Conviction and Resolve @captainatomais - Tumblr Blog

“Barrier blastia…?” His fingers covered over his mouth, eyes averting in thought. Barrier blastia…barrier… oh! Oh he knew this one! His eyes lit in recognition, “Oh, oh yes. But those have become obsolete. Apologies, it took me a time to remember what I’d read and heard about.” However, at the next mention…

“Me? Oh no … certainly not. I would make a rather awful commandant.”

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Obsolete...? He didn’t know what that meant, but the people he had passed had all seemed awfully calm about the fact there was no barrier. Such a thing should be eliciting a lot of panic, even in the heart of the city still far away from the threat of monsters.

Eyes narrowed at those last words. Something was very, very wrong with Alexei. He was only beginning to get an inkling of what.

“Stop that. You’re the best commandant we’ve ever had, and you know it. You’re acting strange, what’s wrong?”

#pepotour #v; white violet

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pepotour:

Well this … was certainly different? Red eyes blinked at the knight and retracted a bit with one step. “…uhm?” Why was he coming to Alexei for this? Besides, ‘barriers’? “I’m afraid I don’t know what a barrier is. Are you quite alright? I could take you to the Commandant’s office if you need to speak with them.”

Something was wrong. The look Alexei gave him told him immediately that something was off. The words only confirmed it, and he stopped in his tracks. “The...barrier? As in the barrier blastia...?” He made a gesture towards the window, go look, brows furrowing in concerns. “What do you mean them? Alexei, you’re the commandant.”

#pepotour #v; white violet

pepotour-a

@captainatomais // starter here

Flipping through books was always good, right? There was no way he could get in trouble for doing something so small … The soft noise of boots behind him and Alexei lifted his gaze from the books, “…?”

captainatomais

“There you are!” There was alarm and a reigned in panic in his motions as he spotted the familiar head of silver. “Alexei, the barrier’s gone!”

#pepotour #v; white violet #lack of iconS HELL

canariis-blog

“Not quite, I still hold rank over you, you know.” But her tone softened the words with a hint of understanding- she knew how often she made him worry. They couldn’t push themselves as they once had- neither of them could. “But, you do have the authority to go straight to Alexei about it. Which is almost as good.” And Alexei held no reparations about placing her back on full-time desk duty and tossing some of her other responsibilities on one of the more hapless Captains. ( Often Damuron, Casey reminded herself- they were preparing him for a reason. )

“And trust me. There is always more work that could be done. The amount of politics and paperwork only goes up with rank, not down. There’s a reason I don’t get to spend much time afield any longer.” The last words were spoken with a touch of disappointment. Spending time on missions had always been a favored part of her service. “But more can be done from higher in the ranks, although it takes more tact.” Banter resumed, she smirked up at him. “Something you might want to work on learning.”

captainatomais

“You don’t have to tell me twice, I’ve noticed. Keenly,” he groaned in response to the mention of more politics and paperwork. He’s gotten some leeway in the former so far at least due to some respect for what had happened, but that didn’t mean he had been entirely free. People have made subtle moves around him and he had noticed despite common belief he was naive to such things.

“Tact? I think you’re asking a little too much of me there Captain,” he replied lightly with a grin. Learning to act a stuffy, uptight Knight hadn’t been as hard as he thought it’d be, but he won’t let that mar his private time with Casey. “I think I’ll have to leave that to you, you don’t want my big mouth running around anyone important.”

#canariis #v; fire lily

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captainatomais

It was bemusing to say the least whenever he joined these outings. Between the knights who came with them becoming more stiff to the awkwardness which they side glanced him and the Captain as they walked side-by-side, wary for monster attacks. Still, as the time ticked by and that awkwardness was turning into laziness, there needed to be a change. So, there was only one thing to do, of which, both him and his Captain seemed to have a similar humor to try.

The barest upward tip to his lips, eyes focused ‘pon the road. “Yes and no, they have begun to smell it, however I do not believe they notice it is coming from the cart quite yet.” He took a slow breath, straightened in the saddle ( oh by the creators, he’d forgotten how stiff it was to ride for so long, ) and rolled his shoulders to help ease the tension in his lower back.

It would be any second, the rustling of leaves caught Alexei’s attention, though he did not stop, his eyes watching the fringes of vegetation. An EGGBEAR might not be a dangerous foe for him on an average day, but for a brigade still working on their skills, it would be very different.

captainatomais

Many of the knights were beginning to scan around them now, seeking the source of the offensive odour wafting through their ranks and clinging stubbornly to men and equipment alike yet none had the thought to check the carts. Heh, at least they’ll never forget this smell ever again.

Damuron took one hand off the reigns to calm his horse as it gave a nervous twice. The animals were jumpy, and some of the men were just beginning to recognize this, using a firmer grip upon their steeds. He hid a smirk as he caught movement at the edge of his sight.

A yell as someone on the perimeters saw the oncoming monsters, and the rest of the caravan came to a chaotic stop, some units still moving while others halted in their tracks. To their credit, there were no collisions and many of the knights began to draw their weapons.

“I need to work on their signalling,” Damuron noted-- a panicked yell wasn’t the best way to alert the brigade to a threat. The Captain pulled his bow out of its sheath on the saddle, but didn’t draw. This was a fight for the men unless he needed to intercede, and if he needed to intercede, these men’ll be on a doubled training schedule for the next week. “Still, this lot’s shown a lot of promise. Let’s see how well they put it into practise.”

#pepotour #v; white violet #t; nia fruit

pepotour:

Alexei’s own expression levels into one of indifference, pulling his blade forward in a much more defensive stance before he begins his way forward. He did not need one strike against him in the beginning, which meant keeping on his feet and careful of the other’s shots.

Read his movements, react accordingly.

And Alexei, of everything else, could do this.

Damuron’s own cockiness melts away as well in the face of his opponent’s seriousness. One couldn’t afford to let their guard down when facing someone like Alexei, even in the practice ring. He kept calm as he drew and shot two more arrows, taking quick steps back to prolong his ranged advantage as long as he could before his weapon snaps into it melee form. He was at a disadvantage now, he knew, but he had other tricks to rely on.

He closes the last step between them suddenly rather than moving away, feigning for the first blow.

#pepotour #v; white violet

stopkaroltime

The man repeated the guild name and Karol stared at him dryly. Yes, the Hunting Blades. There was no way that he hadn’t heard of them. They were a big deal! At least, Karol knew them to be. They were, while not one of the five master guilds, a very important guild to the Union- that meant everyone had to know them, and that he had to do a good job amid their members. This was it- his chance to prove himself, to be someone despite his–

So he couldn’t get caught up with the knights.

“I’m sure you did.”

He felt his brow twitch as he looked him over. Was he trying to start something? He didn’t look disingenuous, all things considered, but there was just something implicitly wrong about anything coming from a knight. That smile… maybe Karol was just expecting him to be mean, and that’s what was putting him off. Weren’t knights like, notoriously awful? Other than actively shooting at Karol (well, the monster behind him, but), this guy actually…. seemed pretty nice. That was not to be trusted. He took a half-conscious step back, eyeing him warily.

“Mind telling me why the Hunting Blades are all the way out here? There’s a few things I need to get checked out in the area, and I’d hate to interfere with your guild.”

Oh man, here was his chance to show off what he knew. He put a hand on his hip, shouldering his axe and grinning. “Well this is the time of year where the barrier blastia in Halure weakens. We’re protecting the town!” It happened every year, just when the tree was about to bloom in full. The monsters took full advantage to attack the town, and the Hunting Blades were there to act as defense! But… He kicked at the dirt a bit. “But the tree’s kinda decaying. So the blastia’s weakened…” After a moment, he perked up, grinning and announcing, “Nothing t'worry about though! I’ve got an idea for how to bring the tree back!” And that was why he was out here- there were Eggbear in the Quoi Woods. If he could snag a claw, he could make a panacea bottle and save the tree- save the town! Then he’d be a hero, then he’d be able to show Nan the blossoms, and then she would like him too and he’d be happy and successful and–

But he had to fight an Eggbear for that.

He gulped at the thought, then shook his head. “S-so I’m headed to the woods!” I’m headed there- not the Hunting Blades. This was something he was going to do…. but why was he even telling this guy that? It wasn’t like the knights cared about the wellbeing of their people- that was the whole issue…

captainatomais

He watched the boy light up at the question after the former mistrust, and made sure to look attentive as he explained his reason for being here. Damuron hadn’t be aware that a guild had come to assist in defending Halure. Hopefully there won’t be too much clashing with the proud guildsmen, as Damuron knew a group of knights had headed to Halure earlier.

Reports had only come in recently about the troubles in Halure, and Damuron himself had come in this direction to make his own investigate. Some of his Brigade was camped out not far from here, packing up and preparing for the final leg of the journey to Halure, and they were more than capable of moving on without him.

“On your own?” He stopped himself from quirking an eyebrow at the downed monsters, including the one that had nearly gotten the boy if Damuron had not appeared. He didn’t put too much stock on claims on a cure for the tree, but he’ll sort through that afterwards. He looked around pointedly at the empty woods around them.

“What about your guild?”

#stopkaroltime #v; cattail

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“Are you certain you can afford such an attitude against one of your instructors?”

He rolls the sword once around to stretch out his wrist and check the balance of the practice blade before he steadies. A smirk tugged at the corner of Alexei’s lips. “I am ready, when you are.”

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