Lumiere

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

Collab between Lumiere and Milim

Taking a knee to better angle the box along the slide, his coat opened to reveal the haphazard stitching of pockets on the interior, each containing a wooden magazine for his armament. Kaeci's ears twitched with the familiar click of everything working as intended, quickly priming the weapon with a cycling of the lever. He was about to stand before a weight pushed up against him, nearly knocking him over. His grip on the crossbow tightened as he turned to find Eris snuggling up against his exposed side and offering a percieved compliment about his fluffiness before seeming to doze off. The demihuman was unsure which part of the scene to be more confounded by, that his traits would draw attention in such a manner, or that Eris could fall asleep in such a ruckus with a clear threat to her safety growing ever more present.
"L-" Kaeci began to stutter, blushing in spite of the obscuring fuzz before his attention was drawn back to the clash of weapons and other sounds of combat from the lines beginning to meet. In his distraction from Eris's attention, he had not noticed how close the orcs had come, and this was hardly the time to be hindered. "Lady Eris, please wake up! Zeis iz not zee time to be sleepink!" he pleaded, raising his weapon to fire a bolt into the chest of a charging, maul-wielding orc. The small projectile stuck into the monster to little effect other than slowing it as it looked between the wooden shaft and Kaeciel with crazed expression of amusement before hefting their hammer over their head. "Soch li'le toys!" the orc roared with laughter, responded to with an 'Eep!' from Kaeci whose ears folded back.

Hugging onto Eris, Kaeci rolled to her side just in time to be showered with sand as the great hammer beat into the desert with enough force to leave a crater where the two once were. Slipping his arms out of his coat with a contortionist's grace, Kaeci dumped Eris in the discarded garment and crossbow while the orc wrenched their weapon from the sandy earth. They were responded to with the song of Black Ambers leaving its scabbard, its claw-shaped guard clutched over its new master's left hand as per design and for a moment Kaeci felt like he was on top of the world. Scarf billowing in the breeze and standing between a vulnerable girl and certain harm, if it wasn't for the fear and adrenaline that made him visibly tremble, he would probably have looked pretty heroic.

Taking his fencing stance, Kaeci felt almost silly in a sense, as this was clearly not an equal duel, and the man had undoubtedly malicious intentions to cave their far smaller opponent. With no choice but to advance, Kaeci took a step and left a slash across the orc's chest, flicking his wrist to run the blade a few inches into the center mass of the man. Bolstered by sorcery, the brute had hardly flinched, growling as they rammed the center of the shaft into the beastman's shoulder. The blow rolled with him and into his throat which was thankfully armored enough to stave off the intended effect, though it still left him reeling from the force...enough of an opening for the orc to wind up for a proper strike with the business-end of the maul.
_____________________________________________________________

Eris was fast asleep through the first half of the affair, until she heard her fluffy companion begging for her to wake up, given as the battlefield was unsafe at this time period, and that it wasn't the time to be sleeping. Eris took no heed and continued to doze off. However, her sleep was rudely interrupted by a charging orc, and she quickly woke up when she realised the gravity of the situation. A great hammer had crashed down mere centimetres from where she was sleeping, and had it not been for the quick thinking of Kaeci, she'd have met the grave given the strength of the blow. She realised that she owed this man her life, and she'd have to repay it if she could.
She realised she'd have this opportunity soon. Because she wasn't really moving, just trying to force herself to get up, Kaeci had taken to fighting the orc by himself. He was doing an admirable job in Eris' eyes, but he didn't really stand a chance given as his swordsmanship wasn't up to par, and neither was his physical ability in comparison to the gigantic specimen he was against. She realised that if she didn't interfere now, Kaeci was going to get his head crushed in. Acting as quick as she could, Eris flipped through her grimoire until she found her newest spell. She figured if there was any time for her to use her spell, it was now. She charged a large amount of magical energy and waved her arm furiously in a desperate attempt to save her friends life, and it worked. The orcs arms went flying mid-swing as the maul was about to come crashing down on the demi-human, and a massive amount of blood spurted out from the orcs arms. He looked bewildered, confused as to why his blow didn't connect. Then he had come to the reality that he no longer had arms, and was bleeding everywhere. He roared in pain, before dropping to his knees, and Eris breathed a sigh of relief. She'd managed to repay her debt of life, and avoid losing a new friend. She was glad that her pillow would live to die another day.
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Kaeci flinched, having started in the motions of ducking the swing before a spattering of blood and a roar of pain followed the heavy swooshing of the maul sailing off to the side, hands still gripping its shaft. Blinking, he looked to Eris and offered a thankful nod before elegantly driving his sword into the incapacitated orc's throat. Their eyes met, the orc's stumps twitching as if putting up an effort to stop him, resulting in little more than a few more spurts to be lapped up by the sands. "I am szorry I had to kill you..." Kaeci softly spoke, stepping forward and angling the blade down so the weight of the orc's body would pull his weapon free, dead before it even hit the ground.
Flicking his sword to the side, Kaeci followed up with wiping the blood from his tool of murder and returned it to the scabbard before retrieving his weapon of choice and giving the leaver a cycle. He looked back to Eris after concluding they were momentarily safe and offered a gesture akin to a curtsey.

The Faraway Land: Knights vs Dragons (CLOSED)

With the invitation, Kaitra sat, crossing one leg over the other and going about recomposing her attire after her associate found satisfaction in confirmation through the ascertation of her identification. Grammar aside, the offering of his own stained names did little to break the princess's neutral-unammused expression. "Ich kenne einen Schatten mit diesem Namen, Jäger. Stellen Sie sich meine Enttäuschung vor, endlich den Fokus so vieler schrecklicher Fabeln zu finden," she began, raising an eyebrow while her eyes bored into his. Taking a break she closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose to sooth a small headache while softly commenting, "My, I could certainly go for zeht stout about now..."

Refocusing herself as Nebel spoke of what the tickle in the back of her mind teased at. Sure, snapping the man's neck would bring her some small comfort, though if he was what all evidence claimed him to be, it would be a wasted gesture that would only waste time. In the same sentiment, Kaitra could not be more fortunate to be on understanding terms with such a monster. Regardless of their past, he was...unfortunately...perfect for her plans. "Dies sind...verschiedene Zeiten, und so verzerrt Ihre Perspektive auch ist, würde ich es nicht genießen, Sie wegen Hochverrats zu brechen. Nein...für deine Verbrechen fordere ich deine Ehre als einst vereidigter Ritter von Ispar heraus," Kaitra spoke after a tense moment of silence after Nebel asked his question. The implication was clear, she was refusing to acknowledge his status, and as the last of the bloodline and rightful heir to the throne, he may as well have been stripped of his knighthood then and there.

"Ihr Job ist die, namenlose Jägerin: Es gab einen Fehler mit der örtlichen Einrichtung, zu der wir nie eingeladen wurden. Aufgrund dieser Umstände sind wir mit unseren Zielen allein," Kaitra unceremoniously began, looking out the window of the door and lowering her voice, "Der Brief, den ich erhielt, hatte keinen Namen, aber sie wussten, wer ich war. Mit dem Versprechen von Isparia und zehntausend Gold soll ich Dragengards Prinzessin zum Schloss zurückbringen...und die Artefakte dann zur Verwahrung nach Northaven bringen."
Glancing over to their still hopefully unconscious friend, Kaitra watched him to make sure he was still breathing before asking, "Was hat dein Brief gesagt, Jäger?"

The Faraway Land: Knights vs Dragons (CLOSED)

I'll do my best to have something up, today. It probably won't be great or super long, but the show must go on. I've held us up for long enough... ~_~;

EDIT: Get ready for a lot of Kaitra never using Nebel's name.

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

After his attempt at an apology to the woman who issued the orders, Kaeciel lowered his head back to his work with a well practiced expression of indifference. He'd rather not even hint to what problems he had with the call in fear of Olivia coming down on him harder for even so much as a hint of a frown. Order felt hollow without understanding, just a sweeping declaration that those involved have their food in the field, all dangers considered, be cut. Doing the math in his head, Kaeci reasoned out that this would include essentially everyone in the camp save for a small handful.
The young madam Eris worried him slightly, seeming more akin to the heirs that would frequent the estate through attempts at politically/diplomatically-charged arranged marriage rather than a mercenary. Her presence was truly strange, though it helped Kaeci feel less out of place, at least in the age department. A growing master would need all the food they could get, and she was wise to pick her battles.
Lady Ariel had actually surprised the demi for having not gotten involved as the way she carried herself hinted to a pent-up tension of sorts...or perhaps a shadow of it. She was difficult to read and often distant in a somewhat forlorn manner. Kaeci was hardly one to pry, however, and understood how actions could speak louder than words.

A faint cynicism danced in Kaeciel's mind, tangling with confusion about how Olivia's words applied to herself. Was she not also involved? The situation seemed just about solved through Alm's heroics, but the young bunny would fan himself over the gesture later, as he assumed Olivia had spoken with herself as an exception in spite of her assertion and interjection. 'So...power lets one tell others what to do...without following the context of their own rules?' he darkly thought before shaking his head of the meek simmering of confused contempt. The woman was this group's keeper and the rules were, in all reality, very simple.
He was just thinking of freedom wrong. It was hardly the first time he'd be wrong, and he felt thankful that there was at least something to eat.

Resolved to bear the burden of error, Kaeci frowned once she was no longer looking, an opportunity his associate apparently took advantage of to continue work in spite of the quota being met. Frozen with indecision, he swallowed hard, eyes darting between the woman and Alm while his own hands hovered, unsure if he was expected to continue working now that the task should have been complete.
"S-Sehr Alm?" Kaeci whispered, doing his best to look busy in the hopes of masking Alm's efforts, "I szink zeht vee haf enough." Alm had looked up from his work only long enough to comment for the demihuman to not worry about it, a statement that made their ears fold back as they insisted, "I do vorry, iz vhy-" being cut off as the man repeated himself, this time more sternly and with a sideglance to imply Kaeci's concern was not enough to stop him.
With that, Kaeci relented and went about quietly cleaning cooking utensils until Alm was satisfied with his work and absconded with one of the defiantly reproportioned bowls. Finishing the cleaning, Kaeci swiftly took to knocking a bit of the contents of one of the bowls into a few that were to remain untouched until being left with roughly a half ration which he took. He simply wanted to avoid conflict, especially from Olivia being spooky and intimidating. At the very least, he did not want to be a part of it.
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The food was...there. It was hardly a culinary feat, but Kaeciel would have preferred there had been more of it, regardless. Trudging through the desert and making camp was tiring work, and he'd taken advantage of the first opportunity he could get to collapse in his tent after getting cozy for the cold desert night. The climate was a wonder, having not expected somewhere so hot to turn around and become so cold, though it was all the more reason to make use to the blankets and his coat. His tent was packed like a nest as he got in perhaps five oddly restful hours of sleep before an ear perked out of the mess. Groggily, he was still only vaguely sure what an orc even was, but if it was something worth yelling about, than it was something worth getting kitted over, even before the order to get ready for work only hastening his pace.

Maybe a minute later and Kaeci stormed out of his tent, sliding a box of bolts into the top of his crossbow before tucking his scarf into the nearly tattered coat. Rubbing the weight of sleep from his eyes, he bounded over to Alm. His hair was a bit of a mess, but it was hardly a detail to consider as the distant shapes moving through the shadows of the dunes spelled out the situation. "Zeht iz...verk?" he asked before racking the lever and priming the string of his armament mere moments before the flare burst. The orcs, quickly realizing the jig was up, charged, giving Kaeci his answer. He took a deep breath, sighing out a few muffled words behind his scarf before proceeding to angle his weapon up and unload the first box into an arch loosely aimed in an area in front of the congregation.
Of the seven bolts that came cascading down on the group, many missed, though an effective handful somehow found their mark. Hearing the sound, one orc looked up just in time to have their head snapped back by a bolt piercing their skull through the eye-socket, causing them to limply tumble to the ground and briefly stumble their comrade behind them. Two others flinched, somewhat losing a few steps of pace as a bolt struck downwards into their hip and the third briefly paused to yank the spent ammunition out of their shoulder.

Kaeciel, however, hadn't been paying attention, already going through the motions of ejecting the now empty box and reaching into his coat to draw a fresh one and slide it into place. It took a few seconds longer than it probably should have as it was clear he did not have much practice reloading under pressure.

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

I was going to say something, but I ended up not.
Certainly seems like a believable case.

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

@Nerdy Reference
So much sad bunneh. :C
Ah well, he'll get over it. :P

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

Shouting! Sudden shouting of the vagrant, Stephan, jolted the beastman's ears back up to attention. "Ah-I..." they tried to start, immediately overwhelmed by the man's approach, causing them to drop the vegetables on the table as they took a few steps back. His words were confusing before it suddenly sank in that Stephan was attempting to insult him, causing a tiny sting to rise on his cheeks as the comments hit their mark. Kaeci struggled to stay composed, not entirely used to or expecting being mocked for things he could not help. Their eyes went to Stephan's hands reaching to his belt, to his blade, the words dying out as his legs wobbled and he stumbled over his own appendages. Kaeci tumbled onto the mat that had been laid out under the established shading awning, scrambling quickly to his feet and hiding behind Alm as they stepped between the two, still clutching the knife.

The beastman hadn't even noticed how his hands held onto Alm's attire until they turned to face him. With the grip broken, Kaeci took a step back as not to give the impression that he was pressuring the man with his reliance. Being spoken to so forwardly by Alm made the beastman freeze while they were cautioned about Stephan's demeanor.
"Ye-" Kaeci began, his eyes quickly looking down, away from Alm's before continuing, "-Yes..."
A palpable moment filled the gap as Kaeci was unsure what to say; his beaten-in intuition screamed at him to call Alm 'Master' or 'Sir' or anything, but that was a different time that would be grossly inappropriate to dredge back up. He felt the direction and the faint scolding behind the words of caution and understood them, wholly.
Stephan was not his friend. Stephan doesn't have friends. Stephan is alone in his own world for good reason.
The thought made Kaeci tremble a little bit as he approached the table once more to continue his work on dinner, eyes locked on the man walking away. This is not how it should be, and he only hoped that he hadn't caused a scene for the rest of his associates.
Unfortunately, this worry became reality as Olivia then approached to order Alm to cut rations. 'Everyone involved', in Kaeci's mind included himself and he did his best not to show a reaction to the unfairness of the situation by occupying his hands and eyes with the work. "I-I apologize for my instigation, Ma'am," he began, feeling it was worth expressing his take on the sudden bout, "Vee should not be bettink on such tactless uncertainties. Iz immoral."

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

If the expedition team ends up being alive, Kaeci is going to have some sharp words with Stephan about his conduct...and an instance that he 'make right' on the bet they started. The money doesn't mean anything to him, but its the principle of promise.
In all reality, Kaeci is probably in for a long walk back with Stephan being a c*** every step of the way about how to spend their money.

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

Kaeci would probably just take the abuse. Hes not one to bite hands.

Bloodrose Irregulars - The New Squad (Dark Fantasy Adventure)

Black was probably not the best of colors, but it helped that there was so little of it as Kaeci had already dumped his coat and armor back in the tent, leaving him in little more than short shorts, a tanktop and sandals along with the collar section of armor. It was probably outwardly unnecessary, but he lived his entire life with one and felt weirdly naked without it. Compulsion had driven him to help Alm with assisting with prep for that night's meal. The beastman hadn't spoken much since they joined, just enough to acknowledge the oaths (since even mercenaries had honor, or these ones did, at least) and accept the orders. To be honest, he was greatly enthused by the mission being out to the middle of nowhere, a paranoid person that he was, fearing that he may be being followed. Still, the carousing alongside the desert's rippling mirror brought out a bit of him, especially with talk of their target being already dead.
Not wanting to contribute to the speculation, he delighted in a reason not to engage until seeing how his associate beside him reacted to such grim gambling. "S..." Kaeci started with his thick accent, his first attempts at words in the last week, "Sehr Elm...I pray zeht zehy are all safe."
His words were soft and concise with a wave of knowing worry, genuinely hoping things went well, a tone kept low in the hopes Oliva wouldn't hear him. The woman with her attitude and intimidating black armor scared him enough when they first met that, aside from formal introductions, he merely followed orders given with a nod. In all honesty, he felt a bit out of place with the stronger personalities even going about joining in on the bet before being barked down by Oliva with her sensibilities.

Between all of the talk of death and his recent courage to talk, Kaeci was spurred on to say more, still getting used to the idea of speaking freely. "A-and I vould be villink to place fifty ouf Soverns on zee hope zehy are blessed vith good fortune!" they added in an announcement to the rest, not wholly possessing a grasp on the concept of money but willing to at least rest his earned coin on the side of optimism. Their ears folded back as they shrunk down to continue their work on slicing produce. He wanted to make a joke about 'soldiers of fortune' and the irony of them finding the expedition group being a technicality that fed into the bet, but Kaeci had the draw to silence out of his self-perceived outburst. So much noise...