Van Zieks Fall Log

[winebar]

Who: Baz and YOU
What: Memshares and potentially other Fall Events
When: Fall??
Where: The resort and Elsewhere potentially
Warnings: Death mentions in mems

MEMSHARES
[Pick one of the below options or ask me to pick one I think is best, and also say if you want to simply be audience to it or participate CYOA style.

1. Klint Returns Home After Study Abroad (age 10, Pleasant)
2. Meeting Albert, a close friend (age 19, Pleasant/Awkward)
3. Receiving his prosecutor's license (age 23, Pleasant/Anxious)
4. Learning of Klint's murder (age 23, Grief)
5. Being protected from attackers by Genshin (age 23, Tense/Awed)
6. Trial of the Professor (age 23, Despair/Betrayal/Anger)
7. The burden of the Reaper (age 29, Depression)
8. Defense attorney Ryuunosuke Naruhodo (age 33, Resentment/Admiration/Respect)
9. Barok van Zieks goes to Jail (age 33, Resignation/Guilt)
10. The true identities of the Professor and the Reaper (age 33, Confusion/Betrayal/Anger/Grief)
11. A secret eleventh option.]

PIRATES!
[When the pirates start menacing the island, of course Baz is leaping into action. He helps fight some of them out of the main city, surely along with many others.

However, that means he's in not the best state to defend himself when he returns home to his farm. It's a much smaller contingent of pirates looking to pilfer some of his stored crops, and he almost would give up and let them, except one of them is sizing up Adelheid, and that is unacceptable. However, he's not doing super well taking all of them all on at once! Help?]

MORE TO BE ADDED

Comments

[ welcome to wildcard ] [ cw bullying/ and emotional/physical violence between children in here ]

[bluminescence]

[ The room that fills in the black expanse of his vision like blotted parchment is a simple one. It is dimly lit with smooth stone walls and padded flooring set atop more unforgiving stone. Iron weights, daggers, and well used targets and punching bags all have their proper, near place within the pristine room. All of this becomes clear as Zieks's eyes adjust to the vine like bioluminescent glow emanating from the low ceiling.

His shadowed form, frozen in place, goes unnoticed by the four white haired boys faintly glowing before him. They are all dressed for sport in simple white linens. All of them carry too much muscle for their young ages. Healed scars litter the older three from more than just childhood games. Sweat on the smallest's brow, van Zieks arrives just in time to see his happy round face sink into a frown as he shakes his head no.

"Kaspar..." says the tallest boy to the smallest in a patient, placating tone reserved for cajoling small children. Kaspar's big grey eyes look up to him in more ways than literal. He puffs his chest up a little, white hair cropped too short in an attempt to smother the growth of more curls. He crosses his arms defensively where he stands cornered by the older boys. The two identical boys on either side of him remain silent, their ages somewhere between the other two, though far closer to the oldest than the youngest.

"I don't want... to fight... like that." Kaspar mumbles stubbornly in his high small voice, avoiding the light red eyes on him.

"Do you want to make mother unhappy?"

Kaspar's mouth wobbles, "But, momm--"

But the oldest boy catches his cheeks in one hand to halt the word firmly, fingers digging until they relax again.

"You're not a baby anymore. It's 'mother', now." he corrects softly, but coolly.

Kaspar nods in his brother's grip, mouth drawing to a line and eyes welling with tears.

"Shh, now. We only want what's best. And you wouldn't want to disappoint your family, would you?"

The little boy shakes his head, slowly, and only then does the hand fall away from his face. Stepping forward earns Kaspar a smile that never reaches the red eyes above it.

"Show us all you've learned."

The words break the smile as he steps back. Kaspar takes up a defensive stance with fists clenched white in front of his face. Fear is plain, battling with childish determination. The oldest nods to the boy on his left, who does not hold back enough strength when he begins his swing toward Kaspar.

Van Zieks, across the room, is suddenly able to breathe and move freely again. ]

[winebar]

[Though he knows by now that this is a memory, a dream, van Zieks feels no urge to act at first. It feels like intruding, and to make his presence known the height of rudeness. What's the point when this is the past that can't be changed? He can't undo what already happened to Kaspar. Even if he could move, he wouldn't.

That is, until the moment when he actually feels his body free up, when that blow is thrown. His instincts move his body before he can think rationally. Not only is that his dear Kaspar, but it is a child. A child who does not want any part of this violence. Van Zieks surges forward, one arm pulling Kaspar close to his chest, the other blocking the swing with his own arm.]

[bluminescence]

[ Little Kaspar is easily pulled, just as easily as the swing is blocked. The strength of it would be impressive for the boy's age, under different circumstances. Van Zieks takes the full force of it instead of the bruise Kaspar was sure to receive.

For a moment, there is nothing but shocked silence. All four pairs of dimly glowing eyes widen and snap to the intruder. Kaspar looks from his brothers to van Zieks, stilled and clinging.

The oldest is the first to compose himself. He draws himself up as tall as he can, as if there is no fear. The twins follow his example. One narrowed look from him has Kaspar fighting whatever grip van Zieks might have on him. He is strong for his age too. But he is also only four. It is therefore the oldest boy that addresses him first. ]

You would deprive him this lesson, draug?

[ He asks, an accusation dressed up in a question. His light red eyes peer up at him as unflinching as the tone in his voice. ]

[winebar]

[Van Zieks doesn't know what he's just been called, but is certain it's an insult. That's fine, he's been called all manner of horrible things. Supernaturally strong or not, he's faced down far worse than a couple of seemingly unarmed boys.]

Your "lesson" will teach him of nothing but cruelty and fear. If that was your intention I will do all that is in my power to oppose you.
[Kaspar's brother might be giving Baz his most intense look, but it's hard to top Barok van Zieks in the field of overpowering intimidation.]

[bluminescence]

[ The oldest boy keeps up the expression, but it is clearly an effort in the face of Baz's intensity. His words about the lesson earn Baz a scoff. ]

Fear is a weakness. There is no place for it in the light.

[ But it seems he has figured out the soft spot here for this giant Draug is Kaspar himself. Despite the faux worry he threads into his voice, he is a calculating little shit. It's almost condescending in a way that still leaves him room for plausiblr deniability. ]

Have you been dead so long you do not know what awaits Blum who fail this lesson?

[winebar]

[Ah, he sees now. Well, it's still far from the first time someone has called him dead or undead. He could correct it but why bother? It might make him scarier to these punks.]

If you consider fear a weakness you're less intelligent than a wild animal. And I suppose I have been dead long enough not to care what failing your poor excuse for a lesson is.
[So suck it, small child.]

[bluminescence]

[ That gets a rise out of the oldest, clear as the burning sun his eyes have never seen. ]

I decide what is best for my brothers. The Avus provides us our sustenance of soul, mind, and body. We owe our loyalty.

Kaspar learns to take the hits now, or he will only bleed more later. Coddle him, and he suffers alone. [ Now, he shifts his attention to Kaspar, frozen by Baz. His tone is sweet in all the ways that adults might recognize as being put on. ] You don't want to be weak, do you Kaspar?

[ Expression stricken, afraid of the threat of pain and of the undead giant, Kaspar shakes his head slowly. ]

[winebar]

[He does have a moment of minute pause, because he technically doesn't know this culture and its structure. On the other hand he's British so fuck your culture.]

Learning to take hits is a reductive tactic. Why not learn to avoid taking hits in the first place? As I see it you are trying to beat fear and obedience into him rather than trying to teach him how to be truly strong.

[But he also doesn't want to spook Kaspar, so he crouches to not loom so much before addressing him.]
Making your own choices regardless of what others say is the strongest thing you could possibly do.