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Post by RONJA IRIS AMALIA on Nov 28, 2009 21:11:55 GMT -5
Nicholas seemed mad, and Ronja couldn't decide why. He couldn't be jealous, he had his own lover, and he never wanted Ronja to feel she had to change for him. Maybe he was just annoyed that he had planned to go alone and now had two more companions. But Ronja wasn't going anywhere, and if Darius was the man she thought he was, he wouldn't leave her in harms way. At least the men pretended to be civil.
When Darius said he hadn't even thought she was cheating she wanted to laugh, did he know she found him easy to read? He'd been jealous and it had been obvious--and understandable. And now Nicholas was marching off, maybe to leave them behind, but Ronja wasn't so easily swayed. "Rad is very, very good." Ronja said, her tone bitter and still almost in awe. Ronja was very good for a lady, but she still wasn't enough to beat this child fae. "Which is why I'm not leaving him alone."
Ronja grabbed Darius by the hand and rushed to catch up with Nicholas, placing herself between the two men. She leaned close to Nicholas. "Sorry." She knew he would understand. She was sorry for getting more people wrapped up in this, sorry that he felt he had to prove himself, sorry for making him unhappy. But she wasn't sorry she was here, because his life meant a lot to her.
ooc- i know technically it's rad's turn, but she isnt in the action yet, so i figured it was okay. if not I can delete this or whatever
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Post by RADELLA SYLPH RYME ! on Nov 29, 2009 13:41:54 GMT -5
radella listened with careful ears to their conversations, mapping everything out in her mind while she listened. they were steadily heading north, seemingly towards the bowls of the swamp. they were chattering, and sometimes she heard her name crop up. she would grin wickedly, but would not move until she was sure they were moving. their heavy, clueless footfalls masked her already silent ones as she wove through the trees, steadily closing the gap between her and her prey. of course, now was not the time to attack them. she would have to wait a while for that. but at least now she had a good idea of what they were after, their foolishness so visibly apparent she had to force back a snort. these fae should be more careful, more vigilant, instead of bellowing at the top of their lungs constantly. how did they expect her not to hear them? she wasn't deaf. in fact, she was anything but. they - meaning ronja - should have learned that by now.
rad stretched from her crouched position, poking her head up to just barely pinpoint the top of the three other's heads. oh dear. ronja was in the middle of the two, seemingly trying to stop some spat. a smile crept onto the atra's lips. if their social hierchy was so unstable, taking them down would be that much easier. as she watched, she realized the argentum boy's interest in ronja, and her compliance to that interest. lovers now, were they? and then this human - she recognized his face as the argentum bard nicholas - where did he fit in? his appearance here was inconsistance with what she would have first believed. was he really stupid enough to stumble so far into this muggy swamp? could he possibly have enough idiocy to think that he would be able to take her down? he obviously thought so. rad caught sight of the fae boy's face and registered him as darius. hmm. ronja, her lover darius, and a random nicholas.
but as she watched, the reason for nick's appearance became clear. the way ronny dearest moved about him suggested she cared for him. a picture was painted into the atra's head, the grin getting wider as it all came into focus. ron was chasing nicholas, because he wants revenge on rad because of what she did to ron. and darius just happened to come along. oh, how lovely. an infuriated human waving a pistol blindly in any direction. how fun! and it seemed the two boys were jealous of one another - their body language and eyes, even from this distance, told radella that much. so, their social balance was even more unstable than first assumed. so radella watched her prey as they quarreled, noting how darius seemed extremely protective over ronja, and how nicholas seemed to fume over that. was nicholas jealous his love fell for darius? it seemed that way to the atra girl. she was finding all kinds of kinks in the armor, their armor, that she could just jam through and hopefully shatter their whole realms of understanding. it was very simple in rad's head. you see, she did not think the way most thought. her actions were careful and thought out, but you could hardly say they were planned. did she look like a girl with a plan, honestly? no. she prepared. she gathered the necessary information and formulated it into a constantly changing outline. you can hardly call that a plan. and, when it came time for her to initiate that constantly changing outline, it would more often than not constantly change during the course of her completing it.
radella was the kind of faerie who just winged it for everything and hoped it all turned out in her favor. thats part of the reason that she was so dangerous. she never followed the same strategy, because she never had a plan. and so she was jerky, jumping this way and that and having no clear path, which made her incredibly unpredictable. and unpredictability was often on her side. many a time, she was so sporatic that her prey got so confused, she barely had to fight it for its death. but here came another reason why rad was so horrific: she was like a cat chasing a mouse. it was all about the game, about the playing. until she catches what she wants. sometimes, like this time, she knows faintly what she will do with her prey once she corners it. but most of the time, once she catches the mouse, she's got nothing to do with it. and mostly, she resorts to the torture method. with ronja, she chased the argentum because ron happened to be there. if ron had not turned up at the swamp that day, i daresay radella would not have gone after her. but when she did catch ronja, this time, she had a faint outline of what she would do. of course, she made it up as she went along, but the whole 'torture-and-then-force-to-spread-word-or-die' thing seemed to go nicely.
but for right now, radella was only focused on the mouse, and how she was going to, hopefully, catch it. she had not thought enough ahead to realize what she would do if she caught it - them. they were displayed in front of her like beautiful food after weeks of starvation. she had to get it, in the most quick and easy was possible. and sometimes, that involved a recklessness radella excelled in. yes, this beast was so reckless, she would put even the most reckless to shame, because of her skill in this catagory. death did not appeal to her - in fact, it barely crossed her mind. much like a shark, who closes their eyes when they go after prey, she closes her mind off when she is hunting, because what is the use worrying when you could be killing?
WORDS 1013. ;] OUTFIT same as before TAGGED ronja darius nicholas NOTES even longer than my first. yay!
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Post by NICHOLAS SANDROSE on Nov 29, 2009 20:17:37 GMT -5
"Sorry."
Nicholas responded to Ronja’s apology with a genuine smile. He wasn’t mad at her. He wasn’t even really mad at Darius. How could he be? Ronja was here because she wanted to protect her friend, and Darius was here because he wanted to protect his lover. Very noble motives. Nicholas would have thought less of them if they’d done otherwise.
“It’s alright.” Nicholas reached out to stroke Ronja’s cheek, but then pulled his hand back before it made contact. He should probably refrain from the touchy-feely stuff when Darius was around. No point in antagonizing the man. “It’s just...things are a little weird with Ellylon right now. So being around another couple feels uncomfortable. But I’ll behave myself. I promise.” Normally, Nicholas would have shared further details with Ronja. But he’d be damned before he started discussing his love life around Darius.
Would this be any less strange if Ellylon were here? Nicholas honestly couldn’t imagine her slogging through a swamp. She just wasn’t the type. And, in truth, he didn’t want her to be. Nicholas liked her delicacy, liked the way she needed him to protect her. Seeing Darius and Ronja together made Nicholas miss his queen even more, but he still felt glad that she was back at the palace -- no matter how this turned out, she’d be safe.
As the road led them deeper into the swamp, it grew narrower and muddier. Until, finally, it petered out altogether. For a moment, Nicholas hesitated. He’d never been this far beyond the palace. An unfamiliar terrain stretched out ahead of him, filled with rotting logs, drooping vines, and unexplained bubbles rising from unseen depths. It all looked a bit scary. But stubborn determination propelled him onward. Grimacing, Nicholas stepped into the putrid muck. His boot immediately sunk up to the ankle. However, he forced himself to take another step, and then another, until he reached an isolated mound of dry ground. Then he glanced back to see how his companions were faring.
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Post by DARIUS BYRON GOODLIFFE on Dec 1, 2009 22:14:54 GMT -5
Darius watched as Nicholas got farther away, but he knew that there was no chance that he could get Ronja to go back with him. Though scared for her safety, he really did admire her loyalty. She wasn't going to let her friend fight a powerful enemy alone, and when Ronja had decided, it was final. She didn't like changing her mind, Darius had quickly figured out when he first met her for the second time.
Darius caught the bitterness in Ronja's voice when she talked about Rad, but there was something else as well. Some kind of awe? If Ronja had an admiration for this fae's strength, even if it was a terrible admiration, the fae must be strong. Just the fact that Rad had brutally maimed Ronja told Darius that this would not be an easy battle, even if the opposing party was outnumbered. Something told him that they were going to get thurt and this would be talked about for a while. A while...
Darius was being dragged towards the one person he most wanted to be far from. He didn't mean to feel such jealousy and anger toward the man, but Nicholas and Ronja had a real history and real affection. It wasn't just a young flare, a spark that caught up with them later on in life. Nicholas and Ronja were best friends, and though it wasn't meant to, their friendship made Darius feel left out of the picture. He moved closer to Ronja, wishing that the action did not bring him closer to Nicholas as well.
Then, Ronja was apologizing? He couldn't understand for what, but as it wasn't directed at him, it did not matter. He did not want to intrude on their conversation, but he could not keep himself from listening. Nicholas raised his hand to touch Ronja but, being obviously smart as that action would probably have caused Darius' anger to boil over, he dropped it. He was talking about the former queen, which confused Darius until he remembered that Nicholas was Ellylon's lover. It was an odd coupling, but who was Darius to discriminate.
The swamp was upon them, then. Despite being with Ronja, Darius could not help but feel a sadness due to the gloomy atmosphere. he looked down at the muck, then at Ronja. "Ready?" He squeezed her hand and started walking, his feet sinking into the mud with every step. Following Nicholas' footprints, he soon reached the same mound of dry dirt that he was standing on. He gave Nicholas a dry smile and looked back to see how Ronja was doing.
ooc- Really bad post, sorry. I got really sick tonite and bad health leads to a horrid post. [/size]
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Post by RONJA IRIS AMALIA on Dec 2, 2009 9:56:47 GMT -5
Ronja squeezed Darius's hand when he felt him tightening his own grip. It had to be hard for him too, there was something real with Nicholas and Ronja, a displaced love of some kind, and Darius probably felt it. But he didn't have to worry. Ronja would have asked about Ellylon and what was wrong but not in front of Darius, he didn't get access to Nicholas's private life. It wasn't fair to the bard. So she just nodded in understanding after Nicholas spoke. It was hard to see love when you haven't any. She knew what that was like, it was like how she felt when Nicholas got Ellylon, it was how she felt every time a one night man left her bed. "I know how it feels." She reminded him quietly. Ronja gave him a soft smile and placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment.
"Yes, I'm ready, we're walking aren't we?" She teased Darius lightly. Her ears were sharp and her eyes darted around with controlled accuracy. "She'd very fast and very quiet. We really have to hush up. She could already be here. Remember, loose muscles." Ronja dropped Darius's hand for practical reasons, if they were attacked, better that they didn't all go down together.
Ronja could feel her whole body buzzing with memory. Maybe she wasn't strong enough for this. But she just could show them how scared she was. She couldn't. Her fainting scars felt hot and she felt tense, even if she knew she was walking loosely, and quietly. She was quieter than both of them. Could they pull this off? Why did Nicholas have to be so vengeful?
ooc- sucky, i know >< sorry. and shade, yours was fine =)
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Post by RADELLA SYLPH RYME ! on Dec 2, 2009 16:36:48 GMT -5
this was it. it was now. they had entered the swamp. radella pushed forward, expertly dancing on the thick roots of the trees that littered the ground to avoid squelching in the mud, like dear nicholas. she had changed quickly, into a jacket with something bulky and black underneath. it didn't impair her movement - if anything, it would help her. her body twisted and curved as she got closer, closing the distance with quick, silent leaps. her lips quirked into a smirk as she approached them, coming in fast, nearly sprinting now through the trees, the only sound the gentle, nearly silent wooshes of the plantlife as she buzzed past them. and then - stop! rad halted, like stone, suddenly quiet as death and still as a statue. she was a mere two yards away from them now, could see them through the trees she hid behind. she peered around the edge of the bark, not breathing, watching them as they tried to move through the mud, through the dense trees.
what was ironic was that not far from here was the place she and ronja had their little spat. maybe ron would remember after a while. rad fingered the knife in her pocket. it was now. rad had done some research on the type of gun nicholas carried - the handgun was only good for close distances, and she was far enough she could move away when he raised the butt - she was very, very fast. she watched them for one more second before she grabbed a small stone from the ground. she flicked it, making it soar easily into the air, and land with a tiny drop in a puddle near their fearless human leader.
and then, radella was behind them, behind the darius, her leg snapping out to catch him in the hip and hopefully cripple him. whether she did or not didn't really matter - he'd served his purpose. she used him as a block, a stepping stone, jumping easily to his shoulders and pushing off, body outstretched like a thoroughbred in a race, fast as lightening. if her tragectory was right, she would land beside nicholas. and she did, splashing into the mud next to him. not even 30 seconds had passed before she was swinging low to the ground, her leg coming around to hopefully knock his legs from underneath him. but she did not wait for that. her eyes were on the gun. they had to be on the gun. she had to get it off of him. and so, with a blind fury and a malicious round of laughter, she snapped her arm back in an attempt to backhand ronja while she flung out her fist, hoping to catch nicholas in the back of the head.
[sorry its a bit short; and sorry if i seemed to powerplay here. i was trying to use 'attempt' and 'hoping' but its hard, since she's one to three, ya know?]
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Post by NICHOLAS SANDROSE on Dec 2, 2009 20:49:53 GMT -5
Plop!
Nicholas twisted toward the sound. Various noises had heralded their arrival in the swamp, but he hadn’t heard that particular one before -- was it the prelude to an attack? Nicholas couldn’t see anything unusual lurking nearby. Perhaps it had only been a frog jumping into the murky water. For the briefest of moments, Nicholas started to relax.
And then the world burst into motion. Radella came charging out of foliage, directing her first attack at Darius. As she attempted to kick him, Nicholas yanked the gun from his pocket and took aim. But Darius was in the way. If he shot at Radella, he might hit the Argentum knight. Dammit! This was exactly why Nicholas had wanted to come alone.
Despite his loathing for their opponent, Nicholas couldn’t help feeling impressed when Radella scrambled up Darius and launched herself off of his shoulders. But there was no time to waste marveling at her dexterity. An instant later, Radella splashed into the mud beside Nicholas. She was close now -- and no longer shielded by his friends. Nicholas managed to get off a single shot before Radella’s foot connected with his legs, knocking them out from underneath him. With a grunt of surprise, Nicholas went down. But he kept a firm grip on the gun, and he kept his arm extended, so that it would remain safely above any swampy muck. If the gun got wet, it would stop working. And they’d really be screwed.
Ironically, Nicholas’s fall protected him from Radella’s second blow. As her fist whistled through the air where his head had been, Nicholas fumbled with the gun’s slide, trying to get another round in the chamber before it was too late.
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Post by DARIUS BYRON GOODLIFFE on Dec 6, 2009 11:48:57 GMT -5
Darius heard the stone drop, but thought nothing of it. He tried to take Ronja's advice, he tried to relax his muscles, but he was nervous. He didn't doubt that the Atra could unarm Nicholas. Once that was done, Nicholas would be unprotected, so it would really be one and a half against one. Pretty good odds unless the one was as powerful as everybody implied.
These thoughts racing through his head, Darius was unprepared when a foot collided with his hip. It hurt like hell. He bent over a little and she was climbing up and over his back. Damn, she was fast! Nicholas was pointing the gun at them and Darius prayed that he would not shoot. It was too close, he might get hit. But, Radella was already gone, sailing toward Nicholas. Darius winced once more as he stood up and took a step, but he would be fine until this was over. He sprinted toward Radella and Nicholas and attempted to pull Radella into a headlock.
However, he managed to slip in the mud. This was not going well and Darius was angry with himself. He was practically yelling at himself now. He raised his foot to kick out Rad's knees, hoping that he wouldn't miss and she would fall. It would give Nicholas some time to recover. "Ronja, don't come any closer!" He knew it wouldn't make a difference. Ronja would come to try to save him and her friend, but he had to try to convince her. [/size]
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Post by RONJA IRIS AMALIA on Dec 6, 2009 22:22:45 GMT -5
Ronja's eyes darted as the stone dropped in the water. And out of the corner of her eye, she saw Radella bring down Darius and leap through the air at Nicholas. She heard Darius regain his footing and once Nicholas was on the ground, a hand reached out to hit her, but Ronja knew bette now, she ducked and rammed her body into Rad's just as darius managed to kick out at the Atra fae.
They were definitely off balance now, and Ronja did her best to make sure the other fae was horizontal, or at least farther away from her friends. Dariu's words came too late, like delayed speech, slow motion. She'd moved long ago. She wasn't going to run and leave them to die. No way, she could not live forever knowing she'd left them here to rot. Sink into the swamp.
How could it get this far? She should have made a better plan, they weren't ready for this, not ready to beat Rad. Now if they all had planned and attack, worked, prepared, then maybe. They had to have the upper hand. Ronja and Darius were skilled, Nicholas had a gun, which counted for something. Rad might be fast, and have good accuracy, But she wasn't perfect, she wasn't a god. And she lacked experience for one, as for what else, they would find it.
ooc- we need to make sure everyone gets blows in, i'm thinking rad probably gets beaten, because she is out numbered and ronja and darius are older than her. radella won't die. im just saying, she cant always win
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