WXer

Old Glory - A House Divided (Knightly American houses, long after the end)

Hello lords and ladies, I'm looking to join in as mentioned by Clock and will most likely be sovereign of Connecticut in The Northern Marches.

Northern Marches

House of Martin

House Name: House of Martin
House Words: Loyal in thought and deed.
Coat of Arms:


Seat: Stronghold of Portland
Titles:

• Lady of Northern Marches
• Sovereign of the Maine Lands
• Warden of the North
• Chiefadmiral of the Trident Armada
• Lady of Portland Stronghold

History:
The House of Martin is an old house. It’s lineage can be traced back over five hundred years. All that time the Martin’s have been a strong presence in the lands around the coastlines of Massachusetts and Maine. The bloodline originated in Boston.

The Martin house consistently made a name throughout history as a strong military presence. Brutish at first, more strategic later on. As it supported House Ironwit in winning the throne from the Deverams, the new king granted them the sovereignty of the Maine Lands. As a result the Martins moved their seat of power to Portland, 286 years ago. At first it took some convincing, but after a few hundred years of gripping the Maine Lands in an iron grip, Martin house has convinced the barons to respect it.

A tentative cooperation between barons ensured that most Ursuline expeditions were countered effectively. As Martins thrive in battle, they now can be found from New New York to Moosehead Lake, bound together by the house motto: loyal in thought and deed.

Head:
Margaret ‘The Iron Widow’ Martin - Ironwit
Heirloom: (Every great house has at least one valued artifact from a mythic weapon to a crown to something exotic. Try not to have too many.)
Traits:
A Martin typically has a wild, curly mop of deep black hair, dark brown eyes and a sinewy but tough physique.

Civil and collected is how they present themselves, but beneath that mannerly exterior smolders the hot temper of the berserk warrior of old. One never knows what will spark eruption of that temper, and what shape or form it will have. So, members of the Martin bloodline are potentially strategic, calculating even, and uncontrollable. In both cases they are not shy to be aggressive about it.

Misc:

Current ruler
After the demise of her husband, Barry Martin III, Margaret took over the reign of the Martin territory. Sister to King Franklin, she knows how to rule.

Red Socks
Initially the Martin’s were notorious for their brutality. Many a great warrior of foregone years bore the family name Martin. The image of a Martin slashing and hacking their way towards you fueled many a nightmare. What stuck about this image was the way blood, intestines and gore plastered to a Martin’s feet and calves, as they waded through their victims.

This terrible sight, often seen, translated to a nickname, which House Martin grudgingly adopted as an honorary title: Red Socks. A name which has been slumbering in the collective memory of Bostonians from before the Reckoning. Throughout Martin’s recorded history the worst...best warriors were named Red Socks. Today’s household elites are now named thus.

Quote: “I dreaded being wed off to Barry. Every time he visited the court he acted so distant and unapproachable. Who would’ve thought this frosty facade hid a heart brimming with passion and energy. After I managed to crack Barry’s icy shell, we made a true connection. I haven’t seen a more faithful and loving man in all my life. I do so miss him!” - The Iron Widow

“Booooring...they’re so goddamn’ boring! Always polite goody two-shoes. Those Martins seldom let their reins slacken. Uptight, that’s the right word - and boring! Truth be told, it becomes a completely different ball game when these ol’ Red Socks have some liquor in them bellies. Night and day, I say, day and night...what a difference. Many a boy or girl of mine couldn’t walk for a day and a night, after having serviced a boozed up Martin. One way or ‘nother those Martins are bad for business!” - Madam Mona Moody, proprietor of guesthouse ‘The Poofy Pettycoat’ in Portland harbor

@Ordsmed

Looking forward to serve under House Martin, your lordship.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

---

The second school day promised that the rest of the academic year was to be as typical as the rest of them. As a consolation for the compromise of Kazuyoshi actually staying awake, the teachers didn't call on him as much when compared to yesterday's rapid rounds of Stand Up/Sit Down. As the bell rang to signify the end of regular class time, Kazu had to reluctantly spend the time of respite alone due to his seatmate's new occupational obligations. It seems everyone in their class had somewhere to be except the aimless Asakura. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he supposed. It meant there would probably be less people on the roof, optimally none.

Wading through the sea of the student body, Kazu would eventually reach the consistently unlocked door leading to the rooftop. Whether the janitorial staff trusted the students not to loiter or were just too lazy to replace the deadbolt that got jimmied by Banri-san (allegedly) last year, the top of the school building was always available for the more troublesome lot of Hinotori High. While most used it to hide from the student disciplinary committee and trade some classic school contraband, Kazu came up here to enjoy the metropolitan skyline. Most might envision a grassy field or a sandy beach as the most relaxing spots to enjoy the midday sun but the slabs of concrete that made up Kyoto was his slice of Shangri-La. Just imagine: Staring beyond the metropolitan horizon with nothing but the distant sounds of chatter, traffic, and buzzing of the school's HVAC exhaust vents.

Maybe it was a few minutes or a few moments but to Kazu it felt like a still hour in time that only got interrupted by a PA announcement addressing him. Turns out that escaping the class recitals didn't mean he was out of the woods. With a sigh and goodbye, he begrudgingly went back down though not without a quick stop at the nearest bathroom. The sterile smell of overused cleaning products overwhelmed Kazu's senses though it was better than the alternative. Turning on the closest tap, he would let the water flow for a few seconds before dipping his hands and applying soap. While muttering a twenty count under his breath, a chorus of familiar voices could be heard approaching. In a hurry, Kazu shut off the tap with soap still bubbling on his hands and hid in one of the stalls. Speak of the devil and he appears it seems as the boisterous voice of Yoshizawa Banri easily drowned out the rest of the gang's. Having personally known what he's capable of and how easily he can be slighted, Kazu seriously did not want to deal with this right now. His breaths became shallow and short but he had hoped they would soon go away. His heartbeat soon drowned out all the voices in the bathroom, including his own internal dialogue.

Then it went silent. They were gone and soon Kazu would be too, as soon as he finishes his rinse. Just as he was done, the deathly stare of his reflection from the nearby bathroom mirror jolted him as it soon fogged up. He wasn't gonna stick around to get scared by mirrors though so Kazu rushed to the faculty room before he gets chewed out even more for stalling. Though he had ran to get there, the pace of his walk would return to normal as he approached the door. No need to get into more trouble after all.

Kazu would knock on the door twice before going in regardless with a smile on his face. He had hoped to win over his judge and jury with charm though this facade soon got wiped off his face. The convenience store girl was here. Oh god, did he accidentally shoplift?!

---

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

---

As his culinary cultured companion declared his verdict, Kazuyoshi could not help but do a single thunderous clap followed by a fist pump to celebrate this triumph of gentlemanly debate. His victory antics would be cut short though as his elbow would hit the counter top edge right behind him as his arm came back down, making him drop the second piece of fried gold that he had just bought. Tears would well up in his eyes as the tragedy unfolded before him. That, and his elbow really hurts.

The shock from the impact luckily subsided soon after, assuring Kazu that his old wounds didn't open once more. Reaching out for the dropped famichiki karē sando, one couldn't really tell if dirt had gotten on it as the combination of fried yellow and overseasoned orange camouflaged any ground contaminants. The temptation was there to take another bite but a sense of queasiness had started within Kazu, whether caused by his stomach or his mind remained a mystery to him. With a sigh, he had reluctantly arrived to the conclusion of throwing it to the bin at the same time as Noriaki called him a disgrace.

"I know!" Kazu exclaimed in exasperated agreement, slowly trudging towards the bin with his head down. Though as the curry sauce started leaking on his hand, the blue-haired punk picked up the pace and dunked the remains of his food with a force only achieved with disdain. Not wanting to feel or smell regret on his hand, Kazu would grab a packet of antibacterial wipes on display along with the rest of the sanitation products that the convenience store carried. Just as he went back to the counter in order to ring up his purchase, Kazu would hear the succinct declaration of seeking employment by Noriaki.

"This your plan on blocking us from visiting Lawson's next time, bro?" Kazu stated in the playfully arrogant tone he regularly annoyed people with. Before Noriaki could react though, Kazu would turn to to the totally not familiar cashier with the item he had picked up earlier. "Excuse me miss, I would like to purchase this with cash." he would state with a more respectful manner, ending with a slight bow. The cadence and mannerism were night and day but one can only imagine if Kazu does it on purpose.

---

@Asura@psych0pomp@Scribe of Thoth

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

---

The shopping experience for Kazuyoshi had been reminiscent of the ones he used to take with his now estranged social circle. That is to say he spent the majority of his time there lifelessly staring at his phone, looking at old text messages while waiting for the digital clock to slowly tick up towards the next hour. The main difference, of course, was that each passing minute usually brought a new brick to the roads of conversation for the popular punk but this has since reached a dead end since his summertime faux pas. It felt odd to not be suffering from sensory overload via SMS smalltalk, even after months of experiencing effective isolation in a hospital ward. Taking its place were now the mundane yet sincere conversations of three men buying cat litter and their late afternoon itinerary, of which he had not thought about until asked just then and there. Though, Kazu did beam in delight at the question Noriaki posed.

Yes, he did indeed love chicken.

However, his companion's choice of convenience store did flare up the signature snark that Noriaki should come to expect. "Bro I really don't wanna say it because I respect you, yeah? But the best konbini chicken? Definitely Lawson's, for sure." he would state, ripping off the paper cover from the greasy chicken filet he had just bought. Though he had just protested against it, one wouldn't be able to tell based on the vigour that Kazu had just started chewing with. Within a few bites, the deepfried delicacy had been decisively devoured. At the suggestion of Noriaki, he had also made a second transaction for a second piece of chicken along with curry bread but also with a neon green energy drink that definitely looked like something Kazuyoshi would enjoy unironically.

"I'll humour you but I'm telling ya this: Lawson's all day, all the way. Back me up here Daigo, you're the good food dude." He had turned to Daigo with a glare patiently awaiting for approval. Surely, he knew his fried chicken.

Resident Evil Outbreak: File #3

I will pop in here and say, it might be easier for all the characters to interact if we've all known each other to some extent. Either through passing, doing jobs for each other, etc. It also opens stuff up for most story and stuff. Like hidden affairs, conflict, drama, etc that is always fun writing out storywise.

@Fallenreaper

@rocketrobie2's and my character have intertwined backstories, his being a private investigator and mine being an out of town journalist. We thought of having a nameless NPC being our characters' link but, if anyone wants to take the spot, the character just needs to have hired both of our characters to break a big story about Umbrella.

Resident Evil Outbreak: File #3

Thanks again for doing this @TGM. Obviously in.

RWBY: Chasing Shadows

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The team's pursuit of the Grimm was seemingly coming to an end but perhaps in the most unexpected way. The marked Beowolves had led them further down the abandoned tomb, revealing the violent end of those buried deep within its darkness. Though Rio did not stop his reckless rush to inspect any of the prior side rooms, the sigil of the Wild Hunt prompted him to finally slow down. While he was still catching his breath, Rio would point towards the infamous death mark and speak to his team under a whisper. "Chickens came home to roost but the Wild Hunt opened the coop's door for the wolves." Almost immediately after pointing that out, the Grimm they had followed had seemingly stopped in place just further ahead past a hole. The Beowolves were ready to spring their trap but the element of surprise was not in their favour.

Before Rio could point that out, Nivea had called the mission off. A weight had been lifted off their shoulders and Rio quietly thanked the gods that the ordeal was finally over. They can finally leave this mass grave with nothing of value left behind. The remains of the dead will simply just be reclaimed by the soil and no bandits will be living in this place after the what the Grimm had done to it. It was an open and shut case.

That is, until, someone opened their shut mouth and screamed. The possibility that it was a bandit was very likely, hell even the fact that it was a Grimm that made the sound was starting to make sense to Rio. But, there was that very small yet real chance that it was a person in need. Switching over The Boatman's Due back to its firearm form, Rio trained his sight towards where his water-marked targets were hidden by the darkness. "... I don't think they'd let us leave without a fight even if we backed away now. They're waitin' fer us, tauntin' us." Rio was itching for a fight, hoping his justification would convince his teammates to stand their ground.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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Before he could explain the advertising genius of acorns being used to adorn a Dachshund body costume, a random bystander had interrupted their conversation. He looked quite familiar to Kazuyoshi but he couldn't quite put his finger on it until the lad started going on about food. "Oh, it's Hinari-kun. You know cutting through old man Takemura's place is the fastest way to get here... Also, if it's Mister Takemura asking, then no we've never even heard of him." Kazuyoshi had a feeling that Daigo was the kind of kid to actually enjoy talking to adults, specially taking pleasure in snitching on cool kids such as himself. Who else would bother listening to a rant about crabs, after all, aside from the elderly who probably have nothing else going on for them. Luckily, Noriaki was the target of his focus as they continued their conversation about cats and corndogs. Damn, could he go for a sweet batter-dipped, deepfried sausage with mustard on top right about now.

Just as he was about to further indulge in his fantasy, Kazuyoshi would be pulled from the verge of his daydream departure as Daigo proceeded to ask about dogs that weren't on sticks or sauced to perfection. "Uh, no on the dogs but I'm not gonna let some schmuck salesman upsell Noriaki useless merch. Osakan accents smell like blood to those sharks." While this was the preferred reasoning formed by his conscious mind, the feeling of being wanted company was his true longing. Luckily, Noriaki was strangely approachable and accommodating. Perhaps his magnetism was what also caused their classmate to join in on their discussion. Taking a risk on his hunch, Kazuyoshi would extend the olive branch to Daigo.

"So since you're like the expert on boring stuff like this, wanna help me ward off those sales sharks?" he would state with masking bravado, secretly hoping their bespectacled peer would accept. As much as he'd like to, Kazu couldn't possibly just talk to Noriaki for the rest of his high school life. Perhaps it was time to expand his horizons and include others unlike himself within his social circle. The price to pay for this, unfortunately, might be listening to hours upon hours about how there's multiple ways to serve crabs and the accompanying side dishes that complement its flavor and texture. He really just wanted a corndog right about now.

Gundam 0094 (Invite Only Roleplay)

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Oh, to be young and fearless. The provocation from Ezmy would have definitely drawn a reaction from the more idealistic Disker during his youth in the Federation days but time has tempered his fire. Thankfully, he wasn't alone in thinking this as Leon had agreed with his sentiments. Though, perhaps Ezmy did have a point. The Cathartes was a sitting duck in this ocean of stars, tempting the jaws of a leviathan in waiting. Striking first would be a good option but where would they even start? Marauders didn't exactly advertise their hideouts with bright neon signs. Then again, this salvaging ship didn't either.

As Marlowe spoke on about his opinion, a compromise popped in Disker's head. "You know, both of you bring up good points. We should set up a rearguard and a vanguard position that would intercept the enemy before they reach this ship. That way, the captain can evade an attack if it occurs." He then paused to gauge the reactions from each pilot present, before proceeding on to the pièce de résistance of his battle plan. "Good strategy, agreed? Of course, I'll stay on board the Cathartes to provide cover fire. Young master Voltus here just needs to convince the old man to let us sortie. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a... ball to repair."

Regardless of how the others would react to his proposal, Disker would proceed out of the salvage bay while inspecting the device that Marlowe had given him earlier. If he was gonna be stuck inside his Mobile Suit's cockpit, he might as well have something to tinker with to pass the time. Before heading out to the hangar bay, Disker would need to retrieve the toolbox from his designated quarters. On the way there, Disker would come across an unfamiliar face on their way to the captain. Perhaps the captain was hiring extra hands to take up arms. While it didn't bode well for an uneventful voyage, this was definitely the prudent thing to do.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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While Noriaki definitely had a point regarding Kazuyoshi's lack of sleep, the newcomer to Hinotori high was about to be told the truth of and by the accompanying brash buck that was his classmate. "I hear ya, but I'm telling you now that sleep ain't gonna be changing me much by tomorrow." Kazu would state in the most serious tone he's spoken in today while fiddling away on his phone. The city of Kyoto wasn't lacking in shopping locations but Kazu hasn't exactly visited the kind of store Noriaki was looking for. Luckily, a quick scan on the web would tell him that there were indeed a few choices in the nearby commercial district. Putting his phone back in his pocket, Kazu would start walking towards the direction of their desired destination. "Alright, we're taking a shortcut. Don't mind the stench though, that's just Kyoto's charm, yeah?"

The metropole native would guide his countryside comrade through a mini-maze of the concrete jungle. The pair would cut through seldom-used footpaths, back roads, and narrow alleyways while avoiding the gaze of the homeowners of the private properties they were trespassing on. Along the way, Kazu tried to make small talk though only question really stood out. "So, not a lot of people can stand up to the prez like you did... How'd you do that? Y'know, not be fazed by authority figures. Gods know I can't even look Ayane's parents in the eyes..." Kazu asked, in a more playful jest. While this was definitely quite forward to ask, Kazu's curiosity beat out the reservations he had when they first met.

Eventually, after a few instances of being lost due to unforeseen route closures, they would reach the nucleus of the nearby shopping district. The flashy neon lights that illuminated the night were currently dimmed but the various employees assigned to greeting duty outside their stores more than made up for making the area pop out. Some were dressed as gothic maids, some in colourful uniforms with random English words plastered all over, and one was even in a strangely pristine mascot costume that seemed to be a cross between a dog and an acorn. "Think that dog-a-corn sells what you're looking for?" he would ask in the same sombre tone from their earlier departure.

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@Asura