Melodia

*Lowers the newspaper and nods* Thank you. *Goes back to reading*

Does this mean: Highlander Alliance A Highlander Alliance B *Lowers newspaper and shakes head.* This....is not a nosebleed raid. Highlanders are...okay...sometimes. Aside from the small handful that exceed that level. Some Roes, like Hornet, are better looking than most highlanders....so not sure why this would be the ideal. Just thinking out loud. *Goes back to reading newspaper and puts on fire resistant clothing for expressing his opinion.*

*The following events take place after Bulletin Board posts #217 and #218 respectively.* The docks weren't quite as crowded after dark, and the moon had gone behind clouds, providing Melodia with enough cover. Clad in her black tunic and gray pants, the ash mask in place, it would be hard to place who she was even if she had been seen. Glancing to her right and left she saw it was clear. Her contact had told her that Kink would be along this way as it was typical haunt of hers. She waited and crouched. She was no Yellowjacket tonight. She was the woman Taurin had trained so well over the years. She was someone that Kink might recognize, at least in her present state. Taking in a deep breath that showed no fear, no shudder, she calmly watched and listened, her ears twitching with each sound, each voice. In her hand she clutched a small heavy pipe. She had to focus....to control her anger, because this would be the most difficult part of the operation. After this....she could relax. Her fingers drummed along the small pipe and she clacked her teeth waiting for her prey.

-One Week Following Drowning Wench Encounter- Melodia laid the knife onto the table with a straight face, missing any expression of glee, fear, or otherwise. She looked at the assortment of instruments there and wondered why Ramsay's influence was still so strong when she had hated him so much. Small to medium sized hammers next to two different daggers and a small asortment of knives. A chain sat at the end and she stood from her kneeling position, looking at herself in the mirror, adorned in a black tunic and dark gray pants. Not the typical uniform for a Yellowjacket. But tonight she was off duty and was no Yellowjacket. She was her old self again. The woman she'd left behind on that beach among the dead. And tonight she was going to show Kink that she was not some pushover in a bar...not some confused woman with an addled brain. With that, she stepped out of the apartment, prepared for her second meeting with the runner.

-Age 11- It was a shore leave day and the men and women of the crew out enjoying themselves at the port, the Captain was on board, relaxing, and the sun shone down on the beach. And Melodia was running. The sweat beads on her face and forehead were indicators of the heat and the toll the run was taking on her. She'd been doing sprints up and down the beach for nearly and hour now and she was winded. The sharp whistle from her left caught her attention and she pushed harder. "Don't let the thought of fatigue wear you down, young one. In those moments....those ones most of all...you need to push harder and keep the pace up. Or you'll be snared faster than you can imagine." Taurin was smiling as he spoke aloud, coaching her....training her...as he'd been for months now. Melodia grinned and dug her heels in trying to get her speed up in the deep sands. As she finished her final turnaround and went to the goal with little air left she fell to her knees and gasped for air, a soft laugh coming through the winded lungs. "You did well, child. If you can sprint in the sands, then the wooden planks or stone walkways will become easy." Taurin was smiling as he approached and guided her with his hand to stand before her. She was breathing hard but she still had the smile on her face. "Aye...." She could say no more as she was out of breath. His voice was always gruff but the words gentle, as the Miqo'te man looked her over. "Learn to control yourself.....you would be easily taken now. Remember....the goal is to not get caught. That is your number one priority. If you're caught....." Taurin paused waiting. With a labored breath she nodded. "Aye.....if yer caught.....yer dead." He smiled in pride at her. "Yes, child. If you're caught, you're dead. The law will see to it that one way or another you are broken. Whether in spirit or in the body. So we want to be sure not to get caught. Ever." He grinned, a fatherly and friendly one. "Now....get cleaned up. And go enjoy the rest of the day. We will continue tomorrow...but for now, have fun child." She beamed happily and started to run toward the area where the showers were laughing, a sudden burst of energy at the thought of being free, even if for the day. He shouted after her with a smile. "And stay out of trouble!" She heard him but ran, free to be a child, even if for just a day.

This. And with all the points made, there really isn't much more needed to the thread. *hugs all* Happy thoughts and move forward

I just want to clarify, I am not bashing any players at all here or trying to say they weren't willing to play. The purpose of this thread was to discuss the overall difficulty or near impossibility of being able to properly play as law enforcement due to critical functions being missing (i.e. public support, and actual authority). I just dont anyone thinking I'm pointing fingers.

Two of the other Jackets were following her as she stormed out of the Drowning Wench and they continued as she had walked passed them without a word, mumbling under her breath. As they tried to stop her to find out what had happened, she turned, her eyes red and moist. "Go back t' yer posts...d'ye hear me?" The men stared at her looking unsure and she snapped at them. "Would ye piss off!? I've already told ye yer orders....now do it an' leave me be!" She turned without another word and headed to her apartment. Once inside she slammed the door with brute force and screamed, throwing her hat across the room. Stalking to the table she threw everything to the floor with another enraged scream and slammed her fists upon it and then collapsed to the floor on her knees, weeping. From her pocket she drew a small chain locket and held it tight as her tears streamed down her face. In a sobbing voice she spoke. "Th-they feckin' embarrassed me, Tomas....they feckin' treated me like I was no' even there. I could ha' slit their throats.....I still want t'." Her body was shaking as she tried to catch her breath and kissed the locket with her tear stained face. "Piss on this shite job, Tomas.....piss on it t' all o' th' hells." Leaning back against the sofa she clutched the locket in her hands and closed her eyes, weeping and trying to decide what her next move would be.

I'm likely not going to be at this event. We may be out of town for the day.

That's the tough part....in Limsa 99% if the people are criminals and so it's like I am Batman without all the cool gadgets and such and no Commisioner Gordon to back me up. Part of the problem for me personally is my complete inability to rp with any number of people above one. So that's a factor. I dunno....just reallllly need to rethink Melodia and the Yellowjacket bit I think.

Sounds perfect to me actually. I've been pretty tired of LOL SPRTBNDG players messing up some of my dungeon runs. I don't mind usually, but a good few of them have nasty attitudes about it. it's sad because all they have to do is mention that they want to spiritbond and i'd be all for it This....this times 1000000. Thank you SE

Well.....after a foray into rp yesterday I have discovered a fatal and devestating flaw in trying to play as law enforcement in this game. You have no authority. Zero. None. Nil. Zilch. If I as a Yellowjacket try to push my authority....I have none. I can call on my fake linkpearl and threaten arrest but I can't actually do it. And all it takes is for someone to call that bluff for it to fall apart in seconds. And once that happens, especially in a crowded place, whatever minimal, paper thin legitimacy you had in that role is ripped to shreds quite fast. The fact is without legitimacy and authority, playing as a law enforcement person is akin to me dressing up as a cop on Halloween. Suit looks nice, but that's about all. I now need to completely rethink Melodia and how to even play her in that role because it was clear yesterday that she isn't even take very seriously. Don't know......need to rethink it a bit. May need to shelve her for a bit until figure it out. But....I guess at least I have a fun back story to write. *shrugs*

Quick Kudos to my good friend Zhavi for sharing her story "Kink". If you've not read it, please do yourself a favor and do so. It's long but well worth it. And don't forget to bring the tissue....you will need it. :cry:

Melodia grinned, looking in the mirror and straightening the jacket slightly. She had found her outfit, had made the preperations with the other Jackets, and had gotten good intel on who the woman was and where she'd likely be tonight. The blue outfit matched her hair and she thought she looked good, which was not her normal reaction. With a smile she donned her Cavalier's cap and straightened it upon her head. Sliding the dagger into her pocket she took a deep breath. "Now.....time t' meet this 'Kink' face t' face." She said it aloud, took another deep breath and stepped out of her apartment and headed to the Drowning Wench, praying to the Twelve the Jackets were in their places.

-Age 5- The days were a blur. People shouting, yelling, sometimes singing even. Large men and women who always brandished weapons and cursed, their accents foreign to her. She trembled often and wept daily as she did her assigned chores and tasks around the ship. And as promised by the Captain, her small figure and hands made her work in places that were difficult to access. She spent a good majority of her days below decks, in dank, wet areas smelling of old wooden planks, drying up wet spots, sanding and working to treat the wood. She would often be told by someone to scrub behind small spaces where she could reach. And that was how it was today. She was alone, wiping down an area, on her knees and sweat dripped from her brow as she silently cried, wishing she was with her mother and fath---- "You know, child, there's an easier way to do that?" The voice was older but gentle. She turned her head slowly to see who'd spoken and saw an older Miqo'te or at least he seemed so to her. He stood with his arms crossed and looked squarely at her, as if evaluating her. she said nothing and scrubbed even though she was watching him. "You can speak child. You needn't fear me." He appraoched slowly and knelt down on one knee next to her taking the scrub brush in his hand with warm smile. "Save yourself some energy and let the brush do the work. Instead of the random circles you're doing here....just move the brush up and down like so." He pushed the brush in the way he'd described, the sound of the brush scraping against the wood. "And don't press so hard onto it. That's how you get tired so fast. Again...let the brush do the work, child." He smiled again, passing the the brush back to her and stood. "You do that and you'll be fine." As he turned to leave he paused looking back. "Keep those hands in good shape, young one. You'll be doing more than scrubbing soon enough and you will want them in good shape." He smiled and turned to leave. As she was alone again she began to scrub, in the way he had shown her and as she did, the tiniest of smiles touched the corners of her mouth.

Can this be added to the calendar up in the corner of the main page? EDIT: Posted

-Age 16- The dinner was tonight and she was already behind. Melodia threw the bags to the side, trying to get her bedroll back to the wall in an orderly manner, trying to clean her area before the Captain arrived. Everyone had been required to clean their spaces, and even ones like hers, down in the bowels of the ship were no exception. She saw a rat and shooed it away, growling loudly at it and in her fit had missed the footsteps. "Ye don' need t' be so angry at it....it's like us....lookin' fer it's own piece o' the world." Her voice like silk and cut through Melodia's bones each time. She froze and turned quickly, standing and took a deep gulp. She had always and would always fear the Roe woman, her imposing aura always powerful throughout the ship. The Captain was clad in a semi-formal military jacket and her thighboots and gloves made her look as if she were a commander of an attack rather than a woman preparing for a dinner. She approached Melodia's sleeping area and looked around with a stern eye. "Pardon, Cap'n....I was....jus' startled was all." Melodia's voice was timid and she looked down to the floor, clasping her right arm in her left hand, a defensive posture of fear. One she had learned to take when the Captain approached over the years due to the beatings she had received. "If yer so startled by a rat, then yer a dead woman in all other respects. Now stand aside an' let me see yer work." The command was flat and Melodia stepped aside a small shudder as the Captain passed by her, eyeing the bedroll and the small mess beside it. Her head craned back and looked with a narrowed gaze at the smaller Miqo'te. Melodia began timidly. "I'm...I wasn' finished yet...still have some...." The Captain held up a hand to silence her. The hand seen the side of Melodia's face a number of times and her instinct to flinch was one she couldn't control. "Shut yer excuses, lass. I gave ye an order t' clean yer area. This mornin', correct? And yet....it's still a great pile of shite. An' now ye give me excuses." She heaved a deep breath and with a single motion, placed her foot on the pile of her goods, kicking them to the side, spreading them around the area in disarray. Seeing a small box fall out she swiftly smashed it with her bootheel, not saying a word. "Clean this crap....an' there'll be no food fer ye tonight an' ye'll no' be joining us. Stay here an' think on this." She turned, walking past Melodia and bumping her to the side as she walked away without a word, her heavy footsteps echoing in the silence until she was gone. Melodia began to pick her gear up and reorganize it with tears stinging her eyes and then came to the small box, smashed to pieces. She picked up two of the small wooden fragments and remembered the box as it was, a gift from Tomas after their first job together. He'd fashioned it after some time, carving it in a very fancy yet crude way, but it had been doen with care. "You can keep stuff in it. I mean...whatever you want really. Well..uhm...it's for you." Gods he had blushed when he'd given it to her and had run off like a child. And they were children at that time. She smiled and then broke down, holding the two splinters of wood in her hands and wept aloud for some time, alone in the hold of the ship for the box she would never have again.

Yes!! Of course Ruru will be there and even Melodia will stroll through making sure there aren't too many fights breaking out.

-Age 19- The birds overhead were the first sounds she heard, before her eyes had even opened. The birds and the sounds of busy men stomping around on wooden planks somewhere. All around her. Her head was in pain, screaming from the blow she'd sustained. As her eyes fluttered open, the blurry world came into view and she saw she was below deck, in a dank, dimly lit cell. When Melodia moved to feel the back of her head she realized she was bound with thick rope that cut into her skin when she tried to move. The voice from somewhere close cut deeper. "Ye'll no' be get'in loose again, lass." It was Ramsay, his cruel rasp cutting through the dim light though she had no clue where he was. He seemed to be nowhere and everywhere at the same time, and she wondered for a moment if maybe he was just a phantom in her mind. "Ye know I've ne'er liked ye. Ye were jus' a lit'le brat....layin' puppy dog eyes t' th' Cap'n, an' as kind as she is.....she fell fer 'em. I'd ha' burned ye...right nex' t' yer ma and pa....jus' a 'nother useless cat." His words were cold, cruel and he'd meant every single one of them. He had always....always...hated her, and that hatred grew more dangerous over the years as he'd risen through the ranks. Gods why couldn't the Calamity have taken his black soul from the world? "I know yer awake, lass....I saw yer breathin' change. Do ye wonder where yer loverboy is?" His voice rasped. Tomas! Her mind screamed his name and she gritted her teeth, fearing the worst. "He's no' comin' fer ye again....he got no chance now. He ain't gonna be able to pull off his lit'le stunt again, so ye can stow tha' thought." His words were venemous and she felt her mouth corners turn just barely into a smile. Tomas was at least, for the moment still out there. Still alive. "Keep running ye damn fool...don' ye dare come back fer me. If ye truly loved me as ye say....ye'll no' come back." Her mind prayed Tomas heard her thoughts and stayed away. "Ye know what yer lit'le teacher said 'fore he died?" Ramsay's words were cruel and layered with thick visciousness and she could hear he was smiling. He was trying to goad her now. Her mind quickly flashed back two days. She'd been running up the stairs to the deck, trying to make for the small boat Tomas had acquired, trying to get away before daylight while the men were drunk and passed out. Her gear had been light as they intended to start a new.....li...fe..... The thought had been snuffed immediately as she got to the deck. The men were standing, watching her...the ones who were supposed to be drunk. Who were not supposed to be awake. Gods why were they awake and why were they all smiling and staring at her as if they knew the joke and she didn't. Her eyes had shot upward and then she saw it. Taurin's corpse hanging by the neck from one of the mast parts, clearly dead, and by the look of his bloodied body, had been so before the hanging. She screamed and tears began to runas her fear spiked, knowing this was a message for her and for Tomas. Melodia had fallen to her knees, still crying when Ramsay had stepped forward with a pleased grin, blood still fresh upon his clothing and hands. "Goin' somewhere, ye lit'le bitch?" He hadn't waited for an answer as his feet rose and his kick had connect with her, knocking her unconscious..... She hadn't listened...couldn't have listened to whatever Ramsay had to say. She just knew that whatever hells she had wandered into, that they would mercifully be over soon.

I can't really offer any suggestions but I can tell you my experience just having done this with my alt Melodia and getting the Yellowjacket gear. It was a painstaking process of doing a lot of POV camera looking at gloves for a long time, trying to get the details, and the boots, etc. Then a lot of trial and error on the MB with the "try on" link. And each piece, I would wear it, and stand right next to the NPC, trying to ensure I nailed the colors, and the gear. I wish they had the option to click on the npc and examine similar to what we can do with a player to see what they are wearing.

-Age 11- "I....I'm afraid, sir." Melodia's voice trembled as did her body, as the sea air filled her lungs. "Don't let fear control you, girl. The moment you do, you've already lost." Taurin's voice was loud enough so she could hear as he was standing back on the deck, a few others curiously watching her. She was on the ship's bowsprit, extending out over the waters, her feet balancing a bit wobblyas she kept her face up looking forward, breathing quickly as she was terrified. "Just keep yours forward. Observe the scene in front of you. Nothing good will ever come of you staring at your own damned feet. Remember that. Now girl....take another step forward." It was not a sharp command like the Captain's usually were. This was a caring one, akin to a father encouraging his child. Melodia lifted her foot and then put the trembling limb back down."An' wha' if I fall off?" Taurin replied gruffly, "You want the honest answer or the one you want me to give you?" With a shaky voice, "Th' honest one." "You'll fall. Hit the water hard. Likely injure yourself or become fodder for the fish. Either way it won't end well, so don't fall." His words were crisp and clear, no sign of sarcasm, just facts. She sighed and then responded meekly, "Th' answ'r I wanna hear then." He smiled though she couldn't see it. "You'll be fine." She took a deep breath and walked one step forward, catching her balanceand calming before taking another step. Taurin, as per usual, didn't say a word and merely observed. She was used to his slient mentoring at this point. she knew the lesson had purpose but hadn't yet figured out the meaning just yet. And every day, the lessons were getting harder.

Some that are over due: A meeting between Krell (Nonotano), Zhavi and Berrod Krell tries to play Zhavi like a fool Krell loses his patience with the wisecracking Zhavi (though gave kudos to Berrod. )

I was curious whether I could enter Melodia into this? :blush: Winter adventures in Coerthas A relaxing day at Bronze Lake after work Or just on duty in Limsa.

I already told Aya....Ruru approves of the new avatar 100%.

*Slurping sounds* Oh my! *giggles*