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Monster
thunderbird
25 years old
nomad
played by mari
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Grateful our cold memories bide
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Post by AVA HAYES on Jan 3, 2015 6:38:25 GMT
it was going to rain; ava felt the prickle of raindrops like phantom pains. but one didn't need to look further than the skies to know that. the grey rolled over, and citizens milling about either found shelter or pulled closer their hoods and coats in defeat.
ava leaned went with the former, ducking into something of a bar. the place held few common folk, but it seemed to be popular with folks donning a royal uniform. military made her uneasy, and she always found an excuse as to why the ruffled her feathers - so to speak. she approached a lone table and sat down as a group a few feet away burst into raucous laughter. she eyed them, accidentally misordered a beer due to their volume, and quickly shot a glare their way.
CAMERON GUERIN i'm sorry i don't really know what i'm doing
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Champion
HUMAN
22 years old
IMPERIAL CHAMPION
played by PISCES
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WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME, I CAN'T BE BLAMED, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME AGAIN
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Post by CAMERON GUERIN on Jan 4, 2015 23:56:56 GMT
he loathed telling the story of his exploits—of his near-miss encounter with his fated monster in the centerspines—but they ate it up, rapt and ravenous, and when he finished, clapped him on the back and watched him with faces newly tinged with envy. it was the story that lifted him out of rank and file obscurity, the story that propelled him a little closer to near celebrity. a champion worth his salt—only he hadn’t earned it yet, hadn’t plunged his sword into plumage once and for all. he hadn’t won yet. but he hadn’t died either. the group of inebriated soldiers clustered around the table seemed to press down on him, their cheeks ruddy with alcohol and eyes bright with expectation as they caught the last drop from their steins and the last word off his tongue. tale told, cameron took a swig of his own beer to loosen the constriction in his throat, the weight that had rooted there and forced his words out—and glanced over the room for a convenient motive to leave the cluster. green eyes settled decisively on a lone girl, out of place in the military haunt. cameron excused himself politely and approached the newcomer, face friendly. “escaping the rain?” a sudden crash of thunder, alarmingly close, nearly drowned out the inquiry. |
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Monster
thunderbird
25 years old
nomad
played by mari
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Grateful our cold memories bide
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Post by AVA HAYES on Jan 5, 2015 2:23:00 GMT
she'd torn her distressed eyes away and to the wooden table, hands tracing marks of previous cups rested there; slammed down in rage or mirth, stains of drink in the woodwork that went to rosy cheeks and pealing laughter such as the group behind her. the thought was humbling and at once made her feel insignificant.
an inquiry made her look up, and her next words slipped away instantaneously. at first it was a jarring familiarity, one that formed a knot in her stomach and a numb feeling to her mouth. it was fight or flight, and the fact of it was alert enough as to who this was.
in the next moment, her drink was on the table and she was murmuring a thank you to the barmaid. thankful for a moment to gather her thoughts, she held the cup in both hands as if it were warm—absently, she was reminded that she didn't even like beer.
"yes." she said, the lie coming out stronger than she felt. "i'm not fond of... that." her hand waved vaguely to indicate 'that', feigning loss of words. the last time she'd seen this man, she'd sustained a few injuries and left a few more feathers. if she were to lift her tunic, a light scar would be found, wrapping around her torso to peek into view next to her spine. on her monster body it was harder to hide. the proximity, the risk of being found out, was frightening.
CAMERON GUERIN
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Champion
HUMAN
22 years old
IMPERIAL CHAMPION
played by PISCES
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WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME, I CAN'T BE BLAMED, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME AGAIN
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Post by CAMERON GUERIN on Jan 11, 2015 4:00:07 GMT
did she know (of) him? he watched something like recognition sweep over the girl’s eyes, heard the tell-tale hesitation in her belated reply. there was nothing familiar in her dark hair and pale skin, but her curious response left him unsettled, second-guessing. if there was a lie to be caught, a puzzle piece to be set, cameron ignored any implications and carried on the conversation he’d started. “i can’t say i am, either.” he lowered his gaze, fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of the pockmarked table, before he looked up again and leaned in slightly, smile faintly rueful, “do you mind if i sit here? you’d be doing me a favor.” cameron glanced back meaningfully at the rowdy group of soldiers he’d left, a few tables over. quieter he added, “i admit i’m trying to escape my old company.” |
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Monster
thunderbird
25 years old
nomad
played by mari
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Grateful our cold memories bide
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Post by AVA HAYES on Jan 14, 2015 4:08:00 GMT
her grip on the cup relaxed as it slowly dawned on her that he couldn't recognize her. the fact put her at ease and boosted her confidence, if only a small amount.
"feel free." ava took a sip of her drink, scowled at the flavor and set it down once more. taking her hands off it, she glanced at the other table.
"may i inquire as to why?" she asked, curiosity welling. if he didn't recognize her for what she was, there was a chance to know who he was, and what he did. once she knew that much, she would stay as far away from him as she could.
CAMERON GUERIN
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Champion
HUMAN
22 years old
IMPERIAL CHAMPION
played by PISCES
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WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME, I CAN'T BE BLAMED, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME AGAIN
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Post by CAMERON GUERIN on Jan 20, 2015 0:06:03 GMT
a feeling he couldn’t name, an edginess, prickled at the back of his neck and made his fingers twitchy, aimlessly search the grain of the wooden table in a goal he couldn’t shape. it was less defined than intuition—there was nothing dangerous in this bar, about this girl. maybe it was the storm that electrified the air, maybe it was the remembrance of the story about a hero and a monster that lingered after its telling. like he was transported back to that mountainside, to that hero. “thanks.” cameron sat down to face her, laying his hands on the table and lacing them together. his smile was lighthearted. “it’s tiring, drinking with them. sometimes i need some quiet to breathe.” his eyes laughed. “you’ve stumbled into a den of soldiers who like to do nothing but drink.”“i’m guessing you don’t?” she sipped at her beer like bitter medicine, slowly, painfully. he wanted to suggest it helped to take it down all at once, in one fell coup. |
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Monster
thunderbird
25 years old
nomad
played by mari
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Grateful our cold memories bide
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Post by AVA HAYES on Jan 21, 2015 0:05:20 GMT
"no." she said slowly, carefully. "quite frankly, fermented berries taste better." never mind that they would get her intoxicated much quicker. she nudged the cup away in emphasis. "this must be a frequent haunt, for them to be so at ease." it wasn't meant to be a question, but it came out almost sounding like one. the military presence in the room had her irregularly sure and unsure of herself—like the shift of hot and cold winds, glimpsing the calm eye of the storm before being pulled back into the hurricane. "what did they do to make you seek different company?" she glanced back at them,the burly men with their crisp uniforms and sharp, shiny weapons. a sword like that ran across her body once, came away partially stained in red, her red. CAMERON GUERIN format change but im still 2 lazy 2 use a temp |
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Champion
HUMAN
22 years old
IMPERIAL CHAMPION
played by PISCES
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WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME, I CAN'T BE BLAMED, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME AGAIN
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Post by CAMERON GUERIN on Jan 25, 2015 22:45:25 GMT
“yeah?” he rolled his shoulders. “i don’t really have a preference.” fermented berries were sweeter, coated the tongue more thickly, but he never drank for pleasure anyways—only for oblivion and white noise to drown out the chatter, and enough of anything eventually served its purpose. “what did they do?” his smile turned a little lopsided. “it’s nothing serious like that. we’re all soldiers. we get along, but when they break something, i don’t want to be responsible for the damage expenses.”“i’m cameron guerin, by the way.” |
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Monster
thunderbird
25 years old
nomad
played by mari
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Grateful our cold memories bide
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Post by AVA HAYES on Jan 31, 2015 0:29:31 GMT
she paused, body tense and frozen. she had to keep reminding herself that he didn't know what she really was, that her identity was safe. "ava." she said, quiet and distracted. she didn't press him further, but she kept trying to find similarities between him and the other soldiers. evaluating, though she wasn't sure where she might find any weaknesses. "what is the army like?" she asked abruptly, turning her eyes back to cameron. it was a shame—his name sounded like it would be pleasant to say. CAMERON GUERIN |
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Champion
HUMAN
22 years old
IMPERIAL CHAMPION
played by PISCES
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WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME, I CAN'T BE BLAMED, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME AGAIN
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Post by CAMERON GUERIN on Feb 6, 2015 4:36:12 GMT
“ava, then.”he couldn’t shake it, the ill-formed inkling of doubt lapping at the edges of his mind, the weight of suspicion on his shoulders like a storm brewing on the horizon. only, the storm had already arrived—they were in its midst, conversation punctuated by the clap of thunder and the drum of rain. ava could’ve been hiding something, anything, nothing. cameron learned to disregard the things he didn’t know and couldn’t perceive, learned to guard his own secrets well and discard all the rest. to her next question, he picked his words carefully. “it’s...rewarding. difficult at times, but the empire treats its soldiers well.” like benevolent shepherds gently sending off lambs to slaughter. “its champions, especially well.” |
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Monster
thunderbird
25 years old
nomad
played by mari
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Grateful our cold memories bide
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Post by AVA HAYES on Feb 10, 2015 8:33:30 GMT
"obviously." softly, abruptly. it wasn't meant to be jabbing, but the way it came out in passive malice was potent. only too late she saw it for what it was, and looked up from her glare at the floor in surprise. "i'm sorry—" and she's sure now that he knows. her paranoia makes her stand up, and her cup clatters to the floor, contents spilling from the brim, onto the table and parts of her shirt. she stares at it for a moment in her panic, frozen until she reaches quickly to pick it up and set it on the table. she wraps her cloak around herself and looks to the window, where the storm rages compellingly. "i need to go."CAMERON GUERIN |
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Champion
HUMAN
22 years old
IMPERIAL CHAMPION
played by PISCES
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WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME, I CAN'T BE BLAMED, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME AGAIN
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Post by CAMERON GUERIN on Feb 18, 2015 4:51:11 GMT
his comment strikes a vein. she becomes suspicious in the turn of a second. now the hum at the base of his neck crescendos to a persistent buzz that’s impossible to ignore, a thousand wasps synchronized in warning. in alert he stiffens, shifts his weight to the edge of his seat. there’s a gleam of new hardness in emerald eyes, a question—but before he can voice it ava’s already standing up, and cameron can only watch in retroactive as the mug hits the floor. as fate works inexorably to its natural conclusion. he stands up in turn, then falters. his breath catches; the wasps are frenzied. when ava bends for the cup, the fabric of her shirt rides up and an expanse of skin as pale and secretive as the dark side of the moon. it’s only a peek, but cameron recognizes the shape of the raised scar tissue that mars it. he thinks it belongs to a monster he’s destined to destroy, or to be destroyed by. but the monster’s now a girl, and he has not his sword. cameron swallows and fixes a suitably startled smile on his face. “are you alright? it’s still raining outside.”she’s ready to bolt. he doesn’t make a move to prevent her leave, doesn’t want to further upset the situation. he treads carefully. “let me help you clean up first.” |
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Monster
thunderbird
25 years old
nomad
played by mari
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Grateful our cold memories bide
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Post by AVA HAYES on Feb 23, 2015 5:24:51 GMT
"it's just a stain." but there's no salvaging it, the pieces are already there and her monster eyes are staring at her, at the man in front of her. he's blocking the door, but she's not quite cornered, not yet. he knows, she thinks, recalling the slice of the blade up her back, the sting and the blood and the end of her freedom. warm wet despair— he knows he knows he knows."no." and she isn't sure if she's saying it to him now or back then, but she draws inwards and shoulders past him. the wolf revealed, hunted, turned tail to retreat. coward.CAMERON GUERIN |
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Champion
HUMAN
22 years old
IMPERIAL CHAMPION
played by PISCES
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WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME, I CAN'T BE BLAMED, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME AGAIN
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Post by CAMERON GUERIN on Feb 28, 2015 21:00:09 GMT
“if you say so. goodbye, ava.” there’s nothing to be done, he tells himself. their shoulders meet deliberately; cameron steps to the side in passive acceptance. he wonders if this is what it means to be a champion, a cowardly one—to run in circles, stuck in an infinite loop of fate and monsters, to never deliver the final blow. a false finality—death becomes birth, another beginning. the cycle resets and there is more killing to be done in the next lifetime, and the next, all the way down to the end of history. his eyes follow her retreating back, tracing an imaginary scar across hidden skin. when she leaves she lets in the elements. thunder shakes the cups and tables, wind chases in a damp that chills his bones. the door shuts to block out the storm. cameron sits down, shivers, and orders a tankard of warm mead. they’ll meet again, he ponders unhappily. and maybe then he’ll have his sword, fulfill his bloody, shining fate. /end? |
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