Altera Arcana IC

Kagayours

Kagayours

a ghost
Original poster
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. One post per week
  2. Slow As Molasses
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
OOC
​
Early afternoon on a summer day.

Clay was dressed in a simple, light-gray cloak that covered him from his shoulders to his knees, with pockets on the inside to hold money and other small belongings. He kept his hand on his coin pouch and fiddled with it anxiously. Clay didn't visit this part of the city often, but he needed to meet with someone to discuss a potential job that he'd heard about. And while the name 'Atvance' wasn't commonly associated with pickpocketing — or really any high crime rates, for that matter — it still didn't hurt to err on the side of caution.

As Clay walked, it soon became apparent that there was some sort of commotion happening up ahead. He was still too far away to see much of anything, but he could hear shouting, and caught glimpses of crowds gathering in the city streets up ahead. "What in the world…" he mumbled. As Clay approached, he could see more and more people gathering in the center of, well… whatever was going on. Up ahead, he could hear chanting, "Ace! Ace! Ace! Ace!"

Soon enough, Clay made it to the outer edge of the crowd. Everyone was gathered around something, but, even with his height, it was hard to see past them to discern exactly what they were all looking at. Clay then heard a commanding voice cut through the roaring crowds. "Settle down, subjects!" The chanting quieted down soon after. "It's time for the people of Atvance to hear what I have to say…" What came next was partially drowned out by the continued murmuring of the crowd. At any rate, Clay wasn't in the mood for any of it. "Whatever's going on, it's blocking up the roads…" Clay mumbled. "…And I have places to be."

After letting out an annoyed sigh, he began to weave his way through the crowd, muttering a "sorry" or "'scuse me" whenever necessary. Soon enough, he made it to the front of the crowd. There, he saw a human man standing in the town square, on top of some sort of raised platform, apparently acting as a stage of sorts. The man appeared to be in his late 20's or early 30's. He was a bit pale, and his hair was a deep black color. He dressed like a noble, and wore lots of dark purple and white. He had a charismatic smile, but there was something devilish about it, too. The top hat on his head completed his showoff-y look.

"People of Atvance," the man spoke. "I'm here, because I want to save this kingdom…"

Clay raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Altera is stifled, bound in by the Pyrans to the West and the rat hordes to the North and East… we have Heiana, yes, but the ocean that stands between her and the mainland is not a creature of kindness. Many-a sailor have been lost to the hydras and the great water dragons that dwell there. And while the hordes — terrifying forces of nature, truly — would be a difficult obstacle to clear, it is Altera's struggles with Pyros that are the most embarrassing truth about the current state of our dear kingdom. The barbaric Pyrans keep battering us from the West," he narrated, swinging his arms dramatically for emphasis. "And what would king Heian have us do? Fight back? No, he'd rather have us retreat into the seas!" the man exclaimed, with his apparent supporters offering their own chorus of "yeah"'s and other words of support.

I'm no expert on politics, but I'm pretty sure that's not how that works… Clay added silently.

"As you know, citizens, a new prince will soon be chosen, and it is of the utmost importance that we ensure that the man who winds up on that throne is the one that this kingdom needs. And if the royal court has even the tiniest bit of sense left in them, that man will be me — Ace Dominyx!" The crowd began cheering wildly again as the chanting started back up.

"Ace! Ace! Ace! Ace!"

Ace, smiling confidently, gestured for them to quiet down. Once the chanting petered out again, Ace turned to the more silent sections of his audience, the crowd of confused and curious townspeople such as Clay, and continued to speak. "Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering — if my place is in Tarocchi, then, what am I doing here? Well… in order to return Altera to the prosperous state it once was, I need your help, people of Atvance!" he exclaimed. "The journey to Tarocchi is a long one, you see. And although I was gifted with this brilliant mind, I was not born into riches."

"Could've fooled me." Clay muttered under his breath, eyes narrowed skeptically at Ace's outfit.

"I need enough supplies to make it to the next town, enough money to survive in the town after that… If I'm to make it to Tarocchi, it will be because of you, citizens!"

"Ugh, he's just some con artist? Why is anyone even paying him any attention?" Clay muttered. "…Wait a minute, why am I paying attention to him?!" he exclaimed, shaking his head as he tried to pull himself out of his thoughts. "Ugh, I don't have time for this…" he continued muttering to himself, trying to keep his head down as he walked along the front of the crowd, inching his way to the other side of the square without stepping into Ace's spotlight.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Greenie and Turtle of the Tired
Zito was wearing a short comfortable dark green dress. she'd had been hoping to get some practice in with her bow but the crowd was definitely an obstacle. she really didn't care about the man preaching that he needed their help, she could barely hear his speech anyway. she was just hoping to find a way around the crowd, she didn't like large groups of people, they could turn stupid very quickly given a trigger. she looked around but the street seemed pretty packed. she ran a hand through her long brown hair. it was pretty clearly a con, if she thought about it, he was asking them to pay for him to make it to the next city without any guarantee he'll be prince and no chance of him paying them back. Yet, her neighbors seemed pretty excited, maybe she should know who he was? was he famous or something? she'd never paid much attention to human celebrities.

"great" she muttered, "guess I could go home...?" but she didn't really want to, both her parents and the only brother still living with them were out at work and she hated being home alone. "No... guess I'll have to find a way around" as she thought she pulled out her flute and played a couple light notes. she could push her way through towards the back. she was small but she could do it. there were ways around the crowd but the most direct path to where she was going would be to just go through them. with a sigh she slipped the flute back into her belt, and went towards the crowd.
 
As usual, Alicia was wearing her inverted cloak as to not stand out too much. The inside (or technically outside now) wa a very standard dark grey, bordering on black. Alicia was just on her way back home after a visit to the local library when she stumbled upon the crowd gathered on the streets. What were they chanting? 'Ace, Ace, Ace'? What was that supposed to mean? Not wanting to leave without knowing exactly what was going on, Alicia tried to get closer to the crowd. It soon became clear to her what all the ruckus was about. Interesting... So the man wanted to become the next king? Alicia had no idea who the guy was, nor had she ever heard of the 'Dominyx' family. Apparently he wanted to become the next king? Well, good for him. Quite frankly, Alicia didn't really care who would become the next king or queen, as long as the person in question didn't cause too much trouble for her. More problematic, although he did not openly say so, the man was apparently planning to go to war if he would become the next king -- something which would very much cause trouble for her and her family, considering how this would cripple trade and travel even further than it already was. Alicia's ideal royal candidate, Ace was not. Either way, there wasn't a whole lot Alicia could do about it, nor was she planning on getting too directly involved. Instead, the Avian female leaned against a nearby wall, trying to soak up as many details about the man as she could. Ace Dominyx... That's a very unique name, to say the least. So unique, in fact, that there's a good chance it's fake; an obvious attempt to make sure he won't get caught too easily. Not to mention that it sounds a lot more impressive than Tom Smith, another thing by which the masses tend to be easily influenced. His usage of the word 'subjects' and the purple and white colors in his clothing would mean that he's either royalty or a pretender to the throne. His pale complexion means that he likely didn't do a lot of hard field work. All in all, he's likely at least related to a wealthy family and a very dangerous person, and not someone to get on the wrong side of unless you have an even better side to side with.

Alicia didn't buy 'Ace's' spiel about him needing money to reach the next town; considering his outfit, he obviously had a lot of money to spend. No, it was more likely that he was just trying to get a lot of followers -- something which he was quite successful at, really. That said... Although she didn't really consider him the perfect candidate for the throne, what better source of power could there be than to have the very king himself in debt to you? To know his deepest and darkest secrets, the ones that no man wants uncovered? ...No,that wouldn't work; if he did became the king, then he could simply have her executed for treason if she tried to pull a stunt like that. Then again, if he did that right at the start of his kingship, the people might hate him for it. On the flipside, if he let himself get cornered right at the satrt of his kingship, people might consider him weak and not worthy of his trust... No, it wasn't worth the risk. It was way too much of a gamble, with far too many uncertainties and far too big a risk. ...At least, too risky if she were to openly approach the man. But what if she could get someone else to contact him in her stead? Then if things went south, she could just act as if she never knew the intermediary and leave without anyone ever knowing she was there... Yes, that would work. Next step, finding someone wo was gullible enough for her purposes. Not that there is a lack of them around here, all things considered...
 
Last edited:
Clang. Clang. Clang. The sounds of metal on metal rang out from Raymond Seagate's smithy. There had been the customary break in customers after midday, and Raymond had taken the time to work on several personal projects. He laid down the hammer he had been using to beat down the current focus of work, a copper shovel used for digging. It had become bent when Raymond was shifting soil earlier in the week, but a short time in the furnace made it malleable enough to fix in short order. Although the shovel head was still brightly glowing from the fire's heat on one edge, Raymond lifted it, and held it in a water trough momentarily.

In a few seconds, the shovel was quite cool, and looked as good as it had ever been. Well, looks didn't matter so much; what did matter was its ability to shift earth. And, apparently, that ability was restored. Satisfied for the moment, Raymond set the shovel aside, as he knew there'd be a time to test it again later on. He wiped an arm across his forehead. It could get stifling in the smithy at times, especially during the afternoon heat. Raymond decided it was time for a break. There were still no customers, anyway. He tossed his gloves aside, and made his way to the street. On his way out, he called into the blacksmith's stall, "Master Tarkin, I'm going for a walk. Would you like me to bring anything to the market?" There was no answer. Curious. Raymond walked back into the smithy. Roger Tarkin, the master smith who was rather getting advanced in age, could nearly always be found in his smithy at this time of day, mulling over life, death, and the behavior of the town's youngest hoodlums. But today, he wasn't anywhere to be found.

He probably just took a walk, to take advantage of the fresh air today, Raymond reassured himself. He's not so old that he'd wander off... at least, I hope so. And for that matter, he thought, making his way toward the town center, where has everybody gone? The streets are unusually quiet. Turning down several streets, a noise came to Raymond's ears. Sounds like a crowd... in the town square. Wonder what's going on there? Rounding a corner, he nearly bumped into the smith, Tarkin himself. "My apologies, Master Tarkin!" Raymond helped the man steady himself. "Where have you been?"

"Bleegh. Some young upstart's made a fine noise in the square," Tarkin replied with a grim eye. "Calls 'imself 'Ace Dominatrix' or some rubbish. If you ask me, I'd say he's better off running back to whichever fine old, rabble-rousing pappy that's sent 'im here. He's got a whole bunch of us folk gathered in the square, tellin' 'em how he's planning on that little royal girl, Hyena or whoever she is." Raising his arms in a familiar form of consternation, Tarkin began to walk off toward his smithy. Before he turned the corner, he called back, "Oh, Ray! If you pass the Lionstail, stick yer head in and give old Barnaby a notice, his faucet'll be fixed this evening!" With that final note, Tarkin was gone.

Raymond stood for a moment, somewhat bemused. The master smith had a good eye for people, but something about this 'Ace' fellow sounded like it was worth a viewing. Another moment, and Raymond was heading in the direction of the square. As he approached, he could see down the street that there was a fairly large crowd gathered around a sole man, standing higher up in the square's center. He's on a stage. Oh, for the love of-- is he another con artist? Or just delusional? Mildly irritated that such a person was drawing away potential customers, he began to carefully make his way through the mid-sized crowd to a place near the front, so he could get a good look at the man on the stage.

Pushing through steadily, Raymond began to hear what the man was proclaiming. "... survive in the town after that… If I'm to make it to Tarocchi, it will be because of you, citizens!" Coming suddenly into the front, as the crowd pulled back all at once, Raymond was pushed forward roughly and nearly collided with a young Terran in a gray cape, making his own way across the square's center. "Whoa, sorry, alright there?" Raymond asked. The man on stage was clearly waiting for the crowd to settle down, but the people comprising it were all discussing with each other whatever the man had just been talking about. And from the sound of his last sentence, he was indeed quite the con artist.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Kiri strode into Atvance, having just arrived for the first time ever. She always received a rush of excitement when visiting a new city; even smaller ones like this were no exception. Every town had new people and a unique culture to it, with a different flavor of stories and tall-tales in each one. As she wandered the streets, Kiri finally noticed that there was a distinct lack of people. Much less than you'd expect anyways. There was no hustle and bustle as people shuffled around the walkways, instead, it sounded like all the hustle-bustle was coming from one place. "Well that's different. I wonder if it's some sort of holiday I forgot," she questioned aloud to herself.

Making her way to the source of the noise, Kiri was met with the large crowd that seemed to be gathering around...something. It was almost impossible to tell with all of these tall people in the way. Why was everyone always so darn tall? With a burst of wind, Kiri made a flying leap of several stories and landed on a nearby rooftop, drawing a few glances from the crowd here and there. Gazing down from the new height, it was clear to her that they were gathered around some top-hat guy. Her timing was pretty good too, he looked like he was about to tell a story. She stole herself a seat on the roof and tried to get comfortable as she listened in as best she could.

As Ace Dominyx began his speech, Kiri felt a growing sense of deja vu. When Ace finally mentioned his plans to head for Tarocchi, she had traced the feeling to a dream she had experienced last night. A disturbing dream. Of all people, Kiri loved to believe in the power of dreams, although a few 'misinterpretations' in the past had made her a bit cautious about acting on them. The thought of murdering an innocent man made her shudder a bit. Still, there was a distrust of this 'Ace' planting itself firmly in Kiri's mind. She went ahead and threw him a quick glare from the roof that he'd probably never notice before hopping off. Her fall was padded with another burst of air that caused her tunic to flutter about, though the white beret was tightly wrapped around her head. First things first, she'd need a meal and potentially a place to stay for the night. Travelling does make one hungry. Kiri turned her back to the crowd, prepared to wander around until she found an inn.
 
That morning had been a rather productive one, the forests brimming with new hunters, in their first few years and still so brave. Never having encountered anything more dangerous than particularly feisty prey. Well placed hoof strikes could never prepare them for the pierce of arrows. They'd never even know what to look for. As the sun rose into the noon position, he had a nice haul, spending a good hour cutting pelts away from carcasses, and taking what cuts he could from such scrawny creatures. It was a hot trek back to Atvance, sun high in the sky on a clear day, Fane moving with haste to return and put his spoils on ice. Or deliver them to the market. In fact, that sounded like the better idea, now that he was thinking on it, turning his trajectory to bringing him to the main area where shopping was to be done. It would have been a fine plan, had he not had to pass through the crowd of people, all tightly packed together to listen to what must have been someone rather important. Crowds weren't his favourite to begin with, less so now that he was worried about pressing and rubbing against others, covered in blood as he was.

"Alright, if you don't want your clothes reeking of guts and death, you need to make a path for me!" Fane called, trying to be heard over top the cacophony of people all clamoring as one. People agreeing with what had just been said, others cheering the end of Pyros. One person cheering loudly for some Ace person. None seemed to hear him, or if they had, didn't acknowledge him, as the announcement continued. The red head let out a long suffering sigh, shifting the heavy, hot furs on his shoulder. He brought up a hand, spiraling his fingers in front of him, gathering the air into a slowly growing ball. With a huff, he gently pushed it forward, the ball of air pushing between people and giving him a bit of room to maneuver as he followed behind. Some people turned with annoyance, but quickly dropped their complaints when they saw the cargo he carried and his bloodied visage. Maybe even put off a bit more by his smile, strained with annoyance at being hindered so. But he was moving through the throng of people rather quickly now.

"I need enough supplies to make it to the next town, enough money to survive in the town after that… If I'm to make it to Tarocchi, it will be because of you, citizens!"

Fane paused in his walking, letting the wind dissipate as he turned to the stage, just catching the face of the man speaking, eyes narrowing. Tarocchi? Then this man was after the throne was he? He certainly dressed the part, in fine clothes and a well manicured appearance. Spoke like one too, loud and commanding, with a certain arrogance that told of how highly he held himself. What noble needed to ask the common folk for funds? Or supplies? Would he not have ample coin to pay for his own? "You are begging aid from those who live hard lives, modest lives. You must have come from one of the cities, why did you not ask those with wealth to spare to fund your power grab?" His voice carried over the crowd, shouted in the hopes of reaching the well dressed Ace.
 
[BCOLOR=transparent]Calder's pretty face scrunched up as an overwhelming sense of apprehension settled over him. He didn't much care for large crowds, but the one that had gathered in the square made him particularly anxious. Being riled to a cause by a single, well-spoken man… Chanting and calling out for his success… It was obvious individual thought had given way to mob mentality. He wanted no part of it though, and the sooner he could get out of Atvance now, the better.

Checking his belt, he made sure his knife and coin purse were secured before pulling some of the moisture in the air closer to him, letting a thin, slick layer of water cover his skin and his clothes. Even if somebody in the crowd tried to grab his purse, they wouldn't be able to. Furrowing his brow, and taking a deep breath Calder plunged straight through the crowd, trying his best to ignore the man shouting his spiel to the crowd.

He slipped between the people, his slick skin making it easier for him to do so without too much uncomfort and had almost made it halfway through before he couldn't ignore what was going on any longer. The man--Ace was his name according to the crowd-- was begging these people for their money. The audacity of this creature to ask for their hard earned money when his clothes made it quite obvious he had the means to travel without it. "No," Calder thought. "This fool is asking for money to fund a war not his travels."

It was at that same moment that a voice rose out above the crowd. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"You are begging aid from those who live hard lives, modest lives. You must have come from one of the cities, why did you not ask those with wealth to spare to fund your power grab?"

The speaker wasn't too far from him and spoke exactly what he was thinking. Against his better judgement he stopped moving through the crowd and turned to face the stage. Listening to this mob blindly back this Ace fellow, Calder decided that somebody needed to be the voice of reason and he added his voice to the uproar as well. Taking a deep breath, he spoke as loud he could. "With those clothes one would think that you had the means to not only be financing your own journey, but you could pay some of these fine folks to escort you; since you're that so worried about surviving the trek to your destination."[/BCOLOR]
 
Last edited:
Ace was interrupted from his speech as some of the villagers began to speak out against him — first a blood-covered human hunter carrying fresh carcasses, then an Aquan who quickly chimed in after him. Ace narrowed his eyes at both of them for a moment, before a confident smile returned to his face again, and he replied,

"If I dressed as a poor beggar, do you really think I would be taken seriously? Imagine it — a street rat, shouting at people in the town square, asking for money, claiming he'll use it to give himself a shot at becoming prince? You'd all think I was delusional — or perhaps a drunk, or addict of some sort — hardly the sort of person who could return Altera to greatness. The most I could expect would be a few coins tossed my way out of pity." he retorted. "A look such as this is, unfortunately, a necessity — not just to show you, the people, that I mean business — but to impress the king and his court, as well." he explained. "Problem is, it takes quite a few pents out of my travel funds…" he shrugged in a very what-can-you-do sort of fashion. "And as for asking the wealthy for help? Tch. You should know by now that the throne is a bit of a coveted position — anyone who plans to buy their way there is already well on the path to doing so. Not only that, but do you think those competing against me would actually donate to my cause? No, the court of nobles is not a place where a man like me would find supporters. Besides, so many of them are pining for nothing more than power, wealth, and prestige; I want to actually do something about the state of this kingdom!" he exclaimed. "The elites don't care if our cities to the West are ransacked by Pyrans — not if it doesn't cost them any money, anyway. I understand the plight of the common man — and that's precisely why I need help from such people. You're the only ones who would want an underdog like me to succeed!" he shouted enthusiastically, followed by the roar of more cheering from his supporters in the crowd.

——

Clay continued to make his way across the square. He wanted to tune Ace out at this point, but, his ears perked up when Ace began responding to criticisms from the crowd directly — especially the part about not being taken seriously as a beggar. Clay hated to admit it, but that was almost a convincing argument. Too bad he wasn't being taken very seriously in his current attire, either.

Distracted by his thoughts, Clay almost didn't notice the human man who had been shoved into his path, nearly colliding with him. "Ah, yes, sorry, I'm fine." Clay replied, a bit awkwardly. Clay finished speaking just in time to hear Ace call himself an 'underdog', causing Ace's credibility levels to rapidly plummet once again. "The nerve of that man…" he muttered.

——

Tawny made her way towards the town square, having heard quite a bit of talk already about something happening there, and she was quite curious as to what exactly it was. She wore a cloak of a dull red color — of a similar style to Clay's — lazily wrapped around herself. As Tawny started to approach the crowds, though, it was clear that she'd have no way of seeing over everyone's heads with her small stature — and it wasn't very easy to hear what was going on, either.

Tawny then caught sight of a human casually jumping down from the top of a building — her feet gently reuniting with the ground as a gust of wind cushioned her fall. Must've been an air magic user who hopped onto the rooftop to get a better view. Although, she seemed rather disinterested in whatever was going on as she walked off. "Oh, excuse me!" Tawny called out, scurrying towards the human. "Hey, do you know what's going on over there?" she asked. "I saw you hop down from that rooftop, so…"
 
Afternoon meant that it was now time for Shireen to take a break. Once a sailor, it now seemed that all that knowledge of the sea and navigation was of no use to her, at least not in a city of little importance. For now, the short and tough young woman with the long messy hair was known as the one who brought fish from ships to sell to the fishmongers.

She let out a sigh as she wiped her recently washed wet hands on her trousers, not too worried about the stain marks on it. It was smelly work, hauling fish around, and it was even worse when some people were picky and didn't wish to purchase the fish they had ordered. Nevertheless, she was just a carrier/messenger, and the most that could be said to her were a few choice words that she easily returned, all with a ready smile. Smiling came easy to her.

Atvance wasn't where Shireen wanted to stay, but for now, she didn't have anywhere else to go. Her surrogate family had probably sailed back to Islios. Her mother, whom she had come to finally meet, had turned out dead, and her grandparents were old farts who didn't wish to speak a kind word in her direction. She didn't have enough money to buy her own ship. Even if she did, how was one person alone going to man a ship and sail her? It was rather impossible. As for buying passage back to Tralviland, she probably could do that, but then what? She would lose all her money to be in a city where she literally had nobody.

Which brings us back to why she was in a small unimportant city, wandering the streets after finishing the morning's work.

"What the bloody hell's going on?" she wondered aloud, her cyan eyes taking in the crowd that was blocking her path to where she was headed. She had been lucky enough to find someone willing to spare a bed for her, at a small price, of course, but one she was willing to pay so that she didn't have to sleep in the streets.

No one really paid her much attention, so Shireen pushed forward, close enough that she could spot a man who seemed to be on a raised platform. His hat and clothes in general seemed quite fancy in a normal person's opinion, and in Shireen's, very fancy. As she listened to him speak, she couldn't help but be reminded of her father... a little anyway. He had been rather charming and charismatic. Of course, that's where the similarities ended. Her father had looked nothing like the fellow. As with all those who claimed they wanted to better Altera, she couldn't help but smell something fishy. No, it wasn't her clothes.

She noticed that the crowd seemed quite taken by the fellow. Should she have been as well? She couldn't help but think not. Shireen was quite friendly and liked to think the best of people, but she wasn't stupid. "Nothing wrong with retreating to the seas," she muttered under her breath, a little smirk on her lips. It faded however as she paid further attention to what the man was saying. She couldn't say she liked it much. One of the reasons her father had told her he kept to the seas what to stay away from politics. According to him, they were all blood suckers. This fellow, well... she didn't want to judge him. But was he really asking for people's money? That was the crux of the matter, wasn't it? Support him in his endeavours.

Even as he spoke, Shireen could hear some other voices rise up to contest him. She chuckled softly. Well, hopefully someone or other would voice her thoughts. For now, she simply wanted to take a catnap, perhaps eat a little something first. Once that was done, maybe she could go search for some other ways to fill her pockets.

Shireen turned around in the crowd and started back in the direction she had started from. Maybe she could go around the crowd, find another direction that would lead her to the house she wanted to reach. With that in mind, she was nearly out of the throng when she fumbled in her step, not noticing until the last second that she had nearly walked into a small Terran.

"Woah, sorry there!" she exclaimed, eyes widening. "You alright? My bad, I kinda didn't see you there..." Her voice trailed to a stop as she scratched the back of her head, a sheepish smile on her face.

@AnimeLover_Princess​
 
Last edited:
Zito chuckled as she heard people contesting Ace, he really did just seem like a crook to her, even if she didn't care enough to speak up herself. And once she'd pushed into the crowd she'd lost sight of him, being at least minor bit shorter then almost everyone in the crowd, but that was normal she was short for a Terran.

As such she didn't actually see the human until they ran into each other.
The human apologized. Zito looked her over, she was actually taller then her, not by my but a couple inches. Zito stood at about 5'5" or 5'6". the pair both stood well below the heights of the people around them, there was also a bit of room around them. Zito smiled widely "Oh don't worry about it" She said, she put out a hand, "I'm Zito, you are?"
she'd always been a friendly person, even if she was a bit obsessed wit her training and helping her family, so she hoped this new human would be friendly as well.

She glanced around at the crowd, still going wild for Ace as he was being questioned "can you believe this guy?" She scoffed "and why is everyone believing him?" she shook her head, herd mentality had never really made sense to her, which she figured was funny, her being a Terran and all but basing your response to a situation based almost entirely on the people around you was just silly, everyone thought for themselves so why would they let everyone else's thoughts and feelings affect them that way?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As others gathered in the crowd voiced their concerns, Raymond noticed that the 'Ace' person's manner faltered momentarily.

Raymond's face soured. Ever since the prospect of marriage to the young princess Raia had been revealed, he'd heard the same bit a dozen times, but never before had any of the upstarts who thought they could reach the throne gathered any of the popular support in this manner. He's got the charisma, if not the substance beneath it, Raymond told himself silently. And the majority of our poor citizens here just can't see past it. I wonder who else spoke up, though, he thought, looking around. I'm glad not everybody here is being taken in by this man.

Still... he had to begrudgingly admit that Ace had a point. King Heian would not be likely to even entertain the thought of any suitors for his daughter who were not well funded, well clothed, and well spoken. But as Ace spoke of being the 'underdog', and how the people of Atvance would supposedly 'want' him to succeed, Raymond's worries were again made manifest as the crowd began to cheer.

Stepping past the male Terran, Raymond came a few paces closer to Ace's platform, making himself stand out from the crowd. He spoke loudly, directing himself to Ace, but ensuring that his voice would reach the people around him. "What proof can you show us that you have our best interests at heart? To us, you have acted no differently than others who might flout the same rhetoric; those who might dress to impress, but whose promises are skin-deep!"

Raymond paused for a moment to let his words sink in. "In short, you have no credibility here!" he exclaimed.
"As you've admitted yourself, without our support, you are unlikely to even be received at court. Aside from your silky words of so-called allegiance to the common folk, your expensive clothing, and your vast ego, what do you have?"

"Nothing!" Raymond shouted the word at Ace, an edge of long pent-up frustration tangible in his voice. This was most uncharacteristic for him, as normally he was quite level-headed and not driven to outbursts. Nevertheless, the logic behind his words remained clear, as he continued in a slightly more controlled voice. "You are asking for our charity, yet I do not believe you deserve it." Raymond folded his arms, furrowed his brow, and stared up at Ace with apparent distaste. "What reason did the fates have, that you should even come to this place? Would it not have been more favorable to your quest for the throne if you should have, say, ventured south to Tralviland, or chartered a transport to Era? I think you'd find that in those places, there are people with the width of mind and depth of pocket to support your cause." He broke off, eyeing Ace. There was much more he could say, but he'd decided to give Ace a chance to respond first.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Turtle of the Tired
The crowd chatted, praise and worship. Distrust and anger. Victarion watched.

At least not everyone succumbed to mob mentality. The over positive response to someone who regurgitated the same things that the past thousand potential upstarts have said. The word "Seedy" perfectly described this man. Predictably after the throne which always meant power. How boring. A idea more then fact. The throne was an obvious source of it, but it was a easy thing to dream. Half the people in the land had dreamed of it.

He had simply been wandering around when he had encountered this. Whether it be people shouting his name in joy or despair. This "Ace" had certainly captivated most who had walked upon this. Did he just want attention. Victarion hoped that it wasn't that simple to win over the poor folk with a smile and some words.

People who lusted after the throne were cheating. That was too easy to make yourself feel whole.

As with most things, Victarion stood above the crowd. He hadn't actually entered it, with there being no need to as he could easily see over everyone else. People voiced their opinion. Rejection comes easy to some people.

"Ace. Ace. Ace." He said out loud, mimicking the previous cries. The cries that supported the intent of war. Interesting, it wasn't that he was against war. It was most of time needed to stop the rot of a kingdom. But these townfolk were rooting for it. It made Victarion think not of 'Us VS Them' but a 'You Vs Them'. He doubted the individuals wanted to get involved themselves. They never did.

His cloak, detailed with numerous things that surely held some meaning, which seemed to absorb all light. Fluttered slightly.

He turned his head slightly, seeing an other cloaked figure next to a wall. Watching, waiting, listening. And here he thought he was the only avian in the immediate vicinity. This was someone who was curious. But not involved.

Also,

"Your cloak." He uttered having taken a step away from the crowd and towards her. "What's wrong with it?" His Icy blue eyes visible from under the hood.

@Neobullseye
 
Another voice rose up in the crowd, dissenting and attacking Ace for his sham. Little more than drops in the ocean of cheers for the charlatan, but each point brought up against him was another chance for the mob to wake up. To come to their senses and perhaps save themselves from throwing money into the greedy hands of someone who made grand promises with no substance. Ace, to his credit, tried his best to counter each point, but to Fane, it sounded like shallow excuses. 'I have to dress this way to be taken seriously.' 'They wouldn't fund me.' And each sentence was spun to again spur the crowd to sing his praises. Chant his name loud enough to drown out those that were speaking against him.

A third voice broke through the din, speaking of intentions, and how they all only had his word to go on. He was a stranger to this town, and as charismatic as he may be, that said nothing of his integrity. Ace made promises with no consequence in not keeping them. There was a break in the triad, the third speaker giving the man a chance to respond. Fane spoke again before he could take the chance. "Even beyond that, you admit yourself that you have no persuasion over the other nobles. Then what makes you think you'll have any sort of chance once you're actually at court?" This, all assuming, he had any plans to actually go to court with the funds he raised here. Because, as it had been pointed out before, all they had to go on was his word. And his word meant nothing here. "It will not be just the king you must curry favor with. Tarocchi will be a political minefield that you have to maneuver through, and avoiding those in competition with you will not be an option."

"If you are incapable of swaying them to offer you aid now, how do you plan to survive in Tarocchi? How will you bring them to order under your banner as king? You are woefully unprepared for this task."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eruantien and Turtle of the Tired
Upon noticing the two people speaking out against Ace, Alicia shook her head. Did the fools really think they could sway the entire mass of people? They'd sooner get beaten to a pulp by an angry mob. And lo and behold, when Ace answered their questions, the mass did indeed stick with his side -- although luckily for . Alicia couldn't help but smile at the way Ace shut down his critics. Although the two men who spoke out had good points in theory, reality wasn't so kind. For one, Alicia knew that the wealthy families didn't get that way by randomly lending money to everyone with dreams of the crown; after all, that was about as uncertain as investments got. Second, like Ace had already pointed out, the few really high ups who could actually buy their way to the crown would just do so themselves rather than try to help a third party who could backstab them without any repercussions... She shook her head again. Clearly those two had no idea of how the world worked in the upper class; unlike what they might think, it's not just one giant party every day. The sheer amount of treachery needed to get to the top made it hard to fully trust anyone; not even one's own family members could be blindly trusted in all matters. Which is why you needed to make sure you always have the upper hand in any given situation and know everything you can know about the people you are working with. Better to have some leverage in case they do try to pull a quick one on you...

All that said (or rather thought), she still didn't hear the man say anything resembling a detailed plan. Sure, he'd said that he was going to save the kingdom, protect the western towns and cities, kick out all the evil foreigner Pyrans and whatnot, but those were goals, not plans. Furthermore, there was also nothing said about the obvious consequences that a semi-unprovoked declarations of war would have on the very western settlements Ace said he would protect and save; those would right at the frontlines of said war, which would be far more damaging than a handful of rogue Pyrans would ever be. Not that the townspeople here thought about that; as far away as this town was from the borders, it was very lkely that nobody here had even read about what true war was like. Actually, even if they did, they likely figured that since they were way at the other side of the country, it wouldnt be their problem. The hypocrites... Stop it, Alicia, don't think about that right now. You should focus on what that 'Ace' man is saying'. Let's see.. He's saying that he's an underdog. Does that mean he's from a middle class family, like I am? If so, that would explain why I haven't heard from him; I think I know at least the family names of the richest groups in the land, but I can't say I know all of the middle ones too. Of course, that is still assuming that his name, Dominyx, is actually his real name, which is still an uncertainty. He's also saying that he wants to do something about the state of this kingdom, unlike the rest of the elite, who he calls completely corrupt. It's possible he might believe this, but it's also equally possible he's just saying this because that's what the masses want to hear. In other words, either he's an idealistic fool of a manipulative bastard. No way to know for sure which one it is, so I should keep both options in mind.

Her thought process was disturbed when another Avian started to speak to her, inquiring something about why her cloak looked weird. "My cloak? What's wrong with my cloak?", Alicia asked without missing a beat, examining the outsides of the cloak to see what the other Avian meant. "Is there a stain on it or something? And I just cleaned it yesterday..." Of course it had to be an Avian. Any of the other races likely wouldn't have noticed a thing, but... Did he notice I'm wearing my cloak inside out? No matter. If it comes to that, I can just act like a fool and say I somehow managed to put it on inside out, then state that I can't exactly undress and redress right next to a crowd. There's no reason for him to search any hidden meanings in a honest mistake.
Alicia shook her head in acted frustration, then turned back to the other Avian. "Anyway, what do you think of all of this? If nothing else, this 'Ace' guy knows how to rile up a crowd. Then again, it's not as if that is hard; all you have to do is say what they want to hear, and they'll carry you wherever you want to go. And what they want to hear is the same thing every time: 'I'll give you more money, feed your family, kick out the evil foreigners,' et cetera et cetera. Just make sure that your promises won't hurt the people you're talking to, and you're golden. Behold, politics in action; true motives and ideals do not matter, as long as you can just play the crowds..."

@Rithas
 
The human that Clay had bumped into seemed to have quickly turned his attention back to Ace. And, despite wanting to just ignore him, Clay found himself doing the same. Much to his surprise, however, the human then stepped forward and began to confront Ace directly. Clay tensed up, not having the nerve to do such a thing, himself, and feeling a bit intimidated just by association. He almost tried to stop Raymond from saying anything in the first place, but it would've been too late.

And when Raymond did speak, Ace wasn't very happy about it, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "What proof can I show you?" he started to reply, only to be cut off as the hunter from earlier spoke again. "You make it sound as if, just because the journey ahead is difficult, I shouldn't try at all. How is anyone supposed to succeed if they're afraid of taking risks?" he retorted, earning him another round of agreeable cheers from his supporters.

"And you," Ace continued, bringing his attention back to Raymond. "You want me to prove that I have your 'best interests at heart'? How? What proof do you want from me?" he replied. "If you're already so convinced that I am a fraud, what could I possibly do to convince you otherwise? How am I supposed to prove my sincerity, if all of my words will be written off as lies and trickery?!" he shot back. Then, calming himself, he let out a what-can-you-do sort of sigh, adding, "Well… I suppose you can't please everyone."
 
Kiri turned on her heels as a voice directed towards her was caught by her ears. It appeared to be coming from the Terran about her age who was rapidly approaching. "Oh, are you having trouble seeing past all the tall people too," she asked, already kinda knowing the answer? "Well there's a fancily dressed top-hat guy on a pedestal over there, talking about how he wants money to travel to Tarocchi. He has the whole crowd riled up about him becoming the next king." Kiri gave a small shrug, "Honestly, I've traveled between lots of cities before without spending much at all. As long as you're willing, there's usually someone who'll trade a room and meal for a little work. I'm Kiri, by the way. Introductions. I always forget those." A slightly worried look returned to Kiri's face as she remembered something. "Oh right, I almost forgot, did you happen to have any bad dreams last night? This whole angry crowd thing reminds me of creepy one I had myself."
 
Last edited:
Raymond fell silent, as cries of support and encouragement rose around him once again. Ace had struck a chord with the crowd after all, it seemed; their lust for vicarious adventures and far-fetched quests was overcoming any notion of sense that remained, or had ever existed. Raymond was getting tired of this pointless exchange, but decided to play one last card. He folded his arms across his chest, set his face grimly, and called out to Ace.

"Suppose you do get your support," said Raymond, and gestured to the crowd surrounding them. "What's next? I'm sure we're all just dying to hear how you'll be making your lonely way to the capital... the whole journey, way up north, through the heartland. Think about it, Dominatrix. You won't get very far on bags of money alone. Where's your bodyguard? Or, perhaps you have powerful magical talent, to go along with your entrancing, beguiling ambitions?"
 
It was a bit of a relief to Shireen that the Terran didn't seem too bothered by her accidentally bumping into her. In fact, she seemed to be smiling. The sea-girl returned the smile with a grin of her own. It was always lovely to see someone else showing some sort of positive feeling, especially when it was to a complete stranger. "Right, thanks, glad you don't mind!" She let her hand fall away from the back of her head down to her side, resting it on the curve of her waist. "Zito? Nice name you got there. Mine's Shireen, nice to meetcha!"

She reached out and took hold of the Terran's hand. Her own was rather rough, which was to be expected with someone who worked all day long for most of her life. Not that Shireen minded of course. It was just the way of life, and she had enjoyed it as long as it had lasted... whilst at sea in any case. The current work she had now was not as enjoyable. Positive as she wished to be, it would be a lie if she said she loved it.

"If I'm bein' honest with you..." Shireen gently let go of Zito's hand and turned in the direction of the crowd. "Because people are always wanting for a different leader I s'pose. You and me might be able to tell somethin's kinda fishy, but you gotta admit, he knows how to talk. People want a better life, they want to blame someone, they want someone who can magically solve their problems. Or maybe they just want some entertainment. I dunno. Heck, maybe he's actually sincere and we're bein' a buncha a*ses, disregarding him so quickly."

Looking back to Zito, she gave a small chuckle. "You know, I really just wanted to get to the other side of this crowd and make my way... er, home." She hardly had a place to call home at the moment, but it sounded better than saying 'house' or 'bed'. "This-" she motioned to the crowd "-is blocking my way... so I'm thinking I'll have to wait or find another way. Which I was about to do before-" She clapped her hands together, making a boop sound with her mouth.

She chewed on her bottom lip industriously for a few seconds after that before smiling, eyebrow raising a little. "And? What 'bout you? Heading somewhere?" It wasn't hard to hear the man in the hat, Ace, speaking some more. Probably in response to those who had contested him, Shireen reckoned. But for now, she was paying attention to the one before her.

@AnimeLover_Princess
​
 
Calder blinked and shut up. His voice was obviously not needed any longer. Others had added their two cents in a much more eloquent manner than he could have ever hoped for and he agreed wholeheartedly with their thoughts. Simply adding a "Yeah!" to the mix would have either diminished what they were saying or could have been confused for his endorsement for Ace. Neither of those things were something he wished, so instead he moved further through the crowd.

A few members of the Ace-Brigade--which is what Calder had mentally taken to calling the mob rallying behind this pompous pretender-- recognised that he was one of the few that had spoken out against the man and attempted to make crossing through the crowd rough on him. A few made the mistake of trying to shoulder him as he walked past, but much to their chagrin they ended up slipping right off his scales and their momentum sent them tumbling to the ground. After the first few failed attempts the people nearby let him pass, and actually began moving out of the way.

It didn't take him long before he was at the edge of the crowd once again, but now that he was out of the middle of it he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to leave. He wanted to see how this turned out. Standing alone outside the crowd made him feel open and he didn't like that either. His gaze swept over the area and he saw a few groups of onlookers. Settling on a human/terran duo Calder sauntered over to where they stood and idled nearby. At least here he wasn't an isolated body looking at the ruckus…
 
Last edited:
Seemingly not bothered to continue the topic about the cloak, Victarion listened to what the other Avian had to say about Ace. He sighed gently. "If the crowd wish to be so easily deceived. Then deceived they shall be. In time some of them might be smart enough to figure it out, but it will be too late."

It was bemusing hearing every sentence the man uttered backed up with cheers from the crowd. Certainly, the man showed annoyance at the few who actually spoke up. But this was getting boring, just another person with a big dream, another....

He watched Ace look over to someone and nod slightly. Victarion eyes followed his gaze, to a small group of four or five people next to his stage. And with great interest, the signalled person disappeared into the gathered crowd.

"Interesting." Victarion glanced over to the other Avian. "This man does certainly try his best to up the suspicion levels higher and higher." Victarion wondered what that man was going to do. Perhaps off to silence those who spoke against him later on? Maybe even signal some more men?

He did hope that this proved that maybe there was at least something else going on here aside from a simple upstart. Not that Victarion exactly felt like doing anything yet. He watched out to see if he could see that man in the crowd anywhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back