Viridian Dreams Forum

"...the impregnation of my sister is of most imminent concern!"
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"You could still win, you know, over me on a horizontal surface."
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"What do you propose we do? Do you have any idea if there's a greater force behind this blockade?"

^These response are good genius. Lets go with these. And BTW Arganaut would it be alright if I just borrow a few aspects of your system?

Felix just stared blankly at Master Browne, a twitch developing as he took that in.

"...I'm sorry, but the impregnation of my sister is of most imminent concern!" Felix practically shouted, Alecia burying her face into her hands, as if trying to hide away from the attention Felix drew from the statement, Browne and Lizbeth looking away awkwardly.

"All I'm saying is that-"

"We get what you're saying brother, so please stop saying things for the love of God!" Alecia blurted out, her words muffled by her hands.

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"You could still win, you know, over me on a horizontal surface." Felix said, offering another lewd grin and wink.

"And I have answer." Ivan says with another laugh, rolling out his shoulders. "Ah, you are good friend Felix. Very strange and difficult, but good friend. High spirits and laughs are good when vodka is rationed."

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"What do you propose we do? I mean, we could try to disrupt their line of supply, starve them out on their own ships." Felix threw out an idea, the Guildmaster nodding as he waved a hand.

"This route of thinking was considered, but ultimately the limitations of our row and sailboats versus the blockade would turn the task from a gambling of lives to an assured, swift death. Considering how close to the coastline our island is anyway and new shipments of supplies will be easy to send in quick time." The Guildmaster stated, stroking his beard.

"It must be hard for you, being asked to sit and wait for such a long period of time and being so young. However, patience is the assassin's greatest tool. As I said, with the navy of Albion in the north, the Cerric will soon need every ship they can spare to hold off on the invasion forces being poured over the straits and, probably more threateningly, a blockade against the Cerric themselves."

"Our lives might not be comfortable right now, but we shall survive. The nature of the Inner Sea ensures that winter will be but a momentary passing blight on what land we can grow crops on the island and so long as we ration we can far and away outlast the Cerric. They need their ships for battle far more than we need to get off the island at the moment. So long as that remains true and reaches a boiling point, we're the ones with the advantage and we're the ones doing the damage to the Cerric war effort, not the Cerric doing damage to our way of life."

Felix took this all in and nodded slightly, before continuing. "Do you think there is a greater force behind this blockade?" Felix asked quizzically, causing the Guildmaster to arch an eyebrow.

"A force greater than the King of the Cerric?" The Guildmaster asked, stroking his beard. "I doubt it, but then..." The Guildmaster twirled his facial hair between two fingers, a look of deep thought tightening his features. "We'll investigate once the blockade is uplifted and we can get back to work. For now, it is best to take the simplest solution: the King doesn't wish for our services to be freely available, so this is a means to keep us on our island."

"Okay we can focus on the play for now but this conversation will continue later."

***

"That they are Ivan, that they are."

***

"As much as I don't like it I guess there is nothing we can do but wait this out. Well I shouldn't keep you any longer, thanks for the talk."

I'm with Random on this.

For 2, give Ivan the most brotastic of hugs.

Agree on the hug.

"Okay we can focus on the play for now but this conversation will continue later." Felix said, pointing a threatening finger at all present parties, receiving a somewhat amused look from Lizbeth and unfettered embarrassment from his sister.

"Yes, yes, good, good." Browne said quickly, dragging Felix and Alecia away. "We can finally get on ground I am more comfortable speaking on... theater!"

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"That they are Ivan, that they are." Felix said, sagely nodding, as he offered a hand to Ivan. Ivan grinned and extended his hand out as well, clasping Felix's. Quickly, Felix pulled himself in, giving a Ivan a quick hug. Ivan stood a bit stunned by the sudden contact, Felix laughing with an amused/satisfied expression on his face.

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"As much as I don't like it I guess there is nothing we can do but wait this out. Well I shouldn't keep you any longer, thanks for the talk." Felix offered a quick bow to the Guildmaster, who merely nodded and returned the bow.

"I know this troubles you Felix, but rest assured that the other Masters and I know what we are doing." He said with a nod, before departing as well.

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A few weeks later, the various assassins, masters and students filed into Browne's theater, coming to see the play that had been so painstakingly put together. With the island still under the influence of the blockade, and other pleasures being rationed to last, the play was going to be the most entertainment that the people of the island were going to get.

As people filed into the theater, backstage all the actors and stage hands were busily readying for the opening night performance. Felix watched the various persons, who for so long he had viewed only as fellow assassins, work their various talents in a combined effort to make the play a success. It was interesting, really, to see these people as more human than their hoods would suggest.

"Ah, Felix, good to see that you've gotten ready so quickly." Browne said, walking up to Felix. Felix chuckled, looking down at himself. A head of fake hair that smelled like a horse, a rapier and a run down costume. Compared to Browne's affair, Felix looked the part, but his part looked slightly more... bummish, he suppose he could say.

"So my boy, how are you feeling? Excited?"

We are going to piss ourselves with excitement. Obviously.

Yes we're excited! We've been practicing for weeks. Lets get on with it!

Let's break a leg! And hopefully this sleaze who is hitting on our sister's as well.

"Well of course I'm excited Master. After weeks of practicing I'm ready to go out there and break a leg."

'And maybe the leg of the sleaze who has been hanging around with my sister.' Felix thought while he smiled at Browne, his eyes glancing over to his sister and the utterly doomed young man.

"Indeed, the greatest pay off of all for weeks of effort and practice is the opening night!" Browne exclaimed, delight spread across his face. "Oh the wonderful nature of the theater." Browne walked off, musing to himself as Felix shook his head, readjusting his outfit. Felix walked towards the curtain and took a peek out.

A full house. Weeks without fresh supplies would probably bring everyone to the nearest available source of entertainment. Even the Guildmaster sat in his place, a few floors up from everyone else, looking down at the stage with an expectant, but still somewhat delighted, grin.

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The play started off well enough. Browne providing the narrative in a slightly older voice, to distinguish from the narrator and his character, helped to guide the movements of some of the newer actors along. What few mistakes were made were quickly either side-stepped by Browne's narration or fixed with the help of the other actors.

As time approached for Felix to take the stage with his little gang of actors, he looked out to the audience again, grinning as he saw Ivan and Lizbeth in attendance.

He then froze as his eyes caught sight of one of the members of the audience slipping a dagger across the throat of a fellow assassin.

As the event repeated again and again and as the audience rose up to take note of the action,

All of a sudden, a clash of daggers and swords had broken out in the middle of the theater.

All Hell had broken loose.

Get Alecia and Lizbeth and KEEL SOME JERKFACES.

Yes let us kill the Jerks who ruined the play we worked so hard on.

Is more bloodshed really the answer? Perhaps we should set aside our blades and poisons and explosives and crossbows and garrottes nooses and pit traps and large rocks. Perhaps we should strive to become a simple pigswawin, poor in spirit but rich in bacon.

Nah. Let's murder some play ruining mo' fo's.