Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
"You want me to do what?" asked Ikuze, blinking as one minute Cait was stood next to her, and the next she had vanished into the crowd. "Oh great... he's not going to like this..." she grumbled to herself before making her way towards the Baron. She curtseyed to the correct level as expected of a lady's maid and kept her gaze down. "Pardon sir, but Lady Caitlin has just gone to find a powder room and revive herself a little. I'm afraid the recent... excitement has made her feel slightly faint, and so she did not wish to cause any undue perceived slight should she have found herself fainting during the King's visit with the Queen. She asked me to tell you sir." finished the thief-maid with another curtsey, bracing herself for the incoming reply.
"Your Majesty," he said, turning towards the Queen, "We may have to evacuate to the train if this gets ugly."
She looked out over the crowd, shoulders back, nose high, expression of poise and nobility on her face despite the unruly behavior of the crowd. This was her moment, and the more people that witnessed it the better to her way of thinking. Sveden had shunned her when her brother-in-law shipped her home to Lodan but now the joke was on him because in her sisters absence, Tatiana was the reigning Queen. She couldn't wait to see his face when he has to address her as his equal and admit that he needed her compliance for international relations. Then gunshots were fired and the mob started to panic. They looked like jumping beans in a tiny tin, all huddled together, twisting and turning, craning to get a peak at what was happening. She stood close to her guard on the dais and never once broke character.
"I would prefer to keep business on Lodan soil, Commander," the Queen responded levelly. She needed to secure relations with their neighboring king but she didn't feel the need to do so in a situation that was any more comfortable for their guest than was necessary. But for her own sake, and for her supporters in the crowd she added, "Please get these civilians under control. The train is due to arrive any moment."
As if he could do anything about the Civilians. If it had been up to him he would have had the whole station cleared, with a barricade across the main entrance. Let them watch from the street or further down the rails. Alas, he had a Queen who wanted to be the center of attention and couldn't see the danger in what she thought of as only a simple meet and greet. "As you will my Queen," was all he said, with a bow as he turned and walked to the edge of the platform where his man was standing. "Get a message to the patrol unit. Let them know to start bringing in the paddy wagons. I want anyone who even looks like they are about cause trouble rounded up and throw into one for the duration of this meeting, but be discreet. We don't need to start a riot."
"Yes Commander," the man bowed his head and moved off to carry out Faolan's orders.
That done, Faolan moved back to his spot besides the queen just as the train pulled into the station and began to slow, it's breaks squealing in resistance to its forward momentum. Skye scanned the crowd again, looking to see if he could spot Caitlin once more, with little luck.
Inside the EIRAL HQ, it was a different story. The men had been informed that an intruder had slipped in from the roof and was currently at large inside the massive facility. This was, of course, a slap in the face to them. No one slipped into their home uninvited. As such, fully armed guards now roamed the hall, looking to take care of anyone who might be out of place.
at this point to much the expectation of Caitlin , Rava was having the time of her life , sneaking past guards ,knocking a few of them out as she made her way through the building, it was all apart of her 5 minuet plan , that she was make her way thought the place to get a good vantage point , swing in and nab the king before the guards known what hit them , or known as the quick bamboozled and grab . a plan she was used to . at this point , nothing but a well placed bullet on her dead eye or shoulder could ruin this now, she needed to do this to prove she was better then her grandpa and she would prove it to everyone that she was the best theft ever.
(at this point i would be introducing the NPC/alt here as it would have been a little plot fun but dont know if the rule of alts will allow it )
He bumbled his way through the crowd after her. She certainly was fast. Wonder what she was in such a hurry for. At least he had a valid excuse as to why he was following her. "Miss Cockfoster?" he called out hesitantly, wondering if she actually had something to do with Morse. M
"Excuse me, Excuse me!" Caitlin barked out as she shouldered her way to the barracks. The soldiers there were on high alert and the moment she stepped up on the gated ledge they turned offensively in her direction. She shied back instinctively but it was all for show. She wanted them to see her as a lady, not an opponent. Then she heard her name being called from a few steps away. Flustered, she really didn't know what to do, or how to shake who ever was following her. Her plan had been to solicit the soldiers for safety from the mob and slip inside. Now that would be harder to do with a gentlemen after her to check on her well-being. With no other option she turned to face the man.
He was not familiar to her which made her tip her head in curiosity. "Have we met?" She asked, momentarily confused.
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
Post by Stephen Leland on Feb 25, 2014 5:49:05 GMT
Time to put up the charming front "Ah, we have not been introduced properly." he bowed his head slightly to her "My name is Stephen Leland. My family just moved here to Lodan not very long ago." he straightened up once more and gave her a polite, apologetic smile. "I apologize for not introducing myself to you sooner. That, along with my apology for my father smacking you in the face. It was all purely an accident. I hope you forgive him Miss Cockfoster. I came to see if you were alright?" he finished his explanation, his eyebrows raised in concern. He was genuinely worried for her. She was a tough one; most people would have been knocked over by a blow to the face from his father. He respected her for that.
"Pardon sir, but Lady Caitlin has just gone to find a powder room and revive herself a little. I'm afraid the recent... excitement has made her feel slightly faint, and so she did not wish to cause any undue perceived slight should she have found herself fainting during the King's visit with the Queen. She asked me to tell you sir."
His eyes wandered from the energetic crowd to the top of the maids head as she curtsied after her spill. Then the message hit him and he coughed a few times. "She wouldn-" he shook his head. "Of course she would. Well what are you waiting for? go after her, no sense in you looking after me, take care of my daughter." he brushed down the front of his coat and squared his shoulders in the manliest way he knew how. It was a striking image to be sure, very proud and aristocratic but the point he meant to make was that he more so than Caitlin was a strong and able bodied man.
As the girl rushed away from him he peered around the heads of the mob, wondering where his little trouble maker had run off to, and worried even moreso as to why.
"As you say sir." said the thief-maid, curtseying before heading into the crowd, cursing under her breath the entire dratted situation. Here she was, having to wade through a crowd of people, dressed in only this dratted maid's uniform, no weapons at all save her magic, which right now would be a very bad idea, and because of what? Someone deciding to use some kind of flashy light for some kind of signal that made Caitlin have to go investigate, right after the EIRAL's decided to open fire at the signaller... this had seemed like a simple job. Pretend to be Caitlin's maid, see the Queen meet the King, and see if there was any chance for some loot from either of the royals.
Only someone else decided to royally screw it up!
She began to make her way towards the barracks, given that that was where the signalling had come from, against the jostling crowd when she saw someone getting close to Caitlin and the guards. Given that her back was turned and she was focused on the job at hand, Ikuze thought that the man meant to try something given her presence here as a noblewoman. If it weren't for the stupid crowd in my way... The maid-thief shoved as best she could given her diminuitive frame, only to emerge from the crowd in time to see that the man in question was none other than Sourpuss himself. This keeps getting better and better... inwardly groaned the thief who tried to make her way towards Caitlin, putting on as much a show of nerves as she could. "Mi-milady, I thought I'd lost you. Pl-please don't worry me like that. If I'd lost you, I... I dread to think of what your father would think milady. Let's get you safely inside alright?" she asked, making her voice sound a little higher than usual. Hoping the voice and wig change was enough to at least confuse Sourpuss as to her identity, she turned her attention to the guards. "Could one of you please go let Baron Cockfoster know that his daughter is safe within your fine barracks' walls?"
She then played the part of the maid by curtseying towards Sourpuss and keeping her face low, as was proper when addressing someone of a much higher station. "My apologies sir if I interrupted your conversation. I was just so worried about Lady Cockfoster..."
Lefiruc chuckled softly at Baron Cockfosters show towards his daughter's maid. "Oh come now Marquel." he said once the maid was out of ear-shot. "It is no shame for a parent to be concerned for their child. Especially one as strong-willed as your own daughter. Must get it from you I should think." he said as he leaned on his cane, looking out over the crowds towards the Queen. "Now, be honest... what do you make of this business with a foreign king hmm? Think our young queen may grow infatuated or frustrated with him? I think we can both attest it would be one or the other given how women minds work." asked the older man to his younger counterpart. True there was only the difference of a few years, but Lefiruc looked more the part than the Baron did.
"Personally... I'm not certain what to make of this. We've only just rebuilt and come back from the Civil War... Old wounds take the longest to heal after all. I dread to consider how the populace will react, depending on the outcome of this meeting." Lefiruc confided in the other man.
Inside the Barracks, things were not looking up for Rava. The EIRAL forces had finally tracked her to whichever floor she was on and were closing in from all sides. Intruders in their home were not to tolerated or they'd have every thief in the city going through looking for goodies. Now it was up to the thief as to what her next move was. Would she go out a window and try to escape back over the roof? Would she try to fight and possibly get shot for her troubles? Or would she surrender and take a stay in the jail below the training ground.
Outside the crowd was beginning to settle down following the gunshots and the extra number of EIRAL guards that just happened to show up. Though, to be honest, it was probably due to the arrival of the new train. It certainly looked nothing like the flowing and flowery designs that Lodan was known for in its construction of vehicles. This one was cold and almost blocky in construction with its engine car looking more like a military workhorse in its gunmetal grey. As it came to a complete stop a loud hiss sounded, followed by a great amount of steam surging from underneath the train as the main engine purged itself. This brought an almost eerie hush to the crowd as they anticipated seeing this strange man from Sveden.
Skye tensed up, awaiting something, anything to happen, but people's interests were focused less on violence it seemed and more on curiosity. Either way, he was ready to protect his Queen and her guest. It was only another moment before the doors of the front train car swung open and an Adonis of a man stepped out dressed in the most ridiculous outfit Skye had ever seen. It looked like he had killed a flock of seagulls and used their feathers to make a cloak that wrapped around his shoulders and skirted the ground as he walked. Yet it accented the man's chiseled features and his long flowing blond mane of hair. Under the cloak, the man was wore a multicolored frock that was reminiscent of a peacock and his pants were a deep indigo. His feet were adorned with what seemed like boots plated in gold and in his hand he had a ivory cane with a golden top that tapped on the ground with each step he took. Of course, no king was without his crown, and this one looked as if it were made of pure gold that measured at least a foot from the crown of his head to the tip where a large ruby sat. Around the edge of the crown were carved steeples and each was set with a sapphire that matched the kings eyes. How any thief here would have given their first born just to have been able to swipe such a thing, but then they would have needed a cart to get it out of there. It was a wonder the whole thing didn't snap the King's neck.
The king's eyes scanned the crowed and his lips twisted into that of disdain before he turned away to face the Queen, bringing a smile back to his features, "Ah, my lovely Queen, how nice it is to finally meet you," he said in thickly accented speech.
Caitlin was at a strange crossroads between being a dutiful daughter, and being the leader her guild needed her to be. Somewhere in this building was one of her own, granted one that had made a terrible mistake for which the rest of them would surely pay, but her own none the less. But outside this building was her father and the rest of charmed society like the Leland heir beside her... who's father had quite a swing. She wracked her brain while Ikuze provided a momentary distraction with her act.
The guards at the gate to the barracks looked just as torn, but they weren't moving an inch to let anyone passed without the proper authority. Caitlin could tell by the way they climbed up on the walkways 3 feet of stone edging and tried to catch the commanders gaze from across the mob. The platform to the station was umbrella'd by a large solid canopy to shield patrons from the sun but not from the weather as there were no walls. From under the large canopy Caitlin watched as the train pulled into the station and the masses surged forward in their eagerness not only to get away from the army barracks where shooting had occurred but also to get closer to the regency and if lucky enough, steal a peek at her majesties guest of honor.
"Please sirs, don't let us get trampled!" Caitlin pleaded with the guards. She linked arms with this Leland fellow to include him in her plea and hopefully stop him from making any heroic offers to single-handedly protect her from the crowd (and dash her hopes of getting inside). With her other arm she reached for Ikuze hand and squeezed it like a woman would a trusted maid to bring her comfort. She hoped the dignified and expensive swath of her clothes along with the aristocratic formality of her words would sway their minds
leaving it up to the commander to decide how his employees would respond.
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
Post by Stephen Leland on Mar 11, 2014 1:57:17 GMT
"Not a problem Miss." he responded to the maid, giving her a closed eyed smile so that no one would see the annoyed flicker in his eyes. Usually he would have snapped at the little wench for interrupting but she was not one of his maids and he still needed to keep up appearances. He opened his eyes again and examined the maid. She looked familiar. Why did everyone in this bloody town always look familiar? Most likely he had met her before but not as she was not- in other words she was in disguise. Could this maid be trusted? What if she was an assassin or thief or some sort? If she was familiar she very may well be one of the CAEsAL members in disguise; He had just joined the group so he still did not know everyone that well. He came to the conclusion that the maid could not be trusted and Miss Cockfoster's life might very well be in danger. Maybe he could save her in the girl suddenly attacked the baroness. This definitely would get him points from not only his father but the Cockfoster family.
He was torn from his train of thought as the woman suddenly grabbed and yanked him to her side. THAT was unexpected; Being manhandled by a woman! Oh he could just feel his anger tickling at his polite shell, threatening to break loose. But he had to contain himself. If there is one person he did not want to anger it was the daughter of Baron Cockfoster. His father would disown him in a second if he got a black mark on their family name for snapping at the daughter. He manager to keep up his polite, collected appearance as the feisty little baroness turned her attention to the EIRAL guards. She seemed to want to go inside the building. Might as well go along with the woman "Please my good Sirs, Miss Cockfoster requests shelter from the terrible uproar going on out here. We most assuredly would be safe in the care of you brave gentlemen. I beg that you grant us access to the safety of your barracks." he asked respectfully, his eyes reflecting only concern for the baroness's well being. As if to accentuate the point he gave her arm a light pat.
This one was cold and almost blocky in construction with its engine car looking more like a military workhorse in its gunmetal grey. As it came to a complete stop a loud hiss sounded, followed by a great amount of steam surging from underneath the train as the main engine purged itself. This brought an almost eerie hush to the crowd as they anticipated seeing this strange man from Sveden.
It was only another moment before the doors of the front train car swung open and an Adonis of a man stepped out dressed in the most ridiculous outfit Skye had ever seen. It looked like he had killed a flock of seagulls and used their feathers to make a cloak that wrapped around his shoulders and skirted the ground as he walked. Yet it accented the man's chiseled features and his long flowing blond mane of hair. Under the cloak, the man was wore a multicolored frock that was reminiscent of a peacock and his pants were a deep indigo. His feet were adorned with what seemed like boots plated in gold and in his hand he had a ivory cane with a golden top that tapped on the ground with each step he took. Of course, no king was without his crown, and this one looked as if it were made of pure gold that measured at least a foot from the crown of his head to the tip where a large ruby sat. Around the edge of the crown were carved steeples and each was set with a sapphire that matched the kings eyes. How any thief here would have given their first born just to have been able to swipe such a thing, but then they would have needed a cart to get it out of there.
The king's eyes scanned the crowed and his lips twisted into that of disdain before he turned away to face the Queen, bringing a smile back to his features, "Ah, my lovely Queen, how nice it is to finally meet you," he said in thickly accented speech.
The sight of Sveden's train was enough to remind Tatiana of the nation she once sat at the right hand of its ruler. Heavy handed in their metals, over compensating for a lack of creativity, and trying to intimidate their neighbors instead of outwitting them. Of course, not everyone could be Lodan. The crowd pressed forward, but the unrest died out as they waited with baited breath to get an eyeful. The citizens weren't disappointed. His majesty arrived fully decked out in vibrant colors and flashy gems. The crown alone was a sight to see and would be a conversation piece at many Lodan tables tonight over supper.
"Ah, my lovely Queen, how nice it is to finally meet you," he said in thickly accented speech. She turned her nose up at him but offered her hand, which he lifted almost to his lips, but then air-kissed over it, never actually touching her skin. It was for the best. The only way she'd want his lips to come in contact with her hand would be if the jewels on the top of her fingers were to strike across his puckered mouth.
"A pleasure," she lied but that was politics for you. She watched him carefully, doing her best to compose her dislike. Despite having never met in person his actions back when she lived on their own soil had spoke volumes of his character. None of which matched up with the flattery he spewed now. Of course, a man could always be on his best behavior when he needed something, most especially a king. Ironic that the thing he needed most, an alliance with her sisters country, had fallen into her own hands and he had to make amends for stripping her of her power as his late brothers bride. "You almost look like your brother wearing the crown," in her head she added, almost a king, but thinking less of him wouldn't make him any less the ruler. Even if she could not bring herself to make an alliance on this visit, she would do well to avoid making any enemies in the process.
"Commander Skye," she called to the man without looking away from her visiting sovereign. "I am entrusting his majesty's well-being to you. Please call for Alistair, I will relinquish myself into his care for the duration of our soveriegn neighbors visit." It was a ploy as much as it was a show of respect. To offer her highest ranking officer to be his man in waiting was an honor, but it was also a clever maneuver to ensure a strong defense on the heels of his every move. She trusted the Commander to use his eyes and ears and to make wise decisions at any suspected motive or sign of betrayal.
The king looked over the assembled crowd once more with more than a hint of distaste, which made Skye want to smack the man and here the Queen was entrusting the man to his care. If it wasn't for years of practice in appearing impartial, he might have scowled at the prospect, but he was already in enough hot water, and this was probably another part of his punishment. That was fine with him, as long as he didn't lose control over the EIRAL.
"Of course your majesty," was all he ended up saying as he pressed in a hidden button on one of his cuffs. No more than a few seconds later a mechanical bird came down and perched on his shoulder. "Record," he said and waited a moment for the birds eyes to turn red, "Colonel Malak, your presence is requested at the railroad station to attend the Queen...Stop." The birds eyes turned blue and it took off immediately. Faolan watched it go before turning to face the King directly, offering his best formal bow. "I place myself at your disposal," he didn't add more than that, but if the man tried to use him as his personal butler he was going to find his food suddenly had an extra little punch to it.
In turn, the king dismissed Skye's bow with a wave of his hand. He barely even looked in the man's direction, "My Queen, can we dispatch with this spectacle and get down to the business to which I was asked here? I would very much prefer to sleep in the comfort of my own bed tonight, unless there is to be an invitation to share yours." He smiled with the intent of being quite dashing, but his harsh facial features did not lend themselves very well to the attempt.
Meanwhile, at the gate, the guards sighed and opened them, "You are to wait in the reception area, if you are caught anywhere else you will be arrested, no matter who your father may be Ms. Cockfoster."
Post by Lorraine Blackmoore on Mar 18, 2014 7:00:06 GMT
Most of the army had been on watch today due to some foreign king coming in and it was rumored that he would be arriving any moment now if he wasn't already here. Some however, had the day to relax and on such a day, since Lorraine was still so green, she found herself in her room pouring over research books and notes. Felix, her ever faithful fox, was pleasantly curled up on her bed sleeping while she worked. The commotion of the crowd outside was hardly audible in her quarters but it was beginning to grow louder when the unmistakable sounds of gunshot rang in the distance. She had almost missed it at first but not long after the alarms rang and her head shot up. "What in the world," she asked herself quietly as she jumped to her feet. The noise woke the fox on the bed and he sprang off the mattress just as she leaped over a pile of books, snatched up her sword, then bolted out of the room with the fox in tow.
Outside of her room, many other soldiers were leaving their quarters and running down the stairs or further up them. Many of them seemed just as confused as she was. Had an intruder really made it within the barracks? How? That shouldn't be possible. The possibilities ran passed her in numbers as she hurried and shoved her way down the stairs to the last floor where a group of soldiers were forming at the end of the last flight. In her hurry, she didn't even think as she planted her left hand on the rail of the stairs then held her sword down with her right as she vaulted over the rails. She landed crouched with a grunt from the impact then sprang to her feet before rendezvousing over to her captain who was shouting out orders. Indeed there did seem to be an intruder and by now, Felix had squirmed passed the group of men to join her again. Lorraine saluted her captain before rushing off in search of this intruder.
It had been stated that she entered from the roof and was causing trouble on floors above but first she would need to reach that wing of the military. As she passed by the entrance to the barracks people entering caught the corners of her eye and she came to a grinding halt. The people entering were not of any military branch she knew of. In fact, two of them looked wealthy and the other a maid to one. Why would they be allowed in here they could be potentially hurt by the intruder or taken hostage. This wasn't good. In a split second Felix had sped passed her then stopped farther along the hall to make a few barks at her before turning the corner to head up a flight of stairs. "Get them to safety," she called to the guards at the door then raced after the fox to the higher levels.
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