< 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 Acacia-Green on Dec 20, 2016 22:58:22 GMT -7
Green was definitely both intimidated and amazed by the complex startup of the aeroplane. She knew the machine was incredible, so naturally it would have to be quite complex, but Father made it look so easy. Of course he did, she thought, because he was the smartest man in the entire world and he could do anything. The thought held absolutely no hint of sarcasm. She startled and covered her ears with her hands as a loud roar began a moment later, but after a moment of looking around in fear for the monster making the noise she realized it was the pane itself making the sound. That made her feel only slightly better, as it was still quite loud and scary-sounding. Father didn't seem worried about it though, and she knew he had just been out here making sure everything was perfect for the flight, so that made her feel better. If Father wasn't afraid, she shouldn't be either. She trusted him.
He asked if she was ready and she nodded automatically, not thinking about whether he could actually see it or not. He must have though, because the plane was moving now and they turned around to face down the road. So far so good, she thought. Then they started to accelerate. The plane went from sitting still to moving quite quickly in a very short amount of time, and she wanted to curl up in the seat and hide from the noise and the movement, both of which she was decidedly not used to, but she also wanted to see what the aeroplane could do. What father could make it do. She wanted to watch them leave the ground and take to the sky, so she forced herself to sit still and watch as the ground flew past them until suddenly it wasn't there anymore and they were up and away, flying above the trees and leaving the world behind them. The sensation was unique, raising up into the air like that, though something about it felt almost familiar. It certainly was different than the feeling of falling. She liked it better.
She watched the hospital grow further and further away, then turned her gaze to the stars above them. They were beautiful up here, somehow so different than when she saw them from the ground. The air whipped past her and it was very cold, but her jacket kept her warm. Father had been so considerate to tell her to put on warm clothes, and she really appreciated that right now. She slowly lowered her hands from her ears, a little more used to the noise now, and watched with fascination as they flew through the sky. It was peaceful up here, despite the noise.
Father asked what she thought, and she smiled. "It's amazing! This truly is a wonder of science!" She couldn't even begin to speculate how someone first got a big metal bird to stay in the sky, but it was simply incredible to think about. And that Father could fly it with such ease only added to the amazement. She knew they had just gotten up into the sky, but she already knew she wanted Father to teach her how to fly the plane too.
Post by Thomas Dunn on Dec 20, 2016 23:40:22 GMT -7
He was glad she was enjoying it. He may not have been able to share this with someone he loved - as he didn't really love anyone, and it was unlikely he would ever be capable of such a feeling - but Green was a pleasant substitute. "It gets better," He called back, smirking even though she couldn't see it. He pulled a sharp turn and the plane barely assented to his rough direction, jerking like a ride at an amusement park. He paused to look at her in the mirror before trying something else, making sure she didn't look too... Green for it.
When he decided she was fine, he turned the plane directly downward, barrelling towards the ground. They were plenty far from it of course, and at a reasonably safe - but still risky - distance, he pulled the plane up and set it soaring straight into the air. Pleased with his success he let himself go momentarily, unravelling into a whooping call filled with adrenaline.
Post by Acacia-Green on Dec 20, 2016 23:58:05 GMT -7
Despite knowing that Father was a good pilot, and he would never do anything to put either of them in harms way, when he pulled the wheel and the plane shuddered to the side in a sharp turn that was completely unexpected she may have for a brief moment felt a little scared. After all, if something did somehow go wrong, the air wasn't their friend. She knew some abjuration magic, but she didn't know if she would be able to protect both of them if they fell. She hoped if they did fall that Father fell first, so that she could at least try to protect him when he landed, even if she couldn't protect her own landing. She tried not to dwell on negative thoughts like that though, as they were clearly still in the air and she was most certain nothing would happen to them.
Just when she had recovered from the sharp turn, the nose of the plane dipped downward and they were falling. Not falling, flying, but they were heading straight toward the ground. Green would not allow herself to be overcome with fear, as she trusted Father completely and knew that this would all be ok, and instead she allowed herself to get lost in the feeling. The wind rushing past her face held a force behind it that air didn't often have, and the feeling of it flowing past her skin was once again familiar to her, somehow. It reminded her of her dream, the dream in which she was floating. But right now she wasn't floating, she was falling. She felt butterflies not only in her stomach but everywhere, and the wind was rushing by so fast it was hard to breathe, leaving her maybe a little lightheaded by the time Father pulled the plane up at the bottom of the freefall. The force of them puling out of the fall and then rushing back upward was too much for her body, or perhaps her brain, to take, and for just a moment when the force was the greatest she blacked out.
She was floating again, and she could tell now that she wasn't floating in air but in water. The water flowed past her face much like the wind in the plane did, feeling fresh and cool on her skin.
The freshness turned sharp and the coolness turned icy cold as she came back to herself, gasping for air against the harsh wind. The air in Artavia was already thin, due to the height of it all, and she could do fine enough with it when she was calm, doing something simple like chess or reading or even light walking and errands, but she found that now, with her heart racing from the experience and the air rushing past faster than she could pull it in, she worried she wasn't getting enough oxygen. She was still feeling lightheaded, but she was also enjoying the experience so much she didn't want to end it. She heard Father's happy yell and she couldn't bear to ask him to stop. She just needed to get used to this, that was all.
Last Edit: Dec 20, 2016 23:58:48 GMT -7 by Acacia-Green
Post by Thomas Dunn on Dec 21, 2016 0:44:38 GMT -7
As Tom calmed himself, he took another look in the rear view. Green didn't look as pleased as he did, but she was masking it as she was intended to - for his benefit. If he had a kind soul, he would like decrease the elevation and perhaps soar over the beautiful reflective lake he had gone to a time or two with his wife, and once with Violet. It reflected the stars and made it look like you could swim in them... But he wasn't a kind soul. And he did not wish for Green to be near any more water than necessary. Bath, sink, drink. That was all.
However, he was kind enough not to do the loop-the-loop he desperately wanted. He didn't want her to vomit all over his head, or worse - for her implant to stop working due to an unexpected rise in brain activity. So instead, he stuck only to exciting turns, keeping the big moves in his pocket. Perhaps Black would find them more enjoyable.
They flew like this for nearly an hour, Tom only doing more exciting moves when Green seemed ready to take another, remaining somewhat gentle otherwise. As the sky went from the deep orange sunset it held during the day, and instead grew to darkness, he knew it was time to head back. Green would be needing to perform her nightly duties, and get some rest. He would need to rest as well, as he would be boarding an air ship come morning.
He landed as gently as he could, the runway still leaving something to be desired for landings. The craft pulled up to the doors of the hospital, and Tom turned everything off before quickly unsnapping himself and turning to help Green. "So Green, what did you think of the aeroplane ride?"
Post by Acacia-Green on Dec 21, 2016 1:17:48 GMT -7
Green enjoyed every moment of the ride, even when sometimes she couldn't breathe. She realized after the second amazing stunt that Father was graciously waiting for her to compose herself after each one before moving to the next. She appreciated how much he cared, and how observant he was to notice that she needed a bit of a break after each one. Even though he never said he loved her, Green was pretty sure he showed it instead through his actions, like he was doing now. It was very kind of him. She wanted to get better at flying though, so that he didn't have to slow down on her behalf. She wanted to see what he flew like when it was just him in the sky with nothing but freedom to do as he pleased. She bet it was amazing.
She didn't realize how quickly the time was going until it was gone. The sun had set by then and the sky was beautiful with stars. Looking up at only them, it was like she was surrounded by space and its beauty. She could be swimming in it, and if she closed her eyes she could feel the feeling like in her dream. Like she was floating. It probably helped that her head was feeling like it was floating already. She was tired. She didn't usually have much, if any, excitement in her day and her body had been on overdrive for the whole flight, and it was exhausting. When they landed, she allowed herself to be jostled by the uneven runway and felt herself yawn as the aeroplane finally stopped. She needed to catch her breath, and she needed to sleep. She knew she needed to complete her nightly duties beforehand, but she desperately looked forward to when she finished and was able to lay in her bed and curl up in the blankets and sleep.
She smiled brightly, if a little tiredly, when Father turned to help her with her safety belt and asked what she thought of the ride. "It was the most magnificent thing I have ever experienced. Thank you Father, it was truly the best activity we've ever done together. And you really do fly the plane with more elegance than I've ever seen a bird fly. Perhaps even more elegantly than the plane itself could fly, without you at the wheel." She had felt the plane sputter on some turns, but Father always knew exactly how far to push it, exactly where to ease up, and Green was so so happy she had thought to ask for the flight. It was the best last experience before he left for his business trip.
Last Edit: Dec 21, 2016 1:19:48 GMT -7 by Acacia-Green
Post by Thomas Dunn on Dec 21, 2016 11:20:09 GMT -7
There were many times he forgot that his ACACIAs were bound to him. Bound to his commands. Bound to his very existence. He forgot, because Green's love at times felt so real. Her appreciation of him didn't always catch him off guard - most of the time he remembered he had programmed these thoughts. Today, however, it had him swell with pride. His smile was real, and he gently patted her hair in appreciation.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Green, it made me happy to share it with you," It wasn't a lie, or conditioning. He wished he could have flown for longer. As the two walked back to the hospital, he offered her the praise he knew would keep her loyal beyond her implant, "You've been very good today, Green. I've never been prouder of you... I was going to have Violet come and check on you while I was gone, but... I think you're responsible enough to take care of the place yourself now. What do you think about that?"
Post by Acacia-Green on Dec 21, 2016 11:52:44 GMT -7
Green's smile was real too, even before the praise. She loved the praise of course, and it was always extra special, and he patted her hair, and that was amazing too, but what really made her day was when he said it had made him happy to share the experience of flying with her. Making him proud and impressed was one thing, but making him happy? That was something different. It wasn't the same as being a good, obedient daughter. It was outside of that. She felt like she really did something by herself, and not just because she memorized a book or cleaned up really thoroughly. And it made him happy. Maybe even as happy as it made her.
They walked back to the hospital and while they did so Father gave her the praise she always wanted to hear, but even better. He said he had never been prouder of her, and on top of that, that she was responsible enough to take care of herself and the hospital while he was away. When he asked what she thought about it she was actually just so overwhelmed with everything from today and how amazing it had been that she did something she didn't recall ever doing before. She didn't even answer him verbally, but rather wrapped her arms around him in a hug and buried her face against his chest. It was likely a surprise to him, as she usually didn't touch him unless he asked her to or gave her permission, but she didn't even care.
Post by Thomas Dunn on Dec 21, 2016 12:45:37 GMT -7
She grabbed him and for a moment he worried that something had broken. He worried that she had realized who he really was, who she really was, and what he had done to her. He worried that she was going to try to kill him, and his hand instinctively reached for the pistol snug in his pants. But before his hand could get there, he realized this was something different, something also unbidden - but not at all with malintent.
She was hugging him.
It was strange. He had never commanded her to do this, and he was certain she hadn't seen it elsewhere. Why she was doing it was still a tad worrying to him - where had this instinct come from? - but it was also pleasantly interesting. Perhaps this iteration of Green had finally got him to a new plateau. Perhaps his newer changes had been enough not only to temporarily reprogram instinct -- but to change it entirely. He accepted the hug for a moment, and when she pulled back he gave her a face that held a bit of reprimand in it, but it also held a smile. She hadn't done as instructed... But she had done well. Potentially, anyways. He would need to perform tests when he returned.
"Good girl. Now, go complete your duties, and if I have time perhaps I'll read you a story tonight as well," The stories he read were not really of the bedtime variety, nor were they really stories. They were scientific papers. He'd be reading them anyways, but (as intended) his voice was capable of soothing Green. And besides, she had been a very good subject today.
Post by Acacia-Green on Dec 21, 2016 17:12:47 GMT -7
Green saw the smile on Father's face, but she also saw that her action had been perhaps not acceptable. She just had gotten so excited it felt like something she had to do, it felt like the natural thing to do, even though she had never done it before or even seen it done. It was the strangest thing. Perhaps Father thought it was strange as well, and that was why he was looking at her like that.
He said she was a good girl though, so it couldn't have been a bad kind of look. When he told her to go complete her nightly duties and that he may even read her a story if he had time, she smiled and nodded. "Thank you," she replied and taking his permission she left to do what she had to do. She hoped he would read to her, she always loved when he did. The things he read were interesting, even if she didn't always understand it all, and he had such a good voice for reading.
The skin OTHERWORLD was made by JAWN of WICKED WONDERLAND.
FORTUNA-RPG was created by MELLIE. Images belong to their respective artists. All codes and scripts belong to their respective coders. Please DO NOT take anything without the owners' permission.
