[ Catscratch] The Path Least Noticed

[catscratch]

Silence blankets the forest, broken only by the occasional flapping of wings or creaking of tree.  A seldom used road lies just on the other side of the tree line, leading into the nearby town.  Twilight draws near, shadows lengthen.  Crouching low, Catscratch surveys the paths available.  He needn't trod them yet, but a good Assassin plans his path in advance.  The trees seemed fairly close together, but Winter's chill had removed any foliage cover.  The ground was pure and white, marred only by the passing of wildlife, some of which had created clear trails to several points exiting the woodlands.

Deer.. rabbit.. fox.. ahhh, what's this?

Catscratch carefully brushes aside a low-hanging set of branches from a nearby bush.  A set of human footprints, partially obscured, purposefully no doubt.

So, I am not the only one to have been here recently.  Troubling.  Somebody must patrol here, but I cannot tell how often.  Damnable snow..

Glancing around the area, it appears that traveling by ground is not going to be one of the better options should this area be under surveillance.  He would have no time to properly conceal his tracks once the mission was under way.  

Alright, through the canopy it is.. but this chill and winter idleness had not been kind to my body.  I shall need to prepare myself or risk injury.

Reaching into a concealed pocket, he pulls out a folded slip of paper.
___________________________________________________________
|                                                                                                                     |
|            Your invitation has been procured and is contained within.            |
  |               This is a requirement to pass through the front door.               |
|             Winds guide you, Shadows hide you, Contracts bind you             |
 |                             17 crows must fly by the 2nd moon                             |
|___________________________________________________________|
 

The party was being held at a manor just up the road from where he would exit the woods, roughly a mile.  It wouldn't do to have anybody seeing a guest at such a prestigious event running out of a forest, not to mention running up to the gates.  A carriage ride was out of the question.. no loose ends.  That left running the short distance without looking like he had done just that with only a couple minutes to clean up.  Putting away the slip, Catscratch notices something on the ground at his feet.

Oh.. please don't.. bloody hell..

The invitation lay half buried in snow where it must have fallen from his pocket. Careful examination of the sodden parchment reveals an ornate design bordering a personalized invitation for one Sli Steil.  Of course, no such person existed but there would be far too many people for the door attendant to double check every invite.  No, now the problem was that half of the ink had ran and bled out, ruining the invitation.

Damn and double damn.. looks like I'll have to re-forge it or getting in will be difficult.  This template took far too long to procure and there are only six weeks remaining until I am to meet my contact.  I must not mess this up if.  I will become stronger, I will become better, I WILL make my Clan proud to have accepted me.

Glancing one last time around before returning to his Den, Catscratch vanishes into the dusk's purple shadows, his tracks obscured behind him.

To Be Continued...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Catscratch must work on a few goals if he is to be able to traverse the canopy, make it past the front door, and make contact all without drawing undue attention to himself.  He will need to work on his strength and endurance for this.  Also, he will need to hone his artistic abilities if he is to recreate the invitation.

Muscle and endurance building is the overall goal and will consist of three parts: weekly routines of sets, minimum distance running per week, and eating healthy.  Catscratch will need to Level Up if he is to advance amongst the ranks of Assassins.

Like a Leaf on the Wind (Str +2, Dex + 2, Con +1, Sta +2, Cha +1)

Mondays and Thursdays:
- Warm-up routine: Stretches and 1 set of Level 1 Power Up
- Ripper: Level 1

Tuesdays and Fridays:
- Warm-up routine: Stretches and 1 set of Level 1 Power Up
- Strength of Thor: Level 1

Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays:

- Stretches

- Work on other Goals

He will allow himself to miss 2 individual sessions if something comes up and he is absolutely unable to perform.  He can't beat himself up for events he can't control.

 

Down the Silent Road (Sta +1, Con +1)
Weekly:
- 2 sessions of at least one mile each.  Going to try for the best time he can achieve.

 

Health and Obscurity (Con +1, Wis + 2)
Eating healthy from home:
- NO FOOD FROM VENDORS!  It is important that he remain as unseen as possible.  Also, his cooking is healthier than the cheap fare offered for the patron on the go.
 

 

Side Quest: Forgery (Wis +2)
Increase artistic ability:
- One complete drawing a week of varied subjects.  His hand must be steady and sure if he is to pass off this forgery.
 

Grading
A - 100%
B - 75%
C - 50%
D - 25%
F - 0% (Not an option)

Leaf on the Wind:
A = 0 Weeks with a missed session
B = 1 Week with a missed session
C = 2 Weeks with a missed session
D = 3 weeks with a missed session
F= 4+ weeks with a missed session

Down the Silent Road:
A = 0 Weeks with a missed session
B = 1 Week with a missed session
C = 2 Weeks with a missed session
D = 3 weeks with a missed session
F= 4+ weeks with a missed session

Health and Obscurity:
Minus one letter grade for every 2 meals acquired outside the Den's kitchen.

Side Quest: Forgery:
Minus one letter grade per week sans completed drawing.

 

Will Catscratch be able to train himself to perform the tasks as needed?  Will his forgery pass the doorman's scrutiny?  Time will tell...

[Strife]

Behold! Catscratch has joined the party!

 

I love the idea of a choose your own adventure style challenge, because thats what life is all about!  Every day we make choices that effect our future, whether for better or for worse.  

 

Make the good decisions.  Take the tougher roads.  You will come out a better person.  

 

To quote one of the greater stories ever told:

 

Bilbo: ...Can you promise that I will come back? 
Gandalf: No. And if you do... you will not be the same. 

 

Enter the forges, Catscratch.  The forges of destiny, the forges of greatness.  You will be smelt upon the iron, impurities extracted and discarded, and you shall be forged anew.  

[catscratch]

The Den, as he affectionately calls it, is Catscratch's safehouse for the region.  The small but adequate space was perfect for entertaining himself when he needed to lay low.  Some reading material, a few knick-knacks to keep it a little less boring, and two pieces of furniture for comfort were all that adorned it. Having locked and trapped the door behind him, Catscratch surveys his domain.

 

I suppose I should have transported some training equipment here.. too late now. I must remain unseen until the event. Well, no time like the present.  Time is ticking..

 

Clearing a space on the floor, he prepares himself for a vigorous body-weight training routine.

[Nuala]

Glad to see you back! It's been a while since I saw you in the assassin's den. 6 month? A bit more? I love your side quest, if you need some ideas, I can give you some, for the guild, of course

[vengefulpear]

I love the tone  

 

And especially the Strength of Thor workout! (I have a weakspot for the god of thunder...) Where did you get them from?

[Harika]

We have the same drawing goal, although mine lacks the "varied subject" part. What is your real-life motivation for that one?

[Kan]

Subbed, this is not only gonna be helpful, but pretty entertaining as well. Ever considered writing a full book? Stories like that sell very well. The Ranger's Apprentice series for instance. You have some real talent there.

Also "Deer... Rabbit... Fox... what" immediately made my mind snap to "does the fox say?" And now my whole day will be filled with this.

°~°

[catscratch]

Glad to see you back! It's been a while since I saw you in the assassin's den. 6 month? A bit more? I love your side quest, if you need some ideas, I can give you some, for the guild, of course

 

It has indeed been quite awhile since I've made the assassin's den my haunt, unfortunately.  I've been keeping up at the eating healthy (for the most part), but my exercise has gone downhill dramatically and I decided I needed to really get back on that.  Luckily, my friend Strife had pointed out to me that a new 6 week challenge was about to go down! 

Also, I'd LOVE to have you send me some messages for drawing ideas.  Figuring out what to draw has been part of my excuses for putting it off.

[catscratch]

I love the tone

 

And especially the Strength of Thor workout! (I have a weakspot for the god of thunder...) Where did you get them from?

 

I saw a post on Imgur, actually!

[catscratch]

 What is your real-life motivation for that one?

 

I want to be able to have a marketable skill that I enjoy.  If I can make a living (or at least supplement my income) with art projects, I'd be incredibly happy with my life.  Also, I have always wanted to create a manga >.>

[catscratch]

As night settled into the the valley where his Den is, Catscratch disarms his doorway and quietly ventures out into the wilderness.  The air is still and brisk.  Bundled up and crouching low, he resembles a small black drake, his breath wreathing his head in small clouds that slowly drift away and dissipate.  Making sure there are no witnesses, he sets off at a gentle lope.

 

Let's see how well these legs of mine do...

 

 

 

 

 

----------------------

 

So far, I have met all my routine goals and ran 1 of 2 miles!  I feel like I have planned pretty well for myself.  The workouts are hard enough that I feel sore and achy, but not painfully so.

 

I ran a mile tonight on my way to work, so I had to do it in lots of clothing and boots.  1.1 miles in 10m48s, though.  Not too shabby for a start.

 

ALSO, on a side note, I acquired a workout bench and a set of dumbbell adjustable weights!  THESE ARE MY VERY FIRST WEIGHTS, EVER!!  I'm pretty excited about this turn of events.  I plan on doing lots of tip-toe stands (or whatever the technical name is for the exercise that helps build calf muscle) while holding 40lbs of weights.

[Strife]

Congrats on the weights!  Those shall come in handy getting muscly arms ooh la la!

 

Love the fluff piece, and the imagery of the "drake" combined with the frosty breath (a la dragon smoke).  Nicely insinuated. 

 

Keep up the good work, sir!

[catscratch]

Well, I've gotten ALL of my main quests done for the week.  All that is left is my weekly drawing.  I should have plenty of time to work something out between work hours over the next 3 days!  Week One: YOU ARE MINE!

[vengefulpear]

Oh awesome! 

 

I did a bit of research and I managed to find them! So I thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to check out a different one  http://neilarey.com/workouts.html

 

They have a jedi one!

[catscratch]

Quick Update: Week 1 entirely complete, side quest and all.  I've even thrown in a little weight lifting in my down time!

[Nuala]

Good job!

[catscratch]

Update for Week 2:

This week fell a little short due to some self-indulgent behavior.

First, I ate out of the Den once.  We went to lunch with a friend after helping him move a large cabinet piece at a Chinese buffet.  So that's down a letter grade for that quest.

Secondly, I missed my Friday workout.  I just really wanted to relax and not worry about anything in life for a day so I played Borderlands 2 all day.  I kept up on a side challenge Strife and another are having (group Hard Hat Challenge), though.  Still, down a letter grade for that quest.

Lastly, I did not finish a drawing this week.  Very disappointed with that one in particular.

I DID get both of my runs in this week though, even if I had to do them on my way to work.

[Nuala]

No more borderland until you finish one drawing! You can do it

[Harika]

I finished my first drawing on Saturday, almost a week late. If you are interested in experimenting with different styles and subjects, perhaps a one-panel or simpler subject might help you catch up. I am considering using a shading/coloring style from old children's novels that is one pen and uses scribbles for different shades. I think it may have to wait for another drawing but I do want to try it out.

[Harika]

You do not seem to be one for frequent updates, but I know that I am good about updating until I begin to slide off the awesome train. So, are you clinging on? Your most recent update alluded to struggles in keeping to your goals/plans.

[Nuala]

Hey Catscratch, I'm still waiting for two crests and one mid-challenge report

[Kan]

Same I'm eager to see more of your story, even if it's not necessarily translated into epic role play style yet :3

°~°

[Nuala]

Week 4! Where have you been?

[Harika]

How goes the quest to enter the manor? Postponed? Aborted? I surely hope not for were the villains to be given a reprieve surely the deeds of evil will simply continue.

[Nuala]

He may be in ninja cat infiltration right now and can't report back (Week 5?)