Christopher Lazarus's Roleplay Preference

Alistair remained seated on the throne waiting for the princess to arrive. He slowly shut his eyes only to breathe in through his lungs and exhaled out through his nose. The pain lingered within the prince because of his sister’s death. He knew that someone from this kingdom is responsible and he’ll stop at nothing until he’ll find the person(s) responsible and execute them. The once kind-hearted prince became as cold as a distant memory and darkened ever since his sister’s murder. One of the guards approached the prince to the bottom of the steps and kneeled, “Sire! Reiner will arrive with the princess shortly!” Alistair raised his right hand to wave him off with a solemn nod. There are guards stationed close to the walls on each side, 4 on each side which total 8 in all. When Reiner and the two guards return with Princess Celina in tow, some of the guards started talking amongst themselves. Some gave the princess the cold look while some of them were unpleasantly leering at her because of her torn dress exposing the tops of her large breasts. Those red hues met with hers for the first time. At first, the prince’s hands clench against the armrest. The pain of loss. The pain etched so deep that it can’t be certainly be undone by no means. Then, his hands began to relax on the armrest of the throne only to give her the cold stare.

 His red eyes slowly gazed down at her torn dress, “Hmph...” His lips started to part, “Reiner! Why is her dress so torn that she almost looked like a harlot before me?” Quickly, Reiner approached in front of the princess, “Some of the men were dragging her away while she trying to fight our men.” Alistair was a bit surprised by this as Reiner rose and returned to the princess’s side. When the princess asked a question in her steady voice, the guards' mutter because slightly louder, conversing about the prince and princess. With the loud yell from the top of his lungs, “Silence!” the prince stood up slowly from the throne. “I can’t stand you lot gossiping about! Do it outside of the throne room!” The guards saluted in unison, “Yes Sire! Our apologies!” Alistair nods to the guards before he turns to the princess, “and you!” Slowly he took a step forward towards her, “You have such bravado to ask me if your family is safe.” A brow is raised ever so slightly as he took another step to the marble steps, “Do you think that I’ll be lenient in telling you where they are?” Alistair went down the steps, towards the princess. The gap is closing in between the prince and the princess. 

 Yet, he didn’t look away; he’s just stood there and simply stared at her hues. Suddenly, there’s a kind smile blooming across his lips, “I’d gladly tell you but…” His right hand shot forward in an attempt to grab a fistful of her hair. If successful, Alistair would grab it tightly and yank forward so that she’ll move slightly forward towards him. His kind smile is replaced with a look of fierce with a hint of rage, “I’m not so nice! No, that ended when Princess Annabelle was taken from me!” Alistair’s grip getting a bit tighter around her hair, “She was my beloved sister. She showed kindness to her people. She even went above and beyond to show her kindness. However, and this ticks me off…” Alistair yanked her hair up to have her straighten up, “You stabbed us in the back! What you and your people have done was unforgivable.” With that, he let go of her hair with the disgusted expression, “That fact you here before me sickens me. I should’ve had you sent to the barracks to see how long it takes until you are broken. My men would’ve loved having their way with you night after night. Yet…” 

The prince slowly turned around only to look away, “I wanted you alive and…untainted.” His words were bitter and caustic towards the princess, even though he’s a cold tyrant, a part of him doesn’t want to see her hurt or used as a piece of meat. His attention shifted to Reiner, “Reiner!” Reiner straightened his posture and salutes, “Yes Sire!” The prince replied, “What happened to her family?” Reiner approached the prince’s side, “They are held on top of the tower with no chance of escape. The king was trying to fight back, so they gave him a beating. He’s beaten up and swollen but alive. We have guards posted in front of the door as well.” Alistair remarks, “Hmph. They should’ve at least broken either an arm or a leg for that impudence. Well no matter,” the prince turned around and resumes his talk to the princess, “You should be glad they are in one piece, but for how long I wonder. At first, my men were thinking of having them executed along with you as a means to tribute to my sister, but the idea of it was barbaric and sickening. My sister wouldn’t want to see you dead as well.” There is a slight hint of kindness in that tone in his last sentence. “Anyway, their lives are on your hands now, while I’ll decide your punishment.” Alistair has already planned to use her family to keep her in line while he’s coming up with her punishment.

It has hit major news that Xeno was finally captured and sent to prison. The citizens can sleep peacefully knowing that he’s in prison. As for Xeno, he’s currently in a cell and he can move his muscles from that arrogant taser. A cell with lights so bright that he cannot even use his shadow form and the worst of it is they took his utility belt. So, he sat there, thinking about what went wrong. The plan was perfect, simple. He was this close in capturing that tub of lard until that young woman came along and ruin his plans. Just who is she? The thought of her made him clench his fists in anger. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot. There was an evil smirk under the mask as these officers have failed to search him completely. He has a gadget installed with these gloves, and he has all the time in the world to wait for his chance to escape. Four days after being sent into prison, the blaring of alarms suddenly breaks the dead silence of the prison. Xeno broke out of prison leave a couple of guards beaten, stunned, bruised, and most of all they are all unconscious. These guards are just doing their jobs, and Xeno doesn’t want to end their lives or any lives in that matter. He went to the underground prison storage and gotten back his stuff: his utility belt and his specialized gun. A sound of his distorted evil laugh resonated throughout the prison. As an added insult to injury, he left a calling card behind with three words, “I AM FREE!” 

The news was spreading of the prison break and shows the footage of the unconscious guards on camera. Xeno had to lay low from the media and from the cops the heat to die down. During the course of the week and a half, Xeno was recuperating at his home. He’s also planning his next move to capture Benny Curtis once more. Normally he wanted to try again at his home, but there might be a chance that she might pop up and he doesn’t want to come across that young woman again. He needs to learn more about her before he makes his move against her. Suddenly, he remembered that he owns a club called ‘Lonely Birdy’. Why Benny would name this club in the first place? It’s a night/strip club that serves the middle and the upper class. The building was in downtown and this club has been doing well with the constant stream of money from the wealthy customers. On the surface, it was a non-nude, alcohol-serving strip club, but that was only half of it. For the right price, the customers can take a stripper to the VIP section to do whatever they want: ranges from fulfilling their fantasy, all out gangbang or just getting down and dirty. That’s how Benny makes his dough, and with the help of the new drug, it makes things a whole lot simpler. 

 Which brings to tonight, where Xeno will try to capture him outside of his club. Tonight is a good opportunity to do so, where he can use his form freely, but there’s a slight problem. Benny hired two goons that follow him around every second. These goons wear their black suits and sunglasses over their eyes. They looked tough, and one of them is big. Well, a bit bigger than Xeno, but it won’t be a problem for the villain. This time, he’ll go for a more direct approach, no calling card needed. He parked himself in the dark alley, which is across the street of the night club. Xeno waited in the alley, using the shadows as cover. Then, he saw them, Benny and his two goons out of the club in their formal wear. There is a smug grin on this paunchy face that also sickens him. “Boss! We should be heading inside.” Benny replied with that smug look on his face, “No way! That villain was behind bars! So pipe down!” Benny made a belly laugh with both hands on his belly. The taller goon says nothing and looks around at night. There are streetlights at downtown to provide some illumination. Then, Xeno emerges from the shadows from across the street. He stood there as those glowing red eyes glaring at his prey. He walks down the street, making his way towards them. His black cloak flutters backwards when he walked forward. The street is as clear as crystal. He yelled loudly to get their attention, “Benny Curtis! Your time has come! I will make you tell me EVERYTHING that you know!" Upon hearing his yell, Benny shoved the goon out of the way, “Out of the way!” only to get a better look at him. The mixture of shock and fear starting to form on this fat man face, “Y-you! How? You supposed to be in prison!” 

Xeno continues to walk, watching them, specifically Benny. “Oh…Benny.” He tilts his head to this side while he made his evil laugh, “Did you actually think prison can hold me? Me!? I will make you pay for hiring that young woman to capture me!” Benny quickly went behind the large goon to hide behind as any coward would; “Wh-what are standing around for!?” he yelled and point his finger at Xeno. There is a look of fear in Benny's eyes, a mixture of fear and anger, “Get him! GET HIM! Get rid of him!” The two goons looked at each other before turning their gaze towards them. The tall goon cracks his knuckles, “I’ll handle this!” and makes his way down the street to fight Xeno. Xeno comes to a stop just about several feet to the sidewalk. He watches the tall goon “Oh? So Benny has you to do the dirty work? I must say…it’s an improvement…” The tall goon, “You won’t be confident when I am done with you.” Xeno raised his hand to grab his gun with stun round already loaded, waiting for his first move. “So how do you want to do this? Are you going to come at me or?” He pulled out his gun from the holster, “Do you want me to come at you?” The tall goon sprinted straight at him as if he is going to ram him down. Xeno stood still and laughed evilly as he raised his pistol and took careful aim. A wry grin spread on his lips as he fired three shots, watching those rounds hit the chest. It is a cruel method, but non-lethal as three rounds are enough to bring him down. Before he gets a chance, the electric current hit his body. The tall goon jerked, and his eyes rolled back into his head. His legs buckled and fell into a heap on the sidewalk, completely unconscious. Xeno lowered his pistol, “One down… Two to go…” Benny shrieked, “Eek! S-save me!” The other goon goes in front of Benny to protect him from harm. Slowly, Xeno makes his way towards them. His plan is simple: take out the remaining guard, knock out Benny, and take him to his usual place for interrogation. There’s no way that his plan will go awry, or does he? 

 There is a part of him that hopes that she better not show up to mess up his plans.
 

In the town of Caerleon, there is a place called The Hayward. It is a nice old tavern and inn that has been there for decades. It is a moderately successful tavern. There lies a young man, a young mercenary who goes by the name of Mathis Rowe. Mathis sat in the little corner of that said tavern. There was an empty pint mug before him which was already emptied not too long ago. A barmaid went to the table and asked if he wanted a refill, so he looked up to her for a brief moment but didn't say a word towards her, "…." His attention shifted to the empty mug before him. He reached over with his right hand and slowly pushed the empty mug towards her, "…water please."

She slowly nods his head, "Coming right up," she grabbed the mug and walked off. He isn't here to get drunk like the other bar patrons. No, Mathis was supposed to meet with a certain aristocrat here in The Hayward on business. That is if that said business was going to show up. As for the weather, it was clear with clouds looming over the nightly sky. There's a crescent-shaped moon out tonight with the stars twinkling in the sky. Plus, it is starting to get chilly outside, as evidenced by the people wearing coats and robes to keep them warm. Mathis was sitting in the corner so that he can keep an eye on the people coming and going. It is a habit that he picked up in his line of work. The first lesson that Mathis was taught was knowledge. He still remembered the words of his instructor to this day:

"Listen up Mathis! Knowledge can be the greatest tool if you use it properly! Know your surroundings, strike up conversations with the shopkeepers, and listen in on their idle chit-chat! There's also warfare and tactics! Do you understand boy?"

He took those words in heart and honed them along with his skill in combat with his trusted silver blade for seventeen years. He was known throughout the land as the one who doesn't flinch on the battlefield with his unwavering courage and his chilly gaze that made his enemies shudder. Most of all, Mathis is a patient person who knows how to keep himself busy by reading books, particularly about the world. Normally, he'd gotten up and leave but that would be unlike him to do so. So instead, he waited and waited for the person that wanted to meet with the young mercenary. Also, Mathis was a bit curious about the job and that person in particular. It was just another day for him when an exhausted courier had caught up with him while in Caerleon. The courier shoved an envelope containing a letter right on his hand and walked off. When Mathis read that letter, he was offered a job. The letter doesn't contain the details of that said job or what the job is which made him a bit curious. It told him the time and location of the meet and to tell him about the details of that said job. Also, there's something else in the envelope, it is a ravishing ruby ring. He went to the appraiser immediately to see if this is a real thing or a fake. When he was told the value of that said ring, he knew that the person writing this letter is someone willing to pay a down payment just to acquire his services. This person is good, really good to have tracked down his location to send the courier to deliver the letter to him. This person also has deep connections and has gone through the effort to learn about Mathis's reputation as a mercenary. It must be pretty serious if this person wanted Mathis Rowe.

Tonight was the night of the meeting. He had already sold the ring and used some of the gold to book a night at the tavern. The person that he's meeting is running late and sometimes, that's not a good sign. However, the young mercenary was rather patient and so he started reading the book that he had already taken out from his carrying bag. Then, finally, Mathis heard a faint of rattling coming from outside before it stopped. The carriage stopped right outside of the tavern and the butler opened the door and out came the aristrocrat as he stepped out of the carriage. The aristocrat waved him off with his right hand with a strange yet peculiar smile.He looked young, handsome even. When that said aristocrat entered the tavern, Mathis took a peek at him; this person was dressed up from head to toe like an aristocrat from the city. His long green coat with black fur trims on his sleeves and chest. Underneath the coat, this aristocrat was dressed in a white button shirt, yellow with red blotches ascot scarf with an emerald embedded right at the center, beige pants, and black formal shoes. He already pulled out the walking cane with an elegant gold handle. His face looked young, handsome. His eyes seemed as sharp as tacks and he stood out in a sort of a dignified manner that Mathis recognized immediately. The way that this man carried himself looks like that this man is more than a simple aristocrat. It looks like that he is that someone who dealt exclusively with nobles or even members of royalty. Mathis knew that there's something off about this man, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The aristocrat's gaze found Mathis in the dark little corner, and he strode over with purposeful steps.

He stopped in front of his table and asked him, "Excuse me, young man. Might I find the one named Mathis Rowe?" Mathis's gaze was affixed on the aristocrat with a brow raised ever so slightly.

Mathis looked away and responded, "You looking at him."

The aristocrat was quite surprised by this and laughed, "You! You are the one named Mathis Rowe!?"

"The one and only," Mathis replied in a calm-like manner.

The man tapped his cane once with his free hand stroking his trimmed beard. The aristocrat was scanning him from head to toe. "Well then. You must forgive me. I didn't know that you looked so young. You don't look like a veteran mercenary to me." Mathis closed the book and put it back into the carrying back, "Well then." Slowly, he rose from his seat and picked up his carrying bag, "If you aren't here for my services, then I am leaving." Just as Mathis is about to leave, he's stopped with the cane in front of him.

"Now hold on there! I didn't mean to offend you" said the aristocrat with a kind smile. Mathis gazed at the cane before focusing his gaze upon him, "…" Mathis peeled his gaze away from him. "What are you doing?"

"Now now. I did apologize for offending so please." The aristocrat motioned him to the empty chair, "Have a seat and besides. I do have a job for you. If you are interested that is." He flashed a grin towards the mercenary. Slowly, Mathis turned around and returned to his seat while setting the bag down. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, "So," Mathis shifted his gaze upon him, "tell me about the job."

"I will but first…" The aristocrat sat down right across from Mathis and raised his hand high above his head. The barmaid saw his hand and approached the aristocrat, "Can I help you, sir?" The aristocrat responded in kind, "Madame. I would like a bottle of your best wine." The barmaid put up a kind smile, "Coming right up!" She immediately walked off to get his order. Moments later, the barmaid returned carrying a tray with a bottle of red wine and a clean wine glass. She set down both the wine bottle and the glass right in front of the aristocrat, "Here you go sir, and here's the wine glass." He smiled, "Ah excellent!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of gold coins and put it on the tray, "Why thank you. Here's the tip for your troubles!" The barmaid smiled greatly so much that it formed a grin. She wandered off and the aristocrat picked up the wine bottle and opened it. He poured its contents into the wine glass until it was half full. He set the bottle down and picked up the glass only to look at the contents. He took a sip and set the glass down, "Ah! Smooth and rich! You should try some! Put some hair on your chest."

Mathis shook his head, "Alcohol dulls the senses…" The aristocrat just shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "Alright then, more for me. For now, you can call me 'Glenn'. You see, I like to keep my name out of it for this job." Mathis leaned back against the chair with his arms crossed, "and why is that?" He's cautious about this Glenn character because he doesn't know much except this man has connections. Glenn took another sip before he glanced over his shoulder for a moment, and then he continued. "Sorry. That's…personal. You don't need to know." Mathis doesn't like this, not one bit. Yet, he wanted to know what this job is so he asked, "Alright then. What do you want me to do?" Glenn set the glass down and leaned forward and spoke so lowly now that Mathis had to lean forward to hear what he has to say, "This job is simple but a bit complex. I want you to apprehend a certain someone for me."

Mathis raised an eyebrow, "A certain someone you say?" He repeated, keeping his voice low, "Does this 'someone' have a name? Is this person male or female?"

Glenn let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, "Unfortunately no, I don't know the name but I do however know that this 'someone' is a woman." Mathis closed his eyes with a soft exhale, "So basically, I am to find and apprehend this woman for you whose name I do not know. Do you have a description of this woman in particular?" Glenn took another sip from the glass and responded, "Oh but I do!" He set the glass down and formed a wide grin, "I certainly do! She is quite a beauty! A young stunning beauty!" Mathis gave him the blank stare but Glenn continued, "As a matter of fact I do know where she's last seen."

"You do?" He asked him and Glenn responded, "I did and let me tell you. It wasn't easy." Mathis deduced that Glenn must've used his connection to find out where she was, "She's at the town of Walden, which is about three or four days from here. I don't know where exactly in Walden but I know that she's in town. Now, this job, in particular, is special."

"Special? Special how?" Mathis inquired about what made this job so special. Glenn responded in his strict tone, "because…she stole something near and dear to me. However," Glenn gave Mathis the cold stare, "I don't want to bore you with the details." Mathis was curious that he didn't ask if he wanted the object back, but he didn't ask. Glenn picked up the glass and continued to speak, "Now listen carefully. I want you to go to Walden, find that woman, and apprehend her. I don't care how you do it; just bring her back to the east side of this town and my 'friends' will do the rest. Now if she dies, then I'd need proof of her death. Anything that tells me that she's dead. However and I do mean, however." Glenn set down the glass and leaned forward with an elbow propped against the table, "I am willing to pay you a very hefty compensation if you bring her in alive."

"How much of this compensation are we talking about exactly?" Mathis inquired, "Because this job will take me a lot of time."

"You have already received compensation in advance," Glenn said simply, "That should cover any fees for the food and lodgings. As for the compensation for bringing her back alive, well let's just say roughly seven times the amount that you received thus far."

Mathis's eyes went wide when Glenn told him the compensation for bringing her back alive. He wasn't expecting that. That's a whole lot of gold! This aristocrat wants her alive more than dead, which is a bit strange. Mathis cold gaze returned, "Got it. I'll take it job." Mathis rose from his seat with his eyes fixated at Glenn, "Go to Walden, find the girl, apprehend her, and bring her back…alive if possible." Glenn formed a Cheshire-like grin for only a brief moment before returning to his peculiar smile, "Correct!" Glenn looked at the wine glass instead of the mercenary, "Oh! One last thing! Do be sure not to…taint her." Mathis gaze remained on the aristocrat before he quickly shut his eyes with a soft sigh, "Got it."

Mathis picked up his traveling bag and hoisted it over his shoulder, "I'm off to Walden." Mathis told him and moved away from the table. "Do be careful out there and I prayed for your success!"

~~~

Four days. It took the young mercenary four days to reach Walden by horseback. It was early morning when he arrived. The town is so full of life with people from across the region far and wide. There, he begins his retrieval job but first, he'll need a place to stay during his stay in town. He went to a place called Sacred Nightingale Inn and paid the owner for a three-night stay while in town. There was no deadline for this job which is good so he decided to take his time by gathering information. He started with an act of the curious traveler to gather information about the town in particular and to find the so-called woman with such beauty. He played the act well as if he's a completely different person. After all, it is just an act needed to gain knowledge about the town as well as survey his surroundings. It took him two days but it was well worth it. An informant told Mathis he last spotted the woman fitting that same description going into the monastery. The young mercenary was curious as to why she's at the monastery, "Hmm…" Maybe seeking shelter? A confessional? It made him curious but he has a job to do. He had done jobs involving abductions from commoners to royalties. Sometimes these jobs were simple, but this could be a bit difficult for him to abduct her in broad daylight. So he returned to the inn to prepare as he waited until nightfall to proceed. Night has fallen in the town of Walden, and Mathis is ready to break in and apprehend her. The night is perfect for this mission, perfect for stealth. He immediately got out of the inn and swiftly dashed to the monastery.

Getting inside should be the easy part but the matter is getting her out, which might prove difficult if he were to get caught by the guard. Silently, he went to the back and hunched down into crouching. He proceeded only to see the guard slowly patrolling the grounds. He wasn't wearing a helmet but he was watching. He Mathis kept into the shadows, waiting for the guard to move away from the door. The moment the guard turned his back was the opportunity for Mathis to strike. He sprinted forward towards the guard's back and once he's close enough, Suddenly, Mathis wraps his right arm around the guard's neck. The guard tries to raise his hands and wrap them around his forearm to try to pull it off. However, Mathis tries to grab his shoulder and gripped tightly to keep them from ripping his arm off. He slides his left hand behind the guard's head to complete the sleeper hold. Mathis bends his elbow and flexed his right arm so that his forearm is applying pressure to one side of his neck and his bicep is applying pressure to the opposite side. "Shh." Soon, his eyes are starting to roll to the back of his head and it became heavy and then, the guard slumps forward and lands face-first to the floor. Mathis grabbed his hands and pulled his body close to the bushes. Then, he went to the back door and kneeled in front of it. He pulled out his lockpick set from his pants pocket and slid his tools into the lock.

He tinkered for a few moments until the door was unlocked. He puts the set back into the pocket and opened the door. Quickly, he went through the door and into the kitchen. Luckily, there's no one working in the kitchen so Mathis kept low and moved slowly to the hallway. He went to the second floor where there's no one wandering the halls. Mathis moved quickly but quietly through the hallway where the sleeping quarters reside. Then, he heard something from the third door. This must be it. She must be inside, so Mathis stood right in front of the door. He grabbed the doorknob and swung it open. He stepped inside ad his eyes laid on the womanly figure. He moved closer while he immediately drew his silver sword from his back scabbard. Then, Mathis stopped with those cold eyes fixated upon her.

He pointed the tip of his blade towards her chest, "Nothing personal," Mathis spoke coldly towards her, "but you are coming with me."