Post by Andre Jenson on Jan 31, 2016 14:20:47 GMT -5
Andre Jenson was sitting on his sofa in his Kem palace having a nice relaxing day, watching the venerable Dungeons and Dragons movie, which was mostly stupid, however he loved it for some reason. He hadn't had to do much today, other than a couple of meetings with the LARP council of elders, mainly talking about inane nonsense like the regulation length of grass allowed on the field and whether or not dogs can ever be acceptable as a mount. It was most boring, but it's something you have to do as the Lord of Kem.
His iPhone buzzed while he was just getting into the most pivotal part of the movie, he silently cursed while he paused and checked his phone. It was a message from Bonnie Blue generally bemoaning the new rule that meant they were now travel buddies and pointing out that she was intending to ignore this. AJ responded in agreement and pressed play again. No sooner as he had, than Amy came crashing into the room, looking rather flustered. He paused again, looking at her irritably.
“Do you know who I've just been speaking to?” She asked, somewhat angrily.
“No.” AJ shrugged. “Gandalf?” He asked, rather hopefully.
“Yeah, no.” She said. “I've been talking to the owner of the Chicago Bulls.”
AJ stared at her blankly. “Who?” He asked
“You know, the owner of the Chicago Bulls, the team that Derrick Rose plays for.”
Again, AJ stared back, obviously without a clue who she's talking about.
“He was in Kem Ball, just this past week.” She tried to poiint out, exasperatedly. Again, a blank stare. “Christ, AJ. The one with the limp!”
AJ finally smiled in recognition. “AH! Sir Derrick of the Rose! Why didn't you say so? How goes he?”
“Well. That's just the thing. He's injured again. The Bulls are blaming you and want to sue.”
“That's a shame, you think they'd accept trial by combat?” AJ asked, while popping a grape into his mouth.
“No, really, no I don't think so. I tried to explain he had at least 3 games since he played Kem Ball and that Derrick has a natural propensity to just be injured, but he wouldn't have any of it. I've already called our lawyers to sort it out, but be prepared for a settlement here.”
AJ shrugged. “It's only money, Amy,” he flipped his iPad to Amy and pressed play on youtube. “The main thing, my Lady is the younglings are inspired.” He said.
The video was of a match of Kem Ball, played by a group of 11-16 year olds in some kid's back yard. The kids looked like they were having the best time of their lives. “Hundreds of these moving pictures have shown up on the tube of you since we announced Kem Ball to the world. I've even had a correspondence from one of those TV networks, wanting to set up a league of professionals.”
“Really?” She said, astonished. “Which Network? Surely one of the more obscure nonsense ones like POP or Destination America?”
“No, no, I they called themselves ESPN. Or RSPV or something like that anyway. Either way, my Lady it's good that our game is out there, no? I've often said that helping younglings is something we should all do and watching these play our game and love it has given me great satisfaction. Which is why I'm going to allow professional teams on this network, providing they also set up a robust and fun junior league which is all inclusive to anyone who wants to play it.”
“AJ, you know that's never going to work. These networks only care about money, they don't care about community programs like you.”
“I wouldn't worry about this too much my Lady. I've well provisioned them to ensure they do. They'll have gold enough and very much incentive to keep it going.”
“Which is?”
AJ just smiled at this. Not answering the question.
“Either way, Derrick Rose.” She insisted
“As already said, Worry not. Offer him a team in the new Kem Ball league.” AJ idly flicked through some windows on the iPad. “What does thou think of the design for the Kem Island Dragoons?”
He showed her the picture on the screen. She nodded.
“I like it. You're serious about getting a Kem team together then?”
AJ nodded. “We shall have trials at the next new moon.”
“So next month then?”
“Verily.”
“Listen, AJ. I need to ask you something.” She shifted uneasily on the balls of her feet as she thought of the best way to approach the subject.”It's about Slam....”
AJ put his hand up to cut her off.
“My Lady. I know what you are about to say. 'How are you after your beating by Kyle Kemp? What are you going to do?' The truth is, I am unsure how I feel about it. It's never happened before. There have been bullies in my life, for sure but each and every one of them has had some reason to be bullies.” Andre lies down on the sofa, getting himself comfortable and looking to the ceiling, while using his hands to play out the scene.
“Back yonder, when I was but a teen, my bully was Joe Pierce. He was the captain of the football team and very much the “leader” of the school. He took a dislike to me and my guild when we had the temerity to use his precious field as a staging ground for an all out assault we were going to have on the Newtown scum on the following weekend. He decided, in a not so round about way to target each one of my guild with jokes, jibes, fights, assaults and all sorts of trickery.” AJ sighed. “He was actually very nice at first, we shared jokes and had our love for the Lord of the Rings books together. Alas, his parents had informed him they were divorcing some time during our third season and he was just never the same.”
Amy was listening in silence as AJ was talking about these things to her. She'd never been told much about AJ's life while growing up. He always used to say that “history is for those with regrets and the moment you live in is where you really live.” So talking about him growing up was a rare and fantastic occasion for her.
“He tried it for months with my guild. I kept telling them to ignore it as he would eventually depart, kept their morale up by increasing the frequency of our games and tests. He hadn't bothered with myself, yet, maybe due to our mutual love of Lord of the Rings or our early friendship. Who knows? It wasn't until.” AJ paused while he thought about the date and sequence of events. “15 when he started to direct his ire toward myself. At first, I did what I had to do, I just ignored him, following the advise I had given my guild. He carried on cajoling us, ridiculing us and generally abusing us with his football friends throughout the year. Eventually though, things got too much.”
AJ wavered on this, as if he was recalling a particularly bad sequence of events. Then steeled himself. “It was when my second in command, Sir Janderson of the Wuti nation fell in battle. He walked himself home one day after a good session of LARP and was accosted by this Joe and his football friends. One thing led to another and the next thing you know,” AJ gulped, “Sir Janderson was in the St Michael's community hospital with a collapsed lung, broken ribs, shattered pelvis and a badly bruised kidney. The doctor at the time advised that he wouldn't walk again.”
Amy gasped at this, sitting on the edge of her seat, she whispered. “Oh AJ, that poor child. What happened?”
“Well, they upgraded from bullying and started bringing knives. It was then, while I sat as a 15 year old boy, next to a friend and ally who was broken because of the crime that was being a “nerd” that I vowed to avenge him.”
AJ sat up now, and rubbed his face, this episode being particularly difficult for him to recall.
“Two years afterwards, I had been learning the arts of combat from my master at arms with my guild. Joe and his friends had been thrown out of the school and had already been released from some sort of youth offenders institute. It was by happen-stance that I and my fellow guild members were practising manoeuvres one day on a public field and Joe showed up. Immediately I could sense the guild were upset. Like bees to a honeypot, they swarmed toward him, ready to avenge Sir Janderson. Joe was taken aback a little by the sheer ferocity of the reception he received. Yet they wouldn't attack, not without my instruction. I parlayed with him and it was decided that we should battle, even though he was remorseful for the beating he gave. I had a pact for vengeance that had to be fulfilled. He understood and we fought in hand to hand combat.
“And you won?”
“Verily. My speed and technique were too much for him and I beat him with ease. To tell the truth, I do not think his heart was in the battle. However, my vengeance was complete.”
AJ stood up this time, stretching himself out. “Which leads me to Kyle Kemp. I also made another vow that day, in the hospital. I vowed not to allow bullying in any form while I can do something about it. This is why I have the foundation, this is why I have Kem Ball, this is why I have to beat him on Sunday. It's about the kids, the teenagers and even the adults that don't fit in with mainstream society, that feel like they are without a voice, feel like they are weak, or bullied because they're smarter, or prefer to spend their time doing something that is fun to them but a bit quirky to others. I represent them, I represent the millions of people on this planet who feel helpless in their quest to just get along.”
AJ was visibly shaking at this point, working himself up into a bit of a frenzy. “Kemp on the other hand. I don't know why he's a bully. I assume he had some sort of trauma in his childhood, either that or he's just a king jerkface. It doesn't matter if I beat him on Sunday, really. What matters is that I stand up for myself, stand up for the rest of us and teach the guy a lesson. That's my duty, my quest. Kyle Kemp needs to be shown that his actions aren't appropriate and, like Joe, when the fight is all done and the dust has settled he will respect me and respect the millions of people I represent.”
AJ was pursing his lips at this and looking like he had just chewed a bee. Anger etched upon his face. He softened, looking at Amy with a rueful smile.
“My Lady, that's what I think about Kyle Kemp right now.”
Amy looked at him in silence, while figuring out what to say or do in this situation. Considering that she'd never heard anything from his past this was heavy. Eventually, after a silence of what seemed like hours, she finally spoke. AJ was sitting down again.
“What happened with Joe? You never mentioned that.”
AJ smiled at her. Then nodded in the direction of Sir Slashalot, who was sitting next to the outdoor pool, throwing a ball to himself in his chair, enjoying the rays of the sun.
“No!?” She said in shock, putting her hand to her chest.
“Aye, he joined us shortly afterwards, his love for Lord of the Rings finally was too much for him to resist, and he's been with us ever since.”
“You don't think Kyle will join us after this, do you?”
AJ laughed, a hearty laugh that boomed around the mansion. “No, not at all. He's far too much a cretin.”
His iPhone buzzed while he was just getting into the most pivotal part of the movie, he silently cursed while he paused and checked his phone. It was a message from Bonnie Blue generally bemoaning the new rule that meant they were now travel buddies and pointing out that she was intending to ignore this. AJ responded in agreement and pressed play again. No sooner as he had, than Amy came crashing into the room, looking rather flustered. He paused again, looking at her irritably.
“Do you know who I've just been speaking to?” She asked, somewhat angrily.
“No.” AJ shrugged. “Gandalf?” He asked, rather hopefully.
“Yeah, no.” She said. “I've been talking to the owner of the Chicago Bulls.”
AJ stared at her blankly. “Who?” He asked
“You know, the owner of the Chicago Bulls, the team that Derrick Rose plays for.”
Again, AJ stared back, obviously without a clue who she's talking about.
“He was in Kem Ball, just this past week.” She tried to poiint out, exasperatedly. Again, a blank stare. “Christ, AJ. The one with the limp!”
AJ finally smiled in recognition. “AH! Sir Derrick of the Rose! Why didn't you say so? How goes he?”
“Well. That's just the thing. He's injured again. The Bulls are blaming you and want to sue.”
“That's a shame, you think they'd accept trial by combat?” AJ asked, while popping a grape into his mouth.
“No, really, no I don't think so. I tried to explain he had at least 3 games since he played Kem Ball and that Derrick has a natural propensity to just be injured, but he wouldn't have any of it. I've already called our lawyers to sort it out, but be prepared for a settlement here.”
AJ shrugged. “It's only money, Amy,” he flipped his iPad to Amy and pressed play on youtube. “The main thing, my Lady is the younglings are inspired.” He said.
The video was of a match of Kem Ball, played by a group of 11-16 year olds in some kid's back yard. The kids looked like they were having the best time of their lives. “Hundreds of these moving pictures have shown up on the tube of you since we announced Kem Ball to the world. I've even had a correspondence from one of those TV networks, wanting to set up a league of professionals.”
“Really?” She said, astonished. “Which Network? Surely one of the more obscure nonsense ones like POP or Destination America?”
“No, no, I they called themselves ESPN. Or RSPV or something like that anyway. Either way, my Lady it's good that our game is out there, no? I've often said that helping younglings is something we should all do and watching these play our game and love it has given me great satisfaction. Which is why I'm going to allow professional teams on this network, providing they also set up a robust and fun junior league which is all inclusive to anyone who wants to play it.”
“AJ, you know that's never going to work. These networks only care about money, they don't care about community programs like you.”
“I wouldn't worry about this too much my Lady. I've well provisioned them to ensure they do. They'll have gold enough and very much incentive to keep it going.”
“Which is?”
AJ just smiled at this. Not answering the question.
“Either way, Derrick Rose.” She insisted
“As already said, Worry not. Offer him a team in the new Kem Ball league.” AJ idly flicked through some windows on the iPad. “What does thou think of the design for the Kem Island Dragoons?”
He showed her the picture on the screen. She nodded.
“I like it. You're serious about getting a Kem team together then?”
AJ nodded. “We shall have trials at the next new moon.”
“So next month then?”
“Verily.”
“Listen, AJ. I need to ask you something.” She shifted uneasily on the balls of her feet as she thought of the best way to approach the subject.”It's about Slam....”
AJ put his hand up to cut her off.
“My Lady. I know what you are about to say. 'How are you after your beating by Kyle Kemp? What are you going to do?' The truth is, I am unsure how I feel about it. It's never happened before. There have been bullies in my life, for sure but each and every one of them has had some reason to be bullies.” Andre lies down on the sofa, getting himself comfortable and looking to the ceiling, while using his hands to play out the scene.
“Back yonder, when I was but a teen, my bully was Joe Pierce. He was the captain of the football team and very much the “leader” of the school. He took a dislike to me and my guild when we had the temerity to use his precious field as a staging ground for an all out assault we were going to have on the Newtown scum on the following weekend. He decided, in a not so round about way to target each one of my guild with jokes, jibes, fights, assaults and all sorts of trickery.” AJ sighed. “He was actually very nice at first, we shared jokes and had our love for the Lord of the Rings books together. Alas, his parents had informed him they were divorcing some time during our third season and he was just never the same.”
Amy was listening in silence as AJ was talking about these things to her. She'd never been told much about AJ's life while growing up. He always used to say that “history is for those with regrets and the moment you live in is where you really live.” So talking about him growing up was a rare and fantastic occasion for her.
“He tried it for months with my guild. I kept telling them to ignore it as he would eventually depart, kept their morale up by increasing the frequency of our games and tests. He hadn't bothered with myself, yet, maybe due to our mutual love of Lord of the Rings or our early friendship. Who knows? It wasn't until.” AJ paused while he thought about the date and sequence of events. “15 when he started to direct his ire toward myself. At first, I did what I had to do, I just ignored him, following the advise I had given my guild. He carried on cajoling us, ridiculing us and generally abusing us with his football friends throughout the year. Eventually though, things got too much.”
AJ wavered on this, as if he was recalling a particularly bad sequence of events. Then steeled himself. “It was when my second in command, Sir Janderson of the Wuti nation fell in battle. He walked himself home one day after a good session of LARP and was accosted by this Joe and his football friends. One thing led to another and the next thing you know,” AJ gulped, “Sir Janderson was in the St Michael's community hospital with a collapsed lung, broken ribs, shattered pelvis and a badly bruised kidney. The doctor at the time advised that he wouldn't walk again.”
Amy gasped at this, sitting on the edge of her seat, she whispered. “Oh AJ, that poor child. What happened?”
“Well, they upgraded from bullying and started bringing knives. It was then, while I sat as a 15 year old boy, next to a friend and ally who was broken because of the crime that was being a “nerd” that I vowed to avenge him.”
AJ sat up now, and rubbed his face, this episode being particularly difficult for him to recall.
“Two years afterwards, I had been learning the arts of combat from my master at arms with my guild. Joe and his friends had been thrown out of the school and had already been released from some sort of youth offenders institute. It was by happen-stance that I and my fellow guild members were practising manoeuvres one day on a public field and Joe showed up. Immediately I could sense the guild were upset. Like bees to a honeypot, they swarmed toward him, ready to avenge Sir Janderson. Joe was taken aback a little by the sheer ferocity of the reception he received. Yet they wouldn't attack, not without my instruction. I parlayed with him and it was decided that we should battle, even though he was remorseful for the beating he gave. I had a pact for vengeance that had to be fulfilled. He understood and we fought in hand to hand combat.
“And you won?”
“Verily. My speed and technique were too much for him and I beat him with ease. To tell the truth, I do not think his heart was in the battle. However, my vengeance was complete.”
AJ stood up this time, stretching himself out. “Which leads me to Kyle Kemp. I also made another vow that day, in the hospital. I vowed not to allow bullying in any form while I can do something about it. This is why I have the foundation, this is why I have Kem Ball, this is why I have to beat him on Sunday. It's about the kids, the teenagers and even the adults that don't fit in with mainstream society, that feel like they are without a voice, feel like they are weak, or bullied because they're smarter, or prefer to spend their time doing something that is fun to them but a bit quirky to others. I represent them, I represent the millions of people on this planet who feel helpless in their quest to just get along.”
AJ was visibly shaking at this point, working himself up into a bit of a frenzy. “Kemp on the other hand. I don't know why he's a bully. I assume he had some sort of trauma in his childhood, either that or he's just a king jerkface. It doesn't matter if I beat him on Sunday, really. What matters is that I stand up for myself, stand up for the rest of us and teach the guy a lesson. That's my duty, my quest. Kyle Kemp needs to be shown that his actions aren't appropriate and, like Joe, when the fight is all done and the dust has settled he will respect me and respect the millions of people I represent.”
AJ was pursing his lips at this and looking like he had just chewed a bee. Anger etched upon his face. He softened, looking at Amy with a rueful smile.
“My Lady, that's what I think about Kyle Kemp right now.”
Amy looked at him in silence, while figuring out what to say or do in this situation. Considering that she'd never heard anything from his past this was heavy. Eventually, after a silence of what seemed like hours, she finally spoke. AJ was sitting down again.
“What happened with Joe? You never mentioned that.”
AJ smiled at her. Then nodded in the direction of Sir Slashalot, who was sitting next to the outdoor pool, throwing a ball to himself in his chair, enjoying the rays of the sun.
“No!?” She said in shock, putting her hand to her chest.
“Aye, he joined us shortly afterwards, his love for Lord of the Rings finally was too much for him to resist, and he's been with us ever since.”
“You don't think Kyle will join us after this, do you?”
AJ laughed, a hearty laugh that boomed around the mansion. “No, not at all. He's far too much a cretin.”
