Perilous Waltz

[silvanis2.0]

Hear ye, hear ye! His majesty, King Alastair, has opened his palace gates for the first time in two decades to host a ball in honor of her highness, Princess Maeve's, eighteenth birthday. All subjects of every class is invited, but all subjects must bring a weapon of their choosing. His highness is aware that this may cause some confusion and uneasiness among his subjects, but some would argue that it makes sense to be armed. His highness has been informed of the rumors of unsavory people roaming the kingdom. And, yes, he knows of the disappearances of certain noble families. He is currently looking into the matter. Will you be in attendance?

Please RSVP with your information. The king requests that you present the following with your reply:

Name:
Age:
Caste: (Noble, knight, vassal, merchant, farmer, craftsman, peasant, or serf)
Physical description:
Brief bio:
Weapon of choice: (The one you're bringing to the ball)
Family name: (Only if it has a notable history)
Mount: (Name, species/breed, and any other information that will be useful to our stable hands. If you have none, then please leave blank)

[Ally-Ann]

Name: Josephine Arnette

Age: 16

Caste: Noble

Physical description: Josephine is a lithe girl of 5'5. Her curly, black hair is hip-length, and is pulled into an elegant chignon with a few curls gracing her alabaster face. Her eyes are the shape of almonds, and their color is the deepest shade of blue. Her formal attire is classic, but not boring: A white and light-blue gown, with a moderately-low-cut bodice and flowing, elbow-length sleeves. The skirts are light-blue and adorned with pearls, while the bustle is white. A single string of pearls graces her neck, and modest single-pearl earrings are matched. The pearl ring she wears is dainty, and not at all showy, with a single pearl upon the post and four smalls diamonds on both sides. A small comb tiara is also worn.

Her usual clothes consist of various pastel-colored dresses made of either silk or satin, the under-sleeves usually wrist-length and snug while the over--sleeves are puffed and cover just the shoulders. The bodices are usually normal-cut, and the skirts are floor-length and flowy. Any jewelry she wears is silver and slight, and a silver, leaf-patterened headband wraps around her head.

Brief bio: Josephine is one of three daughters of a wealthy noble named Louis. She has grown up in a lavish lifestyle, but she doesn't fancy her family's position; she secretly wished to travel the world. She is the middle child, but she carries herself as if she were the first. She is graceful, sneaky, and observant, yet she is no ill intentions. Her sisters laugh and tell everyone that she is merely a subtle flirt.

Weapon of choice: A steel sword crafted by one of the best metal smiths. Her family crest-- a griffon and three five-pointed stars-- is silver and attached to the hilt's end.

Family name: Arnette

Mount: A tall, black gelding named Alphonse. He is 7 years old, and was given to Josephine by her father when she was younger. Alphonse is a very tame horse, but if not handled properly, is very head-strong.


EDIT: I added her everyday attire to the physical description, and I included her father's name in her bio.

[silvanis2.0]

The king is honored that you have accepted his invitation!
(Awesome! Once we can get a couple more people, we can get this party started. I can't wait to see what Josephine can do!)

[silvanis2.0]

Name: Lachlan
Age: 21
Caste: Peasant
Physical description: Lachlan is lanky and, although thin, has a fair amount of muscle. He has dark auburn hair that he tends to keep tied back in a short ponytail and a smattering of freckles across his nose. His right eye is blue and his left is milky and filmed over in blindness. He keeps it covered with a large strip of cloth that he winds around his head, but can't hide it entirely as there is a large raised scar that runs from his forehead to below his eye. He wears whatever he can find and prefers to go barefoot.
Brief bio: Lachlan was orphaned at a very young age and had only his older brother to care for him growing up. Unfortunately, his brother starved during a particularly rough year and left Lachlan to fend for himself at the age of twelve. He has survived as a pickpocket and occasional bounty hunter ever since.
Weapon of choice: a hatchet
Family name: Unknown
Mount: A black and white three year old Shire named Doyle that was definitely not stolen. Definitely not. Doyle is bad tempered and rarely answers to anyone but Lachlan,so attempting to handle him without Lachlan present could be dangerous.

Name: Forrester Caldwell
Age: 20
Caste: Knight
Physical description: Forrester is tall and well-muscled from his duties. He has an unruly mop of sandy hair, grey eyes, and dimples when he smiles. He also has a strangely shaped kneecap from an old battle and walks with a slight limp. When he is not in uniform or armor, he likes to wear simple breeches, deerskin boots, and a loose jerkin.
Brief bio: Forrester and his identical twin sister, Brier, were born into the noble Caldwell line. Forrester was trained early to be part of the king's guard and Brier was groomed to wed into another noble family around the same time. Forrester was successful in obtaining his station, but Brier was not. He currently looks for another of the king's guard that she might marry while upholding his duties.
Weapon of choice: a broadsword issued by the king
Family name: Caldwell- a long line of nobles and knights loyal to the king
Mount: Steady, a large 4 year old gelding with a grey dappled coat. He is well trained and well mannered, and shouldn't give anyone any trouble.

EDIT: Knocked down Forrester and Brier's ages a bit to better fit the general age demographic of the game.

[Ally-Ann]

I wish more people would sign up. :<

Psst, silvanis! If you want, you can try submitting this rp onto Roleplay Nation if you haven't already. It might have a better chance there.

[silvanis2.0]

Me, too!

What is this Roleplay Nation you speak of?

[Davidizer13]

Name: Stephania Andersonne
Age: 23
Caste: Peasant

Physical description: Stephania is a bit over five feet tall, a touch on the stocky side. Her hair is dark brown, straight, stretching almost to her shoulders; her eyes are a pale blue. She is toned and tanned from years of labor, her face bearing a light scar from a mishap out in the woods. Normally, she wears rough, practical clothes, designed to be tough, comfortable, and easy to mend, finished with a thick pair of work boots. The only consideration to vanity she gives is a malachite pendant necklace on a slim gold chain, a memento from her deceased mother.

Brief bio: Stephania lives with her father on the wild frontier of the kingdom, in the vast forests to the west. Like her father, she is a skilled woodworker and logger, learning the craft from a young age, soon after the untimely death of her mother. So far, despite the wishes of her father and the prodding of her friends, she has been resistant to the idea of marriage, preferring to remain unattached and working on her own, on her own terms.

When Princess Maeve's birthday was announced, Stephania was selected as her village's representative to visit the festival, and was shipped off as fast as they could get her away. Not that she wasn't excited to go, it was just that her friends and neighbors seemed even more excited than she was. Despite her appearance and manner as an unrefined bumpkin, especially in comparison to the courtiers and upper crust of the party, Stephania has sharp wits and is close to nature, having lived among it for so long.

Weapon of choice: A modified woodcutter's axe, around two-and-a-half feet long, made from a wooden shaft with a "bearded" axehead, one that extends well below where the two parts attach.

Family name: Anderssonne - derived from being the child of Anders, with no particular heritage attached to it.

Mount: No mount.

[silvanis2.0]

The king is pleased to have such a representative from the village.
(Stephania will be a great addition to the story! Just one more player and we can begin. *rubs hands together*)

[DecooPunk]

Name: Erin Adeney
Age: 17
Caste: Knight (If she can be one, if not then she's a noble)
Physical description: Erin has long, to the waist orange hair and is about 5 feet tall and slender. She has dark green eyes and is fair skinned. When not in uniform (If she is a knight) she wears a dark green dress that's looks like this: (I'm no good at descriptions.)
Brief bio: She is a only child. Her mother died when she was born. Her father was grief stricken and refused to remarry, because of this her father raised and taught her in warfare and how to fight.
Weapon of choice: A two-handed Claymore
Family name: Adeney
Mount: Freya, a Destrier (which is a type of stallion) she is almost 4 years old.

Dang that picture's big O_O

[silvanis2.0]

The Adeney house is well respected. His highness has no trouble accepting Erin as a knight. With this, the celebration can begin!
(Well, later today. At the moment I'm beat. I'll have a good first post up soon! Thank you three for showing interest ^w^)

[silvanis2.0]

Lachlan examined himself in the reflection of the creek. He cleaned up pretty well, he thought. His new clothes had belonged to a noble just recently and seemed to have been rarely worn. The rich greens and golds were stunning in the sunlight. He clicked his tongue to get Doyle's attention. The horse looked up from grazing.
"Well?" Lachlan asked, turning so his horse could see his full outfit.
Doyle snorted and shook his big head. Lachlan scowled.
"Ah, who asked you? These clothes will help me get in with the richer folks. You know, the kind that wear family rings and keep a bit of extra gold in their pockets? Gold that could perhaps fall into the hands of the apple merchant in town?"
Doyle whickered, suddenly interested. Lachlan laughed and wound a delicately made golden scarf around his head to cover his eye. The noble's wife had wonderful taste to have picked out such a pretty thing. Carefully, so as not to wrinkle his new clothes, he swung up into Doyle's saddle. He squinted up at King Alastair's brilliantly white castle.

It sat huge and white at the top of a large hill about half a day's ride from the center of town. An imposing wall lined the bottom of the hill and encompassed the large courtyards, and then an inner wall surrounded the castle itself. At least, this is what he'd heard. Today, for the first time in his twenty one years, he would see the inside of the castle walls for himself.
-------
Forrester whistled while he rubbed oil into Steady's saddle to keep it from squeaking as he rode up in uniform to the castle. He was, at all times, a representative of the king and had to keep up appearances. He checked his blade as well, to be sure that it was shined and clean. The king himself would be proud.
He smirked to himself and let his mind wander. Today was the day that he would introduce Brier to his guard friends. She had set out for the castle already, eager to clean up after her ride. Finally she stood a chance of getting their parents off of her back, and in turn it would stop her from bothering him.
But better than shaking off his sister, better than being a proud representative of the king, was the thought that perhaps he could snag a dance with someone pretty. It had been a long time since his previous love had left for farther reaches of the kingdom and broken off their relationship. He finally felt ready to try again with someone else. He ran a hand through his hair at the thought of finding someone knew and pulled himself up into the freshly oiled saddle. There was a fair ride ahead, and he had plenty of time to think about who he might meet.

[DecooPunk]

Erin made her way to her father's stables and went to her horse, Freya. Today she was going to go a ball for princess Mave. She wished she could have been a guard at the palace, but it was nice to have some time off and she did love dancing. She brushed and saddled Freya and mounted, riding out of the stable and towards the castle.

[Ally-Ann]

Deep, sapphire eyes peered into the mirror intently, slim fingers sliding the comb tiara into place as ruby lips pulled into a small smile. The large bed chamber was filled with light, and the scent of peonies drifted in through the open window, a gentle breeze causing white curtains to billow and Josephine's loose curls to dance. The girl stood from her vanity's stool carefully, smoothing out any wrinkles in her dress while doing so, and taking one last look in her mirror. Feeling satisfied with her appearance, she left the room swiftly and descended down the white, marble staircase and into the main foyer of her family's villa. She halted at the bottom of said staircase when she rested her gaze on her father, who stood beside the main doors holding an all-too-familiar tool in his hands. Josephine couldn't help but smile once more at the look on her father's face.

"Papa, I'll be fine," she stated, walking up to him and taking her sheathed sword from his offering hands. The smile disappeared and she looked at him with most serious, assuring gaze she could muster. "Honestly. It's a ball for the princess. Their castle is well-guarded."

"My daughter, it's not how well-guarded the castle is that I'm worried about," the noble started solemnly, his deep voice laced with sorrow. He continued at Josephine's slightly-puzzled expression. "I'm worried about how well-guarded your heart is."

"My heart...?"

"I'm concerned that you may find a handsome young man and you'll want to marry him!" Josephine raised an eyebrow, not as phased by this question as most young women would be.

"Nonsense. I've no time for a fiance."

"You've not the maturity, either!" Louis exclaimed, taking his daughter by the shoulders. Josephine sighed and shook free of her father's grasp, setting her hand on the double-door's knob.

"I have the maturity, Papa, just not the time. Once I am eighteen, I'm emersing myself in work," she informed matter-of-factly. "Such jobs don't allow for marriage." Her father sighed, a rueful smile spreading across his aging face. He nodded.

"You will be singing a different song when you find the right one, Josephine. Just do not sing it tonight!" Josephine paid no attention as she simply walked out the door. She did not have to walk far; Alphonse was waiting for at the bottom of the porch's staircase.

Josephine climbed onto the white side-saddle, situating herself after strapping her sword to a special hook. After giving Alphonse's head a quick pet, Josephine turned her head slightly to look at her father standing under the door frame. "Goodbye, Papa!"

And with that final farewell, Josephine rode Alphonse at a quick trot, past the open gates and down the stone-paved road. In front of her were meadows of tulips, and on the very far horizon was a speck of white; the castle, and her destination.

[Davidizer13]

The capitol drew ever closer as the road climbed the hill, with glimpses of the city visible through rises and turns. The towers of the castle stood apart from the squat, angular buildings of the commoners. Stephania sucked in her breath, taking in the scene. Already on her journey she had already seen more people than she thought had ever existed, but to imagine that many again, living in the same place...

She was traveling with a group merchants going to the city for the festivities, and so far, they had gotten her to buy a new pickaxe, a woven bead necklace, a pressed lily "unlike any other in the world," and whatever was getting dangled in her face this time.

"Freshest apples this side of Slenvin! Just three coppers, and this one can be yours."

She was convinced it was the same apple he had been trying to pawn off for the last couple days. "No, I'm really not-"

"What about salt beef for your travels? It lasts forever!"

"I've had quite enough of salted meat, thank you very much."

"Well, if you're not hungry, I have fine dresses for a lovely lady as yourself in the back of the cart, if you'd like to try one on..."

"I have brought my own."

"Ah, but was yours made by the fine tailors of the East? I think not!"

"Listen, I do not have much money with me, and I would rather spend it when we reach the city."

"I'm sure we can work something out, there's sure something in your pack you'd be willing to part with, if you're looking for some extra spending money."

"Not likely," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "So are you going to go to the festival?"

"Oh, no, we're just here on business. We can't celebrate when there's money to be made! What about you? Are you going to be feasting while the rest of us freeze on the streets, scratching for a couple coins?"

"Well, the king did say anyone was invited, and being that I am no merchant..."

"I see. In that case, do try to enjoy your stay, hobnobbing with the leaders of our fine country. Oh, and speaking of which, watch yourself out there. The merchant's voice dropped an octave. "I heard there may be some...underhanded dealings going on? Rival factions, unrest in the families, something out of us commoners' control. An ill wind, if you will."

"I have heard of such things," she said, unconsciously reaching for the axe at her belt, making sure it was still in place. "I doubt any would have quarrel with a simple lady of the woods, would they?"

The merchant shrugged. "These days, you never know! Enjoy the party, just stay out of anyone's way, that's all I have to say." With that, the merchant sidled to the rear of his cart and hopped aboard, barely breaking stride. Stephania eyed him cautiously, then moved around the nearest wagon, getting out of his line of sight.

[silvanis2.0]

Forrester whistled absentmindedly in his saddle as he rode toward the castle. Steady knew the way, so he was free to daydream. He could see the ball in his mind's eye, the chattering women waiting for a dance, the minstrels gauging what songs to play... His heart quickened at the idea. He almost didn't notice Steady stretching his neck to nudge the horse ahead of him. He blinked out of his reverie and pulled Steady's nose away from the other horse. He knew that horse and he knew that orange hair. It was one of the king's newer guards, if he remembered right.
"I see they let you off duty for the ball... er... Adeney, isn't it?"
----
Lachlan did not expect such a wonderful assortment of merchants and dealers on his way to the castle. It was a veritable treasure trove of pocketable items. As he worked his way up the caravan of merchant carts, he managed to sneak a handsomely made necklace, one or two partially filled coin purses, and a cruel looking throwing knife. He bought some things as well, so as not to draw attention to himself. An apple for Doyle, which the horse refused outright, and a small bottle of scented oil were among his purchases. It was a profitable day thus far, and as his eyes fell on a unique axe carried by one of the other travelers on the road, he wondered how much more profitable it could get.
He urged Doyle forward to catch up with the peasant woman carrying the strange blade and cleared his throat quietly.
"Pardon me, miss?"

[DecooPunk]

Erin turned to face the rider behind her, "Yes," she said smiling, "Erin Adeney. You are one of the King's guards right? Are you going to the ball tonight too?"

[silvanis2.0]

Forrester nodded and squeezed Steady's sides with his knees to keep even with Erin's horse.
"It is nice to know your name, Erin, I'm Forrester. I will definitely be at the ball tonight, trying not to look foolish on my two left feet," he said with a grin.
He patted Steady's neck, unsure what to say next. He was never particularly skilled with casual conversation. He cleared his throat and grasped for a topic.
"It is rare to see a female knight in the king's court, was your father one of his guard as well?"

[DecooPunk]

"It is nice to meet you Forrester." Erin replied, "My father wasn't a guard before me, was your's?"

[Davidizer13]

"Yes?" Stephania cautiously turned to face the stranger - he was a scarred lad and fellow traveler, by the looks of it, about her age, leading a horse behind him. "Speak your peace - you do not have anything to sell me, do you?" She pulled her pack a little tighter, keeping him in the corner of her eye.

[silvanis2.0]

"Not at all!" he said in what he hoped was a mollifying way, "I just noticed that you did not have a horse, and I thought that a woman on the way to a ball might prefer to ride. No need to dirty your clothes before the festivities."
Doyle snorted defiantly and he shot the horse a look.

[Ally-Ann]

Splotches of red and purple danced across Josephine's gaze, the tulips seeming to fly by as Josephine kept Alphonse at a moderate trot. The girl's eyes sparkled with joy at the feeling of freedom. Free! Neither of her parents were with her, nor was her older sister, and her father had actually agreed-- albeit hesitantly-- to let Josephine go without any of the family guards accompanying her. Josephine was not easily excited, but the allowance for her to do whatever she wanted-- to finally feel like an independent woman-- was enough to make her heart flutter with joy and nervousness all at once. Josephine recalled her earlier childhood; how sheltered and protected she was. When she was a small child, she was never allowed to travel to the village, and once she was allowed to, she had to have her older sister with her.

The young noble supposed it was because her parents thought of her as their "miracle child"; when Josephine's mother was only 2 months pregnant with her, she once suffered from heavy bleeding and intense pain, and believed that she had a miscarriage. Though she continued to gain some weight after the supposed miscarriage, she never really appeared pregnant. Their rightfully-believed assumption proved to be false when Josephine's mother shockingly went into what felt like child labor seven months later. What she felt turned out to be true, and Josephine was born.

Josephine couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips, wishing that she wasn't such a "miracle child"; if not for the way she came into the world, she wouldn't have been quite as sheltered. Bah! No matter! I'm finally getting a taste of what it's like to have a life, Josephine mused, noting that she was now passing houses and entering the village. Let the discoveries ensue.

Ignoring the stares she received from some of the villagers (Think about it; a girl clad in a ball gown with her hair decorated with a small comb tiara, riding a white-side-saddled, black gelding into a village), Josephine continued on towards the castle, slowing Alphonse to a walk so as not to let him squash anyone's feet. She kept her expression neutral, her sapphire eyes scanning the crowds. Who knew this village could be so crowded? it wasn't like this the last time I was here. She continued to look straightforward down the stone-paved road. Had there been a road away from the village, I would have taken that, Josephine droned inwardly as salesmen, artisans, and scam-artists alike seemed to lock their money-searching gaze on her.

"Miss, only twenty silver pieces for this painting!"

"This beautiful coat belonged to the princess! It can be yours for only one hundred silver pieces!"

"M'lady, it is wise to have your fortune read! To know what is to be expected!"

Josephine clenched her jaw slightly, reminding herself to control her actions as she shook her head. "No, thank you. I have no time." Alphonse had halted, but Josephine now urged him to slowly walk forward.

"Ah, but it will take only a minute!"

"One second!"

"Not long at all!"

"I said I have no time," Josephine restated with finality, her voice rising slightly, and gently snapping Alphonse's reins to quicken his pace. Why is the village like this today?

[Davidizer13]

"It is a mite late for that to be a concern," she said, pointedly shaking her legs out as she walked, making the excess mud scatter from her boots in all directions. "But since you are making the offer, who am I to turn it down?" She stared up at the saddle, then unshouldered her pack. "Would you kindly hold this for me?" she said, handing it off to Lachlan before sticking her foot in the stirrup.

[silvanis2.0]

Lachlan obliged nonchalantly, though he weighed the pack in his hands and tried to guess at the contents. Doyle sidestepped abruptly in an effort to put his new rider off balance but was stilled by a chilly glare from Lachlan.
"You will have to pardon my horse, he gets restless around strangers sometimes," he said to the woman, clamping a hand firmly around Doyle's reins and leading him forward, "I imagine it has been a long road for you, with these pestering merchants and all."
He looked around at the bustling caravans to illustrate his point and his eyes fell on a woman of obvious wealth. She looked young and definitely well-groomed atop her black horse. Perhaps he could sneak something off of her as well. He would wait until she was closer. He let his eyes travel back to the woman on his horse and pulled himself back on track.
"Forgive me, I did not introduce myself. My name is Lachlan," he said, pulling Doyle to a temporary halt and offering a bow.

[Davidizer13]

Stephania struggled up to the saddle of the horse; she hadn't been in one for a while, and the horse didn't tolerate her very well. She tossed her leg across, but halfway through she noticed a regal lady of high bearing, riding above the crowds on a shiny black horse, riding side-saddle. Carefully, she pulled her leg back to do the same and stay in place, only half-listening to her benefactor as he chattered on about how great he was, or something like that. She was too busy trying not to slide off the saddle - how did the other woman stay on, sitting like that, in that slick fabric dress?

The rider jerked his horse to a stop to introduce himself; Stephania grabbed the saddle to hold steady. "I am Stephania of Ryballa, daughter of Anders. And have you travelled far, Master Lachlan?" she asked, shifting backwards.

[silvanis2.0]

Lachlan lead Doyle slowly forward so Stephania might keep her balance. He empathized with her want to fit in. He, the chameleon that he was, had succumbed to it years ago. He was tempted to reassure her, but his eyes were drawn to the axe once more and he remembered that he needed to stay in character.
"In a matter of speaking. Business tends to make me somewhat nomadic. You have indeed traveled far if you hail from Ryballa. Did you travel all the way to the capitol with these merchants?"
In one fluid motion, he slipped Stephania's pack over his shoulder and undid a side pocket. A lone copper sat at the bottom and he took it. At least it was something.

[Davidizer13]

"A great many miles I did, yes," Stephania replied, "but not all the way. We rafted along a river from the west ere we reached a town - forgive my memory, we were there but a day - a town on the river, which is where I met the caravan with which we are presently traveling." Wistfully, she remembered Father giving her a final embrace before she stepped aboard the boat, his thick red beard prickling against her forehead, his clothes thick with the scent of pine sap.

She found herself looking at Lachlan, her pack across his shoulders. He seemed like an all-right sort, better than the charlatans and peddlers who were her companions of late. At the very least, he wasn't as deeply concerned with getting at her coinpurse as they were.

The crowds around them thickened, and the people in front of them slowed their pace. Looking over their heads, she could see the gray-brown stone of the city walls, mossy and weathered, a line curving across the horizon, with ribbons and banners scattered across its front in honor of the celebration to come. It was still a ways away, made even longer by the crowd that stood between her and the gate, but something rose within her, a thrill of anticipation that grew stronger with every strike of her horse's shoes against the trail.

[silvanis2.0]

Lachlan watched Stephania's expression as the castle's decorations began to color their view. Even though she appeared rougher than a good portion of the crowd, her excitement lit up her face and made her shine. There was a strange brand of beauty in her. It was one forged from hardship and having to take care of herself. He frowned and felt the weight of the copper in his pocket. He shifted the pack on his back and attempted to replace the coin, but he thought he saw her gaze sweep back over him. He shoved the coin back into his pocket and felt a guilty heat spread across his face. He shook it off.
"Lady Stephania, this may seem forward, but if you are willing to share the saddle with me I can get us past this crowd. I think we are both eager to see the inside of those castle walls."

[Diamond Dragon]

I wonder if it's not to late to join the party?

Name: Chiyoko Kasumi
Age: 15
Caste: Craftsman (in training)
Physical description: A bit small for her age, Chiyoko is very spry, almost elven-like in build. Strangely, she is an albino, with stick straight white hair that comes down to her shoulders, pale blue, almond shaped eyes, and very pale cocoa-colored skin. She is also very Asian in appearance. Her usual outfit is a green blouse with large, billowing sleeves, and black legging that also billow out at the feet, almost giving the impression of a skirt. Around her neck is a silver dragon medallion.
Brief bio: Obviously having foreign blood, her father fled from his home country before she was born, For whatever reason, he never told her. But when he settled in this kingdom, he fell in love and married, settling down. Being a weapon smith, and one of great skill, he got the attention of the king, and became his head weapon maker. As Chiyoko grew up, her father taught her both of his craft, and fighting technique.
Weapon of choice: She is in the possession of a strange weapon, consisting of two knives with 7 inch blades, connected to each other via a rather small, but extremely strong chain of about 7 feet in length.
Family name: Kasumi, the foreign weapon makers.
Mount: a solid black gypsy horse named Kuro. Being pretty young at 3 and a half years, Chiyoko sometimes has trouble controlling him.

[silvanis2.0]

OOC: I am so sorry, Decoopunk! I just now saw your post. Please forgive me. >.<"

Forrester nodded.
"My father, his father, his father before him... it is expected of men in my family. It must be nice to be able to choose your own path," he said, shifting in his saddle.
The crowd on the way to the ball had begun to slow their progress. Forrester scanned the crowd instinctively for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

[Wolfsong]

Christina looked at herself critically in the mirror. Absently, she ran the brush through her hair one more time, then laid it aside, deciding she had done the best she could. She smoothed out her white silk one more time, trying not to be nervous. While she had attended all of the parties thrown by her own family, the thought of attending such an important event made her nervous. Taking a deep breath, she left the room.
Stephen, eldest of her brothers, was waiting for her outside. He smiled as he studied her. "You look beautiful Christina," he said admiringly.
She blushed slightly. "Thanks Stephen. I wish you or Maxwell could come with me."
He smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be fine. You have your weapon?" At her nod, he said, "Then you'll be fine. Don't worry."
"I wish that was all there was to it," she replied ruefully. Smiling, he took her hand.
"Father will be busy tonight, so he will not be able to see you off. I will go with you to your horse. You know the way?"
"Yes, thank you, Stephen."