Fantasy The Exalted

[Gabe]

After cleaning himself and getting new clothes, Kellan took his sweet time in gazing upon his room. A place of his own, that wasn't a filthy cage or the slave pens. A bed, as fluffy as the ones he saw his former masters sleep. A table and chair, ready for him and him only. He was ecstatic, but at the same time, sad. It was just a glorified cage again. He shook his thoughts, looking at the bracelets on his hands. If he wanted to be truly free, he would need to fight. And to fight, he needed to be stronger.

He had the help of some of the servants of the place, to which he was overly polite. They directed him to the training area, and as soon as he opened the door, he was already lost. People were already there. The Sister was the first that caught his eye. She walked like she owned the place, with determination, purpose. The electric girl was the next, he noticed the way the metal behaved around her, charging, heating up. Then, finally, he saw his helper, the gemstone man. Vijay, was it? He didn't want to trouble him more than he already did, so he tried to sneak towards some materials that he could use. There was a small forge already on the place, probably to train potential blacksmiths. Raw material was already available, the metal already singing for him. He looked around, but he didn't know how to fire up a forge. Or how to use the materials. Or anything aside from making flat sheets, a work he did for hours on end in one of his "jobs". He stood there, an ingot in hand, heating it up. A sheet of metal was a start, at least.

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Maya grinned brightly as she skipped next to Teresa while holding her hand. If they passed by any of the other residents, she would wave at them. Upon entering the training room, she took a few moments to observe the area. It was spaciousenough for the lightning lady to feel at ease. She watches as Teresa brings out a pell and sets it up. When the blonde woman asked her to go first, Maya happily accepted the offer. She walks until she's about ten feet away from the pell and stops. Afterwards, Maya begins to stretch and gives Teresa a fair warning. "You might want to take a couple of steps back. I don't want you to get shocked."

After feeling like she's ready to rumble, Maya starts to jog in place. Initially, it's a slow jog. Truthfully, the red haired lady is nervous. She wants to show off, but she doesn't want to mess up as that would only bring back more memories of being assaulted for her failures. A deep breath is taken as her mind clears. The once light jog quickly starts to look more like a standing sprint. As her speed increases, sparks begin to fly around Maya's body. Then, like a track and field runner hearing the gun fire, Maya dashes at the medieval equivalent of a modern day punching bag. She leaps off the ground and shouts as she lands a back kick onto her target. The impact sends tiny lightning bolts flying everywhere, signaling that she may have charged up too much electricity. As far as the bolts themselves go, they won't severely hurt anyone that they contact. At the most, it would be equivalent to one accidentally shocking themselves by touching a metal surface. Despite this, Maya knows that all of her lightning power from the strike should have been aimed at the pell, but she couldn't control it all.

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Exalted: Teresa Hidalgo​

Teresa took a couple of steps back, spotting Kellan at the forge. Maybe later she will go speak to him. Focussing on Kellan she realized that she had not noticed Maya began running up with startling speed. Arcs of electricity radiating off of her as she sends a hurtling kick into the pell. Lightning shooting off from the point of impact, Teresa could feel quite a shock as she fell backward. Teresa laughed as she picked her self back up. “That was a spectacular kick!”


She dusted her self off and told Maya to move back. “I am going to try something now, I have never really experimented before.” She closed her eyes and tried to gather what she referred to as mana. With each breath, she tried to push and pull then gather it into what she imagined was a sphere. However, as she tried nothing happened. It was perplexing, but if it was not showing a single sign of not working, she might as well as try something else. There was nothing to go off of though, so she defaulted to the one thing that was ingrained in her mind. She got on one knee and began to pray. She prayed to the almighty, she prayed for guidance, she prayed for strength. And as she prayed the “mana” began to gather in slight amounts. It formed as a loose, gaseous, halo around her. Just as she was gaining progress, she paused in her prayer and looked up. Immediately afterward, the mana lost stability and discharged in all directions. The force once again knocked Teresa down.


“Oh my,” she smiled “we are getting somewhere”

 

[ApfelSeine]

Vijay Kulkarni
​

Vijay paused as he noticed others beginning to head out to the training field, standing off in the corner beside some stone pillars. He sighed softly to himself, but offered a smile and small wave in response to Maya noticing him. A cracked and broken stone tile lay beside him, though for a moment he was reluctant to pick it back up. As he watched the others dive headfirst into their training, undeterred by their lack of control, Vijay could not help feeling somewhat silly for being so worked up about it. The people in this place would be his teammates, so surely it would be important for them to know his shortcomings as well as his strengths... Well, that being said, he had never let weakness show before and he certainly was not about to begin doing so now. Stooping down, he picked up the tile, moving to stand out of the way and out of the line of sight of those training at the same time.

Placing the pieces of tile together, like pieces of a puzzle, Vijay focused on steadying his hands. They were shaking somewhat, blisters having formed from days of trying to work as precisely as he used to be able to. With a deep breath, he pressed the pieces tightly together, willing the stone to bind with itself. The stone shuddered somewhat under the force being applied to it, and Vijay could feel the earth begin to shift between his feet somewhat as the stone column began forming cracks as though under an intense pressure. Noticing this, he lightened his touch and the area around him calmed. He glanced around furtively, suppressing the urge to sigh again. Getting worked up would only make his objective more difficult, but it was rather difficult not to feel upset. If only he could seek the guidance of his teacher like he used to when he was young, but those days were far behind him.

Vijay placed the tile against his chest, now rebound into a whole piece but with ripples across the surface from an unwieldy force being applied to it. He sat by the base of the stone pillar, turning his attention back to the others who were training in the distance and wondering if life would be simpler if he could simply approach things head on without his reservations guiding him to act cautiously. But he knew he could never show such flaws or weaknesses. Certainly not of his own volition.

 

[tacere]

[div class="container"] [div class="characterImage"] [div class="characterName humanName"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterName godName" style="display: none; color: #FFFFFF;"] Kana [/div] [div class="characterTitle godTitle" style="display: none; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: #FFFFFF;"] HOLDER OF LIGHT [/div] [/div]

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Kana peered through the crack in the door, icy hues getting a lay of the land as she noted the paths in the corridor and any sounds she could make out. "I don't know if going into the cellar alone would be smart, we don't know the layout and it might be hard to sort the good stuff from the cooking wine bumbling around in the dark."

She pursed her lips as she stepped back to let the others view as well, cracking her neck as she tried to relax and strategize, considering the talents and dispositions of her companions. Thali would be a more suitable up and front distraction, she seemed comfortable and well at ease with such perceived slights. Kana was unsure how Ally would do with such blunt and open deception, no, something more subtle for him perhaps, his abilities called for such after all. Lilly of course was correct in that she'd be the best to grab the goods and make a quick getaway.

"I believe I have a few suggestions, Lilly." Kana informed her as she looked about the three of them, "Thali, how good is your acting? If you could, you should enter the kitchens and lodge a complaint with the head cook. Make up an allergy perhaps, I don't know. Get him out of the kitchens. Make sure we hear you both though."

She shifted her attention to Ally next, "How much do you need to hear to mimic a voice? You could copy the head cook's voice, use it to yell at the scullery maid or whomever is left, order them to bring up the good stuff from the cellar for dinner, Jericho wants to treat his new arrivals with the utmost comfort after all."

She took a moment to debate Thali's earlier suggestion, agreeing that they might as well make a whole meal out of it. The risks were the same regardless, so why not up the rewards?

"Perhaps include some fine cheeses and breads as well. Meats if there's any handy. Send them on their way on some fool's errand after it's prepared and well," she smiled faintly, turning to Lilly, "It should be rather easy for you to snatch the food they've all but laid out for us, no?"

Her part was probably the simplest, make the shadows for Lilly to travel through, keep an eye out. If something went awry she could maybe snuff out some lights, cause enough confusion for them to slip away. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Kana paused, biting her tongue as she realized she had gotten a bit excited at the planning of it all. There were times when she was no good at containing that mischievous, adventure-seeking urge of hers. That and being in the company of those who seemed likeminded and more experienced was a tad enabling. "Just a thought. May not lack much merit."
Baconhands SilverFlight Saccharine Cyanide
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[Gabe]

Kellan finished concentrating on the metal. The ingot was incandescent, and Kellan released it, the bright block of iron now floating in front of him. Kellan closed his eyes, repeating the same thing he did with his bracelets.

The iron was harmonious, but yearning for a new shape. Its lone voice was singing, and Kellan answered it, expanding and spreading it, but making it just as tough.

Slowly, but surely, the ingot began growing, expanding outwards, the heat becoming less intense, but covering more ground. Kellan kept concentrating, his hand stretched in front of him with his eyes closed. After several minutes, Kellan started to unwind. The expansion began to slow until it came to a halt, the color of the iron becoming more silvery, contrasting with the incandescent yellow that it was when he started it. When it stopped, the same sound that was heard when Kellan finished the bracelets echoed again through the field, as if someone had struck a large piece of iron. Kellan placed his hands on his knees, panting, and rested the now thick, square sheet of iron on the forge. It was a start, but he wanted more. The metal talked to him, and shaping it into more complex things was much more satisfying than just making a simple sheet.

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Maya Misako​

"Thanks." Maya replied while smiling at Teresa's laughter. The smile faded as she was still feeling disappointed in herself. "Sorry you got hit by the aftereffects. It wouldn't have happen if I had concentrated my electricity better."

Maya takes a few steps back and places her hands on her hips. She closely watches Teresa, anxious to see what she was attempting to do. With each breath the blonde took, the level of suspense rose. To Maya, it was like watching a storm brew. First the clouds appear. Next, the thunder rolls across the area. Finally, the lightning makes its appearance, leading off a parading Soundwave of thunder. However, despite Teresa's efforts, nothing seemed to be happening. To be fair, she did mention that she had never experimented before. It would make sense that nothing would happen. Still, Maya was proud of her for at least trying.

Then, it happened. Maya notices Teresa taking a knee. Perhaps this is a different approach to bringing out whatever abilities she may have. The redhead continued to wait patiently as the lady of faith appeared to be praying. Suddenly, something started to form. Maya's eyes lit up as she saw what looked like a halo coming together. It didn't last long. In fact, as soon as Teresa lifted her head, the gaseous substance vanished.

"You did it!" Maya shouted as she ran to Teresa. She almost swan dive tackles her before giving her a celebratory hug. "I knew you could do it!" She added before letting go and returning to a standing position. She grabs Teresa's hands and pulls back, helping her get to her feet. "I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but it was something. Something phenomenal."

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Warsen Skiff
Location: Mess Hall
Interactions: Kyler

Warsen would snap up from a daze to meet Kyler's eye's in a calm fashion. He nodded to his apology as he listened to Kyler, watching his attitude and reactions to the situation. Warsen tilted his head as he was questioned.
"We are awfully similar, are we not?"
Warsen wasn't sure if he wanted to drop the whole "I'm dead" thing yet. His eyes calmly dragged across Kyler's figure, noting his physique and height. He sighed silently. As much as he wanted to keep it a secret, he needed at least one other person to know. They could help him blend in, yeah? Warsen motioned Kyler to come over carefully. He looked around, and it seemed to be that everyone was engrossed in their own conversations. Warsen whispered softly to Kyler in a deep, soothing voice.
"I'm not exactly alive, friend. I think yer ability might have something related to that, aye? You and me ought to stay a little closer, since it appears ye' fellow mates are making their own friends."
Warsen's pirate accent revealed itself as he spoke more casually. He figured he ought to give Kyler the full package if he were to befriend him. Warsen would fix his torn hat and black mask before leaning back in his chair.
"Name's Warsen Skiff, but ye already knew that. Try to keep our little secret bellow the deck, aye?"
Warsen shot a wink towards Kyler.
"Tell me Kyler, what is it you can do? It's been itching my mind..."​

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Exalted: Teresa Hidalgo​

As Teresa was dive-tackled by Maya, she let out a soft squeak as she was thrown back onto the ground for the third time in short succession. She hugged Maya with a tight squeeze. “Thank you! I’m grateful you believed in me, makes me more confident to try this out.” Teresa was pulled up by Maya, “I believe I must rely more on the Almighty for my power. It seems that prayer lets me gather the mana. However, I do not know what I can do with it. Although I am super excited to find out!”

 

[SilverFlight]

"Ooooh look at the precious!" Thali crooned at Ally. "He's worried we'll get into trouble!" She was obviously delighted. Even more so when he jumped on board with their caper.
"I think I'm starting to like you Shiny Shoes."
Saccharine Cyanide

Thali grinned at Kana's question. "My acting? Ha! Watch this."
She took a moment to compose herself, and when she stepped into the kitchen she was clutching her stomach, her hand slid against the wall, trying to keep a balance she, in reality, had perfect control of. She leaned dangerously to one side, so much so that one of the kitchen maids held out an arm to catch her. Thali caught it, clutching it like a life line tossed from a ship at sea.
"I-I was hungry...so I snuck something out of the kitchen...I don't think it's agreeing with me."
The head chef turned from her work and came over.
"What's the matter dear? My goodness you don't look well."
In moments she had the entire kitchen flocked about her, fussing and fretting. Apparently the candidates for this little project were valuable, and nobody wanted to cop it for poisoning one of them.
"I...I just need to lie down for a moment...I'll be all right." Thali whispered valiantly.
"Get her up to the dorms, fetch the healer!" This was shouted by the head cook, but before she could turn away Thali feigned a swoon and collapsed straight into her arms. The chef had no choice but to escort her too. This left only a few concerned scullery maids in the wake of the thief's star performance. As she was being half-guided half-carried out of the kitchen she managed a wink at her co-conspirators before she vanished around a corner.
tacere Baconhands

 

[ShiyaRose]

Kyler Ward
​

Kyler noted the calm way the boy, Warsen, stared at him as he spoke. There was something about him that seemed different to everyone else Kyler had observed; both in his village and in this encampment. Something happened to this boy that completely changed him, that Kyler was sure of. Whatever it was that happened, perhaps it was also linked to that feeling Kyler got from him. Kyler mind stretched out the possibilities of what that could be, but he was apprehensive to narrow it down to anything. Making assumptions about people was the best way to land in a whole bunch of trouble. Even if those assumptions never left the mind. The boy looked at Kyler as if sizing him up- as if Kyler would pose a threat. At least that's what Kyler thought, as the last time someone looked him over like that it was moments before getting beat up. Perhaps the people he grew up with were just assholes.

After looking shiftily around the room Warsen then motioned for Kyler to lean forward, the sudden change in atmosphere taking Kyler by surprise. Unable to stop himself- mostly due to curiosity- Kyler leant forward, his onyx eyes glowing slightly in the light. What Warsen said next caused Kyler's mouth to pop open in shock.
Dead? This young boy with the odd accent was actually dead?! Kyler leant back in his chair, blinking as he processed this information. Warsen clearly wanted it to be a secret, and Kyler could see why. Who knew how all these other people would react to the knowledge that one of them was basically a zombie. "Of all the things I was expecting you to say, that definitely wasn't it." Kyler said, slightly amused. A normal person would probably take what Warsen had said as a joke, for everyone knew zombies didn't exist. They were just scary stories told to children to keep them up at night. But, with everything Kyler had felt and heard for his entire life he had no doubt that what Warsen said was the truth. It also would explain that feeling he got from the kid. "So how did that happen? Some kind of experiment?" Kyler kept his voice low, respecting the boy's wishes in keeping it as low key as possible.
At the mention of his own powers, Kyler's eyes clouded over as he thought it over. He definitely had some kind of power, perhaps it had something to do with those white orbs? Or that golden thread that still danced at the edge of his vision. "As for what I can do, I honestly don't know yet. However, hearing about your... Situation... I have a feeling I know how to find out." Kyler chewed his lower lip, looking Warsen over with a curious expression. "You don't happen to know where they bury the dead around here do ya? Perhaps tomorrow we can slip out during training to give it a visit. I've always felt power around the dead, so that would be a good place to start." Kyler chose not to mention the golden thread he saw from Warsen. He felt like he could reach out and grab it, but he didn't want to do anything rash without knowing what it was he could do yet. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally kill someone on his first official day of meeting everyone.
Kyler turned his attention back to Warsen, feeling more confident now that Warsen had trusted him enough to share his little secret with him."So where are you from? I noticed your accent, it's unlike anything I've heard before." Kyler then tilted his head, another question popping up. "And how long have you been... Well, you know."

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Warsen Skiff
Location: Mess Hall
Interactions: Kyler

Warsen was pleased with Kyler's response. Warsen knew that he was a truthful man, but of course that's not something everyone could distinguish. It didn't help he was just a kid. As he watched Kyler's thoughtful expression, soaking in the heavy news, Warsen couldn't help but stare lightly at the other man's eyes. Not necessarily romantically, but he loved the onyx color that pierced whichever direction they looked, unlike Warsen's dull stormy grey ones. He was sure to look away before Kyler noticed. The last thing he wanted to do was creep out the first friend he made. As Kyler spoke, Warsen's lips tugged into a small smile, what normally would have been a laugh for the pirate.
"Aye, it is not the fairest tale, but it is mine alone, I suppose. I've been like this for three weeks now..."
Warsen stared at his pale hand, his still eyes blinked slowly before he finally looked back up to Kyler.
"Mother always said death would be dancin' around me until I finally grabbed em' and made em' still... It was a metaphor, aye, but it's silly that it can be taken so literally..."
Warsen didn't laugh at his own joke. It was rather awkward.
"Now that m' mind's pondered on it, She was right. Every second of my life on that wretched ship was a second of hazard. I could've died from God's hands at any moment. Most of the time I almost did. Aye, he's out for me, eh?"
Warsen let out a small 'heh' as he adjusted his position in his chair. As Kyler asked about his past, he nodded approvingly.
"My past is rather plain, I'm afraid. I was born on a ship, forced to work as a crewman. Ma left me in my early teens, and I promised her I wouldn't die on that bastard's ship. I gave em' quite the memory too, heh. He be missing a finger now. I always had a bad habit of getting past even."
Warsen nodded to himself.
"So I be a pirate. I don't reckon ye have problem with that."
By his last sentence, Warsen had completely fell into his accent, a sort of sign that he felt comfortable around Kyler since he didn't exactly have a reason not to. Those blunt stormy eyes welcoming Kyler to a friendship. Of course, his next comment would decide that. Warsen went to rest his hand on the hilt of his blade, and was clearly bothered when he failed to feel it's cold touch. His eyes blinked a bit and now looked sadly to the floor.
ShiyaRose ​

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Exalted: Teresa Hidalgo​

After Teresa and Maya exchanged some happy banter between the two of them, she said “This was fun Maya, I hope to see you tomorrow for training.” and gave her one more hug. She was glad to make one more friend. When she departed from their little area, Teresa heard a strange metallic sound a short distance away. Looking over she saw Gabe at a forge, and wonder what he was doing there. Teresa may have never had the opportunity to be around a working forge but isn’t there supposed to be great flames of fire spewing forth?


She wandered over to him, not making a sound however she was in plain view if he ever looked up. He seemed to be in pain, or maybe very tired, she thought it would be a good idea to approach him slowly. Kellan, if Teresa remembered correctly, was very quiet when they were in mess hall. Every move he made was like he was afraid of being struck.


His hands were on his knees, there for Teresa lowered herself to his eyes. Now that they were on the same level, she spoke softly. “Kellan,” Teresa did not touch him, she feared he would recoil the moment a finger even grazed him. “Are you feeling alright?” she glanced at the metal sheet that he had been working on, almost a twinkle in her eye had formed. “Did you do this? This is amazing! How are you already showing such mastery of your power?” She recalled from earlier he appeared to be out of control, but already he was putting his ability to good use.


She gave a cheerful smile “If you are willing, I have a request for you.”

 

[Gabe]

Kellan's mind was still "connected" with the metal, the harmonious yet discontent song that came from it still filling his ears. He only disconnected when his peripheral vision caught the Sister's visage, her mouth saying something that Kellan didn't listen. He was a bit startled, but the members of the church always helped slaves when labor was needed in their structures. Food, water, rest. They were the most humane in treating him, so he felt at ease, especially when the song still filled his being with calm. "Oh, uh... Sister Teresa. I'm sorry, did you say something?" he said, in a small voice. She probably didn't hear him, because she started talking about the metal sheets that rested on the forge's table. He chuckled at her comments. "Ah, it's nothing special, I just... hear the song of the metal...?" He said, a bit confused at his own words. He did this several times since his Awakening, but he never thought about it. He waved his hand in front of him. "Oh uh, nevermind, forget about it." He smiled at her when she said something about a request. "Oh, gladly! What do you need? I'm not so skilled with the fine crafting yet, but I think I can help you."

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Exalted: Teresa Hidalgo​

Kellan waved his hand dismissively after giving an interesting piece of information about his power. With raised eyebrows, it fascinated Teresa. Such interesting little details, where she does not even know the beginning of hers. “Well, I would really love armor. If we are fighting the horrors of the world, something to protect me would be fantastic.” She sinched up her robe around her waist, showing the general shape of the body. “If you know anything of Saint Celestine, she was a beautiful sister, there are wonderful stories of her beauty in her armor. I remember seeing a portrait painted of her. I would love to have it all, oh it would be so exciting to have her armor. Maybe one day I can find her portrait again and bring it to you. But for now, maybe just a Breastplate, or if you are feeling up to it a Curiass or a Salet?”

 

[Saccharine Cyanide]

Aloysius von Bateaux
Noble | Voice Manipulation​

"Well, I...'Shiny Shoes'?" Ally blinked. He couldn't help but check the polish on his boots. "Are they really that shiny?" His brow knitted; he seemed genuinely concerned.

"Ah...Anyway," he coughed. He watched as Thali and her acting skills carried out the first part of the plan. Then he answered Kana's question. "I usually have more to work with, but I...I think I can do it."

He quietly cleared his throat. His nose wrinkled as he emptied his thoughts of anything but the sound of the head chef's voice, clear as a bell in the echo chamber of his mind.

"<What are you lot standing around for?>" The head chef's voice came from the direction she and Thali had just left, as if just around the corner. <The master wants the best food and drink we have brought to the mess hall right this moment! Meats, cheeses, bread, wine. Come on, now. Hop to it!>"

Nobody in the kitchen moved for a second. The scullery maids looked around at one another, as if unsure.

Ally's heart sank. Was there something wrong with the intonation? The vernacular? He didn't know exactly how the head chef spoke, so he'd had to fill in some blanks. Had it not been enough?

But then, movement. The scullery maids hurried off one by one as one of them pulled open the larder doors and another the cellar.

"It's actually working," Ally let out a breath. He couldn't contain his glee and chuckled out loud. "I can't believe it."

In a few minutes, each maid had her arms full. Ally decided that was good enough. Time for part two.

"<Ack! Wait! Drop what you're doing! Everyone! I need your help out here! Drop everything! Quickly, quickly!>"

The maids didn't hesitate this time to drop everything they had, fumbling to put it on the nearest surface. They practically raced out the door, none of them eager to displease their higher-up. Not with the amount of urgency Ally had put into her voice.

"I don't think I bought us very much time," Ally said, though he hardly had to remind them, once the maids were out of sight. He nodded in Lilian's direction. "Let's make haste before we're caught."

SilverFlight , tacere , Baconhands

 

[ShiyaRose]

Kyler Ward
​

Kyler listened intently to Warsen's story, taking in every word he said. Kyler had never found himself interested by others around him especially when those others had a rather unpleasant tendency of beating him up or calling him names. Warsen wasn't like that, however. Which was almost ironic considering he was a pirate. Kyler tried to picture himself living the life Warsen had; on a pirate ship, always travelling with Death breathing down his neck. It seemed exciting, but also daunting. Kyler had read books about sailors whom had perished in the unpredictable waters of the vast oceans that surrounded their continent, and he did not envy those sailors at all.

"Sounds like you've had a rather colourful past," Kyler said lightly, shifting his weight in the seat. "You're right, I don't have a problem with it. I'm not one to hold a moral compass." Kyler grimaced slightly as he pictured himself just a few months earlier; chopping up animal carcasses, covered in blood and then spending his time off sat in a graveyard. No wonder he was bullied so incessantly.
Kyler could feel Warsen's silent invitation; an invitation to something Kyler has never had before. Friendship. The thought made Kyler baulk slightly, but he kept his face an impassive mask, not betraying any of the emotions that swirled beneath the surface. Deciding not to think too much about it, Kyler leant forward and decided to open up a little to the boy. Because that's what friendship was about, right? "My past isn't so interesting. As an infant I was abandoned in the village square and then adopted by a young couple whom were unable to conceive for themselves. I've always held an unusual fascination with the dead, and spent a lot of my time in the local graveyard. Many kids my age didn't like that, and did everything in their power to let me know that." A shadow passed Kyler's face as he remembered the many ways those bullies tormented him. "Anyways as soon as I came of age I got employed in a butchers shop and that's where I was until I signed up for... Whatever this is. Well, I thought I signed up but I guess I wouldn't have had a choice either way." Amusement flickered in those onyx eyes, but disappeared quickly.
The way sadness passed over Warsen's face as he touched the hilt of his sword didn't escape Kyler's notice. Kyler wondered how exactly being dead affected the young pirate. Without a heart pumping blood, what senses had Warsen lost? Kyler wished to ask as much, but chose not to in case he'd be overstepping any invisible boundaries. The last thing he wanted was to lose the one person who might understand him.
A Not So Wonderful Story

 

[Gabe]

Kellan looked at Teresa's body as soon as she cinched up her robe, which made Kellan avert his eyes almost instantly, blushing. "T-there's no need for you to show anything, haha..." He said, looking at the thick metal sheet. "I... I'm not sure if I can do anything like this, but I can try. I helped a blacksmith once... He was harsh, but he taught me some stuff. A salet is like... like a helmet, right? And a breastplate... I think I can do the breastplate." He said, making a wave motion on the top of his head. "I need some time to heat the metal." He took a step back and motioned the sister to do the same. Raising his hands towards the metal, he closed his eyes, the sheet springing into life almost instantly. Slowly, but surely, the iron started to grow warm, its color turning from silver to orange to yellow. Roughly five minutes passed since he started, but the effects could be felt even at a distance. The heat that emanated from the metal sheet was akin to a lit forge. He looked at Teresa, nodding. "Now... Here comes the hard part." He closed his eyes once again, his brow furrowing and the symbols in his hand glowing a white light.

The iron's song was eager, purposeful, even... happy? Kellan concentrated on the shape of the breastplate, remembering the time that he worked for the blacksmith. The iron sang in return, compliant.

The metal sheet started moving. Unnecessary parts detached themselves, the remains being thrown on the bucket of water, near the forge, the water reaching a boiling point almost instantly, evaporating. The sheet curled on itself, making a cylinder, with more parts being detached and cooled.

The iron was ecstatic. Kellan started to think what exactly was that song that he kept on hearing, the resonance that he shaped and moved with his willpower, with his mind. Was it really the metal that spoke to him, or something else? It moved him to work, to build and to shape.

Roughly 10 minutes passed since Kellan started. The armor took shape incredibly fast, although Kellan undid and redid some parts several times. Finally, the piece started to lower its temperature, but not until a piece of metal took a shape of a cross, etching itself on the front of the piece. The cross had the same design as the one in Teresa's robe, but large enough that went from the midsection of the plate to the top. Kellan lowered the piece on the table of the forge, and as soon as the final part came together, the resonance sound rung, coming from the armor. Kellan instantly fell to his butt, breathing heavily, but with a smile on his face. "That... That was amazing..."

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Exalted: Teresa Hidalgo​

Teresa stared in awe as Kellan forged her armor right before her eyes. What she imagined would have taken hours of hard manual labor happened in mere minutes. Teresa said, “By the almighty it certainly was exceptional.” She studied the cuirass without touching it, in fear of it being scolding hot. The cross was a lovely touch that gave it uniqueness. Teresa stooped down and picked up Kellan by the hand. “Thank you so much, it means a lot to me that you did this immediately.” After the cuirass had cooled down she picked it and investigated a little more. There was a small problem, it was one piece, and the waist was smaller than the width of her shoulders. Therefore she had no chance of putting it on at all. She looked towards Kellan again with a cheeky smile. “I actually have one more request,” Teresa gave suggestions about what she needed from the armor. It couldn’t be in one piece as she needed to get into it, but she also had to be able to put it on by herself. The Cuirass had been separated into two pieces, front and back. A leather strap and its metal parts riveted over one shoulder, and two on the other side over the ribs. The end result was a beautifully dommed piece of armor, one that she can put on her self, and it comes down to her navel to allow torso mobility, large enough cutouts for full movement of the arms. Teresa spun around, looking down, moving about doing jumping jacks, rotating about the hips. “I think it’s perfect, how do I look?” Teresa smiled and made a heroic pose, standing chest out and her hands on her hips.

 

[Gabe]

Kellan laughed as Teresa posed. "Like a holy warrior!" He said, mimicking her pose. "I hope you like it, and I hope it protects you..." He said, his eyes going lower, setting on her feet. "Actually, I have a request as well." Kellan fidgeted a little, placing a hand on the back of his head. "I wanna learn more about blacksmithing, and I saw a library on the way here. But..." He sighed again, mustering up courage. "Can you teach me how to read?" He said, looking back at her eyes.

 

[Danidify]

???

Location: Training Area | Interacting with: @ Everyone| Mentions: Morskoy Strelok ApfelSeine Saccharine Cyanide Baconhands Gabe ShiyaRose SilverFlight tacere LumaThePhoenix A Not So Wonderful Story

9 AM. The warm orange glow of the sun anounced the start of yet another day. It would most likely grow to be just the same as yesterday for most. Another hard day of hard work. Another day to spend practicing swordfighting or archery, fortifying walls, or mourning for the losses caused by yet another fatal attack. Blood, sweat and tears filled the entire day. It was nothing new. Nothing truly shocking anymore.

The castle woke up early today. Breakfast was served at 8 AM for the 'blessed' guests. Those who hadn't chosen to attend out of their own would've found a peaceful pair of guards at their doors that would oh so lovingly escort them to the respective hall. It was important to eat, especially before training.

After 30 minutes, everyone had been given the chance to leave and prepare themselves for the upcoming schedule. It was a vague description, as per usual. Not much more than "This will be your first day of training." and "Be there at 9" would've escaped from a certain fiery individual's mouth.

The dedicated training area was outside, actually. Despite the fear of having them be seen, it was needless to state that it probably wasn't a smart decision to use dangerous magic within the castle either. The lesser evil had been chosen, coming in the shape of a murky grass field surrounded by thick walls surrounded by tall trees and vegetation. It was a nice and decent location to train with magical powers, without the rest of the region finding out or having any of the Exalted escape. That would be assured not just by the thick walls and trees, but also by the lovely little marks cut neatly into them. There was little to worry about.

The doors were to open at exactly 9 AM. All Exalted were to be present by then, but that had been assured of by plenty of guards. Besides, it was hopefully unlikely for people to protest against going outside. For those who had rebellious thoughts that resulted in actions.. Well, a sudden volatile shock through their body would've hopefully made them understand how unwise their actions were.

When the clock hit the 9 precisely, a guard opened up the sturdy doors. A light breeze would quickly greet those inside as the gate to the training grounds was opened up. The Exalted would soon find themselves standing in the open sky.

Newly-placed dummies, targets and some other constructs were scattered across the reasonably-sized field. There were large racks to the side of the entrance, filled with a wide variety of weapons and goods for use. The place did not look very 'luxurious' per se, but it had everything one would need to train.

One did not require a keen eye to notice the clear lack of, well, anyone else. They seemed to be alone at the moment, with no guard or large bundle of smoke in sight. Free reign, it seemed. At least, for now.

(Note: Here is the discussed timeskip. This is merely the day after the one we've roleplayed, so not much time has passed since then.)

code by Ri.a

 

[Morskoy Strelok]

Teresa Hidalgo​

Teresa shook her head up and down after Kellan asked her to teach him how to read. “Why of course I can teach you. We will start with the basics now, and I can teach you more into the evening." She grabbed a piece of charcoal from the dead forge, and scrounge around for something like a scrap piece of canvas. She would then look around for an unoccupied flat surface in which she would move to with expediency. She took no time to mention to Kellan to follow, she simply expected it. She wrote out on top of the canvas in neat simple script each letter of the alphabet, which left ample room for Kellan to write and copy below.

Teresa patted the seat next to her “Come here, sit.” Teresa would go through each individual letter, slowly sounding them out and would say a word associated with it. “I want you to be able to recognize the letters, and then be able to sound them out when you see whole words. You have the advantage of being able to already speak it with fluency.” She keep this up until the sun sets and there is not enough light to continue.

“Well Kellan, that is all that we will go over today, but if we have the opportunity tomorrow we will go over it again. I want you to study this tonight if you are serious about reading. I will not tolerate laziness.” She said with a stern face, then turned into a smile as she handed him the canvas and the piece of charcoal. Teresa stood, dusting herself, leaving smudge marks on her robe. Due to her carelessness, she also had dark smudges on her face, as well imparting Kellan with some as she would shape his mouth so he would create the correct sound.

Waving goodbye, Teresa would return to her quarters. The next day she would turn up for breakfast, maybe even be one of the first, gather up her meal, and dig in. She would obviously be up for conversation, looking around expectantly. If Kellan came to her again, willing to teach him how to read, going over what they did the day before. Either way, no meal before her would survive the onslaught of her spoon, for her hunger was a giant beast, and the meal the first fine prey it had seen in a long time.

When entering the training field, she would take the liberty to put on her cuirass.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Gabe]

Kellan followed Teresa as quickly as one could, growing accustomed to such nonverbal orders. He sat near her when she asked, following her motions with unwavering attention. He quietly watched until it was his turn. He awkwardly took the charcoal from her hand, and set on repeating the letters. The charcoal felt weird in his hand, and his writing was completely exaggerated. He became more and more frustrated with it, but luckily, Teresa could manage that with ease.

When the sun set, Teresa asked about the lessons, and Kellan agreed completely. "Don't worry about laziness, I've learned well and good how not to be lazy." He said, showing his arm. The scars were faint but still showed the abuse that the boy sustained over the years. When they finished, he bowed to the sister, genuine happiness in his words. "Thank you, Sister. It's more than I could ever ask for." They parted ways, Kellan returning to his room. He spent the most part of the night training his writing, writing slowly but surely, making sure progress, managing to write his name in a semi-legible manner right before he went asleep.

The following day started early. Kellan stalled a little on the room, trying to have at least something decent to show the sister before leaving for breakfast, but the guards' cold stare made him rush. He was more comfortable eating on the kitchen rather than the dinner room, something that the servants made real advantage of, by talking to the boy, making him showcase his power(bending a spoon made them think he was some kind of psychokinetic), and make him help in several errands, something that the simple boy did with glee. Soon he was out on the training field, back to the forge. He decided to light it up that time, training his handiwork rather than his power. He still knew how to melt the iron and make the sheets by hand, using his power lightly but consistently. It was more about training his endurance rather than his control.

 

[SilverFlight]

Thali did not like mornings. She liked them even less when she was prodded awake by a nervous-looking guard with a poleaxe, standing in her doorway. She glared daggers at the poor man and she could see the bead of sweat trickle down his brow. Obviously he had drawn the short straw, and she resisted the urge to fling him bodily over the keep wall.
She dressed in her combat leathers today, knowing that she had a day of hard training ahead of her, but she wasn't going to be so accommodating to whoever was out on the field.
The kopesh blades were standing against the wall and the took them up, spinning them once before stepping out into the grey morning light.

The field, once the doors had opened was filled with gear. Thali took one took at the straw manikins and snorted.
"Because grass dummies are uncannily like the beasts we're supposed to kill."
She leaned against the low wall that ringed the training field, watching Teresa prepare for the day as well.
"That's pretty." She said, loud enough to catch Teresa's attention. She gestured towards the cuirass. "I don't think you had that yesterday."
She cast her gaze about the area, the sound of the forge behind them drawing her attention. Kellan was working like he'd been born to it. Something clicked in her mind and her brows shot into her hair.
She jammed a thumb in Kellan's direction in silent query: Had he made her that armour? Just yesterday?
Morskoy Strelok

 

[ApfelSeine]

Vijay Kulkarni​

Vijay had woken easily that morning, no stranger to waking up even before the sun had risen as he had often done in his hometown. Even after such a grueling experience, his tendency to be a rather light sleeper had not changed, and he was awake well before the guards came to retrieve him while he waited patiently in his room, unaware of the expected schedule beyond that they were expected to begin training that morning/. He did find it somewhat surprising that the morning routine was so strictly enforced, and it was somewhat awkward how uneasy the guards were around him. They had been a bit aggressive at first, losing their thunder a bit when Vijay willingly complied and went along with them. Still, even Vijay's attempts to lighten the mood with cheerful small talk was met with polite but also carefully worded responses. Vijay did his best to watch his movements, avoiding sudden motions that might startle the guards as though they were a herd of deer. The guards did relax somewhat the more he talked to them like an ordinary person would, but they seemed to clam up again once they reached the hall where Vijay and his comrades would have breakfast.

The morning was rather uneventful as they ate, and were then released to prepare for training at 9. Having nothing in particular that he needed to do, Vijay reached the entrance to the training field early, sitting nearby the door to the training field with his legs carefully folded as he closed his eyes, focusing on clearing his mind of useless insecurities, doubts, and other unwanted mental influences. He did not appear to notice any surprised or confused glances directed his way. Once the doors were opened, Vijay rose to his feet and made his way outside.

The appearance of the training field was rather unimpressive, but there was plenty of space to move about in. Vijay stood to the side, warming up by stretching his arms and legs as he always did before a strenuous activity. Whether it was farming, mining, or combat practice, Vijay had always found that his teacher's advice held true. His body would be far more ready to take on a challenge if he took time to gently prepare himself for it. Additionally, it was pleasant getting to breathe in some fresh morning air.