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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 13, 2018 12:02:33 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
With some renewed pride, he confidently straightened his back and rose his head, looking into Courcy's eyes for a moment, he nodded.
"I'm no royalty neither." He proudly stated, as if it were some grand accomplishing tie between them. Though he was admittedly more happy to have some common ground at the least.
Her answer gave some clarity to her disposition; a mercenary. He'd seen very few, and most were dirty, greasy men with guns and short blades. Honorless.
"I'd be proud t'be your equal, if you'd have it!" He assured shifting from one foot to the next,
"My... Other tutors often started with meditations and lectures and the like; sitting about for days, talking about proper mindsets to proper disciplines, often t'fighting or the works." He explained, offering some guidance of his own.
The glimmer in his veiled eyes was enough to show his excitement and aspirations to be a good warrior.
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Post by black379 on Apr 13, 2018 21:57:10 GMT -8
Courcy was glad to see him a little more comfortable. She was exhausted by the mere thought of keeping stiff, and proper, and cavalier at all times. Her own posture was relaxed, most of her weight, leaned on her halberd. She pursed her lips and gave short nods as the boy spoke, to acknowledge him.
"I dunno about all that. Sounds like bullshit." The redhead offered tactlessly with a shrug. Still she smiled at the Squire and gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "What kinda stuff did they teach you?"
"I wouldn't say I know how to fight, so much as how to survive... somehow." She interjected, though her hand rested on her hip, and she still eyed him expectantly.
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 14, 2018 4:26:32 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
"Ah, Temperance mostly... Discipline." He still held a militaristic stiffness to his shoulders, though his speech was noticeably more relaxed. Though, he was hesitant to dedicate himself wholly to laxitude... It was foreign and uncomfortable.
"It... Some admitted it was bullshit. Ser Maccivius, 'It's all bullshit, but it's better than accepting barbarity." He was happy to quote one of his lecturers, even if it was a bit spotty.
Though, he was a little bit surprised by her remark,
"You fought well on the beach though! It was a sight to behold, really." He nodded enthusiastically,
"B-but I understand. If you could... Maybe start by telling me from when you first started surviving?"
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Post by black379 on Apr 14, 2018 9:18:02 GMT -8
"Hmm." Her expression quirked into something more pensive. By most accounts, with everything else she had been named, Courcy was barbaric too. She was a rabble-rousing street thug, immodest and easy. But maybe the Squire was ignorant of her affairs with Nidhogg. That much, at least, she didn't have to tell him.
"I ran away from home when I was... sixteen or seventeen maybe." She leaned her head against the pole of her weapon. Her eyes on occasion drifted past the boy, but would return to peer into his visor. "It was tough, getting food. I'd sleep outside."
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 14, 2018 13:59:13 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
The Squire was surprised yet unsurprised; he supposed it was because she was so old when she'd begun surviving, fighting... Though perhaps that was in part because she was a woman too. He supposed it made sense.
"How?" He asked simply, with the strict curiosity of a student,
"How did you get food? Sleep outside..?" He pressed with a nod.
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Post by black379 on Apr 14, 2018 15:43:35 GMT -8
“Actually, I met some others, like myself. ‘Urchins and vagrants’ but each with our own troubles, I guess.” Courcy began, eyes trailing upward to recollect. She hooked a hand on her belt and shifted her hips.
“A few of us became... sort of a family. Better than I’d had.” Baignard was her best friend and confidant. Some were only allies for convenience. Still others shared more intimacy.
“We didn’t always get to eat. But we did odd jobs, and shared what we had.” She waved a hand toward the ground, and sat. As long as they were just talking, they may as well not stand around.
“I never stole nothing. We were respectable as we could be.” The ginger added with a smile.
“I think... it wasn’t so bad, being on the street, because at least we had a each other.”
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 15, 2018 12:51:27 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
Taking a hint, THe Squire of Ser Promos nodded and went to sit on both his knees in a slightly meditative state; as she talked he busied himself with loosening the straps to his heater shield so it might rest higher on his arm and lean against him as he let his palms rest on his lap.
"The Slayers of The Crimson Sun, the doctrine I follow, was made of people like you..." He began with a proud nod.
"... The bonds forged from mutual strife can sometimes surpass the bonds of blood." He explained, though shifted in his seat as he nodded, recalling her own story and respects,
"I'm surprised though; it'd be easy to steal with a large group... It's admirable." He assured her with another nod,
"How many were there of you? And... What jobs did you do? That kept you from thievery."
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Post by black379 on Apr 15, 2018 14:50:26 GMT -8
"There were just four, or five of us sometimes. A couple came and went on their own way." She laid her halberd out beside her, and leaned backward, looking up to drifting clouds. Courcy idly swayed her boots.
"Bounty hunting mostly. So long as it wasn't too risky." She explained with a nod, looking back to the Squire, eyeing his helm and shield. The hellion had never heard of the Slayers of the Crimson Sun, and while she was averse to heavy armor, the regal motifs thereon always intrigued her.
"I'm not sayin we were always 'admirable'. But I never did any stealing." Her fingers fiddled with a lock of red hair that hung past her collar. "I'd learned better, before I took off on my own."
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 15, 2018 15:04:30 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
"Four or five is a good number of companions." He nodded, the bare skeleton for any formation. A square, chevron, flanking or shield wall all needed at least four people to be more effective than a simple cluster.
"Bounty Hunting... A fair trade." He admired simply with another nod, he watched her fidget with her hair.
The Squire had never really been one to dally with unnecessary ticks, mostly because it irritated instructors.
"Hm, took off on your own..? From your comrades or..?"
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Post by black379 on Apr 15, 2018 18:02:27 GMT -8
"No, from home." Courcy corrected with a sigh. She pulled at her hair, which, undone from a braid, was longer than she had been used to. It was unkempt and oily.
"When I was younger, I stole. I thought I could help my mum and dad." She huffed, regretting to tell of her tragedy any more. "Dad was... was hanged for it. Mum hated me, so I ran."
Courcy clasped her fingers together and wrung her hands.
"How long have you been a squire? Tutoring and all that?" She questioned, looking him full in the face with a labored smirk. She wanted to skip being pitiable.
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 16, 2018 13:27:14 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
"A shame... Your Father's hanging, that is. But respectable; a Father protects his kin, dying for them is the most any could hope for." He nodded sagely, bowing his head, thinking on his own Father; he could only pray he had such a respectable end, but he had his doubts.
"I will pray for him when the sun falls; that is when the spirits of the dead can hear us." He added, explaining his beliefs in the same breath since she seemed a bit unacquainted with it. And he rather hoped she might join him, though she seemed a pragmatic sort.
His eyes followed her hands; her hair was something to behold, like fire... It trapped his eyes and he was rather glad for his chain-mail veil hiding his blush as he cleared his throat and nodded. Probably not helping his attempt at secrecy.
"I- Oh, well... A Squire? To Ser Promos... Since I can remember. Though he isn't the first Ser Promos I'd served under..." He admitted, bowing his head, his hands smoothing out his red tabard nervously.
"... Ser Promos the Brave of Lei was the first who'd taken me in, supposedly; he saved me from being sacrificed by an Occultist. His skin black as char, with flinty eyes. I listened to many of his lectures for..."
The Squire opened his hands and counted on them,
"... 2, 4, 8... 4. Four years I squired Ser Promos the Brave, but he'd fallen ill since taking me up. He was kind but the Slayers were not; when Ser Promos the Brave died, they believed me a curse upon the name of Ser Promos."
It didn't bother him anymore, but he anxiously shifted in his seat, looking up to his Tutor's face; he felt a bit bad presuming to acquire her as one, she didn't seem ready but... He was old enough to assume his pursuits of study, and without his Ser Promos to dictate his moves...
"... But there were still kind folk; Ser Promos the Bold of Rhanawei tutored me next. He was bold, and one of the first to assume to take up a name that wasn't his. His original name was Ser Jonathan the Fist of Novorost; Rhanawei was where he stood me infront of the Grudge Court to claim me as his Squire. I was 7 at the time." He shrugged, nodding as he seemed satisfied with the expositional spat, he brought a hand up and under his chainmail hood and scratched at some acne on his chin.
"I've known nothing more than Squirin' for... something like 19 years now..." There was a small realization in his gut, that he might be a squire forever if he couldn't find Ser Promos. It was hardly comforting, his hands drew closer around his stomach.
"... Some folk can be squires all their Life; glory to the man who holds the name but... I pray that I'll not turn to a wet coal at the bottom of the sack, never to face the forges of war. Never earn my glory." He opened up some, it was important to be open to tutors... So he was told, so he believed.
But it still made him anxious and he looked like to rise and run. He shouldn't be wasting time here...
\\
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Post by black379 on Apr 16, 2018 14:45:17 GMT -8
Courcy stared at him awestruck, bewilderment apparent in her eyes. The Squire was still a boy, but that he had been raised with knightly tutelage since he was a babe astonished her. She was considerate enough not to make any snide remark about his creed or indoctrination, for the time, at least. It wouldn't be fair to deride his entire upbringing.
"Damn. He... err... 'The Brave' must have been like your father then." She leaned back on both arms again and slowly shook her head. The Darkest estate, with all it's monsters and corrupt souls, at least had an excuse to be cruel. She wished that a boy or a girl could simply live with caring parents, and without crime and death.
"We can pray for the both of them." Courcy sighed and forced her frown into a smile. "Is that true? They can hear us?"
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 16, 2018 15:08:31 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
"True as it needs to be." He recited confidently with a stern nod, though his own confidence seemed to surprise him as he brought a hand apologetically to his chest as he bowed his crown, his helm slumping forward slightly.
"-- Um, that was Brucellus the Godslayer of War." He elaborated meekly, immediately feeling shame in himself for so pathetically saying a revered name.
"But aye, Ser Promos is my Father... And I will become him when he declares himself slain. " He admitted, though he held pride in the discipline.
"He didn't die protecting me, but he did his best to teach me right."
A flicker of light caught his dark blue eyes from behind the veil, noting the forced nature of her smile. He respected it with a nod,
"I'd left my book back at... The Tower." His head twitched, unsure as to why it was hard to say.
"Ser Bartholomew the Grand had my book last, he lost his in the water." He explained with a sad shrug.
"But I think I can remember enough for a small prayer."
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Post by black379 on Apr 16, 2018 15:47:35 GMT -8
She hummed and almost chuckled, genuinely, at the mentions of the other names and their grandiose titles.
"How can he declare himself slain?" Courcy cocked her head in confusion. Her feet idly swayed side to side and she drummed her fingers on the dirt. She was unused to just sitting and relaxing.
"You had a book to tell you what to pray?" The ginger interrupted her question with another. "Can't you just... talk to him? Y'know, his spirit?"
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Apr 16, 2018 16:22:55 GMT -8
/The Squire of Ser Promos/
"It is a bit tricky!" The Squire chuckled, nodding along; he remembered asking the same question, though... with a much sterner response. A bit of chilidishness slipped into him for the moment and he felt a bit shameful, before shrugging, his chuckle subsiding stiffly.
"Hmm, well; usually they write a piece of paper... Fold it into their helmet, or their boot, or in the grip of a weapon." He explained, counting them off, he bowed his head in thought,
"There are... More but they're all special." He assured her happily.
It was curious, he hadn't thought himself to be a Sage, but here he was, reciting his knowledge. The Lectures and borish ceremonies felt worthwhile, for once; his pride shined in the subtle glimmers of his maile veil.
"Anyways; they usually say whether or not the boy should enter the care of a Mother, like Elaine, or if he's earned the name he squired to." He explained, there was a hint of fear in his adolescent voice, his Islander inflections catching a bit short in his throat.
"My Book, the Book of The Squire of Ser Promos... Title in progress-erh- Is just... Personal notes and studies I took from my tutors, really. You don't need one, some folk write lots 'cause they're forgetful, but it's full of memorable phrases that mean a lot to Squire... O-or even Sers.
It helps to have a book 'cause you don't wanna sound stupid to a spirit... It's sort of a big deal, y'know?"
He enjoyed the easier speech he had with this tutor for sure. Though, his head tilted slightly as she seemed to fidget idly.
"You got someone you wanna talk to?" he asked quietly, respectfully as he stooped forward a little. His chainmail rattling a bit coldly.
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