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Post by Mathias Kolher on Mar 3, 2016 13:58:51 GMT -5
This was the start of a trying time for Mathias, and he knew it was only going to get worse. This whole thing had him starting to listen to what was being whispered, what was being said just out of his range of hearing. So far, the tales of another, potential King had not spread, and it was something he was determined that wouldn't get around. It would cause too many problems within the kingdom and court, too many potentially internal conflicts that could weaken the kingdom to an attack. And while preventing internal problems and hopefully preventing an attack on the kingdom were not in his job qualifications, defending the King was. He knew that if this got out of hand, they would be coming for Ludwig. Ludwig's problems were also his own, and the fewer that knew about this, the better.
Turning down the hallway that would lead to Feliciano's door, he could only wonder how the other sentry would react to him. Mathis still considered him a soldier under the Kings orders; knew very well that the man could be dangerous if he ever felt like he wanted to be. it would be no hardship for the man to learn how to fight left handed; actually it would make him more-so since people would not look past his handicap. But for now, he wasn't considering that; all he was thinking about was how to get the man to listen to him long enough to tell him what was going on and get his help. Finally, he stopped outside a door and breathed carefully and held his back straight. Hopefully he wouldn't be seen as a job stealer at this moment. Knocking carefully, he hoped that whatever had blessed Ludwig with knowing the right words to say would bless him too.
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Post by Feliciano Vargas on Mar 29, 2016 18:08:19 GMT -5
The rounds atop the castle walls continued to aggravate Feliciano more than they helped. Feliciano's still avoided any supplemental lessons to strengthen his left hand; he could feed himself, clothe himself, and write just a touch better than legible. No one actually expected him to fight, anymore. He was practically a sentry only in name now--his job was to 'report any situation to the generals as necessary'. Feliciano had gone from future Jack of Hearts, heir to one of the most powerful, influential noble families in the kingdom, to a glorified messenger. The higher ranked soldiers both pitied and mocked him for his abrupt change of fate, while those he 'worked' with resented the 'preferential treatment' Feliciano received. Commoners who suffered tragedies like Feliciano's were expected to pick themselves up and carry on where the left off, apparently. Not be given a job by the king himself. Of course, none of them seemed to realize that Feliciano had nothing else. With the loss of the Vargas estate went almost the entirety of the family fortune. With no home and little money, the lands under Vargas protection were easily picked off by rival families; the soldiers under Feliciano's employment easily swayed away with bribes and 'better job opportunities'. At this point, the meager salary he made as a castle sentry was all the money Feliciano had to his name. The room gifted to him was the only 'home' he could claim as his own, now. All that truly separated him from the rest of the sentries of common birth was his blood, a practically meaningless title, and the 'compassion' Ludwig bestowed upon him. Feliciano preferred to call it a curse. He didn't care if he was wrong to think of it that way, either. No amount of weapons training would earn Feliciano his position back, not with that... that spikey-haired idiot in the way. His true skills had always laid in the keenness of his eyes and his proficiency with a bow. Without his arm, his true potential was wasted. With a Jack that can create magic shields to protect the king and queen, Feliciano was subpar. Secondary. He might be able to work his way to Royal Esquire if he tried hard enough, but if Ludwig had wanted him for the position, wouldn't he have already done so? Or at least told Feliciano as much, to train because something better could be coming? Or maybe it's not a matter of skill anymore. Even if Feliciano had the physical skills for the position, his tenuous grip on his noble rank would probably haunt him in such an important position. It could haunt Ludwig, as well. Maybe Ludwig's 'compassion' didn't extend to moves that might damage the royal's reputation as well. Feliciano logically couldn't begrudge Ludwig that sentimentality, but he could still hate the limbo he's been trapped in, as the alternative. These thoughts all swirled in a vortex of anger and despair as the brunette was finally relieved of duty for the day. Feliciano practically seethed as he made his way back to his quarters, using the servants halls to avoid running into anyone. Several of the other sentries were growing more vocial about their discontent with Feliciano's treatment by their superiors as the days went by. The only reason Feliciano could deal with his duties atop the wall was the silence they used to offer him. The solitary position gave him time to focus on the job at hand, actively put his eyes to good use. Despite being a glorified messenger, he did feel useful up there, when he was left to his own devices. Now it's all Feliciano can do to grit his teeth through the whispers and rude accusations that now followed him to work. Feliciano just wanted to get to the privacy of his quarters and hopefully calm down a bit. His uniform felt as if it were burning his skin. Feliciano froze when, upon rounding the corner towards his room, he spotted Matthias Kolher standing in front of his door. Matthias Kolher, the man had swooped in and stolen his job, his birth right before Feliciano was even cleared to get out of bed. Matthias Kolher, the man with no noble claim and more influence and power than Feliciano could ever have again. Matthias fucking Kohler, the bastard Feliciano had to answer to directly, now, and could never truly escape. He had to stop and take a deep breath to keep his vision from going red. After lingering in the shadows, trying to keep his temper in check, for a few very long moments, Felician hesitantly continued down the hall. He came to a stop next to the taller man, struggling to keep his contempt off his face. He couldn't quite get his hand to relax out of a trembling fist, though. "O-Oh, sir. Might I ask what you're doing here, ve?"Feliciano hated calling Kohler 'sir'.
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Post by Mathias Kolher on Apr 2, 2016 22:26:04 GMT -5
Mathias hated being called Sir and Sir Kohler. Every time he head it, he couldn’t help to think that it was his father that they were addressing and not himself. It was understandable with his ranking knight position within the court, but it still didn’t mean that he had to like it. For most people that he knew, those that he could get away with it, he told them to just call him Mathias. He hated pulling rank and reminding people that he was a higher rank than them, but sometimes it was necessary in order to get the respect of his officers. He knew they didn’t like him because of what had went down with Sir Vargas, and while he understood where the man was coming from, he knew there was nothing that could be done about the situation. The first was mysterious, what had happened with Feliciano’s family and the subsequent loss of his arm. But the position had to be filled and he was the one to fill it. His fellow guards, while they might not like him much, they respected him enough to listen to his orders when It came to it. Now though, now he had to deal with Vargas. Which he had to wait for him to open his door so hopefully he could keep it from slamming shut on him.
"O-Oh, sir. Might I ask what you're doing here, ve?"
Turning around in surprise, he tried to have a friendly look on his face… Well as much as he could given the situation. Nodding a greeting to him, he saluted him to let him know he was here on business. It was business he didn’t want to drag many in, but there were certain people that had to know, and if they wanted Vargas help, he would have to tell him. He also hopped that this assignment would show him that he was still needed, still useful to his King and Country. He might not be Jack anymore, but he was just as important, if not more so now. He could do things that no one else could, go places that were inaccessible to ones such as Mathias himself and see things that needed to be known.
“I have a …. Delicate matter to discuss with you Sir Vargas. I hope that you’ll listen to what I have to say. Our Red Majesty feels like you could be of great help in this matter, and I agree. You alone have the skill that we need to…" Looking around, he frowned. He didn’t want to say it in the hallway, he didn’t want to say it anywhere. “Pardon, but can we move somewhere more private, this matter is not for the casual ears of the court and it could cause many problems for the King and Country if the wrong people found out. Would you prefer one of our quarters, or perhaps the war room?”
He knew that these three places would be safe from anyone overhearing, and that was his main priority at the moment. Safety of the Kingdom, they royalty and the people of the court; for if things went bad, he knew more than likely the entire court would be torn asunder.
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Post by Feliciano Vargas on Jul 2, 2016 21:29:16 GMT -5
The sight of Kohler saluting both reignited that angry burn beneath his skin and awoke instincts beaten into Feliciano by a lifetime of military training. Immediately he straightened his posture and saluted in turn, a specialized salute developed for him following the loss of his right arm. His gaze dropped from Kohler's face to stare at the distance beyond the blonde's left shoulder, standing at attention. He could handle this, even if he didn't necessarily like it. His training with his father truly paid off, because he didn't even twitch out of formation when Kohler spoke up again, calling him a title Feliciano hadn't even earned. Sir Vargas. That title alone was enough to make Feliciano fume, but he kept his gaze steadfast on the wall and his anger off his face. While he had managed to survive a vicious attack against his family, he had done nothing of valor, and as such, had not earned a knighting--and he would have protested, violently, had Ludwig attempted as such. So to be called "Sir Vargas", as if he wasn't less of a soldier now than he had been as a child, was arguably the greatest insult that Kohler could give him. The worst part of it all... Feliciano couldn't be certain if Kohler even meant it as an insult. Feliciano at least had his noble status over Kohler, even if the Vargas household and lands were burnt to the ground and stolen by rival families and the family fortune was practically nonexistent compared to its previous vastness. In the past, Feliciano might have been glad--excited, even--to be personally requested with helping handle a "delicate" matter for the kingdom. However, that was the past, when Feliciano had a future to look forward to, and an important role in the kingdom. Now, as a mere sentry practically in title only, Feliciano couldn't help but be wary. What use could he have in any sort of matter secret enough that privacy was needed? However, he couldn't exactly say no, if not only Kohler but Ludwig was requesting his services. Them phrasing it as a request was for appearances sake only, and Feliciano didn't exactly appreciate it. "I know that my room is free of any surveillance if you are...concerned, sir," Feliciano replied after a moment, still not relaxing from his stance. His arm was slowly beginning to cramp from holding it so still for such a long time, but he didn't waver. "However, I have no preference to location. It is my duty to serve the kingdom however you or His Majesty require. I will follow wherever you wish to lead." Feliciano's pride burned saying such a thing to the man who had dealt the official, final blow to any future Feliciano might have, but he had no choice in the matter. With the loss of every physical claim that gave his blood and title power, he truly was this bastard's inferior. He didn't even deserve to have pride to be offended.
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Post by Mathias Kolher on Aug 15, 2016 7:25:14 GMT -5
"I know that my room is free of any surveillance if you are...concerned, sir,"
He nodded, but then looked to Feliciano again. It He was only half surprised that the man had kept up the salute this long. Somehow he kept himself from sighing before nodding to him. He wasn’t sure about that, because doors could only do so much, but he wanted the man to be on the upper footing for this, to be as comfortable as he could be and on his own field, so to say. He wanted him to have the advantage in this, since his news and his request would end up bringing more trouble to Feliciano in the long run, he wanted to do it in a way that he felt like he had the power to say no. Which he did, for it was still a request and not an order… it was just the best option they had at the moment.
"However, I have no preference to location. It is my duty to serve the kingdom however you or His Majesty require. I will follow wherever you wish to lead."“Your room should be fine…” He looked around a bit, listening for anything that would give him some clue if someone was coming or anything that chose to offer him advice at this moment. This was a situation that he didn’t want to be true, and they were all trying to scramble to cover their butts and protect the King and Country here.
“You can lower your arm, I’m surprised you kept it up that long. Please lead the way. I do not wish to intrude in a space I know I am not welcome, and I do not wish to keep you from your duties and make you suffer my presence anymore.”He knew Feliciano didn’t like him, for obvious reasons, but he was trying to be respectful to the man who had his position first, to the man with so much more knowledge of how things should be ran, how the customs were… that was one thing he was sincerely lacking, something he hadn’t been able to figure out yet and it seemed no one had realized his lack of knowledge or had bothered to try to correct it. So he did what he could and hopped he didn’t offend people too badly. His words were to show that he understood the others feelings and tried to accommodate them as best as he could within the circumstances. “I do not know how much time we have, hopefully months, but on the shadow of the Joker of Order, I wouldn’t hope for more than that...”
Feliciano Vargas
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Post by Feliciano Vargas on Nov 28, 2016 19:33:50 GMT -5
"Please lead the way. I do not wish to intrude in a space I know I am not welcome, and I do not wish to keep you from your duties and make you suffer my presence anymore."With a bit of effort, Feliciano turned the sneer threatening to overtake his face into a particularly stern non-expression. Made sure his gaze stayed in the middle distance where he couldn't crumble into glaring. The only allowance he allowed himself was turning the growl forming in his throat to a sharp sigh through his nose. Feliciano could feel his fingers trembling under the force of keeping them straight and in position, when all he wanted to do was curl his hand into a fist and punch Kohler in his stupidly open face. Anything to wipe away that expression of discomforted pity Feliciano could still see in his peripheral. However, Kohler was seriously testing Feliciano's patience. Kohler's attempts at safely navigating Feliciano's "sensitive" feelings were clumsy and unbefitting someone of the position of Jack. Feliciano knew his previous skill at handling delicate matters came from his mother, for his father had always been direct, almost and sometimes specifically to the point of brusqueness. He may have not had that same ability to cut so easily to the heart of a matter, but he had his careful nature to make up for it. Kohler, it seemed, could do neither, and instead openly floundered and made himself an easy target. To think that this ineptitude is now what Feliciano had to answer to was infuriating. Still, Feliciano had learned over the past year and a half to keep his anger just beneath his skin. When he spoke, his voice failed to tremble. "My Jack, if you do not wish to intrude upon my living quarters--" he refused to acknowledge any of Kohler's claims of being unwelcome "--then if you would follow me, I will lead the way to somewhere more private."Kohler had already told Feliciano to lead the way, so Feliciano felt no shame for dropping his salute and turning on one heel to head back the way he came. Ludwig had granted Feliciano a room further into one of the more unused wings of the castle, but Feliciano knew quick ways to get to the war room--well, anywhere in the castle, really. He had had years of living on castle grounds during his training to learn such routes, and the past year and a half of desiring pathways free of judgmental gazes. Without a word, Feliciano led his superior through many small corridors generally used by servants, and a few more that perhaps only the ghosts of the Castle of Hearts passed through. He was careful to keep an eye out for anyone, anyone at all, and adjusted his path accordingly so that anyone they might have crossed only caught a glimpse of the two of them before they were gone through another corridor. Not once did he speak the entire journey, nor did he slow down to make sure Kohler could keep up. The Jack was in much better shape than Feliciano, and had nearly a head's height upon him. There was no need to attempt to cater to the man when he should be able to keep up on his own. By the time they had reached the war room, Feliciano had managed to wrestle his temper a little more forcibly under his control. During the entire walk, he had kept an eye out for anyone or any thing out of the ordinary. Anything at all. His skills with weaponry and the like may have been atrophied from months of disuse, but his ability to read the environment had actually heightened since his accident. Feliciano called it adaptation: others called it paranoia. "We will be undisturbed here, my Jack," he murmured after a moment's pause to judge the corridor from his peripherals. He hefted the thick door open with only a bit of trouble, stepping aside to allow Kohler to go first. Once Feliciano was also inside and the door swung shut, he turned his attention to his superior. Only a small frown marred his expression; he'd been able to calm down enough to manage actual eye contact without choking on all the angry words he wanted to say. "What is the situation, ve? What kind of task do you and His Majesty the King require of me?"
Mathias Kolher sorry for just writing them just going to the other room but I thought it'd be easier to just usher them there instead of spending 2 posts just walking to another room ^^; if you need me to change anything, just let me know!
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Post by Mathias Kolher on May 10, 2017 15:41:05 GMT -5
Matthias followed Feliciano to the war room, constantly looking at the corners they passed, watching to see if these people might have had anyone inside the castle. He was usually pretty good at hiding his paranoia from people, at putting on a cheerful, idiot face, but not this time. There was too much at stake. And he was sure Feliciano could read that in his expression, in the tight was that he was carrying himself. Once the door was shut, he watched Feliciano, judging his stance an action.
“Right now we need to put away any animosity that is between us…. We need to be able to work together.. Now more than ever.”
He just dry washed his face for a moment before nodding, moving to sit down, indicating that Feliciano should to. He wished they got along better, that there was more trust between them. But he knew that was a wishful hope, which he doubt it would come to fruition. But truth be told, they didn’t have to like each other, as long as Feliciano respected the Authority, the King, he didn’t have to like Matthias. He just watched him, hoping that this would all work out in the right way, and working to keep the Kingdom safe and to keep Ludwig as acting Royal. In his opinion, even if there was another for the throne, they wouldn’t be as good and fair as Ludwig. In this case, the rules of heredity be damned.
“Right now, there is a conspiracy brewing to dethrone Ludwig. They claim there is another more suited to the throne, and there an active search on their part to find him. We need you to investigate undercover, see what you can dig up, and see what you can find. How far in the search are they? Do they have any indication where this other male is? Is this person working with them or is he the one behind the plot? We need to prevent this before it turns into a revolution in the country. I know it’s asking a lot… and you can say no if you don’t think you should be the one to do this… but Ludwig trusts you… and so do I.”
He trusted Feliciano to help want to keep his old friend safe, to see the bigger picture at how this could affect off of them, even him and his position. It could ruin the Kingdom and cause more problems with the other Kingdoms, they could try to take pieces of the Red Kingdom for their own if they were so like minded if this were the case.
"If you decide to accept, we'll work out all the details with Ludwig and with Kiku, get all the insights we can, plan contacts, everything that we can do to support you in this..."
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Post by Feliciano Vargas on Feb 5, 2018 0:34:52 GMT -5
Feliciano made sure not to shift his stance, even a little, once Kohler turned his attention on him. After all, Feliciano knew his form was perfect, and even the slightest change in weight was a sign of weakness. His weapon skills had atrophied, not the rest of his training. Still, though, when Kohler finally, simply said, “Right now we need to put away any animosity that is between us… We need to be able to work together. Now more than ever,” Feliciano kept himself at attention. At least until Kohler turned away to the desk. Feliciano quietly "tched" under his breath, but otherwise kept the rage under the surface. He did not allow his hatred for the man to color the way he worked; while Feliciano had very little pride left, most of the time, when it came to dealing with Kohler, Feliciano went out of his way to be as close to a perfect soldier as he could without weapons training. It was a sense of pride, or spite, or something along those lines. Feliciano hated the idea of Kohler looking down on him, for any reason. So this baseless assumption that Feliciano couldn't work under Kohler because of his animosity only infuriated Feliciano further. But, every once in a while, Feliciano actually had control over his fluctuating emotions. When it came to Kohler, Feliciano rarely lost control of them. Even though Feliciano had very little pride he was allowed to keep, it always flared its wounded head when the Bastard Jack was around. Still, though, when Kohler gestured for Feliciano to join him at the table, Feliciano found it easy enough to sink into a seat across the table. Generally, soldiers of lower rank stood either at attention or at least at rest in the presence of the officers. However, Feliciano did have his tenuous noble title over Kohler--plus his legs were starting to ache with tension. He'd been waved into the seat, so he wouldn't complain. Kohler's announcement of potential treason against His Majesty would've knocked Feliciano flat off his feet if he'd continued standing, anyway. "Right now, there is a conspiracy brewing to dethrone Ludwig. They claim there is another more suited to the throne, and there an active search on their part to find him," Kohler began, and Felician could easily read the latent frustration--the anger--on his face and in his eyes, though for once Feliciano easily recognized that those emotions were not directed at him. Still, Feliciano "tched" again at the very idea, a frown tugging down the corners of his lips. Kohler's gaze never left Feliciano's as he continued. "We need you to investigate undercover, see what you can dig up, and see what you can find. How far in the search are they? Do they have any indication where this other male is? Is this person working with them or is he the one behind the plot? We need to prevent this before it turns into a revolution in the country." He barely paused to allow Feliciano to process everything, which Feliciano both vaguely appreciated and absolutely hated. "I know it’s asking a lot… and you can say no if you don’t think you should be the one to do this… but Ludwig trusts you… and so do I.""So do I." Feliciano blinked a bit at that last statement, genuine confusion so strong he couldn't smother it beneath his careful facade. There had been no sign before this moment, at any point since Kohler had been appointed, that would ever lead Feliciano to think Kohler trusted him with much of anything. Ludwig, His Majesty, had been the one to appoint Feliciano's current position, and Feliciano admittedly only rarely answered to Kohler directly. Feliciano always been happy for that, because the sight of Kohler with his title walking around and running things had boiled his blood. But that certainly meant he barely knew the man at all, let alone to suspect there was some sort of trust, or respect, from the older soldier. "If you decide to accept, we'll work out all the details with Ludwig and with Kiku, get all the insights we can, plan contacts, everything that we can do to support you in this...""How am I supposed to-- t-to investigate undercover?" Feliciano butted in, schooling his features back into something more serious, despite his still-present confusion. "I've had some training in espionage, but if you don't know who to look for, where am I supposed to start? What kind of operation are we looking at?"That wasn't an acceptance, though Feliciano knew it wasn't a refusal. He didn't think he could refuse--if this was practically a request from His Majesty's own mouth, even with Feliciano's noble rank he couldn't dare refuse a direct--or indirect order, from his liege, lord, and King of Hearts. Even if the entire thing sounded like a joke, or a fucking lie. Feliciano knew Ludwig's approval with the populace was fairly high in most areas of the kingdom, so who would dare try to usurp him? Treason was punished harshly, even in the fair Kingdom of Hearts, and unless there was some damningly good evidence proving Ludwig's supposed illegitimacy to the throne, Feliciano couldn't believe that anyone would actively want to get rid of him. Unless, of course, he was absolutely right, and this was simply a ploy to get him out of the castle. The color bled out of his face at the idea, and Feliciano closed his mouth with an audible click of teeth. Ludwig wouldn't actually do something so underhanded, right? Even after that incredibly tense one-on-one meeting what felt like so long ago, Feliciano couldn't dare believe Ludwig wouldn't just come to him and outright say Feliciano had overstayed his welcome. But Kiku could come up with something subtle like this. And Ludwig trusted his judgement implicitly, in a way he had never trusted Feliciano's own words. ...Fuck. "...when is this mission supposed to begin?" Feliciano finally asked, after a few false starts. "Can you tell me some of the specifics you had in mind, sir?"
Mathias Kolher Took forever and a day to get this monster written, and once again Feli got away from me, but here ya go lolol |
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Post by Mathias Kolher on May 9, 2018 9:19:58 GMT -5
"How am I supposed to-- t-to investigate undercover? "I've had some training in espionage, but if you don't know who to look for, where am I supposed to start? What kind of operation are we looking at?"
“If you would prefer to work it out with Kiku, he can keep me updated. But I would imagine putting you in the region where the papers were found... Here… take a look over these."Moving carefully, he pulled the papers from a hidden compartment in his desk, knowing that Feli probably knew about the compartment too. He knew he could trust Feli with it. "The idiots were stupid enough to leave this behind. But yes, I'd imagine sticking you in the section of town where we found these... have you live among them, dropping lines here and there about how the kingdom might seem good on the outside, but underneath the surface, things are as retched as an outhouse. Let the words reach the right ears, and they will come to you. Perhaps try to recruit you to their cause." Mathias could feel a headache trying to form in the back of his skull; had been trying to form since he had found those papers. The dread in the pit of his stomach sat like a rock, like a snake coiled. He could see the snake outline in the kingdom if he looked, one that was slowly coiling and preparing to strike. The only question in his head was if they could cut off the snakes head before it did permanent damage to the kingdom; before it took out the King. It was Mathias and Kiku's job to do this... and now Feliciano's. They both trusted the man in front of him, and he could only hope his trust paid off.
"I'll leave then when to after you talk to Kiku, but I would prefer sooner rather than later. We need you suited for this, equipment and supplies... plans laid out of how to get you enough money to survive and how to contact us. That would be Kiku's department. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a shadow network around the city at least. "Looking back at Feli from where he was looking at the layout of the city on his desk, he nodded and smiled at Feli. “Seriously. I do think you are the best one suited for this. If Ludwig wouldn’t have suggested you, I would have myself.
You have skills that are going unused, skills that we need. Perhaps if this works out well, you could become more of a spy for us. You’d be able to pass unnoticed in many places. Its something that requires great skill, and that’s the skill you have.”
Feliciano Vargas
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