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@distant-swordmaster-blog
I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING falfshfiSHFSDJKFSDfd
THE ONLY REASON LON’QU LOST TO “MARTH” SO EASILY WAS BECAUSE HALF-WAY THROUGH THE BATTLE, HE FIGURED OUT THAT “HE” WAS ACTUALLY A “SHE”.
I CAN’T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO REALIZE THIS.
Update on Said-Hiatus
((So I managed to finally solve out the problems related to school but now... I don't feel ready to write anymore. I can't explain this feeling. It's like I have to go through some sort of self-pilgrimage into the depths of my mind... guess you call this "losing your muse"? So hiatus is extended. I'm not sure when I'll come back, but I will someday. Sorry for this.))
Hiatus
((Uh some funky stuff has been going on school-wise and I kinda redirect some more attention on other writing-related stuff, so I'm on hiatus... but I'll be back around the middle of January. Sorry for the incovenience.))
Evening
“Ah. My apologies.” Lucina remembered now. Perhaps she shouldn’t have used so much force during their duel - but it was her blitzkreig approach that had allowed her to win. It still nagged at her somewhat - to break someone else’s weapon was an act only deemed acceptable during a life-or-death situation.
She noted the change in Lon’qu’s tone. “I believe you need some water.”
“Ah. My apologies.”
Lon'qu nodded, deciding that it would be irrational to continue the thought. He was a bit bitter about his sword after the bout, but he guessed it was about time the blade broke. How long had he been using it? Five? Six years? No, maybe even longer than that. Guiltily, he admitted to himself that he was rather sentimental about the sword, but only through the experiences he had with it. “I believe you need some water.” His parch throat was bothering him, and with a quick glance around him, he spotted a cafe at the other end of the dim alley. "... Is there anything you want?" It couldn't hurt to treat the masked swordsmen, as long as it wasn't too expensive...
Well
The swordsman’s sigh suggested to Tiamo that some of his nervousness had ceased. Seconds later, it proved to be an only momentary relief as the tension became noticeable in his posture and mouth movements. Lon’qu’s fear was impeding him to give an appropriate reply to her question. But he tried to articulate a word and succeeded after a few more seconds.
”… You?”
Lon’qu had redirected the question at Tiamo. He might not have wanted to confirm if he had a mission, or he might not have been able to speak something else.
Tiamo summed up the errand that brought her to this place. “I was delivering a message from Commander Firin to a knight order here.”
(ooc: Probably like medicine without a particular flavor but not too sour if everyone can gulp out down with ease.)
A message? Well, that made sense. Pegasus knights were well-known for delivering messages the fastest. Even though they were fragile compared to the bulkier wyvern knights...
"Er... good... luck. I... should be going... now..." Lon'qu stuttered in his talk, slowly ambling away from the red haired woman. He felt that was the best way to go, since he had already distracted her from her original purpose to this town. Enough time had been used up, and Lon'qu knew that King Basilio was expecting him by tomorrow. "... Goodbye..." It couldn't be bad to give a greeting... (ooc: I, is this how you end a rp. Did I do this right.)
Snow and Ice
”King Basilio… would like to see now.” Lon’qu stated, waiting for Rufure’s reply. She seemed to almost fidget, her shadow flickering to a strange shape by the fire’s flames. He glanced at the rowdy group of men nearby, their liveliness still high.
“I see.” The strategist replied the myrmidon, her sight is still at the fire. “Thank you, I’ll be there.” She nodded and then followed the myrmidon to where Lord Basilio was.
Stepping along the hall, she looked around the place. It doesn’t like Ylisse with so many splendid stuff and pillar, but it was such a large place, compare to the hall in Ylisse. She walked along, smiles slightly for her thought.
It seemed like they finally reached Lord’s room.
Lon'qu gently opened the door to the cavernous throne room, only closing it behind him when Rufure walked in. He stood at the back of the room, watching Rufure approach his lord. At this distance, he could still easily sprint up in case the strategist pulled out a tome or a sword. He couldn't hear the words they exchanged, but Basilio's brow was furrowed in some sort of concentration. Strange, yet expected.
Character Overview
(´−｀) ﾝｰ : I didn't know anything about your character prior to your roleplaying / following you
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ヽ（´ー｀）: ( helpful advice ; personal opinions )
Evening
Marth. That was a curious name to Lon’qu’s ears. When was the last time he heard it? History textbooks? That random lecture King Basilio gives out once every three months to his men? It was impossible to him that the masked person in front of him was the actual Marth; the Hero King died long ago. But people have reasons to conceal their identities, and Lon’qu didn’t dare pry anymore into that detail. ”We do happen to be rather obstructive to traffic. Shall we take our conversation somewhere else?” Lon’qu nodded, though he wasn’t quite sure where they could go for peace and quiet. Searching around him, he spotted an alley to his right and simply stepped near the entrance of it.
Lucina followed Lon’qu to the alley. It was quite small, but not dark enough to hint at potentially shady inhabitants. There was a small cafe some distance down, with a decent amount of patrons.
She stopped after a few paces and turned to face the swordsman. “So, what brings you here? Another mission for King Basilio, perhaps?”
Lon'qu shook his head, but he was surprised that for once he was venturing out in town for a reason not related to his lord. Usually he was doing the odd errand or escorting a visitor of King Basilio, but he rarely ever placed his foot outside the castle or be away from his lord. "... My sword..." Lon'qu tried to answer, but his throat was beginning to grow hoarse. "It broke right after... our duel." Lon'qu glanced at Marth again, but quickly added to his statements. "I'm here to get it repaired... so it's fine now..."
Snow and Ice
Rufure was waiting near the fire. The warm and soothing heat of the fire made her felt back to normal. It was pretty cold outside and now, it’s better. She smiled a little and looked at the flame then turned her sight toward the people. They didn’t seem like they noticed her appearance, yet.
She looked around. According to the weapons surrounding, she predicted that they could be mercenaries or myrmidons, since there was quite a lot of swords. She remembered hearing Lord said that there was a colosseum in Ferox, and that’s the proud of this country.
She was waiting not too long when noticed that the myrmidon back.
"King Basilio... would like to see now." Lon'qu stated, waiting for Rufure's reply. She seemed to almost fidget, her shadow flickering to a strange shape by the fire's flames. He glanced at the rowdy group of men nearby, their liveliness still high.
In the maw of a snowy night, Robin struggled through the thick storm of sleet and hail. Moisture soaked through his thick over coat, staining his books with damp and glazing his disgruntled locks with drops of water. It was another miserable night, trudging through the thick snow with no sign of relief from the merciless weather and its icy destruction.
Beyond the writhing trees, their trunks barely supporting themselves against the blast of ice, Robin spotted wavering lights. A castle? A town? He squinted his eyes to concentrate on the orange glows, catching the rocky outline of a castle tower. The chances were slim, not only at arriving at his destination but surviving the blizzard he was currently suffering from. Hail seemed to pour itself on him like heavy blocks of lead, and the caustic gales trapped him against rocks and trees.
If he didn’t make it… no, it was too late to think of the probabilities of dying and living. But the snow blocked his vision to white, and Robin could feel the sinking despair of lost hope as he huddled near a boulder for some minimal shelter.
Dragging his feet through the snow, Lon'qu muscled through the cold. It's not like he trudged through twelve inches of snow everyday in hailing weather, but he didn't exactly have a choice. Adjusting the hood to his cloak, Lon'qu searched the barren landscape for any sign of human life. He could only find the faint glowing lights of a town nearby, but that was all. King Basilio was insistent on having his guest be brought by that night, and apparently it was now Lon'qu's job to find said guest. Sighing angrily, Lon'qu kicked at the snow only to hit something- someone. Pausing, Lon'qu crouched down to see some sort of black form under the thick snow, buried by sleet and hail. They stirred, groaning in pain from the kick Lon'qu just delivered on accident. Cautiously, Lon'qu quickly wiped off the snow with one hand and the other on his sword hilt. For all he knew, it could be someone planning to ambush him. Or the guards... But the hooded figure laid still, hands clenched tight at their sides. Their long jacket was decorated with strange purple markings, silver hair glistening in comparison to the dull snow. Lon'qu's curiosity was fixed for a moment, his mind reiterating the description King Basilio gave him. Seems like he found the guest. Hoisting the injured man against him, Lon'qu began the weary journey back to the fortress.
Snow and Ice
“That would be great.” The strategist answered with a slight relief tone, her face is lift up a bit. If Lord Basilio is here, she could be able to complete her Lord’s mission first, then she may have more times working with her study. After all, Lord’s priority first.
“Could you tell him that Strategist Rufure from the Shepherds of Ylisse want to see him?”, the strategist asked the myrmidon slightly. It’s her usual habit when preparing to meet someone with higher tier than her. It’s a respect, although, it may be too formal
Lon'qu nodded to the strategist's, Rufure's, request. Leaving the white haired girl at the fire, he made the quick trip to King Basilio's throne room. It wasn't as fancy or filled with splendor like Ylisse's, but it didn't lose in terms of size. He reiterated Rufure's words to the eating king, bearing through the questions and comments that his lord often gave out. It wasn't hard to ignore them, but sometimes it was challenging to even answer certain demands. Striding back to where Rufure's sat, Lon'qu frowned at himself. He was still mulling over the strange activities seen at the Plegian border, villagers constantly bringing complaints of mysteriously dying livestock and wanton curses.
Snow and Ice
“Pardon me?” The strategist looked at him again. “But Lord Chrom can only trust me to send the message to Lord Basilio. I’m sorry.” She looked at the fire, thinking.
The blizzard is still very strong outside. It would be very hard to go outside right now, since the place she needed to go is a library far from here. But going outside right now is more like fighting with a huge pile of snows and wind.
“Unless…”
The strategist mumbled herself and then she came up with an idea. “Excuse me, myrmidon, but is Lord Basilio staying in here?”
He quizzically looked at the female strategist. Did she walk out this far in Ferox territory, not even knowing how close she was to King Basilio's fortress? If his lord wasn't here, then wouldn't he be accompanying his lord, away from the bastion? Even though slightly suspicious, Lon'qu said nothing about it. "King Basilio is... here." Lon'qu said, glancing at the table of vivacious men before continuing. "... If you want to see him right away, I will inform him of your visit."
Evening
“You may call me that.” Lucina inclined her head, choosing to avoid an indirect answer for now. She waited to see Lon’qu’s reaction. Would he make the link between her and the Hero King?
“We do happen to be rather obstructive to traffic,” she observed, as Lon’qu made way for a passing cart. “Shall we take our conversation somewhere else?”
Marth. That was a curious name to Lon'qu's ears. When was the last time he heard it? History textbooks? That random lecture King Basilio gives out once every three months to his men? It was impossible to him that the masked person in front of him was theactual Marth; the Hero King died long ago. But people have reasons to conceal their identities, and Lon'qu didn't dare pry anymore into that detail. "We do happen to be rather obstructive to traffic. Shall we take our conversation somewhere else?" Lon'qu nodded, though he wasn't quite sure where they could go for peace and quiet. Searching around him, he spotted an alley to his right and simply stepped near the entrance of it.
Snow and Ice
Having received the letter back, the strategist looked at the letter with a slight regretful. Although she tried to keep it as careful as she could, the letter still not in the good condition. She gave a slight sigh.
“Yes, I have.” The strategist calmly answered the question from the myrmindor. Looks like this person here is Lord Basilio’s gaurd or something, since he was very concerned with the appearance of her. “Lord Chrom ordered me to meet him after I completed my study. I will deliver a message for Lord Basilio…”
A little pause. “It involved with Plegia…”
Plegia. Well, why wasn't he too surprised about that? King Basilio often confided in him that he suspected suspicious activity from the southwestern country, its land teeming with shamans and tricky individuals. Noting this piece of information, Lon'qu spoke again to the strategist. "... Would you like me to... convey this message to King Basilio?" Perhaps it would be easier for both of them if he delivered the message for the strategist, the shorter her stay, the better. The prickles of unease were setting in; he couldn't be around her much longer or else anxiety would appear through his impassive facade.
Snow and Ice
Lon’qu huffed a sigh, listening to the downpour of hail and sleet outside. They were safe inside for the moment, though now he still had to deal with the entire business of questioning. Wiping his sword sheath with a spare cloth he carried, he examined the shivering strategist from a safe distance. Her long coat sagged down from the weight of moisture, almost reaching the soles of her boots. Surprisingly, his body didn’t feel superbly tense from seeing this woman, possibly due to the fact that he was in an environment well-known to him. With caution, he gestured towards a fire that brewed near a rowdy group of men before speaking up. ”… You… should move closer to the fire.” He forced the words out of his throat, swallowing away a lump of anxiety. “Are you… here on business with King Basilio?”
The strategist looked at the fire. There are some men over there, strangers, to be exact. A hesitation feeling slightly came on her head. It would be quite strange, since she is somewhat the only girl in this place. And that brought enough uncomfortable feeling to her. Still, having a seat near the fire would be great. She moved to the fire and took a seat near it. She looked around again, to make sure what she did didn’t do so much attention to others.
“I’m having a study in Ferox.” The strategist answered the mymindor with a slight quiver on her tone. “I have a permission from Lord Chrom to pass… Here…”. The girl took out her book from a side bad that has carefully hid behind the coat, opened and took a flat paper that she had clamped inside that book and gave to the mymindor. It was a letter, from her Lord, with a request to allow her coming to Ferox to continue her strategy study.
Looks like the Lord of the Shepherds surely knows how to creates good conditions for his strategist.
Lon'qu glanced at the paper, carefully pinching it from the strategist. The paper was damp and wrinkled, probably due to the rough treatment from wind and snow. Some of the ink was already flaking off, though Lon'qu somewhat understood the message conveyed on the paper.
Folding it back to its original creased state, Lon'qu handed the paper back to the strategist before backing away. He didn't know her name, but the fact that she was affiliated with Prince Krom meant she had some sort of importance in political affairs. "Your study in Ferox... does it involve meeting with King Basilio?" Lon'qu asked, throat tightening from effort. Might as well, since his lord didn't even bother mentioning who was visiting.
Evening
“… There’s no need to apologize.” Lon’qu said, even though he was surprised at how King Basilio reacted when the mystery swordsman lost. King Basilio generally hated losing, but after the duel… his lord only held a thoughtful countenance.
He himself was also impressed with the masked man’s swordsmanship, though still a bit bitter over how quickly he lost. But what was to be expected, with that lightning fast move? Even though his mind would muse at what happened in those split seconds, Lon’qu couldn’t comprehend it. ”That strike you used on me… how long did it take you to learn it?” Lon’qu remembered only seeing a flash of whirling blue above him before he was disarmed, sword cast aside on the ground.
Lucina smiled slightly as her alter ego recalled the moment as well. He had decided to take a gamble, dropping all thoughts of defensive action and simply relying on the brute force and speed of Aether to rush his opponent down. A risky decision, but it had paid off in the end.
“Quite some time. The move itself is easy to learn, but to perfect its aim and speed takes a lot of practice.” A pause. “It took about a year, if I remember correctly.”
“Your name is Lon’qu, I take it?” Lucina remembered the man’s name, but her alter ego had to be sure.
"... Yes." Lon'qu shuffled away from a passing cart, its owner hollering curses at him before driving away. "And... your name is Marth, correct?" A week before, the swordman's sudden appearance surprised him, even though Lon'qu remained impassive through the entire talk King Basilio had with this mysterious person. He did catch a name, though he was unsure to use it in the possibility of getting it wrong.
Snow and Ice
Lon’qu could obviously see she was struggling against the hardbound snow, slick and freezing. Making sure her grip was tight on his sheathed sword, Lon’qu began to tug her out of the snow. It wasn’t a hard task, but he noticed that she was having trouble standing by herself, or even walking. Shuffling as close as possible, the only option he could see left was to drag her to the fortress, otherwise he might as well break into a panic attack right there.
The strategist follwed the myrmidor with quite difficulties, since the snow was pretty thick and hard for her to walk through, especially when her legs are somewhat frozen. To add to her pain, the wind blew hard and snow is started to fall down.
The strategist shuddered but continue following the myrmidor. At a sudden, something under the snow made her stumbled forward, the sword got dragged down. She tried to stand up again, confirmed she is alright and continued following until the two got inside the fortress.
As soon as she got inside, she could barely heard some noises upside. But right now, she was really cold and her face is quite pale because of the frozen outside. The strategist crossed her arm, waiting until she can be normal.
Lon'qu huffed a sigh, listening to the downpour of hail and sleet outside. They were safe inside for the moment, though now he still had to deal with the entire business of questioning. Wiping his sword sheath with a spare cloth he carried, he examined the shivering strategist from a safe distance. Her long coat sagged down from the weight of moisture, almost reaching the soles of her boots. Surprisingly, his body didn't feel superbly tense from seeing this woman, possibly due to the fact that he was in an environment well-known to him. With caution, he gestured towards a fire that brewed near a rowdy group of men before speaking up. "... You... should move closer to the fire." He forced the words out of his throat, swallowing away a lump of anxiety. "Are you... here on business with King Basilio?"
