Fusillade - Revision history

Taimdala at 05:17, 30 August 2011

2011-08-30T05:17:04Z

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	She drew even with him now and dared touch his hand. Acknowledging his wounded pride, his nonconformity, only reminded her of her own and it made her voice thick. <br><br>		She drew even with him now and dared touch his hand. Acknowledging his wounded pride, his nonconformity, only reminded her of her own and it made her voice thick. <br><br>

	“You are alone. No one can know what it is like to maintain appearances and still be true to yourself, to follow as your heart and spirit demand. How can they? They cannot crawl inside your skin and feel the slights, the contempt, that you have suffered. They cannot ~~escape~~ the feelings that flow off others like water, the way you can with your sensate gift. Just as they could never know how painful it is to perform for an ugly crowd, to swim in the ocean of their ill will, and do it with a smile on your face. I know. I’ve done it. I’ve had to.”<br><br>		“You are alone. No one can know what it is like to maintain appearances and still be true to yourself, to follow as your heart and spirit demand. How can they? They cannot crawl inside your skin and feel the slights, the contempt, that you have suffered. They cannot feel the feelings that flow off others like water, the way you can with your sensate gift. Just as they could never know how painful it is to perform for an ugly crowd, to swim in the ocean of their ill will, and do it with a smile on your face. I know. I’ve done it. I’ve had to.”<br><br>

	She curled her fingers around his and leaned in as the memories clamored to the surface. Tears prickled her lashes and she refused to dash them away. Josephine raised his hand to her cheek and cupped it there. She looked into his eyes and drawing close enough to feel the heat of his body rising off him, she said:<br><br>		She curled her fingers around his and leaned in as the memories clamored to the surface. Tears prickled her lashes and she refused to dash them away. Josephine raised his hand to her cheek and cupped it there. She looked into his eyes and drawing close enough to feel the heat of his body rising off him, she said:<br><br>

Taimdala at 17:05, 7 June 2011

2011-06-07T17:05:43Z

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	''~~Thursday~~, February ~~13th~~ 1868''<br>		''Friday, February 14th 1868''<br>
	Odyssey, ''Trieste Harbor''<br>		Odyssey, ''Trieste Harbor''<br>
	''Austria Hungary''<br>		''Austria Hungary''<br>

Taimdala at 08:20, 6 June 2011

2011-06-06T08:20:19Z

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	Josephine stood on the deck and listened to Kalashnikov’s bitterness and it struck a chord within her, far down where it would not show. It made her realize his hurts went deeper than words and at that moment, she knew what to do.<br><br>		Josephine stood on the deck and listened to Kalashnikov’s bitterness and it struck a chord within her, far down where it would not show. It made her realize his hurts went deeper than words and at that moment, she knew what to do.<br><br>

	“Alexi,” she said, her voice soft. “I am sorry. I do not know how, exactly, but I have hurt you. You feel ridiculed and scorned, like a bear in chains made to dance for another’s amusement. I would never ask you to dance that way, Alexi. I know what it is like to perform for a crowd that would as easily jeer at you as applaud. I am an Englishwoman, yes, and I have highly placed friends, yes. But I wasn’t always as you see me now. I was once circus folk and there are many who will never let me forget how low that makes me and they will never let me live it down. It is they I fight. They are responsible for much of what I truly hate about the world. But you would know about that, wouldn’t you? They have hurt you, too.”<br><br>		“Alexi,” she said, her voice soft. “I am sorry. I do not know how, exactly, but I have hurt you. You feel ridiculed and scorned, like a bear in chains made to dance for another’s amusement. I would never ask you to dance that way, Alexi. I know what it is like to perform for a crowd that would as easily jeer at you as applaud. I am an Englishwoman, yes, and I have highly placed friends, yes. But I wasn’t always as you see me now. I was once circus folk and there are many who will ''never'' let me forget how low that makes me and they will ''never'' let me live it down. It is they I fight. They are responsible for much of what I truly hate about the world. But you would know about that, wouldn’t you? They have hurt you, too.”<br><br>

	She took a step closer, approaching Alexi like a deer she did not wish to startle. In truth, she did not want him to run away again. <br><br>		She took a step closer, approaching Alexi like a deer she did not wish to startle. In truth, she did not want him to run away again. <br><br>

Taimdala at 08:18, 6 June 2011

2011-06-06T08:18:08Z

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	“Please listen to me. You are Eldren and you are a Prince and you are Russian. You are a man, with a man’s pride. You have a heart, with needs and desires as great as the steppes, as expansive as the sky. Others know this, do they not? Therefore, you are accustomed to courtiers paying elaborate court, visitors enthralled by your wealth and extravagance. No doubt amongst those you normally consort, they are accustomed to taking tremendous advantage of your good nature and your longing for friendship. Perhaps they have convinced you that it must be at the cost of your bank account and your generous spirit. I tell you now, it may be the way it is done in your homeland, Alexi Georgievch, but ''this'' is not Russia and ''I'' am not Russian.”<br><br>		“Please listen to me. You are Eldren and you are a Prince and you are Russian. You are a man, with a man’s pride. You have a heart, with needs and desires as great as the steppes, as expansive as the sky. Others know this, do they not? Therefore, you are accustomed to courtiers paying elaborate court, visitors enthralled by your wealth and extravagance. No doubt amongst those you normally consort, they are accustomed to taking tremendous advantage of your good nature and your longing for friendship. Perhaps they have convinced you that it must be at the cost of your bank account and your generous spirit. I tell you now, it may be the way it is done in your homeland, Alexi Georgievch, but ''this'' is not Russia and ''I'' am not Russian.”<br><br>

	She released him and said, velvet over steel, “Of everything you gave me, I did not ask for, nor did I give any indication I expected it as my rightful due. I accepted those gifts under protest because I did not need them to like you. I am trying to understand the man beneath the show, the extravagance, the vanity. Every time I get close, you run away, throwing barbs and accusations. Why? Why can we not simply sit down and talk, as one intelligent person to another, without bombast and flowery speeches getting in the way?”<br><br>		She released him and said, velvet over steel, “Of everything you gave me, I did not ask for, nor did I give any indication I expected it as my rightful due. I accepted those gifts under protest because I did not need them to ''like'' you. I am trying to understand the man beneath the show, the extravagance, the vanity. Every time I get close, you run away, throwing barbs and accusations. Why? Why can we not simply sit down and talk, as one intelligent person to another, without bombast and flowery speeches getting in the way?”<br><br>

	Alexi pulled his arm, free, but stood still and smoothed his shirt front after wiping his eyes with the left sleeve. “With the crew, I can be a workman. But in FRONT of the crew, I must be the boyar. I tell you I am a sensate. I have not truly read you; that was a lie to scare you. But I have read others. Oh, I have read others.” He barked angrily in Russian, and the remaining crew members and servants scurried to get below decks.<br><br>		Alexi pulled his arm, free, but stood still and smoothed his shirt front after wiping his eyes with the left sleeve. “With the crew, I can be a workman. But in FRONT of the crew, I must be the boyar. I tell you I am a sensate. I have not truly read you; that was a lie to scare you. But I have read others. Oh, I have read others.” He barked angrily in Russian, and the remaining crew members and servants scurried to get below decks.<br><br>

Taimdala at 08:15, 6 June 2011

2011-06-06T08:15:00Z

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	“I am not well-enough versed in the politics of your country, Alexi, to understand what drives the poverty you implore, but I can tell you that in mine, class privilege has ruined as many lives as disease and war combined. I would hope that such is not the case in your homeland, but I strongly suspect that it is something our countries have in common. Am I right?”<br><br>		“I am not well-enough versed in the politics of your country, Alexi, to understand what drives the poverty you implore, but I can tell you that in mine, class privilege has ruined as many lives as disease and war combined. I would hope that such is not the case in your homeland, but I strongly suspect that it is something our countries have in common. Am I right?”<br><br>

	Keep it to politics and social ills. Machines and steam. Nothing personal. Dear God, what else has he managed to glean from me? Why didn’t Katherine warn me against touching him? <br><br>		''Keep it to politics and social ills. Machines and steam. Nothing personal. Dear God, what else has he managed to glean from me? Why didn’t Katherine '''warn''' me against touching him?'' <br><br>

	Alexi sat back stiffly, and gave Josephine a direct look. “You are more than a match for me. I commend you, Madame Arceneaux. You have withstood the blandishments of my attentions and the luxuries that have so turned the head of your young ward. You have responded to my complete candor with guarded wariness. Each olive branch I extend towards you is met with a sharper set of clippers.” <br><br>		Alexi sat back stiffly, and gave Josephine a direct look. “You are more than a match for me. I commend you, Madame Arceneaux. You have withstood the blandishments of my attentions and the luxuries that have so turned the head of your young ward. You have responded to my complete candor with guarded wariness. Each olive branch I extend towards you is met with a sharper set of clippers.” <br><br>

Taimdala at 08:11, 6 June 2011

2011-06-06T08:11:32Z

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	Josephine had left that morning to check the progress of the five millions in thalers destined for the hold of Audacious. Once she was assured of its arrival on the morrow, she sought out the harbor telegraph office at the train station to deliver her report with her observations and queries to the Colonel. She waited for the reply and forty minutes later, she had it in her hand. She read it, a string of gibberish in the Latin alphabet, and translated the code in her head. She went through it again, not quite believing her decryption. The response remained the same. She shifted the key and decrypted it once more, getting nothing but gibberish in return. She’d been correct the first time.<br><br>		Josephine had left that morning to check the progress of the five millions in thalers destined for the hold of ''Audacious''. Once she was assured of its arrival on the morrow, she sought out the harbor telegraph office at the train station to deliver her report with her observations and queries to the Colonel. She waited for the reply and forty minutes later, she had it in her hand. She read it, a string of gibberish in the Latin alphabet, and translated the code in her head. She went through it again, not quite believing her decryption. The response remained the same. She shifted the key and decrypted it once more, getting nothing but gibberish in return. She’d been correct the first time.<br><br>

	''Right''. <br><br>		''Right''. <br><br>

Taimdala at 05:55, 5 June 2011

2011-06-05T05:55:45Z

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	<span style="color:#8B0000">'''''That long day for Josephine only gets longer.'''''</span> <br> <br>		<span style="color:#8B0000">'''''That long day for Josephine only gets longer --- Maer.'''''</span> <br> <br>

Taimdala at 05:54, 5 June 2011

2011-06-05T05:54:34Z

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	The preparations for departure were soon effected, and the Odyssey set sail into the dark blue green of the Adriatic. The boat gathered speed as the boilers pumped, coal dust mixing with steam in the engines’ exhaust. Alexi stood amidship, waiting for the coast to recede from view. When the unaided eye could no longer espy the shore, he ordered the power diverted to pressurizing the cannon. <br><br>		The preparations for departure were soon effected, and the Odyssey set sail into the dark blue green of the Adriatic. The boat gathered speed as the boilers pumped, coal dust mixing with steam in the engines’ exhaust. Alexi stood amidship, waiting for the coast to recede from view. When the unaided eye could no longer espy the shore, he ordered the power diverted to pressurizing the cannon. <br><br>

	~~“Оружие~~ огня,” he bellowed, and the guns volleyed starboard. A surprisingly quiet gust of steam was expelled from four barrels, sending round iron balls flying through the air. With a wry smile, the aristocrat turned to Josephine. “It seems our test was successful, Madame.” With a florid gesture, he summoned one of the serving girls to bring cold champagne.<br><br>		“[http://translate.google.com/?hl=en#ru\|en\|%D0%9E%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B5%20%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BD%D1%8F Оружие огня],” he bellowed, and the guns volleyed starboard. A surprisingly quiet gust of steam was expelled from four barrels, sending round iron balls flying through the air. With a wry smile, the aristocrat turned to Josephine. “It seems our test was successful, Madame.” With a florid gesture, he summoned one of the serving girls to bring cold champagne.<br><br>

	“While we drink to the success of my construction, and future success of your mission to spy on me, let us talk of your England, rather then my Russia, no?”<br><br>		“While we drink to the success of my construction, and future success of your mission to spy on me, let us talk of your England, rather then my Russia, no?”<br><br>

Taimdala at 05:53, 5 June 2011

2011-06-05T05:53:03Z

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Taimdala: Created page with ' '''''You are reading an RP entry. Since any campaign is a collaborative effort, Journal and RP entries by our other players can be read''''' …'

2011-06-04T19:19:38Z

Created page with ' '''''You are reading an RP entry. Since any campaign is a collaborative effort, Journal and RP entries by our other players can be read''''' …'

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