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Samuel Pepys "With a message such as this I'd expect no less than the highest-rank of these savages. I shall hold my tongue until then, to better play the part." Pepys assumes a stalwart stance, pursing his lips tight.
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Apr 6, 2014 18:38
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 22:57 |
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A little of Plan A, A lot of Plan B, add fire The blacksmith nods to Jo. "Of course, let me show you to the King's pavilion." Meanwhile, the guards outside the King's tent consider the latest ploy by the others. "I'll see if the King's taking prisoners." The left guard mutters and goes inside for a few moments as Jo returns, a small crowd gathering around her. The guard returns and opens the tent flaps, motioning for the two men and their 'prisoner' to go inside, followed shortly by a panicked wave to the nun as well. Inside the cavernous tent a mountain of a man sits on a crude traveling throne. Vitiges, King of the Ostrogoths, looks up in the flickering torchlight, eyes narrowed against the shaft of daylight breaking in from the open flap. At his feet a dog, almost a wolf, sleeps. "What brings you here, men, and sister?" He asks in perfectly accented period Latin.
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Apr 10, 2014 01:36
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Jo 10:13 "Thank you." Jo gives the humble blacksmith a small smile, following him towards the King's pavilion. It was hard to ignore that as she headed towards the pavilion, that she was followed by a growing crowd of people. It wasn't just her, it was clear to anyone looking that these people desperately needed spiritual guidance. Which should help her when she sees the King, such a visible showing of what she needed would only strength her request. When the guards wave her in, she is quietly confident. And also the others managed to bluff their way in. So that was good. Cover two different avenues and have a greater chance of snaring fudge. But just in case, she doesn't regard her companions with even a hint of familiarity. "Your Majesty." Jo says as soon she she enters the pavilion, bowing to King Vitiges deeply. She had dealt with a few monarchs before, and they pretty much all loved it when you showed respect and proper deference. Especially prior to the 20th century. "Thank you for seeing me, for I come here on behalf of your people. I have not been here long, but already I have been asked by many of your soldiers for prayer and blessings." She explains in her more liturgical version of Latin. "We are all Christian, and your people need God. For worship, and for succour of the soul, and to protect from evil spirits and ill omen. But it is clear to me that your people have not had the opportunity to attend church in far too long. And there is still nowhere for them to go here." "If there is room enough in camp, and if there are supplies to share, I humbly ask Your Majesty for permission to build a church. Even if just for the time you are here, for the well being of your people." Jo once again bows before the King.
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Apr 10, 2014 14:40
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C0ry Deciding to take the initiative and start moving toward the tent with the author in front, C0ry looks at the defensives around the King without most comment, it didn't seem to be important at the moment unless they had to get out of there quickly. The machine seemed to the judge the men quickly as it moved with the prisoner up front, slowly stepping and letting the lady go first. It seemed more prudent for what it had planned next. He had calculated that Jo would manage to get in, but had not planned on it happening at the same time. The man that C0ry was trying to fake being looked a bit annoyed at the nun ahead of him. Disregarding Latin, there is a bit of a gruff voice in Ostrogoth, "Do we have time for this, your Majesty? I bring news from the front, and this prisoner says he has information about a traitor?" The appearance being annoyed more that he was delayed rather than the subject. Pushing the prisoner forward slightly, C0ry, looks at the other guards in the tent and then with a nod say, "With your leave, I would ask the prisoner to give us the information he told us." Politely, but aggressively trying to push forward a bit in line. As C0ry calculated that most nobles would do in this situation, with respect for the church, but desire to be the second most important man in the room. There wasn't much else C0ry could do in that situation other than be a consummate soldier. Axe-man fucked around with this message at 04:59 on Apr 11, 2014 |
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Apr 11, 2014 04:28
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Miyamoto Musashi Musashi stands in the back of the group and scratches his chin. In his head, he's scanning the area and formulating strategies in case things go bottom up. He was never that great a diplomat anyway, but he decides to speak up. "The prisoner says he will only speak to you, sir."
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Apr 11, 2014 04:32
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Sometimes I wish I had a time machine for when I forget to post "Very well. I have work to attend to, it seems, but you shall have all that you require, Sister, let no-one say that Vitiges is not a godly man." The king says, and rises to his feet. He walks over to the 'prisoner'. "Speak, Roman. If there be threat from within I would know of it, and promptly, lest you speak no more."
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Apr 17, 2014 00:59
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Samuel Pepys "Yes," Pepys begins in a somewhat formal Latin, "I've received word that a spy known as Fudge is on his way to offer you sabotaged siege weapons. Though they appear well-built, they are assembled to murder the operators and fall apart. Fudge has already been sent from Rome to destroy this encampment with their wares. They should be arriving here tomorrow. I myself have found the act inhumane and low-handed, and have thus set off to warn you. There is no honor in what Fudge is determined to undergo." Sam looks down sullenly, thinking very hard about how he's going to explain this to his followers in 2020.
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Apr 17, 2014 01:48
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Jo 10:13 "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your work will be appreciated, both by your own people and with God." Jo bows again. "Peace be with you." She leaves King Vitiges with, backing out of his tent. Pepys had some sort of plan sorted out in his head, and she wasn't going to be able to help with that as things currently stood. She was a nun, they were soldiers. The domains were totally different. All Jo 10:13 could hope for was that they knew what they were doing and could pull off their plan to grab Fudge. For Jo, she was on surveillance. If there was free space, she would try to have her chapel built on high ground within the camp. And having the eyes and ears of many within the camp, she would be able to hear if anything queer happened. Which it would once Fudge arrived. Hopefully. With the crowd still milling about outside, Jo decides to say something to her flock. "I am glad to say the King has agreed with our need for a place of worship."
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Apr 17, 2014 11:20
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C0ry "Is that all Roman scum?!" The Nobleman says with simulated anger his hands raised to strike his companion. "Romans intend to rebuff us from trickery instead of on the field of Battle, my Majesty. What shall we do?" He relaxed his grip to give the writer time to construct more things in his head. C0ry knew that the King would most likely not take the word of one prisoner, but the evidence would be in the back of his mind. "They are beginning the siege works now, with bad supplies we could be delayed or our assault defeated." Giving proper prospective to the King, knowing that it would take the 18 days to construct the massive towers that they intended to send against the Roman walls.
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Apr 17, 2014 20:47
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The Siege Begins King Vitiges dismisses the phony soldiers, the fake Roman, and the real Nun. "Take the prisoner to the stocks, see that he's not mistreated. As for his warning, we'll see what happens in the coming days. The work will continue as planned. Dismissed." Outside, the tents and fortifications of the camp were beginning to take real shape, work crews were already gathering to fell trees to build a palisade of sharpened spikes while others begin looking for the larger trees they would need for their siege engines.
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Apr 23, 2014 02:56
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Miyamoto Musashi Musashi chuckles lowly as they walk out of the tent. "That went well."
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Apr 24, 2014 00:11
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Jo 10:13 Jo continues to provide religious services to those who required it within the camp.
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Apr 24, 2014 01:29
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Samuel Pepys Pepys waits until out of native sight to sound remorse for his fate. "Ah, the stocks. A truly dreadful punishment. I might lose my silvered tongue!" Sam chuckles out of nervous fear. "Prynn suffered a similar fate at the hand of Charles I. Still managed to throw the first stone of the Interregnum, though I'm sure you knew that."
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Apr 24, 2014 03:50
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C0ry "I fear our warning did not go as anticipated." The nobleman says after appropriate amount of cursory huffing and puffing. "We will have to reallocate resources to find and apprehend him." Pushing Pepys into the tent roughly and gives him a change of clothes. "You will be better off as a monk, or peasant. These should provide both for you. If the king cannot be convinced perhaps with a commander or someone to stop him before he reaches his goal." He says looking at the others, his disguise changing subtly to lower is rank and profile.
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Apr 27, 2014 03:17
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The First Day The sun begins to set over the horizon as the Ostrogoths finalize camp for the night. The camp itself is large enough that a few strange soldiers (properly disguised and briefed) easily avoid rousing any suspicions. The same cannot be said for the first Roman spies the King's men catch trying to sneak into the camp past the patrols and watchers on guard. Their screams echo in the night air between the partially constructed palisade and the city walls.
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Apr 30, 2014 03:05
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C0ry "I think we should focus our efforts on the siege works, it seems like a good thing for our target to focus on. If he can come to them and prove his engineering skills to them, I believe the King would be more likely to accept his attempt to see him directly and then the deal can be offered." The new facade shimmered as it walked down the rows of tents, trying to catch an opening for their target. Looking back the others, it says, "I will go investigate the engineers and see if anyone appears out of place." C0ry says rather matter of factly.
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May 3, 2014 03:37
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Jo 10:13 Given a tent of her own, the modesty of a nun being something she could easily use to get come privacy, Jo had begun to adjust her left shoulder socket with a screwdriver jutting out of her right hand. Little more than a multitool, her right hand was still useful enough for small adjustments like this. She hadn't really had time to fix it since it took a knock before the mission, and trying out the weapons she threw it out some more. While posing as a period nun she mostly just had to keep her hands to herself, so it wasn't an issue. But when time came to stop the timeline from being contaminated, she wanted to be ready for anything. And a spy was screaming in pain somewhere on the edge of camp. And while Jo had heard tortured screams many times across many versions before, they never got easier to hear. She accesses her internal operating system to disable her audio inputs, and focuses on her shoulder.
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May 4, 2014 09:35
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Samuel Pepysquote:At the classified briefing area where I did learn a highly classified Err has been found during the sack of Rome, and did take in a great number of vistas along the way. Then to ancient Rome, wherein my company of classified timewise orphans successfully performed classified acts of reconnaissance and espionage. Thence to my tent, where I pray for the successful completion of my given classified task. Confidential work has left Sam with very little to talk about. His diary returns to an inside pocket. Pepys, having changed guises to that of a monk, strolls the stocks giving polite blessings to the prisoners of war. He knows of older practices, being an educated type, and he can at least go through the motions prisoners of the time can come to expect, as long as he gives the Lord his proper attention before he retires for the night.
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May 4, 2014 17:40
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Arrival The morning dawns over the camp and it springs to life with renewed vigor. The work on the siege towers begins in earnest, crews stripping down trees, breaking off their branches and peeling off the bark to make it easier to stack them together. Other crews continue to bring in felled trees. At the outskirts of the camp the rough palisade has taken shape and crews set down sharpened stakes to deter Roman formations from closing with the camp if they become desperate enough to mount an offensive. Lightning strikes from a clear sky in a nearby clearing once, twice, again and again, seven times in all. It appears the target has arrived.
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May 15, 2014 02:04
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Miyamoto Musashi The samurai adjusts the sword at his side as he looks towards the bolts of lightning. It wasn't one of the swords he was accustomed to, but he had learned to make do with others. "Well, would you look at that? Those are our men right there. I'd say it's showtime."
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May 15, 2014 02:09
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Jo 10:13 "Were I war-chieftain, I would be sending some soldiers over there to investigate such an odd occurrence." Jo casually mentions to her fellow time police, nodding over to where lightning struck seven times. "Such an inauspicious sign augurs poorly, I would be ready with sword in hand should evil find you there." She mentions specifically to Miyamoto, as he recognised the value of a good sword and a swift thrust.
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May 17, 2014 06:33
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C0ry "It is time. Possible time insertion has occurred you are correct." Then an unnatural shift in its voice as the protocols and socialization routines start to fire, and his accents returns. "Part of us should stand near the king, to see that we are not bypassed or disposed." It says without much humor, swiftly moving toward the possible point where the lightening could have come from. The fate of the future, and perhaps his own future depended on the success of the mission. sorry for the long break from me. I had some really bad things happen.
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May 21, 2014 06:54
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Samuel Pepys Pepys spends the morning hours reading intently from his future's diary. The words past a certain date blur out of legibility, reflecting a major shift in his life now hanging in the balance. "Curious how such lynchpins emerge. Ah, it shan't be helped." He exits from his tent and takes in the lights. "Must all time transcendentalists be so bathed in spectacle? No matter; to work. Refuse with all your might!"
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May 22, 2014 05:36
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Jo 10:13 "The only one taken with bathing in spectacle is your good self, Mister Pepys." Jo answers as the famed apostate. "I would love to come, but unfortunately nuns in the forth century were not historically known for crushing mens heads into pulp with their bare hands." Jo admits, putting a crimp in an otherwise drat fine plan. "So I'll take King guarding duty. I'll stick next to Vitiges in case Fudge slips past you fellas."
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May 22, 2014 06:01
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C0ry "Thus why I chose my disguise, though I do hope that head crushing won't be necessary. Taken alive we could learn something about our enemy and perhaps other time breaks we haven't found yet." The warrior gives a wave of approval at her choice of looking over the king, it was vital, but keeping their cover as long as possible. If they knew what was going on it would ruin history again, or perhaps fix history, depending on ones point of view.
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May 22, 2014 06:11
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Samuel Pepys Pepys rolls his eyes out of flattery. "Alas, I've been ousted. Shall I accompany you to the King? I must see about having this barb removed!" He pauses at Musashi's side. "Stand true, sir." Then to C0ry, "Good luck."
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May 22, 2014 06:15
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Jo 10:13 "I suppose if Fudge manages to get past Miyamoto gutting him, you talking him to death in front of the King is a decent backup."
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May 22, 2014 06:31
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Deviation At 50% And Holding Fudge appears in a flash of light with the last of the lightning bolts. The deviation has this time taken a form decidedly different than in the files, appearing as a Chinese merchant of the Eastern Wei Kingdom. "Behold the magic of the middle kingdom!" He shouts with a small flourish. "Take me to your leader." He finishes with a smirk as Miyamoto and COry approach, seemingly oblivious to their true identities.
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Jun 5, 2014 02:23
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Jo 10:13 "I sincerely hope they can deal with the interloper when he arrives." Jo murmurs to Pepys as they mull about near the King. "Because if he gets here there is little I can do without contaminating the timeline. And there's very little you can do full stop."
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Jun 7, 2014 09:58
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Miyamoto Musashi "The Middle Kingdom, you say? You've come a far way, traveler." Musashi's hand does not leave his sword as he plays along.
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Jun 7, 2014 17:23
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C0ry "Our leader, yes? And what do you bring?" It was important to see where he was keeping the time device, without that communication with the future and the teleportation could not happen. It might be better to play dumb and see if it had a fail safe. Cory looked over his companion with a bit of worry and then back to the man that was the cause of all of their troubles.
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Jun 26, 2014 02:54
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