Advisory Unneeded (semi-lit+)

[ElementalInsanity]

(No, we wont let this die. But everything in my life has been a bit hectic, so..../lameexcuse)

[Noel]

((You guys are determined. .-.
But so be it. I was going to let this die because my life has been hectic as hell, but it seems that is not an option anymore. xD
I'll get a post up by the end of the day, and start brainstorming plot ideas.))

[Noel]

((Well, I get a post up, and I'm trying to think up ways to stir up plot. I could send them into war or something, but PM me if you have any suggestions.
Off to get more headache pills. Feel free to twist the plot as you wish, since I won't be here much. ^^))

Selfish. In all honestly, Ren knew that was only thing that described what he was doing right then. It was day two of his escapade, twenty-four hours longer then he had intended to be gone in the first place. He had achieved what he had left to do, with more ease then he would have ever wished for. When darkness fell over the kingdom, Ren had made his way back to his castle, keeping to the shadows. Avoiding and bribing the guards alternately, a feat that wasn't difficult knowing that his advisers kept their pay painfully low, Ren had entered exactly two rooms that night. All that remained to show that anyone had been there was two corpses, both killed quickly, and a small message scrawled in blood for only his advisers' eyes. Perhaps the warning would keep them from being so eager to try to place incompetents like those two as his successor. Ren doubted it, but it was worth a try, no? Anything to make sure that the king after him wouldn't destroy all that he was suffering to maintain.
From there, Ren had intended to return to his imprisonment, basically handing himself over to the hands of his advisers. He had prepared himself for having no freedom again, to be whisked through whatever psychological punishment they would find a way to make him suffer. But, a few steps away from rounding a corner into plain sight, his feet had betrayed him. They refused to move forwards, and before Ren could even get a thought through his own mind again, he was running through the shadows of the building, away from there. He knew it would only be so long before his advisers deemed him believed dead, or at least decided to appoint a new ruler in his place. He also knew he would have to return by then. But could he turn around? No, not at all.
And so, the next morning, Ren was far away from the castle. Strangely, despite the sheer amount of people looking for him, plain sight really was the best place to hide. At that moment, Ren had found a suitable rock to use as a chair, and was resting there. The rock was placed just to the side of what looked to be some kind of shop, but it mattered little to him. While he might have been in plain sight from the road, going into a store would be pushing his luck drastically. That, and the street-child look he bore was no one of someone who would have money to spend. Yawning faintly -he had been up the entire night- Ren glanced up at the sun again. It was a habit, and his only way of checking how much time had passed. It was still just barely over the horizon, as it was early morning. By that night, he would return, not yet.
With another yawn, Ren let himself roll of the rock onto the grass surrounding it, laying on his back there. Purging his mind of any care, his only challenge was keeping his eyes open. It was a felling he was not used to, just being able to rest...without the chance of an assassin being on him at any moment. A feeling that he quite liked, Ren realized after a moment of though.

((Will write a post for my other character at some point so there's someone else to interact with.))

[ElementalInsanity]

Huddled in a corner shaking, that was where young Mark was. Last night had been far from a normal night, and everything that had happened still trying to register in his mind. What had exactly happened? He couldn't even begin to say, mostly because all of it was a blur and nothing made sense. But he was in pain. His whole body just ached with a pain that he had never felt before, and he could not make it go away. Only time would make that heal, he supposed. Something that he never had enough of...time. Lately he had been thinking things were getting better, perhaps his life was going to be a tad nicer, things a bit more free. That had been faulty thinking, and had sadly left him off his guard. That was something rare, if it even happened at all. Mark wasn't a boy to be caught off guard, living nearly his whole life as a street-child had taught him to be wary and careful, as was any smart child then. Sadly last night had not gone as planned. A simple thievery, some money....that was all he had wanted. It had began as a simple and normal night for him, just like any other night. The only thing he could think of was that he was alive, even if hurt. A foggy mind was not well in these circumstances, and he was as jumpy as the rabbit that he had caught for dinner. Too bad he hadn't been as alert as it. Knowing that he needed to eat, he had forced himself to take a few measly mouthfuls, before even that began making him sick. And in a very stupid gesture, he had left the rabbit for someone else to eat. Perhaps that was more of a kind gesture, as another starving child had been devouring it as he walked shakily away. Pulling his protesting and aching body out of the corner, he wasn't even sure where he was. Near a shop, near a street, that his mind could not identify. It was too much for him right then. Little movements kept making him jump, and that made him hurt even more. It took him a whole ten minutes before he realized that the cool odd wet feeling on his arm was actually a wound and not his imagination. Doing the best patch up job he could, he nearly tripped over something, or more correctly someone. And nearly was actually incorrect as well, as he actually did trip over the person lying on their back in the grass, managing to land on the very arm he had just taken the time to bandage, which sent a shocking amount of pain up his arm. But Mark did nothing, said nothing, and just lay there in the grass in a little huddled position. Sleep. That sounded nice. Sadly instinct wasn't going to allow him to sleep there, although it was making him lie there holding onto his bandaged arm with his eyes shut tight for a few seconds, before opening them to see what he had tripped over. And that what turned out to be a who. And that who turned out to be.....what had this boy said his name to be? They had met merely a few sunrises ago....the name that he had given had begun with an R, correct? Re...Rai. That had been the name.

[zippyzoo77]

Arctria woke early in the morning. It wasn't yet dawn when she began her wanderings. That's all she was doing, just wandering. Though she was 18 now, one would guess by her size that she was closer to 14. She was a masterharper- a paid professional musician, and one of the best as they come. At least that was her official job. Off hand she collected every bit of knowledge she could get her hands on, and spreading only what she found necessary at the time to everyone by writing it into beautiful songs. And as she was walking, some would say sneaking but there was nothing she was hiding, she saw a flash of movement in the shadows.

She was quick to follow it, even though she had no idea what it was, because anyone sneaking around the castle at this hour of the day was up to something bad, or something important. And Arctria was a master at sneaking around too. She lost sight of the figure several times, but as the sun crested the distant mountains, following him became easier. She could now identify the person as a boy or man but not who it was, so she kept following him. The sun was still low in the sky when he settled by a rock to rest. She kept her distance, far enough away and hiding behind a bush so that he could not see her, but she could peek through the branches and make out his general shape. She still couldn't identify any features of his face though.

The waiting nearly killed her, despite it only being a short time before she decided it was safe to come out of her hiding, the boy appeared asleep. She crept closer, going slowly, but not making even a hint of sound. It probably wouldn't be good for her if the boy woke up now. She only came close enough to get a glimpse of his face before she had to stifle a gasp. It was King Ren. Did the Advisors know he was here? That wouldn't be good, she had seen the way the Advisors looked at the king when they thought he wasn't looking, them with their blood thirsty eyes. The king may not have been doing the best job of ruling the people, he was rather young and inexperienced, but anyone was better than those Advisors. She had to do something, but she didn't want to let the boy out of her sight. Not that there would be anything she could do to protect him if danger should befall them, she couldn't fight, her muscles were weak at best. No, she would need help to protect this boy.

She thought for several minutes, eventually deciding that her brothers were the best people to help her. They were decent wrestlers, and great runners. She knew they were a ways from the castle now, so returning was too dangerous. At least it was late enough in the morning that they would ahve started their daily run. She rose her head, formed her tune, and began to wistle in shrill tones that resembled bird calls, but ran in harperdrum patterns. Only her brothers, and perhaps a passing journeyman harper, would know what that message meant. Come. Trouble. Soap shop. Arctria. She added her signature whistle que a measure after the rest of the message, signaling that it was done. She had recognized the shop that they were behind as the one where she bought her soap. The owner was quite a nice woman, and she always gave Arctria a good deal when she bought soap here.

Shortly after her whistle message, another boy stumbled up. He appeared rather... out of sorts, but he was approaching King Ren quickly. "Hey! Watch it, you don't want to hurt him, he's been having a tough time lately." Arctria said, stepping out of the bushes, before realizing that her impulse to help the boy king was probably going to end up getting her hurt. At least she didn't sound too anxious, she thought a second later.

[Noel]

Thankfully for the young king, he had been lucky enough to stay at least slightly awake; if he had fallen asleep there, it surely couldn't have ended well. Ren thought that no one would recognize him, although clearly he had been wrong what with Arctria realizing who he was on first sight. But dressed as a street-child, napping in the grass by a road, in slightly shadowed-clear sight from the road? Not where anyone was looking for him, so actually one of the best places to 'hide'. And if he was caught there? He was going to have to go back to that damned castle eventually, it wouldn't make much difference in the end. Odd the way that knowing there was no escape made Ren not have a care in the world.
The instant he felt Mark trip over him though, Ren normally would have been on his feet in an instant, with a knife and/or gun ready in his hands. However, that time Mark's feet had connected beautifully, one right between two of his ribs, the other against his lower neck. That enough could paralyze just about anyone with pain, and Ren just laid there and groaned, trying not to move. He did not even bother to force his eyes open to see whoever it was that had kicked him, such a thing seemed irrelevant when it felt as if his ribs and neck had just been snapped.
Nonetheless, after a long moment, Ren forced himself to sit up, and blink slowly in a daze a few times and look around, vaguely noting that he knew the other boy slumped on the ground nearby, who looked as if he was the one to trip over him. Only then, remembering that Mark was hardly someone he trusted, did Ren actually pull out a weapon. So if someone had been there to kill him, Ren would have been long dead. Not exactly his fault as there wasn't a person in the world who wouldn't be a bit slow after taking a blow to the neck like that. Gaze drifting around, the second thing Ren noticed was, well, a pair of feet. And then a moment after that, that they were attached to a person, a girl to be exact.
It was about then that reality fully hit Ren again, making him somewhat shake away the daze that his mind was in. Taking a slow moment to process what Arctria said, he picked himself off the ground to sit once again on the rock he had been on what seemed like a moment ago. "It's not his fault." Was all that he said before something about the girls' words hit him. How would she know that he had been 'having a tough time lately'? And even if it was a lie to try to direct attention away from him, why would she feel any need to lie? Forcing his expression to not change, he just gave her a curious and question look, as if to ask; 'Did you recognize me?' But of course, with Mark there who wanted him dead, it wasn't as if he could ask it aloud.
((Sorry it's such a bad post. Dx I went and got sick yet again, and posting is... difficult.))

[Sapphy.]

[ Burrr, this post is going to kill. xD ]

Sapphire -

I watched quitely from behind a tree from afar, trying my best not to spring into their and shout all the words that were going through my head right now. Not all of them nice. It had taken me two full days just to catch up to the little King, and now look where he was. Nearly getting himself trampled on by commoners. It was nearly laughable, if I hadn't ben so concerned about him. Sighing to myself, I sad down on the dusty ground; a little patch where no grass grew. "I found you, little King... Too bad even now, that you aren't being followed by your Advisories, we can't play." My voice spoke out involuntarily, but merely a whisper that not even the most impressive ears could overhear. Was it because of this little promise that I had made to myself that I went through all these lengths to escape the castle which I had managed to infiltrate only to find a little King? I wouldn't know. I hadn't been quite frank with myself lately. From behind the tree, my eyes managed to see him from the corner of my eye. A very weak king, he was, but determined enough to make it this far. "Gone so far only to get caught in the same mouse trap he did with me and that other boy. Jeez, I thought I was the mouse." I said a little louder than last time, a little hint of song in my voice.

Over the two days that I had been looking for him, I had successfully altered my looked quite a lot. In effort to not be reognized by any of the castle gaurds, I had cut my brown hair a short length. It was unevenly cut, and didn't past my shoulders, but wasn't a boy-cut. I had also ditched the dress that Natsumi had given me bac in the castle and managed to steal a pair of pants and soft white shirt from an unsuspecting commoner, along with a silver bracelet. "When in harsh times, be resourceful." But besides my changes in appearance, I was as recognizable as ever. My skin was still pale like the snow, and my eyes the color of sapphires. If you knew me, my face and structure would be hard to forget as well. Still as child-like as ever.

'Time to save the King's behind.' I thought to myself lazily, then, geting up fom behind the tree, ran towards the little group. Once there I threw my hands around Ren, laughing like a child would. Years of practice at acting didn't fail me either. "Oh, Big brother, I thought you got eaten by a mean wolf! I can't believe I found you! Mother was worried! Oh, who are these people?" I chimed, my eyes filled with a bright curiousity. These lies would one day get me eaten by a wolf myself, but today, I was determined to keep the little King safe, even if I didn't know the reason why I wanted to. "Shut up and play along with me." I whispered into his ear, very, very quitely and carefully, my face still filled with that same smile as I said it, and cheeks flushed like a child's would.

All the while a single quiet thought stayed in my head. 'I never thought I'd see the day where my child-like figure would help me.'-

[zippyzoo77]

Arctria had no idea who the next person to come up was, but she knew that they were NOT any family of the king. She looked at the girl's eyes, and when she saw those eyes turn towards her she tightened the muscles around her eyes in the faintest hint of a glare. She did not trust her, and from the look on her eyes, she knew that every bit of what she was saying was a lie.

And then she got an idea. If this girl could play innocent sister, so could she. She smiled at the girl, if she was going to pretend like this to get away from the other boy, Arctria would too. "We have to get him home, Mom will be so worried." She said, leaning down and grabbing one of the boy king's hands to help him up. As she leaned down, out of the view of the other boy, but in fine view of the girl, she mouthed the words 'I'm helping too.' Hopefully the girl would care enough about whatever she wanted the boy king for to go with it.

[Touko]

-Is anyone free for Celeste...?-
-points at Kiro-sama's and Hikari-sama's siggy- HIROTO AND FUBUKI! You like Inazuma Eleven too?-

[zippyzoo77]

((Sure, I've got Zaire, N'mec, Tristan, and Zayne. Take your pick.))