Storybook

[Deleted User - 3792005]

This a short story I started for the contest months back and failed to finish it in time. I decided to finish it finally and here is the completed story. Just thought I'd post it here:

IT IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE


Icy blue was an orphan. Her earliest memories were moving from town to town with strangers who never settled in one place for long. When she was yet just out of childhood she ran away and wandered the west searching for something she had yet to understand. She was leery of anyone and kept to herself, moving on whenever anyone tried to get too close.

As the months rolled along like the streams and rivers dotting the landscape Icy finally settled in the town of Tin Cup. The people here were friendly and generous and Icy found that whenever the itch to move on hit her, she made excuses to herself to wait another week or two. Against her loaner nature she found she liked the town and slowly became a part of the comings and goings of its inhabitants. Yet there was still something missing from Icy's life and it fluttered in the far corners of her mind never letting her be at ease.

There was a battle today and Icy was up before the dawn. She headed out of town wanting to be at the battle site early. As she neared the edge of town she saw one of the old soldier veterans sitting and smoking his pipe waiting for the sun to come up. "Goodmorning Icy Blue.", the old veteran said between puffs of his pipe. "Goodmorning to you sir," answered Icy. "Ah, fight today isn't it. Good luck to you and remember that it is a good day to die.", the veterans said with a tip of his hat. "Thank you sir, yes it is a good day to die", Icy said politely but her mind was in turmoil. How can it be a good day to die? She had heard the saying before but she just could not figure that dying in anyway was good. It bothered her that she could not understand and pretended to do so.

As she neared the fort that was the site of the battle all was quiet. Icy settled down on the top of a nearby ridge and began cleaning her rifle, thinking on what had happened earlier with the veteran. The silence of the pre-dawn morning was suddenly broken by a voice behind Icy. "Good morning to you little Icy Blue". Icy was so startled she nearly dropped her rifle. She was also mad that she was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she let someone sneak up behind her. She spun and had her knife held out as she crouched in a defensive stance. Sitting behind her was an indian. A very, very old indian. His weatherbeaten face had the look of old worn leather and the lines defining his face started around his eyes and continued down to to his neckline in an unbroken river of age. His hair had the color of parchment left out in the desert sun. Icy could not look away from his eyes. They sparkled with life and long ages of experience that made Icy feel as a new born baby.

Icy had lived with the indians at times and she knew she was looking at one of the indian Shamans and one of the oldest alive. "Be at ease my child", said the wiseman with a voice that immediately calmed Icy. "I am so sorry Wise One, I was startled and did not know if you were one of the enemy soldiers.", said Icy putting her knife away. Something suddenly clicked in Icy's mind,"How do you know my name, Wise One?". In answer the Wise one gestured to a spot next to him and said,"Please have a seat little one, yes I know you and I have been watching you your entire life. The time has come for us to meet and to have a talk, please sit I mean you no harm."

Icy came and sat next to the old Shaman. "You look hungry Icy, here have something to eat", the Wise One handed Icy some jerky and they quietly sat and ate looking at the slowly reddening dawn. Icy could not stand the silence,"I don't understand Wise One, you know me but I'm not important. I am no one!", said Icy in frustration. The Wise One ignored Icy's plea and quietly talked,"This is the best part of any day, everything is in front of you and you can watch your path beginning like a flower that awakens and unfurls its beautiful petals to the the world." That said the Wise One turned and looked at Icy with those penetrating eyes, "You are not and have never been no one, you are Icy Blue and it is up to you to find the importance in your life. Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Two-and-a-Half-Bears and I have been looking forward to this meeting for a long time." Questions raced in Icy's mind and she opened her mouth so they could explode out like canon fire but Two-and-a-Half-Bears held his hand up gently and Icy fell silent. "We can have questions answered in time, let us get to know each other, there is a fire in you and you have the impatience of youth." Two-and-a-half-Bears said with a grin.

They soon were chatting like two old friends. They sat and talked of little things and big things. Icy did most of the talking telling Two-and-a-Half-Bears of her life as a fortfighter and her new town. Two-and-a-Half-Bears interrupted occasionally and asked questions or pointed to a plant nearby and told Icy of hidden healing properties of the normal looking plant. Icy even shared some of her pretzels. It was unusual because Icy loved pretzels and they were amoung her most precious items. Somehow Two-and-a-Half-Bears drew Icy out of what seemed like a fog and Icy was telling the old indian things she had never shared with anyone in her life.

"I see you have some new things in your pack, they will help you in the jobs you do", Two-and-a-Half-Bears said appreciatively. "Yeah, they are so hard to get, Tom Bola just came to town. I don't like him. He is the greediest person i have ever met", Icy said glumly. "He promises sooo much and the townspeople spend their hard earned money on dreams. I feel like hitting him with a club sometimes. If you ever meet Tom Bola, please, please Wise One go the other way" Icy said with true concern. "We of the People do not fear Tom Bola. Thank you for your concern Icy, your Tom Bola visited our village a while back", Two-and-a-Half-Bears said with a chuckle. "Oh no, I hope he did'nt take all your gold!", Icy replied. "We of the people are used to dealing with greedy whitemen who wish us harm", Two-and-a-halh-Bears said with a knowing smile. "Oh my goodness, what did you do?" Icy asked. "We ran him off thinking he was going to be scalped even though we don't do that anymore", Two-and-a Half-Bears said triumphantly. "Ha,Ha, Ha, good for you Wise One", Icy laughed. ":laugh:", Two-and-a-Half-Bears said without talking. " ... ... , you know the secret smiley language?" Icy was surprised and thought that it was truly a secret. "Oh, Icy you fill my heart with joy, I do not get a chance to talk with ones so young and energetic very often. Icy we of the People have lived on these prairies for thousands of years. Who do you think taught the secret smiley language to the white man? did.", Two-and-a-Half-Bears chided with care but yet laughing. Icy found herself drawn to Two-and-a-Half-Bears and she suddenly grabbed the Wise One in a fierce hug.

"I really like you Two-and-a-Half-Bears. I wish I could have known you sooner. I never knew my parents or my grandparents but if I did I would want my grandfather to be just like you", Icy said with true feeling. "I too wish that, but it was not the time yet.", Two-and-a-Half-Bears said with regret. "Here now little one let an old man take a good look at you." Two-and-a-half-Bears reached over and gently cupped Icy's face in his ancient hands. He almost reverently brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "Yes little one it is truly time now.", the Wise One said whistfully. His eyes looked through Icy as if he was remembering something from the past. The next words Two-and-a-Half-Bears spoke rocked Icy's world as nothing had in her life until this moment.

"You have your mother's eyes."

Nothing could have shocked Icy more. Tears immediately came to her eyes unbidden. Her lips trembled and she found it hard to form words. "You.....You knew....my mother?", Icy said with barely a whisper. "Yes Icy I knew your mother, now let me tell you your story little one." the Wise One guided Icy back to a sitting position.

"Your mother was one of the People Icy. She was a brave and beautiful and headstrong. A time came when she fell in love with a white trapper. Your father loved your mother dearly but unfortunately their love was a problem. We of the People are not without our shortcomings and your mother and father were shunned at the time because of their relationship and they were forced to live apart from both the People's and the white man's towns. I would visit them when I could, always in secret for you see it was forbidden to talk with one who was been shunned from the tribe. I was your mother's friend and I could not abide by the law of the tribe at the time. Your father was a good and true man and built a cabin in the far woods and provided for them both. In time their love provided signs that their family was to grow. Your mother was sitting outside the cabin one evening awaiting your father's return. The cabin was on a beautiful small lake and your mother found it relaxing to look upon the beautiful crystal blue waters of the lake. Suddenly a comet pierced the sky and your mother had a true foretelling of two things. First that they would be blessed by the birth of a daughter. In that moment your mother looked upon their lake and named you Icy Blue. Second that their happy life and yours was going to be hard and full of painful trials."

"Your mother was overjoyed at your impending birth, but a sense of foreboding crept into her. Your father did not return that night or the next day. On the third day a fellow trapper visited and told your mother that an avalanche had occurred and your father had perished. Your mother hid her broken heart and thanked the man for his news. She gave supplies for his trip back. You see Icy your mother had a strength of heart that I have rarely seen. Your mother was one who never gave up so she set about making your birth ready. I came to the cabin in the day's leading up to your birth and assisted your mother when you came into the world. You were a beautiful baby Icy, but it was your eyes that I remember. They were such small and fierce eyes and I knew then when your eyes stared at me that you were going to have the heart of your mother."

"Joy filled the little cabin. As you grew in your first year you and your mother had a bond that was a wonder to look upon. I would visit and never got tired of watching you nestled upon your mothers lap. You were fascinated by a trinket that always was around your mothers neck and you never tired of playing with it. Though you could not talk your mother would tell you stories and tell you about your brave father. Your mother would take you down by the lake and point out at it's beauty and say that the spirits of the lake had named you and that you were the most special daughter in the world. Your mother was happy despite the loss your father. Though you don't remember those were the happiest day's of your life. Fate can be cruel though and the second part of the omen had yet to be done."

"There came a time when a rouge band of outlaws came into the area. They were a cruel and heartless group and brought death and pain to the valley. I tried to visit more often but duties kept me away for periods of days. The last time I saw your mother she made me promise to come immediately if anything ever happened. That day came. I was making my way towards your mothers cabin when I saw smoke coming up from the secluded niche that your home was in. I raced as fast as my horse would take me, but I was too late. The scene was horrible. I am sorry Icy but you deserve to know the whole story. In the end your mother was beyond brave and fought with a ferocity that only a mother could. She killed four of the outlaws before she succumbed to her own numerous wounds. The outlaws set fire to the cabin out of spite and were just gone to lick their wounds. They were in no shape to harm the valley any further. I searched for you and could not find you. I braved the spreading fire but found nothing inside. I was heartbroken and sat by the lake and contemplated what I should do. I thought the gods were playing tricks on me by letting me hear your crying voice one more time as a muffled sound barely reached me through the wind. Then I snapped out of my dream and frantically searched for the source of the sound."

"The sound led to an animals burrow nearby and I found you alive, swaddled in blankets and placed in safety inside the mouth of the burrow. Your mother had time to hide you before facing the outlaws alone. You were well and healthy. Around your neck was the trinket that your mother never took off her own. She had time to write a letter also. I think she knew somehow that I was destined to find you for the letter was addressed to me. "

"We buried your mother that day, you and I next to the lake that your mother loved so much and that beget your name. The cabin burned that day and nature reclaimed the land. I could not take you back to the tribe for there were many who still harbored ill will towards your mother for choosing her life with one outside the People. So I left you with those who would keep you safe to grow into adulthood. The letter written by your mother made me promise to not interfere with you growing up and that I should hold in my safekeeping your birthright. I was never faraway and awaited the signs that the time had come. Today is that day, my years are countless beyond the stars and this may be my last task in this life."

With that Two-and-a-Half-Bears put around Icy's neck a trinket. "You have not seen that since the day day your mother died grand-child of my heart", Two-and-a Half-Bears said with pride. Icy took the amulet in her hand. It showed the side of a snarling mountain lion with it's jaws open in a fierce growl. "What is it called?", said Icy while admiring it. "It is called the heart of the Mountain Lion and it was your mother's before you, and your mothers mothers before that. It is older than even I am.", laughed Two-and-a-Half-Bears. "It is the most beautiful thing in the world grand-father of my heart", Icy said with tears streaming rivlets down her cheeks. "Your wear it well little one and be assured that your mother and father are looking down right now and their hearts are soaring to heights beyond the stars in pride over what you have become."

"Oh grand-father or my heart I want so bad to see my mother", Icy sobbed. Two-and-a-Half-Beasrs put his arms around Icy and said,"Do not be sad for each day you look in a mirror know in your heart that you have seen your mother." Another sense of calmness enveloped Icy and she closed her eyes and grasped the totem. When she did she felt almost a warmth in the ancient stone. In her heart she felt barriers begin to crumble. She faced towards the sky above with her eyes closed and let out,"RAWR!"

RAWR

Icy snapped out of her trance and looked above them to a higher part of the ridge. A giant mountain lion stood there looking intently upon the two intruders in the stillness of the pre-dawn. "He is not mad at me is he grand-father of my heart?", Icy asked with trepidation. "No Icy, the spirit of the mountain lion is a very powerful one. The spirit is letting you know that they have judged you worthy to wear the totem," said the Wise One. "Your future is in your hands now Icy, I can no longer guide your way," Two-and-a-half-Bears said quietly at her back. Icy stared right back at the mountain lion and nodded her head in reverence. The mountain lion seemed to nod it's massive head almost imperceptibly then turned and padded away tuning once more to stare at Icy before continuing out of sight. "I must leave you now."

Icy spun around and Two-and-a-half-Bears was nowhere to be seen! Icy collapsed in a heap crying uncontrollably. Her hand almost hurt she was grasping the totem so hard. Once again she thought she felt warmth emanating from the talisman. Deep down inside her Icy felt the final barriers in her heart dissolving and she could feel emotions filling up the empty spaces. Now a different kind of calmness filled her. She stood back up and looked up at the stars she could still see. Tears of joy now filled her eyes and began to wash away the tears of sadness. "Thank you mother, thank you father, and thank you grand-father of my heart."

Icy let the tears continue to flow and she looked at the fort and Icy knew now that was nothing she wouldn't do for her friends. She would fight for them and with them willing to sacrifice her life in the effort. She grasped the totem once more and yelled, "RAWR", into the brisk morning air.

RAWR-RAWR-RAWR-RAWR Icy sat content listening to the echoes filling the valley. Then Icy realized that these weren't echoes they were the shouts of her friends as they emerged from the darkness to stand beside her nodding to each other, hugging each other, preparing for the battle to come. Icy thought back on her morning and once again she grasped the totem. This time she raised it up to look at it and spoke as if to the totem.

"YES, THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE"

 

[DeletedUser]

9/10

Beautifully written. Heartwarming and fun, with a tinge of sadness and filled with references from the game. The story was simple yet full of emotions that didn't feel forced. I especially enjoyed the various references scattered throughout, they were really fun to read . Long live Tin Cup!

RAWR

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Ok here it is, Chapter two of Braets Non- cannon Tiran story...thing...enjoy

“Gwyll, Darling you know I love you?...but if you don’t stop fidgeting I am going to have to throw you out of the carriage window”
“Lucy!”
“I am sorry Daner but she’s driving me nuts!” Lucy replied in an anguished voice as a slightly shamefaced Gwyll tried her best not to move at all and barely succeeding at that.
It had already been a very long carriage ride and with Lucy’s temper and sanity beginning to fray the remainder of the journey was threatening to last an eternity with Daner trapped between the two women in a very confined and rather stuffy space.
He still found it hard to believe that they were apparently related to one another, if the rumours they’d discovered in the North were to be believed. Though neither of the two women despite his best efforts would actually tell him how exactly they were related to one another or how, considering that they were both orphans, they’d actually come to learn that this was the case. Though looking across the carriage at a rather chastised Gwyll, Daner could see the similarities. They both had the same golden blonde hair, the same colour eyes and smooth pale skin yet other than that they couldn’t be more different. For where Gwyll had the looks of the classic Northern warrior woman, albeit a scruffy one with her un-brushed hair and penchant for pretty dresses with only minimal buttons and intricate tattoos adorning her arms and legs. Lucy was most definitely Khitain in appearance with a round face and almond eyes that were completely incongruous to her short blonde hair and blue eyes. Her good looks marred by the three long scars running in parallel lines down from her cheek bone to her jaw with their origin coming from the same place as her rather unsteady grasp on sanity.
Dressed in dark figure hugging leggings and a waistcoat that left her arms exposed to the sun, Lucy looked every bit the professional thief, even down to the light cotton gloves she wore on each hand despite the sweltering heat of mid-morning Jehenna.
Placing an arm about Lucy’s shoulders Daner pulls her in close to him in order to whisper into her ear “Are you alright? You know you could have stayed behind if you’d wanted to”
“And leave you to do this by yourself? No, I’ll be fine I promise” Lucy replied with a smile that barely touched the corners of her mouth. Well... as fine as I can be with what’s going on anyway she silently added to herself feeling slightly guilty that Daner and she would have to be the bearers of bad news and spoil this little reunion.
“Oh for the love of...Gwyll will you please stop it, you’re making me nervous!”
“Sorry Lucy, I...I don’t really like carriages is all...they make me feel trapped”
“Gwyll… If you don’t like being in a carriage, then why did you agree to come with us on a very long carriage ride?”
“Because... you asked me to”
“Oh Gwyll!” Lucy moaned burying her face in her gloved hands as Daner did his best not to laugh at Gwyll’s lovable daftness, knowing full well that if he did so then they’d both turn on him in a shot “it’s nice to see her talking again” the voice said from within his head, causing Daner to involuntarily stiffen. After ten years of silence he still hadn’t gotten used to Brahmoth talking to him again and in light of recent events he doubted it was a mere social call “yes...well it was hard but she managed to pull through with a little help” Daner replied, glancing at Lucy as he did so “tell me boy did you ever manage to get her to wear that ring of yours? I never did see how that panned out for you” the disembodied voice asked, and upon hearing the question a small smile played across Daner’s face as he recalled his long quest to marry the girl beside him before giving his answer in a smug voice “in a way...yes, I did…and it panned out very nicely indeed”

Mei stood before the large upright mirror frowning at the woman reflected within; wondering what had happened to the youthful twenty-two year old girl that had first come here to get married, albeit for the second time “I am telling you...you still look as beautiful as the day I met you” the voice of her husband called from where he laid in bed; the afternoon nap through the heat of the day now a long held tradition for the pair of them with it often proving to be the only time that they got to spend with one another without fear of interruption “It’s alright for you...old age suits you” Mei replied mischievously, though despite her cheek she spoke no word of a lie. Old age did suit him and he seemed to grow more handsome with each passing year or at least in her eyes anyway.
In truth Mei had barely aged as a result of her long and near continuous magic use; true she wasn’t as slender as she used to be and there were the beginnings of lines forming at the corners of her eyes but she was far from being old and was still remarkably attractive if in a more mature manner.
Still standing before the mirror, a small smile played across her lips as she watched Joshua’s tanned arms gently encircle her waist, giggling softly as he kissed her cheek before he then whispered “Happy anniversary” into her ear.
“shhh someone might hear you... What will people say if they found out I married you three years before you brought me home?”
“They’d say at least one of them had their priorities straight” Joshua laughed before proceeding to gently nuzzle her neck as his hands slowly started to wander. “Joshua...Sweetheart...what are you doing?”
“What does it look like I am doing?” Joshua replied mischievously as he slid the straps of her nightdress from off of her shoulders “You know this is how we ended up with Jade right?...not that I don’t love Jade, but she was kind of...unexpected” Mei quietly admonished, not that she made any attempt to stop him as he continued to slowly remove her clothing; kissing her cheek and neck in that way she found so irresistible as she continued speaking softly over her shoulder to him “...though it was probably just as well seen as you corrupted my first daughter”
“I didn’t corrupt our daughter! It was Khalid who gave her a wooden sword for her birthday not me!”
“Yes, but you’re the one who taught her how to use it! I can’t believe I am the mother of Jehenna’s first Warrior Queen!” Mei said with an anguished look on her face. She’d been aghast when Ismaire had asked to receive Swordmaster training along with her brother and almost inconsolable when she’d started cutting that beautiful red hair of hers short. At least Jade would still let her mother dress her up in pretty dresses and brush her long hair without complaint. Khalid had been told in no uncertain terms what would happen to him if he even dreamed of getting Jade a wooden sword for her birthday and unable to tell whether Mei was joking or not Khalid had bought Jade a doll that year and every other year after that just to be on the safe side. Perhaps one day Mei would tell Khalid that there were other gifts to get a little girl other than dolls, but then again Jade did always like the dolls he gave her so perhaps it would be for best if she didn’t.
However all thoughts of her children were soon driven from her mind as her silken nightdress fell from her body; the garment having barely hit the ground before she was swept off of her feet by her husband “Come along My Queen I want to make the most of having you all to myself” Joshua murmured, grinning at the grimace he’d received in response to the phrase My Queen. Apparently Mei still hated being called that almost as much as he’d hated being called Your Highness...not that Joshua would ever dream of teasing her.

Soon their friends would start arriving and they would have to get ready for tonight’s festivities. It had been a very long time since all of their friends from the Tiran Wars had been in same room together and he was rather looking forward to catching up with them all, not to mention the fact that for once he and Mei would be able drop the royalty act. Even after all this time neither of them were particularly comfortable as monarch’s and it was only having one another that kept them sane. On the other hand it was perhaps this reluctance that made them such fair rulers as neither of them hungered for yet more power and their experiences during the Tiran war meant that they were never keen to inflict suffering upon others unless it was unavoidable.
However with his wife’s warm thighs currently wrapped around his middle it was hard to focus on such thoughts and so he let them drift away into the ether, allowing him to give Mei his full attention.

The sound of ringing steel echoed around the high walls of the training ground as the two siblings sparred against one another with blunted practice swords as they often did.
There had been no issues with them re-entering the palace grounds; the pair of them deciding to use the unguarded sally port that they’d used to leave by so as to avoid any awkward questions. One day they would have to inform Khalid or uncle Sync that the old doorway existed; after all if they could use it come and go undetected then so could others, but for now it was nice to have a little secret all to themselves.
Clad in grey recruit’s uniforms like the rest of the young men and women currently in the training yard, save for royal crest embroidered on the breast. The royal children put on quite a display as they fought one another having both seemingly inherited their fathers skill with a blade, though to even the casual observer it was clear that Ismaire was by far the better of the two “Give it up little brother, you know you can’t beat me” Ismaire taunted with a laugh as she effortlessly parried yet another of her brother’s attacks before launching one of her own that sent him hastily jumping back only to narrowly avoid falling on his back in the process “Yeah, yeah whatever you say sis, just because you live in the practice yard doesn’t mean I can’t…oh hey Gendry!” Izzy’s head snapped around in search of the dark haired recruit only to receive three rapid blows from the flat of Kaidan’s sword to her stomach, wrist and the back of her knees causing her to drop weapon-less to the sand with her brother grinning as he levelled his sword at her to claim the victory “Kaidan that’s a dirty rotten trick! You know how I feel about…oh…kraem…Gendry you’re really there…” the complaint quietly died on her lips and her cheeks turned a shade of red to rival that of her hair as she watched the boy in question walk into view; her brother apparently having not lied about his presence…and here she was lying in the dust with bright red cheeks and rubbing her bruised stomach like an unskilled beginner. If Ismaire could have disappeared she would have gladly done so at this moment in time.
Gendry Cosimo was a tall dark haired youth of around nineteen on the verge of completing his training and heart meltingly handsome; or so Izzy thought.
Save for her brother who tortured her mercilessly over it, nobody knew about her crush on the boy currently standing over her and to be honest even that was one too many “Hey Kaidan, Izzy, nice to see you both…though I have to agree that move was kind of lacking in chivalry” Gendry remonstrated, with Kaidan merely shrugging his shoulders in a, A guys gotta do what guys gotta do manner having previous for pulling such moves in order to win.
With her mother’s good looks and short, slim stature, Ismaire was a pretty girl of seventeen with short wavy red hair that fell to her jaw line and hazel coloured eyes to match her twin brother who had the same colour hair and almond shaped eyes but was fractionally taller than she was. Unfortunately as well inheriting her father’s skill with a blade Izzy had also inherited his habit of turning bright red when confronted by the opposite sex and her mother’s habit of stuttering when she became nervous or agitated. Needless to say she had never brought a boy home and was yet to confess her feelings to Gendry or anyone for that matter and found the concept of doing so truly terrifying as anything she said always came out either embarrassingly awkward or just downright silly “Oh h...h...hey Gendry I...I didn’t see you there, oh hey...tha...that’s a nice sword where’d y...y...you get it from?” Izzy asked doing her best to look nonchalant as she hurriedly picked herself up off of the floor and dusted the sand from her uniform; fixing him with a smile that was perhaps just a little too wide “erm I got it from the armoury” Gendry replied clearly confused as to why she would be so interested in what was essentially a plain old arming sword and identical to every other sword in there “oh...the...the...armoury...yes that...that would make sense” she mumbled in embarrassment as her cheeks attempted even brighter shades of red.
Rolling his eyes at his sisters fumbling attempts at small talk Kaidan decided to intervene before she could make things even worse for herself “So other than to see my darling sister getting knocked to the dust, what brings you to the yard?”
“Hmm? Oh yeah, Khalid wants a couple of us to join a patrol through the borderlands, apparently there’s been some kind of agitation going on” he replied making it clear that he really didn’t understand the ins and outs of the assignment and that all he was really interested in was the opportunity to get the hell out of the barracks and have something a little more interesting to do than weapons drills and sentry duty.
Kaidan personally wasn’t all too surprised to find that there were problems in the borderlands as the kingdoms annexation of the territory at the end of the war had never been easy, with more than a few people resenting their new rulers despite what the majority had wanted. Consequently the kingdom was forever sending patrols to oust the troublemakers and often took un-blooded recruits with them for the experience, something that both Izzy and Kaidan were itching to have “...So I am just here to collect a sword and field uniform from the armoury...apparently it’s a nice one” Gendry finished jokingly before bidding them both farewell and walking off to get ready, with Ismaire’s face now practically luminous as her brother proceeded to speak to her “I don’t know why you don’t just ask him...Gendry will you take me dancing?...see? It’s easy”
“But...but w...w...what if he says no?”
“Well you won’t know if you don’t ask him, now will you?” Kaidan replied in an exasperated voice, with his sister reluctantly having to accept that particular piece of logical thinking. She didn’t know how he did it? How he managed to find the self confidence to simply ask out any and every girl that took his fancy. It had been joked that he’d gotten all of the confidence out of the pair of them; taking even her share in the process and it was at times like these that she felt that perhaps that really was the case. Besides which she didn’t want to ask Gendry out courting as that was far too presumptuous of her and no doubt her mother would have a fit if she did so. No, she wanted Gendry to ask her out, that way she’d be sure that he actually liked her and wasn’t just agreeing because she was Jehenna’s heir and scared of what he thought might happen if he said no. Perhaps if she could just get him alone where there was no one around to watch her fail she could let him know how she felt about him and let him make the next move, though there was a fat chance of that happening.

Sheathing their blades the siblings slowly started to make their way back to the armoury in order to hand in the practice blades they’d borrowed, knowing that they would soon have to start getting ready. With Izzy already dreading the prospect of having to spend all evening in the dress that was no doubt waiting for her back in her room please don’t let it be pink she silently prayed though going by past experience she didn’t hold out too much hope. Her mother always had this hope that she’d be a proper a girly princess with long hair and a pretty dress, and knowing this Izzy rebelled at every opportunity. She didn’t want to sit around all day doing embroidery and simpering over boys, she wanted to go out and have an adventure like her father and mother had done. It was with this thought in her mind that the beginnings of a plan began to form in her mind, a plan that could potentially kill two birds with one stone.

 

[Apelatia]

I very much enjoyed your short story, Braet. As I have been reading Tiran since I joined the section, I was intrigued to see what you would come up with as a non-canon "epilogue" to the entire thing. You wrote well (as usual), and the story flowed too. What's more, it captured my attention, as I'm sure it will have captured others from this section! You added in a little bit of romance here and there which spiced the story up too...

Overall, great effort, and you get a 9/10 from me!

 

[DeletedUser37114]

Really good, much better than the last one that you did. I got reasonings, I got to see all sorts of different characters who stayed true to their canon portrayals, and the story flowed quite well.

5/7 9/10

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

Very much enjoyed that…giving it a 9/10 simply because of a couple lines I'd've added on Joshua's end (not that I'm blaming you whatsoever for not knowing exactly how I'd handle my character)…but yes, liked a lot…Ismaire just got screwed over in the social gene pool, and that was a really nice touch. Now, no one else has mentioned this, but it looks like you implied a chapter 3…don't keep us waiting too long for it

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Well I am glad you guys liked it and yes I am intending to write a Chapter 3 (In which Red may make an appearance) however as to when it'll happen I am not sure due to my new job though I'll endeavour to get it written quicker than a George R R Martin novel.

 

[DeletedUser13682]

Well, I've been kinda reading this on and off, slowly getting a complete reading in, after I get more understanding of the storyscape as a whole, and everything that goes along with it. I'm liking it so far. I don't want to give a number yet, as I feel that should wait for the whole to be completed, but I am enjoying it so far. I'd also be honored for Red to make an appearance in tale. That would be pretty good in itself, I think.

 

[DeletedUser31931]

Not sure about your portrayal of Brahmoth... Otherwise it's pretty great. I love the idea of Lucy and Gwyll being related. Also looking forward, hopefully, to some exposition about how Daner's been doing since the non-canonical end of Tiran.

 

[DeletedUser31931]

Apologies for the double post but I wrote a thing. So here is a short story I did about Jokir in the Kauria universe before he was Jokir. Think of it kinda like an origins story:


This was his third day of wandering. He knew that he did not require that much food and that the clothes on his back were made from shadow and with shadow could they be refreshed. He knew he also had little need for water too. He wasn't sure how he knew these things, he just did. This was the power of the Cycle. He was a newborn... he still hadn't chosen a name. He moved through the market silently, merely watching. His powers had yet to manifest themselves. Part of the issue was that he had no money. Dramor was not a land known for its charity. He decided that there was no choice. He made his way out towards the exit of the city. About a week later he returned, he had had food and water. The Cycle had been exact in its instructions and at least now he had something to start his life with. He knew that one day he would have to repay the favour and visit the grounds himself with money to leave for those still new to the world. He was still thinking about a name. He'd adopted a traditional Dramoran name in the meanwhile as a placeholder, especially since most societies required you to have a name. He walked through one of the market places now, browsing the wares. He still needed to figure out what he was going to do with his life but for now... he simply wanted to experience some of what this world had to offer. He moved amongst the stalls until he arrived at that of a blade merchant. The array of swords laid out were finely crafted and one of them in particular, way beyond his ability to pay for it, caught his attention. He intently studied the hilt of the sword, it was blue and gold with a finely intricate pattern that spread out. The blade was fine and elegant yet contained power and strength within "Are you going to pay for that? Thief." His thought was interrupted by a powerful arm gripping his and the words being spat out in a thick Dramoran accent of Common from behind him. The Shade tensed immediately preparing himself for anything that might happen as he found himself roughly spun around to face the snarling Dramor. He didn't know it then but he would later find out that he was currently facing one of the arms dealers in this area who was known for his... extreme views. This was the area of town where no-one questioned if a Shade or a Kitsune went missing and he knew it. It seemed that the Shade was to be today's target. "I know what your kind is like. Disgusting shadow filth. Unable to even fight like a true warrior." He bumped the Shade backwards and the Shade instinctively put out a hand to stop himself falling and found it clasping the blade in his hand. "You gonna steal that from me then? I'll show you what happens to a thief scum like you." The Dramoran roared and smashed the Shade backwards and he was sent tumbling backwards over the counter. The Dramoran went for the sword that hangs at the side of every Dramoran adult but apparently deciding against it he stalked forwards and grabbed the blade the Shade had been inspecting. "You're not worthy of death at the hands of a real sword. I'll show you scum to the afterlife in a matter fitting of your status". A small crowd of onlookers had gathered to watch, some with interest, some with fear or relief that it wasn't them and some with the general disinterest that is formed through repeated exposure to an action. This was not the first time that this Dramoran had picked a fight with anyone nor would it likely be the last. The Shade righted himself quickly and backed up as the Dramoran stalked towards him. He knew his options were limited, he was away from the weapon counter and stealing an impromptu weapon wouldn't help him much anyway because the crowd would turn on him, most likely. The Dramoran yelled and swung at the Shade, a biting horizontal slash that the Shade ducked under. As he did so though, the Dramoran brought the blade back in a slash that turned into a jab, aiming to wound the Shade's arm. He hastily rolled backwards and stumbled to his feet. The Dramoran let out a guttural yell and charged forwards, body slamming the unprepared Shade and sending him flying backwards, winded. He brought the blade up and slashed down on the Shade who just managed to dodge by arcing his body to the side. The sword raised again and the hand fell down. The metal clang could be heard across the square. In the hand of the Shade there was a hilt, a sword hilt of intricate blue and gold. The blade of the sword, however, was wreathed in a flickering shadow that smothered the blade but the resounding clang through the square left no lack of impression as to the sharpness of both blades. The Dramoran grunted in surprise. "So now you're stealing my weapons without even touching them. Typical of a Shadow-scum like you." The boot planted itself firmly into the Shade's chest and sent him flying back several metres into the shadow of the wall of a nearby building, the sword clattering to the ground nearby. As the Dramoran approached the Shade felt the shadows give him strength. The Dramoran stood over him and snarled. "Time to send you to where your thieving scum kind belong. The" A slight look of surprise came over the face of the Dramoran as the sword penetrated his upper back and pierced his heart. He stumbled forwards in surprise and dropped to his knees. The original sword clattering at his feet. There was an audible gasp in the crowd from some of the Dramorans. The game had taken an interesting turn today. As the Dramorans watched on, the Dramoran xenophobe collapsed forwards onto the floor, dead. All eyes turned on where the Shade had been but all that remained was empty space. Those that had witnessed the fight all swore by the same thing. As the Dramoran had approached the Shade the sword had lifted itself and shot forwards, piercing and killing the man. The area of the city was that where a foreign race death was entirely noticed, but the death of this Dramoran was not. Though no formal attempt was made to find the killer there were informal manhunts and it was not until three years later that the Shade would show himself in the city again. By that time the majority of people within the city had forgotten but his legend would live on. The story of the Shade and the weapon that flung itself would spread amongst the rumours of the city until, five years later, whilst talking to another Shade in the city slums a Shade named Jokir Azal chuckled and patted his companion on the back. "Magic is a strange thing friend." He laughed as he spoke in the language of the Aluille, "Magic is a strange thing indeed".

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Here it is the much awaited chapter three! I did have a section concerning Sync and Glasya but apparently its too long so it looks like that is going into chapter four. Enjoy

They gathered within the desolate ruins on a starless night, with only the intermittent light of a full moon as it broke through the clouds with which to see by the figures quietly spoke. Dressed in anonymous black robes; for to be identified was to risk a fate worse than death the seven of them had entered the once mighty fortress to stand within its chapel; the mosaic floor depicting a god that hadn’t been worshipped in centuries “Is everything in place sister?” a man wearing a sliver mask in the shape of a goat asked, prompting the woman that had been gazing down at the mosaic in an absent manner as she nervously played with the ring on her finger to hurriedly respond “Yes Brother…all is in place even with this mornings set back we should have no problem infiltrating the palace”
“Excellent, and you Brother, how goes your efforts in the borderlands”
“They progress Brother…The Jehennan’s won’t know what hit them” a man wearing silver snake mask responded gleefully. It had taken him many weeks of hard work; greasing palms, smuggling weapons and moving loyal people into key positions but he felt that the time was ripe for them to strike “It is only a pity that that Maurangerian ***** isn’t with them” Snakeman replied with an angry hiss that prompted Goatman to place a restraining hand upon his shoulder “Do not worry my friend, her precious Republic is far from safe and with her Jehennan allies gone she’ll discover just how vulnerable she really is” he finished with a laugh that held nothing but ill intent for Mauranger’s first minister, that jumped up little city state will wish it had remained dead by the time the master is through with it! His mind howled with sadistic glee.
They schemed into the night but with the important work now completed the shadowy cabal one by one drifted away until only two remained “Are you sure we can depend on him sister? There is more than just our lives riding on this attack and I’d hate to disappoint the master just because your man refused to play his part”
“No…he’ll do what is required…I’ll see to it”
“You’d better…for your sake”

Despite the slight chill in the air Akana stared out across the Maurangerian countryside; her arms resting against the stone parapet of the fort that sat atop the low hill within the fledgling city states centre. A gentle breeze catching her black and red hair; a style that she had kept more out force of habit than for its original meaning and one that she’d noticed being emulated by some of the female officers within her army, with the young women wearing it for an entirely different reason.
Very little of Oak Village had survived the clay soldiers attack and the subsequent abandonment by the handful of lucky survivors, meaning that its reoccupation had meant practically starting from scratch with only the larger stone structures such as the church and Council chambers having survived. It may not be the old Oak Village she remembered as a young girl but she felt she’d done a pretty good job at creating a modern industrial city in its stead that would thrive in the years to come. As well as adopting new idea’s and ways of thinking such as the inclusion of magi or as they were more commonly known warlock’s within the small professional army that she had created, based upon the strike team that she’d led during the war.
Glancing down into the courtyard below, she could see one such unit of young men and women marching in time to their officers commands, dressed in their fresh green uniforms, leather jerkins and cloth hats. Gone were the days of donning mail and plate to hack at the enemy with axe and broadsword, this was an army of lightly armed and armoured soldiers that could adapt to whatever challenge was thrown at it. The light crossbows that they all carried save for the designated marksman’s heavy arbalest, cutting down the enemy from ambush before then disappearing long before they could even dream of forming a battle line. Already one such enemy had suffered dreadfully from these tactics and as a result no one else had dared to underestimate Mauranger and its tiny army.
“Apologies for my lateness” the softly spoken voice of Leilani said from behind her; clearly out of breath from having ran up the flights of stone steps in order to reach the city states first minister “and how is Elsa?” the woman who would forever be known as Red, or Iceman to a select group of veterans from the last war asked with a knowing smirk “she’s lovely Red, she really is I don’t know what I would do without her” Leilani replied with a sigh as her mind drifted back to the girl she’d left back in bed so as to be here “does that mean I need to find a new secretary?” Red asked jokingly of her friend knowing that no doubt Elsa would also be rushing into work babbling excuses as to her lateness “No…she loves her job…and you work her too hard”
“Does she say that?” Red asked suddenly concerned as to her employee’s well-being. Sure she asked a lot of her staff but she’d never thought herself to be a bully or a tyrant and Leilani was quick to dispel such notions from her mind as she continued to hurriedly speak, realising that she’d perhaps could have phrased the criticism a little better “No…as I said she loves her job, I just wish I could have a little more time with her is all” she confessed in her halting yet fluent Maurangerian; a language she’d learnt in order to take her current position within the city; training the Warlocks for Red’s army as well as dealing with the various alchemist’s, apothecaries and magi living and working within the city. It also helped to speak the same language as the woman you loved; something she’d learnt from Mei and Joshua all those years ago.
Leaning against the parapet the pair of them silently watched the soldiers manoeuvre within the courtyard before Leilani finally broke the silence “Remind me Red, why exactly are we sending soldiers to help the Northern clans fight their war with the orcs? They hate and belittle us and everything we believe and stand for and wouldn’t lift a finger to help us were our situations reversed…so why help them?” Red sighed in response to her friends reluctance to support the venture and Leilani wasn’t the only one that felt this way, although after everything that they had been through together Red had hoped she could rely on her friends support “By helping the clans fight the orcs we not only earn the good will with which to start forging alliances but it also gives us the opportunity to properly field test the army against a real foe…we are only a small country and as good an ally as Jehenna is they are a very long way away, we need friends closer to home and an effective military if we are ever going to survive…also you should know better than to let your personal life influence your thinking” Red scolded causing the younger woman to flinch “Sorry Red your right it’s just that…this is the only place in the world where I am accepted for who I am; I have no friends outside of Mauranger and my family disowned me long ago, so it kind of rankles when a nation that are little more than savages talk down to us”
“Not all Northerners are savages…I seem to recall you had a soft spot for a certain Northern girl” the comment eliciting an embarrassed flush from the mage as Red ploughed ahead “…besides, you could have gone, I was unable to attend due to my duties but you could have gone to Jehenna and seen them”
“No, not after what they did…I never want to see any of them ever again”
“Leilani, it was a long time ago, we were at war!”
“No Red, they broke their word!....they promised me that it wouldn’t happen and yet they did it anyway, they can rot in hell for all I care!” Leilani snarled before storming off. Well…that could have gone a little better Red thought to herself with a weary shake of her head. Apparently time didn’t cure all wounds…sometimes it simply caused them to fester.

“Oh look at you! You look so adorable!”
“Shut it Kay”
“…and they’ve even found a little bow to put in your hair”
“I’m warning you Kay I will beat you senseless if you don’t…”
“…Just think Izzy, Gendry could be on Sentry duty right this very minute so he’ll be able to see you in your pretty dress and ribbons” at the mere mention of her crush potentially seeing her in such a…girly…state Izzy blanched oh by the gods please don’t let him see me! She silently begged; praying to the old and new gods of Jehenna as well as the Sun family ancestors that she would escape being seen by Gendry or anyone else she knew whilst wearing this dress.
The dress wasn’t pink and for that alone she was eternally grateful; instead it was a dark green that nicely complemented her hair with the fabric cut and embroidered so as to tastefully show off her figure. Kay meanwhile was dressed in a military style tunic in the royal colours that was near identical to that of his fathers. Normally the outfit came with a decorative sword however there was a strict no weapons rule for this night even for such a superficial weapon. Kay wasn’t sure what the origins for that particular tradition were; only that, like most traditions within the kingdom of Jehenna that it had something to do with the war.
Walking or in Izzy’s case tottering into the courtyard the siblings paused as the great wooden gates were opened by a pair of guardsmen in order to allow a carriage; dusty from its trip across the desert, entry.
Izzy had never managed to get the hang of walking in heels and was envious of all the girls that could glide effortlessly across dance floors whilst wearing them. Her only consolation being that unlike those girls in their high heels and pretty dresses, she could wield a sword with far more skill than many of her father’s men…not that the vacuous idiots would care anyway. Stupid lady stilts! She silently swore; stumbling over a patch of uneven ground.Why couldn’t she have just worn one of her nice pairs of boots? They were far more comfortable and less liable to result in a broken ankle. But alas her mother wanted her eldest daughter to be more ladylike and so the pretty dresses and high heeled shoes were here to stay.
Moving to join their parents and younger sister; Jade who had just emerged from within the palace where they had been taking an afternoon nap. They watched as the carriage door was flung open before the carriage had even stopped moving and their aunt Gwyll practically leapt out of it in her excitement.
Ignoring the formalities of greeting royalty entirely, Gwyll raced up to her old friends and threw her arms about them; kissing a laughing Sun Mei upon the cheek before turning to greet her children “oh my gods, you three are so adorable!” she gushed excitedly; with Izzy struggling to suppress a grimace as the word adorable was used to describe her once again. She hated that word it was almost as bad as pretty and cute and any other girly word that resulted from her wearing a dress.
It was as Gwyll was gushing over Mei and Joshua’s grown up pretty babies that the other occupants of the carriage emerged at a more sedate pace.
Clad in the dark clothing synonymous with their trade; Daner and Lucy offered their old friends a slight bow before moving to greet them “It is good to see you again, always a pleasure to visit Jehenna…though I note that you have several of my agents within you cells once again” Daner spoke, raising a single eyebrow at the Jehennan king “And its always a pleasure to have you Daner…and I’ll stop having them arrested when you stop sending them” Joshua said, finishing the traditional joke with a smile that had them both laughing.
For years Daner had tried to establish a thieves guild within Jehenna and for just as long Joshua had resisted his efforts. Not that either of them were really trying anymore; Daner sent competent but not overly organised thieves into Jehenna as a way of keeping up appearances and Joshua made sure that they were placed in moderately comfortable cells for a token sentence before sending them home again. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Daner but rather the fact that he didn’t like the idea of having organised criminals within his kingdom. He’d had enough problems dealing with the plotters and the remaining agents of the blood magi that had wormed their way into positions of power during his absence, not to mention the new territories he’d gained along the Jehennan border and their resulting problems without having to deal with organised crime as well.
It had been during those perilous times that Sync had truly earned Joshua’s trust as he fought a dangerous shadow war that had been just as deadly as the Tiran war.
Thankfully however those times were behind them and they would celebrate the fact this night with the arrival of some dear and sadly, seldom seen friends, though he wished that more of them could have been here with them, though he fully understood their reasons for not doing so. Joshua could tell just by looking that the fact that Leilani was still refusing to even acknowledge them still hurt Mei deeply despite what she said to the contrary It was a war…we had no choice! He silently exclaimed and not for the first time where his wife’s former apprentice was concerned. It would appear that that particular hatchet wouldn’t be getting buried for quite some time if at all.
Gently squeezing his wife’s hand in a comforting gesture he led her and their guests into the palace in order to celebrate the reunion of their remaining old friends.

 

[DeletedUser31931]

I'd give it an 8.5/10

There were a few sections where the pronoun game got a little complicated and I had to read several times to figure out exactly what was going on. I think that an editor, Wink wink, nudge nudge, would help with some of those issues though. I like how you capture not only the spirit of the characters in the RP though but also how they've evolved after the RP. It'll certainly be interesting to find out what Joshua and Mei did that was so heinous to Leilani though and the portrayal of Daner made me chuckle (and my first response as Daner was "Better the devil you know"). Also, it's a good thing that it's a non-canon ending because Daner has some ideas about reform of the thieves guild that he probably would have implemented by now (but those are ideas that will show up in Tiran itself).

 

[DeletedUser13682]

To: The Animal Mask People
From: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Mauranger

The Republic of Mauranger would like to make clear that whatever acts Prime Minister Nagel may or may not have performed in her youth are not a reflection of her current character. Furthermore, any future cases of describing Prime Minister Nagel as a '*****' will result in severe diplomatic repercussions, regardless of whether any relationships are established with the Republic of Mauranger.

Diplomatic protest aside, it's neat to see Red in your continuation story. Brings a warm spot to my heart to see that she managed to reestablish her old home and allow the pursuit of science (and magic) unhindered once again. One thing that I can think of. Red would probably have kept the red streak more for remembering the old Oak Village, rather than just habit. The snapshot of the military sounds just about how I would have done it, had I needed to design a Maurangerian army.

Oh and the rest is pretty good too. Hoping Gendry-senpai will notice Izzy.

 

[DeletedUser37114]

7/10

Ideas were solid and worked well for making sure the story continues on and I'm drawn in, but syntax and grammar are sometimes pretty hard to wade through and the occasional spelling can sometimes leave difficult spots to read because of that.

I'm curious to know how much Izzy and Kay know about the events of the Tiran RP and their parents' associates like Red, Leilani, Gwyll and Daner. It'll be interesting to watch them freak out/stay calm when things get hairy...

 

[DeletedUser31931]

It was a quiet day in Raynes Park, London. A sea of multicultural faces passed along the streets alone or in pairs. It was late afternoon. Commuters were beginning to head home from a day’s hard work in the city and at regular intervals a throng of bodies poured out of the train onto the platform, down the stairs, through the ticket barriers and out into the streets. Traffic slowly made its way along the streets and busses, mingled with the traffic, stopped and unloaded a different set of commuters, who similarly dispersed. The quiet was broken by the wail of a police siren. A figure, dressed in a Niqab, ran through the city streets. The sirens pounded after him and traffic pulled up onto the sidewalk to make way for the pursuing police cars. The figure dodged through pedestrians, their heart pounding. As they burst into the small clearing, they headed through the tunnel that passed under the train station. The comm in their ear cracked to life. “As you come out of the tunnel, you’re heading round to the right. You’ve only got a minute until the train arrives so pick up the pace.” As the figure burst through the tunnel, the long black garment flowing out behind them, the police cars pulled to a stop in front of the tunnel, unable to pass through. Police officers burst out of the car, weapons drawn, and broke into a run after the figure with shouts of “Police! Make way!” Pedestrians scattered to either side, the spectacle a shock to the passers-by. Mobile phones were produced and the scenes swiftly made their way onto social media. The police, chasing a figuring in a Niqab through outer London. And the police were armed to boot. The figure ran into the station and, with one clean leap, cleared the turnstile. The security guard looked up from his paper but the figure was already vanishing up the stairs. “Get ready. Five. Four. Three.” As the figure reached the top of the stairs, they could hear the announcement. “The next train is not scheduled to stop at this station. Please stand away from the edge of the platform.” Suddenly the train was there. Rushing alongside the platform, impossibly fast. “Two… One…. Go.” The figure ran towards the train as it sped past, leaping forwards. The Niqab and the figure passed through the closed door of the train, landing on the hard floor as fellow commuters on the platform stared at what they’d just witnessed.

Mandan landed on the floor with a heavy thud. His heart was in overdrive and he let out a long sigh. “Ok… Camera feed disabled, you’re good.” He pulled off the niqab, stuffing it in a bin. His usual outfit was underneath and he breathed a sigh of relief. That had been too close, far too close, for his liking. Still, he had the package. He sat down on the bench seat in the train and wondered about how Sera had done. HQ had a policy of not telling each other how their missions were going at the time. He could vaguely understand why, but he didn’t like it. Still, he was trapped in this system, whether he liked it or not. He couldn’t help who he was born as and he certainly regretted it every moment of most days. As the scenery continued to change outside of his window he sighed to himself. It had been a long day and he was most certainly looking forward to being in Sera’s embrace again. At least that was something. If nothing else, he had her, to help pass the long nights.

[SPOIL]So I figured that I couldn't let Braet get away with being the only person doing an epilogue. But then I realised that I couldn't really do an epilogue for either story. And, standing on the platform at a train station, inspiration suddenly struck and this short piece was written. It's not very good but if people like it, I'd be willing to make a proper series out of it. The idea is this: It's the same cast of Irulia characters but set in modern day. The characters are now in their late 20s and have become fully fledged changers (so they've only got one animal now, which is one of the main differences). In the modern day universe, the changers are a secret NGO who do missions to help maintain international peace and the cast of Irulia are the British segment of the organisation. That doesn't mean that they're doing it entirely willingly but they're doing it all the same and I do have some rough plans as to where I could take the story, so if people are interested, I'll make something of it.[/SPOIL]

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Not bad though could have done with being a little bit longer. I also see you've gone with the Mandan love interest angle which is...interesting

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

An interesting concept, to be sure. Agree with Braet that it would have benefitted from being longer though...would have given it room to clear up some things that were left unanswered.

On the same vein as AUs, Autumn and I came up with a college AU that involved a lot of the characters from the recent RPs. Wound up writing a short story based on it for my creative writing class last semester, centering on Giles, Mandan, and Nia (Harper is mentioned). If people would like I'd be willing to put that up...

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Sure, could be interesting. I briefly attempted a modern take on Tiran; It started with Sun Mei and Gilly sharing a psychiatrist's waiting room together.

 

[DeletedUser31931]

The Mandan love interest angle seemed like (given time and space that it likely won't be in Irulia) it would eventually happen but it'd take a while for either of them to realise it and for Sera (because there's no way in heck that Mandan would be responsible for that leap) to take the leap of actually acting on it. Given that they're about ten years older here though, it felt to me like by this point that relationship would have got somewhere near starting.

Also, since people have said they're interested then later (expect longer interval times than the non-canon Tiran story) I'll get up a part two to the story, bringing in a few more characters.

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

Alrighty, here's the aforementioned college AU short story I wrote for my creative writing class.

Quiet


“So you’re coming, right?”
Mandan glared up at his roommate. Were they really going to do this again?
“Oh come on, you said you’d go,” Giles persisted.
Mandan closed his book with a sigh. “I said I’d consider it.”
Giles smirked. “Well, you’ve had plenty of time to consider and I haven’t heard you say you weren’t, so you’re coming then?” Neither was fooled by that logic, but Mandan rolled his eyes anyway. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the pestering. “Hey, I know you’re not the biggest fan of this stuff, but for all you know you may like it.”
Mandan shot his roommate an irate look. “You know that’s not true. You enjoy it, nothing says I would.”
Giles dropped his arms. “It’s the biggest party of the year, how could anyone not enjoy it?”
“Look at you, then at me. There’s your answer.” Mandan was dressed comfortably in his usual dark sweatshirt and sweatpants. His shoulder-length black hair lacked any particular style. His roommate, on the other hand, was the picture of flamboyant. Hair dyed an alarming shade of green mixed with dull blue, copious gel used to spike the portion he’d let grow out all semester into a triangle that hung past his left eye. His outfit caught all eyes, a somewhat dressy affair blending greens and whites. No one could miss him.
“Look, Mandan, all you do is stay cooped up in our room. That’s not healthy. I’m just trying to help you get out of your shell.” Giles’ voice was nothing but sincere.
“I’m happier here. Why would I go and be miserable?”
The extravagant boy groaned. “Come on, what do I need to do to get you to go?” Mandan provided no assistance. “Look, I told you if you came to this I’d try to hook you up, remember? Harper and I agree there’re a couple of regulars who’d probably be interested in a dark, brooding, quiet sort. You just need to go.”
Mandan’s slightly annoyed expression soured further. “I don’t need you to hook me up. I’m fine single.” Hell only knew what these girls would be like, but undoubtedly they wouldn’t make a good match.
“You can’t honestly tell me you’ve never thought about it. I mean, come on, everyone wants to be with someone. That’s just how people are wired!”
As Mandan tried to come up with an argument that would shut him up, Nia texted him. Harper inbound. This just kept getting better and better. As always, the universe had decided to take his roommate’s side. Two against one, he’d have no chance. He shot back a quick Help, then tuned back into what Giles was saying.
“…know you like girls, you’ve told me as much, and there has to be someone out there who you’ll click with, but you’ll never meet them if you stay cooped up here all the time!” Giles was actually kind of worked up about this. Why did he care so much?
“I don’t think I’d have a good time. That’s all there is to it.” He had to diffuse this before Harper got here, or she’d fuel the fire far more than her boyfriend ever could.
Mandan’s phone buzzed again. You can come over here. Oh thank the heavens. He had an out. He waited until Giles took a breath. “I need to go.” He headed for the door, book in hand.
“Wait, Mandan, come on, I promi-“
The wooden portal snapped closed. He quickly planned a route out that would ensure he didn’t run into Harper coming from her and Nia’s room, and took off.
A brief walk across campus found Mandan knocking on a door. Nia answered after a moment, brown bangs in her face like always. They nodded at each other as he entered. Before long they were both on her bed, him sitting at the foot, legs off the side, book in lap. She stretched out lengthwise with her laptop on her stomach. They were dead silent for a while, occupied with their individual vices. After a half hour or so, Mandan murmured, “Thanks.” A moment later his phone buzzed. You’re welcome flashed across his lock screen.
Mandan was halfway through his novel when Nia moved to sit next to him so he could see her computer screen. The girl had pulled up an image-sharing site and found an amusing image detailing a couple wasted at a party. He chuckled a little, nodding in appreciation. She didn’t retreat back to her previous location, but stayed next to him. He continued reading until Nia’s head found its way onto his shoulder. Startled, he looked down at her. Her laptop was closed. Her arms found their way around him.
Mandan froze. Hanging out like this was normal. Harper and Giles were good people, but if they were together in the same room odds are they’d be naked before too long. Nia and Mandan had gotten used to retreating to whoever’s room wasn’t occupied by the lovers to give them the privacy they didn’t seem to want. The two of them appreciated quiet. They both liked their outgoing roommates but didn’t always get along with them. Neither was strong socially. They’d spent most of their time together not talking, doing individual activities.
“I’m glad you didn’t go,” Nia’s voice, dry from lack of use, floated up from his shoulder.
“Me too.” Unsure what else to say, Mandan decided simple agreement was the best course of action.
“No. We’re better here. Together.” Ok, something had gotten into her. This was completely uncharacteristic of the quiet girl he’d become friends with. Mandan opened his mouth to ask what was going on when she moved and kissed him.
Oh.
Returning home the next morning was a slightly different affair than usual. Giles was waiting for him, a sly grin on his face. Of course it had been a setup. “So how was your night?” His tone implied he knew perfectly well already.
“How?” was the only response Mandan gave.
An earnest laugh came back at him. “Mandan, please. You two were crazy for each other almost as fast as Harper and I. Harper told me around the time I first asked you about the party that Nia was tired of waiting around for you. We decided to help you along. Her job was harder, trying to figure out how to get Nia to talk to you about it. I just had to ensure you’d be there and thinking to some extent about relationships. Easiest way to do that was to push about going to the party. You did the rest yourself.”
As his roommate continued to grin at him, Mandan sighed. He’d been completely set up and hadn’t realized it. Not that he was complaining of course. “That explains your fervor last night.”
“Duh. So then, what exactly did you two get up to?” The casual question failed to hide the thinly veiled excited curiosity.
Mandan glared at his roommate, though his slight smile killed its impact. “Thanks, Giles.”