The Vagabond

[I decided to start off with Ryan still being Vagabond because I couldn't figure out a Mad King scenario where everyone had an opportunity to reply, so,, idk someone can stumble on him hangin out with cows. And if you reply your response doesn't have to be anywhere near as long.]

The Vagabond was dismayed.

No one might notice, and even if they did, he'd simply say it was due to the news of the threat to the crown--news of course, that he'd spread himself. And it wasn't a lie. He was the threat, in fact.

But he'd hoped that the King would have chosen a different tactic to protect his throne. To split the divinities of the Tower to his trusted subjects, rather than having it forged into a crown. The former, however, required the King to underestimate the enemy, as it would be far easier to eliminate mortal subjects than a God united with his full power. Haywood would need to sneak; to kill quick and quiet. It may not be hard in fact--if the King so trusted the Vagabond to his word of such a tremendous threat, it was clear it would not be difficult to get near Geoffrey if he so wished.

He supposed the lack of bloodshed that would result from his plan was the most disappointing.

For now Haywood remained in his home, tending to his livestock until the panic dissipated and the King might tend less to his cursed crown. He entered his cow pen with muddied boots and buckets of feed, and he tended to the bovine, patient and serene despite the dirtiness of his work.

For he had, at least, planted the seed of paranoia, of mistrust. That was most important.

(eyyy time to scrape off some rust and do the reply thing. probably going to have some errors b/c i am so good at the english.)
(('your response doesn't have to be anywhere near as long'>makes longer reply woOPS))
(((also, was unsure if ryan himself had told the king about the threat or if he had simply spread it around the townsfolk. played it off as a bit of both, sorry if it's confusing)))

Pacing through his castle, King Geoffrey mulled over what he had heard. Something did not sit well with him in this situation, but he was unsure of what exactly could be causing his uneasiness. He pulled off his new crown, staring at it. The people would merely see it as a symbol of the King's control of his throne, but in reality it was so much more. It contained part of his power; power he had mostly given up to live a less complicated life with his subjects.

But the Tower had been a secret. Geoff was certain that he only told a few people of its existence, and yet still someone--or something--was after the power inside. Or so the Vagabond Haywood said. Geoff trusted him, and would even go so far as to say he would trust his life in the man's hands, but still he was uneasy. And the King did not know what was causing him to feel like this.

Geoff wondered if perhaps meeting with Haywood again would clear this nauseating feeling.

He put on his crown after deciding his next move, making sure that it wasn't crooked, and looked at his reflection in a nearby window. He looked haggard, and the scraggly beard he had begun to grow made him look very disheveled. He tried to loosen his features a bit and found he could scrape up a more pleasant look if he tried, and with that he decided he could head outside.

The King smiled as best he could at passing subjects, as he was hurrying to the Vagabond's house. When he approached, he saw the man tending to the cows, and took a deep breath as he grew near. They were alone, aside from the animals, but as Geoff walked up to the fencing of the pen he found his mind blank. He didn't know how to phrase his question. A cow looked up at him, blinking slow and looking almost wise as it chewed on the feed from a bucket nearby.

"Haywood?" Geoff called, finally finding his voice. "May I have a word with you?"

[Aaah I would say Ryan told Geoff directly, but a bit of both is good =u=]
[and i may have made mine longer oOPS]

The Vagabond's blood seemed to hum with the presence of the King. Now, with his crown atop his head, the power of his existence was felt thrice in intensity. No mortal could feel it--it was a force that surpassed the comprehension of a normal being's soul. He could feel the King approach before his footsteps were in earshot.

Now, the same should be true of Haywood; his power should make the air buzz in dissonance and give him away. But there came an advantage when one was associated with voids. He masked himself as an immortal in every sense possible. Not even a God could pierce his disguise.

And one must wonder if theatrics is sinful, if the Vagabond was so well trained in his kind facade. He pretended not to notice the King's approach, engrossed in his work until a glint of sun off the man's armor caught his eye. He blinked, looked up, and--spotting the great God himself--he startled. It was an honest startle. The King was alone.

He had right to be confident. Who would dare challenge the one and only God? Even if there was a threat. He supposed he didn't expect to happen on his challenger. Here. Alone with only the lowly Vagabond who treads through mud and manure for a living.

His work came to a halt and he straightened himself out. A grin formed on his mouth. He had to stop it from becoming wicked. Instead he made it kind, but wary. Paranoid. Anxious. After all, Haywood was the one that had proclaimed to have seen the threat.

"My liege," he said, his eyebrow lifting for a moment in that habitual way it did when he found something interesting, in this case his summons. The King, here, off his throne to greet him personally. What an honor.

It took much of what he had to keep his eyes trained off of the crown. He bowed, then washed his hands in a murky barrel of water and dried them with a ragged cloth, hanging it off the rim. "Of course." From the corner of his eye, he noted the cow nearest the closed gate cock its head toward him. He paid it no mind.

(imagining geoff creating like 4 prototype humans and watching them move around to decide how many limbs to give the final creation is amusing)
(gavin being one of the original humans and geoff keeps him around b/c he's amusing)

The smile on the Vagabond's face made Geoff pause, and in the subsequent moment his mind went blank again. His gut was suddenly knotted so tightly that it was all he could focus on for a while. His pleasant look faded a little when his brow began to furrow.

He took a breath, trying to regain his train of thought. "I wanted-" he started, attempting to get out some kind of sentence. He hadn't had this much trouble since the time when he was figuring out how many limbs to give the original humans. Eight was definitely too many.

"I wanted you to tell me about this threat. Again." Geoff went silent a moment. He didn't have to come up with a reason for his need to hear the details, being that he was King, but he felt like he had to explain his sudden request. "I've been thinking about it- a lot, unfortunately," Geoff admitted, sighing a bit. "There's something that feels off about all this, and I wanted to hear your report again. I don't know if that will clear my mind, but it will refresh any details I may be forgetting."

[o h my gosh thats great. clumsy silly early prototype gavin]

The minute changes that crept along the King's features were amplified to the Vagabond, and he mirrored them, wary grin slowly twitching down as his brows furrowed. Of course, it was the exact opposite of what he was feeling, especially as the King spewed and confessed of how his warning had sunk under his flesh like poison.

Nevertheless, the Vagabond allowed his own skin to pale, as a mortal's would when hearing news from a God that the Almighty himself is afraid. He leaned on the fence separating the two of them as if the world had suddenly dropped its weight on his back, and he sighed, hesitating as Geoffrey had, then nodded.

"Yes, it was--" Another pause, pursing his lips, making it seem like he was rolling words around in his mouth, trying to mould sentences out of the mess. "A shadow. It-- I thought I was dreaming. It hovered over me in my sleep and it was horned and black-- no, not black, it was--" He took on a thousand-yard stare, like a man so scarred from something that the image of it had been burned into the backs of his eyes. "It was... void. I looked at it and I felt like I was being sucked into it although I didn't move." Another pause, to swallow with a dry mouth.

"It spoke to me in a language that made my ears bleed and then it was morning, suddenly. And I felt... empty. Like something had tried to take control of me, hide in my skin." Finally, Haywood looked into the King's eyes, persistent but shaken, like merely speaking about it brought the Vagabond into a state of anxiety. He was shaking, lightly. Shakes of terror. Internally, though, they were shakes of laughter.

"I don't know if it was real or a dream, but it wasn't of my imagination. If it was a dream, it was a prophecy or a warning. I have no doubt."

(at this point in time i'm inviting anyone who's got a character for the au to jump in and kind of happen upon these two talking. b/c i think it would be interesting if someone walked up and saw the king being so worried)

As Haywood re-described the event again, Geoff's mind wandered a bit, trying to find some idea of where this thing could have come from. He thought of the monsters that rose at night here, but they were far too weak to fit the description the Vagabond was telling him. Then he remembered the planet.

The molten planet, so close to the giant star of its system that it was only lava on the surface; the planet whose core held monsters Geoff had banished there long ago. He knew his planet and that one were connected, as a balance in nature was needed, but he could scarcely believe something so powerful could have arisen from the creatures that lived there.

Though, perhaps it wasn't too far off a thought. During his rule, many a warrior had come and asked to be his champion. He'd reveal the existence of the Portal connecting the two worlds to them, and for their test he would ask that they go and find a certain item from the monsters within the other planet. Only one returned out of all of them. So maybe something powerful had begun to grow within the nether world, and the King came to decide that it was time he visited that world again.

By the time Geoff had pulled himself from his thoughts, he realized that the Vagabond had stopped talking long ago. "I apologize, I was just thinking about something." He spoke a bit quickly, feeling embarrassed that he had been distracted for so long. "I appreciate you recalling the event for me, Haywood. You've given me an idea, and for that I thank you."

[[hi hello i'm here to answer to the invitation please don't mind the rust on my writing might as well call me the tin man]]

"Ink. Ink. Ink." It was crucial for him to mutter the name of the item he was hunting for over and over, lest he forget why he was venturing into town. More often than he liked, Gavin suffered from a lapse in memory, so repetition became part of his process of retention. The trip to town would not have been necessary if someone had simply lent him a spare inkwell. However, of course, none wanted to give The Fool something he could potentially spill all over the place, much like he had with his original inkwell. The spill was a complete accident. It could have happened to anyone. A very sudden sneeze caused Gavin's hand to convulse and knock the ink over onto the letter he was trying to pen. Such was his luck.

"Ink. Ink. Ink." Realizing he had been transfixed watching the sunlight glint off his golden boots as he walked, Gavin cast his eyes up to pay attention to the road ahead of him. It was then he saw the King just in the distance speaking to a man among his field of cattle. Why was the King out here? Curiosity forced Gavin to divert his path and walk towards the two men. As he got closer, he recognized the other man as the Vagabond. The King must be out to see him concerning the omen the Vagabond delivered him a couple days before. Gavin had not been in on the meeting between the men, but the King divulged the details to him afterwards. It was distressing news unquestionably. No wonder the King came to see the man directly again.

Now that he was within a few feet of the two, he spoke up in a moment of silence as he closed the gap. "I am surprised to find you out here, m'lord. I was unaware you left the castle." There was a look about his king that seemed unsettling. It was if he had just forced himself back into reality but was still a little lost in the place his mind wandered to. "Is everything alright?"

[eeEE YES MARIE im excited]

Haywood settled into the silence, only trying to read the King's expression from the corner of his eye while he looked down, almost resigned, as if copying Ramsey in deep thought. Even from his peripheral, he caught the flicker of emotions ranging across Geoffrey's face. Besides the paranoia and concentration, the Vagabond would have no way of telling what he'd said would help or deter his plans until the King spoke. It was in moments like these that he wished he could read minds, even that of the Almighty. It would save him plenty of time.

But finally the King voiced his words and Haywood looked up, as if having come out of a trance himself. He smiled humbly at the king in a way that didn't touch his worried gaze, and gave an excusing nod. "Anything to aid you, my liege." A fire flickered behind his eyes, however. What idea had he formed in that mind of his? There was no way to ask directly without seeming suspicious. He'd save his curiosity for the rats that spied in the kingdom.

It was then that the distinct steps of the gold-booted Fool came into earshot. A twitch crept into Haywood's smile.

Stupid Fool. He detested Gavin. But there was something more than that--something that made the Vagabond wary of a man who tripped over his own feet. He could never put a finger on it.

For a moment, he opened his mouth to speak, but immediately he decided against it. Gavin was addressing the King; it would be unwise and nearly heresy to speak for Ramsey. His lips sealed and pursed ever so slightly, although quickly returning to neutral and unreadable as he glanced back at the King, waiting for his word.

(u guys are too good ;o; and here i am with my tiny reply)

The King jumped a bit when he heard Gavin's voice, turning to look at him. The sight of the Fool somehow comforted Geoff; his mind was drawn to the very moment he created Gavin and how he watched the man bumble about like a newborn child. The mere thought of his foolish nature brought a smile to Geoff's face. It was a genuine, kind smile that lasted a few moments before Geoffrey remembered the topic at hand and allowed his features to take on a more serious look.

"We were discussing the incident. Again," he added as an afterthought. This was not the first time he'd asked the Vagabond to repeat the event, though the previous time it had been out of shock. Though the King tried hard to keep a serious tone, he couldn't resist being more playful when Gavin was around. "And since when was I supposed to begin reporting to you that I was going to leave the castle? Did something happen and I was left unaware? Am I to begin calling you King Gavin and start bowing to you, my liege?" Geoff even pretended to bow. Though his words were mocking the Fool, they meant no harm. It was all in good fun.

"Why are you out of the castle anyways, King? Did you perhaps spill yet another inkwell?"

[[pffft speaking of tiny replies]]

Rolling his eyes, Gavin smirked at the King's facetious words. "Why, yes, the most unbelievable thing transpired in your absence. Everyone in the castle came to the realization of just how wonderful it was having you gone and elected to have me sit on that dusty old chair of yours and rule the land." The Fool puffed out his chest and straightened his shoulders to appear more regal than he truly was. "Therefore, as your new King, I do not have to answer your ridiculous question concerning whether or not I did spill my inkwell." The relationship he had with King Geoffrey allowed him to have a certain level of freedom when it came to how he could speak to him. Their banter was all in jest yet respectful at the same time. Gavin would never dream of sincerely saying something disrespectful towards the man that gave him life.

The Fool turned his attention towards the Vagabond opposite them. "Has anything new come to light regarding your premonition?" Ever since the King recalled the story to him, it plagued the back of his mind. He would bet the same was happening with Haywood, since it came to him firsthand. "Should we be worried?" he asked, looking between the two of them. Something in his gut said it would be wise if they were.

[shhh both of you your reply lengths are fine. they dont have to be huge and sometimes short is better uvu]

Haywood observed the two's bickering with a silent air of contempt. The way the King treated some of his subjects like friends seemed as foolish to the Vagabond as Gavin's existence. He thought no use of friends if one was a king. While of course Gavin and Ramsey's other close companions respected the King's power and did not dare challenge him, they were also allowed close contact with him. They were trusted.

And that was the danger of trust; anyone could gain it if convincing enough. That was the very danger the Vagabond twisted around the King, enveloping him like toxins unseen until he'd suffocate with a snap of Haywood's fingers at the right moment.

He stayed quiet until addressed by the Fool, snapping out of his practiced kind smile to attend to the questions. "Mm... not really, unfortunately. I do think there should be some degree of attention to the matter. The degree is for the King to decide." He turned his gaze to the Almighty, mouth turned once more into a gentle smile. "Although I trust in His ability far more certainly than I do in my worries."

Geoff appreciated Haywood's trust in him. He let out a breath, quickly looking around to make sure they were out of earshot. If any but his closest companions were to hear that the King himself was worried, there would be panic in the town. "I do believe there is fair cause to be worried. But even so, I'm uncertain how worried we should be." Though the Vagabond's description of the monster would be frightening to most, Geoff was mostly unfazed. As a God, he'd seen and experienced creatures in the vast expanse of space that still haunted his memory to this day. He wasn't afraid of what the threat was. He was worried for the safety of his people, but he would face the threat without fear.

The King looked to the sky after a moment, noting that he should probably get going if he hoped to make a trip through the Portal and return before the break of dawn the next day. "At any rate, I have other matters to attend to," he said, nodding his head to the Vagabond. "I may call on you to converse about the subject again, but for now this is goodbye Haywood." Geoff turned to Gavin, walking over and clapping a hand on the young man's back. "You know, my liege, I keep spare inkwells in a cabinet in my chambers. Let us head back to the castle so that I can show you where they are kept." Geoff didn't wait for a reply from Gavin. He turned on his heel and began the walk back to the castle, his mind wandering and sifting through the details of his plan.

((Ahhhhh here we go, first attempt at Michael, I hope I did alright))
Back on the castle grounds, Michael 'Mogar' Jones was practicing with his signature diamond sword on the yellow straw dummies set up around the training area, swinging and stabbing at them with his bear-like strength. His mind was focused and controlled, and he was aware of every one of his movements at all times. Landing a final graceful and precise strike across the front of a dummy he sheathed his sword and analysed the damage he had done, looking for any signs of improvement from his last round of attacks. As he did so, some familiar voices entered his ears and a friendly grin spread across his face. Sounds like Gavin and Geoff were back from wherever they had gone. He had wanted to try and convince them to spar with him earlier but after a long drawn out search through the castle, Michael had learned they had both gone out of the castle for different reasons. He settled for attacking the dummies, passing the time until they returned by improving upon his skills.

Dashing off towards the voices he quickly intercepted the two. "My liege," he bowed "Gavin, it's about time the two of you returned. Having only the dummies to attack is rather dull compared to sparring with another. Would either of you care to indulge me in a quick duel? I can assure you that I will go easy on you" a smirk spread across his face as he looked pointedly at Gavin.

(so uh
does anyone else keep coming back to this thread and looking at it and wondering if they should reply)

[[well, i've been meaning to but the kingdom thing this past week was a bit distracting so]]

Gavin nodded wordlessly as the King turned heel to return to the castle. No doubt he wanted some time to himself to ponder over the words the Vagabond spoke. Maybe there was a plan forming in his mind already. "Until we meet again," he said to Haywood, bowing his head slightly in respect, before spinning around to catch up to the King.

As they traversed back towards home, Gavin thought it wise to avoid persistently riddling him with questions. It did take a significant amount of willpower though. "I do promise to not spill anymore inkwells, my liege. Although, in my defense, it was a complete accident." He paused for a moment. "Unlike the last time," he added. Last time had been a prank on a young squire who had not been broken in yet, where the poor lad tracked inky footprints all across the castle floors as he went about his daily chores. It was traced back to the Fool, and he spent a whole day cleaning up the footprints. People were better at pulling off that sort of trickery to him as opposed to the other way around. By the time he had broken his silence, the two were already passing through the castle grounds and very quickly greeted by Ser Michael. Red-faced and combative glint in his eyes, Gavin could tell the warrior had just finished trading blows with either someone or something before he said a word. The Fool audibly scoffed at his friend's comment about going easy on him. "You have already exhausted your energy going to war on your straw companions. It is very plain to see. Therefore you need not go easy on me. However, I shall take great glee in defeating the mighty King's Champion all the same." Gavin looked to his King. "That is if it is alright with my liege that I take my leave from his company."

(ahh it's okay marie!! i totally understand
i just thought it was weird how quickly the thread just kind of died aha,,,)

When Michael approached the two, Geoff stood by silently until Gavin asked him if it was alright to spar with the warrior. He smiled at the two, nodding to Gavin. "Very well. Just don't injure Gavin too much, Michael, I do need him to run errands for me." Though he knew the Fool was eager to challenge Mogar, he paused a moment. Michael would be a good person to bring along to the Nether world, having gone in there by himself for his test. "I have business to attend to through the Portal, lads. If you'd like, Michael, you're welcome to join me to test your strength against the monsters in there again. Otherwise, tell my wife that I will be home by dawn tomorrow."

Geoff made to leave, but hesitated. He turned back to the two, pulling them in closer and lowering his voice. "If I am not back by dawn, you will treat Michael as King. If I do not return by midnight tomorrow, assume I have perished and hold a coronation for him. Is what I'm telling you clear?" The words were hard to say, but he had to ensure that the kingdom would stay in the right hands.

[i guess ill make a late post cause the orders gotten weird]

The Vagabond gave no more than a nod and a slight bow at Geoff's announced departure, his demeanor portraying a respectful sort of silence. And it was no surprise that Gavin followed quickly at the King's heels. He turned his gaze to the Fool, expression almost sickeningly kind. He nodded in return, smiling. "Until then."

He watched them go unmoving, and as he did so, his smile twisted ever so slightly. Shadows seemed to creep along his irises with grim intent. So easy to trust. The King was as foolish as that wretched boy.

Only moments before they were gone from his field of vision. But they were never out of sight for long. He had eyes all over Ramsey's kingdom--in the heads of rats that skittered in the shadows and walls. No secret of the King's plans would escape him.

A scoff touched at his teeth before he moved, patting the cow roaming beside him on the head before returning to his work.