[OceanEyes28]

((OOC: This is the RP for the Soldiers of the Moderate Club. Please restrain yourself from posting if you're not a member. Thank you. For the club members: There shall be no restraining. Start posting.))

In the evening, she would close her eyes, and the day would melt away from her shoulders. The sunlight captured in her cheeks would cool to a dull gold. She stood at the window and felt the distance between herself and the ground. He had left her standing there. Open arms, failing smile, and a quiet tear trickling down her wounded heart. She had become a cliché. She shook him from her mind and closed her curtains. Evenings like this one always made her stomach turn. The sky was dull, the stars glowed dimly from behind a layer of gray, and there was a breeze. Evenings like this were an anniversary of heartbreak.

“Aah! God… damnit!” she yelped. A blue oval was already forming on her bare shin. She glared furiously at her chest of drawers and limped over to bed. She threw the covers back and carefully climbed up. She sat on the edge, feeling the calluses on her hands scrape against her smooth sheets, and stared at her curtains. Perhaps I should have closed that window. Funny—there were already too many windows to keep shut.

A rustling came softly from the East, and covered her small town in a whisper. The sky grumbled in its sleep, and the wind shifted autumn leaves. And then the rain came. Her open window creaked and moaned, and her curtains fluttered into the air. The sky called out to her between its dreams, but she only sighed. She had fallen asleep hours ago, and wailing storms could not wake her. When she finally awoke, it was morning, and she was wrapped in a blanket of fog that had drifted in from her second story window.

She rubbed her eyes awake, and untangled herself from her sheets. The boarding house was petrified with sleep, so she crept down the stairs to the house bath. She pumped the tub full of hot water, and took her time bathing. At breakfast, she sat by herself and ate quickly. The newspaper had given her an excuse to leave town again.

“More tea, Miss Harman?” An arm swooped down from her right and filled her cup to the brim.

Miss Harman looked up and smiled. “Thanks, Andy.”

Andy laughed and came to sit across from her. “I always forget to call you Layla.”

“Well, I am a renter and a customer,” she said through her newspaper.

“You’re right, of course. But after five years, you would think I could remember.”

“Oh, I don’t think it really matters. Did you see this?” she pointed to an article on the front page.

“Hmm… I missed that one. Will you be retrieving him?”

She folded her newspaper and sipped her tea. Then she sighed and said, “I had another uneasy night. I think it’s time I travel again.” She smiled and stood. “After all, I could always use some spare change.”

“Layla, the price on this one is two million.”

“Shhhh! Not so loud, or someone could get him before I do. Now don’t go giving away my room while I’m gone. I’ll be back with enough to pay my rent for years.”

It was still early in the morning, and the sun was just beginning to burn away the thin mist over the docks. The heels of her boots thumped steadily against the wooden planks, and she tugged at her bag slung over her shoulder. She had just enough money left over from her last job for boat fare. She approached a small boat with glistening white sails, and a slender body. She dropped her bag on the dock and sat on her things while she waited for the captain to arrive.

[Edward Elric]

Logan sat on a bench next to the boat, "reading" a newspaper. He lightly tapped on the bench while a cool breeze played through. He wished could enjoy the weather how it was, but he was currently working for a client. The light chatter of the people around him was drowned out as the memory of that night faded in.

Logan was in a dark alley, smoking a cigarette, when a man appeared out of nowhere. "Your finally here", Logan muttered.

"I'm sorry it took so long", said the man," but i had some 'business' to take care of."

"So, what kind of job am I looking at? Murder, reconasiannce, threat? You name it and ive probably done it."

"I want you to protect some, but without them knowing. Just tail them, you don't even have to report to me, i doubt you will see me again. Just make sure if they are in trouble, you help them, okay? Her name is Layla."

Logan came back to present time, remembering his objective. He looked to see where she was and saw Layla still standing there, waiting for the captain. He got up and walked over to her.

"Excuse me, are you looking for the captain? I think he went to the john and i doubt he will be back anytime soon. By the way, my name is Logan."

[Atma-Noah]

The sun had begun to set. It's reddish light beamed over the leafless trees. Two men were in the midst of the trees, one laying face down, the other leaning against a tree. His auburn scarf and hair floated gently in the air. The leaves on the ground frolicked up and down being chased by the autumn breeze. The leaves hit a black pant leg. The man looked down and began to watch. The leaves fell to the ground below before the breeze swept them away once again. The man watched the game for a moment and looked back to the object ahead of him. A man laid face down as if asleep although this sleep was forever. A puddle of crimson liquid verified this thought.

Kurt grabbed a bottle from his left pocket. He pulled down his scarf and took a swig of the contents with the bottle. He held the bottle upside down hoping that the contents would fall out, but to no avail it was empty.

"Well I guess we have to go now."
Kurt said to the lifeless shell. With a sigh he leaned forward and walked towards the body. He grabbed the body's arm and lifted it and placed it around his shoulders like a child would do to a friend who had just fallen down. Kurt then began to walk down in between the tree's which arched making it like a tunnel. The two had become a small speck as they walked onward.

The two had arrived at a town. The moon had just begun to peek it's yellowish head up from the mountains. The feet of the dead man dragged against the ground. Making the people who witnessed the act uncomfortable. Kurt noticed a child playing with a dog. Memories began to fill his head pleasant at first but it didn't last enough. "I need a drink."
Kurt said gazing up seeing the entrance to a house. A sigh of relief expelled from him. He stepped up the steps with his comrades feet hitting them. The door was open so he walked in.

The house had been beautifully decorated. Large strips of silk had been placed everywhere. Kurt walked forward the turned. A chubby man wearing a suit was sitting at the table. His head down, gobbling down food. Kurt heaved and pulled the body up and dropped it on the table. The chubby man jumped at the sight of the body. "What are you doing!? I'm running for mayor you fool. If anyone sees this I'll be in so much trouble. I'll get sent to jail." The man screamed shaking in fury. His face red in anger. Kurt shook his head in disgust.
"Selfish pig. You only think of yourself. I think this man here has it worst off."
He said pointing at the body on the table.
"You wanted me to kill him and I did. If you were afraid of what could happen you shouldn't of hired me. Don't worry about anyone finding out they already know."
He said stepping aside. A group of people looked on in horror at the sight before them. "It's not what you think." The chubby man pleaded hitting his table. Kurt looked around as the man begged the people. He noticed bills wrapped up once in paper.
"This is mine."
He said taking it and putting it in his pocket. Kurt nodded his head at the man and walked out. A smile on his face knowing that the man got what he deserved.

He walked down the road and into the bar. He sat down and greeted the bartender with some of the cash.
"The usual Jack."
He asked. He was answered when the bartender gave him his drink.
He said taking a drink. He asked for the paper when it came in. Signifing it was early morning. He glanced through it. Noticing the bounty for the man.
"Thats a fair amount of money." Kurt kept buying drinks until the bartender said that was enough. Kurt got up and staggered out of the bar. Waving good bye to the bartender.

He staggered to his house. walking in he knocked over his old bookshelf. Dust rose quickly and choked him. Kurt coughed and shook his head. He dizzily got to his bed and collapsed, drifting into a world of peace.

[Kyreaan]

In a field of tombs and graves, a bardic warrior stood before a large headstone on top of the grassy knoll. He wore dark-leather pants, and his shoes were of a similar touch. His upper body was fitted with a leather vest underneath chain armor and tempered metal scales. The man also bore a white-hooded coat, which came down to his knees. He simply stood with his arms crossed; his dark hair and coat flapped in the wind. A large worg sat at a few paces away. Its collar was spiked and was made of fine steel. It sat as if tamed and waiting for its master, though unusual for a worg.

His eyes moved along the name and date as he looked upon the headstone that towered high above him.

"Why do you mourn, sir?" a small boy asked while walking up to the stranger. Perhaps he worked with the grounds keeper; his skin and cloths were unkempt and dirty. He continued, "This lady's been dead for over 500 years, but you look like you mourn."

The stranger did not reply right off. His face was only astringent as he read the words etched into the stone:
'Garnet AmariDe. Beloved daughter of House AmariDe and fallen hero in the war against the risen Death Goddess'. The stranger then looked down at the boy.

"There was once a story about a lady who embodied the risen death goddess. When she was eventually defeated the woman's body that held the goddess remained alive, but only for a moment. She was later buried and remembered like a king. Instead of marking the tomb with the name of Sadia-the Death Goddess, they buried her as a true hero in the war against the god."

"This is her? But...isn't that just a tale, like in a children's book?"

The stranger smiled at that. "Of course. Like a tale in a children's book."

The boy trotted off, but abruptly stopped when he noticed the worg sitting over someone's grave. It moaned a little much like a hungry dog would.
"Not food, Cylinde" the stranger said. The boy then ran off into another direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the stranger's mind, many memories flooded the dark. One sprang as he spoke to his worg. The man saw himself standing on the same ground with the body of a dead woman. A dog splashed in the water looking for fish. He remembered looking down and speaking.
"This is all too cold here...and dark, like the time we fought the vampire queen, Nazthul. Do you remember that, Garnet? Your power will end here, and your existence reborn...in the world beyond and in my heart." The man's eyes flashed white like lightning and the wind become as a strong typhoon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The stranger's eyes blinked for a moment, and he returned to the present. Everything was still unlike in his mind. Only his hair and the lower half of his coat moved as it was brazed by the wind. He placed two dried, orange roses upon the base of the stone.
The bardic warrior then started singing a solemn ballod of remembrance. It went on for a couple of hours with the last verse unwritten. In his current flow, he was able to finish the piece as he went. He turned around and left the fields.
"Come on, Cylinde. Lets go."

[Atma-Noah]

Kurt awoke to the giggling of little children. What the hell? Am I dreaming? Why giggling? He asked himself before opening his eyes. Slowly he opened them only to shut them due to the light that seeped into his house. He heard the giggling once again. He turned to the right of his bed and opened his eyes once again to see three pairs of little beady eyes.

"Ah! What are you doing in my house you little runts. Don't you have somewhere to...argh! Damn headache." He said sitting up, looking at the kids.

"Well mister you left your door open last night and my mom said we should tell you to have it closed."
A little girl said with tears in her eyes and biting her lip. She must have been no older then six years of age. Her long brown hair draped over her like a shawl. The other two were boys. The same expression on their faces.

Here it comes the guilt of hurting three little kids feelings. Why'd they have to come when I was hungover. Kurt sighed and took a breath.


"Ok kids. Sorry to have upset you but you shouldn't go into other people's houses ok?"
"...But my mom said." "Hey. Just cause your mom says doesn't mean you have to waltz into a strangers house and wake him up. Now go run off and play somewheres." Kurt said shooing the kids off. They laughed and ran outside.

Getting up Kurt walked over to his door. People walked up and down the street. Doing their business, some looked at Kurt and shook their head. He knew why. Most of them had known his parents. Such a disappointment he was. A drunk that killed for whoever just to buy more booze. He couldn't change though. He didn't know how.

With a sigh he shut the door and got some food. It wasn't much. Just some stale bread and old milk. His head had started to settle down and he figured he'd go see if any new jobs came in. Grabbing his sheath and some cash he headed for the bar.

The walk was peaceful at first. Then those kids started following him until he entered the bar. It's creaky floor welcomed him. Jack the bartender looked up

"By God Kurt! It's hasn't even been eight hours since we closed and your back again. I wish I had half the money you spend here I'd be rich."

'Don't worry Jack. I'm not here for the beer this time. Heh. Never thought I'd say that. I'm just wondering if any advertisements came in this morning." He asked taking a seat on a stool.

"Well you already saw the paper this morning when it came in but this was dropped off and specifically asked that it was given to you." Jack said handing Kurt an envelope.

Kurt snickered. "They all seem to be specifically for me nowadays.

Reading the contents he got up and nodded at Jack. Walking out of the bar he headed for the harbor.