Outnumbered ~ I Am Number Four ~ Invite Only!

[hilde]

I'm not scared of your mom. Richie said.

[TheFae]

Esme
36
Location: Going to a Hotel in China
Tagged: Everyone

Esme was furious with Richie for what he said to Apricot. She was furious at how Apricot reacted to Gingko. She was furious about her predicament. She was just furious with life. She was fuming in the car, going through every checklist she could think of in order to calm herself down. It was only making the situation worse. "If I have 5 Garde and 4 Cepans I need to get two Master Suites. I want them near each other-" She started to think, but then her face paled when she realized everyone needed to get along. How was she going to split everyone up. "I've got it figured out, Esme." Amber whispered in her ear. Esme nodded in response, a bit unnerved, but a bit calmer than before. Without even thinking, she sighed and leaned against Rowan.

Amber
16
Location: Going to a Hotel in China
Tagged: Everyone

"Richie, will you please shut up!" Amber shouted, sick of him. She was slowly losing composure. "Apricot is more of a man than you'll ever be, and stronger too. They picked her because she has the best chance of protecting herself. You are Number 9. They knew you wouldn't be able to protect yourself, so you were chosen as the last. I don't even know why." She growled, trying to get him to shut up. "Unless you have something somewhat intelligent to say that would be beneficial to the group, I suggest you keep your mouth shut, or I'll rip out your tongue and feed it to a stray dog. Understand?" She hissed. By the end of her rant, she was breathing hard. Without another word, she climbed into the car next to Gingko and made the car turn itself on. "I'm ready to go." She grumbled, folding her arms. The car started driving away, and the other car followed. Unfortunately, it didn't leave Richie behind. Amber wasn't purposely leaning on Gingko, but she couldn't stay upright either. She saw Esme mouthing things, and Amber couldn't help but lean forward and whisper in her ear, "I've got it figured out, Esme." Amber knew exactly who to put where. They were going to be getting two Master Suites, since they all couldn't fit in one. She was thinking that Richie would stay with Gingko, Maple, Erin, and herself. Out of everyone here, Erin and Amber could probably handle Richie better than Sam and Apricot. Sam at least kept Apricot somewhat sane, from what Amber was noticing. Rowan, Esme, Apricot, and Sam would stay in the other suite. Gingko would be able to keep Richie in line, and yell at him for her heart's content. Maple would keep fights from erupting, and no one would kill each other tonight.

Rori
37
Location: Her Room
Tagged: Icaron

Rori leaned into Icaron, glad for his comfort and warmth. She would happily stay in his arms the rest of her life if it meant being this close to him. His chest rumbled as he said something, but she didn't hear what he said. "Tell me a story. I like listening to you." She murmured, closing her eyes slowly. She just wanted to be with him, surrounded by his warmth and scent, and in time, his love. She wanted to wake up beside him in the morning, hearing his voice first thing. She could get used to a life like that, but she knew it wasn't the case. She nuzzled into his chest, taking a deep breath, and relaxing. He smelled of tea and citrus, a rather calming scent for Rori.

[hilde]

Richie just laughed. Everyone was freaking out over nothing.

(Timeskip to when theyre in the hotel?)

[TheFae]

(I don't think we should do another timeskip yet)

[SunnyJustice]

[Anything goes. The car ride won't be eventful, but the hotel won't be too much better.]

Icaron hadn't felt this calm in a long time. He liked to be in control, but when he was standing behind a podium or an army, he knew that one mistake could lead to the end of his career. It was at moments like this when he realized just how much stress he was under, and just how grateful he was to have someone to confide in.
Now this was something worth fighting for. Once the Loric resistance was defeated, he would peacefully conquer Earth. He liked to talk about how important a strong Mogadorian-human relationship was, about the symbiotic relationship they would form; as the Mogadorians governed the humans and put a stop to all human-to-human wars, the humans in turn would teach the Mogadorians how to build a sustainable society. This was his dream, but on a much deeper level, there was another reason why he wanted to rule here.
Back on Mogadore, life would have been bleak. Before Icaron's rise to power, the Mogadorians had already caused the extinctions of many species on Mogadore, save for a few hardy pests and weeds. On Mogadore, Icaron wouldn't be able to take Rori sightseeing, to settle down by Earth's sparkling seas and grow old together in a lush paradise. Only on Earth could he hope to make her truly happy. He would show her the humans' world, from the tropical jungles to the ice caps. And they would have a home where they could finally know peace, something Mogadorians were strangers to.
He would teach his daughter to fight like a true woman, and when she proved herself, he would forge her the best weapon any Mogadorian had ever seen. He would use the strongest wood of an Earth tree and the finest metal stolen from Lorien, and he would use the intricate weapon-making technology only Mogadore knew, and he would show Acacia just how much her father was proud of her.
And he knew exactly what story he would tell.
"A long time ago there was a boy," he started, "and that boy had a dream."
"His childhood was like that of all others of his race. Struggling to survive on a ruined Mogadore, fighting for every meal. All this time, he only wanted an answer. Things didn't have to become this way. He wanted to know why."
"And as the boy grew into a teenager, he learned that his planet was not always that way. A long time ago, it had been as beautiful as Lorien or Earth. But their Mogadorian ancestors had made terrible mistakes. They thought they were superior, above anything else on their planet. They were reckless with resources and warfare, and slowly, Mogadore began to change. For the worse. But the Mogadorians had not cared, and they had continued their assault on their own home. It took generations, but slowly but surely, they regretted their actions."
"How ironic that they believed themselves above nature, yet when their home began to die, they were reduced to primal animalism. Survival of the fittest. And the boy grew up in such a society."
"Once he knew, the question was not how things became this way. Because growing up, the boy had one friend, one girl he could confide in. She was a natural, and though she ranked high in such a society, the boy was afraid. One mistake could have meant both their deaths back then. Mogadore was not a place the boy wanted his friend to live in. Emotion was always a deadly thing back home, but the boy truly cared about her, and so he needed things to change. So his new question: How could he change things, show her the beauty she deserved to see?"
"In time, the boy grew up, no longer a child struggling to survive. The young man knew that for change, he needed leadership, so he ran for the election. And he still remembered his question. His first answer was Lorien. The Loric were known to take great care of their environment, though they were not fond of Mogadore because of their ways. The man decided to try something new. He consulted with a Loric Elder, and convinced her that the Mogadorians were ready to change. To learn how to fix all they had broken."
"And he thought the Elder believed him. She said she would send help soon, and the man believed with all his heart that things could truly change. He dreamed of giving his old friend, now a young woman, a long and happy life she would otherwise never known on Mogadore."
"But the man was young and stupid. The Elder's words captivated him, made him believe in a lie she would never grant. But back then, he thought she spoke only the truth. And in blind trust, he fell in love with her, and she accepted his hand in marriage. They had a daughter, the first cross-breed of her kind. The man loved his child, but he had to leave her with his wife when he returned to Mogadore for the elections. He couldn't allow his beloved daughter to grow up in the ruins of his home, he wanted only the best for her."
"Years passed. The man still had not won an election, he was passed over for his older, more violent and traditional brethren. He could only confide in the woman who had been his refuge since childhood, though he desperately missed his family. He returned each of his daughter's calls, but his wife never called him. He thought everything was okay."
"He had made a mistake. His daughter would always tell him how poorly the Elder had treated her. Her mother named her second daughter the same name as the first, and never loved her firstborn. When the child called him with the news that her mother had struck her for something she did not do, the man knew something was wrong. He took a trip to Lorien, only to find that the Elder had married another man -- and her two other children were his. The Mogadorian was hurt at all she had done, but he still thought there was hope. So he pleaded with her to talk reason, to change her ways."
"And she told him the truth. When the Mogadorian had asked her, so many years before, to speak with her fellow Elders about helping their planet, the Elder hadn't said any such thing. She had told them instead about the horrors of Mogadore, and convinced them not to help, but to make war in the hopes of destroying her husband's home. And the battle plans had already been drawn. She had taken his dream, held it upon a pedestal, and then smashed it to smithereens. And that day, she went too far, for she threatened to take their firstborn daughter's life with her own hands."
"And how could he have let that happen? For the safety of his beloved child, he had to finish the horror he had started. And that was why he killed her."
"With the knowledge of the Loric war, he returned to his home with his dear daughter. And this time he won the election, for no one else knew what to do. So the man proposed they strike first, and they did, wiping out the people of Lorien... but not quite. Nine Garde and nine Cepan fled to Earth."
"It was a poor choice of a new home, for the man planned to head there next. He still wanted his loved ones to live long and peaceful lives, and though nobody could help him achieve that dream on Mogadore, there was still hope. The Mogadorians could all settle on Earth, and live alongside the humans. It would be a perfect arrangement. With the Mogadorians in control, there could be no wars, and both races would be at peace with each other. And the humans would teach their new comrades the ways of a civilization that would sustain both itself and its environment."
"The only flaw in his plan was that the Loric still lived. The leader knew they would rise up again, return to take revenge against his people. He needed to eliminate the threat, but quickly, for they did not know better."
"And he knew that once the Nine were out of the way, his dream could, at last, come true. All he had worked for his whole life revolved around his family and most of all his North Star, the woman who had been by his side forever."
"And he hoped she would understand. Because everyone else called him Beloved Leader, yet without his lieutenant, was he really so beloved?" He took a moment, staring deep into Rori's eyes.
"Was he?"

[TheFae]

Esme
36
Location: Hotel
Tagged: Everyone

The cars rolled to a stop and Esme immediately hopped out. "Amber, would you please tell everyone the room assignments? I am going to handle the check-in." Esme smiled, already knowing the girl would be the leader of the group. "Apricot, behave." Esme called back as she walked inside. She was showered and well-groomed. Her hair was immaculate, and her make-up was still perfect. She looked like a lady, a very powerful lady. As soon as she walked into the hotel, all commotion stopped. She walked straight up to the desk. "Hello. I need two Master Suites within the same relative location. I want every dinner on your menu sent up to those rooms as well. And clothes with these sizes." She stated, handing them a slip of paper with everyone's sizes on it. "I want multiple outfits for each person. Two formal outfits, 5 athletic outfits, and 7 everyday wear outfits. Get these immediately." She continued, still holding the same aura of royalty. "Please put everything on this card." She stated, handing them her black mac card. They were shell shocked, but they started bustling. Esme smiled as they handed her the black mac card, and multiple sets of room keys. "Thank you very much." She stated, turning around and walking back outside. "Cepans have room keys. A Garde cannot leave without a Cepan with them." She stated, handing each Cepan a room key. They were the same key for both rooms.

Amber
16
Location: Hotel
Tagged: Everyone

Amber smiled as the car rolled to a stop in front of a grand hotel. ""Amber, would you please tell everyone the room assignments? I am going to handle the check-in." Esme told her. Amber nodded with a smile and filed out of the car, along with everyone else. "Room assignments are as follows: Gingko, me, Richie, Maple, and Erin to Room 1 and Rowan, Esme, Apricot, and Sam in the other room." She stated. She looked everyone in the eyes, and stopped on Apricot. "Could the Garde talk for a moment?" Amber asked, but she assumed it was a yes, and filed into another car. She waited until everyone climbed in to talk. "Erin, could you possibly get in contact with the other Garde? Two, Five, Seven, and Eight to be exact. Everyone else is here." She smiled to the younger girl. Her attention was then turned towards Apricot. "I would like to make a deal with you. You are a way better fighter than I am, hence you being Number 1. There needs to be two leaders of the Garde: one during peace and one during war. Could you be the General?" She asked, trying to get straight to the point. Her attention then landed on Richie. "You will behave yourself, or I'll show you personally what my legacy is, understood?" She growled, threatening him. "I also think we should all share our legacies and get to know one another." Amber concluded. "I don't remember you as much as I would like to, but I want to get to know you once more. I really want all of us to be close. The closer we are, the better chance we have of defeating the Mogs." She stated, looking at everyone one of them. She wanted their respect so badly, it hurt, but she also wanted their friendship. She just didn't know which one was more important to her.

Bren
42
Location: In the Air
Tagged: The Brigade and the Girl Scouts

After a little digging, Bren realized that Six and her Cepan were on their way to China. He knew of another Garde there, and he had a reason that others would be heading there as well. Bren, Nick, and Aaralyn were waiting for a flight to land, to take them to China. Nick and Aaralyn were canoodling in the corner. Bren couldn't call Rori, he didn't want to bother her. He was playing on the phone, when an idea occurred. "I need to phone the Girl Scouts." He groaned in his head. He then found Acacia's number in his phone. He immediately dialed her, and waited for her to answer. "Hey Girl Scout, want to team up with the Brigade to take out some Lorics?" He smiled, hoping she said yes.

Rori
37
Location: Her Room
Tagged: Icaron

Rori listened to the story, intrigued. The rumbling in Icaron's chest was almost like a lullaby, lulling her slowly to sleep. Without even thinking, she answered so truthfully that she surprised herself. "Of course. In his lieutenant's eyes, he is the love of her life." She whispered, feeling herself take a step closer towards sleep. She felt like she needed to tell him though. "She would do anything he asked of her, just trying to make him proud. Even when he married someone else, she still loved him and supported him. She would die for him without a second thought. She loves him more than life itself, more than any of her goals or dreams. Her Beloved Leader was her dream, the thing she most desired, the thing she could never have." She whispered, head going slack. "I love you, Icaron." She whispered as sleep finally took her like a welcome friend.

[hilde]

Richie rolled her eyes. "Look. I'm the tallest and strongest person here and I have lots of training. I should be the General."

[SunnyJustice]

Apricot beamed at Amber's words. She had agreed with Esme that she would behave, and there was no reason not to. She gave Number Six a big, almost suffocating hug; she reserved the truly strangling ones for Esme only. "The best way to a girl's heart," she started in her best 'Esme voice', but her voice suddenly turned back into her murderous one; the same voice she used before stabbing something a half dozen times. "Is through the sternum!" Dramatically, she pulled away from Amber and clutched her chest like she just got impaled.
"Okay, I gotta calm down," she said, then swore under her breath in Mogadorian. She didn't even know how she knew Mogadorian words, but hey, any cuss-word for Apricot was in her everyday vocabulary. "So, yeah, that's great. We can even have alliteration or whatever in our names: the Governor and the General." With a whoop, she continued to fantasize about all the butt she and Amber would kick, but then Richie interrupted.
"Hey, nobody said you could talk, Mogadorian-smoocher!" she shouted at him. "You are incapable of fighting. I am the General, not you, and until you apologize, you'll be on permanent cleanup duty! Figure for yourself what I mean by cleanup!" With a cackle, she walked over to Sam. "Bro, you do not tick me off, so you can fight beside me. But step in front of me and I'm not apologizin' if I 'accidentally' cut your spine in two." She winked and stretched out her arms.
"Okay, Legacies? Can I go last?"

Acacia was about to reply when Janice grabbed the phone from her. "Hey, this is Janice. We'll talk it through, but where are you going? Expect us there if we have a..."
"Consensus," Acacia whispered.
"A con-sens-ussss," Janice said. "We already took down a Cepan. Don't tell Beloved Leader, we need to show him ourselves. When we're done that, we might be able to meet up with you guys."
"Are Nick and Aaralyn going to get married?" asked Blair into the receiver.
"Shh," said Katharine, "don't get all personal."

Icaron felt like his heart -- if he had one, which, in this moment, he truly believed he did -- was melting from each word Rori uttered. When she drifted off into sleep, murmuring the four words he never thought he would hear, he felt like he could just cry. And so he did, allowing tears to freely stream down his face as he held the Lieutenant. The leader of an entire warlike species, who would kill his wife and torture his own underlings to death over simple words, for whom murder and violence were more than second nature... was crying.
And he only stopped when he realized his tears were soaking into Rori's blanket. He quickly, but gently tucked that corner away, then set her down with her head resting against her pillow. He turned the lamp off and knew he had to leave, but he would have to be fast. Nobody needed to see him with red eyes and a tearstained face. Worst of all was if they knew they were tears of joy. This was definitely not what a proper Mogadorian leader did.
"Then we will both find our promises fulfilled," he murmured when he was absolutely sure she was out. He slowly opened the door and peeked down the hall, making sure the coast was clear, before closing the door behind him and walking back to his room. He locked the door before anyone could even walk down that hallway.
And once he was alone he cried in earnest, and not with joy, because what if he was wrong?
What if some promises could never be kept?

[TheFae]

Bren
42
Location: Airport in Italy
Tagged: The Girl Scouts

Bren couldn't help but smile at the girls. He wanted children of his own one day, but he knew he had time. He was 42 years old, but he could easily find a girl and settle down. "We are in Italy, but we are going to China." He answered Janice. "I have a feeling multiple Garde are there. Not all, but multiple. There's a certain charge in the air." He continued. "I would love it if you could meet up with us. If you are stopping by Icaron, can you get a status report on my sister?" He asked. "And yes, Blair. They are getting married. They are already engaged. When we meet up, I'm sure Aaralyn would love to tell you how." He smiled. "And, could you also grab one of my nieces or nephews? Or maybe all of them?" He asked, knowing he would like to have more people than less. "Thanks girls. I know you don't need the luck, but good luck and please stay safe." He concluded.

(I'll post everyone else tomorrow)

[honeybee.]

Erin and Sam had joined the other Gardes. "I'll try. Do you want me to get them to come here?"

"I'll be sure not to get in your way then." Sam said to Apricot, to all of them he said. "Well, I haven't found any legacies yet so I have nothing to show."