PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Satori
| Only the strong have a say in this world. The rest can take their place in the dirt! |
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Post by Bellona Battaglia on May 27, 2015 5:20:25 GMT
It was perhaps one of the pettiest things that Bellona could think of to dislike, but here she was. She absolutely despised formal dresses, and yet she was scheduled to go to the ball in Newhaven. Well, it certainly wasn't any fondness of formal events that had brought her here. No, it was the promise of trouble. If they were worth anything, members of Spectre would be at the event to cause trouble or at least rescue their prisoners. The ensuing fight was the reason Bellona was here. Plus, most of the council had been on the RSVP list as well (not to mention that one of them had organized it), so she was all but obligated. But instead of a formal dress, like Viola would no doubt have taken to immediately, Bellona was here in full military uniform. It was still a formal military uniform, showing off her rank and awards, but nonetheless it was her uniform. Bellona always saw herself more as a general than a noblewoman anyway. Two of her Pokemon, Fimbulvetr the Froslass and Mercurius the Aegislash, floated behind her, looking more like bodyguards than partners. Indeed, while Bellona had a healthy amount of respect and cared deeply for her Pokemon, she hadn't forgotten that they were ultimately tools of battle.
Bellona was introduced with a small amount of fanfare, fitting for a councilwoman but nothing too over the top. She made her way into the ballroom, shooting a rather irritated look towards the DJ as she caught sight of him. Who played dreck like this at a formal event, anyway? The kind of music, if it could be called that, currently filling the room was better fitted for a gathering of teenagers. That wasn't the reason she was avoiding the dance floor just yet, though. Bellona wanted to get a good feel for the place before she indulged too much. She hadn't thought much of Liliana and Alice's progress in dealing with the aftermath of the riots, but a mandatory attendance ball with a planned execution was certainly an enticing trap for Spectre. They would be here. The question was who, how many, and what they would try to do to gain entry. Plus, with how many nobles and councilors were in attendance, there had to be plans to defend them in place other than 'hope they can defend themselves'. True, it wasn't in question for some of them (herself included) but Bellona had no doubt that other nobles had nothing going for them beyond strong Pokemon.
Not that she had much of an issue with those people dying, but it would reflect poorly on the Empire if Spectre won a major victory here.
So for the moment, she simply walked around, taking in as much as she could to see what stood out. Anyone who looked suspicious, anyone who looked vulnerable. And anyone who didn't immediately back away in fear from the War Goddess.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Witch
| Dark skies are falling, the reaper is calling. |
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Post by Athena Delacroix on May 27, 2015 5:38:52 GMT
Something had to be said for the simplistic approach of simply acting like one belonged. It made quite a bit of headway when in disguise. For instance, the fact that a former assassin of the Empire was at the heart of a grand Imperial party without anyone the wiser. Dressed in the formal garb of a Captain, she wore a peaked cap upon her head and kept it tilted low to prevent a good view of her face. She wore colored contacts that painted her eyes blue and a wig of golden blonde hair helped cap off the disguise. Simply strutting about, making light conversation when necessary, she was the peak of a soldier playing nice in front of her superiors and hoping to catch one's eye. For the moment, Athena strove to avoid the Council members, shifting away from the focal points of wherever they occupied. It was easy to blend into the large crowd of citizens and soldiers in that fashion. Especially the citizens due to the rather... intimidating reputation of the one that held the army's reigns for their time here in Newhaven. She passed by a small group of men laughing loudly with drinks in their hands. However they suddenly grew quiet and it was enough to peak Athena's interest at the sudden shift. Their eyes were all locked in the direction she had come from and with a slight turn of her head, it was all too obvious what had caught the eyes of the soldiers. The azure haired War Goddess was always a sight to behold. Dressed in a prim white uniform that fit her role as one of the supreme commanders of the Imperial Army, the Froslass and Aegislash that accompanied her on either side certainly added to her air of intimidation and authority. And the rapier that was ever at her waist made one remember that the woman herself was no pushover even without the Pokemon that accompanied her. Yes, there was a good reason why it was Bellona Battaglia that should be the first of her targets. The greatest foe, the greatest challenge. But now was not the time. And hopefully the good Councilor didn't feel like mingling. The disguised soldier removed her eyes from Bellona's form, walking over to the punch table to refill her glass. --- Tags: Bellona Battaglia |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Crocuta
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Post by Bernard Goldsmith on May 27, 2015 14:50:09 GMT
Whether the Counselor felt like mingling or not was another question; Bernard, however, had found a pretty young thing in a rank lower than himself and he was quite content to join her at the punch table. He was there waiting, a soft smile on his face. He held out a hand to his unknown enemy. “Allow me,” he offered, tone courteous.
But if she paid mind to his decoration badges, she’d see it was unwise to refuse. The Lord outranked the “captain”.
If/When he successfully got her glass to refill, he’d take to her side, inviting himself into her presence. "Pardon me, but what’s your name? And, what’s your favorite battle strategy?” There. If she was a captain worth her salt, they could have a good conversation about this. It probably helped that he’d just seen the fabled War Goddess. She outranked him and quite frankly her frosty demeanor pissed him off a little—in his mind, the Empire was supposed to close and bonded together through hard work and ancestry—but he respected the Counselor all the same.
All the same, how would the blue haired woman react to the blond harassing clearly trying to begin a courtship with this blonde.
ooc: hope it's find to throw big bernie in to annoy everyone spice it up
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Satori
| Only the strong have a say in this world. The rest can take their place in the dirt! |
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Post by Bellona Battaglia on May 27, 2015 17:52:10 GMT
Curious. The soldiers seemed to already be mingling with the other guests. Of course, they would be guests of the party as well, just ready to spring into action at a moment's notice if things went south. But Bellona was surprised to see that, so early in the evening, they were already done with preparations and drinking with the rest of the guests. One in particular stood out to Bellona, though. One standing on her own near the drinking group, who had looked Bellona over a little longer than them before averting her eyes. Bellona wondered what was going through her mind. Fear? Admiration? Nervousness? She wasn't one of her own soldiers - more likely, one of the local officers reporting directly to Liliana or Alice - so she probably only knew Bellona from the stories.
Still, Bellona couldn't help but wonder if the stories had grown to the point where she attracted as much attention as the Butcher of Newhaven.
Before Bellona could approach the captain, now returning to the punch table, another noble did so instead, forcing himself into her presence. Goldsmith, if Bellona remembered correctly. A noble that Bellona had yet to be given a reason to care anything for. And what sort of line was that? Was he trying to court the captain with such a line? Hilarious. "Careful, Goldsmith," Bellona said, approaching. "At the rate you're going, people might think your atrocious pick-up lines are the deadlier weapon than your Pokemon. You wouldn't want anyone to retaliate in kind, would you?"
She turned to the captain. "While you're here, Captain, give me a status report."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Witch
| Dark skies are falling, the reaper is calling. |
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Post by Athena Delacroix on May 27, 2015 19:34:13 GMT
As the disguised "Captain" moved over towards the refreshment tables she noticed a man lurking near. Upon actually getting to her destination, the man was quick to move in, offering to fill her drink. The slightest glance at his decorative badges made him obvious as one of the Nobles that ruled the Realm. And though he seemed familiar to Athena, she was quite sure he was not. For it was the characteristics of his family that were so family that were so familiar. The Goldsmiths, rulers of Whitecoast and about as decadent as the Nobility got. Outwardly, the false soldier gave a friendly grin and nodded her thanks. "Thank you, milord."And then came the pickup lines. Yes, the notoriously bad pickup lines that the Goldsmiths really became infamous for. Inwardly, Athena groaned at having to respond, but another voice intruded upon the conversation. And certainly, it was one that she was both happy and dissatisfied to hear. For it was the voice of Bellona Battaglia, come for for a chat after all. She quickly shut up the Goldsmith lordling and then began to address Athena herself. She looked from Bernie to Bellona, a face that Bellona would not recognize. But the voice that came out was certainly of a vague familiarity. "The premises is secure, ma'am. No sightings of any so-called Spectre rebels yet." She replied while snapping a sharp salute, an actress well in her role. --- Tags: Bellona Battaglia Bernard Goldsmith |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Crocuta
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Post by Bernard Goldsmith on May 27, 2015 22:22:54 GMT
His smile widened, growing a bit. However, he was every inch the dog—or hound, rather—that he was rumored to be. The exposure was less joy at Bellona’s presence and more a show of teeth. His eyes flicked to the sides, minding his persian. No, no, no matter how the woman’s tongue riled him (was she incapable of civilty?) she outranked him and he would continue to be a good example of how the Empire was to function.
“Do you think I’ll get the title of lady killer, then?” he inquired. And, what, exactly, did he mean by that statement? “But, they’re quite welcome to.” Again, a sentence with two meanings. If the Counselor was ready to give him an excuse, the vengeful noble was ready to act upon it.
But, all the same, the smile remained.
After a moment, a though struck him. Bellona didn’t know the girl’s name, either. “… she’s not one of yours?” he asked, speaking over the “captain.” If neither of them knew her, that meant she wasn’t one of the elite soldiers under the War Goddess nor was she a child of a noble family. For her to get to this rank, then, would mean she was a fine fighter. ... then again, the Counselor was probably the type to forget her own underlings.
Flirtation aside, he really was interested in hearing her battle strategy, now. |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Satori
| Only the strong have a say in this world. The rest can take their place in the dirt! |
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Post by Bellona Battaglia on May 28, 2015 3:58:03 GMT
"Don't flatter yourself, Goldsmith," Bellona said coldly. He took her statement in stride, which was to be commended, but he still must have been quite full of himself in order to come to such a response. 'Lady killer' indeed. And he seemed to be inviting a response, at that. But as much as Bellona wanted to give it, she was far too civil to start a fight in the middle of a ballroom, so early in the night. No, she had her targets, and was not so lacking in them yet that she would turn her blade on high-ranking nobles of the realm. But if he fell in the midst of the fighting, she would not trouble herself over it.
She turned back to the captain to hear her report. "Of course not," Bellona said, in part to herself. "I would not expect them to be fool enough to give themselves away so soon. No, they'll likely be in disguise and trying to blend in. Keep an eye out, Captain. We don't necessarily know who our enemies are yet."
She glanced back at Goldsmith, surprised that he would think she's one of hers. No, of course not. Bellona knew all but the newest recruits who served directly under her. Most of them, she had even hand-picked. "She is not," Bellona said. If Goldsmith didn't know her either though, then she probably wasn't from a major noble family. So she must have earned her rank through talent, rather than getting a leg-up from her lineage. Interesting.
"Although...your voice sounds familiar. Have we met before?"
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Witch
| Dark skies are falling, the reaper is calling. |
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Post by Athena Delacroix on May 28, 2015 7:28:02 GMT
Athena nodded her head like a proper soldier acknowledging orders. "Of course, ma'am. Our best men are constantly on the lookout." After the two had questioned eachother about whether she was part of their armies, the false soldier began to speak once more. "I'm from Newhaven, born and raised ma'am. Captain Samantha Lutz, at your service." It was both false and true. After all, the real Captain Samantha Lutz was born and raised in Newhaven. She just wasn't around anymore. "No, ma'am. Though..." "Samantha" adopted a slightly embarassed look, her arm lowering slightly to rub at the back of her neck. "It's silly, but even my younger brother says that I sound alot like a friend of his." She sighed. "I just seem to have one of those voices that everybody thinks is familiar."--- Tags: Bellona Battaglia Bernard Goldsmith |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Crocuta
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Post by Bernard Goldsmith on May 28, 2015 16:57:54 GMT
“Don’t need to,” he continued, unwilling to be the first to let it drop. She’d started it, he mentally argued. All the same, he had quieted down, bristling beneath the surface. Perhaps Angel could tell he was getting impatient. She weaved in between the legs of other ball attendees, returned from harassing whatever poor pokemon she’d managed to corner, to rub her head against his boot.
He had half a mind to tell them that it was probably fine to relax until the traitors were to be executed, but he kept his mouth shut. Maybe it was just him being pragmatic, but why would they act before then? What did they have to gain? The place was crawling with Empirical warriors; fighting for the sake of fighting would only end in their slaughter.
“Lutz,” Bernard repeated. Hm. Shame she’d brushed off his advances. She seemed to have a warrior’s intuition and she was pretty enough.
Seeing that he had nothing more to gain from the conversation, the blond gave Bellona what technically was a respectful bow even though his heart was removed from it and “Samantha” a brief nod. “Good evening, then.” With that, he walked off, his persian trailing after him.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Satori
| Only the strong have a say in this world. The rest can take their place in the dirt! |
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Post by Bellona Battaglia on May 28, 2015 20:57:20 GMT
"Lutz, is it?" Bellona repeated. She knew the name, at least. A fine soldier, who had distinguished herself during the riots a year ago. As she had just said, she was a resident of Newhaven, and had no noble background that Bellona knew of. Nothing major, at least. But since she wasn't one of Bellona's, she had yet to get a face to put to the name. Now she had. Although, even with her assertions of having a 'familiar-sounding voice', something about the face seemed familiar to her. "I have heard of you at least, although only from secondhand reports. It's a pleasure to meet you in person." It would be difficult to tell if Bellona's words were genuine or not, but she did at least sound less cold than when she spoke to Goldsmith.
Speaking of which, now that Samantha had introduced herself and clearly not responded to his advances, the noble of Whitecoast excused himself. "And to you," Bellona said, although she let out a sigh as he walked away that seemed a lot like a sigh of relief.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Witch
| Dark skies are falling, the reaper is calling. |
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Post by Athena Delacroix on May 28, 2015 21:49:30 GMT
"Yes, ma'am." "Samantha" replied as Bellona repeated the familial name. "It's a real honor to meet you as well, ma'am. I didn't think you'd care about someone like me. I'm just a soldier doing her duty, after all." The false soldier replied in earnest, apparently not catching on how little Bellona may have actually cared. After a moment, the Goldsmith man piped up again, rather sullenly stalking away due to the aggressive nature of the azure haired Councilor. It was honestly kind of amusing to see Bellona so visibly happy to no longer have him in her presence. It reminded the woman underneath the false identity of a better time. But at any rate, she had things to do now. And those things all centered around the woman in white before her. It hadn't been the plan to integrate herself with Bellona from the start, but now that the chance presented itself, it could be workable. "Ah, the Goldsmiths are something, aren't they?" She responded with a bit of a weary response of her own. "You'd think they could afford someone to write better material for them, huh?"--- Tags: Bellona Battaglia
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Satori
| Only the strong have a say in this world. The rest can take their place in the dirt! |
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Post by Bellona Battaglia on May 28, 2015 23:05:23 GMT
"Of course," Bellona responded. "You may not be one of my own soldiers, but I always care about those with talent." And it was true, Bellona was rather well known for scouting talent among other nobles' militias in search of more to add to her personal troops. Hers were the best of the best that the Empire had to offer, and if that ever changed she would recruit anyone who was better. Did that mean she was considering Samantha? Well, it was possible, depending on how the night played out.
She chuckled at her response to the departing nobleman. "That would assume they believe they need better material," she responded. "You did hear what he said after I showed up, right?" Either he was simply going along with the flow of the conversation, or he was quite full of himself. Either way, they were the words of someone who didn't believe anyone else to write his 'material'.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Witch
| Dark skies are falling, the reaper is calling. |
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Post by Athena Delacroix on May 28, 2015 23:27:02 GMT
Bellona always cared about those with talent, huh? That certainly brought back some words she heard well over a year ago now. But now was not the time to get lost in the past. Right now, it was a conversation between Bellona Battaglia and Samantha Lutz. A conversation between a battle starved War Goddess and an average soldier. Yes, simply nothing more than that. Though the chuckle that escaped the false soldier's lips was a genuine one. "Ah, good point. I suppose just being rich gets them everywhere down in Whitecoast." Not to mention the abuse of power, but that was a minor detail in the decadence. "Samantha" took a sip of her drink, feeling her throat growing parched. "If nothing else though, money can buy some nice food and drink I suppose. Better than the rations we usually get." In truth, Athena had tried the rations that soldiers got exactly once. She never wanted to eat it ever again. "How have you been enjoying the party so far, ma'am? Kind of a quiet one, though I suppose that's how formal events go. First time being at one, actually."--- Tags: Bellona Battaglia |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Satori
| Only the strong have a say in this world. The rest can take their place in the dirt! |
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Post by Bellona Battaglia on May 29, 2015 0:08:59 GMT
"Perhaps." Bellona's response to the Goldsmiths' wealth was quite dismissive. She didn't care much for their decadence, but she had no intention of stopping it. They were all loyal citizens of the empire. She was free to dislike them but, for the moment, she could do little else. As fun as it might be to march a division down to Whitecoast and stomp them flat, there was no justification. Now, if her current, elusive enemies happened to dry up and leave her with the hopelessly unequal relationship that qualified as peace in Loros...well, there was little telling what Bellona would do.
"Hm. That's quite a common complaint, isn't it?" Bellona asked, smiling almost wistfully. Nothing like MREs to remind cadets that the military was more than free job security. Well, that and basic training, but Bellona had never had any trouble with that. "Truthfully, I dislike this sort of event. I would much rather be fighting. Although I suppose it is better than most of my other duties as a councilwoman."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Witch
| Dark skies are falling, the reaper is calling. |
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Post by Athena Delacroix on May 29, 2015 1:15:09 GMT
Truth be told, Athena shared Bellona's discontent with the event. It was actually far from the first that she'd attended in order to get at the myriad of targets she had to kill over the years. And every last one of them was as boring as the last. Given the mess that Spectre would be sure to cause soon, that at least alleviated that bit of worry though. "Ah, I know what you mean. There's something special about being on the battlefield." The soldier adopted a whimsical sort of look. "I'm terribly sorry if this sounds rude, but I've always wondered why you joined the Council instead of staying on the battlefield yourself, ma'am. I'd have envisioned you at the very spearhead of dealing with these rebels here in Newhaven." It was a legitimate question that bugged Athena. The choice of a Councilor rather than a General just seemed simply odd. Granted, the Emperor certainly wasn't a man you just ignored if he wanted you on his Council, but... Somehow, that just didn't seem like a thing that would have mattered to a woman like Bellona Battaglia. --- Tags: Bellona Battaglia |
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