Author Topic: An Ugly Duckling Amidst Swans (TYP & Major Jaws)  (Read 4247 times)

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Offline The Young Pope

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An Ugly Duckling Amidst Swans (TYP & Major Jaws)
« on: December 24, 2019, 11:34:18 AM »

To:- Ferdinand "Lapu" Adartse, King of the Kingdom of Quintelia

Ferdinand my dear old friend, how have you fared so far since we once spoke to each other? I only hope that the very best has happened to the finest realm in southern Ardia! Aside from wishing to greet you with a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I'd like to propose an offer to allow one of your sons to spend his winter holiday in Swastria, namely Prince Carlos.

I'm quite aware of the tragedies that have rocked Carlos' poor young heart and soul, to which I sincerely send my condolences. However as a great friend that I'm trying to aspire, as well as abiding by the Christian virtues, it wouldn't be a bad idea from my point of view if he'd enjoy experiencing a winter with my family, including the kids Eleonore, Ferdinand and Gloria; the three wouldn't mind showing him what Swastria's all about and the amount of activities they would be doing together...

I understand if this generous offer would be rejected, but think about the benefits it would mean for Carlos for going through with this; widening his views for a world that is much larger than just being stuck in Quintelia, and it could serve as an inspiration for him in so many ways. In any case, it was nice composing this message for you as I'm looking forward to be seeing each other in 2020, where both Swastria and Quintelia will embark on an exciting path towards refinement of relations.

Take Care and God Bless,

Karl IV von Habsburg-Liechtenstein
King of the Swastrians

Offline Major Jaws

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Re: An Ugly Duckling Amidst Swans (TYP & Major Jaws)
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2019, 06:45:21 PM »

To: Karl  IV von Habsburg-Liechtenstein, King of Swastria

It's been how many years since the last time we talked, twelve years? I think I was merely a senator back then. Anyways these past few years have been tough on Carlos, especially with him still being under the supervision of a psychologist. From what I've heard, he's doing a bit better now and can travel with a professional psychiatrist accompanying him. All I ask from you while Carlos is with your family's company is to keep him away from other harming him and him from harming others.

As for me, I wish that we could chat for a longer time however my schedule does not permit it. I still have too many concerns to attend to both here in Quintelia and in SANE. May luck find you and may God bless you.

Truly Yours,
King Lapu

Kamuning Correctional Facility

"Carlos, this trip isn’t meant to keep you away, it’s just a short one for a few weeks." Doctor Sison said as he told the Prince about the Swastrian King’s invitation. “Plus I’m required to accompany you if that’s what you’re worrying about.”

“It’s not that doc, it’s that, I don’t feel comfortable doing this whole meeting my dad’s friends.” Carlos replied, repeatedly tapping on his chair. “Why would they want to deal with someone who had a mental breakdown that has led to a murderous rampage? It’s like they’re completely ignorant of my condition Plus I don’t think I’m stable enough to meet anyone, let alone the king and his royal family of some country far away.”

“Don’t say that, your last mental breakdown was more than two years ago and we have had zero incidents since you were released from Lacatraz.” Doctor Sision added as he flipped some records over. “In fact, this trip will be helpful for you as it will give you a chance to finally get some semblance of freedom and for me to gauge how well you’d fair in an environment outside the institution.” He stood up from his chair and asked. “Now, you want to ready your things yourself or have someone else do it for you?”

Offline The Young Pope

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Re: An Ugly Duckling Amidst Swans (TYP & Major Jaws)
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2019, 08:01:44 PM »
Why the hell are we even doing this? This sentence which was the result of a mixture of utter confusion and slight nervousness, filled the entirety of Eleonore, Ferdinand, and Gloria's minds as they were. The royal children of the Habsburg-Liechtenstein dynasty were waiting anxiously in one of the many hangars of Wean International Airport, one of Swastria's largest and main gateways into the realm itself. Usually the trio wouldn't have minded at all to welcome and entertain guests of the family, both foreign and domestic no matter the occasion. In this case however, once their beloved father King Karl told them about this special guest planning to stay with them during the Christmas Holidays, namely Carlos (being one of Quintelian King Ferdinand's sons ), it didn't take a complicated google search for each and one of them to attain information about this guy whom they only met occasionally, that he was in fact a mentally unstable individual who committed a massacre a few years ago; somehow it was a terribly good idea to host a potentially dangerous psychopath right in the midst of their humble abode.

"As much as I respect and love our dear father, even if his plans are sometimes wonky at best, this time it's literally fucked-up shit this brilliant mind of his somehow cooked up!" Prince Ferdinand was clearly not thrilled about any of this surreal arrangement that their King assigned them to, which perfectly illustrated the ongoing hysteria he was currently being afflicted by. "Why is it suddenly our responsibility to babysit a murderer, flown halfway across Mundus...does he owe something to that Quinetlian King...a business deal gone wrong involving booze, hardcore drugs and whores?" Heck he would rather be doing those things right now than this ridiculous task at hand, as a matter of fact!

"Oh don't be ridiculous Ferd, there's no need for you to act all worked up..." Eleonore happened to be the more understanding of the trio, even if she held some natural reservations towards this peculiar visitor, hoping that everything would turn out to be fine and the current fears were to be shrugged off sooner or later as they would get to know Carlos better, and perhaps be proven wrong. "Just pray for his soul that he'll be healed in no time through our interaction with him, and who knows what we might gain out of his towards us..." Ferdinand couldn't help but fall to the ground and laugh, before standing up to initiate an argument with big sister Eleonore.

"Could you two just shut up, will ya? Eleonore's right, Ferd. Don't go apeshite just because you hate entertaining one of the more interesting guests we'll finally have the chance getting to know, but El...For the crying logic of whatever sanity's still remaining with us, knock it off with the 'pray the gay away' crap. Don't mix God, Hare Krishna or whatever Vodoo stuff into all of this alright? Just...keep it to yourself." Gloria didn't want to put up with subjects such as these which would grind her ears occasionally, considering she still attended Sunday church services as per what tradition dictated, and there were ideas that she could easily identify with from Christianity but otherwise it had been a long while since she espoused any serious beliefs into ancient superstitions.

Ferdinand and Eleonore could've simply snapped at their little sister and continue with these pointless agumentative charades for a little longer, but to no avail as something destructive as a divided family wouldn't be in their interests nor the nation's. Eleonore felt saddened by Gloria's loss of faith and always wondered what compelled little sister to devote her attention towards science without any remnants of faith; it surely wasn't too much of a strict adherence to faith which disgusted her? Whatever the cause may have been, Ferdinand at least had hope for eternal salvation, albeit standing on the red line between heaven and hell for his alcoholic and sexual appetites whenever he wasn't busy in military school or spending hours drawing into the abyss. In any case, now wasn't the time to dwell on sibling issues as Carlos plane already landed and was taxiing its way to the open hangar where his royal welcoming committee was eagerly awaiting him, to say the least. Taking a deep breath, Eleonore relied on her personal to the Divinity for a smooth experience with their Quintelian visitor; Only positivity would thrive and outshine the negatitivty...she wanted and had to be sure about it. Thelimo with chauffeur and a few bodyguards were on the standby, ready to transport Carlos and the Habsburg children back home when it was time to do so.

Offline Major Jaws

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Re: An Ugly Duckling Amidst Swans (TYP & Major Jaws)
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2020, 11:13:06 AM »
Carlos's plane touched down after a few hours of uneasy yet relieving flight, it was finally a fresh air from the eight years of solitary confinement and two years of being in a mental institution. Staring out at the monotone gray sea of clouds, it made his mind wander off and about, his memories of the incident irking him. Almost a decade later and he could still remember the day of the massacre as if it happened yesterday: the feel of adrenaline rushing as he pressed the trigger, the sound of the blast, the jittery melody of the screams that followed, the burning smell of flesh, the sight of the charred corpses. "Make it fucking stop." He thought to himself as he became visibly disturbed. Although he was onboard the Royal Jet, the same plane that carries the King on his diplomatic trips, Carlos was still on edge and Dr. Sison had to give him mild sedatives to calm him down. Before he disembarked the plane, the opiates started to wear off just in time for Carlos to be coherent when talking to his hosts.

"I'm Carlos Juan Adartse, Prince of Quintelia." Carlos introduced himself, extending his hand to be shaken. "Good thing there's no press here, or else we'd all be in a bad situation."

"I'm Dr. Manuel Sison, I'm required to accompany Prince Carlos if anything bad happens." The psychiatrist introduced himself. "Now if you're worried about him and his condition, don't; that's my job." He whispered as he leaned in towards the Habsburgs to avoid being heard by Carlos.

Offline The Young Pope

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Re: An Ugly Duckling Amidst Swans (TYP & Major Jaws)
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2020, 05:51:30 PM »
Well this was a now or never situation where anything could go right or wrong, depending on whether destiny itself would remain by their side or not. Little sister Gloria was looking forward to this, as it was finally a chance to see how a recovering mass murderer would thrive outside the confinement of solitary facilities, being interested in and studying medicine as it were alongside engineering; at least this holiday would turn out to be different than they were used to. Big sister Eleonore decided to take a deep breath and calm down, embracing the spirit of understanding and acquiring an open mind towards their special visitor at hand, not giving into the standard mental set of paranoia and prejudice which belittled those who were different in nature. Middle brother Ferdinand still held a more opposite viewpoint of cautiousness and alertness, since he thought that one shouldn't easily become fooled by a recovering psychopath, most likley ticking like a bomb ready to explode at any moment's notice when given the chance; perhaps he read too much and saw to many movies, but his brotherly instincts started to kick in to protect his sisters from any harm and he wouldn't mind using his skillset from military school to teach this Carlos one thing or two about messing with his family, if necessary that is. Both his sisters, especially Eleonore, knew about their brother's capability and they had to as well ensure that conflicts wouldn't erupt if matters became aloof between the princes. "Behave yourself, brother. For everyone's sake..." Eleonore said, her last whispering words to Ferdinand before the royal flight from Quintelia finally arrived.

As Carlos stretched out his hand and said a few greeting words, Eleonore couldn't help but notice how good looking he was as she began to close in on him, both when it came to physical properties as well as his entire attire; A psychopath in the midst of reintegrating in society for sure, but at least he knew his way around style and fashion. Plus, he smelled pretty good based on the perfume or whatever ointment he applied on his skin. She took his hand gently, "Archduchess and Princess Eleonore von Habsburg-Liechtenstein, a pleasure to finally meet you Carlos...Our dear Papa had been talking so much about inviting you here in order to cherish our families' long lasting friendship." She let out a smile, feeling rather excited over the prospect of having him as their guest; perhaps it was too early to tell, but maybe exagerated worries wasn't necessary after all? "My little sister Gloria and middle brother Ferdinand." She further added, stepping aside somewhat to give her siblings room to introduce themselves properly.

Gloria's face could've been described as deadpan at best, though her inclination towards Carlos as to whether she would like or dislike him resulted in the former, as she too acquired positive firsthand impressions based on his initial presentation. "A pleasure on my part to meet you as well Ferdinand, hopefully Swastria will prove to be kind enough in order to enjoy your stay here with us." A few seconds of handshake sealed her introduction with his, letting her brother of a military man Ferdinand have his go at saying a hello. The Swastrian prince didn't exactly feel confortable having to let his own skin touch the one of a deranged man, nor having to say more words than absolutely necessary. "Yes...pleasure...having you here." He was able to contain the disgust within him that had to be concealed with the help of a fake smile and facial expression which symbolized joy. "May God help us...a few weeks...What has become of this family?" He thought to himself, though at least Carlos looked and smelled presentable well enough to be able to stand a few inches from his face; was he already planning whom he should kill first, would he come after the only brother among the trio of siblings?

Oh how highly interesting this became, Ferdinand continued having that inner monologue to himself; The psyschopath's own psychiatrist decided to embark on this journey as well, just to try and contain the true beast within the Quintelian prince. Such an opportunity to have a small chat with him, just to make sure what was truly at stake here. "Dr. Sison, I have to admit how extremely pleasing it is to have an experienced, professional man of the psychiatric field here with us!" Ferdinand exclaimed in a jubilant manner, gaining the attention if his sisters who laid a strange eye towards his eccentric behaviour. "Now my beloved sisters, me and the Doctor will be able to join you in the car, I would just like to ask him about a few things that have recently popped up in my mind." Wifting his hand as if he attempted to swat a fly, the Swastrian prince instantly put a hand around Sison's shoulders making it appear like a gesture of friendliness, whilst grabbing and pulling him aside. The face of his became more serious and a tone of slight anger filled his voice. "Now good Doctor, tell me...Are you absolutely sure you know what you're doing hmm? Perhaps it's already obvious, but we have a living, breathing pshycopatic mass murderer walking in the midst of Swastria's heirs to the throne and my sisters whom I hold dearly in my heart. Can you guarantee me your highest assurances that nothing dangerous will occur that may hurt my family? Because if something terrible would occur, mark my words that I'll personally see to it that your life will be completely ruined...is that understood, Dr. Manuel Sison?"

"Oh for crying out loud...Come along now, will ya?" Gloria sighed, not knowing what Ferdinand was trying to accomplish there, but that didn't matter as Carlos was to be made comfortable to be willing to enjoy himself. The little sister grabed his hand, jerking it towards the direction of the vehicle and sort of dragged him, which surprised big sister Elenore at first before managing to o walk up to his other side, only taking a second or two glance back at her middle brother and hoping he wouldn't make matters worse with whatever he wanted to say to the Doctor. Reaching the car, Gloria entered first sitting backwards, as Eleonore alongside Carlos decided to sit in the middle. She pointed out available refreshments if he'd like to have some after the flight. "So Carlos..." she asked, still putting on a positive facial expression and smile. "As much as it's to our understanding that you're our guest and that we have an obligation to entertain you, is there something you'd like to do or a specific location you'd like to visit? Our family's willing to accomodate to your wishes, just say so and we'll try out best to fulfill those. As soon as Ferdinand and Dr. Sison are back with us, well head to the Hofburg Palace where we'll have our first lunch together, alongside the King and Queen." Not realising at first, she had instinctively touched his hand for some reason, gently leading it away.

"Ever tried skiing or snowboarding before, Carlos? If not, it'll be interesting to see how you well you fare in the Alps..." Gloria giggled as they were waiting for Ferdinand and Sison to join them, reminding herself of first timers who put on a pair of skiis, trying to control themselves looking like Bambi on ice. Luckily it seemed that their conversation ended right in time before the patient waiting turned into boredom. "Looks who's back, girls, hehe. Missed me already?" Ferdinand successfully kissed the cheek of Eleonore, though it didn't turn out well when he tried to do so with Gloria. "Eugh...you wish!" the little teasingly said, giving him a hard pat in the process. The middle brother decided to keep a closer eye on Carlos, starting in the car as he was sitting almost opposite his direction. With the Doctor finally taking his spot in the vehicle, it was time to continue rolling to the city centre of Wean and Hofburg palace.

Offline Major Jaws

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Re: An Ugly Duckling Amidst Swans (TYP & Major Jaws)
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2020, 08:33:52 AM »
The Habsburg sisters asking him for what he fancied was the first time in a decade someone treated him like the Prince he is. “Well, it's been almost a decade since I had some liquor, so a glass of whiskey on the rocks would suffice.” Carlos replied to the sisters, the thought of recently taking his medications escaping him. “No, I don't think it's a good idea to Plus I hate snow, it’s cold, it’s coarse, and it gets everywhere. Thank God it doesn’t snow that much in Quintelia.” He turned down their offer to go out and asked. "Also, if I may, do you know why your father wants me to stay here?"

Dr. Sison listened to the concerns and intimidations of the Habsburg Prince and responded. "Your highness, if I may call you that, there is no need for such worries and attempts to threaten me." He scoffed at the thought of Prince Ferdinand ruining his life. "Why else would you agree on treating a mass murderer if your life isn't already in a bit of shambles?" The doctor thought to himself as he continued. "The last time he had a mental breakdown bad enough to cause a rampage was more than five years ago, and that was due to the stress caused by being in solitary confinement. Of course, certain things may trigger him, which at worst will only give him a panic attack that any opioid can rectify. The chances of Carlos having another rampage is slimmer than me and you winning the lottery and being struck by lightning at the same time." He continued, adjusting his glasses. "Slight exaggeration aside, I assure you, everything will be alright. The only thing you'll have to worry about is where that arrogant mouth will bring you." He gave Prince Ferdinand a light tap on his shoulder before he entered the vehicle.