The Cerulean Brigade, Ch. 1

[Mesden]

Escorted by another of the royal staff, Tayuumi entered her way into the hall. Her demeanor itself made her somewhat noticeable. Neck to toe in coal black armor, clanking softly, but irregularly when she moved, and to the immediate contrast came her hair, nothing short of strands of silken gold falling about her shoulders and down to her upper back.

But little did these two immediate features compare the the sizeable claymore she toggled around with one hand, surely as long as she was tall and yet deathly fast in her nonchalant motion, leaving nearly invisible black ripples through the air with every wave.

"Ahhh, nice place." She said, looking about the area with a certain keen interest, her eyes, if one cared to look, showing a faint swirling green, that is, until she dropped her head to look at the present company, quickly changing that green hue into a spattered red amongst dominant yellow; Bright Orange.

...The King is out of his mind.

The first thoughts that struck her atleast. But she opted not to upset the chosen, most likely considering who she was, warriors of the King.

Then, the thought of the fact that she was in the ruler of the land's grand castle popped into her mind. With a light, almost effortless, toss she landed the sword neatly against the wall.

The armor screeched as she stretched her arms and clenched her fists, twisting itself, contorting into various odd shapes, flowing, breaking, mixing, swirling, stretching, vanishing and appearing. So many motions and all leading until the formerly imposing armor ended as a long, ebon evening gown.

"There we are."

[PyrosNine]

Faze, who was sleeping and therefore allowed this writer more free time to play RO, Blood Omen 2, and Skies of Arcadia, was dreaming.

He dreamt he was back in Mount Dragoran, where he recalled he was questing for a maiden by the name of Silvia, who's village was in uproar after she was snatched by a fearsome dragon. Whether or not she was still alive was unknown, but from what he could gather from her relatives she wore a family heirloom that was priceless and that he should get it back.

He noted that they did say that if he could get it back with the princess still wearing it, that'd be good too. This was yet another time Faze was glad he'd never had much of a family.

Faze had spent the entire day and evening climbing the rough terrain, which was more suited for beings that could fly or could climb walls like a spider. He'd only fallen off twice and had managed to save himself with his spear.

When he reached the top, he found a cave as large as any castle, where water could be heard dropping as well as a low, permeating rumbling. Faze guessed the mountain must be volcanic...or the Dragon was sleeping. Faze hoped the second one was the correct one. Though he did suppose pushing a dragon into lava might work...

He entered the cave and walked down a long, broad passage, until he reached a large circular area. And there in the center, chained to a large rock, was Silvia.

Upon seeing our hero, Silvia gasped. "Thank heavens! I thought no one would come! Are you here to rescue me?"

Faze put a finger before his mouth, looked about, and then nodded. "Pretty much. What of the dragon?" Faze whispered.

"He's sleeping! Quick, you must hurry!" she pleaded.

Faze didn't need to be told. He went hustled over to her. It was only when he got close he realized two things.

1. He's a dragon. How the heck did he chain her to a rock?

2. Why was she only just holding onto the chains?

Both were answered in an instant, as the princess started to sweet talk. "I thank you valiant hero for saving me, you are truly a great and kind and-" CLANG!

She snapped the cuffs of the chain onto Faze's wrist, grabbed his spear from his back and ran to a wall. Which, turned out not to be a wall at all but a Dragon hugging the wall tightly.

"MWAHAHA! Foolish Dragon slayer, you shall never harm my love!" She cackled.

"Wha?" Faze pondered, pulling at the chain.

"Don't be so coy! We were quite aware that they'd never accept our blissful union! We long to be together forever and always, and you people just won't allow it! But we will..we willl!" the woman cackled as she rubbed the dragon's stomach tenderly.

"You were sent to disrupt our love, and now you shall pay for it! My love, destroy him just like you would any who'd threaten our happiness together! Fight in the name of love!"

The dragon growled in a way that could only be described as "Aww Yeah baby, I'm one bad-ass mofo, and I'm about to take my claws over there and mess that fool up!"

The dragon charged the weaponless and chained down Faze, as he had only one thought in mind. 'SON OF A-"

Back in the awake world, the sleeping faze moved a bit from his dream. "bitch..." he mumbled quietly.

[Astral Harmony]

Aishel sighed. "All right, Miss Holier-Than-Thou. My sword is going away." She responded, putting the sword on her back. "However, I think that like a few of the other people who came here, you don't understand the situation."
Aishel promptly produced her summons. Well, the summons that was sent to King Bahlar and that she answered. She unrolled it at eye level with Pinchette. "See this? It's an unofficial summons. His Majesty is NOT asking for officially trained armies and heroes. He is NOT asking for noble and dignified ladies and gentlemen. He is NOT even asking for people with manners or money or any kind of influence. Y'know what he's asking for? He's asking for people who can get the job done, end of arguement."
Aishel put the scroll away and moved over to Faze, still passed out against the wall and gestured at him. "Which is why I'm not nearly as shocked as you are when encountering people like this or that individual there with the dangerous beasts."
"You make it sound like we represent something. Well, we don't. I may a Commanding Knight from the kingdom of Duvashnia, but I in no way represent Duvashnia by neither my presense here nor my actions. I represent myself, and I see little reason now to act like a lady, since it isn't necessary. We are here because the king wants something done. If this monumentally drunk and assumedly comatose man here can do it, then fine. If that magical girl who made the flashy entrance can get it done, then that's find too. If you can get it done, then...well, you should get it by now."
Aishel's voice lowered. "Besides, noblewomen always act so snotty and superior. Men are even worse. If my actions aren't ladylike, then I'm perfectly fine with that."

[Truce]

Across the room Carus laughed, lifting his head up to look at Aishel with an amused expression upon his features. However, his gaze did not linger on her for long, moving to settle on the lady Pinchette instead. For a moment, he considered saying something to the woman, but wisely decided against it. Growing up, he had met a number such as that woman, and he knew the temper of them well.

It was troublesome enough to deal with just that alone, but the fact that she was here meant that there was a bite to go along with her bark.

Besides, he did agree slightly with Miss Thou's sentiments, but he couldn't talk about manners. He wouldn't be taken seriously, not after the way he had sent the drunk flying.

[Mesden]

The shift of green to orange now continued to a hue of crimson, a slight tilt coming to Tayuumi's head as she stared at the women 'addressing' her.

"First: I'm wearing the dress because it was easy to do and was, oh, I don't know, slightly more appropriate because of the immediate moment. Sorry to you, but I don't like to address a king, in his castle filled with soldiers, wearing full battle gear and suited for a fight.

Also, this is more comfortable.

Second: I do not plan on fighting so soon. But so help me, you insult who I am again to my face without even the slightest regard for your own actions or of how *I* would take it, I will not hesitate to defend myself against this bullshit you are considering me as.

Finally: I have not uttered a single word about me thinking I'm 'holier than thou' in the slightest, because, please listen to my novel concept: I don't know a single damn thing about the lot of you.

I never said a thing about how any of you act. I decided to do one thing, which was put on a dress rather than battle mail, and you regail me with some slander.

So, in proper respect of common courtesy; Shut up, you're agitating me."

She smiled, the red now became purple.

((OOC: Tayuumi is now a smarter, less blunt bitch. Still love her! ^^))

[Arhra]

Dragon had moved his head to rest it lightly on one of Sulme's shoulders, the illusionist absent-mindedly scratching him under the chin. As Tayuumi spoke, he felt a need to comment on her. After all, 'Miss Holier-Than-Thou' had been referring to the prim and proper Pinchette. He spoke to Sulme with a slight snicker.

"I don't think she's terribly bright."

With the terrible timing of such statements, the words fell with a stark clarity into the silence as Tayuumi finished.

Sulme's silvery eyes flickered for a moment and then she burst into laughter. Dragon drew back in alarm as his head rest doubled over with laughter. When she regained control of herself, Sulme straightened again, looking as if it had never happened and addressed Tayuumi.

"I am sorry," there was a slight pause on the sorry, as if Sulme had needed a moment to think of the word. "Please don't mind him. He's not real."

It was hard to believe Sulme's statement - horse sized dragons close enough for you to see the detail of their dark, overlapping scales generally seem quite real. Dragon drew himself up in affront. Bright, yellow eyes glittered balefully with indignation as he ruffled the glossy black structures of his wings together.

Sulme swished her staff through his head and body a few times and Dragon subsided. "I wish you wouldn't do that." he grumbled.

OOC: Incidentally, yes, he is solid, but he's Sulme's illusion, so she can do that.

[mauve]

"My my, aren't we the pleasant group?" Curua asked mockingly, raising a forepaw to his chest in an almost dainty imitation of shock. The creature stood and stretched, reaching far out in front of him and leaning forwards until his head almost rested on the floor. He yawned deeply. Having completed this oh-so-important task, he turned his head towards Pinchette and bowed his head in a mockery of respect.

"If the 'lady' takes offense at my hideous appearance, I should be more than happy to retire and leave you all to your... business." He stood and started to trot towards the door. "I wish you all the greatest luck in whatever suicide mission...er... important duty his royal highness has in store for you." He was almost to the door. Almost to the sweet freedom of---

"Curua. STAY." Curua suddenly seemed glued to the spot as the messenger boy called out to him. He couldn't escape.

"Buggerit." Curua declared. "Honestly, what on earth did I do to deserve all this? Clearly most of these people are mentally unballanced; I don't see why I should have to suffer their company. I'm a bloody dog. What do you bloody want from me?"

[lazy man]

Dirk watched as all of the people in the room went on arguing, not even trying to settle down. If he had to work with these people...

Dirk decided to make himself known. It wasn't like he was going to get away from any of this.

"People, people, calm down. I know we're kind of a mixed and matched bunch... but can't we all just... get along?" With the cheesy line out of the way, Dirk decided to put on a more serious face. "Seriously, we're supposed to work together. Being stuck up or pissed off isn't gonna do anything. Take it from a guy made out of metal, it won't get you anywhere."

[PhoenixFlame]

As 'Mrs. Holier than Thou' chastised 'Mrs. Slightly-less-holier-than-thou' much to the latter's chagrin, Raine completely ignored the statements of 'Mrs. Butting-into-the-conversation' and 'Mrs. States-the-obvious.'

Yes. The king WAS out of his mind.

At least the man sitting beside her seemed sane, if made from iron. Perhaps he had an "iron will" to keep himself sane. Raine chuckled mildly at her own self-pun.

"So?" She asked Dirk, "What do you make of all this?"

[Astral Harmony]

Aishel paused at Tayuumi's retort. Then she sighed. And finally, oddly enough, she smiled. "You know something? I like you. I'm looking forward to seeing how both of us really stack up when out there doing His Majesty's bidding."
She turned around, head hung a little low. "As for the other thing, I don't believe I'm suited for dresses anymore. Too much muscle. Too many scars. A girl like me just isn't meant to wear feminine clothes like a lady would."
And that was that. Aishel simply stood there, back turned to everyone, sulking silently.

It brought up an interesting point. Aishel's dream of becoming Supreme Commander of the Duvashnian Legions did have as much an effect on her personality as it did on her future. She used to wear dresses, but now she abhored them. She acted tougher than any prim and proper lady should, and more gruff and unapproachable. And she gets into a lot more fights, particularly with those who say bad things about the king and the current Supreme Commander, Foxmourne. What made her change so much yet so gradually that she didn't even notice until now? Was it a change she liked? Well, she didn't regret the path she's walked so far.

Other observations crept into her mind. She wore mail and plate more than leather and cloth, and she enjoyed it. Spilling blood by the gallons and being soaked in sweat, while unthinkable to any feminine woman, were fond memories. Women also didn't wake up and eat a lukewarm meal just to go out and kill stuff to keep their weapons skills up to par, either. Aishel didn't care about dancing and makeup and wrinkles. She cared about victory and loyalty and making sure that anyone who could be saved was saved and getting home in one piece. Yeah. She definitely couldn't be considered a lady by any means.