Dream Chaser

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LadyHarpy

LadyHarpy

Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. One post per day
  3. 1-3 posts per week
  4. One post per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
I enjoy Fantasy, Scifi, Romance, Magical, Modern and much more. I probably can't list them all! If there is something you want to try and it isn't listed here, just ask. I rarely say no!
GENERAL CHARACTER STATISTICS

Character Name:"Charles" Charlotte Madison
Gender: Female
Species/Race: Human
Age: 23
Birthplace/World: Farming Village in the kingdom of Cinora
Occupation/School/Grade: Royal Guard

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

General Appearance:
View attachment 2199 She is lanky and thin, but years of working in the fields has given her plenty of muscle, not to much, but enough to make her a threat to those who stand against her. She always stands stright and keeps a clean look about her in her uniform, often catching ladies eyes...not that she means too.
Strengths: -Stronger than the average woman, -Has an average toned voice so can easily sound male, -Quick reflexes, -Can read quite well and write nicely, -knows plenty of moves to avoid weapon attacks
Weaknesses: -Technically still weaker than some soldiers, if she gets pinned she is done for, -Sometimes acts girly without realizing it, -Lacks weaponary skills

MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
Current Goal/Purpose: To become A high class Royal Guard
Talents: Hand-to-Hand combat, reading peoples moves, taking enemies by surprise
Inabilities: Weapon combat, battle strategizing, becoming unpinned
Fears: Being found out, Not succeeding in her goal before she dies, Failing her country
General Personality: Warm and Bright, she never fails to have a smile on her face to lighten the mood. She believes in her comrades and will dive in to save them if need be. She enjoys talking with people and learning new things to improve herself as a person. She is easy to anger though, having a little to much pride at times, and can get into trouble for it. When it comes to relationships she tries to stay away from romance for the obvious reasons, and sometimes will mumble to herself as she argues with her emotions.
Secret: Is a woman dressing as a man.

HISTORIC BACKGROUND

General History: Charlotte was born as the fifth child to a farmer and his wife, the only daughter to be born from the marriage. She was raised along with her brothers while her father worked the fields that his grandfather once owned. When she was old enough to remember, and when her brothers were out helping their father with the fields, her mother would tell stories of her father when he was a Royal Guard, how he had fought in many wars and protected the king and the kingdom. Charlotte adored them and in her little head decided to become just like him, A Royal Guard.

As she got older she was taught the ways of the house and kitchen, and on weekends was sat down with her brothers to learn who to read and write. When she wasn't working or learning, she was training. She would save every penny she could get her hands on and would buy books on hand to hand combat, not seeing the point in reading on weapons when she had none to use. She would pratice her form and style, never truely perfecting it as she was always getting more and more to read.

However, when she was seventeen, her two eldest brothers both married and moved away, starting their own farms and famiies. This left her father short on labor and so she was quickly given a pitch fork and put to work. She didn't mind though, this would only make her stronger. She worked the field, the kitchen, and the barn everyday only to sneak away after dinner to train more buy lifting heavy boxes like weights and running laps around the fields. Eventually, she stopped acting like a girl and became more like a son, though she still kept up her kitchen skills with her mother so she could continue to hear the stories.

Years passed and things went on the same way, working and training, training and working, it slowly just became one. However, soon things would change.
Present Life: Charlotte, or "Charles" is on the run from her family, her father mostly. He was pushing marriage onto her and she could not take it anymore! She was a grown woman, ready to finally set out and achive her dream, not become a wife and start popping out babies! She traveled to the capital of Cinora, having caught word of an recruitment going on for the current war against an envading kingdom. With nothing more than a few stolen outfits from her brothers and a couple of books on fighting she is on her way to becomeing a soldier, that is if nothing gets in her way...
 
GENERAL CHARACTER STATISTICS
Character Name: Edward Ludroth
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Birthplace/World: Cinor, the capital of Cinora.
Occupation/School/Grade: General

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
General Appearance: Edward is well built for battle, tall, with a lean, tough build and an angular, serious face. His hair is deep brown and cut short so as not to tangle undern his helmet. His eyes eyes used to be a fine brown, but the stresses of battle have made them dark.
Strengths: Strength, strategic ability, pragmatism, and a thick-headed determination once he's reached a decision.
Weaknesses: He can lead a battle, but is not very social otherwise, and does poorly at the other aspects of leadership.

MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
Current Goal/Purpose: To keep the invasion from succeeding.
Talents: Combat ability.
Fears: Losing a battle, being a failure to his family.


HISTORIC BACKGROUND
General History: Edward is part of the Royal family in a sense, close enough to the throne to be counted as some level of Royalty, but so far down the line of succession that it would take the deaths of almost half the Family for him to reach the Throne. In short, exactly what the King wanted: Someone who could carry the Ludroth name into battle, but could never exert a claim in the throne. And so Edward was trained in the art of making war, despite his parent's objections. To their horror, he was talented at it, a fact that caused a rift between them that still has not healed.
Present Life: The current invasion wasn't his first combat experience, but it was the most brutal. Outnumbered three to one, he took the three invading columns head on, clashing again and again, personally leading his bodyguard into the fight several times, managing to turn the enemy away each time, but not without severe casualties. He managed to push them back to the border, but they're preparing for another assault, and he's lost over a third of his soldiers, and has come back to find new recruits, including replacements for the guards he's lost.
 
The city of Cinor bustled about loudly, people going about their usual days in the market or enjoying walks in the park. It was the safest place to be in Cinora, its huge stone walls almost impossible to destroy and the army that protected it trained to perfection. Even during an invasion of another country, Cinor continued on with its everyday schedule, the shops opening at sunrise while workers went to their shops or the factories for the day. However, on this day, there was something extra going on, something so important that a line a hundred or more long was forming right in front of the castle gates. A group of generals had come from the field to recruit new men into the army to increase their numbers. Many men were excited to drop their shovel or plow or butcher knife to replace it with a gun, even women gladly picked up their dropped tools to continue on the strength of the army that kept them and their children safe. One woman in particular wanted to do more than just take a man's place in a factory, she wanted to take place on the battle field, and that's what Charlotte intended to do.

She had stolen some of her brother's clothing, packed up her training books and snatched some food out of the cabinet before darting out her parent's farm house in the middle of the night…That was a couple days earlier. Her father had been pressuring marriage and she just couldn't stand the idea of being locked away in the kitchen of a man that she probably wouldn't even like. She wanted to be like her grandfather, once a member of the royal guard, protecting the land and people. She spent her life working for this dream and she would achieve it, no matter what.

She traveled for a few days before having caught wind of the recruitment in Cinor, quickly changing her direction toward the capital in hopes of making it in time. She had made it into town that morning and had quickly jumped into line, blending in with the other men since she had hacked away her hair into a short trim and wrapped her chest to keep it flat. She looked just like another one of the boys, her eyes gleaming as her dream slowly got closer and closer to her reach. There was nothing that could stop her now.
 
Coming home was creating as many problems as it solved, Edward was rapidly finding out. As he had expected, he'd come back a new hero, and had to endure hand-shaking and back-patting, telling him that he'd done something incredible just by doing his job. There were official ceremonies and other such events to endure. He had to remind himself before each that they were "for morale." Whose morale he didn't know, but it wasn't his. What should have been a simple return home to select relief troops and drill new ones was going to turn into a nightmare for him.

He dressed in a standard uniform, the same one that he'd worn in the field(but cleaned since then), and left the castle. It was fairly anonymous, most wouldn't look for him as a general, and thankfully the ones who would know his face knew to let him have his privacy.

With a small, restrained sigh he looked at the list of hopefuls... and knew already that most of them probably had very little to hope for. He'd beaten the enemy back three times, and each was a bloody brawl of a battle, the kind where tactics and strategy are soon replaced with just sending in more men than the other side did. He slowly looked from face to face, sizing them hope, hoping he wasn't going to send them to die soon.
 
Charlotte shifted from on foot to the other as the line got shorter and shorter. She could now see the table and paper where men were signing to join. She caught the look of a uniform out of the corner of her eye but paid it no mind; she knew she would be wearing her own uniform very soon. When she got up to the table she quickly reached for the pen to sign up only for it to be pulled away. She looked up in surprise at the man who stopped her, wondering if he knew she was a woman or something, what other reason could she be denied her chance at helping her country?

"Sorry son, you don't fit what we're looking for today, why don't you head back home and serve our country by working a steady job..." He said plainly as he used his hand to wave her away so the next man could sign up. Charlotte looked down at herself for a second before looking back up at the man, quickly stepping in the way of the person behind her and preventing the line from moving.

"What do you mean 'I don't fit'?" She said as she glared, trying very hard not to punch the man in the face. Her dream was on that piece of paper and this idiot was keeping it from her!

"Look son, I don't mean to hurt you but you're too small and thin…We need men who have the muscle that we need right now…you'd take too long to train and we need to put these men on the field A.S.A.P…now move, you're blocking the line." He said as if it wasn't her pride he just crushed in his hand.

Charlotte ground her teeth together as she tried not to tackle this man to the ground and beat him senseless. After a moment of glaring she finally moved and let the line continue, knowing better than to start a fight that she'd probably get arrested for, even though she would win it. She stomped of angrily and could hear a few men laughing at her expense…Oh, who she needed to find something to hit…Fast.
 
Edward made a small hand signal to the officer at the head of the line, a signal to not make a single sound about his status, with a sharp glare to drive the point home. He wasn't here to make a show or a speech. His mind was on his work, and he crossed both arms over his chest as he walked, strategies filling his head.

Cavalry... he couldn't beat them there, they had better armor and better horses, it would be suicide to take them on that way. But that limited the options of battlefields, forcing him into the valleys and the woodlands to prevent horses from maneuvering. But it wasn't going to be up to him to choose a battlefield, they had the initiative right now. He needed to go on the attack.

But... how? Where? With what troops? He knew they were planning their next invasion, and even with the most up-to-date intelligence and estimates, he could only deploy to meet them. Edward stopped in his tracks as a cold realization hit him. He should have followed their retreat, no matter how heavy his casualties were, he could have seized the initiative of the situation. He had been too concerned with his numbers and the lives of his soldiers.

He sighed, shaking his head as he started into motion today, only to run into a recruit after just two steps. He staggered back, finding his balance again, shaking his head as he looked the man up and down. "Are you okay?"
 
Oh Charlotte was so angry! She was boiling with frustration as she stomped away from the sign up table. How dare that man call her small and thin, it may have been true but she had plenty of muscle to make up for it! They should have seen her lifting twice as much as her older brothers' when they had to chuck hay. They should have seen her carrying new born calfs, two at a time! She was strong god damn it!

She grmbled as she walked with her head down, quickly running into something because of that. She looked up as she stumbled back and glared harshly at what she ran into. It was a soldier, dressed in him snappy uniform, looking tall and strong...Everything that she sadly wasn't. Her blood boiled as she almost growled at him. How dare he be everything that she wasn't, showing off his build and height was she was forced away because she looked weak.

"Watch where you are fucking going!" She snapped loudly, grabbing the attention of a few people in line. She probably shouldn't be picking a fight with a soldier, it would only get her into trouble...But god did she need to beat something up!
 
"Who the hell is this?" he thought as he looked at Charles. For a moment he was outraged that they would be yelling at someone of his status, but then he remembered that anonymity was his goal when he came out here. But that only redirected his anger, did nothing to get rid of it.

"I don't think either of us were looking at where we were going." Edward tried to keep his tone even, but he was starting to feel his rage building, at everything and nothing in particular. His hands slowly dropped to his sides, curling up into fists.

A short loudmouth was his estimation, that this would be a short fight. But then again, he had just proven that size and visible strength weren't everything. But he was too angry to care about that right now, if this idiot wanted a fight he would get one.
 
"Shouldn't a soldier know where he is going? It's pointless to run in the battle if you can't see the damn enemy!" She said rudely, jabbing at him with every word she could. "No wonder we lost so many men, the all weren't looking the proper direction!"

She could feel more and more eyes falling onto them, wondering what was going on. She didn't care though, the more looks the better! She'd show all the tall men what she could really be and they would have to accept her into their ranks. She growled a little as her anger started to boil over. There was nothing that could stop her now from lightling the fire under this mans feet, she'd burn him until he made a move and then she would strike him down like lightening!

"You god damn soldiers think you're so great, but the truth is you're all a bunch of brainless idiots! You can't even fight the fucking enemy properly! I just hope god shows us a little mercy when we're all dead thanks to dumbasses like you!" She yelled, the line slowly drifting closer, forming a crowd.
 
He didn't know who he was talking to. He didn't know what buttons he was pushing, couldn't know that they were precisely the wrong ones. But right now that didn't matter, didn't matter who he was or who Edward was. When he was in the field he had to endure commanders who couldn't follow orders, soldiers who couldn't fight, bad terrain, and constant battles. When he was home he had to endure ceremonies, politics, logistics, bureaucrats wouldn't give him the men and guns he needed, and constant fighting. And now this recruit...

He leaned forward and shot into motion, both hands shooting out, feinting low and then hitting high, his fist going straight for this idiot's head as Edward followed through, putting his whole body into the attack, teeth clenched tightly. It didn't matter who he was in front of right now, he would have fought his brother at this point.
 
Charlotte saw it coming, his hand's shoting forward, one faking an attack as the other darted toward her face quickly, she lifted her hand and redirected the flow of his punch as if it was nothing, quickly jumping back a good distance before tossing off the backpack that had been slung on her shoulder. A fierce grin slipped on her lips as she rolled up her sleeves and got into her own personal fighting stance, she was going to give this guy all she had!

"Come on! Is that all you got! My grandma could have dodged that!" She teased as she made a move and drated her arm out as if to punch him, only for her foot tom come almost out of nowhere and hit him in the chin. She was moving like a snake, unpredictable and smooth, eveidence she had been doing this for years.
 
The kick caught him by surprise, sending him reeling, but not for long. No matter how long this person had been fighting, Edward hadn't been trained all his life, been sent into combat, and come out alive to be beaten by a surprise like that. Even as he staggered around, his right hand snapped out, closing around his ankle and pulling hard, Edward using the momentum the kick had given him to pull Charles to him, slinging him away.

Not letting his opponent keep his balance, Edward kept going as he attacked, aiming a punch into Charles' back, a hard fist ramming against the small of his back. A low growl rumbled from his throat, sounding like, "Dodge this then!"
 
Charlotte was caught slightly by surprise as he pulled her ankle and threw her, following up with a hard punch to her back. She groaned as she fell to the ground, using the momentum he gave her to catch herself on her hands and do a flip, landing back on her feet. She quickly turned to face him and held up her fists. She growled as well and quickly started to throw one punch after another, directed at his face and chest. She even started to bat at his legs, using her feet to jab at his anckles and throw him off balance.
 
He batted away her blows, giving ground a few inches at a time, jumping back each time he tried to kick at his legs. It wasn't he wanted to do, but it's what he knew he had to do, to look for an opening. And take it before the opening closed.

And he saw it.

He grabbed her wrist, instinct fully taking over. He could have been back in the field, fighting in the rain, powder useless, casters too far way to make a difference. Charges died in this weather, all it was, was a brawl. You stayed close to the man beside you and struck at the enemy with anything you had, sword, fist, knife, gun... His hand shot to his hip as he pulled him in close, moving behind him, twisting his arm, pulling his gun out and pressing it against-

He hadn't worn his gun here. Finding empty air snapped him out of his rage, the knowledge of what he was about to do. He let Charles go, letting out a deep breath, holding his hands up, nonthreatening. "Sorry." He said, panting, looking at his opponent in a new light.
 
Charlotte didn't see it coming this time, his hand quickly grabbing her wrist and twisting her arm behind her back. She was pinned now and she wouldn't be able to escape. Her eyes went wide as she she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, seeing his hand move to his hip. Did he have a gun!? Her heart almost stopped, time seeming to freeze for a second until her wrist was suddenly let go. She turned around quickly to look at her opponent, panting as well as she let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding.

A heavy silence filled the air as the people that had been watching went silent, they all saw what he had tried to do, they knew the move he made. If he had had that gun she would have been dead, easily. She looked away silently as he said sorry, this had opened her eyes a little more....Maybe the man at the table was right to turn her away, she'd never thought about weapons or anything of that like, it was always hand-to-hand. She turned away completely from him and grabbed her bag, tossing it back on her shoulder.

She looked at him one more time before finally speaking.

"Well...I'm not." She said before she cut through the crowd and walked off quickly, she needed to get away and think...she had a lot more work to do...
 
After a moment, Edward followed him, pushing through the crowd, waving off soldiers who were trying to follow him, glaring at them sharply to drive the order home. It was a stupid idea, in all likelihood, but right now he needed what he could get. Someone started to recognize him, call out, but an equally vicious glare shut them up.

"Wait... Wait!" He said as he jogged after Charles, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him as Edward walked around in front of him, taking a deep breath to still his panting, giving him a moment to find his words before continuing. "My name is Edward Ludroth. I just lost most of my best soldiers and my guards in the fighting... and I can't afford to be picky right now. You can fight, and that's what I need right now. Do you want a place in my guard?"
 
Charlotte kept moving. keeping her head down slightly as she tried to slip away. When she heard him calling she quickened her pace even more, though it really didn't seem to help her at all. She was grabbed and stopped, soon coming face to face with the man she had just fought. She almost started to yell at him again until he spoke, her face slowly going pale after she heard his name.

"...Edward Ludorth..."

She couldn't believe her ears! She had just fought one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, men in the army!...And lived to tell the tale! Of the love of god she kicked him in the face! She felt like her world was crumbling, she'd never get in the guard now, her dream was forever a lost cause. She was brought from her shock though when the rest of what he said finally clicked in her head.

"Wait...Seriously? You want me? I your guard?...You're joking aren't you?" She said as she brushed off his hand and started to move around him,
 
He put his arm out across Charles' chest, blocking him. His tone was serious, his eyes hard. "No. I'm not. I don't care where you came from or what you did before now, I need people who can fight, and that's it. Yes, I know, this is ridiculous, but... Times are hard. The offer stands, take it or leave it."

He pulled his arm back, crossing it over his chest, looking at this man, studying his face, trying to understand the thoughts behind it and what he would do.

"You've got nerve and you've got the spark. If I have to fight personally, that's what I need beside me. If you've never fought in a team or with a sword... we can work on that, if you're willing to learn. Hell, I'll do it myself. Are you in?"
 
Charlotte was quiet with thought as she looked him in the eye, debating if he was being as serious as he looked. She knew that she couldn't go back to the line adn try to sign up...She'd just be turned away again like before. She couldn't go back home without walking into a fight with her father and a possible arranged marriage.

She looked away and bit her lip uncertainly as she processed what he said, she knew that it was as if her dream was being handed to her on a silver platter now, only a smiple answer was needed to get her on her way to her goals...

"...Fine, I'll join you...but I'm definately a big Work-In-Progress for you...Ya sure ya got the time to spare?" She asked as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and crossed her arms as well.
 
"Yes, plenty, follow me." He said, not letting his relief show, although his shoulders dropped slightly, turning back towards the collection of buildings that was the capital, looking up at the tops before giving a small motion for her to follow him as he started walking, looking over his shoulder at his new guard.

"So, what's your name?" He said, needing both information and a way to pass the time, taking the back ways to avoid a crowd of any size. Even if he was supposed to be a great hero he didn't enjoy it. "You look like you just came from the farm." He noted as he gave his companion another glance. He wasn't going to say it, but... training someone would probably be better than putting up with the politics of the capital. A welcome break. Hopefully this new recruit wouldn't be too quick of a learner.
 
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