Highlander: Immortal Lives

Ristaron · 07-19-2008, 12:01 PM

Alright, I'm starting this thread to get people who are interested into writing. Really, ideas come if you write...
Just remember: just because two immortals meet doesn't mean they have to fight.

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“Does anybody remember what brought about the end of the Western Roman Empire?” A number of hands shot up across the wide lecture hall. Matthias, with the same hand in which he held the piece of chalk that had written “LATE ROMAN ANTIQUITIES” on the black board, indicated one student near the back.
“They were conquered”, the young man smartly answered.
“That's correct”, Matthias replied, “by the Visigoths. For years they had sieged the city while Emperor Honorius sat placidly, trying to rally as much support as he could. Eventually, the food supplies were near depletion, and a desperate, starving man opened the gates of Rome. For the first time in almost eight centuries, enemies gained purchase in the city. What's most interesting is that this sack was rather mild, and saw most churches and other religious statuaries unharmed. The real damage was psychological. The repercussions of this sack were felt from Britain to Jerusalem as the confidence of the Roman people was severely shaken. It marked the beginning of the end for the Roman empire.

But this class isn't about the revolutionary change in warfare that came after Rome fell, the Romans didn't much care for psychological warfare like Sun-Tzu. They won their battles with superior numbers, superior training, and superior tactics. The greatest Roman generals were like masters of draughts, viewing the battlefield in terms of regiments rather than individuals. Does anybody know the one exception: the individual they did care about?”

Again, multiple hands went up. This time Matthias selected another student.
“The enemy commander”, came the smart reply.
“Very good”, Matthias confirmed. “Let's look at Augustus, the first official emperor. His rival, Mark Antony and his consort, Cleopatra, had command of Egypt's considerable navy. The battle of Actium might have been won by Antony and Cleopatra if one of Antony's generals, Delius, hadn't defected to Augustus with Antony's battle plans. Able to tailor a counter-strategy, Augustus' appointed general, Agrippa, won the battle of Actium and Augustus was able to consolidate power in Rome. This marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire”, Matthias slid the foremost black-board aside, revealing another blackboard on which had been drawn detailed map of the Meditteranean and surrounding area, coloured in to mark the political boundaries of the ancient Empire, “which came to rule most of the known world at the time and irreversibly affect the world's history”.

**

“Professor Cole! Professor Cole!” Matthias turned and slowed his pace to allow the caller to catch up. The young man, who wore the uniform of a student, was so laden with books that he seemed to constantly teeter on the brink of disaster.
“Call me Matthew”, Matthias insisted, using his current alias, “can I help you?” The immortal adjusted the shoulder-strap of his own bag in case the student proved unable to maintain hold of his tower of literature.
“I have my term paper for your class”, the student panted, still winded from his chase.
“It's not due until next week”, Matthias reminded.
“I know, sir”, the student replied, “but I won't be able to attend so I've completed it early”. Somehow, the young man managed to produce a document of considerable size. Tentatively, Matthias accepted it as he took a better look at the young man's face.
“You haven't been to any of my lectures, have you?” he pressed, not recognizing any feature on the student's face. The young man turned his gaze down sheepishly.
“No”, he managed. Matthias handed back the term paper and resumed walking.
“Wait, professor!” the student called after the moment of shock settled.
“If you aren't interested in attending my lectures”, Matthias reasoned, “why would I be interested in reading your papers?”
Slightly choked, the student somehow managed to get in front of the immortal.
“Please, sir”, the young man began. Matthias stopped paying attention after that, as a darkly familiar sensation washed through him. He had sensed it countless times before, and it prompted a quick inspection of the area around him. The sand-stone portico ran the length of the hall in which Matthias held his classes, with the support pillars carved into robust arches. Focusing on the sensation, Matthias searched it for any particulars that might identify the other immortal. He was sometimes able to pick out what he believed to be strong feelings associated with the other immortal he was sensing, though even after two thousand years it still wasn't an exact science. This particular immortal had a weaker Quickening than most, but size didn't always indicate skill.
As the sensation dulled, Matthias became aware that the student had stopped talking and was holding out his paper with a pleading expression. With a sigh of resignation, Matthias took the paper and resumed walking.

Once out of sight of most wandering eyes, Matthias turned for a secluded area of the campus, reasoning that whoever was around would have a basic knowledge of the local topography. Passing through a break in the tall hedges around the small park, Matthias drew his Roman spatha from its concealed location within his coat and eased his way into the clearing.

“I am Matthias, son of Orias”, he called out, keeping his blade at the ready.

**Ginevra** · 07-19-2008, 06:23 PM

Léana walked through the bookstore, searching once again for an answer to her predicament. Picking up the most useful looking volume, Near Death Experiences, she walked up front to the cashier.

"I'll take this please", she told the cashier, holding out some change. She noticed she'd need to find more work soon, hopefully a night's stay wasn't too much in this town.

"You look fine to me," the cashier replied as he chuckled.

She smirked faintly and took the book and her change, then suddenly remembering that she hadn't seen any indicating signs she asked the cashier, "What's the name of this city, if you don't mind? I just got here."

Looking at her oddly, he replied, "Bristol, ma'am."

She thanked him quickly and left, ignoring the way he was looking at her.

**

She spotted a college up ahead, and thought perhaps they wouldn't mind her tucking herself away somewhere and starting her book. How would they know she wasn't a student anyway?

Léana watched the students running around, working on starting new lives. That is what she would be doing, if things had gone according to plan. The walked aimlessly, remembering the rock slipping out from under her feet, the adrenaline piercing through her body as she looked over at her sister, figuring it was the last time she'd see her, or anybody, then the long darkness. Then waking up on the side of the creek without so much as a headache.

She snuck up to see her family one last time, but knew that her family had seen her dead at the bottom, it was a fall of nearly a hundred feet. That's how she came to be a wanderer, earning money to live on as she could.

Double-checking her surroundings she saw some hedges, and passed through them, finding a small empty park that was exactly the reading nook she was looking for. She got through a few pages when suddenly her head started pounding. It was quite strong, and she braced herself on the ground.

She closed her eyes for a moment massaging her temples and shielding her pupils from the light. It did no good though, it just kept slowly feeling worse.

"I am Matthias, Son of Orias!"

Jolting her eyes open she back-peddled a few feet. She glanced at his attire and gathered he must be a professor. Maybe they DID mind her being there.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted a place to- hey wait! What is that, a sword?!"

She jumped up and irrationally held the book up as a weapon.

"Who has swords these days? Look, I'll leave, honest!"

----
Edited for my retardedness of thinking it was a spear even though I read the character profile... the headache thing too.

Ristaron · 07-19-2008, 08:25 PM

(Just two things to mention for your information... 1. A Spatha is a sword (which is also a million times easier to conceal than a spear...) 2. Usually in the series it took new immortals a while to get used to the sensation of another immortal's approach... they usually think it's a sudden-onset headache... or tantamount to it.)

Two thousand years had given Matthias a healthy sense of suspicion with regard to other immortals, but had also gifted him with the opportunity to meet and teach dozens of new immortals about the Game. Where many would rather simply take their heads and move on, Matthias was among the redeeming minority who valued life where others found its value cheapened by their own view, twisted by the knowledge that they may never die. Though some had tried to pass themselves off as new immortals to get Matthias' guard down, he had come to be able to identify the hallmark signs. The unmistakable surprise in their expression, the disorientation that might have got them killed if not for Matthias' hesitation to make the killing blow, and the body language that came from total fear.

"It's okay", Matthias placated, slowly replacing his sword in its custom compartment inside his surcoat. "I'm not going to hurt you". He held out his arms, palms forward to show his sincerity.
Giving the new immortal a moment to absorb the promise, he settled into a more comfortable position to appear less intimidating. Seeing that the young woman's shock had settled more into confusion, he decided that the time was right to heap on the most terrifying question.
"When did it happen?"

**Ginevra** · 07-20-2008, 07:01 PM

She blinked as the threat was taken away as quickly as it had came.

"...thanks?"

Seeing him put his sword away, she set down her book, not that it was much of a threat to him in the first place. Though she was glad he had backed down, she still couldn't get over the fact that a professor walked around with it stashed in his coat.

"When did what happen? And why do you carry that thing anyway? Oh also, you don't happen to have any pain killers, do you? My head is KILLING me."

Ristaron · 07-20-2008, 08:12 PM

Matthias smiled, recalling the first time he had felt that unmistakable sensation of another immortal's presence.

"Why don't we talk about it over a coffee", he offered, "you look like you could use a warm beverage after... that". He offhandedly made a gesture indicating what had just transpired.
Say yes, he thought to himself, this will be a lot harder for you if you don't...

**Ginevra** · 07-20-2008, 10:53 PM

Her head was spinning, how did we get from sword waving to coffee? It seemed the only path to the answer was to follow him, though she was beginning to think this guy was totally unpredictable.

"Alright," she said hesitantly. "As long as you keep that sword of yours to yourself..."

**Opunaya** · 07-21-2008, 09:31 AM

"Dammit...I hate this. Stupid outside...with people." Wade Howlett mumbled to himself as he locked up the door to his pawnshop; with a quick glance, he checked the window, double-checking himself to make sure his "Be back in five" sign was visible. Wade despised going outside, where any of them could be watching--waiting for him to drop his guard. Nervously, a single hand reach up and touched the metal brace that hung uncomfortably around his neck, the cold steel reassuring him that no sudden attacks would occur.

Of course...the others jumped me during the night...when I was alone... Wade thought to himself, a poor attempt to steady his nerves. There's no way any of them will attack in broad daylight, right? That first night--and first fight was still fresh in his mind, Wade had gotten lucky--the guy who attacked him ended up slicing his own head off, after falling onto the subway tracks. The other three that had attacked him afterwards, Wade managed to subdue though he was not that much of a swordsman, he was still naturally faster than they--his only advantage at the time.

As he walked along the busy sidewalk, ignoring the occasional curious glances to his neck, Wade pretended to adjust the back his leather jacket, brushing his hand against the twin short swords'--long knives in all honesty-- holsters attached to his back--the only weapons in his pawn shop that were combat ready. Wade had not thought about carrying a gun yet, so far, everyone that had attacked him carried a sword or some other bladed weapon...besides, the swords felt...right somehow.

"Pfft...despite what feels right or not...I shouldn't stay out for long...they'll hunt me down...I can't let that happen." Wade scowled to himself as he made his way against the current of the crowd. "Why the hell do I need to be addicted to coffee?"

Ristaron · 07-21-2008, 12:23 PM

((OOC: Just so you're aware, Opu... Matthias and Léana are supposed to be in Bristol, England... I could make it work with your character (who's pawn shop is in Tallahassee) by having Matthias be doing a guest lecture for a term, if that's agreeable according to everyone. If not, I'll edit this post.
Next time be sure to read everyone else's characters, though

))

"Don't worry", Matthias placated, "I only use my sword against people after my head". He gently laid a hand on Léana's elbow as he steered their direction towards one of the on-campus cafés.
"What's your name?" he asked as they started walking.

((OOC again: I am intentionally making these short posts, as I don't believe in controlling other peoples' characters. Just FYI. I've done lots of forum RPing and it's generally bad style to narrate the actions of other peoples' characters because it limits other peoples' ability to participate... plus you're taking control of their creation. Not that any of you have done that to bring this up, I'm just explaining why the post is shorter.))

**Opunaya** · 07-21-2008, 12:33 PM

((OOC: I'll just change it on my character. I had meant that as 'hometown', not current residence...my bad ^_^;; I also agree with you 100% on the short posts after you've built your intro post on RP threads.))

**Ginevra** · 07-21-2008, 02:50 PM

((OOC: I'm the same way on the short posts, it's no fun if you're not waiting to see what other people do anyway. I figured after the first one, while two characters were around each other it'd be that way.))

She let herself be guided as they talked.

"Léana. Why do you carry that sword, do you really find it needed?"