forum For one thing to be born, another must die; that is how the stars are born, that light up our night sky. REBOOT // OxO // CLOSED

Started August 04, 2019 by @croccin-champagne

tune

The Avrecan Kingdom is anything but peaceful. The people of the Kingdom live in fear and poverty, fear of the Shadows in the North, and in poverty as a result of the declining economy, partially thanks to that fear. There are whispers, too. Whispers of assassination attempts, whispers of organized strikes and major attacks, of plans to cause chaos and even more fear.

Elara Acacius is slightly pissed. Instead of searching for ways to combat the Shadows, her father, the King, has increased the number of Guards in the palace. And more specifically, added another Guard to the roster of protectors following her around. She calls it a waste of time and resources, piling on more people to protect her, and she might just be right about that.

One thing is for sure though. Elara absolutely cannot stand her new Guard, and the feeling is mutual. They clash on everything. He’s intent on following the rules, keeping her safe despite his dislike for her, even from herself. His rule-following drives the natural-born troublemaker insane, and even worse is the fact that she can never seem to slip away from him.

But the threat from the North isn’t going to be quelled by a few new guards in the palace. And they’ve even got the perfect plan. They intercept Elara as she’s shuttled from city to city in an attempt to boost morale, killing everyone in the travelling group with one strike. But they hadn’t been thorough enough, as both Elara and the man she’s declared her arch-nemesis survive and escape the attack. Instead of trying to hitch a ride back to the palace, Elara decides to take the fight straight to the Shadows and end this once and for all, and her Guard, through his refusal to give up on his promise to protect her, is dragged along as well. Now, they just have to make it there without dying, or killing each other themselves.

1. No OP characters, or I will yeet your ass outta here before you can say 'this bitch empty'. I can't stand invincible characters, man.

2. Proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, please. I can get making a few mistakes, when you're tired, or English ain't your first language(It's mine, and even I have my issues), but if it's too common a thing, it irks the hell outta me. Call me a bitch, but hey.

3. Slurs, homophobia, transphobia, rascism, sexism, anything that ends in -ism and that harms or promotes the harm of other people will not be tolerated. See my first threat.

4. Detailed-ish responses, please. Think three or more sentences. To keep it going.

5. Please, be on fairly often. Vacations, school, and jobs are all things I can get, but I'd like for this to have a regular pace!

6. I have the full right to add and edit this list. I also have the right to boot you if you're causing too many problems.

Name:
Age(18-20):
Gender:
Appearance:
Usual clothing:
Personality:
Favorite Food/Drink:
Skills:
Fears:
Background:
Powers, if applicable:
Other:

Name: Elara Acacius, fondly referred to as Magpie by a lot of the guards and staff, because of her love for shiny things, and her history as a thief.
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Appearance: Wavy white-blonde hair, that falls to about the bottom of her shoulder blades. Often has it braided back when she’s training or getting up to shit, or a few small braids when she feels like it. That last one is fairly common, because she braids when she’s thinking, nervous, paying attention or bored, and even flustered. It’s basically one of her ways of fiddling, which might have been easier to say. Her skin is decently tan, a natural tan that gets darker with more sun exposure, and she has freckles smattered along her cheeks and nose. The freckles glow when she uses her magic. She’s honestly not super tall, at about 5’4, but packs a decent amount of muscle and strength under her curves. Her eyes are mismatched, one a pale silver that has been likened to a star, and the other dark enough to resemble a starless night sky. Small scars litter her skin, from training incidents and her life before the palace. “She’s absolutely gorgeous, if a bit short.” An actual quote about her, courtesy of her best friend. She usually keeps her legs somewhat hidden, so the scars there are as well. That’s mostly because of what are obviously the scars from a dog bite/attack.
Usual clothing:
Casual/Training: For her training, aka daily-ish sparring matches with members of the guard, she wears clothes easy for movement, that also don’t get in the way. A pair of brown and form-fitting pants, tucked into black boots that come up to a few inches below her knees. An also form fitting cropped tank top, in black, and a belt with her dagger sheathed on it. Wears her diadem occasionally while training, for no other reason than the aesthetic. Her casual clothing is basically the same thing, just a long sleeved shirt most of the time. Will swap between a black cloak-like coverup, and a leather jacket over a navy blue zip-up hoodie. Depends on the aesthetic she’s feeling.
Formal-ish??: Loves dresses when it comes to formal events, and is really good at deciding what looks good, and fits the theme of the event. The diadem is always an accessory with these outfits.
Accessories: Her diadem, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/764697211710623771/. It’s simple, because she’s not a Queen yet. That, and she already broke three of them.
Personality: Ambitious is one way to put it. She strives to get better, to be the best she possibly can be, and then some. Isn't afraid to manipulate people. Cares quite a bit about her appearance, mostly because that's what's expected of her. Confident, and always walks like she’s wearing a crown, but is secretly incredibly self-conscious. Would do anything for those she's allied herself with. Can come off as almost cold and unfeeling sometimes, but is secretly incredibly sweet and kind. Diplomatic when she wants to be, but usually couldn’t care less about rules, and even enjoys breaking them.
Favorite Food/Drink: Absolutely loves sweet desserts, but is hesitant to eat them despite her access. Some small part of her is worried she’ll have to pay for them or something, because she never got to eat them a lot as a kid. Is also a huge fan of shrimp./Adores anything carbonated,but her ultimate favorite drink is hot chocolate, because she and her mother used to make it on special occasions.
Skills: A great thief and pickpocket. Can memorize almost anything. Gorgeous voice. Decent flirt, though she prefers her knives over seduction, and doesn’t really flirt for any other reason than to get out of something. Knows a lot of people, good with knives and daggers, good at manipulating her way around things.
Fears: Having to relive those few years after her mother’s disappearance, never finding her mother, falling in love/commitment(because she’s terrified she isn’t enough, and doesn’t want to be hurt), dogs.
Background: She wasn’t actually…raised in the palace. In fact, she had no clue she was the daughter of the King at all. She was born the product of an affair, which weren’t all that uncommon. What was uncommon, however, was the pregnancy, resulting in Elara’s birth into a lower-class family, the daughter of an escort/thief. She grew up every bit her mother’s daughter, in a home full of love, despite the struggles with money, food, and housing on occasion.
When she was fifteen, however, her mother just…disappeared. No warning, no letter, and no clues as to where she’d gone or if she was alright, something that was very out of character. Elara was left dealing with the grief caused by her mother’s disappearance, and struggling to keep herself alive on the streets, now completely alone. When she was seventeen, she was caught breaking into the palace, by none other than the boy who’d become her best friend. The two got on like gasoline and matches within two minutes of meeting, even as his overseer, the head of the Guard, expressed his disapproval and dragged her down to the dungeons.
Two days later, and many conversations with her new friend(that, if we’re being honest, weren’t even supposed to happen), the King himself came down to see her. It didn’t take long for him to recognize her, and before she knew it, it was being announced that she was his daughter. She’s well aware that the main reason he even let her live was because he had no heir, but they actually managed to bond somewhat, though she still doesn’t trust him.
Elara knows that most of the royals and people of ‘status’ in the palace don’t like her, and think claiming her was a mistake, making her even more eager to prove them wrong. She has, in fact, made quite a name for herself.
Powers, if applicable: Beyond being a badass bitch, it’s sort of like light manipulation. More geared towards it being almost like she’s got the power of a star inside her, which shows itself later in the effects of using more power than she’s used to. She can seemingly create light, and manipulate already existing light, and can even create illusions with this which she likes to use to entertain the children of staff and monarchs of varying degrees alike.
Other: https://tinyurl.com/y4qo5mlj Her dagger, a gift from her mother. Actually really likes the dark, mostly because the dark usually means night, and night means she can stargaze. Kinda fuckin’…adopts random stray animals that show up around the palace, like birds and cats and shit. They come and go, but always know her, and now most animals in the city do too, though she’s not aware of that.

Name: Kieran Echeverria
Age(18-20): 20
Gender: Male
Appearance: Looks basically like this: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6c/58/e5/6c58e5f991e47e6f72213c71f213d9a4.jpg except without the tattoo, and his skin is a bit lighter in color. His back has whip scars on it, and there are scars around his wrists from manacles/chains. His right hand shakes a little bit sometimes when he's scared/nervous.
Usual clothing: It depends on what he's doing. Often he doesn't have a shirt, as he is doing hard labor. When he has to work indoors, he wears plain, rough clothing. As a guard, he will wear whatever he is given.
Personality: Kieran is a deliberate, thoughtful person. He is typically very emotionless, as if normal for his species. He doesn't usually speak unless spoken to, as that rule has been drilled into his head over the years. He hates being what he is, a slave, but there is nothing he can do about it. Now that he has been given the chance to be free, he will do his absolute best to do what he has been hired to do, so that he can be free and in charge of his own life.
Favorite Food/Drink: Cake, or anything sweet, as he hardly ever gets sweets. / Hot chocolate, again because sweets.
Skills: fighting. Tracking.
Fears: Never being freed. Whips. The dark.
Background: Kieran, like many of his kind, is/was a slave, and was born that way. Like all in the Thari, when he was five years old, a procedure was done to get rid of most of his emotions. The emotions may or may not come back. (Most of his childhood/other will come out in RP if that's okay) Elara's father negotiated a deal with his owner; Kieran would serve as Elara's bodyguard for a set number of years, and when those years were over, and if he had done a satisfactory job, he would be freed.
Powers, if applicable:

• Typical of the Thari: heightened senses, speed, and strength. Ability to track down anyone. Can jump far higher than a Human.
• Unique to him: powers over fire

Other: He is a Thari. The Thari are commonly kept as slaves/servants in other areas of the world, and they are looked down upon as "lesser" due to that fact, and the fact that they don't have as much emotion as the other races.

I absolutely adore him. I also love all the little similarities and differences he has with Elara? Like, the love of sweets is perfect for bonding, but there's also the whole hating the dark thing, because Elara loves the dark. Plus, she's got her whole Light-Magic going on, so even in the dark, she would be able to light up the area.

Anyway, enough rambling, I'll get up a starter!

Thank you! Lol those weren't even on purpose, they were just because of things from his past, but yay! I'm glad he works!

Alright!

Elara loved sparring. Sure, as the Princess, she really should be finding other, more 'respectable'(according to her father's advisors) things to do with her time, but there was something about it. The clang of metal against metal, the sting of flesh against flesh in a hard enough hit, and the thrill that came with cutting it close to losing. It was one of her favorite things to do, now that she wasn't allowed to act upon her thieving urges. And it was a great way to ignore impending changes, such as another Guard. Gods, the thought of dealing with some stuck-up guy with a stick up his ass was enough to make her want to scream.

And there it was, that clanging sound she loved, as her dagger came up to block Harrington's sword, followed by a quick twist that send said sword sliding along the ground of the courtyard, where the sparring matches were held. Elara's move sent up a round of cheers and laughter in the group of bystanders, Guard's waiting and curious passerby alike. Admittedly, part of her liked the attention. It was the most positive attention she received in this place. Made sense though, considering most of the people gathered were commoners like her, working at the palace to get by. Even after being accepted as the King's daughter, she could never accept that position as someone high class.

"Next time, Harrington. Gotta watch that swing of yours." Elara teased, earning her a light hearted slap to the shoulder. Her diadem glinted in the light of the sun as she rolled her shoulders, turning to raise an eyebrow at the gathered Palace Guards, interspersed with a few staff members. "So which one o' you is next?"

Kieran had finished changing into the uniform of a royal guard, his black and white hair pinned back in a loose bun. His horns were in full display; there wasn't much he could do to hide them anyway, he knew. Still. It was odd. There were no Thari here, at least none that he knew of, and his tall form caught many sidelong glances as he walked towards where the princess was sparring.

He was just in time to hear her ask who was next, and walked up to the front of the ring, tilting his head slightly. He wasn't sure if he should introduce himself or not. Typically, he should introduce himself right away, however, that might not be the best plan, as she would likely then have him as her next sparring partner.

A boy standing just a bit away from the ring, closer to the Princess and where she'd just won, called out to her with a grin. "You know they don't like sparring with you after you wipe the floor with one of their asses, Magpie! Nobody's gonna volunteer!"

"Ya make a fine point Ro." Elara's smile was slightly wicked as she scanned the Guards, knowing that her friend was suggesting to pick someone herself. Roman Gatrius was her closest friend, and the only one of her personal Guards she considered a good friend. The others she tolerated, and considered casual friends, but none were as close as he was.

The Princess's eyes landed on the newcomer, narrowing slightly. The mismatched colors were off-putting enough, but the wicked intelligence in them was even more so. "How 'bout you, o'er there! Guy with the horns!"

Kieran stepped forward. "I am called a Thari, your highness." he said. "My name is Kieran Echeverria, and I was selected to be your newest personal guard." he said. Now was as good a time as any to introduce himself. "And you do not want to spar with me, your highness. All due respect." he would beat her soundly if he did. He was faster than her, stronger than her. He would beat her quite easily, which would not only be embarrassing for her, but would likely damage his relationship with her. Such as it was.

"I'm well aware o' who ya are." Elara said simply, the peasant's accent she'd refused to get rid of slurring her words just slightly. It annoyed her father and the nobles to no end, which was part of why she had kept it. That, and it was one of the few things she could still control. "'S Elara though. No' highness. Anyway-" She waved around her dagger, the short blade's metal glinting in the sun. When she had first met Roman, he'd told her that it was a poor replacement for a sword, and immediately recanted that statement when she had him sprawled on the ground in the middle of the courtyard, her blade at his throat. And thus, the sparring had begun.

The insinuation that she didn't want to spar with him, because he would beat her, sparked her temper just a bit. "I don' give a damn 'bout the respect you're talkin' 'bout. Ya earn it, or ya don't. An' a man who backs down from a challenge ain' got much."

"One, I will call you by your given title, as has been instructed to me." As it has been beaten into me over the years. "Two, I repeat, your highness, that you don't want to spar with me, as my species is both faster and stronger than yours." Kieran said, bowing slightly. "If you really feel you must spar with me, we may. Though you will likely lose. You are small, female, and human. I am tall, male, and Thari. The odds are heavily against you." he looked down at her calmly, face showing no emotion.

The Thari's declaration drew muttering from the rest of the bystanders, the general consensus being that her had no clue what he was getting in to. There was some doubt, too, as most of them knew of the species' reputation as warriors and trackers.

All it drew from Elara, however, was a cold laugh. There was so much of that she would have been glad to address, but that was for later. Only half human. While her mother had certainly passed as human, she'd been a carrier of light, too. Light-Spinners were rare, and most assumed they were human. But they were built for more. Not incredible speed, or strength, but the ability to hold the light of dying stars inside of them. "Call it initiation, Echevarria." She said, quirking a pale eyebrow. "E'ryone else on my Guard fought me an' lost. Maybe ya can win, maybe ya can't. Either way, only way t' tell is t' fight. Tha's how we did it in the Slums, an' tha' how I do it here."

The odds had always been against her. He wasn't entirely wrong. She was small, female, and somewhat frail-looking. But she was a vicious and underhanded fighter. That's how she had survived this long, and no being with enhanced agility was going to take that away from her.

Kieran's orange eyes flickered. Everyone? Then so should I, if she is determined to fight me. "Your highness. If you wish to fight me, then I cannot challenge you. In addition, if everyone on your guard has lost to you, then why keep them? It doesn't seem right to keep on people who can be beaten." He knew he sounded cold. But he was right, too. The Thari did not have emotions. They did not have sentiment. They didn't understand them, either. They functioned with logic, with calm thoughtfulness. Picking the most logical path, and taking it.

"You can' learn if ya don' lose." Elara said, resting her hands on her hips as she clutched her mother's dagger loosely in her hand. It was something her mother used to say, whenever she'd send Elara to the floor while training her. "An' ya can' get better. They lost, an' were willin' t' stick aroun' after. Even wanted t' learn. Two o' 'em walked away in shame. The others stayed." So she had kept them. She was more manipulative than she let on, too, considering part of the reason she kept them was that she had found, after losing to someone, a person was more likely to do whatever that person asked.

"Ya don' have t' challenge me, I'm doin' it for ya."

(if it's okay with you, could he beat her? If not, that's fine, I'll just say he went easy on her so that he wouldn't stick out)

Kieran sighed, and drew his sword. "If you insist, your highness." He said, studying her carefully, pinpointing her weak spots with his eyes. She was short, he could most likely beat her with sheer brute force, although that was an inelegant way to fight. No, he would need something to seem skillful, too. Which he was. It would just be far easier to use brute strength. He shifted, his horns gleaming in the bright sun. He could head butt her, if need be. Though that could give her a concussion, and would likely knock her out.

((He can, but it's not going to be an easy win. She was raised in an area where losing meant death, or worse, so she fights with everything she has.))

Elara arched a pale eyebrow, appearing like she couldn't even be bothered to study him. She had already done that though, when she'd first seen him. She twirled her mother's dagger between her fingers, looking to Roman.

"Usually, there's no magic, after the poison incident." The boy called, straightening somewhat, like a referee. "But this is a free-for all. No killing your opponent, and no maiming. Magpie, that's directed at you." A round of laughter rose from the gathered bystanders, the crowd slowly gaining more numbers. "Rules aren't for the real world, you fight to win." That seemed to act as a 'go', as a few of the Guards began chanting.

(alright cool. He did too, so this should be interesting XD)

Kieran didn't move, except to bounce up on the balls of his feet, watching her expressionlessly. He waited for her to make the first move, sword at the ready. The last time he had held a sword…he been fighting other slaves. Every time he lost, he was whipped, then forced to keep fighting. Every six hours, he had gotten a one hour break, where he could eat and sleep. Then he was expected to fight again. This had gone on for a week. By the last day, he could barely stand straight, much less swing a sword.