[Squire Dorms] No Punchy-Punchy.

by **Archailist** on April 15th, 2015, 6:00 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

43rd of Spring, 515.

Normally, the dorms would be the last place Arch wanted to hang around in. All the squires struggling for room in the narrow corridors and clustered rooms, practically fighting each-other for a bit of space in their rush to nowhere in particular, some clad in heavy plate-mail and others in little but a towel. Madness if you were five foot, let alone five inches. On his way down the corridor, he swore that nearly five people nearly stepped on him and barely offered an apology over their shoulders as they rushed off around a corner again. Wish I could petching punch them. They'd do the same if they knew what it was like. He'd catch up with them at some other time in the Training Grounds and find his apology there.

Thankfully, Ball's door was ajar; the squirrel statue was able to make a quick leap inside before another stampede rushed past with enough force to leave the stone floor quaking underfoot. "Petching Hai." He couldn't remember if he'd ever actually tried to find Ball's room. None of the other squires at the other beds looked familiar.. at least, the ones that were still there and not busy with whatever other work their patrons had probably set them.

"Oi, Ball? You here?" Petch, he might have a day off but that didn't mean he was going to spend all of it waiting at the heels of the little clay man. It was difficult enough getting an actual conversation out of him when face-to-face, let alone if he had to try and drag Ball out of another fight happening down in the Fighting Pits or up in the Training Grounds.

Still, there were things that needed to be discussed. He didn't know how long there would be until their eventual rise to knighthood.. but it wasn't far off. Archailist knew what he wanted to do.. sort-of. That didn't mean he couldn't do without some help; the kind that, unfortunately, only Ball could provide. He'd have to talk over plans with Nivel as well but he already had a sneaking suspicion that the answer would be no. She had much better things to do than to come with him to Sunberth where mobs would rush in droves to trample a mage-squire.. or mage-knight.

True, since their initiation, Ball and Arch weren't that far off.. but they had other skills to fall back on when the going got tough. Last time he'd seen Nivel in an actual fight, the sneaksters that'd jumped out of the woods had kicked the little wing-eared statue half across the place and would've got away with it as well. No doubt she'd be incredibly useful.. but neither was it worth the trouble if he didn't have a good set of arms watching his back.

by **Ball** on April 15th, 2015, 6:56 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

This Spring season was pretty much a bust for Ball so far. He hadn’t left his dorm for most of it, and when he did it was insanely early in the morning and he had to deal with horse shyke and bloody stupid annoying stable boys. He figured it was justified punishment and really did teach him a lesson. Yeah, don’t fight inside the city unless you are a knight. Even though that wasn’t the lesson the knights wanted to teach Ball, it is what the little clay squire thought it was. Yet when his door creaked open and a gravelly voice called out for him Ball sat up and learned over the edge of his bed.

“Oh… Hi Squirrel Pycon.” He waved and sat back on his bed. His beloved mount huffed in annoyance, no longer caring about the dorm tenants or intrusions… Some reason squires thought it was okay to just arrive unannounced and try and take his bed, at least he assumed that due to the tangles of sheets he would normally return home to.

“What can I do for you?” the smaller of the two called out from the top of his bed, it wasn’t exactly comfortable to be leaning over the edge of his bed to converse, if the squirrel wanted to talk he could petching well come to him. Even though Ball knew the squirrel did indeed already come to talk with him, but about what he wasn’t sure… Ball did have some idea of what he wanted to do after his knighthood quest, whenever that was. The squire didn’t really care when it came about, just he knew – felt more like it – that he was physically prepared for it… But after the incident last season that landed him in a world of shyke the small squire wondered if he was mentally prepared to take on the Order as a knight.

When and if Archie came up onto Ball’s bed he would see the pycon lying in his pillow, not against it, as he was too bloody small to do that, so Ball used the pillow as a bed mattress instead of the actual bed. Even though it would probably be hilarious to see Ball using the bed like one of the larger pycons, Hai Ball knew it would be pretty funny to see.

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by **Archailist** on April 15th, 2015, 7:59 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He should've taken a look around the door; apparently Ball had the same idea as Arch. Human-sized beds were pretty much entire rooms by themselves if you could find the room to push aside all the other stuff like duvets and shyke. Heck, he didn't want to think about what it'd be like when he eventually got his own room.. shyke, the place would be able to house an entire Pyve without trouble. Buy several dollhouses and he'd have a miniature village started up already.

Only downside to these beds was getting up and down them every day, as he knew first-hand and had to experience again if he didn't want to crane his neck up every time he wanted to get a word in. "Ahh, there you are." The squirrel statue grappled one of the wooden legs and scaled up without an issue to sit on the footboard, legs swaying over the side. "I wanted to talk with you about something important that I'm... well." It was pretty difficult to explain to himself in front of the mirror. Maybe he should've given himself a little more practice before running up to Ball with it. "I mean. You and I both know that.. our quest is bound to be soon."

As soon as the words came out of his clay mouth, the fight and the look on Ser Iros' face shot back into the forefront of his nexus. Maybe not as soon as it would've been last season. He still had plenty of time to try and convince Ser Iros that he wasn't as violent as Ball though, so that was something. "I know what I want to do when I become a knight.. I've been thinking about it a lot and I've got a solid plan to pitch before I leave Syliras." He took a pause to quickly glance away; for a moment he thought it'd be better if they didn't talk in the spare room where anyone could walk in and hear, but then again, the others were free to spread their rumors and whatever else they pleased.

"Anyway. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me, help me.. in Sunberth." Another pause, but this time he didn't start up again; he spent time gauging Ball's reaction. He didn't even know if Ball had plans already.. so this was going to either fall horribly short of what he'd hoped, or, hopefully, leave a bit of room for negotiation.

by **Ball** on May 27th, 2015, 12:36 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

The Quest… Ugh I don’t want to dwell on that right now. Liege Lord would be proud of me. Ball nodded though to the Squirrel, he knew all about it looming overhead, just wasn’t sure when. He had heard others talking but that was it. Even with no words expressed on that part of their near future Ball listened to the Squirrel as he continued on. It appeared that Archie was heading out of the Rock-Beast once he becomes a Knight.

“Beyond leaving, what do you want to do there?” Ball was curious, it seems that his fellow squired Pycon wanted something from Ball beyond leaving, something that involved why he wanted to go.The smaller Pycon paused, he had no idea what he was going to do after the quest was completed and he became a knight.

Ball sighed, “I thank you for the offer, but I shall remain in the city unless duty sends me elsewhere.” Ball seriously had no plans at this point to leave, he had nothing in his future but to do his job, his duty, and honor the ones that have fallen in the line of duty. “If you need money, I can assist there… But another set of hands to fight with I will not.”

“I wish you luck though Squirrel Pycon. You will need it I am sure. Return and keep in touch.” Ball nodded.

OOCAck, short post -.- Sorry.

Credit :

by **Archailist** on June 22nd, 2015, 9:22 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He sighed quietly, trying to avoid looking too dispirited. "I understand - but, if I may ask, what do you plan to do here that you haven't already done?" Ball had been a squire ever since the squirrel had signed up and apparently been around long enough to have a reputation with most of the other squires he'd talked with. Not a positive one, perhaps, but there was definitely something to talk about. That said, what else did Ball have to gain by staying in a city he'd already spent at least two seasons, if not more in?

"I mean.. I don't think I'll really need money because I'm hoping to make my own. Make a stable place in Sunberth.. I mean it sounds stupid but it feels like when we become knights, we become bearers of peace and civilization." That was what they were doing, after all - following the words and will of Sylir, not just protecting the city and its inhabitants but protecting the earthly domain of Sylir - wasn't it? "There are places in the world that need it more than others. Sunberth needs it.. and I think it holds the key to turning the tables on the others, too." A working theory, something he'd need to work with when he eventually arrived.. but something, at least, more than sitting around in a city already overrun with knights.

"I want to go there and.. make something better out of it. Make something useful, to us, to Syliras.. instead of just leaving it useful to everyone else. Hai, I don't think many of the people living there like where they are right now." Those who did - well, they were another matter entirely that he wouldn't even touch on, not yet. "I mean, think about it.. how many of the criminals that pass through here or even live here have come from Sunberth? How many slavers, how many murderers and thieves and bandits and petch knows who else?" He suddenly stood up again, waving his arms around in a sweeping gesture. "Imagine destroying the source-- well, one of the sources. Turning it around and using it for good."

Alright, maybe he was digging a little too deep.

by **Ball** on July 1st, 2015, 12:14 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

Ball stared at the squirrel, he had no clue what to say, it was almost as if the Squirrel was wishing for a pipe dream or delusions… It didn’t matter …though; Ball had no urge to leave to Sunberth from the sounds of it currently. “I am sworn to protect the citizens of the city… That is what I will do. Unless the order has other plans for me, that is what I shall continue to do. There is no doubt you are correct with needing to go elsewhere and…” Ball paused, he wanted to think this through clearly without coming off as arrogant, “… Spread Sylir’s word. But our duties aren’t to spread his word. There are priests and zealots enough doing it enough. I am but a weapon amongst the agents of the darkness and chaos.” Gods save us all if I decide to spread Sylir’s word instead of being part of his militant arm.

There was a rubbing against Ball’s nexus with irritation though, the Squirrel’s words almost felt like he was prodding at Ball, pushing him to pick up the god’s holy words and move forth with him in ‘cleansing’ this apparently cesspool known as Sunberth. “I won’t disagree, giving us a city we can forge into a picking grounds would be beneficial, to the Order, and to Sylir’s will. It would also produce us with a new set of squires that have a far more… Adaptable and different skill set that could be used for a far different purpose than just…” Ball had to pause again, this was treacherous ground he was treading across and the pycon squire knew if he continued forward with his words he might offend the Squirrel, or reveal himself a something incapable of being anything more than a warrior. An Aggressor and Enforcer was all Ball was seen as, this he knew just from the hushed whispers of squires in the barracks. Ball was no fool, he knew what they thought of him and they were right, he was far from the most docile of squires.

“… Well, than just being a knight like the rest of us. I guess.” Ball held a frown for a short time before it became a blank slate of clay, “Some places should just be laid to waste, burned, their warriors and mages put to the sword, their people incarnated or slain if they proved to be assisting the enemy and their farmlands salted. Boats should be burnt to ash, weapons pulled into our armories. Warriors willing to turn their sword over to us and work with us would be watched heavily and never allowed to move up ranks if given the chance.” His eye narrowed in thought, “This… Sunberth sounds just like the place to be burned and salted.”

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by **Archailist** on August 18th, 2015, 7:45 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

The more Ball explained, the more the clay squirrel came to realize how different they were. "Yeah, I know there are priests and missionaries and.. petch knows who else to spread the word. I just thought that.. well, if we spread the words of peace and civilization throughout the world, we'd be protecting the people here, wouldn't we?" Perhaps it was a less direct way than standing at the gates of the castle with their shields raised, or wandering through the streets and plucking the miscreants from the city like an impatient gardener. However, ridding the entire world, once and for all, of evil.. if that wasn't a worthy cause for a knight, he didn't want to know what was.

Ball still had a good point, though. Protecting Syliras and all of its inhabitants was still an important duty.. and abandoning it to pursue the 're-education' of another city sounded perfectly sane in his own mind, but trying to think of it from what the men, women and children living inside the castle walls might hear, guaranteed in their safety as they were, made him uneasy. There could be more attacks; next time it could be a fire in the fields, or poison in the river. What was the point in taking new land if they lost everything they'd worked so hard to build up in the first place?

Wrestling with deep thought, he nodded to the rest of Ball's speech, accepting and weighing the benefits, risks, potential losses and victories.. though halted about half-way through to sit, instead, in entirely stunned silence. Holy shyke. Was this really what Ball felt - what he was willing to do, given the chance? Surely they were just words, never to be acted on.. but in all the time he'd known his fellow clay squire he'd never known such hard words could be thrown so callously. "You really think so? I mean, sure, there are places.. with little to offer.. from a military perspective." Now it was Arch's turn to choose his words carefully, for fear of saying something he'd soon regret. "But to raze an entire city? To slaughter everyone inside it and burn all of its buildings.. seems extreme, no matter where it is or who's inside."

He shook his head vigorously. "I know that it would be.. a struggle. The biggest. There are lots of things that could go wrong, lots of things that could go right, if it was ever attempted." The last portion of the sentence was added with hesitation; the talk had opened his eyes to new variables he'd never before even considered. "But I don't think there is anywhere in the world that every single person is evil. You could probably say the same about Ravok, that every person should be killed and the entire city burned down to ashes and scattered across the sea.. but I'll tell you what, I bet they're saying the same thing over there about us." Although their motives were entirely different, the prompt held the same weight, he hoped. "Destroying an entire city.. it's something that nobody should have to consider."

by **Ball** on September 8th, 2015, 2:06 am

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

“You asked my opinion.” the younger and shorter of the two responded after the Squirrel shaped pycon spoke his bit about Ravok and the incineration of a whole city being unthinkable. “In war do you think they are going to consider our women and children? The cats, dogs rats, squirrels.” Ball made clear emphasis on the last word to give Archailist the exact thought he felt, “No. I fought against something that crushed large ships to kindling sticks. I watched dozens of sworn men and women die trying to fight for what they felt was right. For Sylir. There is nothing more heinous then watching the death of fellow brothers and sisters in arms and you are helpless to do anything. If given the reason I would do exactly that Squirrel.”

Ball shuddered as his nexus recalled the harrowing fight amongst the ravaged stormy seas against the Lagool, the waters churning whether it was the power of the mage-knights or the gods themselves Ball never could recall. “No. They will not care. Why should we? War is not the time for civilized manners and caring for the women and children. If the opportunity rose and I had the chance to lay torch and salt upon the city and farms of our enemy I would do it. We are the mortal pawns in an ever larger game amongst the gods. I don’t care about re-educating people. They can’t be relearned any more than I can become a pacifist.” Ball looked back at the Squirrel.

“You want my honest answer to your first question? What do I expect I am going to do after I become a knight and you wanted to see if I will go with you? The answer is a personal no. I won’t go. Unless the order commands that I go and assist. I am a fighter, a warrior, a member of this Order. And so are you. You are going to follow the commands of the knight above you or you had better be able to run as fast as you can jump because I will not hesitate to beat you senseless. I see you as more than a squire, racial brethren. You are a brother. My brother.And... And I... ”

Ball shook his head and ran both hands over his face as his voiced squeaked with an emotion not often seen from Ball, “I will not allow another brother disappear on me. I will not. I am not sure I could handle – no, handle is the wrong word… Control… The violence I would be capable of doing. I already lost one brother, I will never lose another one.” Ball nodded, this was the first time to Ball’s knowledge that he spoke these words, “Gods forbidden you run off on your own and never return. Nothing will survive…” Ball shuddered at the thought, Ball already knew he was a force to be reckon with, what he didn’t know with his recently tapped Flux skills just what sort of damage the three inch pycon could cause. His two ‘hands’, without Flux, could destroy Yukmen, completely render useless Charoda limbs, tear apart training dummies, Hai Ball could dent armor for Sylir’s sake. He shook his head and stared at Archailist, “No Archailist, you are going to do your duty as a squire… As a knight. Or so help the gods our paths never meet again.”

OOCSorry for taking so long, this wasn't an easy reponse to write for me as a writer... This touches to a core of Ball I don't normally write and I wanted to ensure I got it just right.

Credit :

by **Archailist** on September 14th, 2015, 8:59 pm

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Arch could only nod, looking down over the edge of the bed. This was opinion, nothing more.. but yet it still worried the squirrel that anyone could think in these ways who would wish to become a knight. "Well of course they won't." It hurt greatly to admit that he'd suspected it, and still did - one only need look to the attack that'd nearly destroyed the White Swan entirely and caused havoc throughout the castle to know that who, what they were dealing with, wasn't interested in protecting the lives of the innocents that lived alongside the soldiers. He'd never seen what Ball had; never fought against whatever demon he spoke of. The squirrel's time in squirehood never required a journey beyond the comforts of the city's grounds. By that logic, there was no point even theorizing over battle tactics of the region. Yet here they were.

"The reason we should care about civilized manners isn't because our opponents do the same. If they did, we wouldn't be fighting them." He shook his head quietly just thinking of how much could be avoided if Ravokians just took a more open mind and accepting the obvious benefits of Sylir, rather than clinging to the every lying word of an evil presence. "I don't think this is just some war of attrition.. trying to get more room, take more space. It's a moral battle. What kind-of knights of Sylir would we be if we fought and acted no better than the back-stabbing cowards we stand against? We aren't corrupt like they are, we don't lie and cheat like they do... and if we did, we'd just be feeding Rhysol with all the power he'd need." His voice had grown more stoic towards the last few words, but now he brought it down to a softer level. "Once you forget that.. you really do become a pawn in their game. We're not pawns.. we're the building blocks that a better future will be built upon." He couldn't stop a small chuckle from building in the back of his non-existent throat. "You and I are already made of clay, so we'll make even better blocks than any of these humans."

Soon his laughter petered off into a sad sigh. "But.. that aside, I won't disobey my seniors. I'm not going to jeopardize my position in the knighthood, or the knighthood as a whole; no need to worry about that. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to follow my own path where I can." All this thought of pawns and pieces was making the squirrel more and more concerned for his freedom, within Syliras as a whole. It made him acutely aware of his significance in the forthcoming battles. The measure of his life. Not that he didn't respect Ball, looking over at the one-eyed homunculus.. but he didn't want to end up in his footsteps. A servant; a powerful piece in a game, but a piece nonetheless, destined to be pushed and pushed until a time came where sacrifice was necessary.. or he simply did not become useful any more.

One arm wrapped around Ball's shoulders and squeezed. "You won't lose me, brother.." A little emotion crept in just from hearing the dispassionate squire breaking away between his fingers, but he tried his best to reel it back in again. "My duty will be done as a squire, knight and whatever may come. You have my word as a Pycon on that." He had no intention of abandoning the knighthood or his path of Sylir's will. "Hah, you call me brother and yet you actually think I'd be willing to go back on my own dreams."

by **Ball** on October 25th, 2015, 10:17 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

Something nagged at Ball's nexus when Archailist spoke after a moment of silent, the words hung before Ball in a way that almost seemed like he could almost see them, reach out and touch them. Yet Ball knew he was just grasping at false hopes. I will lose you brother. I lost all my other close brothers, how are you any different? Clay or flesh. We all petrify. Yet Ball refused to speak those words aloud, it was his way to ignore the inevitable, if he didn't speak them they could possible be held off for a time. It was just denying the truth and Ball knew it, he knew it a year prior when he finally “buried” an old friend. “Fate will do was it seems fit though, I cannot make you follow a path of the knights, no more than they can once your faith and heart are in it. Yet they can command you to start on another path, a path that may never lead you back to your own.” The smaller pycon rumbled, the words just spewed forth and he had no idea where he heard such nonsense, yet it seemed befitting.

It was time though for Ball to wipe away the sorrow and pick up his life and it's pieces he strewn out for the squirrel to see. “Sorry Squirrel Pycon, I have not been myself lately, things have been… Complicated for me mentally and emotionally.” More like you have been mentally and emotionally bombarded with making right your wrongs. There was a look of sorrow still there, the idea that the squirrel may never be around again, Ball knew he wasn't lying but the idea still settled itself into place within his nexus.

“Sorry where were we earlier? Me helping you with Sunberth I believe. Physically I will not… I do have money though.” he pointed at the chest at the foot of his bed. “I have that.”

OOCAck, short post. Maybe ya can wrap it up and then turn it in?

Credit :

Closed [Squire Dorms] No Punchy-Punchy.