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Recent Statuses

11 mos ago
GTA RP sounds fun but the thought of guild members trying to portray real gang members sounds pretty cringe
8 likes
12 mos ago
if I was a grape would you spit or swallow my seeds?
4 likes
12 mos ago
to the same six people that like my statuses yall want something from the store?
8 likes
1 yr ago
pretty girls please manipulate me must be stapled to my forehead
6 likes
3 yrs ago
NGL I haven’t roleplayed in years but I still log in every so often to see if any friends from the old days hit me up. It’s nice to see that every once in a while
4 likes

Bio

Expllo/Deuce | M | 26 | (US) Central Time (CT)

  • Casual | Advanced
  • Fandom | Horror | Fantasy | Superhero | Anime
  • Diverse character genders and sexualities, no preference
  • One to Three posts per week
sad boy activities | if I don't respond I'm high

Most Recent Posts

Note: This roleplay is set in an alternative universe of Dragon Age, inspired primarily by Dragon Age: Origins. This roleplay does not contain canon characters, and instead takes use of its lore essential to the Dragon Age world itself. I.e You do not have to be a fan of Dragon Age to join, as we have hit the reset button, but it does help.

Status: Open (5/5) | Exceptions (0/2)


Dragon Age: Dark Scion



“The Wardens were supposed to be our salvation. Now, some whisper they are its heralds.”


Across Thedas, signs of The Sixth Blight fester like old wounds: blight-touched beasts stir in lands untouched by past Blights, crops rot overnight in fertile soil, and dreams carry the scent of decay. Strange plagues bloom where none should, and in the far reaches of the Anderfels, Weisshaupt Fortress has gone silent.

Travelers speak of gaunt knights in tarnished silver, their eyes hollow, their presence withering. ”The Blooming Rot!” They chant. This is not the Blight as we remember it. This is something else.

Whether you are a mage marked by troubling visions, a Warden with questions no one dares answer, or a soldier who survived what should have killed you, your path leads you to The Rethari Blades. A mercenary band led by a Qunari named Delilah, battling the blight alongside a lone Grey Warden, named Dean. Regardless of your sole motivations, The Rethari Blades goal is to find the missing Wardens and help fight against the Blight.







Resource Centre








Cast & Companions








Stats


This Roleplay will be using a behind-the-scenes dice system for combat purposes, in order to assure fair risk to players, enemies, and NPCs alike. This helps keep an air of randomness that mitigates railroading from the GM team, and adds more emphasis on playing smart and playing together. While stats aren’t the end all be all, they are important in establishing a character’s identity and ensuring continuity within combat. I.e: A warrior that dumps 20 into all Heavy will not be consistently sneaking around successfully. As such, a mage that wants to min-max magic won't survive too many blows from an attack if they have 0 Perseverance and 0 Defender. While it can happen, chances are, they won't get lucky that amount of times.

Once again, I implore you to read thoroughly and ask any questions if you don’t have a full understanding. There are no dumb questions, as long as it helps you get a full understanding of the system. (Seriously, this is a lot of information you may want to go over more than once). An example can be found here.


@Randomguy



@Theyra



@WhiteAngel25



@PatientBean



@Mjolnir



So, here is an example of how I would like the character sheets approached both in terms of custom abilities as well as the Stat system. The math for the point system is provided below.



So, to further emphasize: The lowest a point can be invested into a stat is (5) Five as shown in the example.

Magic: +1
Fortitude: [5/20]

(5 points invested)

In order to upgrade further, you have to add (5) Five more points. This is for every level, so in layman's terms the only numbers that should be on the CS are 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 as shown here:

Physical: +13
Reflexes: [20/20]
Rapid Blows: [15/20]
Stealth: [15/20]
Perception: [15/20]

(65 points invested)

Your overall points invested should equal up to a whopping (100) One Hundred. No more, no less. So, 65 + 5 = 70. That means I have 30 more points available to spend. This is how I decided to tally them up, in order to further emphasize Minerva’s fighting style:

Heavy: +6
Defender: [10/20]
Hard Hitter: [20/20]

That’s my remaining (30) Thirty points. 70 + 30 = 100

To further simplify the point system, you can max out a total of (5) Five Stats most valuable to your character’s play style:

Defender: [20/20]
Perseverance: [20/20]
Hard Hitter: [20/20]
Combat Sense: [20/20]
Reflexes: [20/20]

20 x 5 = 100

Please let me know if there are any further questions.
@Mjolnir@PatientBean@WhiteAngel25@Theyra@Randomguy (and lukers @CaliforniaState) The CS is here! No need to rush, as the ooc is still in progress at the moment (and it may contain additional information not provided already). But it's good to get a headstart, and brainstorm. You may use a custom template or copy-paste this one using the Raw feature at the top right, so long as the required information is provided.

Rogue Bard, Elf probably.


Funny, I thought this might be the route you'd take

I was thinking along the lines of a rogue assassin, like the Antivan Crows.


Antivan Crows are an existing faction within this game. If you would like to go this route, I can PM you relative information and we can brainstorm further on your relations within said faction. Up to you, of course.
Note: This roleplay is set in an alternative universe of Dragon Age, inspired primarily by Dragon Age: Origins. This roleplay does not contain canon characters, and instead takes use of its lore essential to the Dragon Age world itself. I.e You do not have to be a fan of Dragon Age to join, as we have hit the reset button, but it does help.



“The Wardens were supposed to be our salvation. Now, some whisper they are its heralds.”


Across Thedas, signs of The Sixth Blight fester like old wounds: blight-touched beasts stir in lands untouched by past Blights, crops rot overnight in fertile soil, and dreams carry the scent of decay. Strange plagues bloom where none should, and in the far reaches of the Anderfels, Weisshaupt Fortress has gone silent.

Travelers speak of gaunt knights in tarnished silver, their eyes hollow, their presence withering. ”The Blooming Rot!” They chant. This is not the Blight as we remember it. This is something else.

Whether you are a mage marked by troubling visions, a Warden with questions no one dares answer, or a soldier who survived what should have killed you, your path leads you to The Rethari Blades. A mercenary band led by a Qunari named Delilah, battling the blight alongside a lone Grey Warden, named Dean. Regardless of your sole motivations, The Rethari Blades goal is to find the missing Wardens and help fight against the Blight.



Welcome to Dragon Age: Dark Scion! This game will utilize a mission based system to progress the main story, and advance your character. In-between missions, you can spend time freely interacting with other player characters and NPCs alike. This gives you a chance to build relationships, alliances for The Rethari Blades, and further pursue personal goals or gains of power.

This roleplay will feature a mixture of both combat and politics, and as such, every action you take impacts the story. A failed mission will dampen relations with the kingdom who requested it, a broken promise will be remembered, and blatantly using blood magic in front of Templars will give probable cause to put you down. In turn, positive relationships will benefit you down the road. Honorable actions will be remembered, and information from your backstory alone will be used, etc. You get the gist. This is to make the world feel as alive as possible.

This is a Dark Fantasy Roleplay, and as such contains violent and sexual themes. The rules of the site still apply, so nothing explicit, but this is fully intended to be a mature game. If that gives you pause or makes you uncomfortable, I would highly suggest turning away now. I do not hold hands in my games, and such, death of your character is a possibility otherwise the threat of the Blight has no validity. I’m not looking to slaughter the entire cast, but as stated before, this world is alive and consequences do exist. I implore you to play smart both in combat and in political situations, while I also suggest not being afraid to take risks in both situations. We’re here to have fun, and create a compelling narrative influenced by character’s actions regardless of the outcome.

The maximum number of players I’m seeking is (5) Five. However, if more interest is shown and we (My Co-Gm @Shu) determine that a character is too good to pass up or would help the narrative, we can make the exception for one or two more players. There is no first come first serve, as we will judge every applicant at once in order to give a fair shot to everyone in case we exceed the maximum number of interests.

If this interests you, then check out the Class and Stats systems below! I would prefer you thoroughly read over these before I finalize, and hand out, the character sheet.




Classes are taken primarily from Origins and Dragon Age: 2. They offer both a passive ability used to all those in Thedas, as well as social and political aspects that come with said specializations. Players and NPCs alike adhere to these policies.










This Roleplay will be using a behind-the-scenes dice system for combat purposes, in order to assure fair risk to players, enemies, and NPCs alike. This helps keep an air of randomness that mitigates railroading from the GM team, and adds more emphasis on playing smart and playing together. While stats aren’t the end all be all, they are important in establishing a character’s identity and ensuring continuity within combat. I.e: A warrior that dumps 20 into all Heavy will not be consistently sneaking around successfully. As such, a mage that wants to min-max magic won't survive too many blows from an attack if they have 0 Perseverance and 0 Defender. While it can happen, chances are, they won't get lucky that amount of times.

Once again, I implore you to read thoroughly and ask any questions if you don’t have a full understanding. There are no dumb questions, as long as it helps you get a full understanding of the system. (Seriously, this is a lot of information you may want to go over more than once)




Ace Hendrix | Ocean Sullivan

An Expllo & @Palindrome production!



Show me why you're always smiling
Laugh again and...


Ace released a hiss of breath as he pressed against his tender nose. The bridge was still slightly misshapen, with violet and blotched red from healing capillaries. The bruising radiated outward, a harsh mask of pain and slow recovery. It would definitely be a while before he was one hundred percent, but the new revelation of his father being a God opened his eyes as to why he could always bounce back from injury faster than others. He met his own reflection, eyes still slightly red from an hour–or two–of crying. Now that the flood was over, there was nothing left—no anger, no sadness, no relief. His body felt disconnected, like he was floating just outside of himself. Muscles slack, shoulders hunched, breath shallow but even. It wasn’t peace. It wasn’t calm. It was just empty. Numbness. An emotional exhaustion had taken its place, like his heart had simply gone quiet from overuse.

Ace had showered to get the remaining dried blood and dirt off of him. His knuckles were clean, but still bruised from pounding someone’s face into the ground. His hair, once stiff with dirt and dried blood, hung wet and loose around his face, the blond returning to its usual light hue. His clothes were still damp from the snow, but he pulled them on anyway—shirt clinging slightly, jeans stiff with cold. Ace threw on his hoodie last. The fabric chilled, smelling faintly of wet fabric and the outside air. He had to find a new change of clothes, and fast. Sloane had recommended the main hall for a spare coat, but hopefully they had more.

Ace hesitated at the door of the small cabin. Warmth pulsed behind him—thick, wood-heated air that clung to his skin and made his bones feel like they might finally thaw. He couldn’t allow himself to be comfortable yet. He was here to stay, and if the cold came with it then he would have to learn how to adapt. The moment he stepped outside, the cold slammed into him like a wall—brutal and sharp, hitting the wet spots on his clothes first. His hoodie grew colder instantly, stiffening at the shoulders. The snow crunched beneath his feet, loud in the silence. His breath came out in quick, visible bursts. Ace kept his head down as he walked, not from shame or fear of people seeing him, rather just to keep the wind off his face. The walk didn’t seem far at first, but he had Sloane to talk to and Rocco to play with. Alone, with his thoughts in the cold, the walk seemed to stretch forever to the point he almost felt lost. Was this the long way or… ? Once he was warm enough, he would have to take a walk around the entire camp to memorize the best shortcuts.

Then, as he looked up, spotted a woman not too far away. Ace recognized her when everyone was pouring in, but didn’t pay too much attention at the time. Now that he was closer, he was able to fully take her in. She was gorgeous. Her dark hair fell in loose waves from beneath a knit hat, a few strands brushing her cheeks, flushed gently from the cold. Her eyes were deep, but warm, holding a light that seemed to see more than just the surface, like they carried entire… oceans behind them. He caught her gaze, and quickly looked away. Was this another, cruel, joke Hermes was pulling on him? To send him here in a hoodie was one thing. Throwing him in the jungle surrounded by wolves was another.

He sighed as he passed her, before stopping and turning. “Uh, ‘scuse me miss?” He asked softly, voice strained and raspy still from the crying session. He cleared the tightness out his throat, before pointing his finger forward. “You seem pretty comfortable around here… Main Hall is this way, right? Lost and found?” It was a genuine question. Ace was so laser focused on getting to warmth that he didn’t bother to actually look at any signs on the passing buildings.

Ocean had made it halfway down the path when a person crossed her path. She slowed her steps for a moment and looked up to see who had stepped onto the path and her eyebrows raised in recognition. It was the man she had spied while on her way to the main hall earlier that morning. His face was still covered in bruises and his pants and hoodie had dark spots, wet from the cold snow. She met his eyes for a second and found herself unable to look away. They were dark, almost void of light- even in the daytime. Embarrassment curled in her stomach as she realized she stared a little longer than she should have and she wrenched her eyes away to continue on the path back to her cabin.

She wondered what kind of guy he had to be to be covered in bruises like that. Ocean had had her fair share of bruises growing up and training with River and Poseidon, but those didn’t look like training bruises. He had definitely been in an actual fight. She thought to Iliana and her medical salves. Maybe she had something that would help?

She’d made it a few steps past him before she was stopped by his rough voice calling out to her. She paused and turned slightly so she could glance at him. “...Yes?” Ocean raised her eyebrows and faced him fully when he stated his observation and asked his question about the lost and found. She was new like him and most certainly did not know the ins and outs of camp quite yet, but she supposed the way she carried herself betrayed her lack of information.

“I don’t know about the lost and found, but yeah the Main Hall is that way. Might be faster to cut across the activities field though or go the other way around…” Ocean noticed the way he tensed every now and then and she pursed her lips, once again acknowledging her earlier thoughts of him being cold and miserable. The thought to help him crossed her mind and she opened her mouth to offer help, only to hesitate.

“Don’t trust anyone. You’re not there to make friends, Ocean.” Her father’s voice echoed in her head.

She didn’t usually disobey her father, but Ocean wasn’t jaded like he was and she couldn’t ignore the guy in front of her. “I can take you there. If you want?” She willed the cold water that had accumulated in his clothes towards her before letting it drop to the ground. “Why aren’t you wearing proper clothes?” She voiced her original thoughts, baffled that somebody would come so unprepared, though embarrassment followed soon after once she realized how blunt and judgemental she sounded.

Ace felt it first in his sleeves - a pull, a soft tug, as the wetness lifted from the fabric like steam. The sensation could only be described as… impossible as the cold didn’t leave him, but was drawn out of him. His hoodie, once soggy and dark with moisture, now faded dark grey to its original color. His jeans no longer clinged to his legs. Even his socks felt dry and warm in his boots, like he’d just pulled them on straight from the cabin heater. Maybe that one was an exaggeration - but he never felt warmer out in the snow. His widened eyes watched as the orb of water separating them collapsed in the snow with a soft plop. There was an air of silence as the second, casual, demonstration of godly power was performed right in front of him. The third in the span of twenty-four hours, and he was still barely processing the first.

He allowed a light smile to crawl across his face, though as genuine as it looked, it was obviously forced. “Hell of a trick. When I first saw you I thought maybe you’d be the daughter of some kind of beauty god,” or whatever the fuck her name was, “I’m happy that it’s the fuckin’ water guy.” Or girl? Ace wasn’t too knowledgeable on the subject. High school drop out that barely paid attention in the class, though he could put two and two together. His statement was genuine, however. Ace was prepared to suffer through the cold until he got to the hall, but was happy it was no longer a problem.

“But to answer ya’ question… I think it’s Hermes' idea of a sick joke? Or maybe he just doesn’t give a fuck?” Ace shrugged. “One moment I’m in Arizona, the next I’m here. And we don’t particularly dress for this weather where I’m from.”

He chuckled. “So that brings me here… looking for proper clothes, as you put it.” His smirk became genuine as he nudged his head towards the activities field with a raised brow. “Lead the way?”

Ocean raised an eyebrow and lightly glanced to the heavens for a second when her new companion related her to a child of a beauty god. She didn’t know about other Greek beauty gods (she couldn’t be bothered with anyone except the main ones), but she did know about Aphrodite. She knew there were stories of women being cursed because of being compared to Aphrodite herself and she sincerely hoped that being compared to one of her children (or another beauty god's child) wasn’t considered an insult. Nevertheless, Ocean felt slightly flustered by the unexpected compliment.

“Thanks, I think,” she replied when he said he was glad her dad was ‘the water guy’.

Ocean felt her lips tilt upward in a small, genuine smile. He was kind of funny, she mused. Ocean felt drawn to his brash language and lack of Greek god knowledge. It was almost like a breath of fresh air, away from the high expectations her father and her brother had. “While water manipulation is convenient, I’m afraid I don’t have the power to make you nice and warm. That would require… fire, probably.”

Ocean found that she could relate a little to him when it came to warm weather. “I understand. I’m from Hawai’i. While it’s not dry like Arizona, we don’t get snow or freezing temperatures.” Ocean realized that she was glad her dad was Poseidon and not Hermes in this instance. She knew the gods were a piece of work, but Hermes seemed to be the icing on the cake.

He gestured towards the activities field with an invite for her to lead the way and Ocean complied with a small nod. She held out her hand once they began walking. “I’m Ocean.”

Ace’s breath caught in his throat slightly as he watched her smile. His face warmed with red, betraying thoughts he couldn’t hide as he blushed. His eyes were drawn helplessly to the small dimples that appeared on either side of her mouth. They gave her an effortless charm, a sweetness that tugged at him. Ace barely noticed anything else in the hum of conversation. He wasn’t sure if he was smiling too, or just staring like an idiot caught in a dazzled awe. Ace shook Ocean’s hand, gingerly. “Ace.” He simply stated, blinking before his eyes hesitantly trailed elsewhere.

Ace allowed his hands to slip back into his pockets as he matched her pace, no longer speed walking thanks to the ever-so-convenient run in with Poseidon’s daughter. So far everyone he’d run into seemed to have an understanding, or knowledge, of what came with being the child of a God. That ‘Andy’ chick from earlier seemed to have some power relating to magical conjurations, if his memory served him correct. Which it always did. Ocean clearly had powers relating to water. While Sloane didn’t show him anything, it seemed she had a clear understanding of this life. An unknowing sigh escaped his lips. He clearly had some catching up to do, as he had no idea what he was capable of. Clearly some form of speed, and small-range teleportation? But he was lost, and so far no sign of any other Hermes kid to study.

The wind hitting his nose made him wince and break out of his trance. They were halfway through the field now, with that air of silence falling between them once more. That pink flush rose from his neck again, realizing he was spacing out. Ace just hoped Ocean hadn’t attempted to speak to him during his episode, but he wasn’t even sure why he cared. He glanced over to break the silence, or rather, his perceived silence.

”So, Ocean from Hawai’i…” Ace began, but figured he probably shouldn’t push too far asking about her abilities. Something told him while this girl was nice, she likely wasn’t that open. He was quick-thinking in changing his topic. ”Given all the snow… ya’ miss home already?” Ace smirked once again. ”What’s it like growing up there?

The start of their walk to the main hall was quiet, but not awkwardly so. Ocean wasn’t much of a talker and Ace seemed lost in his thoughts, so Ocean just let him be, only perking up when he asked her about her home. She wondered how much she wanted to reveal to this man, but realized that if she wanted to make at least a couple of friends, she’d have to be somewhat forthcoming with information about herself. He seemed trustworthy enough- at least, Ocean didn’t get any big red flags from him. Though she wouldn’t trust herself to be the voice of reason when it came to red flags. She never had friends.

“This is my first time seeing snow in person, so it was a big change from the beach weather I’m always so used to,” Ocean fixed her eyes on a spot ahead of them as she talked and remembered what she loved about her home.

“I wouldn’t say I miss Hawai’i itself, but I miss being so close to the ocean. And my mom.” Ocean turned to look at Ace, making eye contact. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Hawai’i. The weather was always perfect and the rain was warm… but if I didn’t have family there, I probably wouldn’t have much reason to go back.”

Hawai’i and home had a lot of memories for Ocean- good and bad. It was her paradise as much as it was her prison of isolation. She didn’t have friends and most of her time was spent surfing or training with Poseidon and River- which was hell 90% of the time. If something ever happened to her mom and Ocean didn’t have to go back to Hawai’i, she probably wouldn’t. “It helps that I kind of brought a part of home with me, though. My brother is here too,” she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “What about you? Do you miss home?”

Ocean was curious what Ace’s home life was like. She could tell the bruises on his face weren’t from that day, which means he must’ve gotten them at home or during transport to Greece. She hoped she didn’t hit a nerve and if she did, that he’d be understanding, but there was also a part of her that was excited to hear about how he got the bruises. He definitely seemed to live a life that was more exciting than hers- at least, judging by his appearance.

Ace listens intently as she speaks of home, not taking his eyes off her even as she looks away momentarily. From what he could gather it seemed she came from a decent home. Unlike Sloane, the mention of her brother seemed to hold more… affection, and openness. A laugh escaped his lips once she asked of his home, more bitter than he would have initially liked. His eyes finally dropped, as his hand ran across the beaded bracelet around his wrist.

”I guess you could say I miss what it used to be…” Ace shrugged. ”Anything, rather anyone, worth missing is gone now…” save for one but Jordan wasn’t a box Ace was willing to open right now, if ever.

”And I guess it is nice to not be sellin’ vicodin anymore, or cocaine, or robbing gas stations, or be worried about fuckin’ police shootouts…” As he spoke his hand moved instinctively, fingers ticking off each point like a metronome. ”Or getting hit in the face with a crowbar for that matter.” Ace met her eyes, and despite the subject matter, his bruised face flashed a grin. Ace wasn’t sure why he felt comfortable telling her all of this. The poor girl probably couldn’t even spell Vicodin, let alone know what it really was.

”So take it from someone like me when I say anything can happen, at any moment. Keep that brother of yours close, he may be the only person you truly have here in the end.” He shrugged again. ”So let me guess, his name is Pond? Lake? What’s he like?”

Despite the somewhat depressing explanation he gave her, Ocean let out a small laugh when Ace started listing water names for her brother. “River, actually, but you were close.” Ocean surprised herself further when she realized she enjoyed Ace’s company. She didn’t feel like she needed to close herself off as much as she was and Ace didn’t seem to think she was a weird, lonely water woman like her peers had back at home. After all, he seemed kind of weird too. Now that she thought about it, Iliana was weird too. Ocean wondered if ‘weird’ was a common demigod trait.

“River is… kind. In his own way. He’s hard on me and my training, but he wants what’s best for our family. He’s more of a ‘tough-love’ kinda guy. He can be an ass, though. He and Andy already hate each other’s guts and he’s not very adept in social situations,” It was difficult to talk about what her brother was like to other people. She loved her brother very much and she was very close to him, but others had a harder time seeing him for who he really was- mainly because he didn’t let them.

“I’m sorry you’re alone now, but look at the upside- you probably won’t be hit in the face with any crowbars here. Or be chased by cops,” Ocean mused. “Might be hit in the face with a sword. Or a trident- which sucks, by the way. Not sure if it hurts more than a crowbar though since I’ve never experienced pain from the latter.”

Ocean turned away from Ace to look at the main hall that was steadily approaching. She felt her face heat up slightly, embarrassed over her pointless rambling over crowbars and face injuries. Her father would be disappointed.

Tough-love kind of guy huh? The description of River reminded Ace of the old man. He was the definition of being an ass, but he never turned his back on Ace regardless of how much he screwed up. It was nice that Ocean had someone like that backing her. Ace didn’t know much about the situation with Andy, but from his perspective she seemed like the leader of this place. At least, as close to a leader that a glorified summer camp had. It didn’t seem very organized in everyone’s arrival, and her introduction was beyond spontaneous. Ace wondered if that was the reason they were already butting heads, or if it were from something bigger. Regardless, Ace knew the troubles that came with not being socially adept. It took him years to build the rigorous routine of approaching people with manners and a smile, even if he didn’t care most of the time.

Ace allowed himself to laugh at Ocean’s last comment. Something he realized he hadn’t done in… a long time. It had been a while since he let anything other than a chuckle escape. It was nice, if only for a fleeting moment. ”Well shit, if the alternative is a sword or a trident I think I’ll consider myself lucky for now.” Reality would settle back in when he followed her gaze towards the Main Hall.

Ace quickened his pace a few meters, before standing in front of Ocean and turning to face her. His eyes unapologetically traced every detail of her face – every curve, every subtle nuance of her expression. His eyes lingered on the soft line of her jaw, the delicate slope of her nose, the way light danced across her cheekbones. The gentle parting of her lips, the way a single strand of hair defied gravity near her temple from when she pulled her hair behind her ear. The quiet awe silenced thoughts and pulled him into the moment. In that silence, his eyes, obsidian and still, reflected nothing but her. Finally, he spoke with a hand to his heart and a warm smile.

”I’ll also consider myself lucky for you helping me… more than once. But I don’t want to be rude and take up all ya’ time. I think I’ve got a good idea of where to go from here.” He nudged his head back towards the main hall.

”But hopefully I’ll see you and Pond-I mean, River, at the party tonight?” He asked. ”I mean, even if he is an asshole, I’m sure it’ll still be a good time.”

Ocean paused in her strides when Ace sped up to stand in front of her near the entrance of the main hall. He seemed to study her for a second, before telling her he could manage the rest of the way on his own. She felt slightly disappointed in his dismissal, but she nodded nonetheless. She had been heading back to her cabin before Ace ran into her and she desperately wanted to do some unpacking and maybe get a nap in before the party tonight- even if it was only late morning. ”It was no problem,” she responded in kind. “We’ll be there. Hope you find what you’re looking for.”

She gave Ace a small wave with her gloved hand and turned to head back the way she came.




And I will move on…


‘How could she be here?’ Was the first thought to run through Ace’s mind as a familiar face flashed past him. His heart skipped a beat as the air caught in his throat. His initial reaction could have been mistaken for nervousness, but even still, he held the beautiful woman’s suggestive gaze. Unmistakably intentional. ‘It couldn’t be…’ He looked over his shoulder, analyzing Blair’s face as relief washed over him. It wasn’t her, just the closest thing to her.

That look.
That jacket.
That silhouette.
Slender, but godly.

The style, the presence, even the confidence. But this woman’s gaze was sharper, more playful, less guarded, but with the same habit of holding eye contact just a second too long. Something deep tugged at his heart, something unresolved. He was drawn in by something that wasn’t quite desire, and wasn’t quite a memory—but lived somewhere in between. His own jet black eyes showed no emotion, nor intention, nor would he let it. He was sure this wasn’t his last time seeing her, so an introduction wasn’t important now. Getting warm was. Ace looked away, pulling the hood further over his head as he headed forward.

A wooden staircase led up the hill, crooked and splintered, each step groaning under its own weight. No birds perched on the railing. No insects buzzed in the air. The cabin was untouched by life. Ace thought he could break the steps at a moment’s notice, or his own ankle for that matter. He took a glance back at the base, a rickety dock jutting over a black, glassy creek. The water was still – too still – and beneath its surface lay a bed of smooth, round stones—as if the forest buried something long ago and simply waited for the world to forget. Ace continued his ascent. The air was thick with dust and cold inside, suffocating the silence. Motes drift like ash through the air, illuminated by the light seeping through the cracks of the floor. The floors creak and weigh with every step – not in protest - but as if the house was alerting something deeper within. The walls seemed to lean inward, as though the entire cabin was collapsing around him, inch by inch. The living room was barren. No signs of previous life. Just a single chair, worn and sagging, set before a dead fireplace almost as if inviting him forward. As if someone, or something, knew exactly what he needed. Almost as if the cabin did not welcome visitors, but remembered them.

‘Better than nothing.’ Ace thought before sitting in the surprisingly comfortable chair. A faint smell of burned wood lingered as Ace struck a match. The first broke. The second hissed, flaring to life in a quick flare of warmth and light. It cascades his face with flickering gold. He touched it to the small kindlings of dry twigs and brittle bark. The fire caught slowly, reluctantly curling into life with soft crackles. It casts jagged shadows across the cabin walls, hungrily stretching upward. Warmth spilled out in cautious waves as he shivered violently, as if the sudden warmth reminded him of how cold he actually was. He leaned closer to the fire, almost too close, letting the heat sear into his bones as he peeled the hoodie off and tossed it aside. The fabric slapped wetly against the floorboards.

’I miss you, ya’ old-coot…’ Ace pulled out a beaded bracelet, with a cross dangling from it. His uncle wore it everyday, and it was placed into his hand the moment he passed. The crowbar hit made him forget about it, and was lucky to still be holding it. A few of the beads were chipped, one missing entirely. Ace ran his thumb across them slowly, one by one, counting the prayers he never learned how to say. Ace wondered if it mattered. God, religion, heaven, hell… Ace knew heaven was a long shot for the majority of the Crimson Piston’s, but his uncle never gave up his belief. But now they were playing under different rules. Ace just hoped those rules were more kind to him and his family.

Ace squeezed the bracelet tight. His fingers trembled. His chest rose and fell with sharp, uneven breaths. Glassy and distant, his eyes were fixed on the bracelet as memories surged through him. The fire crackled again, louder this time. His uncle’s laugh was rough, but warm. The smell of the fireplace even reminded him of his uncle’s scent—wood smoke and motor oil. He always knew the right thing to say, or the right time to say nothing at all. What would he do now?

That’s when the facade broke. The things he’d been holding back like floodwaters behind a cracking dam released; The first sob was raw and strangled, like something torn from his throat escaping. Ace doubled over, the bracelet pressed against his forehead. The firelight caught tears spilling freely down his cheeks. His shoulders shook as the sobs came faster, deeper, shaking his entire body like the cold only wished to. There was no one there to comfort him. Just the fire, and the ghosts the cabin held in its walls. The sound of grief was louder than the fire. Louder than the wind screaming outside. It was the sound of something unraveling; a cry not just for a man lost, but for the pieces of Ace that had died with him.

The bracelet, now wet with tears, clutched in shaking hands that didn’t want to let go.
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