Recent Posts

I would like to request a posting layout please. I am not picky. Nothing over done. Maybe a calligraphic font or something. Thank you in advance.

--- Vaughn Adeney

Thats the best he got from her? How far gone was this man? How much did he care for the woman? Vaughn paused moments after he informed him that they were moving upwards. He turned to face Alistair. He was standing close to him, and looking directly at him. "If you have grown too much of a soft touch for her, then leave now because I do not intend of just getting a tour of the place." Vaughn was planning to steal things, and kill anyone who got in his way. But he was not sure what Alistair's intentions were. Yes, he had come with him thus far, but he had also kidnapped the princess with him, only to have things take a drastic turn.

"Decide now Alistair. For I will deal with you accordingly if you get in my way." Vaughn said it in both a serious and mocking way. A strange combination. While he was completely serious, a crooked smile played on his lips. He would give Alistair a few moments if he was torn, and then move forward with his plan.

Vaughn could not refrain from chuckling at Alistair's dead seriousness when it came to her. So ridiculous. It would be far more fun if he had an accomplice who was not such a softy. Then again, this would be something fun to provoke him with. He did not take Alistair's threat seriously at all. While he may have meant it, and he probably did judging from the sternness of his voice, Vaughn was not afraid to challenge the threat. "All is fair in love and war. You have played the first part, now I will play the second." War. Injuring. Killing. Death. While did not plan to seek out the princess and kill her, he was just entertaining the idea only because Alistair was so against it.

He began to walk down the hallway, still holding the torch and expecting Alistair to walk with him. "Did she tell you anything useful of her castle when you two spent all that time together?" Vaughn wanted to know where the gold and riches were, as it was different in every castle. It would be fun to explore it in the meantime though. Still. It would be helpful if Alistair got something out of here, other than intimate pleasures.

Vaughn chuckled, even while climbing up. He had gone to the window on the side of the one Alistair entered in. Before Vaughn went in though, he motioned to Alistair, pointing to the room he was about to enter, which was his indication to meet him in the hallway. They would either be entering the same large room, or ones that were right next to each other. When Vaughn got inside, he bumped into something. Damn it. It was too dark. Using what spatial skills he had, he held his hands out, not taking long to find a piece of the wall that moved: the door. He nearly stumbled out into the hallway where it was a bit better lit due to the torches along the wall.

He grabbed one and held it in the room trying to see what had been in there. Was there anything worth stealing? Not really. There was some odds and ends. Still, Vaughn grabbed a few pieces of cloth that would probably serve to be of some use in the future. After all of their kidnapping expeditions, who knew. He stuffed them in his bag; thankfully it was not too bulgy. When he went back into the hallway, he waited for Alistair to come. "I got some cloth to wrap the bodies in," he said, somewhat jokingly. "Just in case next time our venture does not go according to plan, again." The very first one had not. Thanks to Alistair's bizarre emotions. No matter. It was not something Vaughn held against him. They had still gotten the money, so in the end, it all worked out....for Vaughn at least.

When all three were finally dead, Vaughn still kept watching her, silently. She leaned over to catch her breath, and he did not ask her if she was alright, even though he did notice the cut and the fact that it was a bit deeper than a scratch. Instead of expressing any concern, he brought his hands together and made three, long and drawn out claps. His gloved hands muffled the noise a bit, making it more deep than high pitch. "Excellent performance." At least that much was true. "Except that you have a little something right here," he added, pointing to the same spot on his own cheek where her cut was. He was of course just pointing out the obvious, but enjoyed doing so in a bit of an annoying way.

"So not only do you like playing dress up, but you like acting like a knight too." He knew it went further than acting. She was rather skillful with a sword, that much was undeniable. But he was not one to give a person too much credit; he never cared enough to do so. "Who would have thought. A rich little spoiled daughter of a noble who is barley five feet, fighting with such anger and determination. I must say, what is this world coming to." He was still smirking, evidently entertained by what had made her so tired.

Vaughn was amused by both her statements and was about to express such amusement when there was another unexpected guest that made himself known. Or guests rather. Vaughn's instincts were quick, but this time he just watched the small girl playing dress up....stab a man? Well that was rather surprising. Yet Vaughn did not act surprised. Quite the opposite in fact. He just stood there, watching her. Did he know that there were many others swarming about them? Yes. Did he care? A little bit. Did he react? Not at all.

He wanted to watch the lady playing dress up, and see the extent of her abilities. As more bandits began to surround them, they tended to look at Vaughn first, seeing him as the first potential threat and more formidable than the woman. But he just stood there, extending his hand forward towards the woman. "Be my guest," he informed the bandits, practically inviting them to attack the girl. Vaughn was just spectating, enjoying the scene unfolding in front of him. Watching a female knight, which in itself sounded like an oxymoron, not only play dress up, but fight...well, it was not a common scene Vaughn witnessed.

Unfortunately, Vaughn could not get away with the role of silent spectator for long. One of them came to attack him, and in one swift motion, a blink of an eye really, Vaughn pulled both swords from their sheaths, which were strapped to his back. In the matter of a couple of seconds, the man's head who tried to attack him, was separated from its body. He lay on the ground decapitated and Vaughn was not even the least bit phased by what he had just done, or the image of the body and the head lying apart. Damn. Now he was going to have to fight. Still, he played more of the defensive role rather than the attacker. Anyone who came at him with a dagger or sword, would feel the tip of his own, or both swords, through his body. He still tried to watch the woman knight. He had no instinct to protect her, but was highly entertained by her combat abilities.

Vaughn continued to smile, and even chuckle at her question. "Even underneath all that thick armor, it is easy to tell you are in fact a woman. I do not think a man could display such ravishing features." Was she truly entertaining his idea? Humoring his comments? It was rather odd. Most women were taught to be modest, virtuous, they were even taught to be shy. As if someone could be taught that, but bold women were not looked at with the greatest favor. And here she was; encouraging him. Then again, it was not as if he could expect much more from a woman dressed as knight.

Much greater wants. Interesting. "And what sort of wants are these? I could help you fulfill those wants." He obviously meant it in a different way than she did, as he was moving on from the idea of a pony. But if she said it in such a way, then he could not resist in replying in the way that suited him best. "The armor must be dragging you down. Such a fragile and delicate woman should not be burdened with all this heavy metal."

Every man must decide
whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism
or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Vaughn watched her carefully for any reaction but she, much like himself, controlled her emotions and gave him a blank look instead. It was a skill that took mastering, and she was probably one of the few people he had come across who was able to do so. "Well it clearly elicited some sort of reaction from you," he began to say his smile ever so slightly widening. He was now rather close to her, or her horse rather since she was still mounted on it. "But yes, it is something I would expect you to react to. You are a woman after all, somewhere underneath all that heavy armor."

As he said that his eyes scanned her body as if he was imagining what was underneath that armor indeed. She looked very petite. Now that he was closer, he could get a better view of her and he noticed that her height was not that great and so if she was well proportioned, she would have a small frame. He said such things because after all, women liked flattery. One did not have to be particularly bright to know that. But it was all in the way one spoke to them. Knights were regarded as charming, smooth, suave.....Vaughn could be these things when he wished to be. In the presence of a woman, one such as this one, why bother refraining?

Every man must decide
whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism
or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Vaughn was indeed a bad influence over Alistair. But did he care? No. Tasks such as these were easier and more fun with multiple people. Last time, they had made a sufficient amount of money. Alistair dragged out the process far too long, but it did not matter to Vaughn since he did not have to be there for the duration of the plan. He got the money, they split it, all was well. And now, they could do the entire thing over again. He had managed to convince Alistair, only this time he would be the one grabbing the person.

He very discreetly worked it way into the city, his dark armor proving to be advantageous in this situation as it camouflaged well with the night. He strolled right in the city, looking around at someone, anyone, who could be classified as a noble. He knew that most of them were gone now, as yesterday had been the final official day of the festivities but he was relying on the possibility that some had stayed behind. He was looking at the entrance of the castle, devising a plan to get inside, past the guards, when he noticed a woman. She was walking out from the castle, but that was not what had caught his attention. She looked rather dressed up. Flowers in her hair, clean cut dress. She did not look like one of the wealthiest nobleman, but there was certainly potential. When she was far away enough from the guards he approached her. A crooked smile on his lips as he tried to appear as friendly as possible. "Good evening My Lady," he greeted, walking closer towards her, but not invading her personal space..........yet.