Abysmal Souls Chapter 5

[ReformBlade]

Arcen

"I see... Well, i hope you'll enjoy this more than I will. I got dragged here by my sister as payment for the whole arena deal. Apparently she hates my fighting. Really wish she'd tell me this crap before hand, otherwise I wouldn't have done that... ah well, what's done is done. You hungry? I know I am. I'll treat you to some lunch as an apology for the crap that went down in Lazarynth." He smiled and shrugged, not entirely used to being this nice except to his sister. "If it's cool with you, anyway, that is..."

Grant

He waved back with a smile as well. She seems nice... but waaaay too young. He let his mind wander, thinking about how she'd look in a few more years, but stopping before he got carried away. A shout above the crowd caught his attention, the voice almost sounding familiar.

"Fuck off!"

"Almost sounded like Melanie for a second there... Nah, she's probably engrossed by that alchemy book I got her. No way she'd be shouting obscenities like that!"

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

"Ahhhh, feels nice to run like this! Haven't been able to do this since we'd gone camp-- whoa!" Some person spurred on past her, not running into her, but giving her enough of a jump to fall over. She skidded across the pavement for about a foot, groaning and pulling herself to her knees. "What... what the heck was that...?" She looked at what had knocked her over, some greasy looking boy running off towards the library. Gideon had caught up to them during the exchange, yelling after the boy, who surprised Amera by responding with the most feminine voice she'd ever heard from a man, "Fuck off!" And she wasn't about to take an affront to Gideon like that laying down, springing to her feet, and beginning her chase after the kid. "Hey! Hey you, you asshole! Stop running away!" She was determined to catch him, though... he was going surprisingly fast. She went down onto all fours, trying to run as fast as possible to catch up. She did just that, and lunged to catch one of the boy's ankles, taking them both down rolling. And then Amera finally got a good look at the 'boy', gasping, "Y-You're... a girl?!"

Adrian

"Oh my... I'm impressed, kid. Finally getting over that silly blushing crap now, are we? Good!" Of course, this made him start to turn a light red, but he was still smiling, "yeah, I am... for the most part. I guess all I needed was... well, you know." He wasn't over himself enough to just say that out loud. And it seemed like he wasn't over his blushing, doing just that as he felt Carrion press up against his back. She went on a bit about the magus, and making sure Adrian kept quiet, which didn't surprise him. He was still pretty immature about most things. "Right... I'll do that. Promise. I can keep out of the room if you're really that worried about it--" "You're the best, you know that?" The combination of her whispering and holding him tight made him turn pretty red, doing his best not to show it, "thanks... You're pretty amazing yourself, you know that?" Of course, in the time they'd been chatting, they'd made it to the tower already, Adrian almost not noticing and stopping right before he walked into the door. "Whoa... alright, lover. We're here. Ride's over... though I don't want to take my hands away."

Horatio

He watched the girl walk off, but she gave him a wink before she did, which really made him wonder how much she meant what she'd said to him. Normally, he'd just throw it all away, but the ale was seriously working at his mind. Maybe she does think I'm attractive? No way, this is just a ploy... or is it? Agh, I can't think straight... he wandered after her, spotting her with a small child. What the... maybe it's her sister, or something? Don't fuckin' know... He gave them a wave, looking away, wondering what was going on.

Edited August 20, 2011 by seph1212

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"Oh don't you worry, you'll have plenty of opportunities for wandering hands, Adrian~" She hopped off of the kid, and with a smile and a clasping of his hand, she continued, "Look, I know you get... heated, and I don't blame you for that but I will have to ask you to sit this one out. Just for me, please? All I know is, I just wanna get this over with, the guy kind of weirds me out..." A quick kiss, and then she went inside the tower, asking yet again for assistance. The man currently at the desk sighed while he stood up, not wanting to bother with outsiders but not wanting to get into an argument either.

Fetching the head magus, Carrion waited for a small while before finally hearing his voice. "Ah, Ri... no, sorry, Carrion, was it? My apologies. I thought I had given you a job to do yesterday, why are you here again so quickly? Don't tell me you've completed it! That'd be impossible..."

"No, I haven't completed it yet, and besides, you never gave me a deadline for it, so I just wanted to rest today, but that idea seems to be shot due to a lot of conflicting things, but I digress, can you and I talk somewhere in private? Obviously it's important, and kind of personal."

With a heavy sigh and beckoning hand, "Sure, sure, right this way." He went into his own study, holding the door for Carrion. "So what seems to be the problem."

"Oh there's no problem, just... a favor I'd like to ask you." She fidgeted about, but her gaze never left his own.

"And what would that be, if you'd please just cut to the chase? I'm pretty busy around here."

"I'd like access to the top floor of the library. The restricted section. If not that, then I want access to at least... anything you know on the dead."

A befuddled look found its way onto the old man's face as he tried to find the words to say to her. "You... want books on the dead? What, are you trying to resurrect someone? A loved one? A war hero from ages past? I'm sorry Carrion, I can't allow that. The options are too risky for it, the repercussions are too high as well. If you had just said you wanted access, I would've been fine, but access for that... well, I'm sorry, I've seen one too many folks get sucked into that dark world before, and I'm not about to let someone else do it."

"What? I'm not... I'm not going to misuse it! I just want to bring my brother back!"

"Yes dear, I'm sure that's the case, or so you say it is. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm rather bu-"

"You aren't going to let me in there because I 'might' misuse it?! What the hell?! If that's the case, then why even let anyone in that damn floor!? No, scratch that, why even bother having it? Just destroy it all, then there'd be no power to abuse!"

"Are you quite finished?"

"No. No I'm not. Not until you let me go in there and let me try and fix a mistake I made long ago, you son of a bitch." At this point she was crying.

"Look, Riya-"

"Why the hell do you keep calling me that, how the fuck do you know me?!"

At this, the magus was taken aback. "Wait... wait... your name IS Riya? I thought you just looked like her... There's no way you can be her, this is a mere coincidence."

"I guess you wouldn't understand... I've said too much though, and if you won't let me in that damn floor, then I've got nothing else to say to you." Wiping her face, she walked out of that room, almost running out of the tower before she heard him shout.

"Wait! Hold up, child!" He hurried to catch up to her, his old frame clearly holding back.

Against her better judgment, she stopped right before the door, turning around to face him, clearly upset with the man. "What, what do you want now? Unless it's to-"

"Allow you access, yes. I'm giving you permission here, if you'll just hold up one blasted second." Pulling some paper from off the front desk, he began to write a letter. "Just show them this paper, they'll allow you to go to the top floor. But..." He held the paper from Carrion. "I have one condition."

Sniffling, "Yeah what...?"

"You tell me who you are, you explain it to me since I apprently don't understand. Not right now, but soon, ideally when you're ready..."

"That's asking a lot from me, and yet... if It'll help me accomplish my goal, I'll do it. Just not right now, maybe in a few days when I'm back."

"Take your time then, I'll be waiting." And with a smile, he waved and left, leaing Carrion right by the door.

Taking the paper, she gently folded it and shoved it in her pocket, then opened the doors to leave the tower. "Sorry about that, but... it worked! We're allowed in!" She was so happy about that one fact that she ran up, jumping at Adrian and hugging him.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Melanie

"Hey! Hey you, you asshole! Stop running away!" Mel didn't turn - she just kept running. They were chasing her, and that wasn't doing her nerves much good. Please just give up, please just give up, please just give up... When she felt a hand on her ankle, Mel shrieked and fell heavily, tumbling onto her back. Her face and shoulder were scratched up a bit, causing her to groan in pain as she clutched at her arm and blink back tears. That really hurt... "Y-You're... a girl?!" "Of course I am!" she yelled as she scrambled to her feet, doing her best not to sniffle. It didn't work too well. Once she was on her feet, she got a good look at her pursuer. She was an anri, judging from her tail and ears. She's really cute, though. Bigger than me up there...that monkey following her isn't her boyfriend, is he? She can do so much better! Realizing how distracted she was, Mel turned and ran again, this time without a word. She really hoped they wouldn't chase her this time.

Within a few more minutes' time of running, she burst into the library doors and stumbled her way to the nearest chair, where she sat down heavily and held her shoulder. "Owwwwwwww..." she whined breathlessly, resting her head on the chair for a moment. "All this for a stupid fucking book..." She spent the better part of a minute in the chair before getting up and trudging into the library proper. If there aren't any alchemists here, I'm never coming back to this fucking city.

Gideon

"Of course I am!" the dirty kid had cried as Gideon got to Amera. "What the hell's with you, kid?" he demanded of the little girl as she stood up. "If you have a problem - " Before he could finish, she dashed off again. Gideon just looked at Amera, more than a bit confused. "What the hell...hey, you okay?" He leaned over and offered his hand to help her up. "She didn't actually hit you, did she?" Knowing Amera, she'd be really upset about this girl's antics - not only had she been blindsided, but he had been cursed at, so she had twice as much reason to be angry. Still, that wouldn't help.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

"Oh don't you worry, you'll have plenty of opportunities for wandering hands, Adrian~" Blushing a mad red, he smiled, surprisingly not stuttering as he went to speak, "I'm sure there will be. We could... take another day off tomorrow, if you wanted to sleep in all day." Or do something other than sleeping... His mind began to wander as Carrion spoke again, "Look, I know you get... heated, and I don't blame you for that but I will have to ask you to sit this one out. Just for me, please? All I know is, I just wanna get this over with, the guy kind of weirds me out..." Hello reality, nice to be back to you, he mentally griped, his pleasant thoughts about what to do with her the next day floating off. "As much as I'd rather be there... yeah, I'll wait. Just... don't take too long, or I'll start getting worried." And she ran off into the building, leaving Adrian there to wonder to himself about how it would all go.

She'll be fine, you big worrier! Geez, she's the Crimson Witch, she can handle herself against some silly big headed magus. Though... if he finds that out, then we'll be in for some serious shit. Or would we? He seemed to know who she was, even called her Riya, so... Aaaggghhhh, I don't even know anymore. Should I run in and find out what's going on? She doesn't seem to be taking too long, but... maybe she is taking too long! Maybe they've already found out and locked her up and... stop it, Adrian, you're still worrying for nothing. She'll be fine, and when she comes up, you'll see that she's fine. And maybe your hands can wander a bit, then...

Still stuck in his mental turmoil, he barely realized that the doors had opened, looking back at a rather distraught Carrion, who was still smiling. "C-Carrion, what's..." he stood to try and talk to her, getting an answer from her anyway, "Sorry about that, but... it worked! We're allowed in!" And she jumped into his arms, managing to knock him down this time. He didn't fall very far, having just started to stand, and she looked too happy for him to complain. "That's... that's great! That's seriously great!" He wasn't going to ask how she did it, he was just going to be happy about it, managing to sit up with her in his arms. He couldn't help but laugh a bit, the situation way too happy.

Amera

She felt a bit embarrassed to have not noticed that the person she was chasing was a girl, getting yelled at for just that, "Of course I am!" She seems upset... well, she should be, running me over like that! It was also pretty embarrassing to get looked over like she was, growling at the girl before she ran off again. "Yeah, run off! Stupid girl..." Gideon had finally caught up, and didn't get the chance to give her a piece of his own mind. She brought herself to he feet and staggered a little, shaking her head to ward off the dizziness from the falls. "She didn't actually hit you, did she?" "No, but she was going so fast I tripped over myself. Ahhhh, whatever, we should just get going." Brushing the dust off herself she sighed, hoping that they wouldn't run into that girl again. She took Gideon's hand and started walking on their way to the library.

Edited August 21, 2011 by seph1212

[ReformBlade]

"You're damn right it's great!" And without missing a beat, she began to kiss Adrian, not caring about where she was. A few passersby whistled, a few 'whoops', jeering, all of that, but she didn't care. When her mind came to, she pulled back ever so slightly, staring into his eyes. "So... you wanna carry me to the library, or are you gonna make me walk like some peasant? Please? Pretty pleeeeease?" Putting on her best pout, she even made her lip start to tremble slightly. One last shout from the street rang out towards the pair.

"Get a room you two!"

In a bright and cheery tone, she turned to the voice and shouted back, "Don't worry, we already have one!" and as if that never happened, she went back to her pouting.

[Nanami Touko]

"You're damn right it's great!" "Right, so let's get go--mmmmph!" She pressed a kiss against his lips, knocking him onto his back against the ground. He was a bit set aback, but happily kissed her, opening an eye to see some people cheering them on. It was pretty embarrassing for him, but he couldn't stop, enjoying it way too much. He didn't want to ruin it for Carrion either, who seemed to be enjoying it at least ten times more than he was. From what he could gather, at least. She finally stopped, Adrian giggling just a tiny bit. "So... you wanna carry me to the library, or are you gonna make me walk like some peasant? Please? Pretty pleeeeease?" Aaahhhhh, she's too cute! Adrian was falling for her pout, hook line and sinker. A small, jarring comment from the people passing by "Get a room you two!" made him laugh, and Carrion gave them the answer they were both thinking. Finally sitting up, Carrion still pouting on his lap, he gave her another hug. "Alright, alright..." He slowly got himself up and pulled her up as well, turning his back to her with a smirking chuckle. "Get on, Carrion."

Edited August 21, 2011 by seph1212

[CT075]

Ormis

"Nah, there's nuthin' good around here anyway. It's all like high-class stuff, unless you're an Anri and you get scraps." Ormis grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Hey, since you've got nuthin' else to do, maybe you could help us out? There's like this scary dude with massive knives wandering around somewhere, and we gotta find him before he knifes someone."

He shrugged. "That's what Teis said, anyway."

Sisters

Therese shook her head again. She wasn't drunk. No way. Despite this, it was really difficult to keep her balance, and she couldn't aim her gun. It would be disastrous if someone attacked at the moment, since Rina refused to actually shoot anyone unless it was Godzilla either spewing fire or wielding it.

Behind her, the knife dude was just watching her, probably thinking that she was totally unable to hold her liquor. Which was partially true, she had to admit. Therese turned and stumbled over, using the wall and Rina for support.

"I thin' we shoul' go fin' a room somewhere... Gimme a sec' t' sober up so yeh don' have to drag me aroun' whil' I'm drunk~" Wink. Giggle. Stop giggling, dammit! You look like a total whore!

[Jaybee]

Danyon

From what he'd managed to gather from the 3 or so people still conscious, one of them had tried to touch a woman, which resulted in her doing... this.

It's not like it helps me anyway... Though admittedly, this girl seems pretty feisty. Except now's not the time to think about that...

He left after that, not bothering to help any of the occupants out - They probably deserved it. As he took a bit more of a walk, he couldn't see anyone with red hair at all - The freakiest hair colour around was purple, which came from a guy wearing something rather similar to what Horatio was wearing... and brandishing a knife by his side...

If that's him, then this is a pretty good catch. If it's not... might as well follow, at least. If he recognises me, he'll show it, probably.

Now, it's time to wait...

[Nanami Touko]

Horatio could only watch in amusement as the girl spoke to the other, managing to contain most of his laughter at how she was acting. Wow, she's seriously goin' over from one ale? That's crazy... maybe I should try an' have some fun with'er. Don't really want to take advantage of a drunk girl, but... she seems like she can handle herself, even if she can't handle'er ale... nah, I couldn't being m'self to do that... She looked like she was pretty close with the younger girl, and that would just put a bad taste in Horatio's mouth. He watched her stumble as she came over, bringing the little girl with her, "I thin' we shoul' go fin' a room somewhere... Gimme a sec' t' sober up so yeh don' have to drag me aroun' whil' I'm drunk~" Right, find you a room t'chill out so you don't do somethin' stupid. "Sounds like a plan. Th'name's Horatio, you? And, you there, you seem pretty close t'her," he leaned over to this other girl, trying to speak more calmly, "jus' keep an eye on her, an' make sure she doesn't do anythin' she'll regret, a'ight?"

He stood back up from his leaning, eying this girl once again. Damn... I wish she wasn't fallin' over, I might've gotten somethin'. Looking around for a moment, he completely missed Danyon, just looking for the inn they'd be able to stay at. There was the inn he'd stayed at before, but, no, someone might be able to check the check-in lists and find that he'd stayed there. He did give his name to the fancy man, what was his name, Danny? Darvon? Whatever... so staying there would be out of the question. Finally spotting a good enough looking inn, he waved a hand for the two to follow him, making his way other there. Hopefully they'll have a room, or two.

Edited August 21, 2011 by seph1212

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"YES! I love you, kid!" Hopping on, she latched onto his back, giggling like a little girl. Thinking about it, she'd probably laughed more in these past two weeks than she had in the longest time. She might've found that depressing a few days ago, but today... she was simply too happy, too ecstatic that things finally seemed to be turning her way. Pointing to the only other tower in the city, she jokingly commanded, "To the library please, sir! And make it fast, it's urgent!" Nuzzling up to his neck, she added in a hushed tone, "the quicker you go, the more time we'll have alone in our room, you know..."

Arcen

"Wait... Teis is here?" A smile popped up on his face, but it was immediately thrown away when he realized what Ormis said before that. "So, wait, uh... there's some assassin guy going around here murdering or what? I'm confused." He often was. Thinking seemed to be too much of a hassle, so often times he left the critical thinking to Aiduen.

[Nanami Touko]

"YES! I love you, kid!" "And you have no idea how much I love-- whoa, easy now...!" He laughed a bit as she jumped onto him again, expecting it now, but still stumbling just a little bit. "Maybe try and be less rambunctious next time, Carrion? You're not very heavy, but when you jump onto my back like that, I could seriously fall over. I doubt you'd enjoy that." And neither would I... He slid his hands under her bottom, pushing her up higher on his back a bit, enjoying his freedom. If she doesn't mind, I'm going to do it. "To the library please, sir! And make it fast, it's urgent!" "Right, off we go!" "the quicker you go, the more time we'll have alone in our room, you know..." Ulp. "R-Right." Guess I'm going as fast as I can, then. He started off on a jog, heading towards the tower that she'd pointed to, her bouncing against his back all the way.

It didn't take him very long to get there, only about ten minutes at the pace he was going, but he was sweating a bit afterwards. He let her stand, and took a deep breath, wiping his brow dry, "dang, I'm getting out of shape. I should be able to carry you farther than this without getting so worked up... Oh well, we're here, so let's take a look and see what they have. Right?" The building was imposing, and impressive, leaving him in awe as he pushed past the doors into the quiet, book filled halls. Wow... this place is seriously cool looking.

Edited August 21, 2011 by seph1212

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

She helped herself up, and Gideon couldn't help but wonder if she had noticed him offer his hand. "No, but she was going so fast I tripped over myself. Ahhhh, whatever, we should just get going." That surprised Gideon. Did Amera just let an offense go? No grudge? You're just full of surprises today... He decided against asking about it, though, instead just taking her hand and continuing to walk towards the library.

"Hey, you don't think she's going to the library, do you?" Gideon ventured after a bit of silence. "I mean, she was carrying a book when she nearly bowled you over. I think." It did seem a bit strange that a girl would be running through Pravna's streets with a book without any intention of heading there...Gideon secretly hoped she wasn't, though. That would make the situation a bit volatile if they ended up meeting her there.

Melanie

It didn't take long for Mel to get lost once she was walking the library's halls. Stacks upon stacks of books were all she could see wherever she looked, and that wasn't very helpful when she was trying to get around. Her eyes darted back and forth for something relevant to the book she had pressed to her chest - or at least someone who could decipher the damn thing - but she saw nothing helpful. "Okay, don't panic, Mel," she thought out loud. "Just take a left at the end of this hall. You'll see someone." Once she hit the end of the hall, though, she groaned when she saw the entrance. Again. "Noooooo," she whined, slumping over in defeat. "I'm so lost..."

As soon as she had said that, a fairly cute guy and a midget whom Mel figured had to be his girlfriend walked through the doors. He looks like a total pushover...I bet she slaps him for making short jokes. She looked carefully at the two, making sure not to be seen, and her face lit up when she examined the short girl. No way. She's...no, she can't be. But she soooo looks the part~! Without a second thought Mel rushed up to the two, grinning like an idiot. "Hey," she said cheerily, trying to mask her desperation. "Listen, um, wild shot in the dark here, but, um, are either of you any good at magic? I kinda..." She sheepishly pried the book from her chest and presented it to them, turning a bit red. "I'm trying to figure, um, this book out..." This'll work. He'll be all "No, we gotta go! We have important business!" but then she'll be all "No, we can't just leave her! Come on, sweetie, lemme help!" I'm a fucking genius! "...and, um, you look smart," she said finally to the midget. That won't be enough...gotta give 'em some reverse psychology, too. "If you're busy, I totally understand," she added hastily. "But, like, I'm just trying to figure out this book. If you can help, that'd be super-amazing." Got 'em.

[ReformBlade]

"Oh come on, you can't be winded just from... carrying me and running... okay nevermind that. Anyway..." And before she could even start to go into the library and delve into the restricted section, a blue haired girl began talking to the both of them. "Eh? We're uh... pretty busy..." Rubbing the back of her head she felt conflicted. "I... yes, I'm a mage, fairly good one, but like... I was headed off to the restricted section here but like... I dunno... What exactly do you need here?" Looking at the book, she read the word alchemy, and her eyebrows went up. "Alchemy, eh? Pretty ambitious little girl, ain't ya?"

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

Amera hadn't noticed his hand as she'd stood, but her mind was elsewhere, wondering what she was going to do to that girl if she ran into her again. Hopefully not literally, again. I'm gonna get her to apologize for knocking me down, and if she tried to run again, I'm gonna kick her ass, I swear it... "Hey, you don't think she's going to the library, do you?" Amera stopped, groaning. Seriously, Gideon? I don't need this... "I mean, she was carrying a book when she nearly bowled you over. I think." Amera thought back a few moments, trying to remember a book... which she unfortunately did, making her whine and smack Gideon's arm a bit. "Why did you have to notice that? Ugh, the last thing I need today is to run into that stupid girl... If we run into her there, I'm not stopping myself from hurting her." If she thinks she can do that to me and just run off, she's got another thing coming. Now she was in a foul mood, praying to the Gods that the girl wasn't there when they arrived.

Adrian

"Right, so where's the-- whoa!" It was one thing after another today, and the two of them had been assaulted by a random blue haired girl, begging Carrion to help her with figuring out the book she was holding. Unable to actually get a word in edgewise, he listened in until this girl had finished. "Eh? We're uh... pretty busy..." "Urm, yeah. We've got to check out a certain section here, and then we're off..." He wasn't sure how Carrion felt about helping her, though he would have rather just walked by and ignored her completely. "I... yes, I'm a mage, fairly good one, but like... I was headed off to the restricted section here but like... I dunno... What exactly do you need here?" Fairly good? Understatement of the century, there. But I know that tone, now she's interested... "Alchemy, eh? Pretty ambitious little girl, ain't ya?" And she's sorta cute... "Right, Carrion, why don't we pull up a few chairs and help her out before we head off to the restricted section? I'm sure it wouldn't take long. With your skills in magic, teaching her the basics of alchemy should be a breeze!" And it'll get her out of our hair, 'cause she'll no doubt bug us about it if we say no. There were a few tables near the entrance, so he pulled himself into one of the chairs at a table, waving the two over.

Edited August 22, 2011 by seph1212

[Jaybee]

Danyon

He saw the guy with the purple hair looking around his area, but it seemed as though he'd thought nothing of it. He appeared to have two people with him - A teenage girl, probably around 15 years old, and an older woman, probably slightly younger than Danyon. Admittedly, she looked pretty damn hot.

He decided to continue following them, to see where the guy would end up taking them. Sneaky little bastard, he is... And if you are that assassin, this isn't gonna reflect very well on your track record.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

The look on her face and the slap on his arm told Gideon that Amera knew what he was talking about; suddenly he regretted mentioning it. I think I'm in trouble now...again...damn. "Why did you have to notice that? Ugh, the last thing I need today is to run into that stupid girl... If we run into her there, I'm not stopping myself from hurting her." Dammit, Amera, come on... "We won't," he assured her. "The library's huge. We won't even have to talk to her if she's there." He was fairly certain of that, if only because it'd be more convenient - the idea of holding Amera back from tearing apart a little girl didn't much appeal to him.

Melanie

"Eh? We're uh... pretty busy..." Mel pouted. Not a good start... "Urm, yeah. We've got to check out a certain section here, and then we're off..." "I won't bother you that much! Just a few things I wanna ask about! It'll take, like, ten minutes, honest!" She was a bit desperate - she had more work to do today, and she didn't really want to stalk the library looking for someone to help her. Especially if that anri girl was headed here...she looked scary. Cute, though. Cute scary girls are always hardcore bitches...I bet she nags that monkey guy like nobody's business. They must fuck like rabbits, though. "I... yes, I'm a mage, fairly good one, but like... I was headed off to the restricted section here but like... I dunno... What exactly do you need here?" She was about to speak up again, but the midget looked at the book and smirked. "Alchemy, eh? Pretty ambitious little girl, ain't ya?" Mel scoffed and grinned widely. "Can't be that hard," she said dismissively. "It'll snowball once you help me a bit, I can tell ya that much!" Besides, who you callin' little? I'm taller than you, at least! More filled-out, too...

"Right, Carrion, why don't we pull up a few chairs and help her out before we head off to the restricted section? I'm sure it wouldn't take long. With your skills in magic, teaching her the basics of alchemy should be a breeze!" Carrion, huh? Wait...isn't carrion, like, dead bodies? Why would she name herself that? Maybe she's a necromancer or something cool like that! Oh man, if her boy-toy's actually a zombie or a vampire or something that'd be so cooooooool~! "Carrion? Nice 'ta meetcha. I'm Mel," she said brightly, extending a hand and grinning. "What's your boyfriend's name?" She leaned in to Carrion, smirking and turning her face away from Adrian a bit. "Nice job, by the way..." I like this girl already. She's totally gonna be my best friend ever!

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Julius

The path seemed to wind and wind onward, but Julius continued on it. He began to see more and more manors and mansions appear, that meant he was approaching Albion. He was excited to return home, yet he was nervous as well. It had been almost six months since he left; did anyone know the truth about his uncle's death? That he was really the killer?

Don't think these things, Julius.

As he approached a manor he knew too well, a good friend of his uncle's, he wondered if he should stop by. It wouldn't hurt him to try, after all, he needed noble backing to get his position back. He approached the manor's front gates, turning to the guard and speaking in the most deadpan voice. "I need to speak with Lord Sarson. Tell him Lord Kilmore is back."

The guard stood at attention almost immediately, and without words, rushed inside to retrieve his master. Julius smirked. Perfect.

[Sakusa]

Giselle

That blasted boss of hers just /had/ to send her off on a journey to an overrated "magic festival" that happened annually in Pravna to pick up those overpriced so-called magic charms for fortune, luck, wealth and safety. She'd told him countless times that they don't actually work, because it's physically impossible for magic to do such things, but he just waved her off and said that she knew nothing and should just keep her trap shut. "A gal like you can't possibly know a thing about magic! You just wandered around like an urchin, right? How the hell could you learn something so out of your league?" All she did was sigh, not wanting to get into her past, changed out of her work clothes and into something easier to move and travel in. He gave her more than enough money for the charms and personal expenses, so she was somewhat placated by that. Being the well-connected and endowed woman she was, she was able to hitchhike to the bustling city without having to pay a penny.

Giselle rewarded her victim of seduction with an affectionate kiss and hopped off the carriage, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. The poor, love-stricken fool stared after her for a few moments before realizing she was leaving. "'Hey, uh, Giselle. Lemme help you with that. It looks, um. Heavy. Yeah."

"Aw, how nice of you~ Don't worry about li'l ol' me, I'll be fine. Promise."

"You sure about that? I mean, I can stick around a little longer. It's dangerous for a pretty thing like you to go out alone."

"Well, aren't you a sweetheart?" She pulled him down and played tonsil hockey with him for a minute, licking her lips after they stopped. "I can't ask you to abandon work, y'know. Think I could have that dagger of yours instead? Just in case."

"Yeah, sure, anything you want, babe," he replied breathlessly, handing over the weapon. It was well-made, and the blade was about as long as her forearm. "I'll see you around, huh?"

"Maybe," she smirked and unsheathed it, looking it over quickly before sheathing it again and hooking it onto her belt. "Go on, you. The bills don't pay themselves~" she cooed in a sing-song voice.

"Heh, yeah. Take care." The guy was breathless and unsure of what happened, but he felt pretty damn lucky and went on his way to his intended destination, wherever it was.

Once he was out of earshot, she laughed. "That was almost too easy. Show a little leg, make 'em melt with a kiss, and they'll do pretty much anything for ya. Conning these so-called 'mages' will be a breeze. Not like they know proper magic, anyway. Well, now that I'm here, I might as well see what the festival has to offer this year. Not like I'm in a hurry to leave." With that, she headed into the city, eager get herself a room in a decent inn and explore.

Seilynda

The girl was traveling for more than a week now, wandering aimlessly. She foraged when she was hungry and forced herself to keep going wherever her feet led her, which caused her to get lost, but it wasn't as if she was heading anywhere in particular. One day she'd head toward the east, another the south. Any and all potential bandits were swiftly dealt with, impaled on her lance and bodies savagely mutilated, though she had the decency to bury them. Secretly, she hoped they'd kill her and put her out of her misery. She was too much of a coward to do it herself. Eventually she found herself in what she thought to be Astarte, seeing as there was no way she'd be in Shuthra. There didn't seem to be any mages, and this certainly wasn't Sapphire or Lushira. Weary from her travels, the guard urged her horse on and into an Alma town.

Lucinda

After more than a week, Lucinda was finally showing signs of life. Her cheeks regained a rosy glow, and she seemed to breathe with more ease. Every now and then, she'd mumble what sounded like a name or twitch.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

Tilting her head, "Eh... he was there, he seemed like a lost puppy. Plus, yeah, he's kinda good in the sack as well. Could be better, but hey, who am I to judge?" An obvious attempt at humor, Carrion gave a grin to Melanie before shaking her hand then trying to usher her over to Adrian. "So. What do you know about Alchemy to begin with? I need to know what I need to tell you here, so just gimme a rundown. Alchemy is a biiiiitch to learn, lemme tell you now. I know I hate the stuff, but I've gleaned knowledge here and there, plus the process is kind of magical to begin with in some respects, so I've learned a few tricks here and there, but I digress." She sat down, putting one leg on the other, "Whaddaya know?"

Pralken

"Four years..." He took a swig of ale, placing the mug none too gently back on the table, some splashing occurring. "Four Goddess damned years, and nothing. Only one... one inconsequential noble house was brought to justice..." He shook his head, his hand twitching and quivering as he tried to ease the headache and his anger. Unfortunately, his anger won out as he downed his ale in one sloppy gulp and then slamming it down hard on the table again, chipping the mug. "Oh great, Oh GREAT, another one destroyed. How many is that now, barkeep?"

"Six, sir."

"Six. Right. Well, here's twenty pieces, keep the damn change..."

The barkeep simply grunted, happy to be rid of the troublesome man, happy to finally maybe have a brighter atmosphere in his bar again. Pralken wiped his mouth and face with his sleeve, swearing under his breath. He looked up in the sky noting what time it was, swearing again, only a little louder, when he noticed a pretty little thing walking towards him. It appeared to be a lady in armor.

Licking his lips, he approached her, slicking his hair back, "Hey there... what's a sweet young thing like you doing out and about by yourself? Your boyfriend leave you? A shame, he was lucky to have you..." He assumed much, but he didn't care in the slightest here.

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

Maybe I was exaggerating when I said I'd beat her up... Amera kept thinking to herself, wondering if it really was a good idea to kick the ass of a girl as young as the one who'd run by. "We won't. The library's huge. We won't even have to talk to her if she's there." And Gideon was fairly on point with what he was saying, Amera sighing and trying to calm herself down. "Alright, fine. I won't get violent, but if I see her, she's getting a piece of my mind, dammit." Amera was dead set on making sure this girl knew how much she'd annoyed her, and if she had to grab the girl's collar and shake her down, she would. "Whatever, just gotta get it off my mind, you're probably right. But, hey, look! I guess we get to find out." She was a bit happier to see the library in sight now, starting to speed up her walking, dragging Gideon along at her new pace.

Adrian

The library was quiet enough for Adrian to glean what the two girls were talking about, getting rather confused, "Nice job, by the way...", and then rather embarrassed, "Eh... he was there, he seemed like a lost puppy. Plus, yeah, he's kinda good in the sack as well. Could be better, but hey, who am I to judge?" He steamed red, slouching onto the table and hiding his head in his arms. Geez, Carrion, do you have to talk about all of that to people we've just met? I know she seems friendly and all, but... hey, wait... I could be better, could I? I guess I can't argue that, she was my first... still embarrassing to have it brought up, though. They walked over to the table, and Adrian sighed, trying to clear his head of all that. Carrion would probably try something again, so he had to be ready. She began to go into alchemy, though, Adrian's eyes more focused on her legs as he paid attention to most of what she'd said. "Whaddaya know?" "Don't mind me, you two. I'm here to learn as well, so, I'm probably gonna keep quiet."

Amera contd

It only took them about ten minutes to make their way to the library after Amera had calmed down considerably, even smiling once again. She'd put that little encounter behind her, and was now more interested in finding out more about her own mana. And helping out Gideon to see if he'd be able to do something like that as well. Well, this really is more for him that me, since I know how to control it, at least. She pulled Gideon through the doors, throwing a smile back at him, before turning to see the last thing she wanted to, only managing to sigh at it. There was the girl from before, sitting and chatting with Adrian and Carrion. "You...!" and her hands shot to her mouth. Right, uhm, okay, she probably didn't hear you, but you were pretty loud... oh shit, this really is going to get nuts, isn't it? Ugh, and I was just getting over it! Stupid girl... Amera really hoped that she hadn't been heard, not in the mood to fight, anymore.

[Shin]

Aurelio

(riding a horsie)

Ken

"Obelia, if it's not a problem, I'd like to return to Lady Lucinda's room. If there's an assassin running about, I don't want to leave her alone."

Hopefully the assassin wouldn't change their target, he could only imagine the people who would like to see Lucinda dead.

[Sakusa]

Seilynda

"Hey there... what's a sweet young thing like you doing out and about by yourself? Your boyfriend leave you? A shame, he was lucky to have you..." a tall, brown-haired man went up to her and started... hitting on her? Seilynda glared at him and gripped her lance tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Buzz off, you greasy old codger. I'm not in the mood to deal with a dirty perverted geezer like you! Get lost, or else my lance'll do the talking for me."

Giselle

After leaving most of her belongings in her room in an inn, Giselle wandered about the streets. Despite suspicions, getting a variety of street food during the festival is a lot cheaper than paying a full meal at the inn, though getting a lot at once made for difficult traveling. She decided to meander about, her kleptomania acting up once in a while and filching little knicknacks.

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

Obelia’s eyes are quiet as she listens to his want to not use such a weapon. Her heart brightens at his morals however much she feels annoyed that he cannot raise a blade to another. Her eyebrows rise in slight surprise though at his mention of combat magic.

‘You can fight..? I...’

She does slightly calm yet with the mention of Lucinda, she nods hastily, a sudden glance back to the room.

‘Do you think she will awaken soon?’

---

Langley’s eyes go a bit wide at his statement, though she seems quite happy over such a simple statement. She doesn’t annoy him. That’s… apparently quite pleasing for her to hear. She slightly sighs but smiles a bit too, a glance to Noel with an almost mildly triumphant look.

‘Hear that? Not annoying.’

With a slight smile back to the guy, she feels her heart brighten too. Regardless of what has happened, Noel’s slightly twitchy lips indicate some humour is reaching her too, despite things. She opens her mouth to speak and yet what she says makes Langley’s cheeks start to burn and her eyes widen again.

‘Not annoying. Huh. So you like her enough to defend her?’

Noel’s eyes flash with a slight curiosity as she glances to the rather nervous Andy. Her gaze softens slightly hearing the tremor in his voice. But it remains piqued with interest. She folds her arms and stands with a slight slant to her form, leaning back as now Langley coughs once or twice.

---

Carrie’s rest continues on and yet with her sleep comes quiet troubles, hidden dreams. She shifts once or twice amid the blanket and yet see’s quiet images in her head, her parents far off in her head, out of reach. A slight shiver passes through her body as in her head, the night-time of dreams grows and she feels herself alone, silently alone. She curls tightly into bed and sleeps deeply, but not comfortably.

---

Zwool’s eyes take in the surrounding area, the bustle of people around him living their lives. His eyes glance upward quietly, observing with silent wonder the shield like bubble around the city glowing amid the light. He chuckles at the glints it gives, the simple amusement found in observing the unusual. But as he walks, he blinks with a slightly absent smile, surprised but intrigued by the large tower now in view. Like a hand reaching for heaven. He just wanders to it, quiet but curious, allowing said curiosity to take hold for a moment. He wanders ahead and looks for the door, a quiet hesitance as he prepares to enter the tower.

[Shin]

Ken

‘You can fight..? I...’

"I'm not one for fighting really, but I do possess means of defending myself."

He had hoped that he would never use combat magic, even the theory behind it unsettled him. However, he couldn't let himself get killed. There were far too many people for him to let down.

‘Do you think she will awaken soon?’

That was an interesting question, there was no telling when she would arise. It could well be another couple of weeks. Not wanting to dampen their spirits, he looked on the bright side. For all he knew, she would jump up right now.

"Hopefully before we grow too old, haha. Perhaps the Goddess will let us know when, although I can't quite say how or when she will."