips. "Being cooped up in an office for so long hasn't really helped me prepare, physically, for this task. In fact, my sword arm is a bit flimsy - not too useful if an Onyxian jumps me on my way to the well. Maybe we could spar after the first meeting inside?" Geoffrey snickered a bit, trying to lighten the mood while hoping he actually could spar her - he needed the exercise, and didn't trust himself against one of the larger Onyxian soldiers.

"Oh, I can most definitely help you with that," She answered, tone considerably lighter than before. The air seemed to shift with the changes in her attitude, as a another, softer breeze passed by and her hair settled back around her shoulders. While her inner turmoil still stirred, she gave off the appearance of relaxing; her arms uncrossed, head tilted playfully towards Geoffrey as a smirk came back to her lips. "I hope you remember the basics, at least."

Before he could reply, however, Kehah tensed up once more, head snapping over to the castle's entrance as a man appeared from it's shadows. A cold wind burst through the court yard as his mask stared out at them. She stepped just slightly in front of the Lieutenant, hand on a dagger, as she waited for the messenger to speak.

Castle Grimm [A Fantasy Drama]

just got off work, post to come!

Edenridge (Slice of Life with a Twist - Always Accepting)

I'm in Cleveland man, it's either freezing or sweltering. We're xtrmly luck if we get a normal day

Prey Tell

While Yuuta is reworking their post, does anyone else have their next post in the works @Loki Odinson@NightmareInd@Bishop@FantasyChic@Thecrash20@Sombrero?

I think I got everyone not waiting or reworking

Edenridge (Slice of Life with a Twist - Always Accepting)

Oh! Fun fact about the memorial garden in my post: the idea came from the fact that a my highschool- I graduated 2015- had this memorial garden to a teacher that died, in a little quad wedged between the library and C-wing hall (which just housed the art and SpecEd department) and my big bro was talking to my art teacher a few weeks ago and she told him that the principle who'd come in in my senior year- horrible guy I hated him don't get me started- paved it over and locked the doors to the outside so students can't even go out there anymore. So yeah I kinda created the garden here out of petty spite.

Prey Tell

@Yuuta was that @FantasyChic's character you're about to interact with? Because if so, Darnies is there already as well.

Edenridge (Slice of Life with a Twist - Always Accepting)

Mordechai Boaz

Mordechai swung his leg over and hopped off his motorcycle. There were still no students milling around the school so he took his time crossing over towards the memorial garden up front. While Ty had his own plaque, having been the actual target of the shooting, the rest of the victims had a small tree planted with their name engraved in the trunks. The garden was beautiful and well tended to, just off the side of the school's main entrance; nobody would trample it, but it was still easily seen and respected for what it was.

His knees hit the dirt and he knelt in front of his little brother's tree. 'Danny Boaz' was engraved length-wise on the thin trunk of the young Red Maple. Trembling fingers traces the smooth letters as a pained noise left his throat.

"Gavrie-"

His hand flew to his mouth-

Aisik Shomer

"Cut!" The director called as the set went silent. "Aisik, wha-"

"I'm sorry." He choked out, snapping into a standing position as he covered the wounded noise coming from his throat. His accent came out thick as he fought back the feeling of being closed in on. "I'm sor-sorry I ju-" The stunted words fell passed trembling lips and fingers, as though he was trying to catch them before they even came out.

He took off before the director could say anything else, off the set and speeding passed the snack table as a sob choked from his body and he almost tumbled into a cast or crew member as he took a sharp turn towards the trailer lot. He could just barely hear the blur of words as people called after him.

His trailer loomed over him as he threw the door open. He couldn't bring himself to remember if he'd locked the door as he threw himself against the small couch, chest heaving. He grabbed the pillow and dropped his face into it, breath erratic and tears falling freely. He hadn't expected his first scene on set to end like that, but seeing the memorial tree for his on-screen brother brought about memories of Gavriel that he'd been hoping to be able to keep at bay while working.

'Hell,' he thought. 'I didn't even tell anyone why I left mid-season all those years ago. Does anyone even know?'

Aisik had been very careful about keeping his personal life out of media, and even kept it away from his co-stars and crew members lest something get leaked. The only people that would have had any idea about it would have been the people who'd cast him at the auditions, given that he'd all but crashed his way into the room, bloody, bruised, and beaten. But he didn't talk about Gavriel or his parents; didn't talk about the gangs in his neighborhood or their affinity with him, even after he'd started acting. Now that he though about it, teenage Aisik probably made the makeup crew want to burst into tears. A lot. There were always bruises or cuts to cover up.

No media covered random gang violence in a shitty South Boston neighborhood, didn't care about a random victim caught in the crossfire. Everyone in that neighborhood was either a criminal, lowlife, or otherwise wholly unimportant; why write about one more nobody dying? No one knew he was Edenridge star Aisik Shomer's baby brother.

But that left the question: Does anyone know why he left? Why he just broke down? Or would they think it was just the stress from suddenly coming back to acting after 10 or so years?

'I shouldn't have kept everything so close to the vest...' the thought came as unbidden as the tears.

Edenridge (Slice of Life with a Twist - Always Accepting)

I'll have a post up later today at a more appropriate time

Castle Grimm [A Fantasy Drama]

I love how 2 of us are saying my character has blue hair and the others are saying purple and we're just rolling with like "yeah, her hair just keeps shifting hue it's chill". XD

Edenridge (Slice of Life with a Twist - Always Accepting)

Me and @Dirty Pretty Lies worked this out for our characters relationship in-show, is good to put under the relationship tab @BrutalBx?

They met at a drug house, because, of course they did; two kids willing to get so high that they forgot 'problems' and 'troubles' were actual words. At first, it was purely for the physical release of it all, for the high that came from their contact so that they could find another escape from their terrible realities. He resented her at first; she'd grown up in a privileged house, with no abuse or scars to speak of. Sure, she was neglected, but Mordechai would have given anything to be ignored by his parents and their fists. He began to see her issues were valid, though, and the relationship developed emotions that neither were ready for in their fragile states.

When he found out about her bulimia, he tried to get her to stop, but what kind of rolemodel was he? So it ended up being that he had to find her, curled around a toilet and trying to force out what wasn't there, and make a deal that he wasn't even sure he could get behind. If she quit purging, he would try at school, and get away from his parents and buy an apartment with the money he made at the garage; giving her a place to go when she was hurt and vulnerable, and giving him a safe space of his own. Surprisingly, they were both able to make good on those promises.

Their relationship was off and on since then. While they'd always stay friends, Decky didn't have interest in sharing much emotion with anyone outside his precious baby brother. This left her starved of the very interaction she'd been trying to gain from her parents- though she had rebuilt a relationship with them at this point. While she still crashed at his apartment occasionally, they didn't get too far beyond physical contact and sharing each others' problems out loud; you could say their little theraputic sessions started Lanie on her realization that she wanted to do social work. They tried- really, they did- but everyone knew a relationship between the two wouldn't last.

During his junior year, they were finally starting to blossom into a proper relationship; they'd stopped most of their drug use, but still drank and took the occasional hit, and Lanie hadn't purged since mid-sophomore year. It was all looking up as they slapped the boyfriend/girlfriend labels on for the first time in their history.

Of course that's when it had to go so horribly wrong.

The loss of his brother sent Decky on a quick downward spiral that had him leaving town as soon as his brother was buried. He'd told no one but Phil, who would later inform Lanie himself when she stopped by the garage to ask about him. She had no idea where he went, if he was still alive, or why he didn't tell her.

Ok, that last one was a lie; Decky still had a lot of problems sharing his thoughts and feelings, so it probably made sense to him in his grief riddled haze to just hop on his motorcycle and skip out of the emotional hell-hole he saw this town to be.

Lanie uses his story as inspiration for troubled teens when she can. "I knew this guy in high school. His parents were so cruel, so abusive and he fell into a bad life before I'd even met him. But for his little brother-" 'and for me' she'd add silently- "he turned his life around, got emancipated, and with his job at a mechanics garage, got an apartment. It was small, and broken and dirty, but he seemed so happy there, and he'd let other troubled kids crash there as well. With his brother, he didn't need much else. Just find someone to hold on to, and you can make it through this with help."

She'd use her own story for the bulimic kids she dealt with, under the agreement that they don't share anything about it outside the room.

When a dying Phil called her and told her he'd left the Garage to Mordechai, she didn't know what to say; her life was on track and she'd tried to- and gotten- over his leaving. Did this mean he was coming back? Would they even recognize each other? What would their relationship- with their last contact being over his brother's cooling body- be now?

Only time will be able to tell.