The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
5 whole years of Heir Apparent goodness! When I started the site, I knew I was hunkering down for the long haul, but I never could have predicted the numerous twists and turns this roleplay site has seen. Hundreds of plots, characters, and members have come and gone, all leaving marks on the site. I am so very thankful for those who have invested. Because you keep coming back, keep getting on, and keep writing, Heir Apparent has the legacy it does today. Three cheers to us!
Post by Regan Lassiter on Mar 31, 2023 9:54:42 GMT -5
[ Open to military personnel ]
Regan couldn’t hide forever. She lived at the castle, and the unfortunate reality was she had to eat and sleep sometime. She’d tried to put it off, but decided that, like a bandage, it was best to rip it off clean—no matter how much it hurt. She hadn’t gone out of her way to let anyone know she was back. For the most part, Regan didn’t want to see anyone at all.
So, when suppertime came, Regan headed for the mess hall. She tried to be inconspicuous, slinking near the wall, and letting her hair hang in her face. A few people noticed her, but Regan wasn’t terribly approachable even in the best of circumstances.
And these were far from ideal.
Regan went through the serving line. When she took her plate, she was forced to look up at the unlucky boy who handed her food over. His eyes widened a little as the plate stayed in his hand.
“The fuck are you looking at?” Regan tucked her hair behind her ear, clearing the curtain that hid her face before taking the plate and turning to look out over the mess hall, for the first time registering just who was in it.
You don't have to be interacting with Regan in this thread. Y'all can be in your own groups having unrelated conversations.
Last Edit: Mar 31, 2023 10:00:08 GMT -5 by Regan Lassiter
Kat didn't usually eat at the mess hall. But after training sometimes you needed something in your belly right away. Even if it was just a step above the food she had used to make for her siblings. It was edible and it filled a pit in her stomach, even if it meant having to sit with the rest of the Nevermere army.
And while she wasn't sure about the Captain Commander, she was sure he was right that not all of them belonged. One such person was shouting at a boy just trying to do his job. Classic Regan Lassiter, making everything all about her.
Laughing from her spot a few people back in line, Kat shook her head talking loudly enough for the Huntsman to hear with the next person in line. "Shocker, Regan wants some attention." She didn't really care if anyone share the sentiment, it was just the truth.
Raff was tucking a piece of bread into his spare pocket to bring home when he heard some women bitching behind him. The first voice was vaguely familiar, the second was definitely @katerina Van Zant. He turned and saw the skinny chick from the ball that hung around the king, what'sherface, and then he saw Kat and motioned to her to come sit with him. There looked to be a solid ten foot wall of cleared out space around Regan Lassiter hangry girl any way so he didn't think she was looking for friends.
Just what was her deal any way? She wasn't a captain or a sergeant or had any particular military ranking. Had she ever trained here? He could see that the privates to the captain commander had signed their souls to Nevermere, so they all had earned the rights to three hots and a cot. Did hangry skinny girl earn any right to food and a bed here within the ranks? And what do you call her other than huntwoman? She was an unknown floater within the well regulated militia and Raff wasn't easy with her unassessed presence. If the rumors of all the men she'd done were to be believed, there was only one official title he knew and it was the opposite of self control. Was she a true witch? How far of a scope were her abilities? If she was high ranked, she'd be sitting in the officer's mess, not with the nco's and privates. What place did she fit? What role was she given in authority? Other than having a reputation for being angry and getting with the grey beard crew every chance she could get, Raff had no idea what Regan's purpose was within the normally well-ordered ranks. For the moment, he couldn't solve it, so he dropped it. It wasn't like she was someone he'd ever have need to go near.
"Van Zant, sit yer ass down over here! Plenty o room. Sounds like that skinny chick is hangry--let her get some food in her I think." Raff laughed and moved aside his empty plate.
Last Edit: Apr 10, 2023 19:21:45 GMT -5 by Deleted
They had wanted to keep Ber up and moving instead of languishing in bed, so they sent him to the mess hall for dinner instead of delivering his food to him in the infirmary. Needless to say, he was not pleased.
Although he was still more tired than usual and his energy tended to fade more noticeably as the sky darkened, it wasn’t the exercise that had him antsy. Similarly, light and noise no longer bothered him as much as they had before. While he still found himself more sensitive to excessive amounts of each, especially as his low-grade headache worsened each night, the likelihood of encountering both in the mess hall also wasn’t what he objected to the most.
The mess hall at this hour, he knew, would be packed full of soldiers getting their meals. They would be packed shoulder to shoulder, rows and rows of bodies seated at the long tables or standing in line or milling about as they talked with their friends. Half of them would be witches, with some portion of them undoubtedly having been paired. Much of the other half would be young men around his age. Werewolf age.
At least Ber had managed to snag himself a seat at the end of a table in a corner relatively close to the door. Casting a glance around the mess hall but not noticing anyone in particular, he sat down with every intention of inhaling his food and leaving as soon as he could.
Kasper is young enough to fall under the werewolf curse, yet it is dormant. Should the curse be activated his wolf form will be that of a white shaggy fur color keeping his smallness even though he is still rather large for a werewolf. His eyes also retain their green color.
Post by Kasper Van Zant on Mar 31, 2023 21:36:13 GMT -5
Kasper was hungry and even as he passed through the line he was eating from his wooden tray and piling it full at the same time. He wasn't with Faylin which wasn't really common but they couldn't be together all the time, it wasn't healthy right? Was it still kind of empty feeling for him? Yes. He would be fine. He was still Kasper. Or better yet Sergeant Kasper Van Zant. Pulling away from the line he observed the mess hall and overheard Regan Lassiter which earned a glance towards her direction, it wasn't anything for him to bother with if they just kept their space the better. It was never good to mix Van Zant with Lassiter and he himself had a new position that he wasn't ready to tarnish. Plus she had just been thrashed at the ball, she needed the break from poking.
When he heard @raff call out Van Zant he thought he meant him, but Kasper beelined for the man's table a quick scan and Kasper also saw his sister. Also waving her over Kasper plopped down across from Raff, "I'm joining too."
Post by Regan Lassiter on Mar 31, 2023 21:53:26 GMT -5
Just perfect. Why was it that whenever Regan wanted to make someone tear someone to pieces, Kat made herself so annoyingly available? Regan turned with her plate in hand, eyes fixing on @katerina as she slowly walked by.
“Seems like I’m not alone in that, am I?” Regan hissed, words meant for Kat alone, “Any other observations you’d like to share with the group, or are you ready to mind your own fucking business?”
Regan wouldn't wait to hear the answer. She'd finish her thought with a sneer and start to walk away.
Believe it or not there had been a time that Kat had admired Regan Lassiter . But those times were long gone, and all she could see was a soldier who used her body to claw her way to the top.
So rather than kind words upon seeing the scars on the woman's face, she continued to be her usual self. "Oh no darling, you are mistaken, you are very much alone."
Taking her food she would make her way towards @raff , glad that Kasper Van Zant was there as well. "You're right Raff, not worth the time of day."
Perhaps it was the new rank she now held that compelled Faylin to spend more time among her fellow soldiers. Or perhaps Kasper had been right about the spiked drinks and whatever had been put in them had melted away some of her sense, but she found herself following Kasper to the mess hall after a long, grueling day of training.
Her nose wrinkled in distaste at what was dropped onto her tray, she lifted her head to scan the room as she stepped away from the line. She noted Kasper Van Zant, always the social one between them, had already found a spot in the middle of the chaos. Chaos that included @katerina griping at the King's Huntsman and already causing a scene.
Rolling her eyes at the dramatics, and wanting not a single part of it, she continued to look around the room until her eyes fell on @berengar at the end of a different table, the soldier who had been injured at the ball. A quick decision had her striding towards him, claiming the seat next to him before anyone else could. "Is it always like this in here?" she asked to open the conversation.
Seeing @katerina Kat's temper rising and getting that look in her eye had Raff quick to say,
"Hey Kat, 'stead a pickin fights, come help me make a Van Zant sammich. Yer brother's here!" He turned his gaze on Kasper Van Zant and gave a big proud smile as if it were his own brother that got ranked.
"Man congrats on a well deserved promotion Sarg!" he saluted him briskly, with a grin. "Couldn't a happened to a better guy! Seriously, well done. Yer movin up in the world." he said to his friend, trying to ignore the rising drama.
He didn't like it one bit that the two witches were bickering and starting a scene, but it wasn't a call out he wanted to make. While Raff knew he ranked Kat, the man had no idea what the angry hunt woman's true rank was. She wasn't a paired solider with the guys nor was he aware of any real authority that she might own. The only thing he knew about her was that she liked to hook up with the grey beard crew of thirty-five and over. If she was the King's play toy, did Raff or anyone truly have the place to discipline her military style? Her unknown status was worrisome at best. Or she could flip out and start growling and yelling at people. Best not to rouse that bear politically. Raff Terach was just another NCO of hundreds in the vast army so he would just simply try to encourage some time helping the Van Zants enjoy their much deserved promotions.
"Where's Sergeant Valana?" he asked Kasper with concern. Raff knew that he still ached badly for Merk's presence every minute, despite the time that had passed and Kasper's roaming gaze gave it away that the void was felt in missing his Paired Witch--as it should be.
Kasper is young enough to fall under the werewolf curse, yet it is dormant. Should the curse be activated his wolf form will be that of a white shaggy fur color keeping his smallness even though he is still rather large for a werewolf. His eyes also retain their green color.
Post by Kasper Van Zant on Apr 1, 2023 20:23:38 GMT -5
"Thanks Raff," Kasper smiled and bit into a his first piece of meat, he wasn't upset about the promotion just like Faylin he wished their promotion came from different circumstances but all they could do was move on and do better. Kasper continued to munch his eyes not missing the little interaction between Kat his twin and Regan though he didn't hear anything said he did jokingly roll his eyes at Raff, he knew if those two wanted to go at it they would which meant Kasper would have to step in and he would too even with Kat. For Regan he'd just follow chain of command let the higher ups deal with her, should be easy enough their all of age for Regan to smoulder under.
Tearing his bread Kasper nodded toward the drama, "she's not into petty loudness, those two bring that on pretty thick so....she's probably eating in the back somewhere," he didn't know how much got around about Cambria about them but Kasper did his best to not poke the bear, in due time when Faylin was ready to go more public he'd brag all day about her. Still he couldn't hide that goofy smirk thinking about her, "she'll be a long though, pulling me by my ear as we go off to keep everyone in line."
The mess hall was loud and getting louder. Ber soon realized that his position relatively close to the door meant that he kept catching glimpses of people entering and exiting out of the corner of his eye. He kept having to look up to reassure himself that everything was fine, even though he knew that it was, and that in turn thwarted his attempts at eating as fast as possible and leaving.
The lieutenant who just slid into the open seat beside him didn’t help.
Ber glanced to the side as @faylin addressed him. Although he recognized her as one of the officers of the witch-paired soldiers - great, exactly the kind of person I want sitting next to me - he didn’t immediately remember her name or realize that she’d been recently promoted. A little awkward, he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” Ber swirled his spoon through his soup and glanced around again. “Mess hall’s always the first stop after shift ends because everyone’s hungry. It’ll quiet down in a bit.” Probably. Hopefully. He looked back at her. “I take it you don’t eat here a lot?”
Post by Regan Lassiter on Apr 2, 2023 8:01:28 GMT -5
Regan imagined how easy it would be to reach out and sink her claws into @katerina’s throat. She imagined the crunch as her windpipe collapsed and the rip as it was torn from her body. Obviously, she did not intend to do any of those things, but it was still soothing to imagine her bleeding in a heap on the floor.
But, after Lady Winters walked away, it turns out she wasn’t entirely wrong. Regan stood alone, still searching, looking for Grant Delaney or Octavius Wulfbrand, knowing she wouldn’t find either. For a moment, she considered @berengar, but then remembered that they weren’t exactly speaking. Not anymore.
So, Regan slunk to an empty table in a quiet part of the hall, somewhere that she could still watch the now enviably pretty face of @katerina.
As Kat made her way over to @raff and Kasper Van Zant she rolled her eyes before glaring at the pair. She didn't like her friends and family acting like she was to blame, it was rude and certainly not having her back. "I didn't pick a fight." Her glare moved over to her brother. "And it's not petty. So shut it about things you both don't understand."
Sitting down across from the boys, she was not surprised that Faylin had decided to sulk in the corner. She had been different since coming back from Cambria, all serious again, at least around her. But she'd come around again, even though the mood was far more serious in the military these days.
"Are y'all ready to whip us into shape with your fancy military titles?"
"Anytime Kasper." he smiled back, just enjoying a little bit of nostalgia for the old days. Merk might not have been there, but two Van Zants and a hint of Valana later had him feeling a little better about things. It was true you could never go back, but this right here would suit him fine. As long as the hangry chick didn't start fightin.
"Aw don't be like that Kat. Eat some sludge and get rid o the hangry huh?" Raff smiled easily at her, knowing it was just her way. Raff leaned his arms on the table, watching the brother and sister finally back to banter again. He couldn't help but laugh at her question to Kasper and added his own small bit to encourage it.
"Sarge ya gonna give us what for now? Make us do salmon ladders in sync?" Despite the jokes he really was proud of them for making some rank. They were a tough family that worked hard and even if the circumstances weren't great, they were overdo some kudos for sure. Besides, seeing everyone in the room was a non-commissioned officer or less, no one sane pulled rank over something that small or petty. You don't suddenly turn off a long established friendship because you gained or lost a rank or two, and it was not a code of conduct offense.
Dipping her spoon into whatever it was on her plate, Faylin studied it before cautiously taking a bite, wincing at the less than great flavor before answering, "No, I definitely don't." Lifting her eyes to scan the room once more, gaze lingering where Kasper sat, she absently stirred at the food on her plate but didn't move to eat anymore of it.
Then her gaze jumped to @berengar at her side, assessing. "You are the solder who was hurt in the ball disaster, correct? You're on the mend, I assume?"