Fantasy Four Suits Volume 3: Shadows Of War

[ChazGhost]

Maxwell Jacob, Jack of Clubs
Mentioned: MedievalFanatic2023 Coyote Hart Near: Everyone at the meeting

Maxwell just sighed deeply and held his nose as he heard of Leo's actions and how greatly it could cause them if things did go right in other factors. Continuing to listen, he nodded to Iris proudly as she reproduced the needed documents. Then he heard that X was already in a place, a place that Maxwell would be planning to join him in soon. As the meeting move forward he noticed a follow Jack, Twig, show up and heard his offer for some apple cider. "Besides some mistakes made but others, so far the morning hasn't been too bad. And yes I'll happily take a cup of apple cider since your offering" Maxwell said staying calmly as the meeting grew more intense.

Then Maxwell looked to Alexandra as she pointed out exactly what he was thinking. "The good queen is right, we should be joining the battle soon if we are going pull a win out of this" Maxwell added to his queen's words.
​

 

[Anaxileah]

War does not come without costs. These were the words going through her mind, as well as images of war, death, and fire. Muffled words cut her dream off, and the shaking of the ground caused her to snap out of her drowsy reverie.

The day would have started just as any other, had she been in her personal quarters back in the Spades' country. However, this was not the case; the Royals were currently residing in the country of Hearts, inside or along the border of Valencia, one of its major cities. The atmosphere was rather splendid, the air moist with morning dew and the environment full of vibrant colors that vastly contrasted the melancholy mountain range being barraged by the Argossian fleets and their exotic weaponry. The smell of gunpowder and other scents that followed battle wafted through the air, turning the early day into one of great despair no more than a couple of minutes after waking. She knew that the smells and sounds she could sense meant death, and more likely than not for their own people. A soft sigh escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open, taking in the peeling mauve paint on the ceiling with the beams of birch decorating the borders of her small quarters. She had opted to stay within the town among the people fighting for the war, determined to be close to the front and prepared for anything she might encounter. Her room at the Atrium Inn was a mere fifty meters from the outer walls of Valencia, the billowing smoke and explosions visible from her window. A breeze tossed her curtains around the borders of the glass, the sheer cloth whipping back and forth as the gusts of wind were caused by both nature and the military powers from both sides of the war, the Suits and the Argossians.

Their alliance was not something she had anticipated - after living for over 500 years, one tends to recognize patterns in the behavior of humans and arthropods alike, their sentience coming hand in hand with greed, lust, and desire for power. She could not deny that she shared some of these feelings, as she has been the Queen of Spades for decades, but she did not share the wrath others felt, nor the desire for more land and power. She was content with being the Queen of Spades, caring for her people by whatever means necessary. Justice was her sole motivation, and even though she led a lonely life, she was more than content with her duties as a queen. As her thoughts trailed off, the blonde female made her way through her belongings, donning her clothes for the day. A meeting of the Royals had been scheduled, the countries determined to make a decision for their next step in the standstill war that had already taken up an entire country of theirs - the Diamonds were currently taking refuge in the Spades' region, and due to her respectful relationships with all of the Diamond Royals, it has been going as smoothly as can be, despite the rationing of supplies for the citizens of the countries. While Emia did not mind helping the Diamonds, who treated her with professional courtesy and had even befriended her (Syra was becoming a good friend of hers), she worried for the safety of all of the Suits' peoples and their survival.

These thoughts continued to traverse the mind of the Queen of Spades, her brain preoccupied as she finished up her look for the Meeting of the Royals: her hair was tied back in a French braid that trailed down her head and back, reaching her naturally slender waist, which was fit snugly into a black gown, the top half of the dress consisting of black lace that covered her chest, arms, and torso, showing only her neck and above as well as her long-fingered hands. The bottom half of the dress extended similarly to silk, draping down to her ankles but high enough to keep her from stepping on the fabric. It ruffled as she walked, her knee-high, laced-up boots making small 'clack' sounds as she gathered her needed items and left the room, thanking the owner of the inn graciously before she exited the petite structure. Normally she would have donned something more elegant and Queenly in nature, but the Suits were at war, and they needed to be prepared for anything; this meant wearing clothing she could quickly change or be ready for combat in.

The outside world was a mixture of comforting warmth and a dreading nature, the attacks from the Argossians causing the Suits to fall farther and farther back from the frontline that had been established. The Queen of Spades had not yet been to the front of the war effort, her duties instead lying with the commotions of the people and addressing their needs as well as encouraging them to support the war. Despite her role, she was required to attend this summons and witness the work the Argossians had done to their people. The female elf reached the wall of Valencia in a matter of moments, determined to see what they were truly dealing with within this century. The wall had many watchtowers scattered along its structure, the entire border of the northeastern portion of the city just inside a protective barrier while destruction laid waste to the land beyond it. Buildings and farms that were outside of the city simply were no more, clouds of billowing smoke engulfing all that remained while troops fought and died, machines flew, and magic sparked in the air. The battle was truly gruesome and beautiful, but that made it all the more horrible. Weapons they had no knowledge of sounded through the air, killing off the people of the Suits one by one, despite the well-dug trenches they had created for protection. The ammunition of the Argossians was littered everywhere, along with corpses and parts of bodies that could no longer move, belonging to both Argossians and Suits.

Mortemiah's eyes scanned the bodies, noticing something peculiar as well as the crashed airships, but she could only handle so much. Tears streamed down her face, which was unusual for her, after which she quickly wiped them away, glancing around at the guards who either hadn't noticed or simply hadn't said anything. Silently grateful, she made her way back down the watchtower she had climbed, the aging stone leaving crumbling dust beneath her fingers as she ran her hands along the walls of the spiral staircase downward. Back into the city of Valencia she made her way to the meeting place, only then realizing that more time had passed than she had expected. How long was I staring at the wreckage of our people..? She thought to herself with a sickly feeling in her chest, the expressionless queen making her way to the large meeting hall in the center of Valencia. The structure was built out of a beautiful pink marble, with columns decorating the front entry and statues mimicking their beauty scattered along the courtyard just outside. The soft, Heart-country grass was a vivid green and untouched by the violent and angry darkness just outside the city, and she quietly hoped it stayed that way.

Upon her entry, Mortemiah made a handful of observations. A ship had been overhead not far from the meeting place, allegedly belonging to the Ace of Hearts - a singular heart on the side of the ship was simply a small hint - and since he was not in the meeting room, he was probably on the ship itself. Aside from him, only a handful of other Royals were not present, now no longer including her. Seria was the only Spade Royal present, though Emia was not surprised - Nouvel had sent her a raven the night before telling her he would be late to the meeting on account of bringing a small amount of Spades' reinforcements to the battle. The Queen of Spades took her place beside her Ace, glancing over the rest of the Royals and other present company, her blank expression sliding past Helmur with disinterest, though she took notice of his presence and a handful of his lackeys. She looked to Seria and followed her gaze, taking in the infuriated expression Helmur had directed towards the door as well as the colder, nastier face of one of his minions whose name she didn't care to remember. Her lips curled into a small smirk as she met his gaze before turning to address the more important members of the room, pointedly ignoring the vagabonds who were terrorizing her people. As the Queen of Clubs addressed the documentation given to her by one of her Clubs and the Jack of Hearts offered cider, Emia graciously took a glass, thanked him quietly, and spoke to the Kings of the room:

"For those of you who have been organizing the military advances or stockading we have committed to, I felt it necessary to point out an observation I made at the frontlines this morning." She spoke clearly and with a sense of regality, ensuring that everything she said would be easy to understand. "As you know, I have been around for more than a handful of decades, centuries, and so forth. In my time as a Royal, I have noticed many things about the Argossians and have paid attention to their people, methods, and fighting styles. This time around...they aren't alone. Most Argossians are fair-skinned with black hair and blue eyes. Of the Argossian corpses I could see, many were of different ethnicities, several not from Argossia. Meaning this: they are no longer acting alone. They have allies, be they whole countries or simply organizations from others, and this has changed the way they attack as well as their advances in technology. If we are to defeat them, we're going to have to take it up a notch." She finished, glancing around as they absorbed her information. It was one of the few benefits of living a very long life, knowing more about the enemy over time, but still, one of very few.

Addressed: LazyDaze SweetRose Mechking | Mentioned: Nano Athanas BreezeCatcher Ambiloquous MedievalFanatic2023 Coyote Hart | Status: Waking -> Checking Frontlines -> Arriving @ Meeting | Mood: Drowsy/Worrisome -> Dreading/Ill -> Amused/Concerned | Location: Atrium Inn -> Valencia Walltower -> Meeting Hall | Inventory: 2 Main Daggers, 10 Throwing Knives, 3 Small, Hidden Daggers, Elegant Longbow w/ Quiver (x25 arrows) | Notes: I hope you like my starter post!​

 

[MedievalFanatic2023]

Maxwell Jacob, Jack of Clubs
Mentioned: MedievalFanatic2023 Coyote Hart Near: Everyone at the meeting

Maxwell just sighed deeply and held his nose as he heard of Leo's actions and how greatly it could cause them if things did go right in other factors. Continuing to listen, he nodded to Iris proudly as she reproduced the needed documents. Then he heard that X was already in a place, a place that Maxwell would be planning to join him in soon. As the meeting move forward he noticed a follow Jack, Twig, show up and heard his offer for some apple cider. "Besides some mistakes made but others, so far the morning hasn't been too bad. And yes I'll happily take a cup of apple cider since your offering" Maxwell said staying calmly as the meeting grew more intense.

Then Maxwell looked to Alexandra as she pointed out exactly what he was thinking. "The good queen is right, we should be joining the battle soon if we are going pull a win out of this" Maxwell added to his queen's words.
​

​

War does not come without costs. These were the words going through her mind, as well as images of war, death, and fire. Muffled words cut her dream off, and the shaking of the ground caused her to snap out of her drowsy reverie.

The day would have started just as any other, had she been in her personal quarters back in the Spades' country. However, this was not the case; the Royals were currently residing in the country of Hearts, inside or along the border of Valencia, one of its major cities. The atmosphere was rather splendid, the air moist with morning dew and the environment full of vibrant colors that vastly contrasted the melancholy mountain range being barraged by the Argossian fleets and their exotic weaponry. The smell of gunpowder and other scents that followed battle wafted through the air, turning the early day into one of great despair no more than a couple of minutes after waking. She knew that the smells and sounds she could sense meant death, and more likely than not for their own people. A soft sigh escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open, taking in the peeling mauve paint on the ceiling with the beams of birch decorating the borders of her small quarters. She had opted to stay within the town among the people fighting for the war, determined to be close to the front and prepared for anything she might encounter. Her room at the Atrium Inn was a mere fifty meters from the outer walls of Valencia, the billowing smoke and explosions visible from her window. A breeze tossed her curtains around the borders of the glass, the sheer cloth whipping back and forth as the gusts of wind were caused by both nature and the military powers from both sides of the war, the Suits and the Argossians.

Their alliance was not something she had anticipated - after living for over 500 years, one tends to recognize patterns in the behavior of humans and arthropods alike, their sentience coming hand in hand with greed, lust, and desire for power. She could not deny that she shared some of these feelings, as she has been the Queen of Spades for decades, but she did not share the wrath others felt, nor the desire for more land and power. She was content with being the Queen of Spades, caring for her people by whatever means necessary. Justice was her sole motivation, and even though she led a lonely life, she was more than content with her duties as a queen. As her thoughts trailed off, the blonde female made her way through her belongings, donning her clothes for the day. A meeting of the Royals had been scheduled, the countries determined to make a decision for their next step in the standstill war that had already taken up an entire country of theirs - the Diamonds were currently taking refuge in the Spades' region, and due to her respectful relationships with all of the Diamond Royals, it has been going as smoothly as can be, despite the rationing of supplies for the citizens of the countries. While Emia did not mind helping the Diamonds, who treated her with professional courtesy and had even befriended her (Syra was becoming a good friend of hers), she worried for the safety of all of the Suits' peoples and their survival.

These thoughts continued to traverse the mind of the Queen of Spades, her brain preoccupied as she finished up her look for the Meeting of the Royals: her hair was tied back in a French braid that trailed down her head and back, reaching her naturally slender waist, which was fit snugly into a black gown, the top half of the dress consisting of black lace that covered her chest, arms, and torso, showing only her neck and above as well as her long-fingered hands. The bottom half of the dress extended similarly to silk, draping down to her ankles but high enough to keep her from stepping on the fabric. It ruffled as she walked, her knee-high, laced-up boots making small 'clack' sounds as she gathered her needed items and left the room, thanking the owner of the inn graciously before she exited the petite structure. Normally she would have donned something more elegant and Queenly in nature, but the Suits were at war, and they needed to be prepared for anything; this meant wearing clothing she could quickly change or be ready for combat in.

The outside world was a mixture of comforting warmth and a dreading nature, the attacks from the Argossians causing the Suits to fall farther and farther back from the frontline that had been established. The Queen of Spades had not yet been to the front of the war effort, her duties instead lying with the commotions of the people and addressing their needs as well as encouraging them to support the war. Despite her role, she was required to attend this summons and witness the work the Argossians had done to their people. The female elf reached the wall of Valencia in a matter of moments, determined to see what they were truly dealing with within this century. The wall had many watchtowers scattered along its structure, the entire border of the northeastern portion of the city just inside a protective barrier while destruction laid waste to the land beyond it. Buildings and farms that were outside of the city simply were no more, clouds of billowing smoke engulfing all that remained while troops fought and died, machines flew, and magic sparked in the air. The battle was truly gruesome and beautiful, but that made it all the more horrible. Weapons they had no knowledge of sounded through the air, killing off the people of the Suits one by one, despite the well-dug trenches they had created for protection. The ammunition of the Argossians was littered everywhere, along with corpses and parts of bodies that could no longer move, belonging to both Argossians and Suits.

Mortemiah's eyes scanned the bodies, noticing something peculiar as well as the crashed airships, but she could only handle so much. Tears streamed down her face, which was unusual for her, after which she quickly wiped them away, glancing around at the guards who either hadn't noticed or simply hadn't said anything. Silently grateful, she made her way back down the watchtower she had climbed, the aging stone leaving crumbling dust beneath her fingers as she ran her hands along the walls of the spiral staircase downward. Back into the city of Valencia she made her way to the meeting place, only then realizing that more time had passed than she had expected. How long was I staring at the wreckage of our people..? She thought to herself with a sickly feeling in her chest, the expressionless queen making her way to the large meeting hall in the center of Valencia. The structure was built out of a beautiful pink marble, with columns decorating the front entry and statues mimicking their beauty scattered along the courtyard just outside. The soft, Heart-country grass was a vivid green and untouched by the violent and angry darkness just outside the city, and she quietly hoped it stayed that way.

Upon her entry, Mortemiah made a handful of observations. A ship had been overhead not far from the meeting place, allegedly belonging to the Ace of Hearts - a singular heart on the side of the ship was simply a small hint - and since he was not in the meeting room, he was probably on the ship itself. Aside from him, only a handful of other Royals were not present, now no longer including her. Seria was the only Spade Royal present, though Emia was not surprised - Nouvel had sent her a raven the night before telling her he would be late to the meeting on account of bringing a small amount of Spades' reinforcements to the battle. The Queen of Spades took her place beside her Ace, glancing over the rest of the Royals and other present company, her blank expression sliding past Helmur with disinterest, though she took notice of his presence and a handful of his lackeys. She looked to Seria and followed her gaze, taking in the infuriated expression Helmur had directed towards the door as well as the colder, nastier face of one of his minions whose name she didn't care to remember. Her lips curled into a small smirk as she met his gaze before turning to address the more important members of the room, pointedly ignoring the vagabonds who were terrorizing her people. As the Queen of Clubs addressed the documentation given to her by one of her Clubs and the Jack of Hearts offered cider, Emia graciously took a glass, thanked him quietly, and spoke to the Kings of the room:

"For those of you who have been organizing the military advances or stockading we have committed to, I felt it necessary to point out an observation I made at the frontlines this morning." She spoke clearly and with a sense of regality, ensuring that everything she said would be easy to understand. "As you know, I have been around for more than a handful of decades, centuries, and so forth. In my time as a Royal, I have noticed many things about the Argossians and have paid attention to their people, methods, and fighting styles. This time around...they aren't alone. Most Argossians are fair-skinned with black hair and blue eyes. Of the Argossian corpses I could see, many were of different ethnicities, several not from Argossia. Meaning this: they are no longer acting alone. They have allies, be they whole countries or simply organizations from others, and this has changed the way they attack as well as their advances in technology. If we are to defeat them, we're going to have to take it up a notch." She finished, glancing around as they absorbed her information. It was one of the few benefits of living a very long life, knowing more about the enemy over time, but still, one of very few.

Addressed: LazyDaze SweetRose Mechking | Mentioned: Nano Athanas BreezeCatcher Ambiloquous MedievalFanatic2023 Coyote Hart | Status: Waking -> Checking Frontlines -> Arriving @ Meeting | Mood: Drowsy/Worrisome -> Dreading/Ill -> Amused/Concerned | Location: Atrium Inn -> Valencia Walltower -> Meeting Hall | Inventory: 2 Main Daggers, 10 Throwing Knives, 3 Small, Hidden Daggers, Elegant Longbow w/ Quiver (x25 arrows) | Notes: I hope you like my starter post!​

Alexandra the clubber Queen
Mentions: ChazGhost , Athanas , Anaxileah​

She looked seeing Maxwell agree with her. "Ah, Maxwell thank you." She said which kind of put cracks in her fake madness but her Jack was kind even through her methods of disguising her true self. She then noticed the queen of spades once she had spoken up. Ah, the queen of spades taking the center stage glotting how long she has been around making Alexandra feel she is claiming she was somehow superior. It sickened her, She didn't care if she was a demon or otherworldly how old she was didn't matter in her opinion. The decision was determined by the suit.

She paused for a moment a scowl on her face standing up. "We all will equally make decisions. You may make contributions, but age and your experience don't determine War and strategy! I say we go with the plan already laid out and then if things go south then kicking it up a notch we will do." She said in a cold tone as she looked at the queen of the spade. "We will do as what is required making such decisions as a group. 'kicking up a notch' will not be needed just yet. Any disagreements I didn't think so." She turned to helmur. "What is phase two since phase one was interrupted." She said looking down at the man as if she was in the mood more playing around like she normally did. "My golems should be a last resort don't you think?" She said to him.

 

[. D O V E]

[class name=Guin] width:250px; height:250px; background:url('https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/012/791/688/large/svetlana-tigai-prophet-regular-layers.jpg?1536555365'); border:1px solid #ffcc00; border-radius: 50%; background-size:fit; background-position: 53% 17%; display:block; margin:auto; center; transition:3s; [/class] [class name=Guin state=hover] width:250px; height:250px; background:url('https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/012/791/688/large/svetlana-tigai-prophet-regular-layers.jpg?1536555365'); border:1px solid #ffcc00; border-radius: 20%; background-size:100%; background-position: 50% 50%; display:block; margin:auto; center; transition:3s; [/class] [class name=bg] background:#660000; border:1px solid #ffcc00 ; padding:10px; color:#fff; font-size:14px; [/class] [class name=font] font-size:14px; line-height:20px; text-align:justify; padding:10px; [/class] [class name=gname] font-size:30px; color: #ffcc00; font-weight: bold; text-align:center; [/class]

[div class=bg] [div class=Guin][/div] [div class=gname] Queen of Hearts [/div]
Location: Valencia, Hearts
Interaction(s): Everyone at the meeting ( Mechking A Murder Of Corviknight ChazGhost Anaxileah MedievalFanatic2023 Athanas LazyDaze BreezeCatcher Coyote Hart )
Mention(s): Jokers ( vielpotato AI10100 ) Leo ( Goonfire )


Spell(s) Used:
Blink

Equipment(s):
The Queen's Bastion (Armor)
Dawnbreaker & Doombringer
The Suitors' Tracking Things


Note(s):
The items mentioned above (aside from the armor, of course) are not exactly visible because they are hidden in a small pouch around her waist.

[/div]

[div class=font] The city of Valencia had always been such a beautiful sight. A place situated at an elevated region, surrounded by hundreds of mountain ranges and covered with a sea of vibrant colors. Despite its beauty, however, tourism wasn't its strongest point. Fortified military structures dotted both the city and the highlands, contradicting the peacefulness that its surroundings seemed to suggest. Nevertheless, it was quite clear that peace was currently out of the window.

A barrier loomed over the vast city, imposing a sense of dread as it steadily received attacks from the empire. It has been three years since the Argossians began to march into the four Kingdoms. With time, they have demonstrated their steadfast determination to conquer the Suits. Hundreds of battles have plagued the land ever since they arrived, and one would assume that they would exhaust themselves, but they never did. Instead, their attacks gradually grew stronger and bolder- until they managed to capture half of the Suits territory. The Diamonds have fallen, and now, the Hearts and Clubs are on the brink of suffering the same fate.

For years, the Kingdom of Hearts has been fending off the Argossian forces. Corda, the state's capital, was conquered shortly after the fall of their neighboring kingdom. The surrounding cities were quick to follow, pushing the Hearts to half of their territory. Somehow, they managed to hold the enemy forces in Valencia, successfully blocking the empire from advancing any further. However, it seemed that the tides of war would be taking a drastic turn in a matter of time.

It was apparent that the Emperor has grown tired of the stalemate. He has been sending troops left and right, attacking the city grounds with countless infantrymen and terrorizing the air with their flying machines. Unbeknownst to the Empire, the coalition formed a strategy to counter the problem and they were marching straight to their trap.

The heavy sounds of explosion boomed throughout the city as the barrier suffered another round of airstrikes. A figure clad in an armor coated in deep red appeared on the roof of one of the many watchtowers. The cold wind softly blew, urging thick locks of gold to dance with it as the figure looked upwards. Crimson lips twitched while a mind silently wondered how long the magical defense could last.

'Well, if my calculation is to be believed, it should be able to last long enough until the plan has been implemented.'

Guineverre, the Queen of Hearts, mused to herself wordlessly before her sanguine eyes shifted to the Argossian forces slowly inching towards the city. She then looked at the large building somewhere at the midpoint of the city after a thoughtful look crossed her features. The royals, along with the other key figures involved in the plan, was supposed to meet in there. Well, she reckoned she was a bit late, but it didn't matter. She has the whole scheme adhered to her head, and she had given a very plausible excuse days ago. She had been, for lack of better words, scraping more conscripts and volunteers for the Suits forces. It wasn't exactly a lie, per se, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

The assemblage with the Jokers had just ended a few minutes ago. It was supposed to be brief, but she ended up giving a long pep-talk to boost their upcoming performances after reminding them of the plan. If her estimation was right, they should be getting ready to get in position at the moment. She had provided them with Heart soldier uniforms so they could blend in and avoid infighting.

However, just as she was about to move from her position, a couple of fleets lined on the horizon. Guin watched as her mind processed the view, concluding that they all belonged to a particular Ace who was probably about to do something dubious even before a telepathic announcement was made.

'Lion? What impact? Don't tell me he's going to-' she thought to herself right before his ships exploded onto the Argossian frontlines, 'I am not surprised.' she eventually added. The Queen massaged the bridge of her nose before vanishing from her spot, repeating the process after she reappeared onto the next roof until she finally reached her destination.



It wasn't long before the Queen of Hearts sauntered into the conference hall. An air of grace and regality followed the majestic woman as she carried herself with confidence. She settled beside the Jack of Hearts- who was just in the Joker's meeting with her a few minutes ago. She gently smiled at him, effectively acting as if it wasn't the case. Her eyes moved downwards to the tray he was holding before they shifted to the rest of the characters in the room.

'Why in Yune are they having tea while the enemy forces are terrorizing the city and advancing towards us? Why are some of them still improperly dressed for war? ......And why does that man look like me?'

For a short moment, a puzzled look graced Guin's face as she stared at the Ace of Clubs across the room. She blinked, silently wondering if she had a brother she didn't know about before shaking it off. "Greetings, everyone." she politely acknowledged. She didn't want to go on about how pleasant the morning was because it was far from pleasant. Still, she allowed a few moments to pass by before proceeding to her next statement. "I hope nobody would mind if I join the conversation. I know that you all might be well-aware, but the enemy forces would be arriving at our doorsteps in less than an hour."

"So I'd like to grab this opportunity to thank everyone personally for assisting in this battle. I am aware that you may all just be doing this because of the coalition, but I am grateful regardless."

[/div]

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

Gwyn Llywelyn

At the Queen of Club’s comment, Gwyn only quirked a bemused smile as if there wasn’t a conundrum in front of him. It wasn’t really worth the effort for him to attempt to talk over the others when it honestly had nothing to do with him. Maybe he shouldn’t have poked at a clear sore spot of the King of Diamonds when it was so fresh but Gwyn only wanted to know what he might have missed these past few days. An honest question that was thrown onto the table at the wrong time it seemed.

Oh well. Water under the bridge.

Ignoring all the other presences that were starting to trickle (or barge) in, Gwyn quickly read over the details of the plan that Iris transcribed for Alexandra while absentmindedly smiling and nodding in the right places. He admittedly wasn’t up to date on newer additions to the plan after he volunteered to assist on the right flank. He primarily spent most of his time getting to know the bare minimum of the mana signatures who would be positioned near him during the battle--it wouldn’t do for him to maim his own allies--and other matters that dragged his nose around for attention for the past few days.

As he finished reading through the plan, going over the list of names and groups that would be under his command in the right flank a bit more carefully, the blond looked up in the middle of the Queen of Spades’ observation of the current situation. He tilted his head curiously at her, not bothering to correct Alexandra in her misunderstanding, she wasn’t wrong in her observations. It was helpful and she was likely worried due to it being a decisive battle but Alexandra...was at times rash.

But he supposes that everyone has their quirks and charm points.

Gwyn chose to stay quiet and merely observe the others as he declined the Jack of Hearts’ offer, settling for water from the flask he had brought with him that morning. Water, he found, was sometimes better than tea or, in this case, apple cider in settling slow building tension headaches.

He was sliding the flask back into his pocket when he felt a hard stare at the side of his head. He lifted his head to see who was so interested in him before nearly choking on the water that was just swallowed. While massaging his throat, he thought warily, ‘Why didn't anyone tell me the Queen of Hearts looks like a long lost family member of mine...?’

Note: pushed this one out in a rush blame dove just like how I blame her for my sore eyes now < w >
note to my dear character: because dear Gwyn, it's hard when you don't have a reference to compare to u w u

Tags: . D O V E

 

[TPBx]

Outskirts of Valencia

The cannons roared beside the many Argossian Artillery Corpsmen as they rattled off another barrage of free fire at the shield. They had been doing this for the entire week and nothing seemed to change, many in the ranks seemed to think that this mission was impossible but trudged on loading the guns and firing off another round aimlessly into the barrier that surrounded Valencia. Beside them was Marillys who was in command of this position for the time being as they had one or two Super Soldiers assigned to each outpost in order to guard them from the shadow monster known simply as Shira. The constant ambush attacks plagued the Argossian advance but it seemed that as long as they had a strong single combatant in the area, it was possible to fend off against their persistent attacks.

Marillys continued to watch the barrage that was laid upon the city and reflected upon his last year before being away from all this. After the battle against the people who were supposed to be the strongest of all the mages in this world, he was physically and spiritually broken. He was supposed to be the best the Argossians had to offer, but failed in the end, letting down the empire and all the time they had invested into creating his existence. The old woman who saved him turned out to be the contact that the Argossians had and the one who instigated the Jokers to revolt against the Four Suits. She nursed him back to health when his regenerative abilities failed and taught him the basics of mana and magic while he was bedridden. The Homunculus was amazed by this knowledge, but knew that it was forbidden to learn these things, but he had no choice and owed this woman his life.

The man then refocused back on the mission, he was supposed to be accompanied by a second generation Homunculus named Alyss, but he didn't see her anywhere. There was also supposed to be someone among the ranks who was commended by the Academy to be a bright and cunning warrior and leader. He needed a man like that by his side considering that the men that landed with Marillys were all KIA. The Homunculus grabbed one of the 1st Batallion's infantrymen and ordered him to bring Lieutenant Clemson, as he wanted to assess this man to see what this guy was about.

Ruby Owl Minyari

 

[Mechking]

Arimands last bits of anger left him as he observed the theatric display before him.
"With this level of cohesion, it is no wonder we were losing the last three years."


He was quite relieved when he saw Helmur enter the room. "Finally, a bit of strategical competence!"
Seeing him slightly angrier than usual, he informs Helmur of the situation: "Your Ace just crashed several unmanned airships filled with explosives into the enemy frontline, Helmur. He already got a lecture from me, but you can yell some more at him after the fight. Leolin is currently with the remaining airships and dropping with the golems. Please gather your troops, we need to move fast!“


Arimand only briefly glanced at the Jack of hearts, as he joined them. Upon hearing his offer, he gave a quick response:
„No cider for me, thank you very much.“


Upon hearing the findings of the Queen of Spades, and the following statements of the Queen of Clubs, Arimand decided to firstly address Mortemiah, with concern in his voice.
"Thank you for sharing your observations, dear queen. The Argossians having different kinds of ethnicities among them can be a good or a very bad thing. It would be good if they are in desperate need of new soldiers and if said soldiers are considerably less trained than their standard soldiers. But it would be very bad if these soldiers are recruited from our own population and turned against us, or if they have received a very large amount of reinforcements from who-knows-where."


After finishing his line of thoughts, he turned to Alexandra, as she was clearly not helping the tense situation. Being annoyed with her, Arimand answers in an overly sarcastic tone to one of her questions:
"My dearest queen of clubs, miss Valmore. Would you please be so kind as to use your golems as soon as you engage the enemy? I would be eternally grateful!"


Addressing both the queen of clubs and the queen of hearts, as she entered, he afterwards states:
"We won't need to skip any phases of our plan, if we act fast enough. I will now take my leave to inform the Telepaths that we are moving. All royals and other commanders will be informed of the specific details of our plan, their role and position in it, by them."


As Arimand rises from his seat and turns to leave, he asks one final thing:
„Any further questions before I do so?“


( MedievalFanatic2023 ChazGhost LazyDaze A Murder Of Corviknight Athanas Nano BreezeCatcher Coyote Hart Anaxileah . D O V E )

 

[Anaxileah]

She had been awake long before the rising of the sun.

Explosions sounded almost every three seconds, making it difficult to hear one's thoughts. Boom. The morning arrived without a second glance from Arabella, a 9 of Hearts, too busy repairing the wounds of the injured and mending the limbs of those who had the misfortune to experience a brief amputation. Boom. Blood coated her hands and spread up to her arms, a consequence of reaching into the abdominal cavities of soldiers to remove shrapnel and bullets from their advanced enemies. Boom. Her hair was plastered to her face with sweat and blood, some of it her own. Her clothes in just a dismal state as her fallen allies - cloth torn, leather split, and cotton stained - the female made her way through the area just inside the magical barrier, trying to keep her mind ahead of the explosions and cries and screams and - Boom.

Arabella let out an exasperated sound, pulling back for just a moment and crouching near the ground to cover her ears and shut her eyes. There she was safe, nothing could get through the barrier, she would be okay, she's just a frontline healer... Despite their protections, Ara hadn't felt safe in ages; she knew many of the soldiers who had just committed their lives to this horrendous war, the people whose farms had been destroyed during the mayhem, and what the city had been like prior to the warfare that overcame it now. Everything was more complicated than it had been, more dangerous. She thought to her friends, and her worry quadrupled. She cared for every single person she came across. She befriended everyone in her own way, her chemistry working in sync with all others despite labels put on them by where they were born or how strong they are. Helmur, Declan, Bob...those were just a few of the many she cared for and would be devastated to lose. Glancing around, all Ara could see was the chaos of the massacre born between the Argossians and the Suits. Soldiers were losing their sanity or had already gone off the deep end, clutching their heads much like she was. Corpses were piled beyond the barrier, belonging to both sides of the war, none too gruesome for the other. She dropped her hands from her ears and stood stiffly, her hands clenched into fists beside her. She couldn't afford the luxury of crouching like an abused pup when she could be helping those who were determined to rebound and fight once more.

Despite her motivations, she was called upon. One of Helmur's messengers, Jormund, came out of seemingly nowhere, alerting her to Helmur's summons. His bright bushel of ginger hair was definitely refreshing amongst the battle-worn helms donned by every soldier and their rugged appearances darkened by the dismay of a losing war. At first, she simply blinked at him, frozen in her duties as the frontline healer, momentarily perplexed by the sudden summons. What would he need from me? She looked at her palms, still covered by the blood of her allies and self, noting that she was in no state to be seen by anyone not at the frontline. Though this is Helmur we're talking about, and he doesn't give a rat's ass about how I look... Shaking her head to rid herself of thinking further, the red-haired female nodded and smiled at Jormund, saluting him briefly with a hand coated in scarlet. "Gotcha, Jor. I would've said I heard you loud and clear, but I'm afraid I can't hear super well for the time being!" She shouted much louder than she needed to, the explosions being so close to her certainly causing her hearing to go haywire. "I will head that way in a moment, let me finish up what I'm doing here!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, after which he let out a small laugh and nodded, tipping an imaginary cap at her before running off back towards the meeting hall.

Not a minute after her dismissal of Helmur's gofer, loud and familiar rumblings sounded overhead, causing the bloodied female to glance up from the gastrointestinal perforation she was repairing with her healing flames. They were ships that belonged to the Ace of Hearts, directed towards the Argossian fleets. They did not appear to have steering capabilities, or they did not have people manning them, as they soared directly towards the trenchlines, not nearly far enough from where the Suits manned their own. What in the bloody hell...? The Argossians shot the ships down, as she predicted, but the alchemical fire certainly wasn't something she anticipated - flames scattered everywhere, causing explosions to land along the entire frontline, the only thing protecting the rest of Valencia's front being the magical barrier. Men and women were obliterated within an instant, their bodies disintegrating as the fire spread and diminished both forces greatly, the emerald fire reflecting in her cerulean eyes. Seconds after witnessing the horrific results of this idiotic attack, her eyes ignited into blue flames, pure fury lighting up her entire aura. She finished caring for the man whose stomach she had been reaching into, then instantly changed into a peregrine falcon and made her way to the meeting hall, her eyes entirely blue and her feathers coated with blood.

As the entry to the hall had already been open, the female swooped in, landing hard on the ground just inside, changing to her human form as she landed. Her fist hit the ground, a crack appearing in the marble as she did so, and she rose, giving the room a brief few seconds to take in her haphazard appearance. Her arms and torso were caked in blood. She had minor wounds scattered along her face and biceps from the repercussions of rushing past the barrier to grasp those too weak to bring themselves to safety, but to them, she paid no mind. Her armor and clothes were torn, and her general attire exhausted from doing her duty. Regardless, if one glanced at anything but her clothing they would see the rage that fueled her. Her eyes were blue flames, unstable in the heart-shaped frame of her face. Her hands were the color of molten metal, and even her hair emanated heat as the orbs that were her eyes scanned the room, her face twisted with wrath.

"What half-witted fucking carcass decided to bombard our troops with alchemical fire?" She spoke softly, though the pure anger that shook her could be felt by any competent onlooker. Barely allowing time for a response, she spoke again: "It is rather difficult to bring me to this state, and to my friends I apologize, but it is time to get off your fucking asses and clean up whomever's mess has left our troops incinerated and unprotected against the Argossian assault. Royal or not, we are at war. Get your bloody acts together." She nearly snarled at the last bit, her face turning to meet Helmur's, who was just as angry as she, if not less so. "Are you going to show them how it's done or not?"


Addressed: Athanas @ literally every Royal, I'm not tagging you all, sorry. | Mentioned: Athanas AI10100 Mechking | Status: Healing the Wounded -> Storming into Meeting Hall | Mood: Breaking Down -> Infuriated -> Full-Blown Rage| Location: Frontlines -> Meeting Hall | Inventory: Naurcuil, Lúgheled | Notes: Teehee.​

 

[LazyDaze]

IRIS BASTILLE
Iris couldn't help but blush when she was given the ear muffs by her queen. She didn't know how to feel about the generous offer after it was explained that she was practically had a warehouse of these. The strangest part of it all was the fact that she was the one using the noise cancelling earmuffs. It was more likely that her subjects would need them...and a helmet. Nevertheless, even with the noise being somewhat drowned out by the perfect gift in this situation, Iris could still feel the tension, anger, and agitation of everyone around her. She couldn't help but read the lips and body language of the people in the room. Oddly enough, even those who entered with a contrasting calmness somehow added even more chaos to the ordeal. This was it...she was about to throw everything away and pour oil to the proverbial fire. People were yelling left and right. Accusing each other, screaming, becoming overly emotional. Puffing out their chests and drinking tea.....@%@&*# TEA! WELL EVERYONE IS ABOUT TWO SUGAR CUBES AWAY FROM &#*# YOU!

Just as Iris opened her mouth to speak the King of Diamonds entire demeanor changed which caused her to hold off on her rant. He seemed to have the same feelings as her. He dealt with the situation quite efficiently without doing anything that would be sure to piss someone off. Yes, calming everyone down and working together was the most important thing now....that was until yet another guest arrived. Iris was clinging tighter to her earmuffs which actually failed to drown out her tirade. It wasn't that she was loud, but her words were direct and sharp like an arrow. If anyone needed tea and a hug, it was her. However, she was absolutely right and perhaps that is what they needed...everyone really did need a spark, or reality check. No one here wanted to have their countries razed to the ground. No one here wanted to see their subjects die untimely deaths. In fact, they were all here to prevent just that. Everyone had a reason to be pissed, or emotional, but there was no time for that. Iris had subconsciously been walking backwards toward Gwyn with a book held up to her face as she hid behind him. with her fist halfway in the air. "W-what she said."


Mechking A Murder Of Corviknight MedievalFanatic2023 Anaxileah and whoever else LOL

-----------------
XIXIX VALENTINE
WEAPON: ASURA/THREE

"...Sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances," X said as he stared at a pigeon who was perched next to him. "...Cat got your tongue...beak?" The pigeon continued to do pigeon like things, ignoring X while he tried to strike up a conversation to at least ease some of his boredom. X sighed as he thought about all of the technical difficulties that were probably occurring at the meeting place. In fact, they probably forgot that he had ditched the meeting. "Listen Mr. Pigeon, if they don't come through we're the last line of defense. We'll have to go with operation Hail Storm."

The pigeon turned its head and then continued pecking on the ground. "Indeed, your reputation proceeds you. Yes, I'll be the ground force and you will lead our aerial forces," X said while drawing out an imaginary plan. The pigeon hopped away, but continued to remain perched on the building.

"I understand your reservations, but you would be amazed at how distracting bird droppings can be. Imagine preparing to deliver the killing blow to your enemy and then a foreboding substance splats on your sword. There is no possible way anyone just ignores that. You'll at the very least glance at it. Honestly, I'd be embarrassed to death swinging a sword with bird droppings on it."

The bird flew away out the sound of particularly loud explosion; X watched it take off as he still held his blank expression. "...Ah I see, we will definitely need back up. Good luck captain pigeon, I pray that you make it back in time." X said with a salute as the sounds of battle continued to storm Valencia. "The world is counting on you."

@ONE CONFUSED PIGEON

 

[Athanas]

Helmur grumpily nodded at the Jack to give him a cup as well. He faced Arimand and listened as he gave away the culprit of this stupidity. "Of course it's our fucking Ace. What am I to expect, anyway? Fucker is so used to torching everything effortlessly in his path he never stops to think anymore. Fucking moron... I shall be sure to berate him when there are not more pressing matters. I greatly appreciate your efforts at restoring discipline, however." He reinforced that last statement by putting his first up to his chest and lowering his head slightly. While the gesture might seem insignificant in the eyes of the layman, anyone who knew the gruff warrior knew that it was very rare he actually demonstrated any sort of real respect towards the royals.


He grasped the cider cup and chugged it down in one go, before slamming it back down. He was about to pass on to the next manner of conversation before he saw her enter, and his blood ran cold. There she was.

The killer of his beloved Orson, his true friend and companion. The one who understood the burden he was shouldering.
Sitting in a well-fitting black dress, as if though the war was insignificant to her. As if though the outcome didn't matter. She had rotted him. His screams were still echoing in his mind. First he screamed for vengeance. Then he screamed for his mother. Then he screamed for death. He screamed and screamed and screamed until his vocal chords were ruined, and even then, he made that noise, that awful, gut-wrenching, gurgling noise. His poor brother, reduced to a withering husk.

And she was there. Barely ten feet from where he was standing. All proud, all regal. He could hear his heart thumping loud. His hands began glowing. The screams started echoing again, intertwined with the battlecries of his fallen men- the men she had raised to fight for her. He withdrew his gaze, fixing it on his cup. He couldn't take it. He thanked the heavens for the helmet that concealed his troubled features. Luckily for him, Demo couldn't help himself but mock the queen. "My, my, Queen Spade, aren't you a sight! The dress really brings out your curves, If I do say so myself! But, I'm afraid you got a bit lost: This is the trenches, not some fancy noble's house. You might get it dirty! Or even worse, singed!" He laughed extremely heartily, his ruined face and too-wide-to-be normal smile giving his features a very intimidating look. Very soon, another had joined him, a veteran that went by "Impaler"
"Demo, Demo, can't you see? This is all a ruse! She'll pretend to be just some whore we paid for the night, and use it to slip by the Argossians unnoticed. Sure, she'll be fucked by people in the triple digits, but I'm sure it ain't nothing new for her. Hey, eventually, she'll manage to assassinate a general like that. We should be thanking her for her efforts!"

He dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully: "We thank you, your spadeship, for all the body parts you're going to suck on for our cause. Your most glorious sacrifice shall be remembered!" Unable to contain himself anymore, he got up and joined Demo in his sneering. Some of the other gangmates chuckled at this too. Normally insulting a royal like that would be strictly off-limits, but what could she do to stop them? Together, they were capable of beating a very large variety of foes, and, especially now, with the war raging, they were invaluable.

Their mockery reignited Helmur's belligerence, and shook him out of his stupor. No matter what had happened, he would have his vengeance. The War God would be proud of him. His confidence returned, and he began facing the room once more. He took note of the Queen of Clubs playful attitude towards him. An opportunity for some stress relief later? Probably not, but hey, a man is allowed to dream. And getting to lay with a queen, well, that'd certainly be quite an achievement.

He listened to Arimand's further comments. The Spade Queen's observation on ethnicities interested him very little: If it was an alliance, they couldn't really break it. If it was conscription, they couldn't really stop it. It had absolutely no value. Her years may have taught her to distinguish colors, but she still hadn't the foggiest when it came to war. He was about to address Arimand when he saw Arabella enter. She was battered and exhausted, probably tending to the poor sods caught in the no-man's land. He was taken aback: He had never, ever seen Ara so angry. She was usually like a soothing stream, ready to talk to him and help him take his mind off of the violence for a few minutes. Instead what he saw here was a raging river. She appealed to him, and it suddenly dawned on him. Some of the ships crashed in no man's land. This goddamn fair haired moronic twat put Ara in danger! She could've been hurt! She could've died! No, no NO!

He was already having a bad day. The day was worsened by this meeting. Worsened still by seeing Ermia, his nemesis, and worsened yet by seeing Guin, the manipulator that played with his cousin's heart. Worsened even more by the Ace's stupid attack. He could contain himself no more.

"GODS IN THE FUCKING HEAVENS, HOW CAN SUCK IDIOCY BE GIVEN TITLES AND ROYALTIES? THE ARGOSSIANS ARE AT OUR GATES, AND YOU ALL-WITH THE EXCEPTION OF KING ARIMAND AND KING SHIRA- ARE ACTING ALL LIKE PETULANT CHILDREN. WHERE IS THE KING OF CLUBS? HUH? WHAT IF YOUR TELEPATHS GET ASSASSINATED, AND HE DOESN'T RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTIONS IN REGARDS TO THE PLAN? WHAT THEN? BUT NOOOOO, HE JUST HAS TO STAY AWAY AND ACT LIKE A CONSTANT FUCKING MORON BECAUSE THAT'S SO RANDOM AND QUIRKY AND BUILD CHARACTERS. GOD-DAMNED FUCKING BUFOON! AND YOU, SPADE QUEEN, WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH ALL THIS? A DRESS? DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A FORMAL BALL TO YOU OR SOMETHING? THIS IS WAR, YOU IDIOTIC BITCH! PEOPLE DIE! THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO LOOK YOUR BEST!"

He turned towards Guin, not in the slightest fettered by the fact that she was his queen: "AND DON'T FOR A FUCKING MOMENT THINK THAT I'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU. FOR THE PAST MONTHS YOU'VE BARELY SPENT A WEEK HERE. WHERE WERE YOU? AND DON'T GIVE ME THAT "I WAS TENDING TO THE PEOPLE" BULLSHIT. I HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO LEAD BARELY HALF A BATTALION, BUT I DO KNOW DELEGATION. YOU COULD GIVE THAT JOB TO A SIX OR A SEVEN AND THE RESULT WOULD BE THE FUCKING SAME! NO, I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. PLOTTING AND SCHEMING WITH WHATEVER POOR SOD YOU'VE MANAGED TO SEDUCE THIS TIME. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I WOULDN'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT WHO GETS BETWEEN YOUR LEGS, BUT THIS. IS. WARTIME! IF WE LOSE, WE ALL DIE. AND YOUR PETTY POLITICS MEAN NOTHING! SAME TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN TOURING THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR "PERSONAL REASONS". YOU DAMNABLE FOOLS, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WIN THIS DAMN WAR WITH YOU LOT? YOU COULDN'T HOLD A STRONGHOLD AGAINST AN UNTRAINED RABBLE! ALL YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IS JUST TOSS YOUR POWERS AT AN ENEMY AND HOPE HE DIES. NO STRATEGY, NO TACTICS, NO THOUGHT, NO GRASP OF THE FUCKING SITUATION!

His eyes, chest and fists were now all glowing a bright red. Even his gang was worried, clutching their weapons and being ready in case one of the royals decided he was not going to take the criticism. He honestly would've continued his rant, but there was no point. Any more and his frenzy would overtake him. There were probably much, much more polite ways to get his point across. Hell, the point probably didn't even need to get across. But it was too late. What was done was done. He shot Ara a very quick, pleading look, hoping she'd get the message and follow him. "...Listen, I understand this must be hard for you. Most of you are untrained in the ways of war. Peace has made you weak and helpless. I understand that.There's no further point in explaining the plan, we've already been through it a million times over. We either do, or we die. No excuses, no politics, no equivocations. On any other day, we'd be royalty, aces and commanders. Today, we're all soldiers, no matter if we fucking like it or not. We do.... Or we die. If you have any gods you believe in, start praying now, and may your death, should it come, be a death that ensures our victory. Ad victoriam!" He finished, using the Bellarmont proverb. He then exited the tent, beckoning for his gang to go inspect the trenches and make sure everything was ready, and that he'd join them soon.

He sat by an old tree, a fair distance away from prying eyes and tried to calm himself. He really wished Ara would find a way to come to him... Even if only for a few minutes. She was the only source of compassion he had available, and he was most likely about to die: There were things he needed to tell her, things he wasn't proud of. This might be his only chance

 

[AI10100]

Declan

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"A promise is a promise..."​

location: Edge of Valencia, Hearts Kingdom
interactions: mentions: . D O V E @Sushi Muncher vielpotato

​

A fresh ocean breeze rolled over the coastal town. The sun was coming up and the people were preparing for the eventual morning rush in the markets. Neighbors greeted each other as they passed by each other’s houses - some carrying empty bags for their daily shopping while others carried laundry. The day started off normally and the townsfolk moved like clockwork, each adhering to their own personal routines but all working the same.

However, one such man did not follow the set rules placed before him.

Declan was whistling as he passed through the crowds. He didn’t have a particular goal in mind, unlike the others. He was on telepathic silence with his other clients and he was growing a bit too bored with just hanging out at their hideout. So, he decided to go to this coastal town where the air was fresh and smelled of his childhood. Or well, he remembered there were times when they passed by the sea to get to their next destination.

“Hey, are you gonna buy or what?” The vendor snapped which took Declan out of his thoughts. The vendor had his arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face as he raised his eyebrows. “Well?”

Declan scratched his cheek with one finger before shaking his head.

“Well then, scram!”

He gave the vendor a shrug before scampering off, peeking back to look as other people took his position to survey the fishes the vendor was selling. He was saying that they were fishes that were fresh from the sea and that their size would dwarf anyone else’s on the market. Declan’s quick look around the market told him that the vendor was most certainly lying. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.

Normally, he would give the man a piece of his mind and grab something of his without paying but he wasn’t exactly going to stick his hands into the pile of fish out of spite. There weren’t many beggars in sight too. He imagined some of them were still in their beds, trying to sleep through the painful hunger. But Declan wouldn’t get them some fish. They’d be caught far too quickly.

Letting out an inaudible sigh, Declan moved on from the fish vendor. It wasn’t until he had come upon a sweets shop that he had decided to give in to his mortal sin. There was an excitable child who was pointing at the sweets while tugging at his poor mother’s sleeve, rattling off at how he wanted one of that and one of that and another one of this. She looked pained as the child continued to speak, probably mentally calculating how much money they had left and if they could afford it.

The sweets vendor, a kindly looking old woman, smiled serenely at the child and at the woman - watching them intently. Declan moved to the side when a man surged forward to pay for something quickly to which the old woman switched her attention to him and carefully wrapped the precious sweet treat in a cloth. “Your lady’s birthday?” She asked.

He grinned bashfully. “Yes ma’am. She’s always loved your baking.”

“Why thank you.” She added three extra pastries. “Tell your wife happy birthday for me. It’s on the house.”

His face brightened up considerably. “Thank you very much!” He accepted the clothed pastries and then made his way out.

Declan was following the man, holding two pastries of his own. He was already munching on one of them, the chocolate inside spreading into his mouth. Truly, a delicacy that was meant to be enjoyed by only those with the money to afford them. Or those that were sneaky enough to grab one before anyone notices. Thankfully, he fell upon the latter and no one seemed to notice the man eating the pastries as he strolled down the streets.

Unbeknownst to the man, a particular someone did notice the petty crime he had just committed. A cloaked figure silently watched from a small distance as his hands deftly executed the thievery. A mask seemingly made of brass concealed the top-half of their face while their hood cast an obscuring shadow over what little features were visible.

The mysterious person moved from their position after the thief passed through and was a few steps away from them. Their movement carried certainty and fluidity. It was evident that whoever this person was- they were no stranger to stalking prey. They did their best to blend among the moving crowd; albeit, remaining fervently focused on their target- Declan.

Soon enough, the vendors who dotted the sides of the streets were replaced with narrow alleyways and dubious passages. The road was becoming looser the further they went, and soon, it was getting arduous to keep subtlety. The enigma dropped their cautious behavior and began to speed up. At this point, they would be able to catch up with Declan in a matter of seconds unless he quickened his pace as well.

He would be lying if he said that he brushed off the feeling of being followed. Declan was experienced in the art of shadowing someone as it was the easiest way to gather information or to follow them to a secure and isolated area to be rid off entirely. So when he had felt that someone was following him, he decided to lead the mysterious person around to see if they would continue to pursue or yell something out like what a guard might do. He took the last bite of the first pastry just as he slipped into one of the alleyways that dotted the city, deliberately making himself seen.

The person followed. It's difficult to mask your presence in a less crowded area - especially ones that are isolated. Nevertheless, Declan kept his relaxed pace as he turned and walked; the route he was taking was all mapped out in his head. The only thing left to do now was to wait for the right opportunity to disappear. This person, whomever they may be, were relentless but Declan wasn't going to back down. Surely, they would turn him to the guards and it would either result to a fight or to him having to pull some escapist moves just to get himself out.

The moment the figure began to speed up, Declan did so as well. It was a brisk walk at first before turning into a full sprint when he turned another corner - eager to turn to another before the figure could even pass the first. It was time to lose this guy somewhere in this labyrinth that served as home for thieves such as himself.

Oddly enough, if Declan were to look over his shoulder while he ran, he would find that the unknown character was no longer tailing him. Even if he were to wait for a few seconds, he would still get the same nothingness.

Did they finally stop pursuing him? The dim and empty alleys offered not a single clue. Silence shrouded the narrow passages- not a single noise aside from any of his could be heard. It seemed as though he was the only presence around,

At least until he looks up and sees the same figure still eerily watching and following him from the roofs of the cramped structures.

When the footsteps behind him seemed to vanish, Declan had risked to take a look back only to see that whoever was following him had disappeared. He skidded to a stop. No, the pursuer wouldn’t give up that easily if they had already followed him so far inside. Perhaps it was by chance or the fates had decided for him to look up to see that the figure was following from the rooftops.

Declan gave a silly grin. Man, of all the people who would see him do something as small as steal two pastries, it had to be someone who was more skilled than the guards in this town. Likely a righteous adventurer of some sort. Giving the figure a wave, he bolted to the other direction as if taunting them to follow. He would have no chance of escaping their sights as long as he was alone - the rooftops gives the pursuer a lot of advantage. He may have a mental map but they had a clear visual of where he was headed.

The way out of the alleyways was close. Just one more turn and-

He slammed into a barrier and he stumbled backwards. He opened his mouth as if to let out a frustrated shout but nothing came out. He followed the barrier upwards - stretching far more than what an average mage could make. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head before turning around - the stolen pastry on one hand and his other buried inside his pocket. He seemed rather nonchalant despite his current situation.

In a blink of an eye, Declan's pursuer appeared in front of him. They were only a few distances away, so now, he could better discern their exposed features. They seem to have a very feminine facial structure with red lips showing neither a smile nor a frown. Their actions continued to carry a certain degree of vagueness as they firmly stood in silence.

For a minute, there was nothing but stillness until the anonymous person finally spoke. "He who steals a little is still a thief." came the voice- surprisingly soft yet it still held an underlying level of coldness, almost haunting. It was getting more and more apparent that a woman was behind the brass-colored mask.

"Anyone who fraudulently, or without permission, takes anything commits theft- Section 365 of the Criminal Code of the Kingdom of Hearts," she said, delivering it in such a way that suggested she had the whole thing memorized. "Yours fall under the lowest degree of theft- punishable by imprisonment of at least a month unless you submit yourself right this instance, and pay the old woman for what you have stolen. However, if you are unwilling to abide by my law, then I grant you the ability to challenge me through combat at this very moment."

On cue, the ethereal-looking wall constructs expanded to grow a roof over the alley until it reached a spot a few steps behind the mysterious woman, completely enclosing the two of them inside.

It was then when she drew a hand over her mask and began to remove it from her face along with the obscuring hood of her cloak. Behold! Standing in front of Declan was the kingdom's harbinger of Justice herself- Queen Guineverre Victoria y Blanca.

Declan stared at his pursuer, features showing no surprise as they appeared in front of her in the blink of the eye. He brought the pastry to his mouth and bit into it. It was the reason why he was being pursued by this person. And yet, he still continued to eat it.

The woman - he now found out - began to prattle on about the law. The mere fact that she knew which section it was made Declan’s head hurt. How would you even memorize all of that? As a matter of fact, why? Why would a regular, goody-two-shoes civilian know it in such detail? Unless this wasn’t a regular civilian. Not a guard but someone more hidden.

She was trapping them inside the barrier. Great.

His hands flew up in a flurry of signs.

[“You! Guin! You’re here!”]

As if he wasn’t just threatened to go to jail, pay or duel, Declan was grinning brightly. He popped the last bite into his mouth before returning to the signing, body dripping with pure, positive and optimistic energy.

[“I can’t believe I bumped into you! You’ve always been in the castle or completely nowhere!"]

And as soon as the last sign was made, he quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped Guin into a hug. A short one and it was obvious that every muscle in his body was still tense as if prepared to jump back at any given moment.

The Queen's eyes widened in shock as the thief bolted towards her and enveloped her in a hug. Usually, she would've blinked away a few milliseconds before someone would crash into her; but this was a different case. She surprised herself with how quickly she was able to discern the man's signs as if she was reading an open book. He said something about how good it was to meet her again- implying that they have met before.

The hug was brief as dead air replaced Guin's body in Declan's hold. She reappeared behind him, her right hand now holding a freshly constructed sword- which she immediately pointed at him.

"One more trick and I'll end you." she warned.

Guin's mind formed at least a dozen theories about the identity of the man before her. However, as she studied his form better, they all narrowed into one concrete conclusion.

"Aren't you- you're supposed to be dead." the danger on her face was replaced with that of a realization as flashes of memories swamped her.

He stumbled forward when she teleported behind him. Without missing a beat, he recovered and twisted his body so that he was facing her again - but his eyes were trained on the sword that was pointed at him. He blinked at it before turning his gaze back at her.

Declan pursed his lips and cocked his head to the side. However, when familiarity broke through the haze of caution, Declan’s smile crept back to his face. However, this one lacked the mirth from earlier.

He raised both of his arms but stopped in the middle. [“I’m…”] He clicked his tongue. [“You left.”] This sign was slower in motion. Gentle, in some way, and very careful. [“The guards came. I was knocked out. But when I came to I came back and you weren’t there.”] Surprisingly, there was no anger. Not an ounce of malice.

[“You…”] He wiped his hands against the side of his trousers. [“You came a long way from being a beggar on the streets, your royal highness.”]

To her, his explanation felt like a missing piece to a puzzle long-forgotten. An unfinished puzzle that had been stuck in a dark attic for too long, convincing her that it no longer mattered. Yet, a peculiar feeling still rose within her as she gazes upon the complete picture- like finding the answer to a decades-old question.

"Left?" she echoed the word, "No. I waited for you. I searched for you. You never returned." she added. The words sounded free of bitterness, as though she was stating facts. The look on her face remained hard to decipher even when she lowered her weapon.

At least fifteen years ago, Guineverre spent months wandering the streets of the kingdom as a homeless beggar. It was the aftermath of her family's tragedy. She was a young noble turned orphan, alone in the world with nowhere to go. She was a girl who had no idea how to survive the harsh streets- until she met a certain boy.

"Well, the past no longer matters." she concluded, "What matters is the present. All these years, and you're still a thief."

[“And you think I didn’t?”] Declan signed, amused. He ran a hand through his hair - a clear sign that he was more amused by the fact that they searched for each other yet ended up disappearing under each other’s radar.

[“But you’re right. That’s all in the past.”] Declan would have loved to put everything in the past - he always managed to do so. It’s just that there’s one thing that stopped him from forgetting this girl. From leaving it all behind. And unfortunately for him, it was a certain kind of task that would take his entire life.

He let out a silent laugh, one she would have gotten used to during their time together when they were young. [“I’m sorry. Not everyone can develop monstrous amounts of magic like you did and be able to compete for the throne. But fine, since you caught me and all, I’ll pay the lady double.”] He nonchalantly signed before tapping the side of his temples. [“Mind if I open up a channel? It’ll be easier to talk.”]

Guineverre eyed him disapprovingly upon hearing his earlier statement that compared her to everyone. She has always been a woman of hard work, someone who believes that nothing is impossible as long as you exert effort into gaining it. It was a trait of hers that has always been apparent even when she was a street rat like him.

She raised a brow when he asked if he could open a channel- which she assumed to be a telepathic one. She paused to ponder for a moment. It was then when she decided to synchronize with him secretly so that he would affect himself if he ever attempts to pull a trick on her.

“Go ahead.” she permitted, locking eyes with him.

The connection was instantaneous. As soon as she said it, he established the link. He didn’t need her explicit approval but with her kind of temperament, Declan wouldn’t doubt that she would have lashed out if he just surprised her with a telepathic channel.

“Thank you. It’s been a while since I used pure gestures to communicate.” A warm laugh was communicated as he did the action. Surprisingly, despite having no distinct voice because of his muteness, the voice he uses in his mind - as far as she knew - was unique to himself. And very fitting, considering how his voice sounded childish despite his age. And it didn't change all that much from that one time once before.

He clapped his hands but otherwise kept his mouth shut as he continued to speak. “Now, I did say I’ll pay the old lady back because I know you’re not going to let me go just because we’re old friends.” That much was a given. “But after that, we have to catch up. Like what you’re doing in a coastal town despite the fact that there’s a looming Empire breathing down your back.”

Guin was surprised when she heard Declan's voice. She was used to communicating with him solely through his bizarre gestures, so hearing him talk was a bit of a change. Still, it wasn’t like this was the first time she heard it.

Upon concluding that his channel posed no threat, Guin deactivated her synchronization and lifted the barrier from one side. She turned around just as he repeated what he said about paying for his crime and began to walk away. "Of course I won’t. I am someone who likes to stay true to my duty." came her response to the matter.

When the part about what she was doing in a coastal town wound up, however, Guin paused and looked over her shoulder at Declan. "I'm catching thieves, of course." a sly smirk slowly painted her lips while a similar glint appeared in her eyes before they disappeared under the brass mask.

Declan shrugged and watched as the barrier was lifted, granting him access to the outside. When she began walking, he stuck his hands inside his pockets and began to follow behind her. Right now, he was partially glad that he did carry around a pouch of coins with him. It was supposed to be just for show and to be continued to be filled up with the coins of others. But now he actually has to use it.

It’s a shame.

“Oh haha.” He dryly replied. “Now, Guin - or do you prefer your highness now?” He seemed genuinely curious before continuing.

“Hey, if you think for a moment I’m leaving you alone after this. You will be sorely disappointed. I told you, I keep my promises.”

-0-0-0-0-​

Declan doesn't want to say that he regrets picking up that poor girl who was wandering the streets with no aim nor experience in being in it. It had been a few days since but she hasn’t stepped out of the small shack. In fact, she hasn’t exactly spoken much and relied on gestures to talk to him.

Then again, he relied on gestures or one word writings to express to her what he wanted to convey.

Anyway, what’s important is that she's not doing anything. His plan on moving on from the Hearts Kingdom was quickly blurring into nothingness because as long as she’s like that, he can’t leave. It’s getting a little too risky in staying because the guards would soon catch on where he’s staying.

Especially since he’s been stealing for two now. Some of the vendors seem to actually start to notice and remember him since he’s feeling how their eyes follow him for a moment before he hides in the crowd. He wasn’t able to steal from the usual vendors so he had to settle for the fruit vendors. He rarely stole from them because he could just pick fruits off the trees that were planted around but he was hungry and desperate.

He left the market with a bag full of different fruits. He wasn’t sure which ones he took, it was all a haze of grabbing and leaving as fast as possible. Declan sighed as he reached the shack, making sure to cover up the broken fence that made the shack nearly invisible to the masses. He approached the door and knocked twice then proceeded with four knocks in quick succession to signal for her to open up and that it’s him.

At least a minute after his last knock, the sound of light footsteps began to approach. The door let out a creak as it slowly opened- revealing a thin, pale, blonde girl wrapped in a loose and tattered shirt that was given to her by the boy. She has hollow eyes and sunken cheeks, the gnawing consequences of the dire position she found herself in. An air of emptiness followed her, thoroughly suffocating to those around her. It felt as though she was there, but also not.

Her blank gaze met the boy's before she turned around and walked back to her usual position- a dark corner in their small, shared shack. She slid down to the ground into a sit then tucked her knees close to her chest.

In the small and cold confines of the four-corners, she could still feel the scorch on her skin. In the shadowy nook of the shed, she could still see the bright bursts of red. In the silence of the moment, she could still hear the cackles of flames. She was but a tormented soul- kept to life by a stranger who stumbled and took pity.

Declan gave the girl a small smile as she opened the door but there still wasn’t anything behind those eyes. As she proceeded back to her original spot where she rarely moved from, he closed the door gently and then headed to one of the rickety tables there to put down his bag. He took out the cloth he managed to snag that was more fitting for the girl. It was a one piece dress. It wasn’t much to look at but it was at least better than what she currently wore - an old article clothing of his.

He smiled to himself as he brought over the article of clothing to her, presenting it with a proud smile before laying it down next to her and sitting down in front of her. He opened his bag and began to present her with a couple of fruits.

Despite his hunger, he had figured to put her first because he still didn’t know her taste. Might as well have her choose her first. He had stolen a couple of apples which he can fill himself with. There was quite a variety of fruits which he had gotten - apples, oranges, tomatoes and a couple more. There was at least three of each.

He patiently waited for her to choose.

Dulled crimson eyes followed the fabric set beside her before they moved upwards. The boy had such a bright smile on his face. The sight gave her a flash of another boy about their age- someone she had always associated with warmth. A warmth that has been, and will forever be tarnished by the cruelty of both a man and fate.

When he began to show her a variety of fruits, however, something surprising happened. For the first time since he picked her up, there was a gleam of life in her eyes. The apparent reason for this was the red fruits in his hands- tomatoes.

The blonde's eyes darted from the particular fruits to his eyes, as though she was reluctant about her next action. The next wonder occurred when she slowly reached out and grabbed a tomato before bringing it to her face. Then she took a bite from it, then another, and another. The motion was slow and careful at first, like a cat the first time someone feeds it, before it turned somewhat pressed and messy. Perhaps it was because she has not been eating properly ever since, or she simply loved the fruit. Either way, this was the first time the girl actually initiated something ever since he brought her to his shack.

If Declan had the ability to shout in joy, he would have. But he didn't. So he settled for a triumphant grin and a pump of his hand to the air when the girl grabbed the tomato and slowly began to eat it - and then devouring it. The only thing that seemed to stimulate her into doing anything of her own volition seemed to be the tomato. He made a note to take those more regularly if it meant the girl was eating properly. He had never seen her consume something with so much gusto.

He picked up an apple for himself, biting into the sweet and delectable fruit and let the silence reign between the two of them. Aside from the sounds of their eating and their shuffling when they went to grab the next treat, there was nothing else. He didn't mind. He was more than content for the action. He was willing to wait a couple more days to finally get something out of her because at least now he knew she wasn't going to be stuck in a nearly catatonic state forever.

However, when their tomato supply was dwindling - there were only four - Declan looked worried. He knocked on the floor beneath them to get her attention before pointing at the tomato and then pointing to the door with his thumb. It was as if he was trying to say if she wanted for him to get more.

The girl watched as he communicated with her through gestures alone. She was able to interpret his message without much effort. However, there was no immediate response from her as her gaze shifted from him to the diminishing tomatoes. A brief moment of nothingness passed before Declan received a nod. The motion was slow, quiet, and plagued with hesitation, but it was the first time she truly responded to him.

Nonetheless, he was quick to pick up what she meant. She kept her eyes on him when he stood up and walked away to fulfill her request. However, his steps came to an abrupt stop when he felt a grip on his arm.

A pair of sanguine eyes pierced his own as the nameless girl held unto him. The hold was weak, yet it possessed an unexpected warmth as she whispered what he has been seeking to hear ever since they met.

"...Guin."

-0-0-0-0-​

The marketplace was busy as usual. It was at the peak of its business hours - the best time to strike. The people crowded into one stall before moving on to the next and the vendors were too focused on getting the right items and counting the right copper to pay attention to everything.

Certainly not the two children who wore stolen fabric and filled themselves with stolen food.

Ever since that fateful day, Guin had been accompanying him regularly to his stealing sprees. It had been rocky at first but she soon got the hang of it until they could both understand what's their role and what to do in case of emergencies.

Currently, it was her time to distract as much as possible. The vendors knew him too well to let their guard down when they have seen a glimpse of him so they'll have to make an opportunity.

Out came Guin from a shadowy corner of the marketplace. Ever since she and Declan began to cooperate for survival, her analytical and systematic practices have been gradually becoming apparent. The girl has spent the past few minutes observing their target and has been able to gather an adequate amount of information about him.

The first was that he took pride in his goods. He has been boasting about them to almost every passerby, claiming that he sells the best crops in town. Guin couldn't disagree, the plump tomatoes on his stall do look delightful. However, her opinion on the matter was irrelevant. The one from the vendor across from him, on the other hand, was a different case.

She noted how the aged woman's frown deepened as her competitor proudly chimed. The whole situation was akin to a waiting bomb, looking for a fire to ignite it.

The catalyst came in the form of a small blonde girl. She approached the woman first then asked for the price of her goods before venturing to the proud man.

"Excuse me, good sir. How much does an apple cost?" she asked, eyes filled with feigned innocence.

The unwitting man smiled at her, "Ten coppers each, but I could grant you a discount."

"Ten?" Guin echoed, sounding a bit unsure, "But the woman across sells hers for eight coppers each, and she claimed that hers tasted much better." she followed, making it seem like she was talking to herself, but the man obviously heard it when his face shifted.

"She claimed what?" he hissed with squinted eyes.

The child blinked and tilted her head to the side, "She insisted that her crops were much better than yours because of the natural and harmless fertilizer she uses."

The man, clearly furious, snapped his gaze away from her to the older woman on the opposite stall. "You bitch! What kind of outrageous lies have you been spouting about my products!?" he raged, rolling his sleeves up as he stomped towards the midpoint of their stalls.

However, the woman, despite her frail appearance, was not one to be easily intimidated. She stood up from her seat, grabbed her fly whisk, and faced him at the center in an equally agitated manner.

"What did you call me, you disrespectful skunk? You're the one who's spouting outrageous lies about your products!" she sharply countered.

At this point, the man was fuming with anger, but so was the woman. A war of explosive words started, and the entire marketplace focused their attention on the drama.

The mastermind behind this, on the other hand, found the eyes of her comrade, silently signaling him to proceed to phase two:

Grab everything they could.

Declan wasn't going to lie. Guin balanced him well. Due to his lack of verbal ability, he wouldn't have been able to spark the commotion as well as she had. It would have been more trouble than what it was worth - food aside.

But what was also terrifying about the girl was her ability to manipulate the situation to what she desired using only pure logic and emotional manipulation. By all means, she was no simple street rat. He'd always wondered where she came from. Wherever she did grow up from, he was sure that she would have easily dominated any situation.

As the two vendors began to fight and the crowds were bustling towards them with nothing but the utmost interest and investment into the situation, Guin had turned to him. It was time.

He weaved past the crowds, hands expertly grabbing loose change and unattended pouches before throwing them into his own pockets and arriving at the stall. He took a peek at the two arguing vendors and the crowd before discreetly shoving the crops into his bag. One by one. Whatever could fit.

"What's with this ruckus?" An authoritative voice boomed across the area and Declan thought of a few select colorful words he would have loved to say.

The vendors pointed to each other, putting the blame on the other for causing such a scene. The guard patiently listened to each story, scowling whenever one rose their voice which forced them to have a calm discussion.

Declan hurried towards Guin, tugging at her arm with urgency. They have to go. This was getting too dangerous. Any time now, the guard would-

"And who told you this?"

"That kid over there-"

The crowd turned to the two young teens and the guard's eyes flashed with recognition.

Declan didn't wait for any accusation. His grip on her arm tightened and he turned and ran. There was no time to dawdle or think. He was not going to land in jail and he certainly wasn't going to let her fall into the hands of those stupid guards.

"Thieves! Stop them!"

Guin's eyes widened when he began to drag her away from the chaotic scene. She allowed him to lead her by her arm while her other one clutched a bag filled with her share of loot.

The whole display caused an uproar among the market crowd as the two children plunged through them with a yelling guard hot on their trail. Some of the folks tried to help the guard by blocking their way, but the street rats were much nimbler. They plowed through with ease until they realized that guards were approaching from the direction they were going to.

The table quickly turned when Guin fled to a narrow passageway with Declan firmly in tow. They weaved through thick lines of hung laundry and common obstacles with ease, but the same couldn't be said for their taller pursuers.

This fortunate circumstance bought ample time for the two to exit the alley without the guards close behind. Nevertheless, Guin knew that it would only be a matter of time before they catch up. So she continued to run until they reached an overpass. It was then when she glanced downwards and noticed a wagon carrying soft hays about to cross the underpass.

In the heat of the moment, she grabbed him and hurried to the other side of the bridge. "Jump...!" she urged in a hushed voice, before climbing over the railing and jumping down straight to the bottomless haystack with her stolen goods and her associate.

Declan’s lungs burned with exertion but the grin on his face was unmistakable. As much as these were dire consequences that could lead to their untimely jail time, there was something about the thrill of the chase that allowed him to have fun during it. Outsmarting and outrunning the guards was starting to become his favorite past time.

As they reached the overpass, Declan looked back at the path they had taken. The guards had not appeared yet but these were only straight paths from here. They would be caught one way or another if they don’t think of something they can do to disappear. Magic would have been useful had the both of them actually been able to use it.

He felt her tug and followed her to the other side of the bridge and could barely register her order before she had climbed up to the railing to jump. Declan would have let out a laugh if he could as he quickly joined her on the railing and jumped mere milliseconds after her. He quickly grabbed her by the arm and tugged her back, switching their positions so that he was under her - shielding her from the brunt of the impact.

Despite the relatively short fall and the cushioned landing, the added weight of Guin right above him knocked the wind right out of his lungs. He removed an arm from his companion, spreading it to the side, but let the other lay on her, the grip was loose but he wasn’t willing to let go. Not yet at least. He let out a huff as he tried to normalize his breathing again. A small part of his brain told him that the owner of this haystack caravan would have felt them drop in but a big part of his brain was just telling him to ignore it - come what may.

Guin didn't expect this particular outcome despite the various calculations she did in her head. Her mind processed the stunt he did midair as she laid on top of him, catching her breath. She silently wondered why he did it as he removed one of his hands from her. Perhaps it was because he viewed her as someone so frail that she'd die from a drop to a haystack? Or, was he simply playing around?

She could hear the yells of the guards growing fainter as the wagon covered their presence. They have successfully evaded the chase with their plunder still intact. Never in her entire existence did she imagine that she'd end up as a street rat committing petty theft. What would her parents think? Her brother would have certainly poked fun of her, but he'd still offer to cover up for her so she won’t get scolded. It was something he usually did, although their parents would end up knowing the truth anyways. It would’ve been disastrous… yet, better.

The girl looked at the blue sky, serenely watching as two birds flew over. Somehow, the arm draped around her was soothing.

But soon enough, the tranquility faded away like all things. Guin began to shift from her position, "Your arm." she commented, although she removed it by herself since the hold was loose enough. She sat up and got off of him, picking her bag on the process.

"It looks like we’ve lost them." she said after a careful look at their new surroundings.

Declan felt a little groggy - the high from the escape had died down to tiredness. He took in multiple deep breaths, relishing in the sound of the carriage moving and just their breathing. Of course, the faint shouts of the guards put a smile on his face. They'd need to lay low for a while or perhaps strike the other side of the city and hope they'll get something. But right now, he was content in just laying down on the haystack with little regard to anything else.

He was about to close his eyes when Guin shifted and moved his arm with a comment. She met no resistance from it as he simply spread that arm to the side as well. His own bag had been discarded to the side for later retrieval - once he actually found the energy and will to stand up.

His eyes followed Guin as she rose. He imitated a laughter before raising his hands in a dismissive wave. There was no need to worry. The guards would give up soon enough. They don’t pursue street rats for too long. They knew they would come back eventually and it would be another dangerous round of cat and mouse. But such was their lifestyle. But for now, they’ve escaped and there was little to worry about.

However, he rose to a sitting position and grabbed his bag, placing it between his legs as he reached out and patted Guin on the shoulder, silently telling her to relax. However, just as he did that, the caravan had abruptly stopped and the driver - whose back had been turned towards them - seemed to stiffen.

“I know you kids are back there,” the old man looked back at them - eyeing their appearance and the bags they held. “You should hop off now before I reach a checkpoint. I didn’t see or hear anything.” He gave them a kind smile. “And be careful on your way back.”

Declan isn’t going to let this opportunity slip by. With a nod towards the old man, he hopped off of the caravan and then looked at Guin, gesturing for her to follow. He waited until she had descended before waving at the old man. He knew that the old man just found the more as a hassle to bring to the guards anyway.

-0-0-0-0-0-​

Declan brought some food with him as he climbed up to the roof of the abandoned shack. It was just tall enough to be able to rise past its fences and look upon the looming castle of the Hearts Kingdom. A couple of other noble houses can be seen to the side. It had been a dream, once upon a time, to head over there and maybe see what those upper rank people eat.

He’d heard rumors of course, from those of the middle ranks who had the luxury of going to them. He could only wonder what they taste like. The security there was tighter and they weren’t going to allow some street rat roam the streets. He’d likely just get kicked out.

He took out an orange and began to peel it as he let out a breath. Sometimes, dreams can only be that - dreams.

The small creaks of the shack's metallic roof sounded from behind Declan. Soon enough, Guin appeared in his vision, wordlessly taking a seat beside him. The moonlight soaked her golden hair, and her red eyes were coated darker by the night sky. It was clear that she looked healthier now compared to when he first picked her up.

She fished a tomato from the bag she brought with her- which shouldn't surprise him at this point. As she took her bites, her eyes flickered to the noble houses which dotted the view before them.

Brief flashes of memories surfaced within her mind. It started with the happy ones, like when her mother dressed her up for parties, or when her father and brother teamed up to tease her with a friend. The little moments that could put a smile to her face, yet she took for granted.Then they all dissolved to the uglier ones. Angry men knocking on their doorsteps, gossip-mongers whispering about their family, her brother holding her while their parents fight, and then... the fire.

Guin stopped eating as she dragged her eyes to the palace that towered over the entire city. She's been there once with her family. They told her that it housed the royalties- the heralds of peace, justice, and prosperity.

But it was also the lair of a horrifying monster. It was a terror that was so powerful that even a King couldn't stop it. A beast whose flames melted the chains of a Queen like it was nothing. A being that will never care for anything aside from itself. A man whom she once looked up to, but took everything from her. No, not even the heralds can save anyone from him. So she took a vow upon the ashes of her home- she will be the one to slay this monster.

The Ace of Hearts.

Flames of ambition sparked within her eyes as she glared upon the enormous castle. The world was cruel, but so be it. One day she will rise on top, and she will mold everything new.

Only Declan's head moved as she appeared, tilting it to give her some acknowledgement before turning back to the view of those they cannot reach for now.

For him, it was nothing more than just fantasy - blissfully unaware that his companion lived in that area once upon a time. He split the orange in half before putting it in his mouth, slowly savoring the taste of the fruit.

He remembered the hermit who told him that sometimes, one should be happy with what they had. That it was one of the few things that was taught to him. Declan remembered how he asked why they were stealing then and the hermit gave him a vague smile that seemed to tell stories. Because, my boy, that kind of saying is for monks and nobles. We are free men.

He pulled away from his thoughts. No use dwelling over something of the past and something he lived by. He ate the last half of his orange and reached into his bag for an apple, sparing a look at Guin who had stopped eating her tomato. He tilted his head. She seemed to be somewhere else for the moment - her eyes transfixed on the castle. Was she also curious? Did she also have a goal? Was she of the same thought as most of them? The dream of finally being able to live a life of luxury and one free of worry?

Declan reached out to her shoulder, placing his hand on it to catch her attention. Once she looked, she would see a soft smile on his face before switching to a smirk as he began to sign, jabbing his thumb towards the view and rolling his eyes.

["Lucky bastards eh? Those nobles? Got all the power and the money."] He stopped, scratching his cheek. ["But… I guess even we can get lucky too. Who knows, maybe you'll awaken to some-"] He began to make grand gestures before settling to one word she was familiar with. ["-awesome magic. And when you do, I'll support you."]

He placed both hands on her shoulders and touched her forehead with his own.

"I promise."

Guin's eyes widened at the action, surprised at the sudden proximity and the unfamiliar voice which entered her head. Yet, both of these things paled in comparison to what he said.

For the first time since that fateful day, the ends of her lips curled into a closed smile. It was a small one, but it held genuine warmth that she thought was long gone. She closed her eyes, reveling at the moment, before she softly whispered,

"Thank you."

The stars in the night sky peacefully gleamed at the two children as they shared a moment. They were the silent witness of an unforgettable promise. A promise that will bind them eternally in some way and some form- be it for better or for worse.

-0-0-0-0-​

The airships were not part of the plan as far as he was aware but Declan could already tell from the fire that it was a plan made by Leo. The alchemical fire had spewed forth but the risk of their own army being harmed during that suicide bombing run was too high for it to have been pre-approved by the royal court. He shook his head. He wondered what sort of reaction Guineverre would have on her Ace.

Declan let out a sigh as he moved towards his position, foregoing the usage of the masks as per ordered by Jake. They were not Jokers on the battlefield, they were soldiers. Conscripts of the Hearts Kingdom. Considering his constant presence in the castle, some of the soldiers were already familiar with the 'Queen's telepath'. Though some seemed surprised to see the guy right at the forefront of the battlefield. However, the gun that was slung around his shoulder made some of the others double take.

Since when did the telepath carry guns? Let alone know how to shoot it?

Unlike the others, Declan had not continued to the frontlines to aid with the fighting. No, he's been ordered to stay at the edge of the city where they would be baiting the Argossian forces. Besides, while he would be advantageous in the trees as well, the extra height of the buildings would provide him with more cover and more visual on the battlefield. While there, his job was to simply relay the orders from point A to point B - in his case, he was at least capable of alerting the royals if anything went awry while they were having their meeting. Guineverre was one he was personally responsible for but he also had a link to Syrakusa for Argossian movement reports.

He tugged down the uniform that was given to him to blend in with the rest of the soldiers. He was no more armored than he was before, but now his clothing was emblazoned with the Hearts symbol. Despite his 'position' in the Hearts castle, he had never worn anything that resembled their uniforms. He never really liked wearing anything that would give away any sort of allegiance - the most he was willing was the mask from the Jokers. Despite his connection to the Queen of Diamonds, he does not possess anything that would give that away. And so should the case have been with Guineverre, and yet here he was.

Plus, the woman was apparently allied with the Jokers. And he spent a lot of time thinking on multiple alibis whenever he went on Joker missions when he was in the castle. No wonder she seemed to know where he was and digging into that. It was probably her getting him back on all of his teases. As much as he understood why she kept it a secret to rile him up, Declan couldn't help but feel a little peeved.

Declan shook his head, focusing on the task at hand on finding an appropriate place to perch and camp. The royal meeting should be done soon and the plan will commence. He should get in position.

[/div][/div]

codedbycrucialstar | hidden scroll​

 

[Coyote Hart]

It seemed that the chaos of the meeting was just going to get worse. Arabella stormed into the meeting room, cuts, and bruises covering her body. The Queen of Spade's entrance seemed to incite some nasty remarks, which made the room feel claustrophobic with tension. Guin glided into the room with her regal suit of armor, only inciting the wrath of Helmur, whose anger seemed to have erupted and overflowed. The Queen of Club's contributions weren't helpful to the meeting either. Completely underestimating the situation. The Jokers, gangly and unruly although a group that Twig enjoyed spending time with, was risking everything for this one push of strength. The people that Twig had greeted that morning could be dead. The Jokers could all be wiped out by the Argossians. And despite the golems having the potential to save those lives, the Queen of Clubs just selfishly pulled out.

No matter. All just mattered was that everyone followed Helmur's directions. Beneath that mask of anger, Twig knew that there was a genius. And thankfully, people were starting to act rather than stand around, starting with Arimand's departure. And Helmur as well, before Twig was able to talk to him.

"I'll just leave this over here," Twig said, putting his tray of cider onto the table that the Royals were all gathered around. He walked over to Arabella's seething figure, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and healed her of her cuts and bruises as he said. Twig wanted to try to calm Arabella down in some way, but he couldn't figure any out without mentioning the coming battle, which Twig was too nervous to talk about. So all Twig could do was pat Arabella on the shoulder again and smile.

Finally, he settled on telling her, "How about you tell me about what you saw afterward, and I'll talk to Leo?"

Twig knew that it was unlikely that Leo would purposely decide to send ships barrelling right into ally ranks on purpose, but he knew that Arabella would be upset if she wasn't heard. As such, Twig was willing to be the ear to hear it. But right now, there wasn't much time, and Twig knew keeping Arabella back to talk wasn't a good idea.

Twig checked himself over quickly. Ceremonial sword. Check. Pemulihan. Check. Apple cider. Check.

With everything taken care of, Twig disengaged from tending to Arabella and headed over to Guin, giving her a gentle smile. Usually, Twig would be incredibly bad at acting like there wasn't something sinister that he and Guin were involved in. Any onlooker that knew Twig particularly well, such as Leo, would probably be able to tell that his smile didn't have the usual depths of warmth that they usually did. But not. His brown eyes were a pool of worry as Twig stressed over how the battle would go. He didn't want the Jokers that he was so fond of to get themselves injured, or dying. Although Twig knew that worrying about that was vain, he was nonetheless.

"Are they ready?" Twig asked Guin. He didn't mean the Hearts soldiers, rather he meant the rows of masquerading Jokers willing to risk their lives. But of course, he couldn't say that out loud. Not in front of all the remaining royals.

Anaxileah . D O V E ((As well as the remaining royals at the meeting))

 

[. D O V E]

[class name=Guin] width:250px; height:250px; background:url('https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/012/791/688/large/svetlana-tigai-prophet-regular-layers.jpg?1536555365'); border:1px solid #ffcc00; border-radius: 50%; background-size:fit; background-position: 53% 17%; display:block; margin:auto; center; transition:3s; [/class] [class name=Guin state=hover] width:250px; height:250px; background:url('https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/012/791/688/large/svetlana-tigai-prophet-regular-layers.jpg?1536555365'); border:1px solid #ffcc00; border-radius: 20%; background-size:100%; background-position: 50% 50%; display:block; margin:auto; center; transition:3s; [/class] [class name=bg] background:#660000; border:1px solid #ffcc00 ; padding:10px; color:#fff; font-size:14px; [/class] [class name=font] font-size:14px; line-height:20px; text-align:justify; padding:10px; [/class] [class name=gname] font-size:30px; color: #ffcc00; font-weight: bold; text-align:center; [/class]

[div class=bg] [div class=Guin][/div] [div class=gname] Queen of Hearts [/div]
Location: Meeting Room - Outskirts
Interaction(s): Everyone at the meeting but the notable ones are Athanas Anaxileah Coyote Hart and AI10100 (Declan)
Mention(s): The Jokers


Spell(s) Used:
Blink, Drain

Equipment(s):
The Queen's Bastion (Armor)
Dawnbreaker & Doombringer
The Suitors' Tracking Things


[/div]

[div class=font] It was disgusting how an official royal meeting descended into absolute chaos. Guin had to restrain herself from screaming in frustration as uninvited guests highlighted their presence with sheer stupidity. If one had kept their eyes on her, however, then they would have noticed how her right brow violently twitched. What madness drove them to spew vile words against the Queen of Spades!?

"That's enough." she sharply cut at the sneering savages, "Queen Mortemiah did not serve her kingdom for countless of years only to receive this revolting impudence. Why are these ill-mannered individuals in the meeting?"

However, it seemed as though the show was far from over. A woman, whom she recognized to be a part of the Heart's court, bolted into the meeting and spouted foul words in front of everyone. What made her blood boil, even more, was her condescending tone. It was preposterous to think that a subject of hers acted like she had the right to lambaste the royalties upfront.

Nobody had the time to ground these people when Helmur exploded with fury. He went on and resumed the slanders his buffoons started against the Queen of Spades- before attacking Guin herself! The Queen of Hearts tilted her chin upwards, showing composure as she firmly received his aggression. She found him to be lucky that this atrociousness happened publicly, for if not, she's unsure if she could stop herself from draining him and his clowns. How dare he.

"You've been trained to lead barely half a battalion, Mr. Bellarmont, not run an entire kingdom. Please do think before opening your mouth with slanders. Despite the war, we are still beings worthy of respect- if you're still capable of showing any." she responded after his rant against her.

He left shortly after giving his follow-up speech- that Guin found to be reeking of arrogance- along with his minions. A poor attempt to redeem himself, she noted. Shocking as it may sound, it wasn't the first time he mocked his queen. She had been restraining herself at the request of King Chesh, and now she realized agreeing was a poor decision.

"Shame. Some people get a taste of the limelight and they become blind to other people's worth." she said, breaking the silence that seemed to have festered the room. It was ridiculous that she thought this meeting would be different from the first one years ago. The royalties may have had a change of rosters, but nothing else did. She would have agreed with the main point her subjects tried to get across if they have presented it more appropriately. But they chose to deliver it with such arrogance and insensitivity that she refused to tolerate. "I apologize for that. I don't know what madness drove them to speak those vile words- especially the ones against you, Queen Mortemiah. I will not condone such behavior. Everyone, please do feel free to contact me after the battle regarding this matter." Guin added, addressing the entire cast still present, albeit shooting the other queen a sympathetic look.

But, of course, they were neck-deep into war. There was no time to dwell on these matters, irritating as they may be. The Jack of Hearts stole her attention when he came over and flashed a smile. Guin knew it all too well. She recognized the silent agony that seemed to plague him. Twig was worried- but not for himself, her, or the Hearts, but the Jokers. She was aware of how he had grown attached to them over the years. It must be difficult for him, but he needed to be at his best.

Guin returned the smile and put a hand on his shoulder, "They are more than ready." she assured with conviction, "Everyone has given their all to prepare for this war. I trust that our comrades have confidence in us, and I feel the same way towards them. We cannot lose with all of us fighting together. We are all each other's strength, aren't we?" her crimson eyes locked with his as a firm squeeze on his shoulder followed.

"I know it's hard to be of good cheer in these times of trouble, but try to be. Worrying is contagious, but so is being courageous. Our allies will want to see that we don't doubt them or ourselves." Guin turned around after a nod, "I'll see you on the battlefield. Godspeed."

After that, the Queen of Hearts disappeared into thin air.



After a short while, the Queen appeared on the Eastern outskirts of Valencia- or what remained of it. She stood on top of a ruined building and assessed the current situation. It seemed like the Empire had done nothing extreme yet.

Guin activated her drain, tasting the dysidia lingering about a footlong radius. At that moment, the ends of her lips curled into a smile. It was disturbing but momentary, drifting with the wind as soon as she caught herself with it. She turned her drain off, glanced down at the damaged concrete against her feet, and sighed.

It won't be long before the King of Diamonds gives the cue to get in position. She could already imagine the scenes awaiting them. The world will be painted with blood and death will claim thousands of people. Well, she refuses to be one of them, though.

"Declan, an update about the Argossian movement, please." Guin prompted her associate through their private channel. She was aware that he was most likely unhappy with the revelation during the Joker's meeting, and she found it somewhat amusing. He has been pulling tricks on her over the years so Guin thought it would be fun if he gets a taste of his own medicine.

[/div]

 

[MedievalFanatic2023]

Queen Alexandra
She didn't seem fairly amused with the king of diamonds input. The only reason she got angry as she felt the other queen was boasting even if it was not the total reason for why the queen of spades decided it was a good reason to pull out the experience card. "Fine, Ari. I am done chatting about that nonsense anyhow, then so be it. I will fight with my golems! Just so we are clear no one is to be an ass or I can pull out. I need my own respect in this sense. If the other suits don't respect me, then I will have to make you respect me since I can easily pull out and humiliate you all in battle." She stood up as she was ready to leave these other royals behind the queen of hearts. "Well since dear Guin is leaving to battle I will as well. My king needs me. Not that I am needed here any longer." She said flashing Helmur a sly smile finding it quite brave to insult his own queen. She didn't seem to mind Guin. She actually liked Guin she just found the queen of spades to be a bit self-absorbed which ticked her off a bit at times.

She turned to Iris. "Come with me. You also may keep the muffs." She said seemed to really like Iris around. She turned not waiting any longer as she did a surprisingly good and authoritative exit of swinging the doors open and walking out.

[class name=Guin] width:250px; height:250px; background:url('https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/012/791/688/large/svetlana-tigai-prophet-regular-layers.jpg?1536555365'); border:1px solid #ffcc00; border-radius: 50%; background-size:fit; background-position: 53% 17%; display:block; margin:auto; center; transition:3s; [/class] [class name=Guin state=hover] width:250px; height:250px; background:url('https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/012/791/688/large/svetlana-tigai-prophet-regular-layers.jpg?1536555365'); border:1px solid #ffcc00; border-radius: 20%; background-size:100%; background-position: 50% 50%; display:block; margin:auto; center; transition:3s; [/class] [class name=bg] background:#660000; border:1px solid #ffcc00 ; padding:10px; color:#fff; font-size:14px; [/class] [class name=font] font-size:14px; line-height:20px; text-align:justify; padding:10px; [/class] [class name=gname] font-size:30px; color: #ffcc00; font-weight: bold; text-align:center; [/class]

[div class=bg] [div class=Guin][/div] [div class=gname] Queen of Hearts [/div]
Location: Meeting Room - Outskirts
Interaction(s): Everyone at the meeting but the notable ones are Athanas Anaxileah Coyote Hart and AI10100 (Declan)
Mention(s): The Jokers


Spell(s) Used:
Blink, Drain

Equipment(s):
The Queen's Bastion (Armor)
Dawnbreaker & Doombringer
The Suitors' Tracking Things


[/div]

[div class=font] It was disgusting how an official royal meeting descended into absolute chaos. Guin had to restrain herself from screaming in frustration as uninvited guests highlighted their presence with sheer stupidity. If one had kept their eyes on her, however, then they would have noticed how her right brow violently twitched. What madness drove them to spew vile words against the Queen of Spades!?

"That's enough." she sharply cut at the sneering savages, "Queen Mortemiah did not serve her kingdom for countless of years only to receive this revolting impudence. Why are these ill-mannered individuals in the meeting?"

However, it seemed as though the show was far from over. A woman, whom she recognized to be a part of the Heart's court, bolted into the meeting and spouted foul words in front of everyone. What made her blood boil, even more, was her condescending tone. It was preposterous to think that a subject of hers acted like she had the right to lambaste the royalties upfront.

Nobody had the time to ground these people when Helmur exploded with fury. He went on and resumed the slanders his buffoons started against the Queen of Spades- before attacking Guin herself! The Queen of Hearts tilted her chin upwards, showing composure as she firmly received his aggression. She found him to be lucky that this atrociousness happened publicly, for if not, she's unsure if she could stop herself from draining him and his clowns. How dare he.

"You've been trained to lead barely half a battalion, Mr. Bellarmont, not run an entire kingdom. Please do think before opening your mouth with slanders. Despite the war, we are still beings worthy of respect- if you're still capable of showing any." she responded after his rant against her.

He left shortly after giving his follow-up speech- that Guin found to be reeking of arrogance- along with his minions. A poor attempt to redeem himself, she noted. Shocking as it may sound, it wasn't the first time he mocked his queen. She had been restraining herself at the request of King Chesh, and now she realized agreeing was a poor decision.

"Shame. Some people get a taste of the limelight and they become blind to other people's worth." she said, breaking the silence that seemed to have festered the room. It was ridiculous that she thought this meeting would be different from the first one years ago. The royalties may have had a change of rosters, but nothing else did. She would have agreed with the main point her subjects tried to get across if they have presented it more appropriately. But they chose to deliver it with such arrogance and insensitivity that she refused to tolerate. "I apologize for that. I don't know what madness drove them to speak those vile words- especially the ones against you, Queen Mortemiah. I will not condone such behavior. Everyone, please do feel free to contact me after the battle regarding this matter." Guin added, addressing the entire cast still present, albeit shooting the other queen a sympathetic look.

But, of course, they were neck-deep into war. There was no time to dwell on these matters, irritating as they may be. The Jack of Hearts stole her attention when he came over and flashed a smile. Guin knew it all too well. She recognized the silent agony that seemed to plague him. Twig was worried- but not for himself, her, or the Hearts, but the Jokers. She was aware of how he had grown attached to them over the years. It must be difficult for him, but he needed to be at his best.

Guin returned the smile and put a hand on his shoulder, "They are more than ready." she assured with conviction, "Everyone has given their all to prepare for this war. I trust that our comrades have confidence in us, and I feel the same way towards them. We cannot lose with all of us fighting together. We are all each other's strength, aren't we?" her crimson eyes locked with his as a firm squeeze on his shoulder followed.

"I know it's hard to be of good cheer in these times of trouble, but try to be. Worrying is contagious, but so is being courageous. Our allies will want to see that we don't doubt them or ourselves." Guin turned around after a nod, "I'll see you on the battlefield. Godspeed."

After that, the Queen of Hearts disappeared into thin air.



After a short while, the Queen appeared on the Eastern outskirts of Valencia- or what remained of it. She stood on top of a ruined building and assessed the current situation. It seemed like the Empire had done nothing extreme yet.

Guin activated her drain, tasting the dysidia lingering about a footlong radius. At that moment, the ends of her lips curled into a smile. It was disturbing but momentary, drifting with the wind as soon as she caught herself with it. She turned her drain off, glanced down at the damaged concrete against her feet, and sighed.

It won't be long before the King of Diamonds gives the cue to get in position. She could already imagine the scenes awaiting them. The world will be painted with blood and death will claim thousands of people. Well, she refuses to be one of them, though.

"Declan, an update about the Argossian movement, please." Guin prompted her associate through their private channel. She was aware that he was most likely unhappy with the revelation during the Joker's meeting, and she found it somewhat amusing. He has been pulling tricks on her over the years so Guin thought it would be fun if he gets a taste of his own medicine.

[/div]

Helmur grumpily nodded at the Jack to give him a cup as well. He faced Arimand and listened as he gave away the culprit of this stupidity. "Of course it's our fucking Ace. What am I to expect, anyway? Fucker is so used to torching everything effortlessly in his path he never stops to think anymore. Fucking moron... I shall be sure to berate him when there are not more pressing matters. I greatly appreciate your efforts at restoring discipline, however." He reinforced that last statement by putting his first up to his chest and lowering his head slightly. While the gesture might seem insignificant in the eyes of the layman, anyone who knew the gruff warrior knew that it was very rare he actually demonstrated any sort of real respect towards the royals.


He grasped the cider cup and chugged it down in one go, before slamming it back down. He was about to pass on to the next manner of conversation before he saw her enter, and his blood ran cold. There she was.

The killer of his beloved Orson, his true friend and companion. The one who understood the burden he was shouldering.
Sitting in a well-fitting black dress, as if though the war was insignificant to her. As if though the outcome didn't matter. She had rotted him. His screams were still echoing in his mind. First he screamed for vengeance. Then he screamed for his mother. Then he screamed for death. He screamed and screamed and screamed until his vocal chords were ruined, and even then, he made that noise, that awful, gut-wrenching, gurgling noise. His poor brother, reduced to a withering husk.

And she was there. Barely ten feet from where he was standing. All proud, all regal. He could hear his heart thumping loud. His hands began glowing. The screams started echoing again, intertwined with the battlecries of his fallen men- the men she had raised to fight for her. He withdrew his gaze, fixing it on his cup. He couldn't take it. He thanked the heavens for the helmet that concealed his troubled features. Luckily for him, Demo couldn't help himself but mock the queen. "My, my, Queen Spade, aren't you a sight! The dress really brings out your curves, If I do say so myself! But, I'm afraid you got a bit lost: This is the trenches, not some fancy noble's house. You might get it dirty! Or even worse, singed!" He laughed extremely heartily, his ruined face and too-wide-to-be normal smile giving his features a very intimidating look. Very soon, another had joined him, a veteran that went by "Impaler"
"Demo, Demo, can't you see? This is all a ruse! She'll pretend to be just some whore we paid for the night, and use it to slip by the Argossians unnoticed. Sure, she'll be fucked by people in the triple digits, but I'm sure it ain't nothing new for her. Hey, eventually, she'll manage to assassinate a general like that. We should be thanking her for her efforts!"

He dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully: "We thank you, your spadeship, for all the body parts you're going to suck on for our cause. Your most glorious sacrifice shall be remembered!" Unable to contain himself anymore, he got up and joined Demo in his sneering. Some of the other gangmates chuckled at this too. Normally insulting a royal like that would be strictly off-limits, but what could she do to stop them? Together, they were capable of beating a very large variety of foes, and, especially now, with the war raging, they were invaluable.

Their mockery reignited Helmur's belligerence, and shook him out of his stupor. No matter what had happened, he would have his vengeance. The War God would be proud of him. His confidence returned, and he began facing the room once more. He took note of the Queen of Spades playful attitude towards him. An opportunity for some stress relief later? Probably not, but hey, a man is allowed to dream. And getting to lay with a queen, well, that'd certainly be quite an achievement.

He listened to Arimand's further comments. The Spade Queen's observation on ethnicities interested him very little: If it was an alliance, they couldn't really break it. If it was conscription, they couldn't really stop it. It had absolutely no value. Her years may have taught her to distinguish colors, but she still hadn't the foggiest when it came to war. He was about to address Arimand when he saw Arabella enter. She was battered and exhausted, probably tending to the poor sods caught in the no-man's land. He was taken aback: He had never, ever seen Ara so angry. She was usually like a soothing stream, ready to talk to him and help him take his mind off of the violence for a few minutes. Instead what he saw here was a raging river. She appealed to him, and it suddenly dawned on him. Some of the ships crashed in no man's land. This goddamn fair haired moronic twat put Ara in danger! She could've been hurt! She could've died! No, no NO!

He was already having a bad day. The day was worsened by this meeting. Worsened still by seeing Ermia, his nemesis, and worsened yet by seeing Guin, the manipulator that played with his cousin's heart. Worsened even more by the Ace's stupid attack. He could contain himself no more.

"GODS IN THE FUCKING HEAVENS, HOW CAN SUCK IDIOCY BE GIVEN TITLES AND ROYALTIES? THE ARGOSSIANS ARE AT OUR GATES, AND YOU ALL-WITH THE EXCEPTION OF KING ARIMAND AND KING SHIRA- ARE ACTING ALL LIKE PETULANT CHILDREN. WHERE IS THE KING OF CLUBS? HUH? WHAT IF YOUR TELEPATHS GET ASSASSINATED, AND HE DOESN'T RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTIONS IN REGARDS TO THE PLAN? WHAT THEN? BUT NOOOOO, HE JUST HAS TO STAY AWAY AND ACT LIKE A CONSTANT FUCKING MORON BECAUSE THAT'S SO RANDOM AND QUIRKY AND BUILD CHARACTERS. GOD-DAMNED FUCKING BUFOON! AND YOU, SPADE QUEEN, WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH ALL THIS? A DRESS? DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A FORMAL BALL TO YOU OR SOMETHING? THIS IS WAR, YOU IDIOTIC BITCH! PEOPLE DIE! THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO LOOK YOUR BEST!"

He turned towards Guin, not in the slightest fettered by the fact that she was his queen: "AND DON'T FOR A FUCKING MOMENT THINK THAT I'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU. FOR THE PAST MONTHS YOU'VE BARELY SPENT A WEEK HERE. WHERE WERE YOU? AND DON'T GIVE ME THAT "I WAS TENDING TO THE PEOPLE" BULLSHIT. I HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO LEAD BARELY HALF A BATTALION, BUT I DO KNOW DELEGATION. YOU COULD GIVE THAT JOB TO A SIX OR A SEVEN AND THE RESULT WOULD BE THE FUCKING SAME! NO, I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. PLOTTING AND SCHEMING WITH WHATEVER POOR SOD YOU'VE MANAGED TO SEDUCE THIS TIME. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I WOULDN'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT WHO GETS BETWEEN YOUR LEGS, BUT THIS. IS. WARTIME! IF WE LOSE, WE ALL DIE. AND YOUR PETTY POLITICS MEAN NOTHING! SAME TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN TOURING THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR "PERSONAL REASONS". YOU DAMNABLE FOOLS, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WIN THIS DAMN WAR WITH YOU LOT? YOU COULDN'T HOLD A STRONGHOLD AGAINST AN UNTRAINED RABBLE! ALL YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IS JUST TOSS YOUR POWERS AT AN ENEMY AND HOPE HE DIES. NO STRATEGY, NO TACTICS, NO THOUGHT, NO GRASP OF THE FUCKING SITUATION!

His eyes, chest and fists were now all glowing a bright red. Even his gang was worried, clutching their weapons and being ready in case one of the royals decided he was not going to take the criticism. He honestly would've continued his rant, but there was no point. Any more and his frenzy would overtake him. There were probably much, much more polite ways to get his point across. Hell, the point probably didn't even need to get across. But it was too late. What was done was done. He shot Ara a very quick, pleading look, hoping she'd get the message and follow him. "...Listen, I understand this must be hard for you. Most of you are untrained in the ways of war. Peace has made you weak and helpless. I understand that.There's no further point in explaining the plan, we've already been through it a million times over. We either do, or we die. No excuses, no politics, no equivocations. On any other day, we'd be royalty, aces and commanders. Today, we're all soldiers, no matter if we fucking like it or not. We do.... Or we die. If you have any gods you believe in, start praying now, and may your death, should it come, be a death that ensures our victory. Ad victoriam!" He finished, using the Bellarmont proverb. He then exited the tent, beckoning for his gang to go inspect the trenches and make sure everything was ready, and that he'd join them soon.

He sat by an old tree, a fair distance away from prying eyes and tried to calm himself. He really wished Ara would find a way to come to him... Even if only for a few minutes. She was the only source of compassion he had available, and he was most likely about to die: There were things he needed to tell her, things he wasn't proud of. This might be his only chance

IRIS BASTILLE
Iris couldn't help but blush when she was given the ear muffs by her queen. She didn't know how to feel about the generous offer after it was explained that she was practically had a warehouse of these. The strangest part of it all was the fact that she was the one using the noise cancelling earmuffs. It was more likely that her subjects would need them...and a helmet. Nevertheless, even with the noise being somewhat drowned out by the perfect gift in this situation, Iris could still feel the tension, anger, and agitation of everyone around her. She couldn't help but read the lips and body language of the people in the room. Oddly enough, even those who entered with a contrasting calmness somehow added even more chaos to the ordeal. This was it...she was about to throw everything away and pour oil to the proverbial fire. People were yelling left and right. Accusing each other, screaming, becoming overly emotional. Puffing out their chests and drinking tea.....@%@&*# TEA! WELL EVERYONE IS ABOUT TWO SUGAR CUBES AWAY FROM &#*# YOU!

Just as Iris opened her mouth to speak the King of Diamonds entire demeanor changed which caused her to hold off on her rant. He seemed to have the same feelings as her. He dealt with the situation quite efficiently without doing anything that would be sure to piss someone off. Yes, calming everyone down and working together was the most important thing now....that was until yet another guest arrived. Iris was clinging tighter to her earmuffs which actually failed to drown out her tirade. It wasn't that she was loud, but her words were direct and sharp like an arrow. If anyone needed tea and a hug, it was her. However, she was absolutely right and perhaps that is what they needed...everyone really did need a spark, or reality check. No one here wanted to have their countries razed to the ground. No one here wanted to see their subjects die untimely deaths. In fact, they were all here to prevent just that. Everyone had a reason to be pissed, or emotional, but there was no time for that. Iris had subconsciously been walking backwards toward Gwyn with a book held up to her face as she hid behind him. with her fist halfway in the air. "W-what she said."


Mechking A Murder Of Corviknight MedievalFanatic2023 Anaxileah and whoever else LOL

-----------------
XIXIX VALENTINE
WEAPON: ASURA/THREE

"...Sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances," X said as he stared at a pigeon who was perched next to him. "...Cat got your tongue...beak?" The pigeon continued to do pigeon like things, ignoring X while he tried to strike up a conversation to at least ease some of his boredom. X sighed as he thought about all of the technical difficulties that were probably occurring at the meeting place. In fact, they probably forgot that he had ditched the meeting. "Listen Mr. Pigeon, if they don't come through we're the last line of defense. We'll have to go with operation Hail Storm."

The pigeon turned its head and then continued pecking on the ground. "Indeed, your reputation proceeds you. Yes, I'll be the ground force and you will lead our aerial forces," X said while drawing out an imaginary plan. The pigeon hopped away, but continued to remain perched on the building.

"I understand your reservations, but you would be amazed at how distracting bird droppings can be. Imagine preparing to deliver the killing blow to your enemy and then a foreboding substance splats on your sword. There is no possible way anyone just ignores that. You'll at the very least glance at it. Honestly, I'd be embarrassed to death swinging a sword with bird droppings on it."

The bird flew away out the sound of particularly loud explosion; X watched it take off as he still held his blank expression. "...Ah I see, we will definitely need back up. Good luck captain pigeon, I pray that you make it back in time." X said with a salute as the sounds of battle continued to storm Valencia. "The world is counting on you."

@ONE CONFUSED PIGEON

Arimands last bits of anger left him as he observed the theatric display before him.
"With this level of cohesion, it is no wonder we were losing the last three years."


He was quite relieved when he saw Helmur enter the room. "Finally, a bit of strategical competence!"
Seeing him slightly angrier than usual, he informs Helmur of the situation: "Your Ace just crashed several unmanned airships filled with explosives into the enemy frontline, Helmur. He already got a lecture from me, but you can yell some more at him after the fight. Leolin is currently with the remaining airships and dropping with the golems. Please gather your troops, we need to move fast!“


Arimand only briefly glanced at the Jack of hearts, as he joined them. Upon hearing his offer, he gave a quick response:
„No cider for me, thank you very much.“


Upon hearing the findings of the Queen of Spades, and the following statements of the Queen of Clubs, Arimand decided to firstly address Mortemiah, with concern in his voice.
"Thank you for sharing your observations, dear queen. The Argossians having different kinds of ethnicities among them can be a good or a very bad thing. It would be good if they are in desperate need of new soldiers and if said soldiers are considerably less trained than their standard soldiers. But it would be very bad if these soldiers are recruited from our own population and turned against us, or if they have received a very large amount of reinforcements from who-knows-where."


After finishing his line of thoughts, he turned to Alexandra, as she was clearly not helping the tense situation. Being annoyed with her, Arimand answers in an overly sarcastic tone to one of her questions:
"My dearest queen of clubs, miss Valmore. Would you please be so kind as to use your golems as soon as you engage the enemy? I would be eternally grateful!"


Addressing both the queen of clubs and the queen of hearts, as she entered, he afterwards states:
"We won't need to skip any phases of our plan, if we act fast enough. I will now take my leave to inform the Telepaths that we are moving. All royals and other commanders will be informed of the specific details of our plan, their role and position in it, by them."


As Arimand rises from his seat and turns to leave, he asks one final thing:
„Any further questions before I do so?“


( MedievalFanatic2023 ChazGhost LazyDaze A Murder Of Corviknight Athanas Nano BreezeCatcher Coyote Hart Anaxileah . D O V E )

 

[TPBx]

Argossian Western Front

The barrage lightened up as the mobile cannon emplacements were being moved forward and the Argossians moved their line closer to the city, in order to provide better precision fire support. Once within range, smaller field cannons and machine guns emplacements were now set up within their effective range 500 yards outside of the city perimeter shield. The troops dug down and built a new improvised trench line to support the movement of their larger guns. While this was happening, overhead several wings of Argossian aircraft flew over dropping their payload of bombs and machine gun fire to further weaken the city's defenses. It was only a matter of time before the shield surrounding Valencia caved in and the Argossian Imperial military could march in and take the city and hopefully the rest of the island, ending this 3 year long campaign for good.

 

[Anaxileah]

Emia was not one to react rashly to situations, nor has she been for the last couple centuries. That wouldn't change today.

Despite the childish outburst coming from the Queen of Clubs, as expected of her, the only emotion to be displayed on Emia's face was one of very slight amusement, only detectable by those who were truly paying attention. The female cared not for the other Suits' petulance; she only showed respect to those worthy of it. If they behave as Alexandra had, they simply don't deserve to be held with the utmost regard and are thus irrelevant. Her pale blue eyes barely lingered on Alexandra for mere seconds before dismissing her midsentence, instead looking around the room and raising a thin brow at the Queen of Hearts' late arrival. She held no ill will towards Guineverre for the moment, only curiosity for why the Queen of the country they were presently inhabiting would be late.

At the sound of concern present in his voice, Emia turned to face Arimand, the main King she was addressing for the moment. She bowed her head as he thanked her, nodding at his own observation regarding the information she deduced from her brief onlook over the battlefield. She watched with slight amusement once more as Arimand addressed Alexandra with all the sarcasm in the world, which she didn't seem too happy about. Directly after Arimand asked about any more questions, the Hearts' Royal Healer arrived rather dramatically, covered in blood and some wounds of her own, it appeared. Emia raised her brow again, particularly at her terminology for her own Ace, expressing her anger in a most undignified way. She sounded just as angry as she expected Helmur to be, and then proceeded to instigate him. Oh joy.

A small female agreed with Arabella, whom Emia recalled being Iris, a servant to the Clubs who spoke up only slightly before Helmur's lackeys gave their input. One of them mocked her dress, which mostly amused her, however at the next idiot's words her face froze, the cold and hardened smile facing them with malevolence the only face she could muster for the time being. Had they stopped there, she might have been willing to drop their inexcusable behavior with mild punishments, but Helmur joined in. The idiot Heart who seemed to have it out for her. He wasn't even a Royal; the fact that he blatantly challenged her so offensively, as well as the others in the room much more so than Arabella had, was grounds for beheading at the very least.

Emia did her absolute hardest to remain reserved, upholding the elegant appearance that was expected of Queens. Her face remained still as stone, though her eyes expressed all the emotion he would ever see from her. The rest of the room was rather quiet after his outburst, though it was not long before Guin broke it, apologizing to Emia for the behavior. It was at that moment her eyes met with Guineverre's, the icy blue coming in contact with sanguine as she smiled, though it was far from warm. Sympathy was not desired. "Your condolences are appreciated, Queen Guineverre. However..." She trailed off briefly, taking a step forward before continuing, "This idiotic bitch, as your inferior liked to say, hasn't survived five hundred years without learning a thing or two. I assure you, this behavior will be atoned for. I will be more than happy to ensure this with...or without...your assistance." Her words were as icy as her gaze, though the anger was in no way directed at the Queen. She knew this imbecile was going to behave rashly, and she couldn't let her past traumas cause her to ruin the relationships of the countries for the moment.

Her gaze held Guin's for only a couple moments longer before flicking away, her eyes trained on the ground for the time being. She reached to her waist and ripped the skirt from her person, revealing her long, leather-clad legs donned with daggers and throwing knives. She had brought her bow and quiver separately, both of them already strapped to her back, and with that already looked ready for battle. She ensured her hair was tied up snugly and out of the way before turning her gaze to Arimand. "Let's get going."

Addressed: . D O V E Mechking | Mentioned: LazyDaze Athanas MedievalFanatic2023 | Status: Talking at the Meeting -> Ready to GO | Mood: Done w/ this bullshit. | Location: Meeting Hall -> Entry | Inventory: 2 Main Daggers, 10 Throwing Knives, 3 Small, Hidden Daggers, Elegant Longbow w/ Quiver (x25 arrows) | Notes: N/A​

 

[Anaxileah]

Her bright blue eyes, glowing from the intensity of her flames, took in the entirety of the room, and immediately began to simmer back to their original form. She glanced at Iris, a Clubs girl Ara knew little about, and offered her a small smile as she spoke in meek agreement, before looking back at the rest of the room and paling. The blood on her arms and torso were nowhere near the front of her mind as she thought to herself, Oh gods, what have I done? She didn't want to be beheaded or anything similar, and with what she just said...Oh no! She turned to say something to Helmur, but before she could say anything, Demo and Imp said some objectifying matter to one of the Queens. Shit...please, please stop... She cringed as the Queen glared at the guys as though she was glaring at her alone. It was cold and cruel, and though it was terrifying, the guys deserved it for their nasty words. Ara reached over to put a hand on Helmur's shoulder before he could speak, but she was too late and flinched away as he boomed through the room, his voice reverberating throughout the meeting hall, the sound bouncing around the marbled architecture.

At that point, everything was red. Helmur's eyes, chest, fists, essentially his entire being was fuming and scarlet with his fury. He looked on the verge of a frenzy, and then his eyes turned to her, almost pleading for help. Her brows furrowed in worry as she watched him continue speaking, crying his house's mantra at the end. He turned after to exit the hall, motioning for his crew to go to the frontlines and check the trenches while he went off on his own. He wants me to follow him, I get that...Gods what have I done? The red-haired female began wringing her hands, which reminded her that she had someone else's blood all over her. She pulled a towel out of her pocket, wiping off most of the blood as she continued glancing around the room, watching the aftermath of what she had caused. The room was filled with tension, and if it weren't for the war outside, Ara was sure they would be at each other's throats here.

Flinching at the sudden contact, Ara glanced up to see Zephyr at her shoulder, healing her small cuts and bruises as she stood there, trembling. His words were almost too soft for her to hear past her racing heartbeat. "How about you tell me about what you saw afterward, and I'll talk to Leo?" He was trying to be kind, but... She refrained from hiccuping and turning into a sobbing mess, her voice as shaky as she felt. "I-I can't. N..not right now, Zeph. Thank you." She spoke softly, the words of the Queens afterward nearly muffled by her thoughts, the female spinning on her heel and heading out of the hall to see to Helmur. She needed to get out of there and help him before he broke a building. Knowing him, at least a little bit better than everyone else, she headed off in the direction of their usual meeting space.



Addressed: Coyote Hart | Mentioned: LazyDaze Athanas . D O V E MedievalFanatic2023 | Status: Realizing she dun fucked up | Mood: Furious -> Panicked | Location: Meeting Hall -> Alder Tree | Inventory: Naurcuil, Lúgheled | Notes: Going to write a collab with Athanas !​

 

[BreezeCatcher]

Typhus Vont - 10 - Diamonds(ex)
Location: The Front
Action: Organizing the Frontline

As the meeting quickly dissolved into a shit storm of hurled insults, Typhus quietly let himself out. There were more productive things to be done, and as Helmur’s second, he was well aware of what they were. Helmur had charged out in a fury, and would need some time to cool down. He knew it, and he knew Helmur knew it. So before Demo and Imp could make there escapes as well he grabbed them both by the shoulder and pulled them close. “Spread the word, we’re assembling on the front line now.” He whispered into their ears as a lull in the cannon fire appeared. He waited just a minute before releasing the hold he had on them. This pause, was it the calm before the storm? “And make it quick. We don’t have time for these games.” He could have berated their behavior, how they had led to this outburst, and how their input was not needed. All that needed to be said at that meeting was the plan, but it seemed that everyone had an agenda to push. That, and these were his fellow gang members, he knew what walks of life many of them came from. They were not proper, nor would they ever be. They had all been assembled by Helmur for one purpose, and it was a purpose they all did well, including Typhus. He had nothing else to say to them, nothing that wouldn't wound their pride.

Then he released them to do their jobs and began his walk to the gangs position on the front line. Helmur's band that Typhus had been apart of for the past three years, and then some, was most adept at fighting, and because of this he knew that they would be congregated near the front line. Hell, their tents were set up closer than anyone's to the front. It was almost as if they lived for battle. Because they did. And, if this pause in the firing was a sign of anything, it was that the Suits coalition and all their bickering were out of time. To think that he would be here risking his life on the front lines to protect their way of life. He had tried to ignore it at first. He had tried to focus on his goals. His ambitions. But the Argossian threat was too great, and Helmur wanted to move the band to help fight in this war. It was a pity, a waste of time, and a waste of resources. For all involved. His face hardened as the troops in front of him milled about. Today was going to be a bloody day that only the strong would get to walk away from. It was time to get these men organized.

“Everyone on your feet, lets move!” He shouted before pointing towards the protective barrier. “This lull is but the foretelling of the battle to come and we must be ready to meet them if we are to stand any chance of repelling their attack.” He continued as the same barrier was hit with a barrage of bombs and wings of flying machines passed overhead. “The Royals might still be bickering about politics, but we have a job to do. To your positions, to the front. Let us be ready for when our commander Helmur comes to take us to battle.” It was time.
Athanas (Open to interaction)

 

[BreezeCatcher]

Alaric - 10 - Hearts
Position: Field Hospital -> Front line
​

As Alaric continued to aid in whatever manner he could to those injured in the field hospital, he gave pause as he noticed a lull in the firing of the cannons that had become such a common sound to those stationed here in Valencia for the past three years. A lull that he wasn't expecting to hear. A lull that surely meant the Argossians were up to something. It was time to head back to the front. Time to charge into battle to protect those around him. Time to fail at his duty as a protector of men, for the toll this battle would take on the people would be high, and if he could trade just his one life to protect them all, he would. But that's not how his magic worked. It wasn't how the world worked. Maybe if he was stronger, he could protect them all. But he himself had even seen it, his accelerated aging was beginning to catch up to him. His breakthrough to rank ten would be his last breakthrough. He would just have to make do with what he had, and save those that were within his power to save, until he could save no more. This was what he had done his entire life. Just moving from one battle to the next, protecting those he could, watching those die that he couldn’t. He had never liked battle, never liked conflict. He just knew that he could make a difference by using his magic. That he could save those that would perish without his intervention.

But he was growing weary of it all. He had saved men only for them to die in the next engagement. He had watched boys, barely old enough to shave, blown to pieces by the Argossian technology. The Argossians wanted to expand their empire, so they waged war. Thousands had died just for the determination of who owned the land that they stood on. Sure the Argossians also hated mages, and had destroyed much of what they had conquered. They had to be stopped. But what about after this war? Would the Suit peace remain? Or would one of the kingdoms try to conquer another, and all for ones own personal greed. It was a cycle bound to repeat itself, and he'd had enough of it.

He was done fighting wars. It was time for him to retire. Time for the runes in his sword to carve a new story along the blade he had carried for so many years. This would be his last war. Maybe he'd find a nice woman to marry, settle down and start a family. He'd never really considered a life where he wasn't fighting. But an orchard sounded nice, maybe he'd buy one after this was all said and done.

(Open for interaction)

 

[Ambiloquous]

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[div class=bo][div class=img][/div]
[div class=he]〚 Nouvelaire Rey-Bisset 〛[/div]

♠​

The clattering of hooves and trundling of wheels some distance from Valencia alerted the guards around the perimeter to the presence of a company dressed for battle coming near. Sentinels readied their weapons and steeled themselves for an unpleasant encounter, waiting for the caravan to come close enough to determine their possible future.

Out of the blue came a booming “Halt your horses!” A particularly noodle-like man courageously raised his spear at the convoy of soldiers, a step faster than the rest of the sentries. It was a shame that the group of combatants could hear nothing of what he had said, being a good three hundred metres away.

Now slightly less than three hundred metres away, Nouvel blinked at the limp strands of hair in his eyes as he bumped along, wondering when the next good night’s sleep would come. He wanted at least a bath, since eight hours of ignoring the world seemed to be too much to ask for. Looking down at the robust steed he rode, he imperceptibly wrinkled his nose. While the smell was also something, don’t get him wrong, the real pièce de résistance was the ache generously bestowed upon his buttocks on the first of the twenty-day ride to Valencia. Really, how much it smarted and burned now was how much he regretted taking this excursion. And that was quite a bit indeed.

Being the validation-seeking idiot he was, he had decided last minute to go on a road trip to Rynhil to bring his retinue for the upcoming showdown, stupidly thinking that two hundred men more might make a difference. Ha, two hundred, even two thousand more wouldn’t change a thing. Everyone was going to die and he would go down doing something so stupidly naive and minuscule that they wouldn’t even bother to record him as a loser in the Argossian Annals. Or whatever the Argossians had. He paused. The Argossian Annals actually didn’t sound so bad, he mused. Maybe, if they ever decided to make peace, he could bring it up.

Laughing dryly at the thought, he turned to his captain with an order for formality’s sake. “Captain Sangria, do notify the guards that this is the retinue of the King of Spades, will you?” Hesitating for a moment, he added, “Flash them the Spades insignia as required.” If they’re blind enough not to notice, he thought. No, wait, what if a fellow was actually blind? Or severely visually impaired? He imagined himself saying that line out loud and shuddered. He’d be ousted from the King position in no time, if not from society itself.

A redhead with skin as pale as a dead fish jumped off the nearest horse. “Will do, Your Spadeship.” Sangria, captain of his retinue and resident birdwatcher, sluggishly bowed at approximately five-sixteenths and proceeded to march to the nearest guard. Repeating a lazy, simplified version 0f what Nouvel had told her, she waved a hand at the barriers, gesturing for the mages controlling them to open up.

“No can do, miss.” The beanpole of a bloke that had gotten a clonk to the head for his yell shook his head and thumbed at the glowing, blue dome behind him. “You need a password for that.”

Nouvel’s eye twitched as his captain made her way back to his side. He bent down and whispered the lines Mortemiah had passed on. Sangria speed-walked back to the chap and sped through the password so fast that the words became a blur. “All hail Guin-sama. I offer my life and afterlife to her and her alone.” A few muffled sounds of laughter sounded at the gates, transforming the lady’s barely visible grimace into a full-out look of disgust.

“Settle down, dimwits.” A short, unnaturally beefy man pushed to the front of the guards who had failed to hide their chortling. “Ro! Run to the mages and tell ‘em we got a Spades royal with the pass.”

As soon as the leader walked out, their path into Valencia seemed to realize considerably faster. A hole soon opened in the barrier and the caravan was unceremoniously shooed in as fast as the sentries could rush it. The entrance closed promptly the moment the last horse dropped its last hooves onto Valencian ground.

While directing his retinue into their needed positions, Nouvel carefully patted his pockets and pulled out a chain of wooden bird whistles. Blowing on a few in sequence, a bird with distinct blue-green wings fluttered down to his outstretched hand. The magpie cocked its head and stared at his fingers nimbly tying a small, prewritten slip of parchment onto its leg. Just as Nouvel had finished securing the chartreuse ribbon into a flawless butterfly bow, the magpie lifted off his hand, heading to a certain Queen of Spades. Even though the two were in the same flank, he thought it would be nice to let her know he was in the city.

♠

| Mentioned: Anaxileah |

Yo, boiyes, gurls, neither and both, I'm done, I'm out. Anyway, take it that Nouvel's moving to position, wherever that is. Feel free to interact with him on the way.​

[/div]

 

[vielpotato]

Prior
Jokers around the suits knew the time to rise was soon. They were all told to be ready to gather at a moment's notice. After three long years of training, that day finally comes along for the talk with the lead Joker himself.
Hidden away in their base, about an hour and a half prior to current meeting with the royalty, majority of the Jokers are assembled to hear a speech from their leader Jake, or to them known as Skull. Once the talking stopped, Jake steps up and summarizes the plan to assist the Hearts with majority of the forces joining the battle dressed in soldier attire. After the 'soldiers' become dressed, Samael opens a 3 meter tall mirror to push the soldiers to the field.

Present Time
Jake, Samael, Declan, Cass, and about a dozen other jokers are traveling max speed through Jake sprinting 5 meters and having Samael teleport the group forward. Through time and effort, the gang of Jokers eventually arrive to their destination.
The Capital of Spades

A band of 'soldiers' await outside the gates, as more patrol outside, as Jake nods towards them. "Prepare the treats for the bad boys and girls.." Minuets later, and everyone but Samael come dressed in servant clothing (as Samael could just change into one), the party wander into the grounds and prepare their initial entrance. "So, gentlemen, are you ready for our little party with our soon-to-be friends?"
Athanas AI10100 Kloudy

 

[AI10100]

Declan

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"A promise is a promise..."​

location: Castle of Spades, Spades Kingdom
interactions: . D O V E vielpotato Athanas
mentions:

​

Declan had found a proper spot atop a ruined building and made it his temporary home. He could just about see the treeline from where he was - would be able to shoot from that distance too. It wouldn't be too difficult. But he wasn't due to do anything until they break the first line. A backup, if you will. But he wasn't going to stick around for long anyway. They had other things in mind to do. At the very least, he would be safe from having the queen talk his ear off.

"Declan, an update about the Argossian movement, please."

The thief looked skywards, the rumbles of the engines of the Argossian Aircrafts not far off. The telepaths of the frontlines were pinging off as well. The war was starting and it wouldn't be long until Jake would come to fetch him. He had already marked this position for later if they ever get back in time.

"The Argos are starting their assault." He reported. "I think it would be best to continue on with the plan on your side, your Heartship." The title was spoken monotonously - a tease more than an official call really. Guineverre had been more than used to his antics, letting all of it slide for the most part as long as he doesn't overstep his boundaries. Nothing that would be considered too personal, at the very least.

"We're going as well. Good luck and stay safe."

A passing remark as he turned to Jake and gave the leader of the Jokers a nod. They needed to go. He slung the rifle onto his shoulder and headed back. This kind of job was more up his alley. War and battling was well and all but Declan's past and skills were more suited for thievery rather than killing. Especially in an all out war like this one. So the moment Jake had dropped the mission in front of his lap, he quickly took to it.

They traveled out to the Castle of Spades, moving quickly. He was surprised to see that Cass had come as well, considering his own kingdom was under attack - and he still had the deepest loyalty to the queen. But he supposed this could have been an order to make sure that they completed the mission. Well, he didn't mind all that much. Cass was a great person to work with. Great person to tease too but this wasn't the time for that.

He grinned and fixed the cuff of his sleeve. "We're never really ready but hey, improvising is half the fun."

[/div][/div]

codedbycrucialstar | hidden scroll​

 

[Coyote Hart]

Even after Guin disappeared into a puff of air, her words stayed behind, corporeal as if they were written clearly on a sheet of paper. Courage and fear, they were all contagious. Together as comrades, we are unbreakable.

Twig clung to those words and ideas with desperation. He knew he would have to trust that the Jokers would be okay. If not, then the entirety of three years would have been wasted. Like his identity as the White Plague suggested, Twig had spent the past three years doing his best to infect the Jokers with ideas that included valuing human life and feeling compassion. So Guin had to be right. There was no way that she couldn't be.

And because of that, Twig knew that he would have to be strong. Even if the Queen of Clubs made good on her threat and foolishly pulled out, even if the Jokers were decimated, Twig knew he would have to pretend to stay strong.

Unlike the graceful exits that the other royals had, Twig silently pushed through the wrong door with one hand, leaving the other half of the double door to pop open and bounce closed. After that, it only took a short trek before he arrived at the front lines, where people were already getting into position. Twig unconsciously began scanning for Cass and Jake before he realized that unlike the previous battles that Twig had fought alongside them, they weren't going to be in this one. They had their own mission at the Spade kingdom.

A strange mission for sure, but interesting and possibly profitable. Twig found himself feeling a bit humored by the mission. If it was successful, the Jokers wouldn't be just a bunch of puppets paid by the Argossians anymore. And the mission also meant that Jake and Cassius, the two people he would hate to miss the most, were away from the battle.

Twig repositioned Pemulihan in his left hand so that it was behind his shoulder, out of the way, but still useable. With his right hand, Twig drew his ornate smallsword in preparation for the upcoming battle. Out of the corner of his eye, Twig saw Alaric standing, ready but with an air of weariness. Twig decided to approach him, awkwardly waving his sword in greeting as he approached.

"Alaric," Twig said as he approached, "How are you holding up?"

. D O V E BreezeCatcher

 

[LazyDaze]

IRIS BASTILLE

Iris realized that the Ace of Hearts kind of set everyone off, but other than that act she couldn't quite figure out why everyone was irate with each other. What had the meeting been about anyway? Wait...did they really just meet in one place to curse each other out and then leave? Once you stopped to think about it, everything up until this point seemed pointless. The Argrossians...yes, we could cast them as the root of our anger due to the countless people they have killed, but weren't they doing the same thing? Everyone was fighting for their own reasons, and she doubted that any of the mages here were innocent. Nevertheless, despite their mutual hate for the Argrossians it is likely that without this mutual enemy; they would have been at each other's throats sooner or later.

She wished she had remained silent after hearing Helmur's outburst. It sort of made it seem as if she was siding with that whole gang of degenerates. She had never met the man, but she heard he was kind of in charge during this battle. Why anyone would put someone like that in a leadership position was beyond her. It only helped to remind her that she was amongst royalty. Despite being given a modicum of responsibility by her King, she still had to show the upmost respect to justify his decision as well as save her neck. Right now, saving her neck meant straying a bit from the plan to appease her Queen. She had a moniker that everyone seemed to enjoy using within the Club Kingdom, and although she could be pretty difficult, she had many redeeming qualities. Underneath that deadly club was a generous, and genuine person. If she wanted to club you then damn it she would club you. If she wanted to give you earmuffs then she would gladly give you some earmuffs free of charge! It's that kind of honesty and fairness that was needed at her position. Actually, although she didn't agree with everything she did, she admired the way she didn't back down in the presence of the other royals. It made her very proud in a strange way to be part of the club kingdom. At the very least...no one came in accusing her of being a whore. Iris shuddered at the thought. Perhaps she wasn't fit for royalty after all. On that note, Iris quickly bowed to everyone else in the room before taking her leave. "It was an honor to meet all of you."

She quickly scurried after her Queen who she discovered was actually effortlessly fast. Why she decided to where a skirt today, she would never know. "Queen Alexandra, your golems will be pivotal to the left flank's success. I-I doubt they would admit it, but morale would definitely drop if you pulled out of the fight. X couldn't stop talking about how relieved he was that you were going to join this battle. We're all looking forward to your performance.

It was only a few moments that she had been away from that dumpster fire, but her anxiety had pretty much dissapated. Part of her didn't want to win this battle after thinking about the conversation afterward when they argue about who should get the most credit. That would be when they all kill each other and the Argrossians take over as the victor after losing a battle.

MedievalFanatic2023

 

[BreezeCatcher]

Alaric - 10 - Hearts
Location - Front line
​

Alaric watched as Twig, the Jack of his beloved Heart Kingdom, called out to him with a wave of his sword. It was exactly what he expected from the soft spoken Jack. To wave a sword around like that, Alaric couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, a smile returning to his weary features. He had posed such a powerful question though. How was he holding up? Not good, Alaric thought. There had been so many losses, so much death, and his magic had done nothing to stop it. Only delayed it til the next engagement. How many of the men he had protected would get to go home after this war was over. How many of the men he protected survived through their next engagement. And, so many more men had been pouring into the city. Day after day. This next battle was going to be massive, both sides would lose innumerable amounts of unique individuals who were just trying to live there lives. The Argossian war machine, he was sure fought for some reason other than the utter destruction of the Suit kingdoms. The individual soldier didn't care enough about creating an empire or uniting all of Yune. Their desires were much more personal. The soldiers all around Alaric now were not fighting for anything but their homes, the ones they left behind, and the ones that had already been taken from them. It was a major driving factor in why the Suit army had not collapsed. There was always the next battle, and even it it was fated to be their last, they always headed into the next battle.

Coming to this point after much deliberation, Alaric finally answered the Jacks question. "I will be, once this is all over." he said solemnly with a false smile. "Once the farmers can get back in their fields, the merchants can return to the roads, the craftsman can return to their trade, when you can return to the capital with the rest of the royalty and return to your good work, and the people of the Heart Kingdom can walk freely through their cities without the worry of the world crashing down on their heads. Then I will be." he continued as he changed his stance, leveling his rune covered sword at the Argossian line. "Until that time I will continue at this terrible business."

"No matter how much it pains me."

Coyote Hart