A Gasp of Fresh Air [PK] | Farewell, LOTC

[erictafoya 2302]

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

A Gasp of Fresh Air

 

 

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What is life?

Is it a gasp of fresh air flowing through the lungs of a living person?

Is it the birth of a child and the death of an elder?

Does life truly end? Does it ever even start?

 

Andrik woke from his seemingly eternal slumber. It had been days since any person had even seen the now estranged Prince. Even the servants who regularly tended to his every need were locked out of his private chambers. It’s not like anyone wanted to tend to such a room anyways, the place was barren. As once stated in a poem, Andrik had manifested his quarters into a truly dark and depressing prison cage, yet he played the role of warden and prisoner at the very same time…

 

Perhaps it’s not so simple?

No, it can not be, for life is not just for the descendent.

It resides in every cottage, hole, stump, and castle.

It is valuable to the most devout sinners and those seeking repentance.

 

“The wedding, Highness, it is time” heard the Prince as he awoke from his rest. For a moment, Andrik paused. Should he show? Is he ready for such a feat? Is the world ready to see him again? Would they even care? These questions, and many more, ran through his mind as his maids laid out a simple selection of clothes. “Well, Ana surely would never forgive me if I missed this one” replied the Prince, only it was already an hour after he awoke. It was funny to him how fast time flew by in his head.

 

Perhaps life has no meaning at all?

After all, history has proven we obsess over social structure,

Is it too foreign to say that we have no right to question it?

Are we so arrogant? So hubristic? Or even egotistic?

 

After all, it was not too long ago that Andrik nearly lived a fairytale life. A separate path that was so foreign to the life of a traditional Prince, even he had trouble imagining it sometimes. But he did dream… Those dreams were severed along with his lover’s head. Oh well, God had punished him much more harshly, right? It was tragic, but the Prince had a void growing in his heart beforehand. Besides, feelings have no place in the Royal Household. It was simply improper. Annika had taught his son better etiquette than that.

 

Is life ever beautiful or horrible?

The wolfpack hunting a herd of rabbits is gruesome to the privileged eyes of man,

Yet no man sheds a tear for tearing down the home of a squirrel.

Perhaps there is no right answer, no conclusion, or plan?

 

The ceremony was like all others for the Prince, a simple reminder of what could have been for him, and what could be for the newly wedded. Marriage, in his eyes, was an overrated social construct of humankind. Why should a man and a woman be pressured to wed for social status and not for the love of one another? Why are divorces so final and yet a betrothal can be remade at any time with little consequence? Oh well, no matter. The past was just that and he had no future to look forward to. “Just a few more minutes until I can lock myself in again.”

 

The truth may never be found.

However one thing is for certain,

Life is valued by all things that hold on to it

And is a mere existence of those who let go of it.

 

“Margrait looked beautiful in her dress. I wonder who tailored it?” thought the Prince to himself. The dinner was okay. Andrik had been picking at a small slice of carrot cake, freshly made by the Queen herself. Andrik was never really a fan of sweets, even as a child. He’d always cherished the more unique foods like various fruits and cheeses. It reminded him of how he so yearned to be unique, and yet ironically ended up like every other Barbanov royal; He was a broken and dysfunctional mess, and yet let none of it hinder his duties.

 

Life is a blessing to most but a curse to the lonely.

It is both utterly meaningless and yet means more than anything.

It can be cherished and cursed in both birth and death.

It is the end of the road for some, and the start of the pavement for many others.

 

Savoyard Port was always a close favorite of the Prince despite the harsh memories it gave him. Surprising to his gossiping servants, it was true that he’d been sober for nearly a decade now. Most of his adulthood had been spent drinking, Andrik didn’t even remember holding his first, and only, son in his arms. A distant memory of what could have been… It’s both beautiful and cruel at the same time. Suddenly, as he dreamt of a better life, a servant bumped into the drunken Prince, causing his face to collapse face-first into the cake.

 

I no longer wish to know what life means.

In the end, is it all meaningless?

Even if the generation ahead of you screams your name until it echoes through history,

Would the noise sound forever?

 

Walnuts. Andrik always enjoyed walnuts as a child considering his varied pallet. He’d always loved unique tastes, yet his adventure had come to a sudden unsuspected halt. The laughs slowly faded as the Prince's eyes shut, forever in that dream.

 

I refuse to accept that.

Life is not about what you do as you live,

But rather what you leave behind for your successors.

Life is not a purpose, but rather a legacy.

 

~ P.A.N. B.B., Akovia

 

“Anya? Bran? Is that you?”

 

---

 

Spoiler

And that’s all folks. I’d like to thank the community of Haense for three unforgettable years, even if I was an airhead throughout most of it. I’d learned so many lessons, as silly as it may sound to some, but it’s true. I’ve made friends and relationships that have made me into the person I am today.

 

It’s ironic. I used to spend hours every day, sacrificing my grades (at the expense of my very angry Asian parents) and I even spent birthday money, all for me to just quit. The unholy amount of time spent behind this crappy laptop screen made me realize how valuable my life is without it. It took meeting wiser and amazing people online for me to grasp the importance of my personal life.

 

Many usually say that after a big post like this, the person will always return. It’s the old LOTC curse, though I have ensured my conclusion is final by enlisting in the United States Navy. I’m eighteen now, and I can’t spend forever on a server that I enjoyed as a young teenage boy. Don’t get me wrong, growing up is not just letting go of the things that made you who you are today, but rather learning to accept that you are ready to move on and learn from new experiences.

 

Thank you to @Rudi and @Mady for giving me such a dynamic character to play as my final chapter in my roleplay storybook. I’d like to thank @zuziee, @shay, and @gusanoarentonio for giving me a generation to roleplay with.

 

I will not write a long farewell post to those who have impacted me, for that will take too much energy that I have already spent here. Instead, I’d like to simply tag those who made a positive impact on me overall as a person, not as a player on this server (though I am thankful to those who helped me on the server).

 

I’d like to thank:

 

@Zanthuz for giving me an outlet to even play, and for making me understand that people can have a civil political debate

 

@Quinn275 for making me realize the small things in life, like a simple coin collection

 

@Juli for making me wary of crazy college girls like you (that was a joke, but I appreciate you, Juli)

 

@Piov for letting me know how important inclusivity is

 

@mkLouis for teaching me how NOT to **** up a crusade in CK3

 

@Dogged for teaching me how important building a community/team is for success

 

@Legoboy7984 for getting me into MMA and the UFC

 

@Milenkhov for genuinely being a good and kind person overall

 

@Miniguy15736 for inspiring me to be a better leader in life

 

@JuliusAakerlund for teaching me the importance of taking a break, and for so much more that can be put into words

 

Finally, @sarahbarah for being a very loving, caring, and attentive individual

 

Notable friends made along the way, contact me if you wish If not, it was fun:

 

@shay, @zuziee, @Ziggitee, @Limo_man, @Herod, @Raijen Stars, @Legoboy7984, @Xarkly, @livrose, @Drew2_dude, @MikoMonster, @Fionn__TWG, @UnBaed, @Mady, @Weebmaster36, @Sandman_Plays, @Dogged, @EnderMaiashiro, @Sander, @Lomiei, @ColdestPepsi, @Capt_Chief26, @AmazingAzura and last but certainly not least, @giambro

 

and everyone else mentioned before

 

If I missed anyone, I’m sorry. Feel free to slide into my DMs, but do not always expect an answer. I don’t expect anyone to really care or miss my presence, and I don’t really care anymore either. Anyways, that’s all. Farewell, epic gamers. <o

[zuziee 3213]

Spoiler

 

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As the sun rose over the unkept walls of Ghastenwald, a ray of brilliance prodded at the eyes of the aging Nikoleta. The flowers were buzzing with the hum of bees and the birds were making a racket in the riverside trees. An almost warm and inviting feeling filled the day. Her soul leapt with glee. A single eye peaking open;

 

Today was the first day they'd all be together. 

Quietly joining the festivities below, the nutty woman slipped into the kitchen. Inside she'd make breakfast. Eggs, sausage, toasted bread. A real treat. A candied smile growing over her wicked and crooked features. 

Bursting into the dinning room with hot plates of food, setting the table. A man garbed in tangerine, a meek girl with a snaggle tooth, and a lively boy were sat in their respective seats.

Once the food was settled, Nikoleta sat at the head of the table, slipping a cigarette between her lips. Matchless, the perfection was only seen by her. The shadowy figures blending into the table;

 

Leaving the fragmented woman bitter and sorrow.

[shay 2200]

“Andrik?”

 

Anastasya called out to her twin as she became aware of the new plane of existence in which she were to reside in forevermore

 

“Andi?” she called again, but to no avail

 

“Andrik Nikolas, vy answer me now.” she continued, a sense of panic reaching the Bihar as she searched.

 

---

She spent years - day in, day out. If day even fully existed where the Princess now found herself, but nothing. He was not there, nor would he be. In his final act, he did the one thing the pair had vowed to never do -- he broke their twin rule. Anastasya would be forced to continue her meager existence in the seven skies, simply watching her brother roam, without her. She would not truly be alone, as their family, her family stood beside her; but as far as she was concerned, she was. For what was a twin without their other half.

[Mady 2989]

r

[AnonymousAlexa 3877]

Spoiler

LMAO didn't even get a mention, GG

 

enjoy the real world m8, and gl in the navy o7

 

[sarahbarah 5008]

Petra Emma greeted her sister as she entered the Seven Skies, offering her a warm smile and a cup of tea. "Come, come sit, Ana," she called to her sister. "Vy must be exhausted!" 

 

Pausing, then, Petra realized that Andrik did not enter the Seven Skies alongside Ana. She seemed to be left in a state of confusion and wondering, for their family was not yet complete.

 

Spoiler

see u soon dude <3 pce out

 

[DahStalker 2839]

What I find enjoyable on this server - even with my typical '**** lotc' outrages - is the quality of community. Through trials and tribulations on this server, there are always those handful of people that are truly amazing. LOTC is a chapter, it'll be a chapter in all our lives, that we will eventually flip away from. Some just get to the other chapter quicker compared to others. I did not know you personally, but you left a mark on the server somehow. Thank you for contributing to the memories and stories of everyone here, and I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. 

 

From the words of Carl Sagan; "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere."

[marslol 671]

Esfir Kortrevich clawed at her own throat the moment she woke up in her bed within the safe keep of Jerovitz - the horrifying and shattering crash of glass upon the Vidaus floor and the jolt upon the table as both Royal Twins hit the table with a thud. She had just swallowed the walnut-and-carrot cake in which Andrik himself had choked upon - panic overtook the little girl as she had witnessed her first two deaths at such a young age, and to go out with a bang at a wedding? What a feat.

 

Her mother and father's voices had gone blurry as black overtook her vision and before she had known it, she sat upright and tore at her flesh - sweaty, clammy and eyes ablaze - Anything to get that damned piece of cake out of her throat, with the purpled visage of the fallen Prinzen branded into her child's mind. Nails dug into her neck as bitten nails scratched up soft skin, as if attacked by a rabid animal. Slower and slower did the girl's little hands paw at her neck, no doubt waking up her siblings, yet she stared at her hands - a bit bloodied and battered now before wiping them on the bed and tying her headscarf a little tighter now around the neck. Staring at the mirror, mist-blue eyes stared back into her own as tired hands smoothed out the ichor-coloured scarf hiding her locks.

 

What a strange and profound feeling this was. To stare death straight in the eye and not only be terrified by it, but find comfort in it's hollow embrace as well. Is what she would've thought, but she was just a child. Her terrified claw-marks will find their deeper meaning soon enough.

 

Spoiler

Never knew you too well but with the stories and tales I've heard from other people, it seemed that I definitely missed out - I wish you luck on your next escapade in the army! o7

 

[GhostSHTR 1002]

The Elder-Hieromonk would sign the hussyrian at the new "and now my other Hauch-Nephew...GODANI grant him a place in the seven skies and forgive him of his sin. May he be at peace." prayered the Elder "And now all I have are my Hauch-Hauch Nieces and Nephews...and they neit even know about me" he'd note seeing the last of his beloved Annika's children pass

 

Spoiler

I'm insulted for not being mentioned jk lol BUT good luck to ya buddy

 

[UnBaed 8910]

Spoiler

RP with you as Alexandria was fun, hope you have fun away from the server

 

[Lhindir_ 3436]

Forever missed by Ser Khroll.

[Gandhi 2658]

Ser August shut the world out - clinging to his bedroom and prompt time alone at the expense of his immediate family.

 

Spoiler

been rlly good knowing u eric - rlly enjoyed the times we’ve rped. But gl in the navy man o7