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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 5, 2021 20:37:47 GMT -8
Cerola wasn't lying when she complimented Roderick's nickname as a good strong one. And the reason was quite simple. Of course given how badly flat her joke fell - to put it in an understatement - she would have to wait until things cooled down first. Quick reaction times to the punchline. Roderick immediately dropped and shielded his head. The recovery after she broke out laughing was also appropriate. Cautious, but still aware of the situation. And understandably, quite upset. Which he made clear. The mercenary leader calmed down as Roderick expressed his being upset with words. But there was no question that there was still a slight sense of fight or flight in him. Which was fine. He took her offering with that continued cautious gentleness, and hugged it to himself. And then, their eyes met. What now? Well, it seemed he was just waiting for her to move next. Or, you know, waiting for an apology. Cerola nodded. "You're right. That was actually rather cruel. I apologise. That dark humour is usually the sort that I've gotten used to in this line of work." She cleared her throat. "I don't really mean to be threatening. So please..." she slid aside, making room on the log for Roderick to sit. "If you've still a long way to go, then you should take any opportunity to rest." She opened up her new chocolate bar and began to eat. Some people wonder no doubt why rations tend to be high calorie "junk food". Why not give the troops a nice salad? The answer really was simple. Life in the world of professional combat had a high calorie cost, especially with special forces. Even if you pigged out at every opportunity, chances are you'd still finish your tour of duty weighing less. But as to the earlier unanswered question... "It's in the meaning, really. Roderick is an old name and means something like 'Glorious King'. If they knew what it meant, your parents - or whoever first gave you that nickname - might have seen strength in you. And if you've already got the gumption to head all the way North on foot by yourself, then that name does suit you well."The mercenary leader looked off into the distance, down the dirt road surrounded by pine trees, up at the harsh grey cloudy sky... "We chose to train in this area because it's out of the way. Distant from the softness and conveniences of the civilised world. Where the soft can be made strong, and the strong forged into steel."She smiled, seemingly proud of herself. "But we're not just training. We too are moving north. A long march from West City, to the coast of the north sea. And what better way to make use of our time, than by training while we travel?"She punctuated this with a big bite of her chocolate bar. Every calorie counted. [484/484] Roderick
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Post by Roderick on Jul 6, 2021 5:15:54 GMT -8
He felt like circling her then, wanting to walk to relieve the stress and emotion of the situation but he didn’t dare to do so. He had to remain calm and make it seem like he was. He was happy at how in control he was over his emotions now. Lots of anger and crying in his younger years helped him learn that. He had to especially learn to control his emotions now since of hormones. He was just happy that he wasn’t too much like other kids his age. Least he was spying on anyone changing or anything. Did mean he didn’t have too many friends he could talk with. Sure he had friends in school but- wait, he was getting off topic. Was she still talking? Did he miss something?
He felt himself zone back in, being pulled from the clouds and back into reality. He took a deep breath in once he was back and then let out a sigh. He hoped that his face didn’t change at all while he zoned at. He wasn’t sure if it ever did or not so he had to just hope. He saw the puff of smoke that came from his sigh. That was still fun to see after all these years. Crap! Focus! She’s talking!
He was a bit surprised she actually apologized, not expecting someone to be sorry about what they did. Well, mean it anyway. Especially someone from… a private military? He was pretty sure she said she was from one. The uniform helped remind him. He glanced over to the spot next to the lady. She wanted him to sit next to her? Why?? Since it was a long journey? Why would she care about him? He tried to think about her reasoning of it going to be a long trip but still couldn’t find that to be reason enough. He could rest later. Maybe when he slept. He couldn’t just say no though. He walked as calmly as he could over to them, making sure there was at least 3 inches separating them before sitting down next to her.
“If I may ask, I don’t mean to be rude, why you so worried about me?” A slight accent came about at the end. A deep tone mixed with a grainy one. An accent we would know as Texan. His voice would occasionally do that. Just have another accent entirely. Sometimes he would sound to have a deep accent. Other times, he would sound to have a very high pitch. Others, he would just have his accent become incomprehensible if you weren’t really trying to understand him- off topic again! Listen! Listen! She might talk and then you’ll have to ask her to repeat! Idiot!
He blinked back to reality and came just in time to hear her explain his nickname. He was surprised she knew what it meant or at least have a general idea of it. “Huh, I didn’t think you would actually know it, miss.” He thought back to its definition, as best as his memory would allow him to “If memory serves me right, I think my nickname meant something about leader. If being there definition of a strong leader or a great one. The king being about how there was once a king named Roderick. However, that was a long time ago. Hundreds of years ago. Maybe more. Actually, probably more.” He corrected himself. He tried to stay focused long enough to listen to her.
He heard what she had to say and thought that what she was saying could be propaganda. She wasn’t trying to wrap him up in her paramilitary group, was she? Could this be considered paramilitary? He didn’t know the definition of paramilitary so he didn’t now. It was just a fun word to think of. Paramilitary. Made you sound cool if you had it in your title. ‘That there is a paramilitary group.’ He said in his head, thinking it was pretty amusing- Crap! FOCUS! FOCUS!
He tried to stay focused long enough to listen. He wasn’t sure if he was bored of her talking or something else. He noticed her smile as she spoke. He hoped it was just her being happy about her group being ‘strong’ and what not. “Oh, wow. That does sure sound nice and cool miss.” He tried to sound intrigued by how she described her group. He tried to sell the tone by making his eyes widen as he talked. Also trying to sound a bit childish in how he spoke. This time intentionally. “How do you recruit them? Like, do you find strong people and ask if they want to join or something? Does training while traveling ever slow ya down or is it only when down time?” Crap, he twisted his tongue and screwed up his words at the end. He hoped she just looked over that and answered his questions without making fun of him.
(“828 Words.”)
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 6, 2021 9:50:51 GMT -8
To someone who wasn't trained in dealing with other people, it might not have been noticeable at all. Indeed, it was rather subtle even to those with some experience. But Cerola had a lot of it. It was interesting to watch the reflections in Roderick's eyes slightly fade out along with his attention. But one could certainly give him credit for trying to stay focused. Well, she would have to keep that to herself for now. It was an interesting observation nonetheless. He sat down, still cautiously, perhaps even reluctantly. Strange women showing up out of nowhere claiming to be in a PMC really didn't sound like a good way to end the day. Along with having to listen to her go on about things that were likely irrelevant to him, there really was no reason to stick around. Still, his next question was direct and to the point. Sudden drawl in his accent aside, that was good. Indeed, something truly respectable. And so a proper question deserves a proper answer. "I wouldn't say I'm worried about you per se, given your confidence. But as a professional with some experience in surviving, I think it's fair to give out free advice, especially to the young." Heh. Well, 32 wasn't too old. But not exactly young either. If she kept this up she would probably start sounding like a nagging grandmother. Well.. she had no idea what that would've been like in any case. As it turned out, Roderick did in fact know of the significance of his name, expounding on it further. "In my line of work, you travel, meet people, and learn things. It's not always fun and games, of course. But when you pick up something new, it tends to stick."Roderick the Glorious King. If he worked hard enough, perhaps he could end up doing something fitting that name. Children. So much potential, and so many possible choices... Of course when a certain flag pops up, you tend to notice. The sudden interest in his voice was inconsistent with what Cerola had been observing in his eyes earlier. Suffice it to say, he needed to improve his game if he was going to be convincing. She chuckled. "It's alright, kid. No need to pretend you're interested. I'm not trying to recruit you into my outfit or anything. Like I said, it was just funny. Even though we try to stay away from people, someone still ended up finding us. So I got curious and came to see who it was."Roderick had his own life, needs, and probably goals, if he was going out of his way to head north. And depending on the faction, he probably wasn't old enough to enlist anyway. Not that she didn't accept child soldiers, but she understood that most people weren't Tuffles. Tuffles had the mental capacity to finish the equivalent of high school at the age of ten. They were old enough to serve. But that wasn't always the case for people on this planet. Cerola finally stood up and stretched. What an interesting find of a person. Maybe one day, he might make a good warrior, given his early start on traveling alone. "Well, I'd better get back to training my troops. It's a long way north, and the weather isn't getting any kinder. There should be a small teahouse offering free lodging a few miles further up. You can spend the night there."She whistled, and several bushes in the distance rustled for a few seconds. Fireteam Able was up and coming, and they certainly practised their stealth well. Even after revealing their position, they were still pretty much invisible. Not bad at all. The mercenary leader turned to face him. "Wherever you're headed, I think you'll have no problem getting there. If you got your nickname from how you do things, then I've no doubt. Go get em, Roderick!"With one last smile, Cerola disappeared into the bushes. There would be more training to be had today. Arboreal combat exercises, war games, and the like. And at this rate, the Battalion would probably reach the next stop point, Jingle Village, in a short amount of time. And given the upcoming weather, they might even be able to help get rid of the snow... Not that it was a fuss or anything. After all, snow reminded Cerola of home. [731/1215] Roderick
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Post by Roderick on Jul 7, 2021 10:01:33 GMT -8
He tried to keep focus as she talked. It wasn’t that she was boring… not all of it at least, it just was hard to keep focus on someone when you knew you had to be somewhere and the fact that it was still cold, the log icing his rear, AND he was freezing his legs off. His shorts weren’t helping. He wanted to put on his pants but he couldn’t change infront of her. That would be weird! Oh, dang it. He was at it again! Hehe, he was getting frustrated by his lack of focus.
He listened to her answer, hoping he wouldn’t zone out once again. He picked out some of her wording in that answer. Not exactly worried? Well… he didn’t exactly want to hear that- oh wait, she said given his confidence. Never mind. They were fine now. From how she said that last sentence, she did sound generous.
Wait, ‘Young’? Did she mean that as in people younger than her? Kids? Adults? How old was she? She looked young but how old was she? She did look 20 to him or around that. Maybe mid 20’s? No matter the age, he did feel a bit happier at the thought of someone older helping him out. He felt kinda bad then because he had just been nodding along to whatever she said. He hoped she knew that this was just his way of letting her know he was listening.
He assumed she was talking about her knowing a bit about his name. Well, nickname but at this point it might as well be his name. He still was surprised nonetheless that she remembered a bit of lore to his name. He honestly forgot her name already. Was it Ganesha? Genisa? Was that even a word? Greeka? She knew his name but he didn’t even know hers! He knew she told him but he couldn’t remember. Maybe he could be excused because they were talking about his name and not hers. That was a reason she knew his name, right? It could also be the fact he was horrible at remembering names.
A Glorious King did sound appealing to him but he was 99% sure he would never be one. The last king of the world was over 400 years ago and now anyone with said title was just that, a title. Didn’t mean they actually were. He had a good feeling he would never amount to anything except hopefully being stronger than any Saiyans. Took him awhile to know what they were actually called. It was unlikely he would ever be stronger than those crazy warrior people but it was nice to dream… oh crud, dreaming over, she called out his lack of interest.
His eyes widened in shock as she pointed out his lack of focus and he began to chuckle, not even going to try and deny it. “Ah man, was it that obvious? I’m sorry. Guess it makes sense to check out who came and interrupted your training though.” He wasn’t sure what she was referring to when she said it was funny. He didn’t know what was funny but decided not to ask about it. On the topic of enlisting though, he was pretty sure she wouldn’t even take him in even if she could. He didn’t think she would take in child soldiers- oh! She was standing up!
He was surprised by the advice. She was telling him something actually relevant to him! “Oh, thank you for the advice miss! I was just gonna go north and hope there was a hotel or something I could stay at. I appreciate the gesture.” Somewhere would’ve been a better word to use but it was too late to take back words. Well, everything seemed alright then! Seems like she didn’t have anyone pointing their sights at him- oh come on!
He tensed up at the whistle and even more so when he saw her squad. He made sure not to show that he was shocked from her actually having her squads surrounding and watching their every move. From now on, he would just assume any PMC leader always had their squads watching. He focused his attention back on the lady and just nodded at them like he had been. He felt just a bit more motivated at her words. “Thank ya! I’ll try to live up to and more then by my name Mam!” Crap! He said Mam! He just ‘calmly’ waved goodbye to her and her PMC before quickly beginning to change once he thought they were out of view. He could finally change! He was going to freeze out here!
Once he finally got his warm clothes on, he let out a sigh of relief. He quickly tied his bag back up, making sure he had everything inside before slinging it over his shoulder again. He was now hoping Jingle Bell city or town, whatever the name was, actually needed help when he got there. If not… well he would just look dumb. At least he would only look dumb to himself? He stuck his hand in his pocket, holding onto the chocolate bar before continuing his journey to JingleBellsville.
(“870 words. 1,698 words.”)
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 7, 2021 19:51:19 GMT -8
The convoy of electric blue vehicles rolled onward across the boreal plain, recruits still marching as per the requirements of their training. Above, a small flight of similarly-painted aircraft circled this group, with individuals occasionally breaking off to fly somewhere into the distance, while another returned from some far away mission. Their destination lay further ahead, north, to the edge of the sea and beyond. But for now, they would make their way to another checkpoint, one Jingle Village, which if the weathermen were any indication, would soon be facing a snow problem. Their intention was to simply stop over, rather than specifically help out. But since they were there, it was only fair to do something about the problems of your most gracious host. Second from the front of the convoy ran a multi-wheeled vehicle known to those who'd heard of it as "ADHQ-01". And this was indeed its proper designation. It was a specialised vehicle built by the Red Ribbon revivalist group the Golden Gate Army, designed to serve as a Mobile Command Centre. It fitted nearly all of the battlefield requirements of a commander's suite onto a single package on wheels. Those who knew it best, however, particularly Azure's Dragoons, knew it by its beloved moniker, "Blue Thunder". And to those stationed aboard it, it was the closest thing you got to home. "Convoy's at high speed, low drag, Hoss," Major Carnation shut her tablet after finishing the report. "At this rate, Jingle Village should be in sight by high noon. The hawk's just past, so we might have some trouble just rolling in, but them's the breaks."General Cerola - known primarily around here as Colonel Azure - nodded at the report. "Looks like the men will have to settle in after we've cleared the snow out. Have the shovel capsules been distributed?""Sent em out right after your order." A cheeky grin found itself on her face. "Can't wait to break in those baby blues for the arctic trainin!"Indeed... these new recruits weren't Dragoons yet. Not even Auxiliaries. They were new recruits. Baby blues. And they would remain baby blues even after they finished boot camp. Their baptism would be in the Yunzabit Highlands, once they successfully crossed the channel and made their way to the final destination without being detected by the Demon King's scouts. "Those who can't handle a simple shoveling of the snow are free to drop out." That always had been the policy. This outfit was open to anyone... but it wasn't for everyone. Some previously enthused Saiyans had even tried out early on, but quickly dropped out after getting bored and finding out that they had to learn to use firearms rather than their own ki in battle. Which was for the best. That might have led to more complicated matters if they ended up joining for good. But at least that warrior's pride was somewhat predictable. When your body itself was a weapon, then this mercenary group that used weapons was redundant. "So ya never finished that one 'bout the kid ya met the other day in the woods." Carnation leaned back into her seat by the wall, slid open a fire port, and stuck out her shotgun, looking for some unlucky bird outside that she could use for target practise. She was always in the mood for a good story to entertain her brain while her body searched for a target, as if on autopilot. Cerola nodded and cracked open a can of root beer. "I could sense he had potential. You don't wander around the cold with a power level of 150 and not have some sort of potential. In that way, it fits his nickname, Roderick. The 'Glorious King'. Though he still has a way to go before fulfilling that tall order, I wouldn't be surprised if he made it happen one day.""Ya mean ya scouted him and he didn't even notice?" There it was! A bird! Carnation took quick aim and pulled the trigger. Slug shot blasted out of her weapon and splattered the thing into chunks. This was a lot better than that duck hunt game, honestly. "I wasn't wearing my scouter, no," the general shook her head. "Just testing what other abilities I've picked up during my training. Like this ki sense.""Said he was headed up north?""That's right," Cerola took a sip from her root beer. "This isn't a prediction, or anything... but I wouldn't be surprised if we encountered him again on the way to the coast."And what an amusing coincidence that would be. Still, if that were to happen, it would be another opportunity to see just how well he could hold up to his name. It was always so fascinating to watch someone strong forge himself into steel. They didn't always have to join the Dragoons, as much as she would want to go out and ask everyone with that kind of inner strength. It was up to them personally. So if ever they did meet again, and he ended up deciding to try out for the Brigade, then there was no reason to refuse his attempt. After all, it would just be an opportunity for him to live up to his name. [880/2095] Roderick
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Post by Roderick on Jul 8, 2021 5:58:11 GMT -8
He woke up, his eyes not wanting to open since of the cold. He tried to wake himself up as he began to twist and turn in his bed. He had to shovel. He didn’t think there would be so much snow. He whined and groaned before he sat up, his eyes still unwilling to depart from the precious time known as sleeping. He wiped away the gunk from his eyes, helping him wake up since it was a task he needed to do. He didn’t know why but him doing that helped him wake up. He stood up, the cold hitting his body instantly. They can’t turn up the heat? He finally opened his eyes to look around at the room he was in. He gotten up from his fairly comfortable bed. Two pillows, a mattress, and a warm blanket was very nice to sleep on alone. If you didn’t have a crippling problem of being alone that is. He rubbed his arms as he walked across the room to the closet, opening the door and getting ready to put on clothes. It wasn’t weird to sleep naked, even if it was cold. He couldn’t handle sleeping with clothes on! It got too hot! Then you’re cold when you wake up. Well that’s something he can’t fix, now can he?!
He put on his boxers, thick padded brown pants, a black long sleeved shirt, some blue knee high socks, and boots to go along with it. He grabbed his large jacket hanging from the hangar and proceeded to put it on. Should he have put his shirt on or his pants on first? Why did it matter what he put on first? Well your chest is bigger than your legs. It’s a large part of your body than your legs are so wouldn’t it make sense to cover that part up first? First off, it’s called the torso . The chest isn’t your entire upper body. Second, it’s just normal and makes sense to put on the pants first. You have to stack them. You don’t put a block in the air and then place it’s foundation at the bottom. Why couldn’t you? It would just be more heat efficient to cover your chest, more important than your legs, than… well… your legs! No! You’re supposed to stack! You don’t start at the top! You start at the bottom! By that logic, why didn’t you put on socks first?! Socks don’t count! They’re basically different from your legs! You put on shoes on your feet! Those aren’t clothes! Feet are connected to your legs you idiot! You’re an idiot! No you!
He kept thinking this to himself as he made his way downstairs. He paid for a small meal, some bread and milk, before preparing himself mentally for the cold outside. He left the lodge that lady told him about and shivered when he felt the icy wind touch his cheek… he forgot his scarf… fu-
After some minutes wasted looking for it, he put on his warm black ski mask, a blue scarf, and some red gloves. He can wear a ski mask! It was cold up here! It’s not 50 degrees! It’s below 0! Shut up with your judgmental looks. He walked over to a nearby garage. Maybe it was a hut? He didn’t know what to call it. It was just a large, metallic, cylinder building with a door! He walked to the front of it, writing his name down and the time he got there before opening the door. He entered, wondering why it was colder in there than it was outside as he grabbed his shovel and left the building.
The crunching snow was very nice to listen too. He forgot to mention that. It was very nice to listen to that rather than just be stuck with your own thoughts. He made it to the road he didn’t finish yesterday. Thank god it didn’t snow again because he would’ve lost it if it had. He let out a sigh before digging his shovel into the snow and shoveling it out of the road. Was he really the only one there? Did he get there too early? He didn’t see anyone yesterday. Maybe it was because he just got there first. He tried to occupy himself by replaying events in his life. Let’s start with that lady he met days ago.
She was nice to talk to. Even if she did have her squad watching them. He couldn’t exactly remember what they had talked about but he didn’t remember something about kings. His name being about a king. He just laughed fo himself about the idea of him being a king. It was fun to day dream about things that would never happen. Would he even want to be king? It sounded fun. It would most likely not be fun but the image of him wearing a crown on a throne did seem funny. Those thrones didn’t even look comfy. They actually looked hard on the butt and back. Made of marble or something. Even if he was king, what would he be king of? A village? An area? Region? Country? Continent? World??? Out of everything, he would probably be the king of forgetting things. He really needed to work on that.
What else did they talk about… oh! Something about it PMC! He searched up what PMC meant and apparently it was a private military company. So he had actually talked to, what he assumed was, the captain of a private military. The thought didn’t scare him so much as shock him. At least he didn’t have any bullet holes in him? He wasn’t sure if all private military’s were as nice as them so he was grateful they were. Or… at least she was. He was honestly surprised at how nice and kind she was. Albeit, in her own cold and serious wa-…. What was that? It was either his mind play tricks on him or he thought he heard a faint boom. It was very faint but he did hear something, he turned his head in the direction of the noise. Momentarily pulling his ski mask off his ear to see if he actually heard something. Sounded like a gunshot but he wasn’t sure. He saw some birds flying in the opposite direction in the distance. Huh… whatever it was, seemed like it was just a hunter or something. Not like he could do anything about it. He kept shoveling and shoveling… he should probably listen to music.
(“1,097 words. 2,795 words in total.”)
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 9, 2021 7:46:16 GMT -8
General Cerola watched with quiet discernment as the new recruits - the baby blues, as the more experienced members of the Brigade called them - shoveled through the snow. The path to Jingle Village had been blocked by the snowstorm as predicted by the weatherman on the news. But this was nothing a sufficiently large number of hands could take care of. Not only was this a test of their endurance. This was also something of preparation for the challenge that lay ahead, further up north, where their prize lay buried beneath a glacier. She could hear them, of course. Some of the more eager recruits were in good cheer in their opportunity to test their mettle against a new challenge. Others who didn't exactly share their enthusiasm coped in different ways. Some cracked jokes at each other's expense. Like how that one guy couldn't shovel snow to save his life. Or how the inevitable mud found beneath the snow probably had a swirly pile of animal excrement sitting on it. Still, others just outright complained, only to shut up whenever the supervising veterans passed by to inspect the work being done - or more often than not, pitch in to help out. Yes, there were tests of endurance. Yes, the training program was intended to tear down individuality. But it was also meant to foster camaraderie, forge the esprit de corps of the Dragoons within this new flesh. They had even arrived earlier than expected, and at this rate, would actually be able to clear a usable path before noon. If all things went well, at any rate. "Looks like the dig's goin' as scheduled, Hoss," Major Carnation flicked the image on her tablet up into the air, projecting it into a hologram for her superior to see. "I reckon we should be able to clear this here path in time to get there by lunch.""I'm sure the troops will have worked up a hearty appetite by then.""33s are already cookin up the portions," she reported, turning an eye to the cluster of vehicles a few places back, with the smoke rising from their exhausts. "We'll be ready for that alright!""Any washouts yet?" They left West City with 4000 recruits. Some of those numbers had already thinned for various reasons, mainly physical, with a growing number of mental cases. Last report put them at just over 2800. This program was designed to weed out the weak, whether those weaknesses were in the body, or the mind. And since digging through snow was so important, this was perhaps one of the more indicative tests, given their primary purpose in Yunzabit. "27 dropped out durin' the march since this mornin. Nobody callin it in for the shovelin yet though."Cerola nodded. "Good. Then we continue."The convoy eventually started back up, and closed in on the town. Electric blue vehicles and their aerial support encountered villagers in heavy parkas. Some viewed them with suspicion. Most looked over, wondering briefly what this was about, before going back to their business. But the leader of the Dragoons soon found herself speaking face to face with the mayor, who welcomed them personally. After all, they had already contacted this town ahead of time. It would be rude to drop in uninvited. And so arrangements were made, and they arrived just in time. The veritable army of vehicles set up positions in the town's outskirts, propping up tents and other temporary if portable facilities. Places of rest. By noon, everybody was eating their rations, although as per their agreement with the town, a large number of volunteers continued to shovel. Instead of sitting down to a hot meal, they made do with carrying rations while they continued to work. Cerola would have to keep an eye on this list of names. Continuing to work the snow during lunch break was voluntary. And those recruits who decided to keep pushing despite their stomachs and aching muscles demonstrated a certain strength. In her eyes, they were just a bit more worthy than those who decided to sit down to eat. The general found herself also getting her hands dirty, taking a shovel and putting her back into it. After all, a leader would never send her men anywhere she would not go herself. This honestly reminded her of her childhood, growing up in the Arctic regions of Planet Plant, shoveling snow with her family. Times that truly warmed her heart, the more she thought about them... [751/2846] Roderick
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Post by Roderick on Jul 9, 2021 21:13:29 GMT -8
He continued to shovel by himself or so he thought. He tried to keep thinking to keep himself busy. Shoveling helped but after awhile, it just became background noise. The soreness didn’t come in until later. He wondered if he should join a PMC. Would it pay well? It’s not like his only goal was to be strong. Money was good too. He could buy a mansion, an island, a new phone, a portable charger. He was still upset he didn’t get one before he headed out. Now he just had to hope there was ports around where he shoveled.
He heard something odd though. He heard… shovels? Wasn’t he the only one here? He decided it could just be something else. He would check it out later. Besides, he was shoveling in that direction so he could see who else was here. Should he talk to them when he meets them? His phone was still out of power. He forgot to charge it. He had nothing better to do so might as well talk to them. When he reached there of course…
After what felt like hours, he managed to reach the source of the noise. He saw the uniforms the… Men? Women? Soldiers! They were soldiers of… a group. He felt like that uniform was familiar.
It took an embarrassing amount of time before he realized where he saw that uniform. It was from that lady’s PMC! Uh, uh…. He never got a name. What was her group called. He decided to just take a small break as he walked over to the soldiers. He glanced at their uniforms to have a better look at it before building up the courage to talk to the closest one.
“Hey, uh, you don’t look to be from around here. Where ya from?” He tried to sound as friendly as possible, not wanting to anger or upset the person he was talking to. He needed to know why there were here.
(“330 words. 3,125.”)
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 10, 2021 8:51:27 GMT -8
Corporal Maples was a veteran. One of the first to make it into the Dragoons after they got access to the Golden Gate's Power Armour stocks. First Squad, Bravo First. Unfortunately, by the time of General Gold's assassination and the Golden Gate Army's fragmentation, there were only enough suits to outfit the entirety of Alpha Company. As such, Maples and the rest of what would eventually become the Dragoons' Auxiliary force would have to make do with Golden Gate combat uniform and armour instead. Not that it was in any poor condition. The pay was good, after all. And with that pay, he could afford proper maintenance, even build up savings. In any case, he had no home outside of the Dragoons. He was the sole surviour of his village after a particularly vicious demon raid took a turn for the worse. The Golden Gate took him in, and he worked his way up the ranks, fighting back against the endless enemies that ravaged the region. Found his way into the Dragoons, providing infantry support, and boy was he good at it. So that when the Golden gate finally fractured, his future was secure. He had a home. He had family. Sure, fighting was all he ever knew. But at least he didn't do it alone. Maples shoveled harder into the snow. He didn't know what awaited them once the erstwhile Battalion now Brigade reached the coast. That was something the officers dealt with. As for now, he understood his orders, and they were to clear out the snow for this town. Might as well get it done and over with unlike a large number of the baby blues who were sitting down to lunch. The Boss herself even joined in some distance away. But of course. This was part of the plan to weed out the weak and select the next 2000 Auxiliaries. Whatever they were going to do once they got there, it would need three times the manpower they used to have. And he was proud to be part of that. A young man in winter clothes, likely a civilian, walked up to him and noted he - and presumably all these others with him - weren't locals. Then asked a simple question of origins. Maples put his back into the next shoveling, getting the head deep under the snow as possible. "Me? Just a village in the Southern Lands. But everyone else in my outfit? All over the place. What about, kid? You from around here?"[420/3266] Roderick
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Post by Roderick on Jul 10, 2021 12:16:10 GMT -8
He heard the tone and assumed they were male from just that. He wasn’t exactly asking where they were born. He wanted to know where did this… PMC come from. He probably should’ve been more clear with what he asked. The soldier asked a question so he might as well answer now.
“Um, no. Not exactly. Just came here to shovel snow. I heard they would need help and I decided I could lend a hand.” That wasn’t all he was here to do but it was a big reason why he was there. “Also, I wasn’t exactly asking that. Um, I was asking where you and your squad came from.” He said before realizing that could be taken the same way as his last question “Like… did you come from a base? From the government? Like, where?”
He glanced around himself, wondering where that woman was. She was commander or something so she probably was somewhere back in the lines. Or just in a cottage or something. Was she a commander? She could just be a lieutenant for all he knew. He then looked back over to the soldier.
Then it connected. Wait, southern lands? What he was doing in the northern lands? Where were they going?? “Oh, wait! To add to that, if you’re from the southern lands, what’re you doing in the north?” Wait… he didn’t even think of that before. What did a PMC want? He knew money but what else? Maybe it was just the soldier who had come this far but it was still surprising. Could he ever ask questions like this? Was it safe. Hopefully that lady was behind this since if she wasn’t, he actually could be In trouble just asking this.
He began to shovel the snow again while still looking at him. Might as well shovel. He hadn’t forgotten why he was here, somehow.
(“314 words. 3,439 words total.”)
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 10, 2021 23:03:05 GMT -8
Maples chuckled at the kid's response, nodding his head as he continued to shovel. "Ain't that right? It's always snowing up here. No wonder people keep shoveling." White snow flew over his shoulder as he established a pace for the new recruits to follow. The kid joined in to shovel. Well... everyone was here to do that anyway. Crazy northern weather just won't abate. "Put your backs into it, you Baby Blues! Let's clear out this snow!"On cue, every recruit within earshot increased their pace, pushing hard to keep up with the seasoned vet. If anyone had ever paid attention to Corporal Maples before, they knew he had been around the block for quite some time. If they performed well under his watch, that report would go up to the colonel. The kid then clarified his question. It wasn't so much about where each person in this outfit came from, so much as it was the origin of this military unit in particular. Maples hummed in thought. "We're a Private Military Company: Azure's Dragoons. If you've got the pay, we've the firepower. As for our base..."He pointed a thumb at the outskirts of the town, where the mountain started to steepen. Several dozen electric-blue military vehicles sat in view. Nearby, campfires kept some tired new recruits warm as they ate their lunch. Maples stopped for a while and peeled a chocolate bar to eat. "We don't have one. What we do have are a lot of vehicles to call home. Might even say we're nomadic."The kid added just one more question, to which he shook his head. "Yeah, I don't rank high enough to say anything about that. Why don't you go ask-""Something the matter, Maples?" a voice called out from behind. Immediately the corporal snapped to attention and about turned. There she was, sleeves rolled up, uniform covered in a mixture of dirt and snow. "No problems here, Boss! I was just about to refer this civilian to the recruiter for more information!"The Boss gave the kid a look, and apparently recognising him, smiled. "That won't be necessary, Maples. I'll take it from here. Carry on.""You got it, Boss!" Maples nodded and got back to shoveling. "Well, if it isn't Roderick! Fancy meeting you here." She took a moment to dust herself. "I couldn't help but hear you ask why we've come all the way up north? Well... right now, we're in the middle of training a new batch of recruits. And our destination is the northern coast. It's rather cold up there. A great way to separate those who can keep up with it, and those who can't."[446/3712] Roderick
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Post by Roderick on Jul 11, 2021 7:04:15 GMT -8
Ain’t that right? That was so amusing to him. Ain’t that right? Sounds like something some old grandpa would say to their neighbor while working. Oh, he was getting off topic. He focused back again, hearing him talk to the other soldiers there and referring them as baby blues. Huh, was that a nickname? He wondered why they would call them that. Baby blues…. Military… young…. These has to be recruits. He inferred they were. That or they just had weird nicknames.
He couldn’t help but speed up too when he heard the pace quicken. He couldn’t just let them shovel snow faster than him now! He only stopped for brief moments when Maples here would answer his questions or just talk to him.
So they did do this for money. He should’ve known that. Well he did but he felt like he just considered it. He had to be sure of it in order for it, to him, fully count. He got half points. He looked over to where Maples was pointing and saw the vehicles along with the recruits. Baby blues? Oh gosh darn it, that was a really fun word to think about. Probably even better to say. It got stuck to the tongue once you said it. He looked back to maples, seeing him with a chocolate bar. He remembered lady having a chocolate bar too. Was having a chocolate bar mandatory? Was it to refuel their energy? Or was it just a snack?
So they were a traveling band of…. Of…. Soldiers. Traveling band of soldiers. Instruments of war you could say. They were the musicians, their weapons were their instruments and the war was their stage. There wasn’t a war, at least to his knowledge, but he felt like war fit better.
He was thinking about this while Maple was talking, half listening when he heard a familiar voice. He came back into reality and looked over to the source of the voice. He noticed how Maples reacted and how he referred to them. This must’ve been his boss… he said it but he could’ve inferred it. So, what did that make them? Commander?
His eyes met the Cerola’s and then it clicked. It was- wait, no, it didn’t click… wait, yes it did. After she said his name, he realized who this was. It was that one lady from the forest! He was shocked they recognized him with the ski mask and jacket.
So this was a way to weed out the weak? Oh gosh, he didn’t like that way of thinking. He thought of it himself but he still didn’t like it. Uh…. A way…. To get out anyone who can’t handle this amount of pressure. Better! But she already had a better way of putting it. Those who can’t keep up… he was really fricking dumb. Oh crap, he should probably try to respond.
“Well hello there! It’s nice to meet you too! I’m surprised you could recognize me with the ski mask. I only have my eyes showing. Anyways, is that the only reason you’re heading up to Northern coast? To see who makes it and who doesn’t?” He hoped she wouldn’t ask if he remembered her name because he didn’t.
(“541 words. 3,980 total.”)
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 13, 2021 2:12:17 GMT -8
Cerola only smiled at Roderick's surprise at how she could recognise him even with his ski mask. And to be fair, a lot of people would ask this question too. After all, it got pretty cold up here, and knowing a person's face was secondary to keeping it warm. "That's true. But once you've been through enough of life, especially in one of conflict, you learn to rely on all your senses. I didn't need to see your face to know it was you." There were of course a number of ways one could tell. The simplest was a person's voice. If you knew them well enough, you could tell it was your best friend on the phone, even if you didn't have his number in your contact list yet. Someone who knew your best friend well enough and had the proper vocal range could also spoof his voice. That's why there were other senses to tell. Probably not taste, although that was technically possible if you were in the habit of eating people like the Majin. Smell was another option. Hang out with someone long enough, and you'd be able to tell it was them from their smell. Saiyans with their advanced senses and hunting culture often relied on this to pick up on their prey, if they hadn't developed a ki sense yet. Touch? Perhaps. But it was more useful to combine kinesthetics with vision, so that you could actually use a person's body language to tell them apart if you were observant enough. Of course these past decades, she had also been training with and using quite often. Detecting ki without a scouter. It was different from the way other people trained to sense ki, resting more in her psionic genes rather than the philosophies of martial arts. But there was enough overlap that she could make good use of it to tell people apart like a finger print, or sense their power level to an accurate degree. Roderick moved on to his next question, as Cerola took a to a spot next to him so she could continue shoveling. It was an understandable question. "It's part of a bigger goal, of course. We're expanding our operations to be able to provide security services to more clients. A lot of people do this for money, yes. But there are easier ways to get money than risking your neck on a regular basis. A decent office job with a steady income is a safer bet than getting shot at by terrorists or possibly obliterated by demons who fire energy beams from their mouths. So the kind of people who make it here... They don't just want money. It could be a number of reasons. Maybe fighting is all they know, and they enjoy it. Maybe they have a desperate need that can be quickly paid for by a single contract. Some just like traveling, and know how to protect themselves. They see our amenities are appropriate, even though they aren't at the level of a luxury hotel."The general shrugged and threw more snow over her shoulder. "But ultimately, aside from their strength in body, there is a mental strength that keeps them going where others fail."[539/4251] Roderick
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Post by Roderick on Jul 13, 2021 8:36:21 GMT -8
He was confused by the long explanation and tried to figure out what she meant before realizing she said senses. He assumed from the 5 senses… what were they again? Taste, touch, feel, see, hear. Okay! Least he remembered that. She probably knew who he was by his voice… damn, was he actually getting dumber? He knew he was forgetful but he hoped he wasn’t dumb. Maybe he should actually try to keep up with his studies or at least try to refresh his memory with knowledge.
The other senses? Touch was out of the question. She wouldn’t just grab him or touch his face to find out who he was. She already could’ve known who he was by hearing. Maybe sight could be one? There could be distinctive features of a person she could’ve picked up one. Like body shape, posture, height and stuff. She also could’ve told who he was by his eyes? His eyes were dark brown though and a lot of people’s eyes were brown so that couldn’t have been it. His skin color? Well, he was covered by his jacket, gloves, pants, boots, and ski mask. He could be mistaken for a saiyan under this…. Ugh. The thought made him shiver. Finally, taste…. Actually no. That’s weird. You wouldn’t just lick someone to see who they were. (“I’m sorry but the thought of a Majin coming up to someone and not being sure before then proceeding to lick them is hilarious to me. “Who’re you- wait, never mind. Stand still for me.” *Lick* “Oh, hey! I’ve missed you!” *The person in shock* “H-How do you know what I taste like???”.”)
He came back into it when he heard her explaining her little organization here. Once she got done talking about why she was doing this and why the soldiers were doing this, he felt like he should put in his own two little cents into the conversation. But he was the only one who could. It was just the two of them talking? Shut up. It sounded cool. “Huh… so you’re making them travel all this way to make sure they’re tough enough for the road ahead. Not only that, you’re making sure they’re mentally strong enough to keep going too. You’re also making them go all this way to expand your operations and have more of an eye everywhere so when somebody needs a little contracting, you’re there to provide your services. Each soldier may have their own reason to join. Usually it’s money but that isn’t the entire reason. It could be a part of it but I could also be that they need this money asap for their family or loved ones. Maybe conflict is what keeps them going. Maybe some of them just live in the battle. Maybe one of them wants to end it all but being in this here military keeps them going. Knowing that them being here extends their will to live by just a little. Hoping that orders keep coming because that noose is always a second away from taking their life… or they just really like fighting. Like saiyans….. um… I ran out of things to say. I’ll shut up now.” So he just rambled anything that came out of his head. Maybe he should talk less next time. He kept shoveling with her, wondering when feeling tired would kick in. He hoped he didn’t get too serious while talking. Did he him the conversation? He hoped he hadn’t. Sometimes his mind just lets go of everything he was thinking and let’s it all out when someone finally decides to talk to him.
(“554 words. 4,534 words in total. This is not including the words surrounded by (“ .“).”)
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 14, 2021 2:15:14 GMT -8
Cerola listened quietly, continuing to shovel as Roderick restated what she had said in his own words. This is one effective test to see if someone actually understood what you were trying to say. Instead of parroting back the exact thing, they could say it in their own way. Indeed, not only did he do that. He also added in his own input and understanding of the situation. "Yes, that's exactly right."A nod in deep thought, as she sent more snow flying over her shoulder. "There are some among us who enjoy fighting. There are others who fight because they don't know anything else. But I suppose it's funny that although Saiyans would probably love this job, they tend to bail pretty quickly."She stuck the shovel head down into the snow to take a break and eat from her chocolate bar. There was a simple reason for that, really. "It's because they find this too limiting. We use certain weapons and tactics. But from what I've seen, a Saiyan's body is their own weapon." Cerola pointed at the rifle slung over Corporal Maples' shoulder as he continued to dig. "A Saiyan doesn't need that. He doesn't even need a plane to fly." A bite of the chocolate bar before going back to getting rid of that pesky snow. Things were looking good, and this area was starting to clear out substantially. Soon, they could move on to the next spot. Lunch hour was almost over too. The rest of the Baby Blues would soon be back. At this rate, the village could probably be cleared in time for dinner. She gave the kid a look straight in the eyes. This was important. "Does that mean we are inferior to them? No, it just means we're different. I've killed my share of enemies in battle. Humans, Beastmen, Demons, Monsters... even Saiyans. Just because they can run faster, punch harder, or endure more fatigue than me, doesn't mean I can't figure out a way to defeat them."Yes... with the proper tactics and equipment, even the mighty Saiyans weren't invincible. The general pretending to be a colonel went back to digging. "But that's why training is more important than ever. And that's why we're here."Cerola looked his way again. "What about you, Roderick? What brings you all the way up here to help clear out the snow?"[398/4649] Roderick
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