..Olivianna..
✨️🦀 bumbling mermaiden 🪸✨️
Staff member
Herald
Inner Sanctum Nobility
- Local time
- Today 6:30 PM
- Messages
- 367
- Pronouns
She/ her
ABOUT
Here, I've compiled a thread of starters that I hope to reuse. More than likely the game in which this sample was taken from has fallen through for one reason or another.
DISCLAIMER
All starters come from a game that has gone a month or longer with no foreseeable response in the future. Some games I have an answer for being dropped, more have been on hold and not returned to, and the rest I'm still actively waiting for a reply. That being said, whichever starter we agree on, from that point on will have nothing to do with where it came from. All new games will be just that. A new game. If you are interested in reading and or adopting the previous original game, that could be arranged.
I hope you aren't put off by the place holder titles of the starters listed below. Because I'm big on my partner having enough wiggle room as possible to fit within the realm of the game, I've decided to title the starter after the character pairings. Should we move on, even beyond the planning phase, a more fitting title will be composed for the roleplay.
These will also be listed in order from most desired to the least. But that shouldn't keep you from inquiring about the last.
STARTERS
"How peculiar.." The intrigued nymph hummed. Her freckled nose bobbed beneath the next wave, pinching shut like a trap anytime the water flooded her nostrils. Unflinching white eyes stood out like seashells basking on the damp sand of her skin. From where she chose to lurk, a far distance from the turmoil by human standards, she could clearly see that one of the doomed intentionally leaped from the ship. It was a strange sight. 'Part of the crew, part of the ship' was the call wasn't it? Or was it only the human captain that went down with the vessel? She witnessed hundreds of shipwrecks in her time but never once had she seen a man so assuredly toss his life up to the winds. Olivianna was careful not to bring unwanted attention to herself or the catch that snared her attention. Her sisters whizzed by her, their shrill giggles and throaty gurgles tearing through the deafening crashes and roaring thunders of the storm.
"You choose to miss out again silly?!" A familiar voice sings into the matted green locks laced around her ear. A pair of abrasive hands slipped underneath her arms and snaked up her sides before suddenly coming down along the cloth that covered her sternum. She didn't need to look to know that they belonged to Arielle, her most carnal sister.
"No.." Came Olivianna's soft reply. Actually, she had planned on skipping the hunt this go around and humbly taking whatever her siblings scrapped once they had their fill of flesh. But, she had to know.
Rugged nails shred the coarse fabric down the center to free an ample amount of her speckled breast. "Then show it. You're the last thing he'll ever see. Thank him properly for the meal!" Olivianna wasn't phased by the fondling, she simply brushed the palms away and distanced herself. Arielle was proud of her youngest sister for even taking an interest in the hunt this time. Olivianna was a strange egg from the beginning, even down to the color. The 44 years she'd spent with her were unlike any of her 129 alongside the others. As Arielle considered her, the melanated mermaid laid her large, unsettling eyes back on her blue-eyed sister. If it hadn't been for the excessive amount of time Olivianna spent after dawn up on the surface, recklessly burning in the day, everyone would have missed the opportunity to eat fresh human meat. Arielle was grateful for her sister but no less creeped out at times. "I've chosen..." With that, I livianna's fiery-haired sister darted after the frenzy, swift as a mechanical harpoon. Olivianna's gaze went with her left as her body drifted right. Sure that everyone else was too busy to bother, she slowly made her way to the lonely, drowning man.
As she neared, she could see the human had much resolve. Countless times he surfaced and fought the forces compelling his life to leave him. In many instances, she thought to move in to aid him but he didn't need it. His thrashing was controlled and effective against the profound waves, but swirling debris cut in and bashed him about. The weight of the water also began to take its toll, she could tell as the last time he went under it took him longer to resurface. Olivianna allowed herself to sink as she stalked, inching closer as she nonchalantly wound a displaced rope around her wrist. The blonde male seemed to be all out of strength and air so olivianna swam after him. She caught him by one of his outstretched arms, looping a knot over his hand, and ushered him to the top. Mermaids were all as speeding bullets in the water, including olivianna, and unnaturally strong both in and out of the sea. But this last characteristic eluded her. She had to lace both of his wrists together with the rope before she could continue to make her way towards the cliffs. Olivianna pulled his arms over her shoulders, and with great effort on her part and a bit of assistance from the current, served as a sort of raft as she swam.
They came up to secluded rocks upon which she hauled him onto the flattest ones. Once settled, she hovered closely over the unconscious man, the tip of her nose only a hair away from grazing his matted lashes. The metallic scent of fresh blood made her throat constrict. It came from within his still chest. Olivianna wasn't hungry enough to devour a man. Or rather, her acute interest in him ate at her more. What compelled the boy to dive into the merciless sea as he did? It was a thrilling event to witness.
Olivianna bit down on her crimson-tinted lip to contain her darting tongue. Self-control was a fleeting thing in the face of such exquisiteness. She was careful to holdfast. Instead of immediately taking him by the mouth to draw the tasty waters, she drew circles over the cloth clung to his torso. She would be careful to avoid direct contact with his ghostly skin. The salt of flesh was nothing like the bitter mineral of the sea. It was addicting, and savory, and made her mouth salivate. Touching any bit of him too soon would put an end to her game before it began. The waters within him began to march to the rhythm she compelled. When it seemed all had joined the cadence, the mermaid traced the path from his lungs into his esophagus, then up through his throat, out the corners of his stale mouth. As soon as the last drop spilled over, olivianna pressed a rejuvenating breath back into him. It took more than three harsh urgings of his heart before his veins brought color back to his face.
Once satisfied he would survive, olivianna took a cautious glance towards the sands, one hand making sure his bond was secure. On the cliffs and dotted along the sands, she witnessed her sisters relishing their hunt. Lifeless bodies were being berated by the pink waters onto the shelf like a servant rolling sustenance onto their plate. Those would be saved for later, no doubt. Though hot blood no longer tendered the meat and intensified its flavor, the meat was still delectable and salvaged. Most men were still alive, though not for long as the maidens bit and ripped into them. A lucky few were put at ease with song and or sex as they were being devoured. But it had been too long since the last wreck. The mermaids were ravenous. Olivianna began to hum a chime-like tune out of habit, as she cautiously observed the slaughter.
"You choose to miss out again silly?!" A familiar voice sings into the matted green locks laced around her ear. A pair of abrasive hands slipped underneath her arms and snaked up her sides before suddenly coming down along the cloth that covered her sternum. She didn't need to look to know that they belonged to Arielle, her most carnal sister.
"No.." Came Olivianna's soft reply. Actually, she had planned on skipping the hunt this go around and humbly taking whatever her siblings scrapped once they had their fill of flesh. But, she had to know.
Rugged nails shred the coarse fabric down the center to free an ample amount of her speckled breast. "Then show it. You're the last thing he'll ever see. Thank him properly for the meal!" Olivianna wasn't phased by the fondling, she simply brushed the palms away and distanced herself. Arielle was proud of her youngest sister for even taking an interest in the hunt this time. Olivianna was a strange egg from the beginning, even down to the color. The 44 years she'd spent with her were unlike any of her 129 alongside the others. As Arielle considered her, the melanated mermaid laid her large, unsettling eyes back on her blue-eyed sister. If it hadn't been for the excessive amount of time Olivianna spent after dawn up on the surface, recklessly burning in the day, everyone would have missed the opportunity to eat fresh human meat. Arielle was grateful for her sister but no less creeped out at times. "I've chosen..." With that, I livianna's fiery-haired sister darted after the frenzy, swift as a mechanical harpoon. Olivianna's gaze went with her left as her body drifted right. Sure that everyone else was too busy to bother, she slowly made her way to the lonely, drowning man.
As she neared, she could see the human had much resolve. Countless times he surfaced and fought the forces compelling his life to leave him. In many instances, she thought to move in to aid him but he didn't need it. His thrashing was controlled and effective against the profound waves, but swirling debris cut in and bashed him about. The weight of the water also began to take its toll, she could tell as the last time he went under it took him longer to resurface. Olivianna allowed herself to sink as she stalked, inching closer as she nonchalantly wound a displaced rope around her wrist. The blonde male seemed to be all out of strength and air so olivianna swam after him. She caught him by one of his outstretched arms, looping a knot over his hand, and ushered him to the top. Mermaids were all as speeding bullets in the water, including olivianna, and unnaturally strong both in and out of the sea. But this last characteristic eluded her. She had to lace both of his wrists together with the rope before she could continue to make her way towards the cliffs. Olivianna pulled his arms over her shoulders, and with great effort on her part and a bit of assistance from the current, served as a sort of raft as she swam.
They came up to secluded rocks upon which she hauled him onto the flattest ones. Once settled, she hovered closely over the unconscious man, the tip of her nose only a hair away from grazing his matted lashes. The metallic scent of fresh blood made her throat constrict. It came from within his still chest. Olivianna wasn't hungry enough to devour a man. Or rather, her acute interest in him ate at her more. What compelled the boy to dive into the merciless sea as he did? It was a thrilling event to witness.
Olivianna bit down on her crimson-tinted lip to contain her darting tongue. Self-control was a fleeting thing in the face of such exquisiteness. She was careful to holdfast. Instead of immediately taking him by the mouth to draw the tasty waters, she drew circles over the cloth clung to his torso. She would be careful to avoid direct contact with his ghostly skin. The salt of flesh was nothing like the bitter mineral of the sea. It was addicting, and savory, and made her mouth salivate. Touching any bit of him too soon would put an end to her game before it began. The waters within him began to march to the rhythm she compelled. When it seemed all had joined the cadence, the mermaid traced the path from his lungs into his esophagus, then up through his throat, out the corners of his stale mouth. As soon as the last drop spilled over, olivianna pressed a rejuvenating breath back into him. It took more than three harsh urgings of his heart before his veins brought color back to his face.
Once satisfied he would survive, olivianna took a cautious glance towards the sands, one hand making sure his bond was secure. On the cliffs and dotted along the sands, she witnessed her sisters relishing their hunt. Lifeless bodies were being berated by the pink waters onto the shelf like a servant rolling sustenance onto their plate. Those would be saved for later, no doubt. Though hot blood no longer tendered the meat and intensified its flavor, the meat was still delectable and salvaged. Most men were still alive, though not for long as the maidens bit and ripped into them. A lucky few were put at ease with song and or sex as they were being devoured. But it had been too long since the last wreck. The mermaids were ravenous. Olivianna began to hum a chime-like tune out of habit, as she cautiously observed the slaughter.
"What does that say..?" She tilted her head to the side as if a different angle would help her figure out what the cursive called for. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a messy bun atop her head as she worked. She also went ahead and tore off the remaining shreds of her dirtied sleeves, as just like her hair, her clothes too could catch fire. Olivianna was doing her best to try and decipher the grimoire but the diction was dated and the ink used faded in and out way too often. One thing she was able to make out was her spell had the potential to combust if the wrong ingredients came into contact with each other. The battered girl couldn't afford any of that. Honestly, she didn't have the strength to do this but it was her last option. A warlock who had claimed been just a passerby had settled near and recently began encroaching on her territory. Normally, as a solitary eclectic witch, Olivianna would pack up her things and relocate. She wasn't part of a coven, so no aid there. Due to her practice being comprised of a bit of everything from elemental to green, and even a little cosmic if she put her mind to it, she wasn't strong enough in the right things to fight him off. She missed her opportunity to poison the fucker when they had first met and he purchased a few oils and herbs from her. Had she known he'd become the serpent in her garden, she would have done so. Now not only was he snaking around, but lately a few of his familiars have been stalking her religiously. Today there was a bit of a physical scuffle between her and a few of his demons. Luckily for Olivianna, she'd gone out to town on horseback and with a bow.
Otherwise, she'd have been a nice slab of mincemeat for the burly beasts. Olivianna encountered a pair of massive black ravens with two sets of lavender eyes, both she shot dead. Afterward, she was then pursued by a panther of a similar countenance as the birds. The panther wasn't as easy to handle, and she'd only done so by the skin of her teeth and a lucky kick from her faithful stud Odyessus. Thinking back on the brawl, she was thankful he hadn't been spooked too bad and circled back around to her after she'd been tackled from his back. She sighed heavily, rolling her shoulder as she dropped a handful of spice into her crucible. This was about all she could take. Olivianna had reached the bottom of the yellowed page, so all there was left to be done, hopefully, was to spell the mixture out and light it. The candles, specifically white but garnished with coal, were already out and in place, a ring of salt around the altar to entrap whatever it was her great great aunt summoned ages before with the ceremony. If the thing was feral, she could send it back as long as the ring stayed intact. She should have tried to decode the ritual before she began, but honestly, she was too desperate to wait a moment longer. This page had been specifically marked by her relative in the event she needed something to offensively preserve her life rather than just defend it. She wanted to rest and let the familiar she brought forth deal with the devils. Then when she was well enough they would go kill Mustafa.
Now she wasn't a summoner by any means, her magic practice was hereditary, passed down by her grandmother who was a simple secular witch. This ceremony stuff came from another branch. She wasn't even certain this should even be done in her little cottage but it was raining outside now. Water would probably affect the outcome of the summon so she didn't want to chance it. The odds of this going well were already slim just because she was the one trying to do it. But at the very least, the copy of the layout she made with the spices, shown in the diagram, was damn near perfect. After doing a quick inspection she moved on to getting a light and some blood. Olivianna lazily sucked on her teeth, wondering if there was enough on her gums for the cause but there wasn't. Reluctantly she took a small knife from behind a tear in her skirt. Her hand already ached from what was to come if her nose wasn't still bleeding. She pressed the back of her wrist into her lip and checked the tawny skin for a trace of bright crimson, but there was none. Damn.. cutting it was. Olivianna went over to the alter, careful not to disturb the salt, and stretched her arm out.
She took a few calming breaths, trying to pace her quickened heart and hype herself up to take a stab at her hand. She could do it... The stick between her index and thumb shook at her nervousness. It was no big deal.. just... As if sick of putting it off, the knife in her right hand pierced her left palm. The first few drops of blood missed their target but once the red stream hit the spice, it began to smolder. Part of her wasn't sure the trigger would but she was glad it did. Hurriedly, she struck the match she had pinched between her trembling fingers and dropped it over top of the stream of smoke.
As soon as the flame took, the lines she drew with the spices ripped a light, Olivianna traced the pattern with her metallic eyes all across the altar and floor, surprised that it even lit the candles that stood in the fuse's path. Once the spark reached all the way back around to the start she was thrown back, over the salt circle suddenly. too sudden for her to break her fall. The explosion winded her, blinded her slightly, and left her fighting through a cosmos of stars. In the beginning, as the spark made its rounds she had only smelt the aroma of her ingredients but as she lay on her back, the terrible stench of burning flesh filled her sinuses. Olivianna hated the smell of cooking meat. So where was it coming from? She did a mental evaluation and she couldn't feel any heat or burning on her. She got up quite noisily, as everything that was sore and aching before cried out in protest of her getting up. Her eyes fell to the alter a few feet away, between her and it now rose some sort of figure. A bipedal one. The realization that the being was humanoid sent a terrible chill down her spine that cemented her where she sat with absolute fear.
Otherwise, she'd have been a nice slab of mincemeat for the burly beasts. Olivianna encountered a pair of massive black ravens with two sets of lavender eyes, both she shot dead. Afterward, she was then pursued by a panther of a similar countenance as the birds. The panther wasn't as easy to handle, and she'd only done so by the skin of her teeth and a lucky kick from her faithful stud Odyessus. Thinking back on the brawl, she was thankful he hadn't been spooked too bad and circled back around to her after she'd been tackled from his back. She sighed heavily, rolling her shoulder as she dropped a handful of spice into her crucible. This was about all she could take. Olivianna had reached the bottom of the yellowed page, so all there was left to be done, hopefully, was to spell the mixture out and light it. The candles, specifically white but garnished with coal, were already out and in place, a ring of salt around the altar to entrap whatever it was her great great aunt summoned ages before with the ceremony. If the thing was feral, she could send it back as long as the ring stayed intact. She should have tried to decode the ritual before she began, but honestly, she was too desperate to wait a moment longer. This page had been specifically marked by her relative in the event she needed something to offensively preserve her life rather than just defend it. She wanted to rest and let the familiar she brought forth deal with the devils. Then when she was well enough they would go kill Mustafa.
Now she wasn't a summoner by any means, her magic practice was hereditary, passed down by her grandmother who was a simple secular witch. This ceremony stuff came from another branch. She wasn't even certain this should even be done in her little cottage but it was raining outside now. Water would probably affect the outcome of the summon so she didn't want to chance it. The odds of this going well were already slim just because she was the one trying to do it. But at the very least, the copy of the layout she made with the spices, shown in the diagram, was damn near perfect. After doing a quick inspection she moved on to getting a light and some blood. Olivianna lazily sucked on her teeth, wondering if there was enough on her gums for the cause but there wasn't. Reluctantly she took a small knife from behind a tear in her skirt. Her hand already ached from what was to come if her nose wasn't still bleeding. She pressed the back of her wrist into her lip and checked the tawny skin for a trace of bright crimson, but there was none. Damn.. cutting it was. Olivianna went over to the alter, careful not to disturb the salt, and stretched her arm out.
She took a few calming breaths, trying to pace her quickened heart and hype herself up to take a stab at her hand. She could do it... The stick between her index and thumb shook at her nervousness. It was no big deal.. just... As if sick of putting it off, the knife in her right hand pierced her left palm. The first few drops of blood missed their target but once the red stream hit the spice, it began to smolder. Part of her wasn't sure the trigger would but she was glad it did. Hurriedly, she struck the match she had pinched between her trembling fingers and dropped it over top of the stream of smoke.
As soon as the flame took, the lines she drew with the spices ripped a light, Olivianna traced the pattern with her metallic eyes all across the altar and floor, surprised that it even lit the candles that stood in the fuse's path. Once the spark reached all the way back around to the start she was thrown back, over the salt circle suddenly. too sudden for her to break her fall. The explosion winded her, blinded her slightly, and left her fighting through a cosmos of stars. In the beginning, as the spark made its rounds she had only smelt the aroma of her ingredients but as she lay on her back, the terrible stench of burning flesh filled her sinuses. Olivianna hated the smell of cooking meat. So where was it coming from? She did a mental evaluation and she couldn't feel any heat or burning on her. She got up quite noisily, as everything that was sore and aching before cried out in protest of her getting up. Her eyes fell to the alter a few feet away, between her and it now rose some sort of figure. A bipedal one. The realization that the being was humanoid sent a terrible chill down her spine that cemented her where she sat with absolute fear.
Olivianna carefully scooped a loaded spoon full of creamy potatoes onto one of two stone plates. Before her own serving reached its destination, she couldn't help but steal a lick. "Mm!" She did a tiny dance and rinsed the spoon clean. At the very least, the mashed potatoes were divine. Pot roast wasn't her favorite. It was a difficult cut of meat for her to not overcook, but it was Edmund's and he wanted it. Her husband worked too hard and made her life too easy for her not to extend her neck every now and again over a little pot roast.
She poked the edge of the wooden spoon into the stew, specifically at a hunk of beef resting along the top of the ceramic pot. To her delight, it fell apart and dispersed into the rest of the gravy. Oh, he's gonna love it... Onto the potatoes it went, banana peppers, carrots, onion, and all. He'll want to marry you all over again, she commended herself whilst walking the plates into the dining room. The glass table was almost ready for the two of them to come together for another home-cooked meal. The plates went down on the center of the placemats. Olivia took a brief moment to straighten out the silverware and proceeded to light the candelabra.
It was rare for Edmund to work from home. That made it a good day for her. Though most of the day he slaved away in the office, he did sometimes come to check up on her and witnessed her goings on. It gave her a little pep to her step and even helped her finish the dusting a whole 15 minutes faster than her usual time.
The cocoa-skinned beauty then darted back into the kitchen. She just needed the drinks. Today was a beer day. Of course, she wouldn't be partaking. Her and alcohol didn't mix well but it seemed to help loosen Edmund up so beer it was. She retrieved a bottle from the fridge and a chilled mug from the ice chest.
Bam bam bam.
"Would you get that, babe?" Edmund called from within the office. Olivia immediately stopped fiddling with the orange, at least the salt stuck, and rushed to the edge of the kitchen to better hear her husband's instruction.
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that." She stammered, frantically wiping the condensation and orange juice off of her hands into her apron. Olivianna contemplated whether or not she should meet him there or finish setting the table. Edmund was never mean or critical of his wife, she was hard enough on herself. But he didn't deserve to wait. Whether he worked from home or not, dinner was supposed to be ready as soon as he checked out of work.
"I'm trying to finish up this report..." Came his call again. She peered across the living space, down the hall, straight to the doubled front door. To her surprise, there were silhouettes of people waiting behind the opaque glass. Olivia hadn't heard the first knock. She hastily made her way across the hardwood when what she believed to be an arm rise to rap at the door again. It didn't bother her that the office, therefore her husband, was closer to the front door than she had been in the kitchen. If she could help him get finished in any way, she would.
Bam bam bam.
"Of course, love! I'll get the door." Olivianna fluffed her bangs and smoothed the silk dress beneath her apron. She was wearing her comfy slippers with the feathers on them and wondered if she were appropriate for the company at the door. What if it was someone from work? Did her apron hide enough? Her back was out but the gown could pass as formal evening attire... Though the slippers gave it away as nightwear. If Edmund hadn't any qualms about her getting the door then it should be alright.
"You didn't tell me you were expecting company. If you want them for dinner, I could set more plates...? Get changed..." But then again, when it came to work, Edmund had a way about him and sometimes lost himself. Maybe he forgot what she was wearing already. Olivianna wasn't quite sure exactly what Edmund did for a living but it often consumed him. As set as he was on completing the report, she was surprised he even acknowledged that there were people at the door.
"No, no company. It must be a solicitor or something. I'll be over in a minute. Just finishing up an email." Edmund shifted his green eyes a hair to meet his wife's as she passed by.
"I've got it. Don't worry love." Olivianna vigorously shook her head. The tight curls she set her hair in bounced comically around her shoulders which warranted a smile and brief laugh from her busy husband. Edmund found her adorable. He wished he could get away from his work to embrace her but there was much to attempt to resolve at present before the weekend. She hadn't known why he had given her a laugh but she returned the gesture. Edmund gave her a dismissive flick of his speckled chin and made it a point to resume hammering at his keyboard.
The lady skipped happily down the foyer to regain lost time. Whoever was at the door hadn't waited very long but she felt bad for not turning them away sooner. After adjusting the collar of her apron to feign modesty, she freed the bolt and pulled one of the heavy doors open.
"Evening-." She tried to hold a smile but the startle that blindsided her snatched the corners of her mouth down into a frown. The men that were on her porch most definitely didn't belong anywhere near here. They looked like bouncers. The ones from tv that stood outside the back door of a biker club or something. The duo were in dark, depressing clothes that were definitely kind of tight. Scary...
But maybe she was just being judgemental...
"Um... how can I help you?" Olivianna found herself slowly inching the front door closed. The two burly men stared on, eye level. Their distant gaze went on past her head and even still through the door as if she were not even there and as if the door were a clear curtain. She's seen those videos of houses being scoped out by random strangers for a later robbery. Though in those videos, the strangers weren't so strange and acted as if they had made an honest mistake. The two reminded silent, un...caring? The vibe coming off the powder kegs unsettled her. They were like... menacing statues, just there to impose, which they did most effectively. "Maybe... I should get my husband..."
Olivianna gently closed the door and did her best to drop the lock in place without the men noticing. They didn't react... Just allowed her to, shut the door in their faces... Her stomach churned as her intuition demanded she just go get Edmund. On queue, he came stretching out of the office, tugging his trousers back down to his shoes. "Hey, Eddie..." He had been grinning but the look his grey-eyed girl gave him sent alarm bells ringing between his ears.
"Move babe." His brow bent as he tenderly pulled her behind him and motioned for her to go finish setting the table. Which she did not, instead, she made herself small at the end of the foyer. He took a steadying breath before running his hand through his spiked black hair as he prepared to give whoever scared his wife a what dor. Seeing Edmund at the door made her feel ten times better. The men didn't seem as big and suddenly she was now confident that the uninvited guests would see themselves off of their doorstep. She made her way back toward the kitchen.
She poked the edge of the wooden spoon into the stew, specifically at a hunk of beef resting along the top of the ceramic pot. To her delight, it fell apart and dispersed into the rest of the gravy. Oh, he's gonna love it... Onto the potatoes it went, banana peppers, carrots, onion, and all. He'll want to marry you all over again, she commended herself whilst walking the plates into the dining room. The glass table was almost ready for the two of them to come together for another home-cooked meal. The plates went down on the center of the placemats. Olivia took a brief moment to straighten out the silverware and proceeded to light the candelabra.
It was rare for Edmund to work from home. That made it a good day for her. Though most of the day he slaved away in the office, he did sometimes come to check up on her and witnessed her goings on. It gave her a little pep to her step and even helped her finish the dusting a whole 15 minutes faster than her usual time.
The cocoa-skinned beauty then darted back into the kitchen. She just needed the drinks. Today was a beer day. Of course, she wouldn't be partaking. Her and alcohol didn't mix well but it seemed to help loosen Edmund up so beer it was. She retrieved a bottle from the fridge and a chilled mug from the ice chest.
Bam bam bam.
"Would you get that, babe?" Edmund called from within the office. Olivia immediately stopped fiddling with the orange, at least the salt stuck, and rushed to the edge of the kitchen to better hear her husband's instruction.
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that." She stammered, frantically wiping the condensation and orange juice off of her hands into her apron. Olivianna contemplated whether or not she should meet him there or finish setting the table. Edmund was never mean or critical of his wife, she was hard enough on herself. But he didn't deserve to wait. Whether he worked from home or not, dinner was supposed to be ready as soon as he checked out of work.
"I'm trying to finish up this report..." Came his call again. She peered across the living space, down the hall, straight to the doubled front door. To her surprise, there were silhouettes of people waiting behind the opaque glass. Olivia hadn't heard the first knock. She hastily made her way across the hardwood when what she believed to be an arm rise to rap at the door again. It didn't bother her that the office, therefore her husband, was closer to the front door than she had been in the kitchen. If she could help him get finished in any way, she would.
Bam bam bam.
"Of course, love! I'll get the door." Olivianna fluffed her bangs and smoothed the silk dress beneath her apron. She was wearing her comfy slippers with the feathers on them and wondered if she were appropriate for the company at the door. What if it was someone from work? Did her apron hide enough? Her back was out but the gown could pass as formal evening attire... Though the slippers gave it away as nightwear. If Edmund hadn't any qualms about her getting the door then it should be alright.
"You didn't tell me you were expecting company. If you want them for dinner, I could set more plates...? Get changed..." But then again, when it came to work, Edmund had a way about him and sometimes lost himself. Maybe he forgot what she was wearing already. Olivianna wasn't quite sure exactly what Edmund did for a living but it often consumed him. As set as he was on completing the report, she was surprised he even acknowledged that there were people at the door.
"No, no company. It must be a solicitor or something. I'll be over in a minute. Just finishing up an email." Edmund shifted his green eyes a hair to meet his wife's as she passed by.
"I've got it. Don't worry love." Olivianna vigorously shook her head. The tight curls she set her hair in bounced comically around her shoulders which warranted a smile and brief laugh from her busy husband. Edmund found her adorable. He wished he could get away from his work to embrace her but there was much to attempt to resolve at present before the weekend. She hadn't known why he had given her a laugh but she returned the gesture. Edmund gave her a dismissive flick of his speckled chin and made it a point to resume hammering at his keyboard.
The lady skipped happily down the foyer to regain lost time. Whoever was at the door hadn't waited very long but she felt bad for not turning them away sooner. After adjusting the collar of her apron to feign modesty, she freed the bolt and pulled one of the heavy doors open.
"Evening-." She tried to hold a smile but the startle that blindsided her snatched the corners of her mouth down into a frown. The men that were on her porch most definitely didn't belong anywhere near here. They looked like bouncers. The ones from tv that stood outside the back door of a biker club or something. The duo were in dark, depressing clothes that were definitely kind of tight. Scary...
But maybe she was just being judgemental...
"Um... how can I help you?" Olivianna found herself slowly inching the front door closed. The two burly men stared on, eye level. Their distant gaze went on past her head and even still through the door as if she were not even there and as if the door were a clear curtain. She's seen those videos of houses being scoped out by random strangers for a later robbery. Though in those videos, the strangers weren't so strange and acted as if they had made an honest mistake. The two reminded silent, un...caring? The vibe coming off the powder kegs unsettled her. They were like... menacing statues, just there to impose, which they did most effectively. "Maybe... I should get my husband..."
Olivianna gently closed the door and did her best to drop the lock in place without the men noticing. They didn't react... Just allowed her to, shut the door in their faces... Her stomach churned as her intuition demanded she just go get Edmund. On queue, he came stretching out of the office, tugging his trousers back down to his shoes. "Hey, Eddie..." He had been grinning but the look his grey-eyed girl gave him sent alarm bells ringing between his ears.
"Move babe." His brow bent as he tenderly pulled her behind him and motioned for her to go finish setting the table. Which she did not, instead, she made herself small at the end of the foyer. He took a steadying breath before running his hand through his spiked black hair as he prepared to give whoever scared his wife a what dor. Seeing Edmund at the door made her feel ten times better. The men didn't seem as big and suddenly she was now confident that the uninvited guests would see themselves off of their doorstep. She made her way back toward the kitchen.
]Some harsh words had already been had on the flamboyant merchant, who was only a match for her only after that damned collar had been put on her or an orc-guard was present. Her desire to curse him, or at least knot his violet scarf taught, ate away more than the hunger pangs knawing her bones. Alas, she could not say, even if she were able to utter something even just slightly inconvenient, the state of her person now would surely suffer 5 times over. Besides, it would be wasted on him...
Olivianna hadn't taken her muddy eyes from the burning crucibles that were the stranger's to acknowledge Garunda. Something about his eyes captivated her but not in a flattering way. Her heart did labor though it was a dense sense of dread that saturated its chambers. Something, like intuition, chimed in over her internal aching and told her to be wary of him. Olivianna held her place at the back of the cage, making an effort to show she wanted to be as far from the pair as possible. She hoped the resolve she feigned was enough to make the creepy buyer pass her over. This was a slave auction after all. Not a recruiting station. No sane person wasted money on trouble.
Before the woman had time to formulate a plan of action should her crate be opened, the sound of her chain lead rattled along the bottom of her cage as the links slipped through the vertical rails. The merchant pulled her leash taut suddenly jerking Olivianna off of her knees into the bars harshly, her unprepared cheek taking the brunt of the collision. The slaver goaded the swelling flesh with a few pats as his smile taunted her and his ugly eyes laughed at it all. She attempted to pull away but wasn't allowed very far. The gold choker at her neck had been crudely rigged with an extension that allowed for a leash to be attached. The forage was sound, too strong for her to break, and well-soldered, there wasn't a kink to be exploited. It was a perverse modification of her native jewelry that sickened her to look at. As greatly as Olivianna didn't want to lose anything else that reminded her of home, the collar she could part with this...
Her eyes, after a slight readjustment, refocused on the man who produced a cloth full of clanking coins that he nonchalantly tossed to the annoying salesman, prepared or not, in dismissal. She couldn't contain the audible gasp of disbelief as that confirmed a purchase. Of her!
Me? Oh God... What did that mean? What would he do? More pressingly, how far would they go? Any farther into this side of the earth and surely, she'd fall off. Then she'd never be found. She'd never get back home... Never see... Odysseus...
The imposing man removed the thick hood of his cloak and Olivianna felt the last of her breath float away as she was struck by his foreign beauty. Was it foreign, or just refined? She'd been in the hell hole so long that he appeared to her as a pristine-skinned angel rather than a 3rd world infidel. He asked her name too soon as she still struggled to catch wind while her heart raced and her mind toiled with who he might be and where'd they go. Someone as gracious looking as him didn't belong in a place like this. He's my ticket out... Olivianna had been in the company of many a noble before and his presence fumed royalty, demanded respect and something a little more... malicious? She couldn't dwell on it.
After confirming the sum, Garunda produced a set of keys and unlocked her crate, trying to hand the man her lead. He ignored the gesture or rather, the man altogether, and instead commanded his possession to, simply, follow him. Should I or-? She dared not steal a single glance any other direction there where he silently indicated. Olivianna hesitated but was beginning to entertain the idea that he had sought her out, like some kind of angel sent to retrieve her by God's direct instruction, and would whisk her off valiantly to safety at his kingdom where she would reside happily until her resilient brother caught word of her whereabouts and came to return her home. She could hope.
She lowered herself out of the metal cage and was dwarfed by his height by a whole head. Olivianna looked up to him just as his hands came around her neck. Conditioned by the violence that reigned sovereign on this side of the earth, she shut her eyes tight in anticipation, drawing a large breath as insurance to sustain her should he choke her out. Maybe he'd manage to break the collar off. Could I make it through that?
She felt his warm fingers cascade down the exposed bits of her flesh and vanish down the leash. His gaze bore down her face with enough expression to poison a well, it was to ensure she understood a lead wouldn't be used but intimidation instead. In a smooth and swift motion, he tore through the metal, the choker upsetting still intact as if it were made of a single sheet of ice. Her stomach felt the force even from the grave it long since died in, as his strength was something even Odyessus the Ox would stagger at. Garunda cursed but the man shushed him, never explaining why the piece had to go, only why he should shut the fuck up. The way he spoke was direct and succinct and reminded Olivianna of a war general.
He turned to leave and she immediately stepped after him, as the safest place to be seemed behind his words and out of his way, though a rather unsightly hunk of steel made her second guess where safety actually lay. She'd never seen such a blade before and was unsure how he moved so casually with it. It had to be heavy.
She wondered what would happen to her next and where they were going. He hadn't browsed any more stalls or traversed deeper toward the auction, which made her wonder if he really had come solely for her. They made their way to a place full of wagons and steeds, guarded by a single orc who slept near the gate. Olivianna had trouble keeping pace with his long strides and struggled, even more, when he seemed to find purpose. They came to a waiting horse and carriage that obviously belonged to him.
He went around the side, stopping short before abruptly facing her. Olivianna was startled by how effortlessly he'd lifted her. It was as if she were a mere child again in the hold of her father. He placed her onto the bottom of the cart and told her to ready herself as he planned to ride full speed. He didn't give her a moment to address him, not that she could, and disappeared up to where the horse was. Olivianna looked around the various leather bundles and parchment, curious as to the many viles and glass bottles that dangerously rattled around her as the carriage was carried along. She didn't know what to make of the chain of events that seemed to befall her but didn't question it. Instead, she held to the railing as he told her to. They hadn't gotten very far when they were stopped. Olivianna heard the grisly sounds of an orc and assumed he'd reached a checkpoint. The low growls morphed into a saturated gurgle and a dark shower suddenly befell her. Olivianna looked to the sky, surprised as she hadn't smelled rain at any point she'd been brought to the forest. She peered down at the dress that clung to her as wetness bleed through the cloth. Literally. It was blood. She turned to see what was happening in time to witness the head of an orc bounce heavily beside the cart, its skull crackling on impact with the stone as it rolled to a halt. A stillness seemed to encase the entire wood until one women's scream woke the populace and sent everyone into a frenzy. Olivianna crowded in the wagon, covering her ears, unsure what to make of the wasted offering. Blood was meant for the gods, not as a dye for her clothes. The sight of it made her physically sick as her mind fluttered with the images of her brutalized family stained in their precious life force. A rusty odor pinched her nose as a bit of bile clogged her throat. She turned to vomit but swallowed as a familiar face crossed her line of sight.
Opportunity...
Her beastly buyer could take the fall for this one, not that he would, murder she was about to commit. He didn't seem to be one who cared about his reputation as he just declared war on the entire compound. The serpent of a trader was sneakily tucking items into his overstuffed pack when he felt her fuming eyes on him from only a few yards away. The two stared a moment more before Olivianna grabbed the nearest object, a potion of some sort, she didn't care to examine, and nailed the devil square in his side. He hadn't been prepared enough to run, instead, he shrieked like a woman and only held his arms up in defense of his precious face though the bottle shattered a ways lower. That was enough to irk her to action.
Whatever the thin glass housed burst into a green flame that viciously tore through the vendor's leather ensemble and pack strap. The potion consumed the material rapidly, the pale flesh of his belly nearly blinded her as his satchel broke free from his waist, spilling his stolen treasures and even coin all over the ground. Olivianna climbed onto the side of the cart, the buyer had just lifted her over. The merchant slapped his panicked hands at the residue, trying to put out the mystical acid, turning circles as he tried to escape the burning. She lept down onto his shoulders, hands out to take the violet scarf that was to be used like the noose she had always dreamt it would become. Her weight knocked him to the dirt, but she was able to land on her bare feet, one at either side of his head as she pulled the ends as tight as she could. The desperate man tried to yank the fabric from his neck but his fingers couldn't get a grip. He reached out toward the other merchants and servants that rushed past his blurring vision but none of them cared for him more than the security of their belongings. Olivianna found herself angered by the help he begged for as she had witnessed many a slave plead for the same kind of mercy he easily denied them. She stomped a heavy foot into the center of his back, grinding her weight into him, any breath he had left being pressed out of him like the last precious drop in a wineskin... Garunda dropped his arm, eyes turning past heaven far into the recesses of his head. Olivianna wasn't much for fighting or war or anything of the nature but a clean assassination was something she could manage fairly well given the opportunity.
Behind her, she could hear the roars and chaos of conflict brewing where the handsome mercenary had been stopped by the orcs. Olivianna thought about whether or not staying with him was her best option as of now. He just killed someone, a few of them, including her guy by association.
Could he handle an army of orcs on his own? Maybe... but Olivianna couldn't bet on that. Go. She wasn't foolish enough to dash while he was watching but the opportunity was much too tempting for her to withstand. When would she get another chance to slip away while he was preoccupied? Olivianna quickly gathered herself and searched for a window to blend into the chaos. She was thankful for her pigmentation as hiding would be made simple for her to bleed with the trees and rotted wooden structures of the camp. If only she knew of a different way to tread the exit. Her buyer was in the way of the most straightforward route so she would have to circle around. Olivianna glared over her shoulder, the empty sheath at his back seemed to be the only witness to her daring escape. She stepped over the dead man and pressed her way into the crowd.
Olivianna danced through the current of bodies, occasionally forced to traverse well away from where she knew the exit to be. She had a good sense of direction and didn't panic when she got turned around or caught up in a rush. She kept moving until she found herself in some sort of unattended holding area that housed several agitated horses, many more disturbed pack mules, and a few exotic breeds she wasn't familiar with. The freighted animals stomped and bucked noisily as Olivianna assessed the scene. It would be dangerous for her to secure one as another would surely kick or trample her. She began humming loudly, as loud as she could until eventually, a song left her lips. The song was made up of controlled fluctuations and an alluring tune that broke through the snares and pitched wails of the animals who soon seemed to be captived to solace by her voice. Despite the threat of being caught any moment now, Olivianna kept singing a few tranquil moments more to ensure all jitters were wrangled out. When it seemed safe, enough she swiftly made a decision to bail out on the first horse she could get her touch to. Unfortunately for her, the beast was strapped to a cart that would thwart her plans. So, she went to the next one, who.. was also bound to a wagon. Who can I unfasten the quickest? She wished she could ask as surely they'd answer.
Olivianna hadn't taken her muddy eyes from the burning crucibles that were the stranger's to acknowledge Garunda. Something about his eyes captivated her but not in a flattering way. Her heart did labor though it was a dense sense of dread that saturated its chambers. Something, like intuition, chimed in over her internal aching and told her to be wary of him. Olivianna held her place at the back of the cage, making an effort to show she wanted to be as far from the pair as possible. She hoped the resolve she feigned was enough to make the creepy buyer pass her over. This was a slave auction after all. Not a recruiting station. No sane person wasted money on trouble.
Before the woman had time to formulate a plan of action should her crate be opened, the sound of her chain lead rattled along the bottom of her cage as the links slipped through the vertical rails. The merchant pulled her leash taut suddenly jerking Olivianna off of her knees into the bars harshly, her unprepared cheek taking the brunt of the collision. The slaver goaded the swelling flesh with a few pats as his smile taunted her and his ugly eyes laughed at it all. She attempted to pull away but wasn't allowed very far. The gold choker at her neck had been crudely rigged with an extension that allowed for a leash to be attached. The forage was sound, too strong for her to break, and well-soldered, there wasn't a kink to be exploited. It was a perverse modification of her native jewelry that sickened her to look at. As greatly as Olivianna didn't want to lose anything else that reminded her of home, the collar she could part with this...
Her eyes, after a slight readjustment, refocused on the man who produced a cloth full of clanking coins that he nonchalantly tossed to the annoying salesman, prepared or not, in dismissal. She couldn't contain the audible gasp of disbelief as that confirmed a purchase. Of her!
Me? Oh God... What did that mean? What would he do? More pressingly, how far would they go? Any farther into this side of the earth and surely, she'd fall off. Then she'd never be found. She'd never get back home... Never see... Odysseus...
The imposing man removed the thick hood of his cloak and Olivianna felt the last of her breath float away as she was struck by his foreign beauty. Was it foreign, or just refined? She'd been in the hell hole so long that he appeared to her as a pristine-skinned angel rather than a 3rd world infidel. He asked her name too soon as she still struggled to catch wind while her heart raced and her mind toiled with who he might be and where'd they go. Someone as gracious looking as him didn't belong in a place like this. He's my ticket out... Olivianna had been in the company of many a noble before and his presence fumed royalty, demanded respect and something a little more... malicious? She couldn't dwell on it.
After confirming the sum, Garunda produced a set of keys and unlocked her crate, trying to hand the man her lead. He ignored the gesture or rather, the man altogether, and instead commanded his possession to, simply, follow him. Should I or-? She dared not steal a single glance any other direction there where he silently indicated. Olivianna hesitated but was beginning to entertain the idea that he had sought her out, like some kind of angel sent to retrieve her by God's direct instruction, and would whisk her off valiantly to safety at his kingdom where she would reside happily until her resilient brother caught word of her whereabouts and came to return her home. She could hope.
She lowered herself out of the metal cage and was dwarfed by his height by a whole head. Olivianna looked up to him just as his hands came around her neck. Conditioned by the violence that reigned sovereign on this side of the earth, she shut her eyes tight in anticipation, drawing a large breath as insurance to sustain her should he choke her out. Maybe he'd manage to break the collar off. Could I make it through that?
She felt his warm fingers cascade down the exposed bits of her flesh and vanish down the leash. His gaze bore down her face with enough expression to poison a well, it was to ensure she understood a lead wouldn't be used but intimidation instead. In a smooth and swift motion, he tore through the metal, the choker upsetting still intact as if it were made of a single sheet of ice. Her stomach felt the force even from the grave it long since died in, as his strength was something even Odyessus the Ox would stagger at. Garunda cursed but the man shushed him, never explaining why the piece had to go, only why he should shut the fuck up. The way he spoke was direct and succinct and reminded Olivianna of a war general.
He turned to leave and she immediately stepped after him, as the safest place to be seemed behind his words and out of his way, though a rather unsightly hunk of steel made her second guess where safety actually lay. She'd never seen such a blade before and was unsure how he moved so casually with it. It had to be heavy.
She wondered what would happen to her next and where they were going. He hadn't browsed any more stalls or traversed deeper toward the auction, which made her wonder if he really had come solely for her. They made their way to a place full of wagons and steeds, guarded by a single orc who slept near the gate. Olivianna had trouble keeping pace with his long strides and struggled, even more, when he seemed to find purpose. They came to a waiting horse and carriage that obviously belonged to him.
He went around the side, stopping short before abruptly facing her. Olivianna was startled by how effortlessly he'd lifted her. It was as if she were a mere child again in the hold of her father. He placed her onto the bottom of the cart and told her to ready herself as he planned to ride full speed. He didn't give her a moment to address him, not that she could, and disappeared up to where the horse was. Olivianna looked around the various leather bundles and parchment, curious as to the many viles and glass bottles that dangerously rattled around her as the carriage was carried along. She didn't know what to make of the chain of events that seemed to befall her but didn't question it. Instead, she held to the railing as he told her to. They hadn't gotten very far when they were stopped. Olivianna heard the grisly sounds of an orc and assumed he'd reached a checkpoint. The low growls morphed into a saturated gurgle and a dark shower suddenly befell her. Olivianna looked to the sky, surprised as she hadn't smelled rain at any point she'd been brought to the forest. She peered down at the dress that clung to her as wetness bleed through the cloth. Literally. It was blood. She turned to see what was happening in time to witness the head of an orc bounce heavily beside the cart, its skull crackling on impact with the stone as it rolled to a halt. A stillness seemed to encase the entire wood until one women's scream woke the populace and sent everyone into a frenzy. Olivianna crowded in the wagon, covering her ears, unsure what to make of the wasted offering. Blood was meant for the gods, not as a dye for her clothes. The sight of it made her physically sick as her mind fluttered with the images of her brutalized family stained in their precious life force. A rusty odor pinched her nose as a bit of bile clogged her throat. She turned to vomit but swallowed as a familiar face crossed her line of sight.
Opportunity...
Her beastly buyer could take the fall for this one, not that he would, murder she was about to commit. He didn't seem to be one who cared about his reputation as he just declared war on the entire compound. The serpent of a trader was sneakily tucking items into his overstuffed pack when he felt her fuming eyes on him from only a few yards away. The two stared a moment more before Olivianna grabbed the nearest object, a potion of some sort, she didn't care to examine, and nailed the devil square in his side. He hadn't been prepared enough to run, instead, he shrieked like a woman and only held his arms up in defense of his precious face though the bottle shattered a ways lower. That was enough to irk her to action.
Whatever the thin glass housed burst into a green flame that viciously tore through the vendor's leather ensemble and pack strap. The potion consumed the material rapidly, the pale flesh of his belly nearly blinded her as his satchel broke free from his waist, spilling his stolen treasures and even coin all over the ground. Olivianna climbed onto the side of the cart, the buyer had just lifted her over. The merchant slapped his panicked hands at the residue, trying to put out the mystical acid, turning circles as he tried to escape the burning. She lept down onto his shoulders, hands out to take the violet scarf that was to be used like the noose she had always dreamt it would become. Her weight knocked him to the dirt, but she was able to land on her bare feet, one at either side of his head as she pulled the ends as tight as she could. The desperate man tried to yank the fabric from his neck but his fingers couldn't get a grip. He reached out toward the other merchants and servants that rushed past his blurring vision but none of them cared for him more than the security of their belongings. Olivianna found herself angered by the help he begged for as she had witnessed many a slave plead for the same kind of mercy he easily denied them. She stomped a heavy foot into the center of his back, grinding her weight into him, any breath he had left being pressed out of him like the last precious drop in a wineskin... Garunda dropped his arm, eyes turning past heaven far into the recesses of his head. Olivianna wasn't much for fighting or war or anything of the nature but a clean assassination was something she could manage fairly well given the opportunity.
Behind her, she could hear the roars and chaos of conflict brewing where the handsome mercenary had been stopped by the orcs. Olivianna thought about whether or not staying with him was her best option as of now. He just killed someone, a few of them, including her guy by association.
Could he handle an army of orcs on his own? Maybe... but Olivianna couldn't bet on that. Go. She wasn't foolish enough to dash while he was watching but the opportunity was much too tempting for her to withstand. When would she get another chance to slip away while he was preoccupied? Olivianna quickly gathered herself and searched for a window to blend into the chaos. She was thankful for her pigmentation as hiding would be made simple for her to bleed with the trees and rotted wooden structures of the camp. If only she knew of a different way to tread the exit. Her buyer was in the way of the most straightforward route so she would have to circle around. Olivianna glared over her shoulder, the empty sheath at his back seemed to be the only witness to her daring escape. She stepped over the dead man and pressed her way into the crowd.
Olivianna danced through the current of bodies, occasionally forced to traverse well away from where she knew the exit to be. She had a good sense of direction and didn't panic when she got turned around or caught up in a rush. She kept moving until she found herself in some sort of unattended holding area that housed several agitated horses, many more disturbed pack mules, and a few exotic breeds she wasn't familiar with. The freighted animals stomped and bucked noisily as Olivianna assessed the scene. It would be dangerous for her to secure one as another would surely kick or trample her. She began humming loudly, as loud as she could until eventually, a song left her lips. The song was made up of controlled fluctuations and an alluring tune that broke through the snares and pitched wails of the animals who soon seemed to be captived to solace by her voice. Despite the threat of being caught any moment now, Olivianna kept singing a few tranquil moments more to ensure all jitters were wrangled out. When it seemed safe, enough she swiftly made a decision to bail out on the first horse she could get her touch to. Unfortunately for her, the beast was strapped to a cart that would thwart her plans. So, she went to the next one, who.. was also bound to a wagon. Who can I unfasten the quickest? She wished she could ask as surely they'd answer.
Thank you... For the warmth... She never failed, the goddess. She sent the sun to break through and cast its comfort over the chaos left behind after battle. Olivianna saw this as her pleased smile beaming down upon her for her triumph. Once the sun came up over the fields, Olivianna ripped her mace out of the brains of her final foe. The sound of part of his skull crackling as it came clean settled her heart like the sound of a hearth would to a hunter in the winter. She flung what she could off of the steel and dropped the weapon onto her belt. Before leaving the scene, she searched the deadman for the braided rope he tried to assassinate her with after she'd gotten the better of him. Despite how fast the fight had been, she noticed the refined Damascus that capped the end of the whip and thought it suitable as a replacement for her own strap.
These men, those barbarian heathens, though seemingly primitive and uncultured, were formidable opponents through and through. Their armor was lacking, consisting mainly of wooden shields and, after, only the hides on their backs. Their furs were plentiful and fine but the leather was basic. Their weapons were a marvel though, she could give them that. Olivianna would have a few ladies raid the grounds just for that after a little r and r.
There you are... She couldn't clearly read the runes along the flat of the blade tapped to the end but later when she cleaned it up and sharpened it, then she would be sure to give it a better look. As for now she rolled it up and secured it to her belt. Just getting the collateral count done was her top priority as it was the last thing she needed to complete before the order to head back home could be issued.
Olivianna pulled her soiled, speckled face out of her mess of muddied curls. Her raven hair was stained black and actually stung to tug at. She didn't mind getting dirty. Whether it was blood, gore, guts, or mud, it was the skin of a warrior and she wore it well. Well... That was until the shit dried and crusted three times over and made her hair impossible to detangle without a proper soak. She sighed as frustration began to itch the front of her mind. She climbed over the steep hill to survey the immediate area she ordered the other warriors to convene once the fighting was over which she said to be done as the sun rose.
What she witnessed pleased her. Women up, men down. Warriors doubling as nurses to the wounded, mothers to the now motherless, and acting as angels of mercy to the dead and dying.
At the crest of the hill, she rolled her aching neck and rotated her stiffening shoulders. As she stood, contently watching her women work, she did a headcount. Below her, nearly every woman she recruited for the skirmish was upright and probably able to march right on into another fight, save for the handful being tended by their sisters at the makeshift CSH. From where she was, she saw nothing too alarming. It was typical for a bit of resistance when rounding up the survivors. One little interaction did draw her attention from all the others. A big bruly man still had a bit of wrestle in him. Three Eves were surrounding him, getting him contained... Olivianna wondered if she would have to step in... Honestly, she hadn't felt like it and considered just giving the order to off him.
"Princess!"
Hearing her title called like that brought her down the other side of the hill. She slid on her hind leg and hand toward the bottom, to her second in command, Theresa. Before she even reached the base her women were making formation for her to walk the ranks. "Princess, the battle is won. What will you do with the remainder?" Theresa didn't need instruction but did her duty to make sure she was still on the same page as her commander.
As soon as Olivianna's bare foot hit the ground, an Eve stepped up. It was Gretta, offering her princess one of her own sandals to replace the one she lost. Olivianna declined with a gentle smile that caused the girl to flush a deep shade of red. Another, Michelle, offered to carry her loaded belt as she walked but Olivianna held up her hand and shook her head. She might need it still.
"Segregate the children, leave no mothers. Bring the girls. Girls that don't comply, leave to the wild alongside their brothers." Though they were a race made up of entirely women, none of the women that made up the ranks of Eve were prisoners of war. Over the years Olivianna learned that women, mothers from other nations, didn't take kindly to their men being castrated or killed. Inevitably, a mother or sister would act on her anger and seek revenge and or ultimately a revolution.
She issued the command bluntly, not at all phased by this seemingly calloused instruction. Children were precious gifts, no doubt. But that's why they were spared. The girls were brought home and raised well to later make up the clan's future ranks of Eve within Eden. Boys, not of age, were left where they were, as they were. Hopefully, by some miracle, the strong ones survived. Should they reach adulthood, they would make for wonderful laborers and strong bloodlines. Unfortunately, as they were, they had no place in Eden and would not find refuge there.
"Yes, princess. The men have been herded and await evaluation. I'll see to the women and children." Theresa bowed her burgundy head out and made her way to where a few soldiers were rounding up petrified children.
As she left, another soldier, Claire a little nimble something, eagerly rushed up to where Olivianna was standing, bucket balanced on her head. The princess smiled as the giddy girl offered her its contents. It was water, not much as most of it, Claire had been wearing. Nonetheless, Olivianna thanked Claire for retrieving her the refreshment. She took the bucket to her lips first and drank more than she should have before flipping the rest over her head. "Please, send as much as you can to CSH. Find Bethany and Britnay. Have them aid you."
"Yes! Of course, princess! Beth!"
[/JUSTIFY]
Olivianna hated this part. Her grandmother, Queen Lana, sent them specifically on this excursion for this part here. The Noah was set to begin soon and this season the Queen singled Olivianna out for not returning with a mate in her first season. Ever since Princess Ophila, Olivianna's mother, had passed, her grandmother has been anxious to secure a bloodline should her granddaughters die prematurely. Olivianna wasn't interested in any of that though. Men were worthless animals in her sight, no different than a wild dog... Well, slightly, she'd much rather lick a dog in the mouth than kiss a man. A man, her father, was responsible for her mother's death. She hated him for it. Despised every single one of them for it. If she were queen, which she may very well become should something render her grandmother or older sister unable, she would do away with the Noah. There were ways of sustaining Eden. Why not make the wives of the men they slaughtered do the labor instead of killing them? Why can't the sisters who won't abandon their brothers be put in the fields? They could be won eventually, given time, and accept that Eve was their only family from then on. Olivianna was willing to make anything work but Noah.
Despite the harsh rule against men, society couldn't deny that there was a need for them. The Queens before understood this though Olivianna refused to accept it. Sometimes the strength of one man could equal that of two or three women. That was useful for tasks and toils such as construction or mining. There was also the inevitable need for seed... Which unfortunately only men had. Women were a wonderful work of the Lord. They weren't made of dust but from a rib, bone. Bone's house marrow which creates stem and blood cells, two key components of life building. Women turned houses into homes, brought ideas to fruition, and were gateways between the gods and earth. They brought spirits to life and cultivated entire human experiences. Once God made the Earth, He left it to Mother Nature to handle the rest. But men held a certain power being made from the dust. They were a foundation, a platform set on nothing to begin work on constructing something. Without the seed of a man, a woman couldn't give life.
That's why they were tolerated...
Becoming pregnant and giving birth were vital roles for a woman to experience at least once in her life. For a princess, it was a sacred duty. Though Olivianna only acknowledged the warrior part, her grandmother was sure to remind her of the rest of it.
Olivianna's demeanor changed as she neared the place where the lucky few were being sized up. The ones that remained were the fittest their kind, able to fight off and defend against the warrior women until the first rays of light signaled the end. Her usually gentle gray eyes went a shade of black as she scanned the pickings. Olivianna was known for her grace and girlish beauty that never wavered even as she was, baked in grime and caked in gore. She was kind and caring and the embodiment of charisma. But when it came to composure when addressing a man, it was as if someone had strung 5gallon gords to either of her outstretched arms at the break of dawn and told her they couldn't touch the ground until nightfall.
Still... She was the princess and she would be damned if she let a man, completely, turn her mood. If she wanted to sour it, she could do it herself. Olivianna kept this in mind as her lip turned up at the start of a growl. The first man in the line already made her mad just from how pitifully he was cowering before her. All the trouble these barbarians gave them and now he wanted to be a good boy? Trash.
"Cain, Cain," Olivianna only took a single look at the stock and labeled them according to their physique and the life left in their exhausted eyes. "Seth, Cain, Seth, Seth," One after the other she sealed their fate and her women acted in accordance to the judgment. The ones called Cain were immediately bashed in the balls by Sonya and then rigged up with a rubber piece by Trish. Should they be called Seth, the lucky sob was roped into a procession of other similarly labeled. They went like cattle being herded for the stockyard.
As she neared the end of the line, she could see she was coming up on a couple of troublemakers. The latter being that man she peeped from on top of the hill. The first was thrown down at her feet by an annoyed Abril. The woman had her whip laced taut around the struggling man's neck. She rolled her gray eyes over to her princess, silently asking the question she already knew the answer to. Olivianna was impressed with her tolerance, as the prickly-haired woman had a heavy hand when it came to punishment. But she loved her princess and at the end of every day, she answered to Olivianna and wanted what she desired. As did all the ladies here with her.
The man fumed and fought beneath Abril's heel which turned his skin blue. Even though, he remained violent and became more ferocious as Olivianna neared. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed and Olivianna could see the way her punisher had him tied down might have been part of the cause. His shoulders had been dislocated, probably purposefully, and bound so tightly that his hands were crimson and swollen. Olivianna was familiar with his native tongue and was tickled. When was the last time someone dared curse her? The man had a cloth tied around his head that pulled his cheeks apart but she still caught the jist of what he was saying. "Ughck yuwh!"
You wish. He was the one that was fucked. What a waste of my breath... "Abel."
Olivianna smiled softly, sweetly, at the pitiful man, and for a brief moment, it looked as if he regretted cursing the angel. But too late. Abril raised her foot and brought it back down hard in the square of the man's back. Olivianna was sure she heard a rib give. He lost his breath and Abril made sure he couldn't catch it. She winded the whip around her gauntlet and proceeded to not only pull her arms apart, strangling him but leaned back as she did so, trying to break his neck.
Olivianna was curious as to what would be the method to end him. A brief glance down the line at the next Abel told her she hadn't the luxury to wait around and witness. She continued down the lineup, rather quickly tagging the remaining hunks of meat. "Seth, Cain, Seth..."
Regina stepped into the princess's path, placing a firm hand on the shorter woman's shoulder out of concern. She then warned her commander, as the woman seemed to be moving rather swiftly and coming up on the trouble a little fast. She didn't want Olivianna to be blindsided, not that the warrior princess couldn't handle herself. "It's your call princess, but I don't believe this one will come quietly... Or at all."
The man was unruly and needed the weight of three girls to keep him secure. Regina had been able to bind his arms but his legs were still free which the man was using to try and stand up out of the Eves' hold. The soldiers were using the whole of their bodies to counter his protest, kneeling low to the ground, ropes pulled tight, and heels dug into the dirt. "He had been incapacitated but woke before I could secure him. Forgive me, princess."
"That's alright, Regina." Olivianna assessed the man from where she was beside Regina. His physique was like that of a bull. He had a temper that might have even rivaled Abril's. She eyed his glistening skin. Behind the shower of sweat and blood, he was mostly intact, besides the gaping slice in his side that needed treatment. The blood was still red, black would have signaled trouble. For some odd, impossible reason, Olivianna was delighted by this. There was something about this guy that made her nerves ache more than they usually did about men. What was it though?
Even pinned as he was, Olivianna could tell that he was a towering sort, heads above her. But that was good. It just meant there was plenty for her to dismantle. Oh, how she wanted to take him down a few sizes just for the fun of it. "I'll take him, from here."
Closer now, she could see that his hair was stained garnet from mud and blood, but the red of his hair came through. It reminded her of Michelle's, though purer. She'd never seen the green of someone's eyes appear so crystalline like that of an emerald. The rage emanating within their core whispered to her adrenaline. As she came to the place before him, just out of arm's reach, she could feel her heart rate pick up as if she were braving the edge of a cliff. He was striking and strong... Wild and unhinged. He was dangerous. And she could sense that, smell that, as his musk was like that of the pine. Unmistakable, overwhelming, masculine, and imposing.
The smart thing to do would be to put him down. A man like him would never conform or behave. He was fuming with unbridled testosterone. He reminded her of her father, which disturbed her very soul. But that was just it... Wasn't it?
He was just what she didn't know that she was looking for in a man. A terrifying carnal beast that needed taming and torture just because he... Intimidated her. "...Release him," Olivianna instructed again as she undid the clasp that kept her whip attached to her hip.
These men, those barbarian heathens, though seemingly primitive and uncultured, were formidable opponents through and through. Their armor was lacking, consisting mainly of wooden shields and, after, only the hides on their backs. Their furs were plentiful and fine but the leather was basic. Their weapons were a marvel though, she could give them that. Olivianna would have a few ladies raid the grounds just for that after a little r and r.
There you are... She couldn't clearly read the runes along the flat of the blade tapped to the end but later when she cleaned it up and sharpened it, then she would be sure to give it a better look. As for now she rolled it up and secured it to her belt. Just getting the collateral count done was her top priority as it was the last thing she needed to complete before the order to head back home could be issued.
Olivianna pulled her soiled, speckled face out of her mess of muddied curls. Her raven hair was stained black and actually stung to tug at. She didn't mind getting dirty. Whether it was blood, gore, guts, or mud, it was the skin of a warrior and she wore it well. Well... That was until the shit dried and crusted three times over and made her hair impossible to detangle without a proper soak. She sighed as frustration began to itch the front of her mind. She climbed over the steep hill to survey the immediate area she ordered the other warriors to convene once the fighting was over which she said to be done as the sun rose.
What she witnessed pleased her. Women up, men down. Warriors doubling as nurses to the wounded, mothers to the now motherless, and acting as angels of mercy to the dead and dying.
At the crest of the hill, she rolled her aching neck and rotated her stiffening shoulders. As she stood, contently watching her women work, she did a headcount. Below her, nearly every woman she recruited for the skirmish was upright and probably able to march right on into another fight, save for the handful being tended by their sisters at the makeshift CSH. From where she was, she saw nothing too alarming. It was typical for a bit of resistance when rounding up the survivors. One little interaction did draw her attention from all the others. A big bruly man still had a bit of wrestle in him. Three Eves were surrounding him, getting him contained... Olivianna wondered if she would have to step in... Honestly, she hadn't felt like it and considered just giving the order to off him.
"Princess!"
Hearing her title called like that brought her down the other side of the hill. She slid on her hind leg and hand toward the bottom, to her second in command, Theresa. Before she even reached the base her women were making formation for her to walk the ranks. "Princess, the battle is won. What will you do with the remainder?" Theresa didn't need instruction but did her duty to make sure she was still on the same page as her commander.
As soon as Olivianna's bare foot hit the ground, an Eve stepped up. It was Gretta, offering her princess one of her own sandals to replace the one she lost. Olivianna declined with a gentle smile that caused the girl to flush a deep shade of red. Another, Michelle, offered to carry her loaded belt as she walked but Olivianna held up her hand and shook her head. She might need it still.
"Segregate the children, leave no mothers. Bring the girls. Girls that don't comply, leave to the wild alongside their brothers." Though they were a race made up of entirely women, none of the women that made up the ranks of Eve were prisoners of war. Over the years Olivianna learned that women, mothers from other nations, didn't take kindly to their men being castrated or killed. Inevitably, a mother or sister would act on her anger and seek revenge and or ultimately a revolution.
She issued the command bluntly, not at all phased by this seemingly calloused instruction. Children were precious gifts, no doubt. But that's why they were spared. The girls were brought home and raised well to later make up the clan's future ranks of Eve within Eden. Boys, not of age, were left where they were, as they were. Hopefully, by some miracle, the strong ones survived. Should they reach adulthood, they would make for wonderful laborers and strong bloodlines. Unfortunately, as they were, they had no place in Eden and would not find refuge there.
"Yes, princess. The men have been herded and await evaluation. I'll see to the women and children." Theresa bowed her burgundy head out and made her way to where a few soldiers were rounding up petrified children.
As she left, another soldier, Claire a little nimble something, eagerly rushed up to where Olivianna was standing, bucket balanced on her head. The princess smiled as the giddy girl offered her its contents. It was water, not much as most of it, Claire had been wearing. Nonetheless, Olivianna thanked Claire for retrieving her the refreshment. She took the bucket to her lips first and drank more than she should have before flipping the rest over her head. "Please, send as much as you can to CSH. Find Bethany and Britnay. Have them aid you."
"Yes! Of course, princess! Beth!"
[/JUSTIFY]
Olivianna hated this part. Her grandmother, Queen Lana, sent them specifically on this excursion for this part here. The Noah was set to begin soon and this season the Queen singled Olivianna out for not returning with a mate in her first season. Ever since Princess Ophila, Olivianna's mother, had passed, her grandmother has been anxious to secure a bloodline should her granddaughters die prematurely. Olivianna wasn't interested in any of that though. Men were worthless animals in her sight, no different than a wild dog... Well, slightly, she'd much rather lick a dog in the mouth than kiss a man. A man, her father, was responsible for her mother's death. She hated him for it. Despised every single one of them for it. If she were queen, which she may very well become should something render her grandmother or older sister unable, she would do away with the Noah. There were ways of sustaining Eden. Why not make the wives of the men they slaughtered do the labor instead of killing them? Why can't the sisters who won't abandon their brothers be put in the fields? They could be won eventually, given time, and accept that Eve was their only family from then on. Olivianna was willing to make anything work but Noah.
Despite the harsh rule against men, society couldn't deny that there was a need for them. The Queens before understood this though Olivianna refused to accept it. Sometimes the strength of one man could equal that of two or three women. That was useful for tasks and toils such as construction or mining. There was also the inevitable need for seed... Which unfortunately only men had. Women were a wonderful work of the Lord. They weren't made of dust but from a rib, bone. Bone's house marrow which creates stem and blood cells, two key components of life building. Women turned houses into homes, brought ideas to fruition, and were gateways between the gods and earth. They brought spirits to life and cultivated entire human experiences. Once God made the Earth, He left it to Mother Nature to handle the rest. But men held a certain power being made from the dust. They were a foundation, a platform set on nothing to begin work on constructing something. Without the seed of a man, a woman couldn't give life.
That's why they were tolerated...
Becoming pregnant and giving birth were vital roles for a woman to experience at least once in her life. For a princess, it was a sacred duty. Though Olivianna only acknowledged the warrior part, her grandmother was sure to remind her of the rest of it.
Olivianna's demeanor changed as she neared the place where the lucky few were being sized up. The ones that remained were the fittest their kind, able to fight off and defend against the warrior women until the first rays of light signaled the end. Her usually gentle gray eyes went a shade of black as she scanned the pickings. Olivianna was known for her grace and girlish beauty that never wavered even as she was, baked in grime and caked in gore. She was kind and caring and the embodiment of charisma. But when it came to composure when addressing a man, it was as if someone had strung 5gallon gords to either of her outstretched arms at the break of dawn and told her they couldn't touch the ground until nightfall.
Still... She was the princess and she would be damned if she let a man, completely, turn her mood. If she wanted to sour it, she could do it herself. Olivianna kept this in mind as her lip turned up at the start of a growl. The first man in the line already made her mad just from how pitifully he was cowering before her. All the trouble these barbarians gave them and now he wanted to be a good boy? Trash.
"Cain, Cain," Olivianna only took a single look at the stock and labeled them according to their physique and the life left in their exhausted eyes. "Seth, Cain, Seth, Seth," One after the other she sealed their fate and her women acted in accordance to the judgment. The ones called Cain were immediately bashed in the balls by Sonya and then rigged up with a rubber piece by Trish. Should they be called Seth, the lucky sob was roped into a procession of other similarly labeled. They went like cattle being herded for the stockyard.
As she neared the end of the line, she could see she was coming up on a couple of troublemakers. The latter being that man she peeped from on top of the hill. The first was thrown down at her feet by an annoyed Abril. The woman had her whip laced taut around the struggling man's neck. She rolled her gray eyes over to her princess, silently asking the question she already knew the answer to. Olivianna was impressed with her tolerance, as the prickly-haired woman had a heavy hand when it came to punishment. But she loved her princess and at the end of every day, she answered to Olivianna and wanted what she desired. As did all the ladies here with her.
The man fumed and fought beneath Abril's heel which turned his skin blue. Even though, he remained violent and became more ferocious as Olivianna neared. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed and Olivianna could see the way her punisher had him tied down might have been part of the cause. His shoulders had been dislocated, probably purposefully, and bound so tightly that his hands were crimson and swollen. Olivianna was familiar with his native tongue and was tickled. When was the last time someone dared curse her? The man had a cloth tied around his head that pulled his cheeks apart but she still caught the jist of what he was saying. "Ughck yuwh!"
You wish. He was the one that was fucked. What a waste of my breath... "Abel."
Olivianna smiled softly, sweetly, at the pitiful man, and for a brief moment, it looked as if he regretted cursing the angel. But too late. Abril raised her foot and brought it back down hard in the square of the man's back. Olivianna was sure she heard a rib give. He lost his breath and Abril made sure he couldn't catch it. She winded the whip around her gauntlet and proceeded to not only pull her arms apart, strangling him but leaned back as she did so, trying to break his neck.
Olivianna was curious as to what would be the method to end him. A brief glance down the line at the next Abel told her she hadn't the luxury to wait around and witness. She continued down the lineup, rather quickly tagging the remaining hunks of meat. "Seth, Cain, Seth..."
Regina stepped into the princess's path, placing a firm hand on the shorter woman's shoulder out of concern. She then warned her commander, as the woman seemed to be moving rather swiftly and coming up on the trouble a little fast. She didn't want Olivianna to be blindsided, not that the warrior princess couldn't handle herself. "It's your call princess, but I don't believe this one will come quietly... Or at all."
The man was unruly and needed the weight of three girls to keep him secure. Regina had been able to bind his arms but his legs were still free which the man was using to try and stand up out of the Eves' hold. The soldiers were using the whole of their bodies to counter his protest, kneeling low to the ground, ropes pulled tight, and heels dug into the dirt. "He had been incapacitated but woke before I could secure him. Forgive me, princess."
"That's alright, Regina." Olivianna assessed the man from where she was beside Regina. His physique was like that of a bull. He had a temper that might have even rivaled Abril's. She eyed his glistening skin. Behind the shower of sweat and blood, he was mostly intact, besides the gaping slice in his side that needed treatment. The blood was still red, black would have signaled trouble. For some odd, impossible reason, Olivianna was delighted by this. There was something about this guy that made her nerves ache more than they usually did about men. What was it though?
Even pinned as he was, Olivianna could tell that he was a towering sort, heads above her. But that was good. It just meant there was plenty for her to dismantle. Oh, how she wanted to take him down a few sizes just for the fun of it. "I'll take him, from here."
Closer now, she could see that his hair was stained garnet from mud and blood, but the red of his hair came through. It reminded her of Michelle's, though purer. She'd never seen the green of someone's eyes appear so crystalline like that of an emerald. The rage emanating within their core whispered to her adrenaline. As she came to the place before him, just out of arm's reach, she could feel her heart rate pick up as if she were braving the edge of a cliff. He was striking and strong... Wild and unhinged. He was dangerous. And she could sense that, smell that, as his musk was like that of the pine. Unmistakable, overwhelming, masculine, and imposing.
The smart thing to do would be to put him down. A man like him would never conform or behave. He was fuming with unbridled testosterone. He reminded her of her father, which disturbed her very soul. But that was just it... Wasn't it?
He was just what she didn't know that she was looking for in a man. A terrifying carnal beast that needed taming and torture just because he... Intimidated her. "...Release him," Olivianna instructed again as she undid the clasp that kept her whip attached to her hip.