My World of 1x1s discussion
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Pyry (Ji Mei and DD)
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Ji Mei
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Oct 16, 2020 05:32PM
Her? The prince was with two female companions, he seemed to recall. That bar fight was quite fun, probably the most recent fun he had. Now that was depressing. How can a bar fight, of all mundane things, be the highlight of the past few days for him? When he owns his own estate and met with an advisor of a king? Shaking his head, Dixon looked to the prince. "You miss your bodyguard that much? Did you love her or something?"
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Niel was about to reject the idea of missing his bodyguard, when Damon mention the word “love.” “What-no- why would you- that’s ridiculous. Me? In love? As if!” The prince’s face reddened like a tomato. “No. It can’t be that. I simply am accustomed to her company. And may or may not have admired her determination and gentleness and the way her hands are soothingly cool when I was burning up and she came to me like an angel- I mean- no- she infuriated me, but- that’s not l-love. Ugh, damn it I just want to see her beautiful face again. But I can’t. She rightfully hates me. It’s impossible.” The drunk prince lamented, dropping an arm over his eyes. He felt sick and his chest hurt.
A laugh escaped him. Niel's reaction seemed a little... juvenile, immature, as if he actually never been smitten before. He tried to paint the bodyguard in a more angelic light as the prince was describing, but he couldn't see it. "She probably hates you because you ordered her around all the time. Plus you were paying her, so she might hate you because of the job." Dixon shrugged. "Perhaps things would be better with some distance."
Niel nodded, he did order Ivy around frequently, but he was a prince. How else was he supposed to treat someone in his employ? "It's not just that. It's you too. She hates you for the village thing. And I'm the monster making secret deals with demons." He sighed, "You're right. Distance should help. Hopefully I'll forget that infuriatingly beautiful face soon. Heavens knows it's the one haunting me the most right now." The prince considered having another drink. A couple more and he'd surely forget every pain in his life... it was tempting...
The village thing? Dixon's brow wrinkled in confusion and thought until he recalled the young blonde woman staring at him when he showed up. The prince fell in love with the healer? Dixon bit back a smirk. "You can't blame me for not pursuing a woman you're smitten with." Dixon shrugged with an air of innocence before he leaned closer to Niel. "I have to admit I didn't take you to be a romantic. How did a mere healer capture a prince's heart?" he asked, teasingly.
Niel muttered something about a sneaky thief, shifting in his spot to get more comfortable. He finishes another drink against his better judgment. "S'not like that. I don... I don't love her. She's infuriating in the worst away. I offer money, she turns me down, which dos- it doesn't make sense because she needs it! For the school! But she does things without wanting anything in return and I don't get it." He slurred, "I want to get it, but I don't get it. Why don't I get it?" He shakes his head. "Who can survive like that?" He shakes his head. "But she does. She survived your demon-y town tantrum thing. She's survived on her own living in a circus for so long. It's madness," His brow knit together before another thought came to mind. "And then!" He reached out and grabbed Dixon's cheeks with both his hands. "She held my face with the gentlest hands. And gave me her blanket. I don't get it." Niel dropped his hands. "S'probly the sickness I got. Cuz she took care of me 'n I miss it." Niel's face contorted into an anguished frown. "And she hates me now. I'll never get to understand her."
((I love reading it, lol. I don't think he'll be able to handle it if he finds out when Ivy returns his feelings. He might just die. XD))
He never expected to see the prince break down over a woman like this. When they first met, Dixon had the impression the prince was more aloof and definitely not the type to swoon. Listening in amusement, Dixon wondered how hilarious this would be if he got Niel drunk around this woman he was fond of. Occasionally he made sounds to keep the prince ranting. Then suddenly the man stepped close to him, grabbing the demon's face. For a second, Dixon contemplated leaning forward and kissing the prince to shut him up, but alas the opportunity was gone. Rolling his eyes, the demon laughed. "So... should I curse you again with illness to get her to come back?" he teased. "Though with how much you drank today, you probably don't need me to do anything."
Niel shook his head, resigned. "She wouldn't come anyways." He frowns. In a moment, he wonders if anyone would come for him. Hell, the one person required to care for him had been sent away to protect Ivy. With the entire palace under demon spells, who would notice if he simply "died"? He supposed it would make his travels easier. "Should you? Should I fake my death?" The prince's head lolled to the side thoughtfully.
"Fake your death? The advisor and the king know you were in good health, right? That'll just make me a suspect and I'd have to be on the run," Dixon said with a frown. Letting out a sigh, noting that Niel was done with his romance problems, Dixon placed his hands on Niel's shoulders and turned him around. "How about you take a nap and things can be planned later when your thoughts are clear." His voice was extra soothing and gentle as he pushed the man's shoulders as he guided the prince back to the couch.
"Mmm." Niel groaned, "You make a good point, Dixon. 'M glad we're friends." He mumbled, stumbling his way over to the couch. He slumped down easily onto the furniture and was asleep within minutes. He'd probably have a terrible headache tomorrow, but that was Future Niel's problem for now.
Dixon watched Niel collapse onto the couch, shaking his head in amusement when he heard the beginnings of some snores. "Glad we're friends too, Sleeping Beauty," he said before he left. He searched around for a servant to inform them to prepare a hangover potion for the prince for when the man woke up. Then the demon set about going to the library, hoping to spend some time thinking and distracting himself for a while. Maybe his thoughts would become clearer too.
Niel startled awake to the crowing of a rooster. His head ached terribly as the night's previous happenings dribbled back into his memory achingly slow. Una's mom almost releasing an evil power, speaking with Dixon, something about Ivy? No, not likely. Something about the advisor, though. Something important. A reason he needed to leave. Immediately. The prince rose quickly and instantly regretted it. He swayed, catching himself at the bedside table and somehow managing to keep the contents of his stomach at bay. He tried again, but much more slowly. Heavens knew why he'd felt the need to drink so heavily last night. Perhaps Dixon knew? There was an attendant at the door shortly after Niel opened it.
"I need Lord Dixon. Quickly, please." Niel spoke barely above a whisper. His stomach heaved. "And a bucket. And water to wash my mouth out." He grumbled. The attendant scurried away. The bucket and glass of water were the first to arrive and the prince emptied his stomach promptly, still feeling terrible, but only slightly less terrible and with a vile taste in his mouth.
There was a feeble knock on the door to Dixon's rooms, which Dixon ignored as he stood looking out the window towards the town. From this distance, he saw a couple hunched figures scurry around, but otherwise it was still as dead as when he first arrived. Absolutely, most horribly boring. Again, the knock came, this time followed by a squeaky voice calling out, "Lord Dixon? His Highness is awake."
Sighing, Dixon rolled his shoulders, then ran a hand through his hair. Finally. He spent most of the night reading since he couldn't find any bedmates and drinking wasn't enough for him to pass the time away. Really, how can humans sleep so long?
Opening the door, the attendant jumped back, his hands half-raised to cover his eyes after he experienced Dixon opening the door after one of his morning trysts and he didn't bother to dress. Dixon simply rolled his eyes at the attendant's reaction before shoving past him to go find Niel.
Niel managed to rinse the majority of the foulness from his mouth and was directed down to the dining room for breakfast when Dixon arrived. A wave of embarrassment hit the prince at the situation. Had he really drunk himself to such a state? As far as royal decorum went, he had clearly decided to throw it out the window. Given their... complicated relationship, Niel was still unsure how he should even address the man."Good morning." He forced himself to begin, "I obviously indulged far too much last night despite the seriousness of the matter at hand. I apologize for doing so in your home. It's coming back to me in bits and pieces. I know that it is urgent that we leave soon, but the 'why' is fuzzy to me. Something about the demons?" He braved a bite of plain bread and washed it down with some more water.
Dixon snorted at Niel's polite tone and gave him an incredulous look as he spread out his arms and gestured to himself. "My friend, who do you think you're talking to? Indulgence is the best way to live," he said with a laugh. He went to take a seat, grabbing a pastry and took a bite of it as he pretended to recall their talk. Nodding slowly, he said, "Yes. Right. That. Your country is controlled by a demonic advisor." He took another bite of his pastry and hummed in appreciation. At least the food wasn't too horrible here in the middle of nowhere.
"Right. Demon." He groaned softly to himself, rubbing his temples and groping for a pastry to nibble on. Why was it he always craved carbs when he was drunk? He listened to Dixon's words, about to laugh at the man's joke except for something about those words jogged the prince's memory, filling in a few of the muddled occurrences from the previous evening. Demon advisor. Starting a war. Demons destroying the world as they knew it.
"Right. F***." The prince moaned, burying his face in his hands. "We're all doomed. Almost forgot, thanks." He nodded at his companion. "Shall we head out now or after breakfast?"
((Why did I make them have such similar names?! XD))
Breathing out a laugh which he quickly covered with a cough, Dixon looked at the prince with a raised brow. The man had shadows under his eyes still, his clothes disheveled. "Head out. Now," he repeated slowly, gesturing to the prince's form with a piece of toast in his hand. Then he took a bite out of it and stared at Niel. "You need to sober up still. 'Cause if you haven't noticed, you don't exactly have an army at your beck to help you storm a castle ruled by a demon who's been around for who knows how long."
Niel glances down at his sorry appearance as his brain catches up to Dixon's words at a glacial pace. He did suppose, for his princely standards his shirt was far too wrinkled and odiferous and there were splotches of what he assumed to be whiskey or whatever he had been drinking the previous night. He was in a sorry state, indeed. "Do last-minute, ill-fated quests to save the world always require sobriety? Because if so, I have definitely chosen very poorly." He groaned, holding his head in his hands. He wasn't so sure if this new knowledge was a blessing or a curse in the end or perhaps a terrible combination of the two. A servant placed some fresh bread in front of the prince and he accepted gratefully. Then he paused. "Wait, why are you helping me, again? Not that I'm complaining. Just, confused."
Grinning, Dixon wagged a finger at Niel. "Touché. Maybe some liquid courage and slowed thinking will actually help you more. I'm sure you're a completely functional person ready to outwit a demon hundreds of years old ruling your kingdom when you're not sober." Barely sparing a glance to the servant, Dixon moved onto eating some bacon and fruit. Poking his fork into a strawberry, he waved it around as he said, "Help is kinda a loose term. Help you get to your girlfriend and bodyguard, sure. Facing that advisor, no. Like I said, I'm not suicidal."
Niel chuckled despite himself, "I wish it were so..." He muttered, biting into some sweet bread. He listened to Dixon while he chewed and nearly choked at the mention of a "girlfriend." "I beg your pardon? Ivy and I aren't-could never be-would never- Just, no." Niel's cheeks began to flush at the absurdity of the demon's suggestion. Or perhaps because he had hit the nail on the head a little too well and the prince could barely admit his feelings to himself, let alone a very dangerous vengeful entity that could end his and Ivy's existance on a mere whim. "Anyways," He stood, grabbing another pastry, "I shall go ready myself for the journey. Let's depart at nightfall. I suspect your powers should work better in the dark." He coughed. "I'll meet you here." Niel finished shortly before Dixon had the chance to dig further into the topic. Surely nothing good would come of it.
Watching the prince choke so unceremoniously, Dixon slowly nodded with exaggerated understanding, his face holding mock seriousness, acting as if he could take Niel's words at face value. "Right of course. You and the fortune teller can never be together. My mistake," he said, fighting back as smile. He watched the prince's flustered retreat. Waving cheerfully, Dixon called after him, "See you at dinner then! Don't get lost."
((Should we end scene or something?))
((Let me know if you want help or ideas. I know I've been slow for rping, but chatting is always easier/faster for me.))
((Yeah let me know if you have ideas. I'm trying to think of things they will need for their journey and how he can inconspicuously acquire certain things. Like they'll need to travel light, but he'll probably need to bring money and probably would be good if he had proof. And also wondering about weapons and things that might be useful when fighting demons/traveling to different lands. Also trying to think of any meaningful interractions or conversations he might have or witness))
((I think weapons are probably something easy to get, but whether they're good against demons is another question. I don't think I've ever really thought how exactly demons can be killed by regular pepole, but I assume it might be something where you have to have a blessing/ceremony to give a weapon the holy power that angels have to kill a demon.))
((Ooh that's a good idea! Maybe that will be something they can figure out when they meet again in Pyry and talk with an angel?))
((Yeah. Maybe what they need most is stuff that will draw an angel's attention and survive the encounter (at least on Dixon's part). ))
Niel had rode back in his carriage to the palace. Oddly enough, no one had appeared immediately concerned that the prince had gone missing for a night. On the ride over, he had even tried to make a story for himself how he'd spent the evening at a brothel. Of course, this idea had failed miserably as there would be far too many loose ends to tie, so instead he would stick with a version closer to the truth: he had gone to meet a friend and time had got away from them while they were catching up.In the end, no one questioned Niel. Hardly anyone noticed him at all. On the contrary, it seemed that the servants and delegates of the court were up and about, preparing for something big and important. Perhaps it had to do with the impending war?
Niel had stopped by the treasury, insisting he needed a fair amount of gold after spending most of it traveling back home these past few weeks. The treasurer had simply given him a large pouch with an eye roll for taking up his time. Given the bustle, the prince had wondered if he might be able to learn some more information while he was here.
According to Dixon, it was the Royal Advisor who was calling the shots around here... Niel had strolled through the hallways confidently and brazenly towards his father's meeting chambers. Around this time of day, the counsel should be in assembly.
As he drew closer, he could hear Advisor Saza's voice speaking to the hall.
"...after the primary invasion. Once this phase is complete in Pyry's capitol, we should be able to secure at least two more holy weapons. With five at our disposal, it should be child's play for the other smaller surrounding countries. We've taken into account the angel numbers in the capitol and we will concentrate our focus first at the gates and then the underground tunnels..."
Saza spoke in an almost bored tone. The door was barely cracked open. Niel crept closer, sneaking a peak. He saw his father sitting at the head of the table, blankly staring into space as though in a trance while Saza paced the floor. A few chancelors shared his father's glazed expression, but the vast majority appeared to be listening and engaged. Demons.
An icy shiver shook his spine as Niel began to realize just how deep this entire operation was running. His stomach lurched uncomfortably.
"And where are the holy weapons being stored now? Surely, they're secure from prying eyes?" One chancelor piped up
"Ah, yes, of course. Don't be daft. They're being kept in the trophy room under lock and key. Only a select personnel have access and means."
Bingo. If the demons were talking about holy weapons, it sounded like something that would help in the fight against dark beings. The prince was about to sneak away when another piece of information caught his ear.
"And how has the army farm been coming along in sections 20-26 been coming along?"
"Langley, I told you it's crass to use such a term. But production has increased about 20%, which is right on track. There should still be enough human fodder to function."
"Because we don't want a repeat of sestions 13-18."
"Yes, Langley. I know. The famine is inconvenient but necessary. We've all discussed it."
"We've been receiving complaints from the demon residents about the food."
"Well, they can simply salt the earth and move on to Pyry once we've taken the city."
"Understood."
Niel noticed a servant rounding the corner with a platter of refreshments and took the opportunity to slink away then. His stomach continued to twist and lurch uncomfortably at the realization. Salt the earth. Human fodder. His country was no longer his own or worse. It had never been his to protect in the first place.
Once in the trophy room, Niel had inspected the room for weapons, but all the weapons present among their collection of souvenir trophies from victories appeared average. How was he to know which ones were holy? For some reason, his mind drifted to Ivy again as it so often and annoyingly did at the most inconvenient times. He wondered what she would do in his situation? Would she do something odd and mysterious like reading the energies of the room and decide from there? Or would she simply know these things as someone of the faith? Or... he supposed, there was no choice but to believe the faith now with all these angels and demons running amok.
Niel sighed, searching through drawers and cabinets as conspicuously as possible, the floorboards creaking under his step as he made his way throughout the room. He flinched every time the floor sounded. It wasn't as though he had no reason to be in the room otherwise. Even if he was only a prince in name only. He was still a prince and the majority of the attendants should at least play along with the facade.
He was quickly growing frustrated with his search. There were a few weapons that were being kept in the trophy room, but they didn't feel right to him. At least, not what he would expect something "holy" to feel like. He was about to throw an old rusted sword when the floor creaked again and Niel growled dropping to the ground. This was important. So important. And he was quickly realizing how ill equipped he was to do anything about anything. Was he really only good to die as a pawn in prince's clothing? Was there nothing he could do on his own? Even this royal trophy room was in shambles with stupid squeaking floors.
Then it hit him. Why was the floor creaking? The floors were made of stone. Quickly, he rolled the carpet back, revealing a small wooden plank that was wedged into a slot where a stone block should have been. Niel used the rusted blade to fiddle the plank out of position revealing a secret storage slot. Inside it was dusty and cobwebbed, but he could make out a velvet sack sitting at the bottom. Niel reached down, his arm just reaching the soft fabric. It felt... surprisingly light. Not something he would expect to hold weapons. There was no clinking of metal either. Yet something felt right. Like he knew this was what he had been looking for all along.
The prince pulled the drawstring delicately as though afraid to damage what lay inside. As he unrolled the fabric, it revealed 3 blades of the whitest silver he had ever seen, perfectly preserved and sharpened and the most delicate design of a feather detailed into the blade. He felt as though he couldn't tough the blade or else he would disintegrate into dust and yet he also felt strangely calm. They were beautiful, each one just slightly different from the next. He could have spent the day admiring them and still not be able to describe just how mesmerizing each one was. It wasn't until he heard the footsteps against the stone that he realized someone was coming and he had to quickly cover up his tracks, hastily returning the wooden plank, carpet, and sword to their respective places before sneaking out the side door.
The prince's steps were quickening as he began heading toward the war room. He wasn't sure what good the holy weapons could do for him, but he knew that if he could get them out of the hands of Saza, then that might at least hinder his plans somewhat. The next thing Niel needed was battle plans and demographics. If he could get numbers and locations on what they were up against, then maybe they could stand a chance, however small.
Niel made his way to the war rooms. Not many servants were about as he slunk by, stealing an apple out of a passing bowl of fruit. He took a bite casually as he perused the scrolls.
"Can I help you, your Highness?" a clerk suddenly appeared at the doorway. Niel felt his spine tingle anxiously, but he suppressed any reaction on his face.
"Indeed, sir. I require some assistance." Niel grinned easily.
