< atton revisited > The information page for Atton has been fully revised and updated with the new map!
< updated calendar > The Fortuna calendar has been updated in the "Other" lore section! This includes a document which displays the calendar for you to see, making it much easier to understand.
< moving map > The first functional map has been released in the News section! This map is also interactive, allowing you to drag and drop between points in order to determine distances. This is the first iteration, and there's more and better to come!
< first annual awards > The results for the First Annual Fortuna Year-End Awards have been posted! Go and take a look at who the finalists were, and who took home the big prizes!
< new default skin > Our new skin has passed the beta test, and is now the new Default for the forums! If you have any issues with this skin, send a PM or Discord to Mellie.
< human lore update > Humans have been updated with TWENTY-FIVE subraces/subcultures which add numerous options, and a little extra lore and flavour.
< magic lore update > Magical Lore has been enhanced with the addition of a post on Magical Education. From Beginner to Expert, this is how you learn the spells.
< a change to member groups > Member groups are now based on storyline! You can change your displayed storyline by editing the settings in your profile.
Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Jan 9, 2017 19:28:06 GMT -7
She really couldn't control the way her heart fluttered when Kiku touched her, and when it was her thigh instead of her cheek or her arm, it almost stole her breath. This wasn't like when Lord Woodrow got too close to her. No, this was the opposite. She reached to hold his hand there, to keep it in place, but he was already up. She just happened to be in a position where such a movement was necessary. That's all it was. Get out of your dreams, Tehodis. He's a real person, She reminded herself.
She stood after Kiku, thinking of ways she might convince him to stay behind - guard the fort, she'd bring him dessert, or maybe a present if he waited? - but before she could say anything, Vincent was moving towards him. She knew that posture. She'd been faced with it for hours at a time. It had been Vincent who had taught her to recognize it, and so it was clear on his frame. "Ki--" Was all she managed to get out before Kiku was in the air, then on the bed, and then handcuffed: "Ku."
She rushed over to him, looking to Vincent with a gaping mouth, and then back to Kiku. "Sorry," She said finally, her hand going to one of his wrists and lightly rubbing her index and middle finger over the skin under one of the manacles "I promise I'll be back. Don't struggle against them too much... They chafe a bit... And--" In a whisper, just for him, "Thank you."
With that, she stood -- she used Kiku's thigh to help her get up, stealing his reasoning if not his motivation -- and made her way to the door with Vincent. "Yeah... I think I'm ready." The two left the room, Tehodis locking it behind her and desperately hoping that Kiku would forgive her.
Post by Vincent Laeretti on Jan 9, 2017 20:02:00 GMT -7
The first couple of minutes of walking were somewhat quiet, and Vincent deemed that understandable. Tehodis had, after all, just watched as Vincent manhandled her friend and shackled him to her bed. It was possibly awkward to consider on what one said after that. Still, Vincent certainly did not intend for this trip to be silent, so after an acceptable amount of time, he cleared his throat.
"I was actually hoping you could tell me, Miss Kitai," he said, his tone curious. "There wasn't an acceptable moment in the conversation earlier to ask. But I wanted to know about Artemis White. The boy you supposedly arrested, and then proceeded to request the assistance of in seeing you healed. I am... curious as to how you are acquainted with such a person. By your arresting him, I would assume he was a criminal of some sort, yes? What made you call out for him in your time of need?"
There was no judgment in his tone, merely interest. Tehodis had clearly been treated well, and had recovered, thanks to the efforts of this man. He had proven himself worthy of the trust she had extended to him, and according to Lord Woodrow he'd even received a full pardon for his crimes in exchange. Vincent had not been informed of exactly what those crimes were, and Woodrow had disposed of the arrest papers in some sort of frustrated fit on the night of the incident.
It was strange that the topic of a prisoner that had been held within the SSPB could have been such a mystery to Vincent.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Jan 9, 2017 20:18:42 GMT -7
The walk was awkward. It was far too quiet, and Tehodis didn't deal well with silence, not in the presence of others, anyways. She kept wondering what she could say to break the silence - but this was Vincent. He wasn't known for smalltalk.
Thankfully, he broke the silence. Less thankfully, he wanted to know about Artemis. Artemis who she couldn't tell Vincent much about. Worse was the fact that she remembered the vision she had... The one of Endless on the water, and of Vincent sailing towards him. It seemed so significant. The way he had seen Charlotte and Kiku. Kiku, she hadn't know it was him at the time. She did now. She considered how many truths she would tell Vincent: "He... Was sort of a criminal. Not when I had first met him, though. He was just a lost boy and I was just a lost girl and we became friends, I guess... But... He stole a loaf of bread a long time ago, and when he admitted it to me I knew I needed to arrest him for it. And then-- Well, he knew a woods witch. Someone who was capable of helping me with the whole... Incident. I'll admit to be very thankful that Lord Woodrow agreed to let him take me."
Post by Vincent Laeretti on Jan 9, 2017 20:56:34 GMT -7
Ah, so it was an old friendship. That honestly made it all the more impressive to Vincent that Tehodis had actually arrested him, then. If he was someone she knew from a while back... He thought back on the quiz he had given her on the day they met, and how she had stated that apprehending a criminal, even if they were a friend, was part of her duty. How interesting that she would put something like that to the test so soon.
Still, there was one thing that nagged, somewhat.
"Miss Kitai, you say he stole the bread a long time ago? Would you happen to know exactly when this was?"
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Jan 9, 2017 21:02:08 GMT -7
She bit her lip as she thought, thinking back to the daily conversations Endless and her had had during his time in jail. It was in the file, she was certain... But now, now she had to try and recall it after so much had happened. "A year?" She finally decided, not sure of her answer, "He was nineteen when it happened. So, a year, give or take a few months. It was in Dirys -- though we had a report on it in our files. Apparently Lord Woodrow had witnessed it himself. Fayana's hand, I guess."
Last Edit: Jan 9, 2017 21:02:27 GMT -7 by Tehodis Kitai
Post by Vincent Laeretti on Jan 9, 2017 21:13:58 GMT -7
Ah, that was a relief. A year wasn't quite so much "a long time" as Vincent had feared it might be.
"That is good then. I'm sure you're aware that international law places a statue of limitations on petty theft cases, expiratory after two years time if no retribution has been dealt to the perpetrator before then." Actually he wasn't entirely certain she did know, given that it was one of those easily overlooked clauses in the legal system, and it was even rendered invalid just as long as the perpetrator committed another, more recent crime before those two years were up, resetting the timer as it were. So it would be good to inform Miss Kitai, just in case.
He hummed thoughtfully afterward. "Impressive, though, that you had the resolve to ensure your friend pay for his crime. And admirable that he allegedly didn't hold it against you when you needed his aid. That said I do still find it... surprising, that Lord Woodrow permitted you to leave unattended otherwise." Vincent did of course know that a scout had been sent to tail them quietly, but that was beside the point. "Could you tell me more about him?"
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Jan 9, 2017 21:21:09 GMT -7
She nodded, a small smile forming at her lips as she felt that familiar pride Vincent was good at helping her feel. "I did... I may not be quite a master at the rapier, but I've got the paperwork down to a science," She laughed a little bit, forgetting what the whole purpose of this walk was. She was enjoying the moments for now. It felt like everything was back to normal.
"Artemis?" Now was the troubling part. She had lied to Vincent a lot tonight. She didn't enjoy the idea of being caught in such a web, so she tried to think of things that wouldn't out Endless too much, "Well, what do you want to know? He's... Young, but with a lot of potential, especially thanks to him being cleared of his crime. But he... He doesn't have a family. So he's missing some guidance. I told him he should stay with me for a bit, but... He had other plans. You know, other than the bread-stealing thing, he sort of reminds me of you."
Post by Vincent Laeretti on Jan 9, 2017 21:52:22 GMT -7
Vincent actually chuckled at that, flashing a rare smile. Enjoying Tehodis's company like this was a rare treat, as he couldn't claim to have many good acquaintances who weren't either his superior or his subservient officers that were aware of him. Sure, Tehodis fit the latter category, but their dynamic was not quite the same as that.
"Well, you never know," he joked, a coy look on his face. "I could be quite the stunning bread thief and you could never know. A master of secretly stealing into the night, pilfering every last trace of baked dough in sight."
They shared a small laugh at that, and Vincent put more thought to her words. A boy he had lost his family, not so much a criminal so much as merely lost and in need of guidance. Technically speaking, Vincent had gotten his start in the SSPB through an illegal breaking and entering he had performed so that he could meet Lord Woodrow. And he was naught but a ball of rage at the time, having lost his own family. He'd received the guidance he needed. Although, Tehodis did not exactly know that about Vincent. So it left him wondering what about this friend of hers actually reminded her of him.
"I don't suppose you could elaborate on that last point?" he asked. "How is it that he strikes you as similar to me?"
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Jan 9, 2017 22:05:17 GMT -7
She laughed along with Vincent, enjoying this walk even if it was leading to something she was dreading. She wondered, briefly, why Lord Woodrow wouldn't permit Vincent to run the SSPB. It became more and more clear as time progressed that Woodrow's key influence in the company was his political position. It seemed that was how he conquered everything in his life. She wouldn't be conquered.
But he was still minutes away. For now, she had another difficult question to answer. Not because she was afraid of giving away Endless' secrets, but because she didn't really know how. "I don't know, really. I guess it just strikes me... Just a feeling."
Woodrow's cabin was only a few rooms away now. She could be as distracted as Vincent could possibly make her, but it wouldn't leave her mind. She moved her arm to adjust her file, and found it wasn't there. In all of the business in the room, she'd forgotten about it. "Vincent, I'm sorry-- I have a file on Lord Woodrow. Documenting what happened. I'm just worried about forgetting details when he's there. In my face. Is it okay if I run back and grab it? Won't be a minute. I promise." ...Check with Kiku while I'm there, She thought, Maybe a few words of encouragement. Words, yeah. That's what she wanted.
Post by Vincent Laeretti on Jan 9, 2017 23:20:43 GMT -7
Just a feeling, she said. Hmm. It made Vincent curious, if nothing else. He wondered if perhaps he should try and meet this boy some time, to see what about him so reminded Tehodis of himself. They were close to the office when Tehodis suddenly stopped, and Vincent frowned slightly at her explanation.
"I'd be happy to accompany you back..." he replied, not sure why she decided she had to run back alone to do this. Vincent didn't feel great about leaving her alone like that, not with the possibility that Lord Woodrow may not even be in his office at the moment, thus making it possible that Tehodis could run into him on the way back to her room without Vincent there with her. He did not want that to happen.
However, thinking again, it was of course not lost on him that her friend was still cuffed in her room. Her friend that may have been more than a friend, based on how she'd been acting with him. Perhaps she was concerned, and wished to check on him. To reassure him. She couldn't uncuff him, not without the key that Vincent had, but she could always turn the lamp out to give him shadows to retreat into...
No, he shouldn't think that way. Aside from initially hiding him at all, and for an understandable reason, Tehodis had not done anything to deliberately mislead Vincent or betray his trust. She wouldn't go and free Kiku without his go ahead. And she clearly was lacking her file, which Vincent was proud she had put together. She probably just wanted to go get it and speak to her friend without Vincent looking over shoulder.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Go ahead then, Miss Kitai. I shall wait here for your return."
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