A New Trainee, ISO: Gor Coran, open to all

[Avalon]

It was a few hours past noon, and the sun was high in the sky, though it was partially hidden by the thin cloud cover. Pigeons were cooing and flapping their wings on the roof of the guard complex. Talia glanced up at the noisy, drab birds and grinned. They were so hardy; able to survive in any environment, even in a busy town like this. She admired their determination.

She stopped in front of a padded dummy in the middle of the courtyard. It was ragged and dirt-smudged, and had obviously been punched many times. Bits of straw were sticking out of the potato sack that it was made of. Talia's grin widened at the dummy's clumsily painted face, with x's for eyes and a jagged mouth. She swung back her fist and punched it square in the area where the nose would have been, if the artist had remembered to add one.

Where is my supervisor? she wondered, giving the dummy another good punch in the eye. The slip of paper that she had received hadn't mentioned exactly who this 'Gor Coran' was. A seasoned veteran of the guard? Talia hoped he wouldn't expect her to talk a lot.

[Gor Coran]

The hot weather, along with the general stuffiness of his office, was beginning to get to Coran. Still, when he was stuck inside doing a report, almost everything got to him in some way or another, the angle the sun made that irritated his eyes, the bluntness of his pencil and the lack of a means to sharpen it, the general uncomfortableness of his chair, and most of all, having to write. The written language had always been a failing aspect of his professional life, and this was a source of great frustration for him. Add that to his growing feeling that he had forgotten something, and it was pretty safe to say he was miserable right now.

He checked the list of files he had completed, there was no hint of the forgotten event hidden within them. Next he gazed at his rota of activities listed on the wall, a pleasently futile task, as he had long since given up on updating it. Giving up on any material form of recollection, he scanned the dark and dreary wasteland that was his mind. Once again, nothing. He sighed audiably, if there was one thing he hated, it was being late to an appointment. If it was an appointment he was missing. Maybe a walk would clear his head and allow him to focus on the matter in hand. Pushing the report aside, he stepped out from behing his desk and crossed to the door.

Surveying the dusty courtyard, he tried to relax and clear his aching mind, which would have been a lot easier without the racket coming from the main exercise court. The sound in itself was strange, as Gor Coran himself was the only regular user of the combat dummies. Maybe Percy had taken his hero worship one step further, and started imitating his actions. He shuddered at this thought, there was definetly something wrong with that boy. Whatever he had forgotten, it could wait, he was curious now. Maybe one of the local kids had sneaked in to use he equipment, if so there would be hell to pay. He stepped down from the main stairs and headed in the direction of the noise, his long legs swiftly covering the ground.

Rounding the main building, Coran was immediatly taken aback by the small figure that opposed him. But then again, everyone seemed to small to him, especially young girls. Not that he ever remembered any female guards. For the third time he scanned his mind, this time coming to rest on something useful, a name. "Talia Fletcher?" He called, slightly too loudly. He remembered now, the newest recruit to the guard family was evidently eager, something he was used to. He swiftly approached her, hoping that he had the identity right. If not there would be hell to pay...

[Avalon]

Talia heard footsteps behind her. She continued beating up the poor practice dummy, but tensed as she waited for the person to either talk to her or pass her by. When she had arrived at the plaza, she had been surprised at how empty it was. Apparently there weren't that many new trainees, and all the experienced guards were out patrolling. Perhaps all the trainees were supposed to come here for practice in the morning . . . But she had been given no schedule. She didn't know if there even was a schedule.

A deep voice interrupted her thoughts. So this person knew her name - or thought they did, by the uncertain way that they said it. Talia turned around and found herself confronted by an enormous bear of a man. "Sir?" she asked, tucking an errant strand of copper hair behind her ear. She kept her face impassive, though inwardly she groaned. The man would have easily dwarfed her, even if she hadn't been only five feet tall. Talia silently cursed her small stature; people tended to overlook her or not take her seriously because of her height. How she longed to be tall!

He looked to be about thirty years old, with shoulder-length black hair and a tanned, weathered face. His hazel eyes made her uncertain about his age, though usually she could guess ages pretty well. He wore a homemade woolen tunic and an authoritative scowl that meant he might be a seasoned veteran. Could this be Gor Coran? She had never heard of him before, though she had lived in Mossleaf for nearly half her life now.

"Yes, I am Talia Fletcher," she said, her voice perfectly even. "Are you my supervisor?"

[Gor Coran]

Coran inwardly cringed at the words, so this was indeed the new recruit. Which also mean't that he had a pupil in effect, a responsibility he was not quick to relish. "Oh, um... yeah, I guess so." He scratched his beard absent-mindedly, trying to cover his embarrasment at forgetting. He didn't normally forget things as important as this, maybe age was beginning to catch up on him. Not that he was particularly old. "Ok then, I guess it is my duty to welcome you into the official order of the Mossleafian Guards. In the coming days you will face many tasks, and if you succeed in them you may be ordained as a full-member of this ancient order. Until then, you are to answer the authority of senior guards, especially the guard captain. Trust me you don't want to get on his bad side. I know, hes me afterall. Gor Coran, pleased to make your aquaintance."

He bowed formally, keeping his back rigid and his eyes facing straight forward. "Now that the formalities are over, I have a few questions to ask. First off, Do you have a residence within Mossleaf? If so, where is it, and what is the best time to contact you off hours? Also, have you any major physical combat-based qualifications I should know of?" That was more or less the jist of what he needed to know, but not all that she needed to know. "And finally, your hours as a trainee will be 9 till 5 everyday, and you must report to me at 8.50 each morning. I can usually be found in my office, just ask another guard for help finding it. Your hours will change after becoming a full guard, but we'll talk about that later. Any questions of your own?"

[Avalon]

Talia nodded, and bowed deeply. "Pleased to meet you, sir." She was still not used to his impressive size - and now she found that he was the Head of the Guard? "I am honored to be a member of the guard. I have always wanted to be one." There was a slightly awkward silence. Why had she said that?

"I live near the Town Square, in Three Oak Court. My house is small and painted beige; there's a sign with my name on it on the front door. You can contact me any time from 5 pm to 10 pm." Physical qualifications? That was a little more difficult. "Er, like I said in my application, I trained with the Lord Provost in another town for three years . . . I guess you'd call him the Head of Guard. I'm good at tracking Rats - er, criminals - for long periods of time, and I have pretty fast reflexes . . ."

"Um, do I receive my salary at the end of the day?" she asked. She didn't want to seem like she was only in it for the money, but she had to know. "Other than that, I don't think I have any more questions at the moment."

[Gor Coran]

Coran once again scratched his beard, trying to recall the various processes through which pay worked. "Well, you can be paid in that way, although some other guards tend to prefer being paid in full at the end of the week. The Normandie borthers even take theres at the end of each season, although they always end up spending it all too quickly. Just come to my office at the end of the day and I'll give you your pay. Mind you, you'll only recieve your pay if you report to me in the morning and work the full shift. Also, you are entitled to holidays, trainee's get festival days off, and you will have free hours as a full-guard due to your shift arrangements."

He personally took his pay weekly, it was easier than having to remember it each day. "Also, you will get bonuses for catching criminals. You start on 300T a day, which will increase to 500T when you 'gradute'. With that issue done, we need to start on some basic training." Physical combat was 101, so her positioning and activities made the job all the easier. "Well, we'll start with unarmed combat 101 to save time. The most basic style of hand-to-hand as it is known, is to simply outslug your opponent. As such, knowing how to throw a punch correctly is vital. You have the stance down, but your basic technique is slightly flawed. In future, punch with the weight of you shoulder, don't pop your wrist, it leads to injury." He demonstrated by moving past her and swinging a blow at the dummy, using his main body weight. The dummy reelled back under the force of the blow. "Ok, now do that fifty times, for both arms."

((That reminds me, +800T for work post.))

[Avalon]

Talia nodded. "Every day is fine." Hmm . . . The Normandie brothers? She made a mental note to find out more about them later. She watched Gor Coran demonstrate the correct technique. Normally she would have bristled at any correction, especially since he was a man, but he was her supervisor. She would have to learn to obey orders, even though they came from a male, if she wanted to become a true guard. "Fifty for each arm?" she asked, just to make sure.

She then proceeded to punch the dummy where its jaw would be, if it had been a real person, making sure to use all her weight - what little there was of it, anyway - to add power to the blow. To Talia's surprise, punching that way was easier. It didn't hurt her wrist so much.

[[+300 for work post]]

[Gor Coran]

"Yeah, complete those we'll move on to side-kicking. Then maybe basic headlocks and throws if Percy is free. He hasn't been out here recently, so he could do with a bit of touching up himself. Whilst your finishing I'll jot down your details." Pulling his trusty notepad out of his tunic pocket, he quickly scribbled a few things before managing to break the tip of the pencil he was using. Frowning at this, he considered carving the details into the paper, but instead opted to attempt to remember. Given his track record it was probably a bad decision, but right at the moment he had other issues.

"For a bit of variety, try using variants of uppercuts and hooks in combos, and finish each set of ten with a haymaker. Or a roundhouse punc, whichever pleases you really..." He personally went for kneeing and headlocks when he was forced into physical confrontations, but it was always worth knowing how to throw the proper punch. Sometimes it could mean the difference between apprehending a criminal nd beingleft trussed in the dust. Not that it had ever happened to him, but there was a first time to everything.

[Avalon]

Talia continued punching the dummy as she listened to Gor Coran's words. She tried closing her eyes and punching, and managed to land a few punches, though she missed a few times. Then she asked, still punching, "We're allowed to fight dirty, right?" When she thought about it for a few seconds longer, it seemed like a silly question. Shouldn't guards use whatever means necessary to take down a thief? But what if the Head of the Guard took the question as an insult to the honor of the Mossleafian Guard, or something?

[[+300T for work post]]

[Avalon]

[[Sorry, I had to collect my pay before I forgot. So I copied and pasted half of my other post to make this one.]]

Then she remembered what Gor Coran had said a few moments ago. "Is Percy one of the Normandie brothers?" Talia asked, continuing to pound the helpless combat dummy, sometimes hooking her fist under the 'jaw' and sometimes curving her arm so that it hooked around the side of the dummy's head.

[[+300T for work post]]

[Gor Coran]

"Well, in practise yes, but it I advise you to set a good example and attempt to subdue your opponent cleanly. Fighting with honor is one of the contributing factors to the reputation the guards of today have inherited. Mind you, if you are confronted with an exceptional opponent, then exceptions are allowed. But for the most part we like to use the shock and awe target, apprehend them with the full official manner and whatnot." Personally he just yelled something that came into his head, then apprehended them, but someone of a slighter stature would probably encounter more problems. Still, anyone could be deadly with a baton.

"And yes, Percy is one of the Normandie brothers, I forget whether hes the oldest or the oldest. Hes a recent graduate from the training program himself, so he still has the incredible enthusiasm that becoming a guard endows upon people. Bit too enthusiastic really, hes managed to get himself into a few bad situations as a direct result." He wasn't going to say much more, some of the lads actions were a blemish on the name of the guards. Not only had he been beaten up by a girl, but also had been captured and held hostage for a short time. And that really wasn't the sort of thing that Coran wanted as public knowledge, not just for Percy's sake.

((+800T for work post.))

[Avalon]

She nodded in understanding. "I will," she said, though not in a light manner. When it came to her job, Talia never joked. She was serious, a fact that was made obvious by the wording she had used - not 'I'll try', or 'I'll do my best', but 'I will'. And the strangest thing was that she wasn't even in it for the money - though she knew many guards were, of course. She was in it because she loved the feeling she got when she was chasing a criminal, the rush of adrenaline as she followed them and finally captured them. Dogging - or chasing, as most would call it - was Talia's favorite part of being a guard (though she hadn't had a chance to do so yet since becoming an official guard). She loved the hunt, just like the hunting dog she was nicknamed after.

Unaware of what was going on inside Coran's head, Talia said, rather sympathetically, "Well, every guard makes mistakes. The Lord Provost once told me that when he was chasing a thief on the docks, he tripped and fell headfirst into a pile of fish . . . His Dogs - I mean, supervisors - called him "Fishpuppy" for years."

Talia suddenly paused, her face beginning to redden in embarrassment - a fact which she was well aware of, as she could feel the heat practically radiating from her freckled cheeks. She probably shouldn't have told the Head of the Mossleafian Guard that . . .

[[+300 for work post]]

[Gor Coran]

"Coran made an immediate note of Lord Provost's unfortunate nickname, if he ever met the man it would come in handy. All out of good humour of course, but he liked to keep on top of this. "Well, Percy was a slightly different issue, he had already aprehended the criminal, who was complying with the system. However, he chose to flout his authority a little too much, enraged her, and ended up with a knife to his throat. It took us three days to find him." Noting that she had more or less finished the punch sequences, he decided it was time to move on.

"Right, next we should go into kicks. Well, not kicks in the traditional sense, more shin kicks. We decided a while back that it was a more efficent method, as it magnifies the force, and prevents any major damage to the bones in the legs. Therefore, once you have finished the punches, I would like you to kick the side of the dummy using your shin. Same sequence of course, although it does get painful after a while, so tell me if you'd rather just move on." He was still unsure as whether he should have told her of Percy's incident, if she didn't become a full guard then she could possibly spread it as a rumour. But she seemed like a nice enough girl, so he wasn't greatly worried. "Out of interest, what roles does Provost's title cause him to take? Is he a head of guards styled figure, or simply just a local ruler."

[Avalon]

Hearing this, Talia did her best not to smile. Sadly, she couldn't resist and was forced to hide the slight grin. Serves him right, she couldn't help thinking, for being too arrogant. I think I'd like to meet this man . . . She wouldn't, of course, mention the incident to him or to anybody. Doing so would be an insult to Gor Coran, who had - intentionally or not - trusted her enough to mention it. She would just remember it for amusement.

She nodded at his instructions, and raised her right leg to begin kicking the unfortunate dummy. "It doesn't hurt that much," Talia said, switching legs. "It helps that I have boots on." They were tall boots, reaching almost up to her knees, and made of thick, durable black leather. They were comfortable, and kept her feet out of the mud - and apparently cushioned her shin so it didn't hurt when she kicked - even if they were a bit worn. They were good enough.

Talia continued to kick as Coran spoke, and didn't stop when she answered, "Not a ruler, no. We had a city council for that. He is a nobleman, and the son of one, too. But he is . . . different, compared to the nobles I've met and heard about." Her next kick was suspiciously vicious. "My Lord Provost was . . . a hardworking man. He understood the problems of 'commoners', and didn't shun them when they came to him for help; he was a true leader." She stopped, suddenly self-conscious, but continued after a moment's awkward pause. "He was a noble, but that didn't stop him from stooping to guards' work - he taught me everything I know."

Almost like a father, a voice inside her whispered. Talia blinked, and after a moment or two she thought in reply, Yes. Almost like a father.

[Gor Coran]

"Thats good to hear, it is nice that in this world of hierachy and tradition, people can still appreciate the value of good ole, honest labour. Apparently you are one of them, you came very well equipped, good work. Its nice to have a new recruit who puts heart and soul into their job, rather than just seeing it as a money-maker." This was rather philosophical for him, and his head was already beginning to heart. A dreamer, he was not, more with the logic and the efficency than anything. "But I digress. I'm a little on the busy side today, so I won't be able to do all of your fitness based training. You seem to be getting along nicely though, so I'll get old Valhoon to help you in the afternoon. Until then, I have a task for you."

The exact details of the task escaped him, but they were of little consequence. Normally he would get Percy to run such an errand, but what with having a new recruit and all. "Right, I would like you to take this report over to the council offices, hand it to anyone you like, just make sure it gets to a higher council member." He fished around in his broad pocket for the report, written in someone elses handwriting of course. He still was having problems with this whole reading thing but he was improving everyday. Handing over the report officially and with the correct manner, he turned to other issues. "Right, well, I'll be in my office when you get back, that builidng over there. It should take you an hour there and back, so I'll expect you back by noon. If you complete it with spare time, you can take a break. Finish with your kicks first though." With that said, he gave his textbook military salute, and wondered back to his office in search of other issues.

((Ok, just post a description of what she does here, minimum of three paragraphs, five lines in each. Note that there is a reward for this task, but just do whatever your heart tells you to .))

[Avalon]

"Thank you, sir," she said, and she didn't just say 'thank you' because Coran had complimented her; she said it also because, even though the compliment hadn't necessarily been for her, she felt some pride that her mentor had been complimented, and by another Head of the Guard, no less! Her eyes bright with interest and excitement (her first task as a trainee!) Talia took the report and bowed before dashing off in the direction of the council offices.

[Avalon]

Talia knew Mossleaf even better than she had known the city she had lived in six years ago. After all, the village was much smaller than the large, bustling city. She walked swiftly, not running any longer as it would make her tired and she might run into someone. Her boots made little sound on the cobblestones, though they would have made some if she had been running. Talia wound easily in and out of alleys and down busy streets until she had reached the council offices.

The building was impressive, but not too grand. She strode through the set of double doors and found herself standing in a clean, well-lit lobby. Normally, Talia would have stopped to admire the fresh flowers on the secretary's desk, but she had a mission to accomplish. "Excuse me," she said to a short, slightly pudgy man wearing a stiff grey suit and a frown on his face. She placed a hand on his arm. "Excuse me, sir, but would you---"

She quickly jerked her hand back when the man glared at her and said, in a high-pitched, arrogant voice, "Get your grubby hands off of me! And keep out of my pockets, thief. I advise you to scamper out of here before I'm forced to throw you out." His beady little eyes watched her suspiciously.

"What did you just call me?" demanded Talia, before she could stop herself.

"A thief, and a persistent one at that," spat the man. He grabbed her by the wrist, as if he was going to throw her bodily from the building.

Immediately Talia bristled, and could barely keep herself from kicking the pompous man hard - and in the place where it would definitely hurt. "For your information, sir, I am a member of the Mossleafian Guard, and if you don't unhand me this instant . . ."

The man's eyes widened and he hurriedly let go of her hand as if it had burned him. "Er, I didn't know . . ." he stammered pitifully, his face filled with fear. "Please---"

Disgusted, Talia ignored his pleas and walked over to the secretary's desk. The spectacled, thin woman was staring at her, openmouthed; apparently she had seen the whole thing. "Excuse me," she said politely, not even glancing behind her at the man, who had suddenly turned bright red with embarrasment, "would you mind taking this to one of the council members? It's from Gor Coran, Head of the Guard."

The woman blinked at her, and then recovered herself. "Yes," she said in a weak voice, still staring at Talia. "Yes, I will. Er, come again . . ." Her voice trailed off, and she absently patted her severe bun.

Talia smiled sunnily at her and strode out of the council offices.

[[I hope that's enough lines . . . They're just not in paragraph form. Sorry!]]

[[+300 for work post]]

[Gor Coran]

((Ok, you get a bonus of 500T for the task, on top of your usual work post. If you wish to continue rping just tell me, otherwise you can always play another guard as an npc.))

[Avalon]

The sun had finally begun its slow descent through the deep blue azure sky as Talia stretched on the ground of the Plaza of the Guards. She had reported to Gor Coran hours ago, and was now taking advantage of her brief break to warm up her muscles and enjoy what remained of the day. The same pigeons that she had noticed the same morning fluttered and cooed noisily overhead, some flapping ungracefully in the air a few feet above her head and others pecking at the roof tiles with their small, sharp beaks. Talia grinned up at them, her grey eyes sparkling with laughter as she watched their antics; one in particular interested her - a pigeon whose feathers were completely black, shining greenish-blue in the sunlight.

The black pigeon seemed to be one of the more dominant pigeons; he was one of the larger birds and was always the first to fight, his silky dark plumage ruffling as he shrieked at another pigeon. Talia liked the mischievous twinkle in his beady eyes, and silently named him "Dagger" for his vicious fighting spirit.

Suddenly Talia heard footsteps behind her. She remained in her position - a slightly uncomfortable one that involved spreading her legs and lifting herself up off the ground with her hands, and one that was difficult to maintain - but tensed as she waited for the person to speak or pass her by. She wondered if the feet belonged to Gor Coran . . . But no, judging by the sound that the person's shoes made on the cobblestones, this person was of a much lighter build than the brawny, enormous man.

"Excuse me," began a pleasant, deep voice. A male, then. Talia sighed and quickly stood, brushing the dirt from the cobblestones off her black tunic. As she did this, she noticed that the man wore highly polished black boots, of good quality and barely covered with dust. He must be very particular about his appearance, Talia thought as she slowly raised her grey eyes to meet the man's.

She gave a small start as she found herself looking into a pair of piercing grey eyes, so like her own. "Hello," she said, still a bit startled as she took in his appearance. The man's face was sculpted and rather angular, he had a strong body, and was also considerably handsome. Talia noticed that he had dark brown hair and wore finely woven, freshly pressed clothing. She wondered whether he had servants, or if he just spent his spare time ironing his clothes and shining his boots. She glanced guiltily down at her rumpled black tunic and trousers and at the thin layer of dirt that coated the garments. Her boots were worn and scuffed, and their bottoms were caked with mud.

[[+300T for work post]]

[Avalon]

The man held out a large, strong hand - mostly smooth and uncallused, Talia noted automatically - and said, "My name is William de Normandie, but most people call me Percy." His eyes were trusting and friendly, even as he took in Talia's dirt-smudged face and wrinkled clothing. "And you are . . . ?"

Talia blinked, wondering who this man was. All that she could remember was that he was a guard, and so she should show the proper respect for her betters. Still, she hesitated a moment before replying, "Talia Fletcher at your service, sir." Then she had to conceal her grin as she finally recognized the man's name, which had been tugging at her memory. So this was Percy, one of the Normandie brothers. The one who had 'flouted his authority' too much and enraged his Rat . . . Talia decided not to think badly of him for it, though she would always have to keep from laughing when she was talking to him.

Percy nodded and smiled at her, his white teeth flashing. "Pleased to meet you, Talia. What were you doing just now?" he asked curiously.

[[+300T for work post]]