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No Longer Crying
Moon
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2021
Hello! No pressure, but I am looking for the perfect partners! I am 28 and a stay at home mom to a young daughter, but with time on my hands on almost a daily basis to take back up my hobby of roleplaying which I have enjoyed on and off since around 2008. I am looking for one or two creative writing partners to roleplay and world build on Discord with. I enjoy action, adventure, fantasy, comedy, horror and themes of romance and I do include some adult themes where appropriate, but prefer that it weren't the focus of the roleplay. For this reason I need my partners to be at least over 21, and definitely have a preference for people to be 25 and over.
I have been really focusing on plot driven story lines to keep things interesting for both parties. I usually write around 2 to 3 paragraphs minimum to an upwards of 5 to 6 at most depending on the situation. I would like for my partners to try and mirror what I give to an extent but it's not a requirement. Obviously in certain situations, only so much can be said so it's okay if you use your best judgement. I'm not too picky about post length, but the more detailed, the better. I have some well established characters that I've either had for a long time, or have always wanted to use for a long time and never got the chance to and I'm mostly comfortable playing female characters. No canons though please, I love OCs.
Some Possible Pairings
Princess x Knight
Knight x Female Squire
Psychiatrist x Client
Medium x Possessed person
Student x Student/Teacher
Band Member x Band Member
Band Member x Manager
Scientist x Human Experiment
Model x Photographer
Boss x Employee
Nurse x Warrior/Mercenary/Etc.
Warrior/Mercenary x Prisoner of War
Criminal organization/gang member x Criminal organization/gang member
Criminal organization/gang member x Cop
Witch x Hunter
Witch x Witch/Warlock
Royal x Ward
Half/Full Angel x Fallen/Half Angel
Some Possible Plot Ideas
A virus has broken out causing people to literally go crazy and violent and dying very sick. Two people (our characters) are somehow one of the only ones immune to it. They've been living within the worn down city for months after the virus has broken out. And they're trapped in as it is an huge quarantine zone. Finally the Government has come in to dispose of the corpses. Upon their mission they find the characters and "Rescue" them. Only to try to perform experiments on them to see why the outbreak has not effected them. Well the two finally catch on and make plans to break out. They do. But the government follows them. They find out that a lot of cities aren't effected yet so they're on the run. But they may not be safe for long.
The world has hit another ice age. During it a lot of humans, the ones that could afford it anyways took their families and lived underground. The ones that could not, had to remain on the cold surface this either made them survive or killed them in the process. As years have went by the ones who remained on surface have basically evolved to handle the harsh climate. The ice age by now is pretty much over but still very cold. The humans have come up to move to a closer region near the equator that will be warm. Upon this move character 1 gets separated from the group and is lost in the cold. He/she meets character two who is adapted to it and takes them to their 'tribe'. Upon spending time together they fall in love but unfortunately this is not good. As the two races hate each other.
(Altered Carbon Universe Plot--Must have seen at least the first season of Altered Carbon)
Character A works for a high class criminal (Like one of the Meth baddies) and deals with his/her clients to trade and sell illegal goods and services. Everything is all good and peachy, everyone is rich and comfy, until ONE DAY (and we can role play through this as well if you are open to it so I'm keeping it sort of vague) one of the clients skipped out on their end of the bargain and decided to just steal the goods mid-transaction. There is a struggle and our people barely escape with their lives intact, now not only wanted by the authorities, but by this rival criminal organization as well. THEN, instead of protecting the employee(s), the big boss blames the failure on them, and puts a target on their head as well. So the character(s) would have no choice but to go rogue and either join up with another rival group to move up in the ranks, or build up their own enterprise until they have gained enough power and influence to clear their name or take out their enemies.
(Your character could be whatever you want, but ideas would be to have them either be a part of the same initial organization, the opposing one, or some random bad ass that decides to help or a cop that maybe wants to take down the criminals, but ends up helping mine, despite the extensive criminal history to take out the greater, common problem.)
Suffering from frequent episodes of sleep paralysis that seem to be rapidly getting worse, character A is desperate to get help from anyone. It's up to character B to help A solve their problem, before they snap completely and do something to harm themselves and or possibly others.
(Monster Hunter International Book Series Universe Plot--Must have read at least the first book in the series)
After very abruptly having a close, life threatening encounter with a real life monster and thus, learning that the existence of such things is very real and very very dangerous, character A joins a monster hunter group responsible for protecting a certain region of the country. They meet a small, tightknit and very colorful cast of characters (some of whom have extremely mysterious origins) and join forces in pairs, threesomes, or sometimes, the whole group in fighting evil monsters and keeping the integrity of their land safe from harm. Unfortunately, another threat seems to be amassing support on the evil doers part and the group gets tested on whether they can handle such a large force being organized by a mysterious, very wise and cruel leader who always seems to be one step ahead of them.
Some of my Writing Examples
Okay well that's it! If you made it all the way down here I applaud you! Think you can hack it in a roleplay with me??? Feel free to PM me! Please include a brief description about yourself so I know you fit within my parameters as far as partner preferences (age), and let me know ahead of time if you have any ideas or characters, whether they're your own original ideas and characters, or any of mine from this thread. I find it's a big waste of time messaging back and forth, trying to get this type of information out of someone organically. This way, we can save time and get right into the fun, juicy details of possible role play plots and ideas! I can do this on discord as well.
Again, I am sort of looking for the perfect fit. In the past I've had a problem with starting up a role play with someone, getting maybe one or two replies in before that person drops off the face of the planet and ghosts me. This...this is very rude and I don't appreciate it. Please just be honest and up front with me, and I will do that same for you. It's better to let someone know if you're not feeling it so both parties can change it up or move on. As an adult myself I of course understand that we all have lives that require our attention from time to time and sometimes without warning and that's okay. Just keep in mind, all of our time is valuable, and this is just for fun! I don't expect people to be stressed out about responses, and I don't expect to wait around for weeks for a reply, and vice versa.
Thank you for listening..err....reading! I look forward to hearing from anyone still interested at this point!
I have been really focusing on plot driven story lines to keep things interesting for both parties. I usually write around 2 to 3 paragraphs minimum to an upwards of 5 to 6 at most depending on the situation. I would like for my partners to try and mirror what I give to an extent but it's not a requirement. Obviously in certain situations, only so much can be said so it's okay if you use your best judgement. I'm not too picky about post length, but the more detailed, the better. I have some well established characters that I've either had for a long time, or have always wanted to use for a long time and never got the chance to and I'm mostly comfortable playing female characters. No canons though please, I love OCs.
Some Possible Pairings
Princess x Knight
Knight x Female Squire
Psychiatrist x Client
Medium x Possessed person
Student x Student/Teacher
Band Member x Band Member
Band Member x Manager
Scientist x Human Experiment
Model x Photographer
Boss x Employee
Nurse x Warrior/Mercenary/Etc.
Warrior/Mercenary x Prisoner of War
Criminal organization/gang member x Criminal organization/gang member
Criminal organization/gang member x Cop
Witch x Hunter
Witch x Witch/Warlock
Royal x Ward
Half/Full Angel x Fallen/Half Angel
Some Possible Plot Ideas
A virus has broken out causing people to literally go crazy and violent and dying very sick. Two people (our characters) are somehow one of the only ones immune to it. They've been living within the worn down city for months after the virus has broken out. And they're trapped in as it is an huge quarantine zone. Finally the Government has come in to dispose of the corpses. Upon their mission they find the characters and "Rescue" them. Only to try to perform experiments on them to see why the outbreak has not effected them. Well the two finally catch on and make plans to break out. They do. But the government follows them. They find out that a lot of cities aren't effected yet so they're on the run. But they may not be safe for long.
The world has hit another ice age. During it a lot of humans, the ones that could afford it anyways took their families and lived underground. The ones that could not, had to remain on the cold surface this either made them survive or killed them in the process. As years have went by the ones who remained on surface have basically evolved to handle the harsh climate. The ice age by now is pretty much over but still very cold. The humans have come up to move to a closer region near the equator that will be warm. Upon this move character 1 gets separated from the group and is lost in the cold. He/she meets character two who is adapted to it and takes them to their 'tribe'. Upon spending time together they fall in love but unfortunately this is not good. As the two races hate each other.
(Altered Carbon Universe Plot--Must have seen at least the first season of Altered Carbon)
Character A works for a high class criminal (Like one of the Meth baddies) and deals with his/her clients to trade and sell illegal goods and services. Everything is all good and peachy, everyone is rich and comfy, until ONE DAY (and we can role play through this as well if you are open to it so I'm keeping it sort of vague) one of the clients skipped out on their end of the bargain and decided to just steal the goods mid-transaction. There is a struggle and our people barely escape with their lives intact, now not only wanted by the authorities, but by this rival criminal organization as well. THEN, instead of protecting the employee(s), the big boss blames the failure on them, and puts a target on their head as well. So the character(s) would have no choice but to go rogue and either join up with another rival group to move up in the ranks, or build up their own enterprise until they have gained enough power and influence to clear their name or take out their enemies.
(Your character could be whatever you want, but ideas would be to have them either be a part of the same initial organization, the opposing one, or some random bad ass that decides to help or a cop that maybe wants to take down the criminals, but ends up helping mine, despite the extensive criminal history to take out the greater, common problem.)
Suffering from frequent episodes of sleep paralysis that seem to be rapidly getting worse, character A is desperate to get help from anyone. It's up to character B to help A solve their problem, before they snap completely and do something to harm themselves and or possibly others.
(Monster Hunter International Book Series Universe Plot--Must have read at least the first book in the series)
After very abruptly having a close, life threatening encounter with a real life monster and thus, learning that the existence of such things is very real and very very dangerous, character A joins a monster hunter group responsible for protecting a certain region of the country. They meet a small, tightknit and very colorful cast of characters (some of whom have extremely mysterious origins) and join forces in pairs, threesomes, or sometimes, the whole group in fighting evil monsters and keeping the integrity of their land safe from harm. Unfortunately, another threat seems to be amassing support on the evil doers part and the group gets tested on whether they can handle such a large force being organized by a mysterious, very wise and cruel leader who always seems to be one step ahead of them.
Some of my Writing Examples
Bobi stuck to the shadows as she often did on these nights, gloved hands shoved into her front pockets of her dark pants. She preferred the cover of night, geared up as she was, dressed in her muted, dark colors. The darkness helped hide her features, and sometimes herself entirely. A small, lone figure, let alone a female that wasn't looking for a good time... Well it was no wonder the city had toughened her so. She listened intently to the scanner, ignoring the dead sounding voices of the dispatch team communicating with the officers in the field. She focused on the smaller reports coming in; muggings and other domestic disputes, vandals and small robberies. Things she could handle. Things that the cops didn't prioritize due to the out of control crime rate of the city. They simply didn't have the resources or at least that's what they would claim. It was well known that unless there was a good chance they'd be guaranteed to bring someone in, they cared little about what happened in the city. That's where people like her came in, within reason of course. She left the high speed chases, and high volume heists to the professionals.
She walked at a steady pace, calm and slow, appearing unsuspecting to any that dared a glance in her direction. It was a bad night. The 'music' of the city was as lively as ever as the girl listened to the reports coming in. It seemed like there was a lot of trouble brewing near the center of the city, among some of the oldest and tallest infrastructures contained within the area. Bobi hated that area. The crumbling sky scrapers and sky bridges felt like walls and ceilings outdoors. The sidewalks, crawling with pickpockets, hawkers, peddlers, whores, thieves and worse were just as dangerous as the streets, amass with traffic that sped by without a care for any life that wasn't within their precious vehicle. She noted the area was showing a repetitive crime pattern that must mean a rather quickly growing gang of some sort was surely to blame.
She picked up her pace, now headed in that direction as reports of a small grocery store robbery came in. She didn't have a vehicle, nor did she desire to hail a cab. On occasion when she'd been determined to get across the city in a particular hurry, she'd use her grapple hook to latch onto a vehicle zooming by on a highway above the heads of the city folk. That was fun. And dangerous to say the least. To be free of prying eyes below, she had to be high up, but hanging low enough to avoid detection from the drivers; people didn't take too kindly to some random vigilante type hitching free rides on their car. She was up for the challenge on a night like this, but in truth, the old grocery store wasn't too far from her current position. She'd be close soon.
When she was within a couple blocks of the store, she paused for a moment, tapping her earpiece to switch channels, the one she used to contact home.
"Hey." She murmured, "I'm checking in." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but she knew Clarice could hear her loud and clear.
"Sending coordinates..." She tapped her high tech wristwatch.
Clarice pulled up the coordinates on her map in the little alcove of her shop out in the garage of their small home. She cursed under her breath.
"Be careful." was her older sister's only warning before Bobi switched the channel over again.
Shots fired! Bobi stiffened, coming back onto the police scan channel just in time to hear those two words which set her into motion immediately. She broke off into a run toward the scene, hoping she wasn't too late.
She hated thieves. They were worse than cockroaches. Something about a thief committing murder enraged her all the more. It drove her to the store front in no time, surprising herself. She stood in the busted open doorway, barely needing to catch her breath as she assessed the situation. She was....Too late, but perhaps not as she'd initially thought. From the looks of it, the thugs had already been dealt with, or at least, they were being dealt with before her very eyes. Bobi was taken aback. In the 5 years she'd been doing this type of work, she'd never encountered another in the same field. She considered stepping in once it was clear who the robbers were, but the masked individual delivering justice to the delinquents seemed like he was handling it. She was actually impressed. He was taking on two, a third already unconscious on the ground. He was slow, but had good instincts and quick reaction time. She wasn't surprised when he quickly dispatched the second guy, the armed one, but not escaping a good wallop to the side of the head with a baseball bat which made Bobi wince. He recovered quickly and was able to wrest the bat from the other's grasp, and finish the job.
She considered ducking back out of there before she was discovered, but she was too curious about the masked man to move just yet. She continued to observe as he tried and failed to gain intel from the last guy. Yeah, as if he'd be thinking clearly after a crack to his skull like that. She did want to swipe that visor off his head though, that might contain some valuable parts for Clarice back home. Suddenly she was aware that she was being addressed.
"Relax. I'm not your enemy." She assured him, holding her hands up innocently. Whether they could be friends was another story entirely, but for now, she'd better keep it as straight forward as possible. She stepped into the dim light, out of the comfort of the shadows. With her slim build, she didn't look like much, but she carried herself with an air of confidence and grace that many had decided against challenging. Others had not been so lucky.
"I was just coming to...help. But I see you've got it covered." She continued, keeping her voice even and calm, her soft soprano having the hint of an accent from the streets of the large city. She was guarded, but gave a light smile. "You handled yourself well." Maybe he'd let his guard down a little if she complimented him. People liked compliments, didn't they? Especially well earned ones.
"I'm Bobi." She allowed as she stepped closer. "And you are...?" she asked casually as she approached the body of the newly fallen thug. He did have a point about the cops showing up soon. She knew better than anyone. She nodded absently, tapping her earpiece.
"I know..." Was her only reply as she studied the device on the guy's head. She glanced at the new stranger, "Can I have that?" She asked, pointing to the visor even as it crackled and emitted a few sparks as if in response.
She walked at a steady pace, calm and slow, appearing unsuspecting to any that dared a glance in her direction. It was a bad night. The 'music' of the city was as lively as ever as the girl listened to the reports coming in. It seemed like there was a lot of trouble brewing near the center of the city, among some of the oldest and tallest infrastructures contained within the area. Bobi hated that area. The crumbling sky scrapers and sky bridges felt like walls and ceilings outdoors. The sidewalks, crawling with pickpockets, hawkers, peddlers, whores, thieves and worse were just as dangerous as the streets, amass with traffic that sped by without a care for any life that wasn't within their precious vehicle. She noted the area was showing a repetitive crime pattern that must mean a rather quickly growing gang of some sort was surely to blame.
She picked up her pace, now headed in that direction as reports of a small grocery store robbery came in. She didn't have a vehicle, nor did she desire to hail a cab. On occasion when she'd been determined to get across the city in a particular hurry, she'd use her grapple hook to latch onto a vehicle zooming by on a highway above the heads of the city folk. That was fun. And dangerous to say the least. To be free of prying eyes below, she had to be high up, but hanging low enough to avoid detection from the drivers; people didn't take too kindly to some random vigilante type hitching free rides on their car. She was up for the challenge on a night like this, but in truth, the old grocery store wasn't too far from her current position. She'd be close soon.
When she was within a couple blocks of the store, she paused for a moment, tapping her earpiece to switch channels, the one she used to contact home.
"Hey." She murmured, "I'm checking in." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but she knew Clarice could hear her loud and clear.
"Sending coordinates..." She tapped her high tech wristwatch.
Clarice pulled up the coordinates on her map in the little alcove of her shop out in the garage of their small home. She cursed under her breath.
"Be careful." was her older sister's only warning before Bobi switched the channel over again.
Shots fired! Bobi stiffened, coming back onto the police scan channel just in time to hear those two words which set her into motion immediately. She broke off into a run toward the scene, hoping she wasn't too late.
She hated thieves. They were worse than cockroaches. Something about a thief committing murder enraged her all the more. It drove her to the store front in no time, surprising herself. She stood in the busted open doorway, barely needing to catch her breath as she assessed the situation. She was....Too late, but perhaps not as she'd initially thought. From the looks of it, the thugs had already been dealt with, or at least, they were being dealt with before her very eyes. Bobi was taken aback. In the 5 years she'd been doing this type of work, she'd never encountered another in the same field. She considered stepping in once it was clear who the robbers were, but the masked individual delivering justice to the delinquents seemed like he was handling it. She was actually impressed. He was taking on two, a third already unconscious on the ground. He was slow, but had good instincts and quick reaction time. She wasn't surprised when he quickly dispatched the second guy, the armed one, but not escaping a good wallop to the side of the head with a baseball bat which made Bobi wince. He recovered quickly and was able to wrest the bat from the other's grasp, and finish the job.
She considered ducking back out of there before she was discovered, but she was too curious about the masked man to move just yet. She continued to observe as he tried and failed to gain intel from the last guy. Yeah, as if he'd be thinking clearly after a crack to his skull like that. She did want to swipe that visor off his head though, that might contain some valuable parts for Clarice back home. Suddenly she was aware that she was being addressed.
"Relax. I'm not your enemy." She assured him, holding her hands up innocently. Whether they could be friends was another story entirely, but for now, she'd better keep it as straight forward as possible. She stepped into the dim light, out of the comfort of the shadows. With her slim build, she didn't look like much, but she carried herself with an air of confidence and grace that many had decided against challenging. Others had not been so lucky.
"I was just coming to...help. But I see you've got it covered." She continued, keeping her voice even and calm, her soft soprano having the hint of an accent from the streets of the large city. She was guarded, but gave a light smile. "You handled yourself well." Maybe he'd let his guard down a little if she complimented him. People liked compliments, didn't they? Especially well earned ones.
"I'm Bobi." She allowed as she stepped closer. "And you are...?" she asked casually as she approached the body of the newly fallen thug. He did have a point about the cops showing up soon. She knew better than anyone. She nodded absently, tapping her earpiece.
"I know..." Was her only reply as she studied the device on the guy's head. She glanced at the new stranger, "Can I have that?" She asked, pointing to the visor even as it crackled and emitted a few sparks as if in response.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Within the classroom of the private school he taught at, Colt, more commonly known as Mr. Brooks by his students, was having the hardest time holding the attention of the class. He glanced dishearteningly at the clock as he took a natural pause in his sentence. He was tall and slightly broad in the shoulders, about 6'3" and lean overall like a swimmer. He had shoulder length, dirty blond hair that he kept in a neat, low ponytail. His simple, gold rimmed glasses were perched low on a straight nose, framing two gray blue eyes. He kept a short, trimmed beard but otherwise his skin was smooth and tanned. He was quite handsome and one of the younger teachers on campus, but never carried himself as if he thought much of it, besides taking care of himself. He had a boyish charm that made him come off quiet and shy, and complimented his more intense features. He wore a simple gray sweater over a blue collared shirt, khaki slacks, and brown leather loafers. He'd been instructing the class on their latest project; research papers. Since it was the beginning of the semester, only the second week to be exact, the easiest week of class was now behind them, and he could see the glum expressions on their faces reflecting their displeasure at the upcoming work that was to be done. He gave a soft smile, his blue eyes glancing back over the students.
"Tell you what, just make sure you read through the 'Introduction to Research Topics' on page 26 in your books. Your homework for tonight will be to come up with at least 3 possible research topics for your papers." He told them, straightening with a note of finality.
"I'll stop talking now so you can get started on it until the final bell rings. Feel free to talk among yourselves, but let's keep it at a reasonable volume today." He added with a chuckle. He remembered how last week on the second day of class, they played a name game so everyone could get to know each other. He knew that it seemed a little elementary of him to make the almost adult students play such a game, but they really seemed to enjoy it. So much that the teacher from next door had peaked her head into the room, wondering what all the fuss and excitement was about. He'd made a mental not to keep his class under better control, blaming himself for not anticipating how much noise they would make in their laughter and excitement. As the students began talking freely, the volume raising a bit here and there, and then falling again, he gave an approving nod, happy that they seemed capable of managing their own noise level after all.
Misako sat slumped in her seat, barely paying attention to what Mr. Brooks was saying to the class. Handsome or not, she could pay little attention to school lately. Though she and her sister got very high grades in school year after year, they acted as if they couldn't really care. Besides, English was Misako's least favorite subject; way too boring. The twins were very Americanized Japanese-American girls, and were seldom seen apart. Right now however, they were in different classes, so they were apart. From the outside, the girls acted as alike as they looked. If it wasn't for their distinguishing face tattoos--Yes face tattoos--and their mismatched hair lengths, it would be near impossible to tell them apart on any given day. Misako, like her twin was very fair-skinned, tall and thin, with thick, shiny black straight hair, and dark eyes. Their only differences were that Misako had short hair, sporting a chin length bob as well as the small black diamond tattoo on her left cheek, and Mei's hair was waist length with bangs in front, with her heart tattoo being on the right cheek. She was dressed in all black as they most often always were with many belts and chains and bracelets, hiding her midriff top which would reveal her narrow waist and flat tummy beneath an over sized, black denim jacket covered in studs and patches of different rock bands. On her legs she wore a pair black denim shorts over ripped up fishnet stockings and heavy black doc Marten boots on her small feet.
She had on her signature expression--almost glum--on her face as she lazily chewed on her bubble gum, slipping her phone out of her pocket when the class was able to talk freely and quit pretending they were listening. She tapped the screen on and shot a text over to her twin.
Meet me by the bathroom after class
She knew she didn't have to send the text, the girls always met up outside the girl's bathroom after the final class period bell rang. It was equally half way between their two classes and on the way to the music room at the school where she and her closest friends had band practice.
Duh! Was her sister's only response, eliciting a smirk from Misako who responded with a kissing emoji. She turned her attention to her other band members, making eye contact just as the final bell rang, releasing the students from school for the day. She stood and headed over to her friends to wait for them to all head to practice together, glad that the day was finally over, at least the boring parts of her day.
Mr. Brooks moved around to the front of his desk to say goodbye to the students as they filed out, leaning up against it as he made eye contact with as many of them as possible.
"Bye now...G'bye! Remember to read the chapter! Three topics tomorrow! Don't forget." He was saying as the students all but ignored him. "G'night everyone, be safe." He murmured when the classroom was almost empty, a faint smile still on his lips. He did enjoy his job and all the challenges that came with it, but boy was he glad he didn't have any kids of his own. Teenagers were really something else he decided as he moved back around behind his desk to take a seat and get a bit more work done before he called it quits for himself.
"Tell you what, just make sure you read through the 'Introduction to Research Topics' on page 26 in your books. Your homework for tonight will be to come up with at least 3 possible research topics for your papers." He told them, straightening with a note of finality.
"I'll stop talking now so you can get started on it until the final bell rings. Feel free to talk among yourselves, but let's keep it at a reasonable volume today." He added with a chuckle. He remembered how last week on the second day of class, they played a name game so everyone could get to know each other. He knew that it seemed a little elementary of him to make the almost adult students play such a game, but they really seemed to enjoy it. So much that the teacher from next door had peaked her head into the room, wondering what all the fuss and excitement was about. He'd made a mental not to keep his class under better control, blaming himself for not anticipating how much noise they would make in their laughter and excitement. As the students began talking freely, the volume raising a bit here and there, and then falling again, he gave an approving nod, happy that they seemed capable of managing their own noise level after all.
Misako sat slumped in her seat, barely paying attention to what Mr. Brooks was saying to the class. Handsome or not, she could pay little attention to school lately. Though she and her sister got very high grades in school year after year, they acted as if they couldn't really care. Besides, English was Misako's least favorite subject; way too boring. The twins were very Americanized Japanese-American girls, and were seldom seen apart. Right now however, they were in different classes, so they were apart. From the outside, the girls acted as alike as they looked. If it wasn't for their distinguishing face tattoos--Yes face tattoos--and their mismatched hair lengths, it would be near impossible to tell them apart on any given day. Misako, like her twin was very fair-skinned, tall and thin, with thick, shiny black straight hair, and dark eyes. Their only differences were that Misako had short hair, sporting a chin length bob as well as the small black diamond tattoo on her left cheek, and Mei's hair was waist length with bangs in front, with her heart tattoo being on the right cheek. She was dressed in all black as they most often always were with many belts and chains and bracelets, hiding her midriff top which would reveal her narrow waist and flat tummy beneath an over sized, black denim jacket covered in studs and patches of different rock bands. On her legs she wore a pair black denim shorts over ripped up fishnet stockings and heavy black doc Marten boots on her small feet.
She had on her signature expression--almost glum--on her face as she lazily chewed on her bubble gum, slipping her phone out of her pocket when the class was able to talk freely and quit pretending they were listening. She tapped the screen on and shot a text over to her twin.
Meet me by the bathroom after class
She knew she didn't have to send the text, the girls always met up outside the girl's bathroom after the final class period bell rang. It was equally half way between their two classes and on the way to the music room at the school where she and her closest friends had band practice.
Duh! Was her sister's only response, eliciting a smirk from Misako who responded with a kissing emoji. She turned her attention to her other band members, making eye contact just as the final bell rang, releasing the students from school for the day. She stood and headed over to her friends to wait for them to all head to practice together, glad that the day was finally over, at least the boring parts of her day.
Mr. Brooks moved around to the front of his desk to say goodbye to the students as they filed out, leaning up against it as he made eye contact with as many of them as possible.
"Bye now...G'bye! Remember to read the chapter! Three topics tomorrow! Don't forget." He was saying as the students all but ignored him. "G'night everyone, be safe." He murmured when the classroom was almost empty, a faint smile still on his lips. He did enjoy his job and all the challenges that came with it, but boy was he glad he didn't have any kids of his own. Teenagers were really something else he decided as he moved back around behind his desk to take a seat and get a bit more work done before he called it quits for himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It has been nearly 15 years since the war ended and the hybrids were permitted to integrate into human society, yet things had not improved for the lives of the hybrids. Humans still bore a strong prejudice and distrust for the animal-like beings and did all they could to make the hybrid assimilation as difficult and intolerable as possible. The hybrid communities were largely segregated from the bulk of the humans with a few exceptions. Many were even homeless and poverty stricken, especially if they didn't have a pack, or some sort of gang to help each other stay afloat and survive. Misumi was almost there. At 23 she didn't have anyone, not anymore. Not since her sister, Namine who was a few years older than her, was arrested by the authorities for petty theft. It didn't matter to the humans that she was trying to steal food to keep herself and her younger sibling alive. Of course it didn't matter to them. Their bellies were usually always full, their houses warm, and their TVs always broadcasting their retched entertainment for the night. They were too filled with hate, or distractions and everyday comforts to give a shred of concern for the girls and their plight. It was left to Misumi to do what she could to survive. But she would do anything to get her sister out. Misumi felt responsible for her sister's incarceration since she was so dependent on her sister for their survival, and she was powerless to do anything to stop it or keep her safe.
Her plight weighed heavy on her mind as she prowled the darkened city streets, the very sun seeming to be impeded by the sheer amount of cold, gray buildings and skyscrapers that seemed to press in on the city folk. Her hetero chromatic eyes were downcast as she shuffled along the worn, crumbling sidewalk which was either partially burdened with piles of litter, or partly covered with overgrowth from over the years. She had on an old, faded hooded sweatshirt which was pulled up over her head, covering her fiery red hair as well as her large cat ears despite the mild discomfort, and the muffled hearing effect it caused as she walked along. Beneath the hoodie, the skirt of her white and blue dress swayed with each, graceful step, a feline tail drooping after her as she went. If her face could be viewed, one could tell that she was beautiful, almost in an exotic way, even for a neko with her striking eyes and facial markings contrasting against pale, smooth skin aside from the copper colored fur on her ears and tail which matched her hair color perfectly. She had a glum expression on her face as she thought of her sister, and tried to ignore her hunger, heading toward the market nearest to the small hut she squatted in to make it through the nights.
On the other side of the city, near a more open area that was less built up, more overgrown, and the structures were much older and falling apart, the huge fighting ring stood, surrounded by several newer, ugly, concrete buildings which had been erected after the sports arena the ring had once been was converted. This was home sweet home for Namine after almost a year. She lived in these surrounding prisons ever since that fateful day when she was caught stealing a couple of fish from the market for herself and her younger sister. Now she was forced to fight in the rings at least once a week, sometimes more. In the beginning, Namine felt as though she would not last a week, let alone the better half of a year. Yet here she was, nearly a thriving slave. The prison was not a fun place to be, nor a desired place to be, but it provided three meals a day, something Namine couldn't remember the last time she'd had, and the fighting ring had made her strong. Some of the best fighters even had better lives once they left the prison, but in order to do that, you had to be sponsored by a human; fines and fees had to be paid, a life had to be taken in and provided for, including meals and training, as this was all for the sake of entering into the professional competitive rings which were usually located in the centers of large cities. Such a prestigious life only came to a rare, select few, especially in the rural prison system she'd ended herself up in. Still, it was almost a good life, minus the fact that she was robbed of her freedom, and forced to fight for the sake of entertainment for the awful humans.
Namine examined herself in the mirror of the one way window of a 'green room' of sorts. Many of the newbies of the prison had no idea the mirror in these rooms were in fact a window, only they couldn't see who was looking back at them on the other side of it. She ignored them and focused on herself, pleased with what she saw, while hoping in the back of her mind that the humans looking at her felt the same. It was impossible not to hold onto one shred of hope that someone important would notice her, as much as it turned her stomach to rely on the help of a human to get her out of there, she was here for a good many more years without the aid of one. She was tanned, a sign of how many times she'd been under that open arena top, exposed to the sun that she'd rarely glimpsed when she lived deeper in the city with Misumi. This was fine, the tan did well to better accentuate her tall, muscled form. She examined her sharpened claws with a look of boredom with mismatching eyes, one yellow, and one green. her chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail, her ears turned outward in a gesture of disinterest as she waited for the door to open to permit her into the ring. As the humans on the other side finished with their examination of the fighter, placing bets, sometimes placing bids to get to play with the fighters afterwards. She ground her teeth together as she thought of the last human she was forced to entertain and preferred if they would pass up on the opportunity this time. Luckily her success in the rings had earned her quite a high price for such private entertainment sessions, and seeing as how she wasn't as pretty as her little sister, she was happy to be overlooked often.
As the loud, metal door along the wall opposite the one she came in from began to slowly raise, letting in the blinding light from the outside, she hissed softly, squinting her sensitive eyes against the rays. Once it was fully raised, she blinked in the light as she stepped out into the open, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin once more. Her brown tail flickered with anticipation as she lowered her ears, the eruption of the crowd in the audience especially loud after having been in the quiet of the green room. She regarded her opponent from where she stood, noting how they were similarly dressed to her, leather armor protecting the important areas, leaving much of the other areas exposed, a blunted weapon on their hip. She allowed the human score keeper to place a helmet on her head once everyone had gotten a good look, and unsheathed her weapon, her bare feet silent as she moved closer toward the center, watching as her opponent matched her movements almost exactly, bringing them together so they could cross blades before the start of the fight. She felt a pang of guilt as she stared into his eyes through the helmet, hoping the audience would spare the loser tonight. She swallowed hard, gave a slight nod in understanding as they locked eyes for a moment, crossed their blades, and a horn blared to sound the start of the fight.
Misumi ducked into a small, dimly lit shop that sold fish and many cuts of meat, fresh hydroponically grown fruits and vegetables, and other goods. There was a girl that often worked the counter who was kind for a human. This one would sneak her a fish, or a rare cut of beef or some other meat that might go unnoticed. The humans usually let their gaze pass over hybrids, ignoring them until they gave them a reason to anger, or until they left. Misumi's hopeful blue and green eyes scanned the back counter, but she couldn't find who she was looking for. She recognized the man behind the display case as the owner and sheepishly approached him, keeping her eyes downcast so she was looking not at him, but at his white stained apron tight over his large belly. "Um...Is the girl that works here in today." The owner, who'd been doing well to ignore the neko, now seemed irritated to even have to acknowledge her. He gave her a look of feigned confusion. "Don't know who you're talking about." He told her dismissively, peering passed her to a human woman who'd walked in after her, "Can I help you, ma'am?" He asked, directing his question at her, pointedly ignoring Misumi again. Misumi could feel herself bristling, but told herself to be patient. She stepped off to the side, shoving her hands in her pockets as she waited for the woman to leave again after she'd gotten what she needed. Misumi stepped forward again now that the woman's needs had been met, "Um...excuse me...sir? I-I...I'm sorry to bother you....but..." He flashed her an angry look, "Look, there's not a woman that works here! I fired that lady last week for pandering to mutants." He told her harshly with a sneer using the slur the humans favored when trying to dehumanize the hybrids, "This is a business, not a charity, so if you're not buying anything, then get out!" He ordered in a loud voice, causing everyone in the store to turn and stare at her.
Instead of looking at the faces of the people, searching for a sympathetic glace where none would be, she clenched her jaw tight and turned and scurried out, her face feeling hot with anger and embarrassment. Tears stung at her eyes as she stumbled out the front door of the shop, aware of the eyes on her as she was openly stared at. Some looked slightly uncomfortable and maybe even a little sympathetic as she might have hoped, but harbored no desire to help her, or speak out against the way she was treated. Others just sneered at her, shaking their heads as if wishing for the day the hybrids would learn their place and the rest just looked away, choosing to ignore her and the entire situation outright. It was just the way things were, but it didn't make it any easier for the neko to deal with, alone and struggling as she was. Perhaps this would be another night like the last, to bed early, with an empty stomach. She hung her head low as she shuffled away from the shop, eager to put the day's most recent horrible experience behind her and the bad taste it left in her mouth with it.
Her plight weighed heavy on her mind as she prowled the darkened city streets, the very sun seeming to be impeded by the sheer amount of cold, gray buildings and skyscrapers that seemed to press in on the city folk. Her hetero chromatic eyes were downcast as she shuffled along the worn, crumbling sidewalk which was either partially burdened with piles of litter, or partly covered with overgrowth from over the years. She had on an old, faded hooded sweatshirt which was pulled up over her head, covering her fiery red hair as well as her large cat ears despite the mild discomfort, and the muffled hearing effect it caused as she walked along. Beneath the hoodie, the skirt of her white and blue dress swayed with each, graceful step, a feline tail drooping after her as she went. If her face could be viewed, one could tell that she was beautiful, almost in an exotic way, even for a neko with her striking eyes and facial markings contrasting against pale, smooth skin aside from the copper colored fur on her ears and tail which matched her hair color perfectly. She had a glum expression on her face as she thought of her sister, and tried to ignore her hunger, heading toward the market nearest to the small hut she squatted in to make it through the nights.
On the other side of the city, near a more open area that was less built up, more overgrown, and the structures were much older and falling apart, the huge fighting ring stood, surrounded by several newer, ugly, concrete buildings which had been erected after the sports arena the ring had once been was converted. This was home sweet home for Namine after almost a year. She lived in these surrounding prisons ever since that fateful day when she was caught stealing a couple of fish from the market for herself and her younger sister. Now she was forced to fight in the rings at least once a week, sometimes more. In the beginning, Namine felt as though she would not last a week, let alone the better half of a year. Yet here she was, nearly a thriving slave. The prison was not a fun place to be, nor a desired place to be, but it provided three meals a day, something Namine couldn't remember the last time she'd had, and the fighting ring had made her strong. Some of the best fighters even had better lives once they left the prison, but in order to do that, you had to be sponsored by a human; fines and fees had to be paid, a life had to be taken in and provided for, including meals and training, as this was all for the sake of entering into the professional competitive rings which were usually located in the centers of large cities. Such a prestigious life only came to a rare, select few, especially in the rural prison system she'd ended herself up in. Still, it was almost a good life, minus the fact that she was robbed of her freedom, and forced to fight for the sake of entertainment for the awful humans.
Namine examined herself in the mirror of the one way window of a 'green room' of sorts. Many of the newbies of the prison had no idea the mirror in these rooms were in fact a window, only they couldn't see who was looking back at them on the other side of it. She ignored them and focused on herself, pleased with what she saw, while hoping in the back of her mind that the humans looking at her felt the same. It was impossible not to hold onto one shred of hope that someone important would notice her, as much as it turned her stomach to rely on the help of a human to get her out of there, she was here for a good many more years without the aid of one. She was tanned, a sign of how many times she'd been under that open arena top, exposed to the sun that she'd rarely glimpsed when she lived deeper in the city with Misumi. This was fine, the tan did well to better accentuate her tall, muscled form. She examined her sharpened claws with a look of boredom with mismatching eyes, one yellow, and one green. her chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail, her ears turned outward in a gesture of disinterest as she waited for the door to open to permit her into the ring. As the humans on the other side finished with their examination of the fighter, placing bets, sometimes placing bids to get to play with the fighters afterwards. She ground her teeth together as she thought of the last human she was forced to entertain and preferred if they would pass up on the opportunity this time. Luckily her success in the rings had earned her quite a high price for such private entertainment sessions, and seeing as how she wasn't as pretty as her little sister, she was happy to be overlooked often.
As the loud, metal door along the wall opposite the one she came in from began to slowly raise, letting in the blinding light from the outside, she hissed softly, squinting her sensitive eyes against the rays. Once it was fully raised, she blinked in the light as she stepped out into the open, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin once more. Her brown tail flickered with anticipation as she lowered her ears, the eruption of the crowd in the audience especially loud after having been in the quiet of the green room. She regarded her opponent from where she stood, noting how they were similarly dressed to her, leather armor protecting the important areas, leaving much of the other areas exposed, a blunted weapon on their hip. She allowed the human score keeper to place a helmet on her head once everyone had gotten a good look, and unsheathed her weapon, her bare feet silent as she moved closer toward the center, watching as her opponent matched her movements almost exactly, bringing them together so they could cross blades before the start of the fight. She felt a pang of guilt as she stared into his eyes through the helmet, hoping the audience would spare the loser tonight. She swallowed hard, gave a slight nod in understanding as they locked eyes for a moment, crossed their blades, and a horn blared to sound the start of the fight.
Misumi ducked into a small, dimly lit shop that sold fish and many cuts of meat, fresh hydroponically grown fruits and vegetables, and other goods. There was a girl that often worked the counter who was kind for a human. This one would sneak her a fish, or a rare cut of beef or some other meat that might go unnoticed. The humans usually let their gaze pass over hybrids, ignoring them until they gave them a reason to anger, or until they left. Misumi's hopeful blue and green eyes scanned the back counter, but she couldn't find who she was looking for. She recognized the man behind the display case as the owner and sheepishly approached him, keeping her eyes downcast so she was looking not at him, but at his white stained apron tight over his large belly. "Um...Is the girl that works here in today." The owner, who'd been doing well to ignore the neko, now seemed irritated to even have to acknowledge her. He gave her a look of feigned confusion. "Don't know who you're talking about." He told her dismissively, peering passed her to a human woman who'd walked in after her, "Can I help you, ma'am?" He asked, directing his question at her, pointedly ignoring Misumi again. Misumi could feel herself bristling, but told herself to be patient. She stepped off to the side, shoving her hands in her pockets as she waited for the woman to leave again after she'd gotten what she needed. Misumi stepped forward again now that the woman's needs had been met, "Um...excuse me...sir? I-I...I'm sorry to bother you....but..." He flashed her an angry look, "Look, there's not a woman that works here! I fired that lady last week for pandering to mutants." He told her harshly with a sneer using the slur the humans favored when trying to dehumanize the hybrids, "This is a business, not a charity, so if you're not buying anything, then get out!" He ordered in a loud voice, causing everyone in the store to turn and stare at her.
Instead of looking at the faces of the people, searching for a sympathetic glace where none would be, she clenched her jaw tight and turned and scurried out, her face feeling hot with anger and embarrassment. Tears stung at her eyes as she stumbled out the front door of the shop, aware of the eyes on her as she was openly stared at. Some looked slightly uncomfortable and maybe even a little sympathetic as she might have hoped, but harbored no desire to help her, or speak out against the way she was treated. Others just sneered at her, shaking their heads as if wishing for the day the hybrids would learn their place and the rest just looked away, choosing to ignore her and the entire situation outright. It was just the way things were, but it didn't make it any easier for the neko to deal with, alone and struggling as she was. Perhaps this would be another night like the last, to bed early, with an empty stomach. She hung her head low as she shuffled away from the shop, eager to put the day's most recent horrible experience behind her and the bad taste it left in her mouth with it.
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There was a commotion in the otherwise still night of the port that jolted the washwoman awake. She heard the sounds of men shouting in confused and angry tones. That was strange, even for a port of this size, for at this time of night, all was usually quite calm and still. Though some larger ports never seemed to sleep, this one was not usually this lively at such an hour. An odd feeling nagged at her to get out of bed and see what was going on outside.
As she slid out of her small bed, she ensured her elderly mother was still sleeping peacefully, hoping she would not stir from the noise as she shrugged a coat on over her worn night dress, and slipped into her slippers. She glanced back at her mother once more before she lifted the latch to the door and peeked outside. There was undoubtedly something going on, and most of the men who'd awoken at this time seemed just as confused as she was.
As she closed the door behind her, she headed toward the source of the commotion. A large, dark ship was slowly approaching the harbor. Slow as it's approach was, she'd lived and worked at this port long enough to tell a ship was still moving too fast to stop in time to avoid colliding with the docks. Her eyes widened as she quickly realized why the commotion. The ship would surely crash into the harbor at this rate, and it showed no signs of attempting to stop or turn at all. *Who was manning such a ship?? Were they mad?* She couldn't help but think. This could not be good.
She didn't know what to do, she stood frozen in place as she watched the approach, unable to move or look away at the inevitable as men in all manner of dress scrambled to do *whatever* it was they were doing as this ship made its way closer and closer. Her shaking hand reached up to cover her mouth, her expression horrified as the ship came dangerously close to the nearest dock.
Then....
*Crack* She flinched at the sound. Even knowing it was coming, nothing could have prepared her for the sound of the collision. Her mother certainly would have heard that, but she still could not will herself to move to go check on her. The ship creaked and screamed and crunched through the dock, its path altering and slowing as the dock forced it into places where it refused to give way completely beneath the weight of the ship. After what felt like several minutes, the ship finally groaned and crashed to a stop, swaying and mooring precariously where it had settled.
Her mother was calling her name, but she could barely register it.
"Johanne! *Johanne!*" Came her mother's desperate voice as she rushed to her daughter's side from their small shack on the edge of the harbor town. "Heavens what? What are you doing, Johanne! What is going on?" Her mother pleaded desperately, reaching for her as she stumbled over the uneven ground. Johanne clutched her in return, but her eyes never left the mysterious ship. She didn't say a word as her mother finally took in the magnitude of what had just transpired, her low, shocked gasp the only indication that she'd somewhat grasped what was going on.
They stood there in silence, and waited. An odd feeling of dread creeping over the two women of what was yet to come. Something had caused this terrible accident, and that something could not mean anything good.
The commotion that could be heard from aboard the ship frightened the onlookers from the shore into a hushed silence, not even a breath could be heard under the wind. After waiting for what seemed like ages, and no additional sounds could be heard at all, a large, gruff man, a seasoned sailor, grunted and shouldered past the crowd and boldly headed toward the boarding ladder himself. He thought now was as good a time as ever to take matters into his own hands. He wanted to see for his own eyes what the hell was going on board.
Seeing him go alone seemed to embolden a few others, a blacksmith, and a few others joined them, including a young and stupidly brave stable boy. They were not armed like the guards had been, but one carried a torch, and the blacksmith had a heavy hammer. One by one, they ascended the ladder as the guards had and stepped onto the deck of the ship. The two guards were nowhere to be seen.
"Look!" Said one of the men, pointing to a spot on the slick surface of the deck. The torch bearing man came closer, holding his torch out to get a better look. *Blood* Not just a puddle of it either, it was more of a smear, like someone had been dragged.
"By the Gods!" One man yelled when he saw it. Suddenly, the men who'd been so brave as to go after the guards were filled with a queasy, uneasy feeling. The sailor ignored the fear emanating through the group and brazenly followed the trail, the others following slowly behind, seeming glad to let him at least lead the way.
It led to the captain's quarters. The sailor could hear strange sounds as he drew nearer to the doorway which was slightly ajar, but pitch black inside. He reached a hand back without looking away from the opening.
"The torch!" Another man said, and it was quickly passed up to the sailor leading the slow charge forward. He gripped the torch as he reached the doorway, pushing it open with his free hand and holding the flame in the open doorway to illuminate the room.
Those who had followed close enough behind to see what the sailor saw gasped in horror. They weren't prepared for what they saw. Some couldn't even comprehend it. One man turned and retched on the spot as the rest seemed confused and fearful. The sailor tensed. In all his years he'd never seen something so barbaric, so horrid. He'd seen countries ravaged by war and savages who'd not yet known civilized living. But nothing so awful as this.
The guard's legs were still twitching helplessly, still bleeding out as a haggard man knelt beside him with his back to the group, bent low over him as the sickening squelching sounds they'd heard from before intensified. As he heard the commotion the group caused, he sat back up slowly, turning to reveal more of the awful state the guard had been in. The flesh on the guard's face and neck was mostly gone, one petrified eye staring up at the ceiling as blood gushed from the giant hole that largely engulfed his neck.
As all the eyes of the group finally came to settle upon the nightmarish scene, unable to look away, the stable boy, who'd been feeling much less brave now and hung back behind everyone else stumbled backward, his breathing coming out in panicked, hitching breaths. He ran to the edge of the ship and leaned over, shouting to those below.
"Call the guard captain!" He all but screeched, his voice breaking from fear. "He's *canabilising* the guard! He's-He's--!" He never got to finish his sentence, as a pair of cold, stinking hands pulled the boy into a strong embrace from behind.
All that could be heard from where the onlookers stood below was the shrill screams of the boy in that moment. Incredibly, they went on for as long as a pair of lungs could possibly manage, and then the pitch seemed sharper suddenly. The women clutched at each other, some feeling rather faint as the crowd shook with terror. The boy seemed to barely take in a breath between his screams, even as they became weaker and less drawn out. Then they were cut off entirely. Only to fill the silence with more screams from the others who'd gone up. A splash sounded from out of sight on the other side of the ship, suggesting someone had jumped overboard.
The crowd below suddenly seemed to panic and flutter about, unsure what to do, but several people began moving at once. Some ran to the guard outpost, most ran to their homes, and the rest stayed frozen where they were. Some were silent, but many were praying, even those who'd not been religious began spluttering whatever prayers they could remember or make up on the spot. This had to be the devil's work. This was the work of some sinister evil....
As she slid out of her small bed, she ensured her elderly mother was still sleeping peacefully, hoping she would not stir from the noise as she shrugged a coat on over her worn night dress, and slipped into her slippers. She glanced back at her mother once more before she lifted the latch to the door and peeked outside. There was undoubtedly something going on, and most of the men who'd awoken at this time seemed just as confused as she was.
As she closed the door behind her, she headed toward the source of the commotion. A large, dark ship was slowly approaching the harbor. Slow as it's approach was, she'd lived and worked at this port long enough to tell a ship was still moving too fast to stop in time to avoid colliding with the docks. Her eyes widened as she quickly realized why the commotion. The ship would surely crash into the harbor at this rate, and it showed no signs of attempting to stop or turn at all. *Who was manning such a ship?? Were they mad?* She couldn't help but think. This could not be good.
She didn't know what to do, she stood frozen in place as she watched the approach, unable to move or look away at the inevitable as men in all manner of dress scrambled to do *whatever* it was they were doing as this ship made its way closer and closer. Her shaking hand reached up to cover her mouth, her expression horrified as the ship came dangerously close to the nearest dock.
Then....
*Crack* She flinched at the sound. Even knowing it was coming, nothing could have prepared her for the sound of the collision. Her mother certainly would have heard that, but she still could not will herself to move to go check on her. The ship creaked and screamed and crunched through the dock, its path altering and slowing as the dock forced it into places where it refused to give way completely beneath the weight of the ship. After what felt like several minutes, the ship finally groaned and crashed to a stop, swaying and mooring precariously where it had settled.
.....................................
Her mother was calling her name, but she could barely register it.
"Johanne! *Johanne!*" Came her mother's desperate voice as she rushed to her daughter's side from their small shack on the edge of the harbor town. "Heavens what? What are you doing, Johanne! What is going on?" Her mother pleaded desperately, reaching for her as she stumbled over the uneven ground. Johanne clutched her in return, but her eyes never left the mysterious ship. She didn't say a word as her mother finally took in the magnitude of what had just transpired, her low, shocked gasp the only indication that she'd somewhat grasped what was going on.
They stood there in silence, and waited. An odd feeling of dread creeping over the two women of what was yet to come. Something had caused this terrible accident, and that something could not mean anything good.
The commotion that could be heard from aboard the ship frightened the onlookers from the shore into a hushed silence, not even a breath could be heard under the wind. After waiting for what seemed like ages, and no additional sounds could be heard at all, a large, gruff man, a seasoned sailor, grunted and shouldered past the crowd and boldly headed toward the boarding ladder himself. He thought now was as good a time as ever to take matters into his own hands. He wanted to see for his own eyes what the hell was going on board.
Seeing him go alone seemed to embolden a few others, a blacksmith, and a few others joined them, including a young and stupidly brave stable boy. They were not armed like the guards had been, but one carried a torch, and the blacksmith had a heavy hammer. One by one, they ascended the ladder as the guards had and stepped onto the deck of the ship. The two guards were nowhere to be seen.
"Look!" Said one of the men, pointing to a spot on the slick surface of the deck. The torch bearing man came closer, holding his torch out to get a better look. *Blood* Not just a puddle of it either, it was more of a smear, like someone had been dragged.
"By the Gods!" One man yelled when he saw it. Suddenly, the men who'd been so brave as to go after the guards were filled with a queasy, uneasy feeling. The sailor ignored the fear emanating through the group and brazenly followed the trail, the others following slowly behind, seeming glad to let him at least lead the way.
It led to the captain's quarters. The sailor could hear strange sounds as he drew nearer to the doorway which was slightly ajar, but pitch black inside. He reached a hand back without looking away from the opening.
"The torch!" Another man said, and it was quickly passed up to the sailor leading the slow charge forward. He gripped the torch as he reached the doorway, pushing it open with his free hand and holding the flame in the open doorway to illuminate the room.
Those who had followed close enough behind to see what the sailor saw gasped in horror. They weren't prepared for what they saw. Some couldn't even comprehend it. One man turned and retched on the spot as the rest seemed confused and fearful. The sailor tensed. In all his years he'd never seen something so barbaric, so horrid. He'd seen countries ravaged by war and savages who'd not yet known civilized living. But nothing so awful as this.
The guard's legs were still twitching helplessly, still bleeding out as a haggard man knelt beside him with his back to the group, bent low over him as the sickening squelching sounds they'd heard from before intensified. As he heard the commotion the group caused, he sat back up slowly, turning to reveal more of the awful state the guard had been in. The flesh on the guard's face and neck was mostly gone, one petrified eye staring up at the ceiling as blood gushed from the giant hole that largely engulfed his neck.
As all the eyes of the group finally came to settle upon the nightmarish scene, unable to look away, the stable boy, who'd been feeling much less brave now and hung back behind everyone else stumbled backward, his breathing coming out in panicked, hitching breaths. He ran to the edge of the ship and leaned over, shouting to those below.
"Call the guard captain!" He all but screeched, his voice breaking from fear. "He's *canabilising* the guard! He's-He's--!" He never got to finish his sentence, as a pair of cold, stinking hands pulled the boy into a strong embrace from behind.
All that could be heard from where the onlookers stood below was the shrill screams of the boy in that moment. Incredibly, they went on for as long as a pair of lungs could possibly manage, and then the pitch seemed sharper suddenly. The women clutched at each other, some feeling rather faint as the crowd shook with terror. The boy seemed to barely take in a breath between his screams, even as they became weaker and less drawn out. Then they were cut off entirely. Only to fill the silence with more screams from the others who'd gone up. A splash sounded from out of sight on the other side of the ship, suggesting someone had jumped overboard.
The crowd below suddenly seemed to panic and flutter about, unsure what to do, but several people began moving at once. Some ran to the guard outpost, most ran to their homes, and the rest stayed frozen where they were. Some were silent, but many were praying, even those who'd not been religious began spluttering whatever prayers they could remember or make up on the spot. This had to be the devil's work. This was the work of some sinister evil....
Okay well that's it! If you made it all the way down here I applaud you! Think you can hack it in a roleplay with me??? Feel free to PM me! Please include a brief description about yourself so I know you fit within my parameters as far as partner preferences (age), and let me know ahead of time if you have any ideas or characters, whether they're your own original ideas and characters, or any of mine from this thread. I find it's a big waste of time messaging back and forth, trying to get this type of information out of someone organically. This way, we can save time and get right into the fun, juicy details of possible role play plots and ideas! I can do this on discord as well.
Again, I am sort of looking for the perfect fit. In the past I've had a problem with starting up a role play with someone, getting maybe one or two replies in before that person drops off the face of the planet and ghosts me. This...this is very rude and I don't appreciate it. Please just be honest and up front with me, and I will do that same for you. It's better to let someone know if you're not feeling it so both parties can change it up or move on. As an adult myself I of course understand that we all have lives that require our attention from time to time and sometimes without warning and that's okay. Just keep in mind, all of our time is valuable, and this is just for fun! I don't expect people to be stressed out about responses, and I don't expect to wait around for weeks for a reply, and vice versa.
Thank you for listening..err....reading! I look forward to hearing from anyone still interested at this point!