forum Three in Death and Two in Life (Come Read and Critique, please!)
Started by @ElderGod-Icefire
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@ElderGod-Icefire

Guys I have a problem. I already ship Avitas with somebody. And that somebody hasn't even appeared in the story yet. But I already ship them so hard. It's a big issue lol

@ElderGod-Icefire

Chapter Three: James

James rolled out of bed as his alarm went off, tying a plum colored dressing robe around his body. Barefoot, he walked down the halls of the ship to the dining room. He could feel the smooth metal of the floor vibrating slightly beneath his feet from the hum of the engines. He had been named James because his father insisted that it was a good name, a classic name. It would make him seem older. It didn't. Ever since he was little, he felt dwarfed by the history in his name, but he did his best to ignore that.

Breakfast was given to him, and he began eating, scrolling through the newsfeed at the same time. They were headed to…some planet. Damn it, he couldn't remember the name now. But it was known for being a den of thieves, most of it. The tourist sector was the best part of it, and the gates to it were guarded to keep our the riffraff. Tourists could leave, but at their own peril.

James shook his head a little, black hair falling into his eyes. He brushed it back from his face, and looked up as his father came in.

The older man was tall, just like James, but where James took after his olive skinned mother, his father was, well…pale. The man looked as if he had never seen the sun in his life, and his hair was an iron grey color, his goatee peppered with white hairs. "James." His father greeted. "Put some clothes on before the meeting, would you?"

James dipped his head. He had clothes on, but he wasn't about to argue about that with his father. He adjusted the dressing robe. "Yes father. By the way, when is our predicted arrival?"

"Later today. We have much to get done before we meet with the queen. And the princess." The businessman tacked on that last part as if it were simply an afterthought, but James knew better. Knew what his father wanted. He wanted James and the princess, Acenthia something, to fall in love or some shit like that. He couldn't even remember the girl's full name.

"Yes sir." James replied. He would marry the girl if he must; it would be a business marriage, no more. It would be good for his father's company for him to marry a princess, and then the royals would be able to dip into RTI's sizable coffers and use it to pull their planet out of debt and into the future. A win-win for everyone but him. But he would marry the princess and obey his father. He could do that. He had never held any illusions that he would fall in love, or marry for it.

"And James? You must be the model gentleman." His father added, then turned his attention to his newsfeed.

"Yes sir." James said again. He stood, breakfast forgotten, and left the room. He went to the exercise chamber, wanting to get out all the excess energy. As he began working through different exercises, he realized. He was nervous. Nervous, to meet the princess that his father wanted him to marry. He almost laughed at himself. Of course he was nervous! Who wouldn't be?

Who wouldn't be?

He shook his head a little. It had been two hours, and sweat dripped down his body. He had pushed himself through a grueling routine. His muscles were hard-earned, formed from doing things like this for years. Most of the upper class, like his father and cousin, simply had their bodies Sculpted, altered for them to be muscular. It resulted in a perfect, symmetrical musculature, not the slightly lopsided, firm muscles that James had earned.

He got in the shower, and pressed a hand to the wall, pulling up a small Holoscreen that would show him whatever he wanted. He knew that a lot of men used it to watch porn while in the shower. He didn't. Never had. He did, however, look up an image of the princess as he got out of the shower, wanting to know what she looked like.

She was pretty, in a…rather unique way, he would give her that. Golden hair trimmed short in a messy pixie cut. Blue eyes that stared straight at the camera as if asking the picture-taker a difficult question. She had a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, which was interesting. He wouldn't have thought that her guards and governesses would allow her in the sun long enough to freckle. But perhaps he was wrong. He toweled off and got dressed.

"Impeccable as ever, sir." Said a Droid as it came into the room to help him, though he didn't need it.

He dipped his head, buttoning his pale shirt. "Thank you." He said, despite knowing that the Droid didn't care about pleasantries like that. Dark slacks and a pale shirt, a dark waistcoat buttoned over the shirt, and a tie that was tucked under the waistcoat. That was what he wore. It was simple, in comparison to what he could have worn, but as he looked in the mirror, he had to admit; he did look good. He brushed out his hair, though it did the loose curls no good; they simply stood out however they wanted, and he couldn't do anything about that.

Well, he could. He could get them straightened, if he wanted to. But he didn't want to.

"What's up, Twosie?" He asked the droid as he put on socks and shoes.

"The meeting with the council board is in ten minutes. I was sent to fetch you and remind you." The droid replied placidly. It was shaped vaguely like an egg, except with arms. The bottom was smooth as glass, and contained a technology that allowed the droid to hover, which was how it got around.

"Right. Well, thank you, Twosie." James adjusted the tie carefully, and turned to the droid. "Let's go, then."

The droid gave no response, which was normal for their kind. It simply led James through the hallways of the ship, the Consequi. Finally, it opened the door to the meeting room, and James sat down in one of the holo-chairs. These chairs were designed to make meetings like this easier. There were slots all around the room where more holograms could be projected; this was where they would be able to see the members of the Council Board, and they would be able to see him and his father. That way, no matter what planet everyone was on, meetings were still quite easy to do. You just needed a holo-room, and any place worth its iron had a holo-room.

His father was already there, dressed even sharper than James was. "James, good. The board will want to know more about what we plan with Queen Aline and Princess Acenthianrae." his father said.

So that was her name! God, he hoped she had a nickname that she liked, because no way in the stars was he calling her Acenthianrae every time he needed to get her attention. "Yes. What would you like me to say?" he asked.

"The usual. Just agree with me, and express your hopes for a union between the two of you." There it is. James knew. There was the confirmation of what his father had planned for him. He had suspected it, but he had lacked confirmation. Now he had it.

"Yes father." James replied, facing forward to hide the flicker that he knew flashed through his hazel gold eyes. He adjusted the sleeves of his shirt.

"Twosie, close the door." his father ordered the droid. The droid complied, of course it did. It had to.

A few minutes later, the figures of the Council Board appeared, their forms slightly wavy and indistinct. The only tell-tale that they weren't actually there. They talked for what felt like hours. James had a polite smile plastered on his face the whole time, answering questions on the rare occasion when they were directed to him, deferring to his father when he wasn't sure what the answer was supposed to be. He made an effort to never look bored, even when talk turned to stocks and rising and falling and things that he had no interest in. To be honest, he had no interest in any of this. He would rather be working in the Consequi's engine room, rather be getting his hands dirty with engine grease and oil and handling the parts. He knew how. In fact, he enjoyed it. He could pilot the ship, too. But according to his father, and everyone else he knew, such tasks were "beneath someone with such a future as his", so he hardly ever had time to do what he loved.

Instead, his time was consumed by mindless meetings and talk, by pretending to enjoy meals that lasted for hours, exchanging pleasantries with people he didn't know nor care about, while counting down the minutes until he could disappear.

The meeting finally, finally ended, and the holos of the Council Board members vanished. His father turned to him, said something. James nodded along, pretending to be listening, pretending to pay attention as his mind wandered even further, towards the ancient "computer" that he had stashed in his room. He had been working on taking it apart, seeing what made it work, sketching the parts and how they fit together. It was in pieces now, and today he would reassemble it.

His father dismissed him, and he bolted, taking off his tie and waistcoat as soon as he was in his room. He carefully set out the pieces of the thing that used to be a "laptop", and carefully began reassembling it. He would pass the time like this until it was time to meet the princess.

That time came all too soon, Twosie entering the room and telling him that he needed to get dressed up to meet the queen and princess. He did, putting on a fresh suit. He carefully gelled his hair to get it to behave, though he knew it would never quite lay flat. Which was just fine with him, though he knew it tended to irritate others to no end. Twosie led him from the room, and he thought wistfully of the laptop, lying half-built on his desk.

"James!" his father exclaimed. "Good, good. We've just landed, as I'm sure you noticed. The queen herself is here to meet us!"

No, James hadn't known they just landed, in fact. He hadn't been paying attention. He reached into his pocket, touching the bundle of wires in his pocket. It was to keep him entertained if he got bored. He nodded mechanically, not knowing any other response. The hatch door hissed and released pressure as it opened, and James felt his ears pop as the pressure between ship and planet equalized.

He saw the queen, then. Stately and beautiful, though she was probably around his father's age. Her hair and gown were immaculately styled, and he could see even from this distance that her makeup was only very light. His father bowed, and James did the same.

"Your majesty. We are honored." his father said as they rose, coming closer to the queen. Guards stood just behind her, along with a few others that James assumed were people of her court.

"Yes. It is good to see you. We welcome you." the queen replied. Her voice was cool, detached.

"We thank you for your hospitality." his father said. He elbowed James, who blinked.

"Right, yeah. We're…we're happy to meet you and the princess." James said quickly. They were close enough now that he could see the queen's expression. At his mention of the princess, her eyes dimmed.

"The princess." she said softly, and shook her head. She looked at his father, and that cold, indifferent mask fell away, revealing someone who looked worried. On the edge of tears. "The princess is missing."

James blinked. His first feeling was one of relief. He wouldn't have to speak with her! Then, shame. How could he be happy when a girl was missing?

His father looked thunderstruck, and upset. James knew it wasn't because a girl was missing. It was because his father's plans were derailed if the princess was gone. "Do you…do you know how to find her?" his father asked gently.

"No." the queen replied, wiping one of her eyes delicately. "We don't. And we're so worried for her."

"Well…I'm sure James could find her." his father said, thumping James on the back with a pleasant smile.

James blinked. "Me?" he replied slowly, looking at his father. The man couldn't be serious.

"Of course! You're a bright young lad, I'm sure you can find one missing princess, right?" his father raised his eyebrows, and James saw the unspoken order in his father's eyes.

"R-right, yes, of course." James stammered quickly, giving the queen a hopeful smile that he didn't feel. "I'm sure she couldn't have gotten far, could she?"

The queen let out a breath. "You…I would be ever so thankful for your help. But…let's not let this throw off the rest of the evening. Come, it is time to eat." she began to walk again.

James's father grabbed his shoulder in a vice grip. "James. You will find Princess Acenthianrae. You'll leave in the morning. You don't come back until you have her, do you understand?"

James stared at his father, and forced a slow nod as he began to panic.

"Good." his father walked away, leaving James standing on the landing platform, staring wide-eyed at the horizon. He had to find a girl he didn't know, in a planet known for how dangerous it was outside of the tourist sector and palace. Him. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't…he couldn't do this. He sat down heavily, squeezing the wired device in his pocket to try and calm himself down.

@croccin-champagne

((gdhjshdg the bit is great!! james is a character i cant wait to get to know better. and can i just say, the way you used the word 'mechanically' in reference to him, paired with his love of mechanics, is incredible and it's weird how happy it's making me))

Deleted user

I'm a huge fan of chapter 3!

  • I love the opening sequence. Normally I'm not a huge fan of introducing people based on their damns but oh hot damn did you do a good job with James! Every detail helps to characterize him and give us some tidbits about his backstory and I'm really into it!!
  • also, the way you integrate larger elements of the world (the holographic meeting room, droids, Sculpting, etc) is really well done! I like getting the little tidbits and they don't detract too much from the flow of the chapter either, so great job!!

@ElderGod-Icefire

I'm a huge fan of chapter 3!

  • I love the opening sequence. Normally I'm not a huge fan of introducing people based on their damns but oh hot damn did you do a good job with James! Every detail helps to characterize him and give us some tidbits about his backstory and I'm really into it!!
    -also, the way you integrate larger elements of the world (the holographic meeting room, droids, Sculpting, etc) is really well done! I like getting the little tidbits and they don't detract too much from the flow of the chapter either, so great job!!

Ahh! Tysm! Yeah I made an effort in this one to really scatter the information as much as I could, while still accomplishing my goals of giving a good description of James and his life, and I'm really glad I accomplished that!

@StarkSpangledMayflower_Mad_Elder

I agree with the others, this chapter had something about it that made it come to life, I could almost see James working in the engine room, the meeting room (kinda imagined it like the one in avengers lol), and the expressions and emotions of the characters

@ElderGod-Icefire

I agree with the others, this chapter had something about it that made it come to life, I could almost see James working in the engine room, the meeting room (kinda imagined it like the one in avengers lol), and the expressions and emotions of the characters

Ooh thank you!!! Damn i don't know what I did differently in this chapter but…I'm super glad I did whatever it was lol

@ElderGod-Icefire

Chapter Four: Tessa

He had said that his name was James Donovan, son of Henri Donovan, who had started Rising Technological Incorporation. RTI for short. She wasn't sure she believed him, but disguised as one of Acenthianrae's maids, she had to pretend she did.

"Of course, sir. Anything at all we can do to help." Tessa lied, making her voice sound soft and smooth and sweet as honey.

The boy across from her ran a hand through curly dark hair. He looked nervous. She could see sweat beading along his hairline and by his full lips. "Thank you, miss…?"

"Tessa." she supplied with an easy smile, shaking his hand and wishing she wasn't in this ridiculously short skirt. It was one of the different uniforms for the handmaidens. She hated the designer with a passion, whoever he was. She was sure it was a he. Only a man would come up with such a uniform for a ladies maid.

James nodded. "Right. It's nice to meet you, miss Tessa. And please, don't worry about the princess. I'll find her, I swear."

As he walked away, she wondered if he really believed that. She also wondered if the reason he kept referring to Acenthianrae as simply "The princess" was because he couldn't remember or pronounce her name. Queen Aline had certainly chosen a strange and difficult name for Ace, that was for sure. Not that Tessa really cared anyway. Her job wasn't simply handmaiden. Her job was spy, informant. Nothing so lowly as a simple handmaiden.

She went back to her room and changed out of that disgusting, skimpy outfit, and put on a full black ensemble. It stuck rather close to her skin, to ensure it wouldn't flap in the wind and draw attention. She hummed softly as she slipped gadgets onto her wrists and slid knives into hidden sheaths all over her body. Her thighs, her arms, her stomach, her chest. Even a tiny one hidden in her hair. The silvery metal glinted against her coppery skin, shone in her dark hair. She pulled her hair up, twisting it around the knife to hide it. She slipped on the special grippy shoes that would let her climb anything, and climbed out the window of the palace, as silent and deadly as a shadow.

Tessa Lycan. Handmaiden. Spy. Dead. She repeated those words to herself in her head. She was already dead. That was how spies like her operated. They didn't exist. They were dead. She leapt from the building and rolled as she landed just outside the walls. The sun was setting, and Ace had been gone for a full day now. She remembered helping the princess to escape the palace. Now, she was going to find her and bring her back. Build her trust as she was supposed to do.

She had a head start on James Donovan, too. She knew where the princess had gone. The Golden Star, a bar deep in the planet's underbelly. Tessa had been there twice. It was a good place, if you were looking for someone to kiss you and distract you and take you into their bed.

She slipped through the streets, staying well-hidden. Any of the gangs around here would do anything to get their hands on a good Shadow like her, and she couldn't let that happen. Especially not now.

It wasn't long before she arrived at The Golden Star. She ducked down the alleyway, and made some alterations to her clothing. The pants she opened up and pressed together. The invisi-seams held, forming the pants into a tight black skirt now, and she altered the shirt to dip far lower on her chest. She wasn't very big up top, or anywhere, really, with a slim, non-existent figure, but she knew how to make it look like she had more than she did. She ran her hands through her hair, messing it up a little, then sashayed inside, a secretive and flirtatious smile on her face. Her shoes, now heels, clicked lightly on the plasti-wood flooring.

She sauntered straight up to the counter and got a drink, then turned and surveyed the room. Nobody stood out to her at first. Her eyes widened a little when she thought she saw a tall, white-haired form, but when she looked again, it was nobody. It didn't take her long after that to spot Ace in her disguise, and slipped off of the glowing bar stool, weaving through the crowd.

"Hey sweetheart, wanna come home with me? I'll show you a good time." crooned a man, trying to slip his arm around her shoulders. His eyes were on her chest, not her face.

She smiled in a silky, seductive way, and pressed her body close to his. "Ohh, I have plans now sir, but…" she ran her hand down his chest and stomach, swallowing revulsion at his smell. "Perhaps later?" she purred, looking up at him.

He smiled in a lecherous way, and let go, but not before squeezing her ass. "That would be lovely indeed. I'll look forward."

She would bleach her clothing when she got back to the palace, she decided, as she walked over to Ace and the boy across from the princess. She braced her hands on the table, looking at the princess, her hazel eyes flared wide. "So. Who's the new boy toy?"

Without looking up from the chess board on the table, Ace replied, "Not interested in girls, that's what." she moved a piece, then looked up at Tessa. "Tessa, meet Avitas. Avitas, this is Tessa."

Tessa turned to the boy, this…Avitas, one of her hands on her hips as she looked him up and down. "Nice to meet you, Avitas." he didn't seem like much of a threat, she decided. She looked around again, on edge after seeing the pale hair earlier. She thought she saw the figure again, but when she looked again, it was gone as quick as she saw it.

Avitas gave her a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you as well. And like Ace said, I'm not her…boy toy. I don't like girls that way, though if I did, I might be tempted." he turned his attention to the gameboard, and moved a piece after a few minutes of deliberation.

"And how do you know you don't?" Tessa asked, arching an eyebrow as she sat down, looking at the game board, then at the two players.

Avitas grimaced. "I had a girlfriend for a while. It didn't work out. Kissing her felt…I don't know. Wrong, I guess. I liked her, but I figured out eventually that I didn't love her. At least, not in the way she wanted." he sighed. "But let's not talk about my romantic life or lack of one." as he played his next piece, Tessa noticed that he was missing his left pinky.

Interesting. What does he do for a living? "So, what do you do for a living, Avitas?" She asked, leaning towards him a little.

"Music. I'm a musician." Avitas replied blandly, looking straight at her for a moment before his gaze slid away.

Liar. "But how, with only nine fingers?" she asked, keeping a sweet smile on her lips. "What happened to the missing one?"

Avitas lifted his chin. "Did you come here for your friend, or to interrogate me? I wouldn't hurt Ace, or you, miss Tessa, so please stop asking questions that aren't your business."

He's nervous. Hiding something. Apply the right pressure, and he'll crack open. But Tessa didn't think he was a danger. She turned to Ace. "By the way, the Donovan's came today. James Donovan has said he would look for you. I expect he shall eventually find you. His family has money."

Ace rolled her eyes. "Gods damn it. Is a few days of peace too much to ask?" she sighed as she moved her piece forward.

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Peace? Is that what you call this…place?" she wrinkled her nose as she thought of the man who had touched her.

"I grew up here, Tess. It's always going to be home. Pedophiles and perverts not counted." Ace replied, flashing her a quick, almost sarcastic smile.

Tessa sighed, leaning her elbows on the table. "Well, your home sucks." she replied, taking a long gulp of her drink, then looked up to find Avitas studying her. She bared her teeth in a snarl. She was tired of playing the temptress already. So she was dropping that mask.

Avitas blinked, sitting back and his eyes darting around the room.

She smirked, satisfied. Good. He feared her. Good.

She cracked her knuckles, and gulped down the last of her drink. "Come on, princess. We're going home." she said, voice slurring. Her eyes narrowed as her vision blurred. "What the…?" she looked at her hands, vision fuzzing in and out. "Whass happenin'?"

"Drugged." she heard Avitas say, as if from a long ways away. "Your friend's been drugged."

Tessa swayed, fell, and blacked out before she felt her body hit the floor.

She awoke in a bed that smelled of fresh laundry detergent. The sheets were soft against her skin. She wasn't…she wasn't wearing anything. She was upright and out of the bed in a shot, the sheet wrapped around her body and her eyes wide. She swayed and stumbled, leaning a hand on the wall, trembling.

"Hey hey hey, Tess, sit down!" she heard Ace's voice, felt cool hands touch her back and guide her back to bed, helping her lay down. "We had to take your clothes off you or else you were going to tear them with how you were thrashing."

"We?" Tessa asked, her voice cracked and raspy.

"Me and Sita. No boys allowed. Though Avitas has been here to keep watch and figure out who did it." Ace replied, patting Tessa's shoulder.

Sita. Right. The bar owner's sister.

"Wha happened?" Tessa asked.

Ace handed her water, which she gratefully drank while listening. "Near as we can figure, someone thought you were there alone and drugged you, hoping to…well. You know what."

Tessa nodded. She knew who would have drugged the drink, and it wasn't who Ace thought. He had been here. She knew what that meant. She was running out of time.

@ElderGod-Icefire

Ooh yay!! Thank you! Yeah the next chapter will come sometime next week. It's honestly going to be the hardest one yet because the character has a really fucked up mindscape.
But anyway
Who's your favorite character so far??

@ElderGod-Icefire

He seems to be a lot of people's favorite lol. i mean if i'm honest he's my favorite too but shh…..i'm not supposed to have favorite childre-I mean characters

@ElderGod-Icefire

Haha my favorite one is the one I haven't written a chapter for…because he's the kind of character I always fall in love with… tragic boi with a bad backstory who just needs to be loved