Mercenary on the Winds Posted September 7 Author Share Posted September 7 (edited) Tio shrugged, "It's certainly not impossible--before this journey I would have said that gods, and voices-in-our-heads that we can't rule out as being gods or not weren't something plausible, but here we are." The answer worked for both Alvira and Roxanne's questions--Runic magic was Elisa's field to answer, but it wasn't as if she was entirely unversed. Magic in all of its forms was fascinating to Tio, and she strove to understand of much of it as possible. That was how she had reached the point she was now at, and possessed forms of magic that most mages couldn't even fathom. In the meanwhile, Alvira was resolute on her desire--she would make it to Lufiria, and what happened after that... would be up to her, and whoever came across her path. That willingness to push on even when all could be against her, it was impressive if nothing else, and Alvira was one of the few she would think to be able to back it up fully. Roxanne was a bit more of an unexplored element--her magic was strong, and her Lufirian made conduits were truly incredible, but aside from their bit of practice, she didn't have too much to go on with her. Which was what made Alvira's admission that it was not her, but Roxanne who had cast what she had felt east of here, that bit more surprising. Roxanne stammered her way through her explanation, definitely not expecting her to have picked up on anything, even questioning what it was that she had cast, which confirmed more than she realized. "I did feel it... I am remarkably in tune with magic around me, and far more so when it involves light magic. Though, the difficulties of tracing magic given how much of it is all around us at all times, means that it still has to be relatively nearby." Tio's face then turned serious, and she sighed, "All that you're telling me confirms what I had thought... Islexia is not known for their mages, so I would have been surprised if they had someone capable of casting Gamma Ray, and if they did, none of you would be here. In fact, Eslcas probably would have been in Kazran's control if they had someone that powerful... But, what you did is a 'technique," Tio waggled her fingers, "Known as Overcasting, and it's... exceptionally dangerous as you've discovered. All mages have a particular threshold at which their body will simply refuse to allow them to use more, natural limiters because casting beyond our means can do real damage to our circuits, and fixing those... not a science that anyone has really figured out. However... in moments of great peril, fear, anger, it is possible for one to perform magical feats beyond their normal level. Most of the time it's rather benign, but other times, one can go well beyond their limits... If you lost your magic for a time afterwards, you're very lucky you didn't go any further. Many a mage has met their end in a blaze of glory." Tio turned to Elisa, "Elisa, dear, could you check on Roxanne's circuits directly?" Tio looked at Roxanne's conduits, she'd felt the familiar tether between them and Roxanne, but she'd felt... something rather odd regarding them. "Roxanne, could you cast once more through your conduit?" Lumina huffed, and crossed her arms, "Of course I know what I'm agreeing too. I'm no child." It didn't sound like it with some of concerns, but those could wait, it was time to fight again. This time, it was a wolf man with a spear. There was just... something very different about him, almost chilling with how casual he seemed about things. To the point that he'd let her go first. Her spell connected, but there hadn't been too much effect. His spear then batted her aside as if she were a thrown pillow. However, it didn't feel terribly bad, as the man proceeded to do that to almost everyone in the arena, including the cat who had given everyone some level of trouble. The dragon, the green knight, Eva, Alistar, and then the Cat all fell rather easily, and then it was just him and the elf. To everyone's surprise, the wolf hit the elf, hard, but the elf hit even harder than that. It was... remarkable just how much stronger he seemed from back at the arena. So far, he'd dispatched everyone with relative ease. Her focus was split--between the fights, and then.. the, unique, situation between one of the previous challengers, and what appeared to be another, larger, fox now smothering her. "I... wonder what that's all about." Lumina was focused enough that when Eva returned, she didn't notice until the woman had tugged her into her lap, and wrapped her arms around her. "Hyah! E-Eva?!" Eva continued from exactly where she had left off, exactly as she had intended. Lumina struggled for the first moment, and then, stopped, and just leaned back into Eva. "...I know, it's just frustrating. I didn't think that I was particularly gifted at it back when I was in Cerezia, but... my skill then was more than enough to carry my inability to handle hits. This though... these people, they're far stronger than anyone I've had to deal with before. Just a bit upsetting to be this outclassed in this sphere." Lumina sighed, and went to turn, but stopped herself, feeling the heat on her cheeks. Eva would tease her for the next hour and a half if she gave that to her that easily. "Thanks, Eva... The people at the arena... all of them were pretty great... except Zeit, fuck that guy, but... none of them felt like... a friend, someone who I could really confide in... so, t-thanks for being that, and for... being willing to help me stay alive." "Hopefully. Though... I've got stuff to work out before then. See you around, Miss Faris." Dwight turned, and left Krystal, Sara and Giovanna--though the masked woman would see herself out eventually. "Now then... fish, good fish..." Dwight took in the scenes of Eslcas--it had been a couple years since he had been here last. Kazran hadn't always been besieging the place, so he had visited a handful of times before that turned. It was almost like this was an entirely different city. People were out and about, and not just for their work, but living life. Dwight smiled wryly as he walked the streets, wondering that if Kazran had won, if the city would ever look like this? Would there ever had been a smile like the monster woman who had strolled past, the brightest smiles on the pairs faces that he had seen since Karin? Would the music be playing? No... No, they wouldn't have been... It had been what was left to him, but seeing things now, seeing the intermingling of clouded and humans... this was as close as he had come to what the Dania family had so espoused. He chuckled, "...Maybe you were telling the truth after all... but then..." His words trailed off as he continued his way through the streets, wondering if he'd ever truly find the answers to those atrocities. Oh boy... Alphonse almost regretted saying as much, as the lizard? girl seemed to implicitly threaten to eat the establishment out of business, and it didn't seem like the wolf was going to eat any less. But, in a manner of speaking, he was right too--taking care of Kazran was going to see his business get back into swing, and that meant getting all of the information from what was going on south of here. He hadn't been getting much of anything. "You're right about that. Dealing with Kazran is going to breath life back into this place. I wish I could say that it hadn't been so long since I heard life out there on the streets, but when you're worried about a sudden attack, everyone's holed up inside unless they've got places to be." A bell sounded, and Alphonse cocked his head in that direction. "Alright, your actual food will be out here in a little bit... and I think I might as well just get started on extras, huh?" Alphonse waved a hand, and the tray that he'd used to place their drinks and the appetizers began to float up, and back to him. "Be back soon enough." Lezard had been about to head off to grab Lord Owen's request, when the cat, Amera from the sounds of it, launched her own offensive. If he hadn't heard what she had been saying before, he was certainly hearing that the young lord had been involved with the dog clouded who appeared to be shrinking with every word. Of course, it was taking all of his willpower to not burst out laughing at the scene. It was working, mostly, his hand was shivering from the exertion. "Of. Course, your lordship, I'll be right back." Lezard turned, but not before turning his gaze on Kieran and Marigold. "I haven't forgotten you two lovebird over there~ Give me a moment." Lezard smirked, and then disappeared behind the curtain once more. Kieran had been watching with some amusement at the proceedings in front of them--that was easier to deal with than Lezard's teasing, and Marigold. Though, it was surely only a matter of time before the man turned his attention back on him, and Marigold was certainly just building up to her next onslaught. He could weather one or the other, that wouldn't be a problem. If only it was one. First it was Lezard, which was simple enough--more cajoling, that was simple enoug--"Huh?" Kieran's eyes snapped to Marigold, "What the heck do you mean something more drastic? I am being honest, come off it." The blush was unmistakable even on his dark features, "Besides, I was already going to drink anyway, you don't have to force anything..." The man sighed, "Alright, alright... I get it, just, enough with that..." You'll make a guy think you're serious... "Come on, let's go sit down and wait a minute. Don't want to overhear any of our lording's other escapades, do we?" "Anima magic tomes... is it?" Barios responded, his voice even, but lacking the vibrance that it had a moment before. "Hmm... Well, we have an unusual tome--it's anima, but, well," The man turned, shooting a look at Kiri who had decided to instead focus on Ryfia instead of the hellspawn, and grabbed a very odd looking spell. "It's something... I can't quite explain it. It's a powerful, but fragile spell that takes on the primary form of a caster's magic." Barios shrugged, "You seem... attuned to ice. Odd for an Islexian of your stature, but magic is unpredictable. Hmm... I do believe we just acquired two spells that may be to your liking... Kiri, didn't we just acquire an Icicle Spear, and a Silver Snow tome?" "Your companion is right." Kiri said curtly, "These bands are infused with a type of magic that when worn as we improve ourselves, it strengthens us further. Each one of these affect us in different ways... although, these are rather difficult to come by--making them is not simple." Ryfia picked up one of the bands, and wandered over to the counter, "Yes, that will be..." Kiri paused for a moment, before glancing at Syndra, "2500 gold." Barios then called her attention over for real, "Ah, yes. We did acquire both of those--checked them myself, they're the genuine articles--but they're rather difficult to find so... parting with them would be 3500, and 5500 gold, respectively. But I can't imagine that would be too much of an issue for you, miss." Kiri smiled, but there was only a chill behind it. Memories of far worse days, and I can't say that surviving here in Islexia under their control was any better than the damned collapse... sigh, you can't just blame them all for your own mistakes... Edited September 7 by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursali Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 What the hell is wrong with him... She couldn't understand how he could just roll with everything she said without a hint of reluctance or protest in his voice or body language. She expected at least some hesitation, maybe a bit of anger, or at least annoyance. Instead she what she got was what he'd said. First she scowled, as he refused to take the bait, then her scowl lessened as she slowly began to process the tail end of his offer. Surely he wasn't being serious, just taunting her after she'd been digging at him for so long-- It means he wants to-- Alriana wouldn't let her other run from this; if she had to be subjected to Versaris' teasing then so did her other. Shut UP! Having her other able to freely chime in was much more of a curse than she could have ever anticipated, a harsh azure blush lighting up her face. "Wh-What the hell is wrong with you!?" She shouted out, incredulous that he would even suggest such a thing. Before he could pressure her further, thankfully, a new round of the arena had started, the challenger getting to Sari before being beaten back. She was proud, in a sense, that someone who batted away everyone effortlessly got put in their place by the not-elf, but she was equally as frustrated because it should've been her up there fighting him. She stared at him as he walked back over, crossing her arms and huffing. "How do you manage to suck the appeal out of everything? Now I don't even want to punch you." She glanced down at the fresh cut on his shirt. "Just get someone to stitch it up? It's not like it's completely ruined. Surprised you're not using it as an excuse to take it off, pervert." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 (edited) "Me? Unpredictable? I beg to differ..." Siorel scoffed some at Cin as he went to fight in the gauntlet once more, almost managing a win against Ferid, but the old wolf was simply too much for him to handle. He'd even managed to get a strike onto Versaris before the man put him into the ground once again, seemingly unstoppable. Wonder if anyone's gonna take the top spot away from him. He's just... So strong, so fast, so focused. Hahh... Cinaed came back over and spoke philosophical about the purpose of all these celebrations and fights. Siorel wasn't so sure, but it was a good sentiment; nothing to knock. "Maybe you can try again in a few more battles and see if you stack up to him~ You did pretty well, yeah... Which I think goes to show you're much stronger than you think you are, almost taking out the guy that finally caught up to Versaris. My big Cin, so strong~" She slipped up and latched onto his arm, smirking. "And there looks to be another challenger already... You think you're any good against magic? Looks like she's holdin' a tome." "Mmrrhnghhn... Too tired..." Sylmaria let out a sigh and flopped completely against Miria, getting a full on hug from the offered half one and swiftly passed out, beyond drunk and beyond comforted in the moment, the heat of the early summer air aiding in her swiftly falling asleep. "Mmh... mm, Gio... safe... good..." She mumbled some as slumber took her, tail wagging idly. "Hoo, boy, these fights are getting serious... I thought this was just for fun?" Luckily, no one had been severely injured yet, Lucretia topping off Ferid a little bit extra to make sure he was okay after Versaris' counter. "Hoofa... Hey there, Alistair~ No worries, I'm keeping just as busy as the rest of you with all this healing. Hahhh... I'm not used to playing solely medic, so it's getting to me some." She idly fanned herself with her hand, tugging at her top a bit. "Summer's coming and I am way too healer for it... The Tigers, though? It's nothing interesting. I was travelling with Jeremiah, and instead of making the next leg of his journey more difficult, I'll be sticking with them~ Felt like they could use more healers, anyway; that Renais girl was getting run around a lot... And I can handle myself in a battle." She winked at him and put her hand on her hip, things shaking all over. "What about you? Who're you tied to?" "Mhahh, mut, fyou fink feople wiww cawr when is imporfphan fweeple--" Iris coughed, trying to speak with her mouth full of dried meat, slamming a claw against her chest and chugging some of the drink down-- "WHOA, what the heck is THIS stuff!?" She stared at the drink once she'd had some, hiccuping after, smiling. "That's crazy... I'm gonna have more of that~" She went to drink before she clued in that she was talking about something, setting it down. "Right, before I choked, uhhhhh, you think people will care when it's more important folks? I mean, we've been fighting bandits and under the law types, this Kazran guy is the first big name we've killed. We kill more, don't you think people are gonna start paying more attention? Get all up in arms? Maybe send heavy stuff after us..." She tore into another chunk of dried meat and then swallowed the rest, almost vibrating in place. "Damn, this stuff's great... Might really eat you out of house and home, mister. You're killin' it with the grub." Eva had been planning on leaning further and further into the flirt, but when Lumina hit her with such genuine, sweet, sincere words. It put her horny to bed almost immediately, hugging the woman tighter and closer, almost growling into her ear. "How you gonna hit me with that? How're you gonna be so fucking sweet, and cute, and just... Ugh!" She snuggled her so tightly before finally leaning back, huffing. "You're really clam jamming me here, Lumina... Making me wanna be sweet on you instead of horny. Why would you do that? Gosh... Nope, it's too late. I'm not gonna be your friend. I'm gonna be way more, until it sinks into your pretty little head how wonderful you are. Gonna be with you through whatever hangups you've got, the troubles with your sister, with travel, with Islexia... You're not getting rid of me, now~ Look at what you've done?" She smirked and her tail swayed happily, leaning up against her again. "Gonna have to figure out how best to show my appreciation..." Marigold rolled her eyes, before she grabbed the neck of Kieran's shirt and dragged him down, slapping a kiss onto his lips without a moment's extra hesitation. "Enough with what? You think I'm fuckin' around? Get a clue, Kieran..." Even her undead body managed the faintest red in her cheeks as she walked past him, going to find an empty table to sit down around Lezard's food stand. "Can't believe you're makin' me have to spell it out for you, fuck... Stupid..." She plopped herself down and leaned onto her hand, grumbling quietly... "... Oh?" He smirked, slowly unbuttoning his top and sliding it off, letting the setting sun glisten along his skin, having finally broken a sweat against Ferid. "Is that better, then? Since you're the one that suggested it, after all... Hahh, it is getting warmer, isn't it? We're approaching July~" He smirked and went about checking the cut to his shirt, acting like taking it off was no problem at all. "As for your other concern... I simply don't want to fight you, Mira. You seem to be trying to get a rise out of me. The only rise you're going to get from me is between my legs, so feel free to threaten me all you like... I'm happy to let you vent your frustrations against my body if it helps you feel better. I can take a punch. Go ahead~ Get a swing in, darling." He winked at her past his clothes, slowly putting it back on now that he'd inspected the damage. "I'd be happy to let you touch me." Edited September 7 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakezuGD Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 The two women each had their own problems to address, and given one of them was directly asked of her, Elisa began with Alvira's request. "You bet! I've always been the more athletic of us, but at first I just learned how to use lances out of wanting to be able to protect my dear wife with something more than my fists if there ever came a time we couldn't use magic for some reason. Came in handy when those Underground bastards attacked us, even if I was still too tired to do what I should've been able to," she answered, her slight moment of grumbly recollection not reflected in her cheerful smile. "I'll teach you as much as I can while we're traveling, though I don't know how much that'll be since most of it's going to be through the Sands." As for the sheep, her so far steadfast, even inquisitive outlook quickly changed when she asked if such a casting method could repair her circuit issue, and further broke down upon explaining it was her behind the surprise magic spike from afar. Tio had mentioned during the time the Tigers were away that she'd felt some kind of extremely powerful light spell in the distance, but to think that Roxanne was the one who'd caused it... Sure, she was a strong light mage from what little they'd seen of her, but like the girl explained herself, she shouldn't be capable of performing such a spell. Overcasting it was, then, all the typical symptoms being present, the girl lucky that she hadn't totally burnt herself out doing that. Maybe her issue was partially shielding her from the worse effects of overcasting, too? Regardless, Elisa nodded to both her wife and Roxanne, getting herself untangled from her fellow Evoker and standing up to do her thing. "Before I link with you, I should answer your first question as much as I'm able. While runic magic should, in theory, entirely bypass your circuits and any issues you have with them, affinity does play some part in its use, but I haven't been able to find any data that reflected how that's the case. Whether it's something just because of True Dragons' powerful intrinsic connection to specific elemental magics or something that would affect any user is all conjecture, sadly." A quick shrug to shake off the uncertainty of her statement, and she went for the task at hand, one she knew without a doubt she could perform to expectations. Outside of Lufiria, she was the single most advanced mage when it came to understanding how magic circuits functioned, and being one of the only people as such who could properly diagnose issues with them. "Let's see..." Circling around behind Roxanne to give her space to cast as Tio instructed, she gently laid a hand on the sheep's shoulder, and a small surge of mana bridged their circuits together. A familiar feeling to the strawberry blonde, but one the recipient might have to get used to. "Feeling alright? I'll probe your circuits a little to feel out if there's anything of immediate concern." Instead of simply empowering her target with her own mana, Elisa's magic felt like it gently washed over Roxanne's body, making sure to check as thoroughly as she could. Any point at which she didn't feel direct flowthrough was damaged to some extent, which thankfully was still limited in severity, but disconcertingly widespread... "Hmm... yeah, it does feel like overcasting symptoms. The flow is technically normal, but I can feel it splitting up all over, struggling to keep its form. That's what happens when damaged magic circuits try to deliver your mana through them. Like having your muscles torn just enough that you can't tell from the outside there's any damage to begin with, but they're just barely hanging on to the ability to do normal work... as opposed to the whole limb being severed, if you'd burnt out your circuits entirely." Well, that had been less information than Tasha had hoped for. She was all for helping if she could, but a nebulous being upset at didn't tell the tiger anything about why that was the case, especially if Renais did actually know the reason. The why was usually the reason why these things happened... "I, uh, don't know? Mostly because you didn't actually tell me anything yet. If she's upset at you and you know why, then what are you talking with me for, and not her?" She scratched her head, a quirked brow aimed at the pinkette. "For what it's worth, the only time I had a particularly big fight with Alvira was before we were a couple, during that battle against the pirates on the ship. Neither of us understood the other's reasoning in the moment, and since I was the one to instigate the incident, I apologized for not considering her feelings on the matter, and she followed with her own once she understood my logic behind it. That's simplifying things a little, but that's what it boiled down to, yeah? Even if your situation is complicated, you can always try to understand why the person feels the way they do, and why you might have made them upset even when your stance feels justified." As much as that general advice was worthwhile, she didn't have a clue as to whether that was even something to be considered here. Her and Alvira's fight had been a matter of principle the latter couldn't understand until after an explanation, being a fairly specific set of circumstances... Tasha had a hard time imagining this was about something Renais might have done rather than said, admittedly, but she couldn't know that until the girl elaborated a little! As he'd suspected, Ferid made quick work of most everyone in the arena, with a slight surprise from how tough the bulky fire dragon in the early rounds was. But once he was dispatched, Jesse proved to be no obstacle, and the remaining opponents all had swords, making it all too easy to defeat the others on the way to Versaris, all the while getting what he wanted out of the exercise - an idea of how each of them fought. But he needed no such thing against the last man standing in his way, reversing his policy to give his opponent the first strike to attempt taking him out as fast as possible. Alas, it wasn't to be, and the fact he connected with his attack meant little against Versaris's fierce counter. This was in line with what he expected, though. He paid little heed to the man's parting words, collecting himself from the ground with a small nod of appreciation toward Lucretia for her healing before returning the lance and going to observe the rest of the fighting to come. My abilities are better suited for the battlefield, his shine in a duel. This isn't a surprising result. Still... The wolf gazed toward the elf-eared man and his strange monster partner again, his expression betraying little of his mixed feelings toward them. There was another in the audience who he was acquainted with as well, cozying up to the same dragon he'd fought against... perhaps he could speak with them for a moment, at least once there was a longer break between challengers. "Hehehe... that's right, we could both use a break." Bella chuckled softly, letting one hand fall away from Chris, while the other rose to his cheek, her breath audible in his cat ears as she leaned forward and cocked his head up toward her. "And there's no better time to have one than with everyone off doing their own thing... It's the quietest the castle has been in weeks. So let's go get ourselves nice and relaxed, hm?" And to make sure he got the point, she had to whisper one last addition to her suggestion... "To-ge-ther.~" Though she couldn't be sure of how he'd respond to that, the witch didn't intend to have her presence disturb his train of thought, because she was going regardless. She soon let go and turned away, fixing her hat a little. "Whether you come or not, that's up to you, but I'm going to go get my towel either way. Sweating too much in these clothes gets uncomfortable quickly, you know?" With that, she strode out of the alchemy lab, leaving the poor ballistician to his self, rapidly making the way to her personal room and swapping her usual outfit for not more than a particularly large towel wrapped around her body. As she set her hat down onto its hook on the wall, she took a deep breath, staring at it for just a moment... I know I'm being unfair, but this could be my last chance in quite some time. And I can't take surviving against Belrose forces as granted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 (edited) Overcasting... it was, of course, something that Roxanne had heard of before, was well aware of. Stern warnings in schooling not to push one's body past it's limits, but Tio's explanation was a bit more in-depth. Her circumstance seemed to line up with the Evoker's explanation in a pretty spot-on manner, but at the very least there seemed to be some degree of positive. Her magic had returned to her, and given the direct confirmation that such a thing was far from a guarantee, alongside the fact that Tio was already asking her to cast again, showed that any lingering issues were unlikely to be of imminent threat to her ability to continue her studies. Unfortunately, the strawberry Evoker didn't have a definitive answer in regards to Runic magic, which made sense. Their current knowledge on the craft was limited, and while it was certainly possible that it could prove to be a fix to her woes, there was no way to guarantee anything of the sort. "I am feeling... close to normal, Koba. Well, as close as one can expect, really. I appreciate the thanks, but I'm sure you'll repay me the favour someday... hopefully in a more sensible manner. As for if that feeling is warranted, well... we're about to find out. And of course, I understand Elisa. I can only hope that I can unearth more information from all this, then. I would love to be able to present you something to further your research at the end, if nothing else as thanks for all of the assistance you have given me. Even if it can't circumvent my circuitry woes." Roxanne began by replying as best she could to Koba. It was difficult to try to shove away those worries until the Evoker had properly taken a look, and the tightening of her muscles showed this, if in a subtle way. As Elisa moved behind her and out of the way, beginning her inspection, Roxanne followed Tio's instructions with a nod, her magic spiking for a moment as Elisa tapped into her circuits, loosing a volley of light into the ground through her conduits. She hadn't... noticed anything amiss with them, but perhaps Tio had felt something she hadn't processed, or simply intended to confirm further. She would expound once she was confident in whatever she was testing, surely. As the warm, soothing feeling of Elisa's magic washed over her form, a low hum escaped the sheep's lips, her shoulders sinking as some of the tension in her body relaxed. "Yeah, I can feel you. It's warm... not in a bad way, though." Roxanne answered, though her nose crinkled slightly as Elisa began to speak. It wasn't all bad news, and it wasn't unexpected, but to hear it confirmed still was not especially pleasant. Her circuits were damaged, but not to the extent that they couldn't operate as normal. What exactly that level of damage meant for both her short and long-term prospects had not yet been explained, but the calm assessment and lack of any immediate followup was surely a positive sign. "Unfortunately, that aligns with what I had expected. I am... glad to hear that it doesn't appear to be worse than initially thought though. So... what is your opinion, then? As a foremost expert... I know that fully broken circuits cannot be repaired at present, but as they have not been severed, are there any methods to assist in the healing process? Is there even... a healing process? If not, if this is simply the hand I have been dealt..." Roxanne thought a moment, doing her best to remain still so as to make the connection as easy as possible for Elisa, consciously stopping any fidgeting ticks from manifesting themselves. Stop the fingers from idly drumming against your thigh, do not bob your head to some tune only you can hear... "...one cannot change the past, only use it to inform the future. I'll just have to be more careful. If... if I come into another situation where lives hang in the balance of my ability to cast such a spell... then I will simply need to reach that point under my own power, before that happens. If I could manifest such a thing, even subconsciously, then I know I can reach that pinnacle. Even if right now..." Roxanne's thoughts trailed for a moment. Shine, that was the highest level spell she had ever cast of her own will. Was that the best she could do? She had held tomes for stronger spells before, in passing. Had never been able to cast them, but she was different now, stronger now. Surely, that wasn't still her peak? Perhaps she could give Tio more data by casting something more complicated. Flexing her hand open and closed instinctively as her mana began to surge, Roxanne was careful to still limit her output. Nothing that felt forcing, ready to pull an immediate plug if things felt strained, but the strain, beyond the normal rigors of casting, never came. As her conduits danced yet again, peppering the ground with a perfectly formed Morning Star. Roxanne released a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Why had it defaulted to such a strange form, again? It had felt effortless, natural... but as usual, her spellcasting was abnormal. "It feels so easy, now... this is progress, then. I just need to maintain the course." The sheep concluded, adding a very stern mental note to herself only at the end. Under no circumstances are you to jump for joy or dance over casting a new spell without issues. Not in front of the Evokers, not while being diagnosed for potentially life-altering circuit damage. Later, when you're alone. Dance twice as long. Hold steady. Edited September 7 by Ether Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 "Really!? Yes! I was thinking about asking Tasha-- still might, while we're still around, but I expect her knowledge in lances in practical at best; I imagine she can swing one around without stabbing herself in the foot, but she's not well practiced in them compared to guns and axes..." Even if they didn't have time to practice much, getting the basics down would at least let her wield it... she hoped. It was some, Godly implement, filled with Fomalhaut's power-- she also assumed-- so there was no telling if it would wield like a normal spear, conform to her grip, be wielded through her magic instead... She'd know when she got to it and put her claw on it. I'm on my way, Fomalhaut. Just the Sands between us, now. Be strong, wait for me. "Sounds like you escaped the worst of it, Roxanne. Just means no playing hero anymore, yeah? And means you need to be more careful, Koba. I wasn't there, so I don't know all the details, but... If Roxanne felt it was serious enough to have to do that, it must've been a rather dire situation. Sometimes we can't avoid trouble-- don't I know it, but always do your best to be more and more vigilant than the last time... Which, is probably an annoying lecture-y thing to hear, so I'm sorry, just... Trying to share some care, and all. Don't want Roxanne's magic to get any more difficult than it already is with her conduits." She offered them both a wry smile, glancing behind them all back at the rest of the celebrations. "Y'know, Roxanne, if they can't offer a way to fix your circuits, you wanna ditch this talk and hit the town? I got everything I needed resolved-- thank you both again," she quickly bowed towards Tio and Elisa, "so we might as well see what's for drinks, food, maybe hit up that gauntlet that the others set up. Surely some leisurely casting won't tax your circuits... It's probably a good idea to use them lightly to make sure you keep 'stretching' them, in a sense... R-Right, Tio?" She wanted to make sure it was good advice before Roxanne threw herself at what the Tigers had put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 Koba relaxed briefly as Roxi assured him that she was ok, only to have Elisa contradict the point shortly after. He tensed, but the end result wasn't as bad as he had feared, though not good either. Roxi had already asked the questions that had immediately sprung to his mind and it wasn't his place to ask, but he couldn't help the questions that ran through his brain. Would she be ok? Would they heal eventually? Would casting more make them worse? Alvira didn't help, chiding him for needing to be rescued in the first place. He bristled, wings flexing, but he didn't have any good argument to contradict her either. He had been in danger. Miria had been in more danger, charging in like she did, but he had been there too, unable to help defend the group. His wings slumped back down against his back and he nodded. "I don't want her to be in danger because of me again, I promise that. I need to get stronger... If I was, then we could have shared the burden. So I'll just, need to train my magic. Get stronger, be someone who can stand on my own two feet alongside all of you." He looked at Roxi, determination on his face, nodding at her. He would do it. He glanced over at Tio, wondering if maybe she would be able to train him, or maybe Elisa, since she used anima magic more, but his train of thought was interrupted by Alvira asking Roxi if she wanted to go around the festival, including the arena gauntlet. He hesitated, and then asked, "If you're going to the gauntlet, do you mind if I join you? Not for the rest of it, of course, but I wanted to try and fight the arena, see how I can manage. I don't expect to get very far right now, but it will at least give me a good measure of my strength. Show me where I need to work, all of that. I can go on my own of course, but if you're already going, I figure no harm in me tagging along?" "Hmm, hmm, you're right, I suppose." Cin grinned down at Siorel, her enthusiasm warming his heart. It was nice to hear the words, the encouragement. She was such a warm presence in his life, he still was stunned that she was by his side. His smile faltered slightly as he looked down at her though, thoughts wandering to the last few days and how much she had been struggling since they came to Islexia. He really needed to talk to her about that, find out what she was keeping in her past. He couldn't fix it, he knew that, but maybe he could support her as she tried to fight past it. Now wasn't the time though, not when they were out among everyone and he was going to be constantly interrupted with fights like this. Perhaps tonight he could finally start pushing her about that. For now though, another interruption was arriving. "Hmm, you're right. Well, I'm not quite as good at defending against magic as I am physical weapons, but on the flip side, most mages aren't as good at defending against my fists as they are my magic. So, we'll see. All I know is that having you, cheering for me, I'll be doing my best to prove I'm as strong as you believe I am. So wish me luck and I'll do my best." He grinned down at her, cheekily, waiting for a response he knew he would enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 "Ah-Awaaah?!" Miria was caught off guard by the dragon's hug, but she had soon flopped over, and laid on top of the cub without warning, mumbling a few things as she did so. "Sylm? Syyyylmm... yoouoooouuuu g-gotta zdey huwaaak..." But there wasn't much the drunk Miria was gonna do to wake the girl that wasn't terribly rude. "Ohhh, mmm..." She looked around, but decided, it wasn't... too bad. It was a big party and there was members of their group around. "Jusssda foo minutes..." The little hero, as careful as she was able to started shifting around while not trying to discomfort the sleeping dragon on top of her. She set herself in a way, she was able to lay down on her back on the bench. Her head took a mild bang to the handle, "Owwwwuh..." but it didn't matter at the moment. That was her intended spot in the first place. Her hat provided a small amount of comfort, even if not much by much. The girl in her arms was content, and by the sound of it, truly needed some rest. As comfy as she could be, Miria held Sylmara tightly, as she watched the stars. "I-I'mmaaaugh... make shurrr you g-gedda be... ha-haap--" Without finishing her thought, the little cub also ended up passing out on the bench, with a mild snore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 (edited) Alistar tried keeping his composure in the face of Lucretia's... everything, but he struggled to hide the blush on his face from her display of mannerisms. "Mhmm well I wouldn't mind seeing you in action myself, if your confidence in yourself is any indication you must be very skilled indeed. As for myself... well if you've been with the Tigers long enough you've probably seen Syndra at least once, the woman with the long blue hair I was talking to earlier. She's my boss, I've been her bodyguard for more then a decade now. Before she left for Glacies she told me to watch over Ryfia, her other bodyguard and relay to her anything her family was up to in terms of trying to track her down. Then a few weeks ago she sent us a letter saying she was coming back to Islexia and we were to join her here. So for the moment I'm tied to the two of them, and as long as Syndra's a member of the Iron Tigers I plan on being here, honing my skills and protecting others." He then paused and thought about what he just said. It was true that he wanted to continue on in his role as a protector, but the constant thrashings he was taking in the arena weren't helping his confidence. "That being said I'm not sure I'm going to live up to the task if my own performance here is any indication. My preferred way of fighting relies too much on studying movement to find an opening and just isn't suited to fighting someone who can immediately take you out in a single attack, which the Tigers seemed to have attracted in bunches." Alistar then looked back towards the vivacious healer. "Sorry, I didn't call you over here to just vent my own inadequacies to you. You said you came here with Jeremiah? What lead to you traveling with him?" Ryfia raised an eyebrow after hearing the price from the shopkeeper. 2500? Ah shit, I should've taken Alistar's wallet before coming... but why'd she look at the boss before saying that? She felt like something was up, knowing full well most people didn't have any love lost for the Belroses and people who worked for them, but how'd they know Syndra was one of them? They hadn't said anything that would imply Syndra had visited before, so how would they know who she was? "Is there a problem miss? Cause you keep looking over at her like something's wrong." Edited Wednesday at 03:31 PM by Billy12510 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 Jesse clapped along with the crowd at Ferid’s bout against Versaris, this first person of the day to make the elf sweat in any manner. It was odd, it Felt as if Ferid wasn’t trying to win, he never initiated outside of Versaris, almost as if his goal was to size up the fighters. Speaking of observers, Talulah was still here watching the matches. Perhaps she gained some answer on Versaris’s strength, now that he wasn't waiting around. Talulah had mentioned not having any interest in Shrouds, but Jesse wondered if there could still be a friendship between the two, similar to Jesse and Miria. Plus Talulah was skilled, and if the arena had proven anything, Jesse could use some training soon. Perhaps she could learn some things from her. They had received another short break, Jesse walked back towards the swordswoman. “Well Talulah, someone was able to give him some sort of challenge, what do you think of him now?” She was still blushing, clearly still taken aback by the public affection Sari was so easily showing Alriana. Wait, why is his shirt off? Ok then. Jesse’s gaze lingered on Versaris, but once his shirt was back on, she moved on. The Tigers were definitely an eye-catching group. “Maybe by the end of the evening we’ll see someone defeat him, though with how strong his response to Ferid’s strike was, I’m sure it won’t be easy.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 (edited) "Aaah, I'm sorry. It's a little complicated." She spoke as she squeezed her own hand behind her back and shifted on her heels. "It really does seem like you and Alvira understand each other so well considering you've only had one fight so far, it's impressive really." Understanding. That's something I need more of, I need to understand Kise more before I show her any alternatives. "Kise has a duty she feels she must do no matter what, which may be at the risk of her own life. I wanted her to abandon it, but she refused. It really is that important to her, and I feel like I may have overstepped myself when I asked her that." She lowered her head and frowned slightly as she recounted the moment. Yes, that was insensitive of me. I don't want to agree to a slaughter but...perhaps I need to look for that Kisara now. The pinkette squeezed tighter and lifted her head back up to Tasha. "Commander, have you ever heard of the name Kisara? I heard it in passing during our travels, perhaps she's among us." Edited September 10 by TheRoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted Wednesday at 11:40 PM Share Posted Wednesday at 11:40 PM "Nmmwh? Mmmrgh... Ahm." Üllr was occupied with his share of dried meat as Iris' comment reached his ears, he paused, focusing on his chewing, before thinking on it again. "I... don't know. Thought this Belrose guy was the important person to worry about. Thought he doesn't like what we did, already." It was a thought-provoking question for the cub. Would others be upset they were doing these big actions in Islexia? Would they care? why? "Hrm... I don't like that. You think they'll fight us if we fight him? That makes me angry..." His mood had dropped quickly, staring at his almost-empty place. "Islexia is a rough place to monsters. To humans too. We take out people that keep it bad, other countries would come after us?" He sighed, still reeling at his thoughts. "Why would they do that?" Seeing that there was already challenger finishing his bouts, Giovanna enjoyed a chance to watch some of the arena fighters first. It would be the closest look she'd have on the people that took down the Keep, now that she thought about it... Having caught the tail end, she only recognized the last two from that day, but there was at least one more, if the tall dragonman was any indication. "No wonder they were fighting through so many men... that's quite a sword arm." Giovanna focused on Versaris. I can follow him barely... it wouldn't be an easy fight if we had clashed before Sylm reached me. Easy as it was for the mind to wander, that kind of speculation was best left in the recesses of the mind --just a friendly bout, here. "Mmm, alright, I suppose it'll be my turn soon... see how far I can get." "Ah... Buh--I, Erm..." Like a deer in headlights, Chris was completely shocked at how much Bella was turning up her forwardness. It was hard to not pick the undertones in her voice, his face keeping the darker shade of a blush for an impressive length of time. "I-I mean... ah." And as quickly as Bella had given her hint, she walked to her private room. Christopher exhaled deeply. "Oh dear, oh dear. That's not... this will be awkward." Full glad as he was that she had shown this much interest, Chris had his hangups, insecurities to follow-up on such an invitation. No... I shouldn't leave her hanging, that'd be even more awkward. Some of their work was overlapping, and they were both following up with the Tigers, so, after quick deliberation, Chris had a big, dry gulp, walking towards his own room to get ready for a bath. Even if it ends up awkward, I'll just keep her company... "Haah... merde. Not even three days, and I mess this up. Haawawah... I'm so sorry..." His reluctance filling him with some dread, Chris got himself prepared for the occasion --a towel big enough to cover most of him from the torso down--, before he made for the baths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted Thursday at 09:20 PM Author Share Posted Thursday at 09:20 PM (edited) Kiri looked back at Ryfia with a smile, “No, nothing is particularly wrong. Your friend just reminds me of someone. 2500 for the band, these are rather difficult to come by. Even now that Kazran has been bested, it will take time for prices to return to normal.” Not a lie but not the whole truth, while Kazran's constant attacks made prices rise, she was almost definitely messing with the prices a little. It wouldn't be too much of a concern, if this really was a Belrose, they would have the gold. Barios didn't appear to have too much problem with it so, might as well carry on. Barios simply sighed. Kiri could handle this one. These weren't exactly small markups, but he couldn't find it in himself to correct the record on the prices. He was mostly concerned that the wolf had noticed Kiri's focus on the Belrose, and the possibility of things going sour. “Because people like to protect their own.” Alphonse returned with two plates of Salmon, “Things aren't so black and white around here, or rather, not in the way you're seeing them. Kazran's unique– he's the worst of Islexia, and even normal people can see that. Most people won't miss him when he's gone. Now go after someone like Nicolas? You'll be lucky if Islexia itself doesn't mobilize against you.” Alphonse placed the plates in front the pair and smiled, “I would say, for your safety, probably best not to talk about that stuff openly. Here, tonight, you're heroes, elsewhere? You're monsters and clouded in Islexia, the best you could hope for is being asked to leave without weapons being drawn. Though… can't help but draw comparisons to the caravan that came through, what, seven years ago? You'll wanna be careful with bigger aspirations.” Alphonse then smiled, “Eh, no skin of my back though. I know which side I fall on. You can chat about what you like in here.” Marigold was a mercurial sort; when she wasn't trying to find a way to die, it was impossible to figure out her rhythm. Which was why when he found himself being pulled down, he wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen. Until her lips hit his. Kieran froze, even as his blood ran hot, his face getting the worst of it as his calm facade fell apart. It was quick, in actuality, but it felt like it had been several minutes by the time Marigold pulled away, a light red on her own cheeks– A first despite how closely he had watched her. Marigold walked by him, and plopped herself down at one of the tables. Kieran stood there for a moment, it hadn't been so warm a moment ago. Then Kieran let his head hang a moment before shuffling after Marigold, and sitting down in the seat across from Marigold. He kept his eyes down at the table, “...Fine. You win… No, I didn't think you were fucking around, and I… I kind of knew.” Kieran exhaled and leaned back in his chair, looking up to the sky. “I just don’t want you to regret it. There. Call it stupid, or whatever, but the truth is that I sold all of you out, and for what, my mom who probably doesn’t even remember my name anymore? …I’ve heard you chatting with yourself sometimes. Stuff about your past, what happened to make you, you, I don’t have the whole story, but… if you’ve endured anything close to what you’ve mused about then you deserve someone who’s going to make you happy. Maybe I can do that… maybe, but I don’t believe that I can, not as I am now.” Kieran huffed, and finally looked at Marigold, his face still a berry red, “Should have known you’d do something crazy like that. Don’t know why I keep doubting you. Doubted you when you spoke up to stop the Tiger from pulling the trigger, doubted you when you came into the cell… maybe I was doubting me instead.” Kieran reached into his pocket, and pulled out a gray bow with a small red gem at its center. “Might as well get all of the embarrassment out of the way… Wanted to thank you for… having more confidence in me than I’ve had in myself. You have a tendency to mess with your hair, thought it might be nice.” All the while, Lezard was watching from a distance as everything unfurled. Their food could wait a moment. The two were in the midst of a lovely conversation from the look of it. "Huh?" Despite the praise, Eva seemed... almost upset? maybe bothered was a better word for it, but that worry passed at the woman squeezed her even tighter before talking about how unendingly cute she was being. "I, wh, I-I, I'm not being cute! I-I-I'm being honest! Genuinely, why is that... being seen as cute!? Why is that what's clam jamming you?!" It was more of a defense mechanism than anything, entirely unsure what she was supposed to say to Evangeline being genuine right back. It was so strange to be wrapped in someone else's arms--something that hadn't happened since before she had parted home. Pashmina had a tendency to hug her often, while it had the tendency to remind her of the frustrating physical differences between her and Pashmina, it was always appreciated even if she couldn't say as much. This... was different though. It came from a similar place, but coming from someone outside of her family... it felt more hopeful, more impactful. Lumina squirmed for a moment, and then just... gave up, her entire body was warm all of the sudden, not just from Eva's squeezing. "...I guess you'll be around for a while. I've been trying to get this all through my head for years. Pasha--Pashmina tried too, and she got a scar in the end for it. It'll be a... a lot of work, but... if you're sure, I... I won't stop you." I don't want you to stop... Tio nodded as Elisa confirmed what she had expected; some minor damage to her magical circuits, but nothing that was going to hamper her in the long run, unless she decided that she was going to over cast again in the future. It wasn't exactly possible to promise that she was never going to over cast again, especially considering the circumstances--Miria and Koba both had been in pressing danger, and she simply did everything she could to protect them in that moment. It was similar to most stories of mages accidentally overcasting, moments of extreme danger, and a fervent wish to protect what one could. Roxanne cast once when Elisa was performing her assessment, and Tio noticed the faint gap again. It was small, but not entirely insignificant, if she was right about what exactly she, or anyone who had the talent and knowledge, could do with that gap. Though, Roxanne didn't appear to be done, as if she were stretching her circuits, seeing what was a safe limit to perform in the moment. A stronger, but still reasonable spell worked its way through her circuits, and then to her conduits as Roxanne held her hand out, and released an excellently performed Morning Star. Yet, that wasn't the most interesting thing. "...As I thought." Tio held out her hand, and the conduits that had been rotating around Roxanne until the moment she cast, were now floating around Tio's hand instead. Tio smiled, "That was a well performed Morning Star, Roxanne, and it did allow me to confirm what I thought I noticed." Tio waved her hand, and the conduits returned to Roxanne's side, "I had been concerned about the upper limit at which your conduits would retain their functionality perfectly, and it seems as if you weren't the only thing that took some damage. The manner in which the conduits are connected to you is usually something so quick that it's impossible to latch onto unless you're expecting it... I could probably do it if I were prepared, but it's rather taxing. There is a faint moment now in which I was able to take control of your conduits from you... and I could have done so before you cast." Tio waved her hand, "Now, to be clear, the mage would have to be incredibly skilled to both identify the link, and then correctly take command. You aren't going to find too many mages capable of doing that, but it is something you should be aware of." Tio then sighed, "Alvira is right. The best way to make sure that nothing like this is forced upon Roxanne again is for all parties involved to be more careful--Miria isn't present, so can't speak to her about that. But," Tio turned to Koba, "It already sounds like you have a direction in which you want to go, Koba, so follow through on it. I'm no anima expert, but I don't need to be to help with some level of instruction." Alvira mentioned an arena, which prompted Tio to return back to the woman of the hour, "And, in a manner of speaking, Alvira is correct. Elisa has confirmed that you're out of the worst of it, so the best way in which to help them recover is to practice with them a little. Do be careful though, I wouldn't want to ruin proceedings by stopping you myself. If there are any other questions you have, either about your conduits or something else, even, be my guest." Then into the arena came a masked woman, together with a tome in her hand. An air of mystery only enhanced by the arcane art, and sure enough, Lumina fell once more, but it was magic against magic, a seemingly more balanced match, as Lumina's magic appeared to be devastatingly strong when she got a chance to cast. Though, as nearly all of her fights did, Alma Faris came out on top announcing herself with the boom of thunder. In came Cinead, fists ablaze, and almost immediately, he was on top of the mage, and two strong strikes had Alma reeling. Enough so that her first spell went narrowly wide. Her second, however, was perfectly calibrated, and for a moment there were cheers from the crowd, expecting another repeat of her fight with Lumina. Yet, Cinead held firm, and in that flash of lightning, he was already inches away from the mage, leaving her little time to react. It hadn't taken the 2nd hit, though it had been long prepared, with a third lined up even after that. The first miss had been too much to comeback from. The atmosphere in the arena didn't fade for a second; the masked figure already drawing questions as to the identity of the newcomer. Questions that would last long into the night... Edited Friday at 01:26 AM by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted Thursday at 11:21 PM Share Posted Thursday at 11:21 PM “Mhm~, it'll be a wonderful night to forget... We'll just have to remind each other what happened.” Three pours from the bottle had already made good headway through it; they would absolutely be needing more. Seila let out a little ‘ooh’ as Lezard brought their food out, distracted momentarily, but before she could spend too much of her attention on the fish - Amera had already hopped up, her devious grin already promising trouble... and it took not even another moment for her to make good on that promise, circling Owen like prey as she extolled Ember’s various virtues... and left the lord stunned with a little tail tease. The witch watched Amera’s little performance from behind her glass with a smile, taking a drink as the cat stuck out her tongue and sat back at her side, eyes telling all of her amusement to Owen across the table. She smirked, reaching up and giving the cat a pat in feigned irritation. “Yes, do behave, you'll get Ember so terribly blushy like that, kitty.” Seila flashed another smile towards Ember, half at her expense and half to encourage her, turning to Owen once more. “She can be such a handful sometimes; apologies~, Lord Owen.” There was a lilt in her voice, his brief protests had left him quite on the back foot in this conversation, and she wasn't leaving it open. “We've had a wonderful time here, certainly. I'm sure we shall miss this town terribly, Ember most of all~” She awaited the glass for Owen from Lezard, fully intending a generous pour... “Though you sharing a drink with us tonight softens that little blow.” Thalia shrugged, focusing on holding the Flux spell as Gean offered support to the wandering pair. “Huh? Uh, mercenaries... no, but we can fight, I mean, you saw us in the arena, right? Danger’s fine, I guess--” Before the more compact kitsune could continue, Kise rushed to her side, dropping her spell to instead focus on assisting. O-Oh. Okay. Uh, I guess Coral has that side of the conversation handled, it's fine... Thalia squirmed slightly in Kise’s hold at first, but after a moment obligingly followed along with her guidance, her hands forming the dark magic into a more stable form; she could feel the strength of the magic resonating more powerfully, and with such a simple change... Thalia blinked, before her face lit up with surprised excitement. “W-Whoa...” Her twin tails bristled, looking over at Kise as she explained how to further the spell even more, giving her a short, almost amazed nod. “I... wow. I'll have to keep working on it. I've always been okayish at magic and all, but if I can do a lot more with it, then maybe I could really...” She took a deep breath, letting the spell drop. “Imagination... and magical power. Okay.” A brief pause, then another nod, more shyly this time. “I... thank you. Um, I’m... not going to call you mom or anything-- that, that might be kind of weird... but that's... I appreciate it. And everything, so.” Certainly it would be the first kindness she'd seen in quite a long time from anyone besides Coral; and no small one, either, much as it seemed to be rather personally motivated. “How... how it forms... how it holds its shape... okay.” Did she say something about enemies...? I guess some people really like to fight and all... I mean, we fight in arenas, I guess it's not weird. Probably. She tuned back into the conversation Coral was having with Gean. “Oh, right-- hey, Coral, come on...” She huffed at Coral’s use of ‘runt’, even repeated. “A-ny-way. Yeah. If you'll have us, it definitely beats having to go find arenas that'll take us.” She straightened up a little, tails swaying slightly, turning to Coral, similarly perked up. “Hey, maybe we can finally have a proper budget for all the stuff we wanna buy! Ooh, and warm beds...” A nod. “Thalia. Um, if a last name matters, I guess Durandal works. I'm more used to using that one... I grew up with Coral and all, so... yeah.” “Mrahh... ah, thank you. The bazaar seems like it'd be nice... o-oh...!” Laniva blushed at Jesse’s little suggestion. “I-I mean, of course I'm going to be doing my best, but... mhm. It'd be nice if Syta won...” The cat knight let out a little sigh, Syta’s continued petting assault sending little shivers through her, ears flicking and flopping under her hand. “Mrrhh... heyyy, Syta, come on... someone, is challenging the arena...” Much as she was protesting, however, she was making little effort to leave, tail swishing a bit aimlessly at the mention of a little mystery gift. “Nrahhh... mm, hey, isn't a dress enough... rrr.” Laniva sighed, stretching after her three fights - all losses. It seemed her earlier excellent performance was meeting the reality of her usual results against mages, but she wasn't about to bemoan the situation - for all intents and purposes she had done quite well. What was unfortunate, however, was that she hadn't been able to defend Syta’s lead for the arena reward, letting out a little sigh as she rejoined her girlfriend in the fighters’ waiting area. “Mrrgh... I tried, but mages are just so much trouble. Hahh...” She flopped back, resting on the bench next to Syta. “And they let me use my greatsword and all.” Her tail thumped the bench. Ferid had been one thing - he was simply a more experienced fighter - but mages! Ever a thorn in her side... and her dress. A figure clad in a short red kimono and a red gradient of scales along her arms and legs flitted through the festival, wandering aimlessly through the crowds with a smirk on her face, helping herself to whatever suited her fancy from stalls as she drifted by. Everything's free tonight, huh... Lucky me~ There were quite a few unfamiliar faces in town, it seemed; some celebration for some mercenaries who’d gone off and won some biiiiig victory, but that didn’t matter all too much to her - even with the plentiful distractions of the festival, the average townsperson wasn’t exactly her speed as far as marks went anyway. Too little to their name, and there were much more obvious targets, as far as people who’d not miss the contents of their pockets went... It was a nice little bonus that this place - Eslcas, she’d overhead in her wanderings - didn’t seem to mind monsters or Clouded - not that that was a problem for her, seeing as she was human and all; or so she’d claim to anyone who saw fit to ask. She certainly was notably foreign, though - a wanderer from distant Mura stood out, but luckily enough anyone perceptive enough to see that would chalk it up to her being part of the group. Oh, mercenaries, though... Now those were likely to have something she could pawn to wander around the world another week or five. Or sacks full of gold, from a job well done - and they had done a good job, else there wouldn’t be this whole festival, after all. She smirked to herself, floating through the crowds in the direction of the arena, where it seemed there was a congregation of mercs. Hehe, now that’s good thinking~ She was met with quite the mixed crowd on her arrival - a big mix of mages and melee fighters and Clouded. Whoa. Is that a guy with his shirt off? What’s his deal? Pfft... Felines, dragons, foxes, foxes with more than one tail. Huh. Don’t see that often. Or ever. Weird. And an elf or two, for good measure. Let’s see, let’s see... ooh, that one looks real lost in thought. And that is a fancy sword she’s got. Perrrrrfect. And wow, that fox with the multiple tails is just throwing a bag of gold around. There’s nooooo way they’ll miss this. She sat down on a bench in a row behind the pensive elf, as if to watch the matches. I’ll juuuust~, help myself, then-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted Friday at 02:14 AM Share Posted Friday at 02:14 AM (edited) Talulah was fuming, for reasons already established, but it didn't lessen her frustration any. She bit at her nails as Jesse returned to speak with her, narrowing her gaze at Versaris as conversations continued. "Brazen... Stupid... How, dare you..." Her face only got more and more red as she grumbled, letting out an almost pained sigh towards the rider's question. "I think, he... Is someone that, will frustrate me, to no end. To be so skilled and yet act... so... S-So... Lasciviously, how, dare he!? In front of so many people, I... Rrhhh! If I hadn't seen how strong he was first hand, I'd have half a mind to storm over there and... and just..." She grabbed her sword-- her normal sword, her finger brushing against Yscavelne's hilt as it did. Wielder. Her eyes glanced at the blade, having never heard it speak to her so casually, and that glance caught a hand reaching for the scabbard, clad in red scales. "And to top things off--!" She snatched the offending wrist and rose, dragging the thief up with her, scowling daggers through her reddened cheeks at the woman she'd caught! "We have a thief! One that I have saved from a rather painful fate... And one that had best speak up before I drag her to the city's guards." "Looks like you're up, so just do your best. I find mages really expect people to flinch and reel back from their funny spells, so just charge right on through it and give 'em a good punch in the face~" Siorel smiled sweetly as Cin walked off to fight, hoping her swift advice would stick, and given how quickly the match was over, it had. It was always a light show with these people, probably expecting the sudden hit and flash of magical prowess to stun their target into letting them get another off, but Cin barrelled right through it and put them down, Siorel clapping and cheering along with the slowly growing crowd for his victory. "See~! Easy as that! Just don't let off the pressure~" It wasn't easy at all, honestly. Taking that sort of pain and just pushing through it was something you needed to be very confident for, because even if you made it to the mage, if your next hit didn't knock them over, you were point blank for whatever they had next... But this whole adventure has done wonders for confidence all around. Even me, now. "Yeah, see, what he said!" Iris had lost all thought for a moment when the salmon arrived, staring at it wide eyed and with her full attention, only cluing back into things when Alphonse began speaking of people coming after them for killing Nicolas. "It's this, polite ticks thing, people fight for other people, and even if Nicolas is a piece of garbage, he's got a lot of people under him and they like working under him... So if we got rid of him, there'd be more people mad that he's gone than people that are happy that he's dead, and all that. It's really fucking stupid! But that's how the world is sometimes, I've learned. Just gotta keep smart about things yourself... Plus, there's that whole... Ughhhh what's it called... Power, back room... or whatever... If we got rid of Nicolas, then a bunch of other people would wanna be Nicolas Two! And there might be delicate backroom balances with Hecatia and stuff... Since they're neighbours and all. It's all really really dumb. Humans are fucking stupid sometimes." Iris scoffed and then quick talking, her fish having sat for moments longer than it should have. "Mmfhnfuck, so good..." "Ahah~ My own performance, no, I don't think so. I can hold my own against the Islexians, but against the Tigers? These people are crazy~ You don't need to know how fighting works to see Versaris put someone like Ferid into the dirt to know that he's not someone you want to go up against... So, don't blame yourself too much, either~ All you need to do is be stronger than the people we're going up against, not your allies. Shouldn't it be heartwarming instead, to know you're surrounded by people this strong? Maybe your pride's taking a beating, but in the end, it's a good thing." She shrugged and idly spun her staff, gently tapping it against the ground to stop it. "Hahh, meeting Jeremiah... was complete coincidence. Wish it hadn't been... Wish he was single~ but, I was travelling through Hecatia, and couldn't help myself. A whole group of knights were harassing some poor Clouded... Stuck my nose in, got myself beat up, alllllmost got carted off to Artorius, but as luck would have it, the Clouded I'd saved ran off for help... And help sure showed up~" She sighed, almost dreamily, leaning onto her staff as some of it disappeared between... "He's just so cool, isn't he~? His wife must be a lucky woman, truly... He keeps telling me I look just like her when she was younger. Real rude of him to rile me up like that, huh? But he's just that sorta guy. Doesn't realize how smooth he is, when he isn't trying to be... Alas. Maybe, in another world..." Ferid had managed to run all over the arena, leaving Syta feeling a little unfortunate about her prize, but that was the way the cookie crumbled, sometimes. The next mage to challenge hadn't left much of a dent, not even making it to Lani, giving her more time to pet the dejected cat, doing exactly that as soon as she returned. "It's okay, Lani~ We got plenty of money from this job, right? I can still get you a nice dress without getting it for free... And maybe..." She slowly began to turn Laniva's head to get a good look at her neck, tilting her chin up and then running a finger down it, blushing some with nefarious purpose. "Yes~ A nice dress... and a nice... 'Choker'. Mhmm... I think an accessory like that would suit you wonderfully~ You're always so dressed up in your armor... You need to live a little, let your femininity out some more~ As long as... I'm not making you uncomfortable, trying to push all that on you. Am I, Lani?" "That a threat? It's too bad you don't scare me... I'm sure you've seen, I'm a lot harder to hurt. So go ahead~ Lash out if it gets too overwhelming. I can take it. I'll take all of it and hug you all the same. You're driving me crazy, after all... And crazy people do crazy things~" Eva leaned in and stole a kiss against Lumina's cheek, letting her go as another person seemed to be challenging the arena. "Do your best-- but remember. Even if you lose, I'll be here to lick your wounds. And other things..." She winked at the girl and let her go off to fight... but it seemed Lumina was doomed by her endurance, once more, despite things going a bit better for her. Eva truly hoped that Lumina wasn't going to let it get to her too badly... She had so many other things going for her, after all. Her looks, her skill with her magic, her determination... She could let her endurance lose a little in the face of everything else. "Hey~ Good work out there... Went a lot better, this time. Am I already working my magic on you?" Eva winked at her again and grinned real wide, tail wagging happily. "Looks like some of the mages are finally starting to come around... Better watch out. Gonna have a real light show on our hands." "... Y-You, really are stupid." She felt the heat on her cheeks, unsure of how much they were actually turning red. Snatching the little bow, she fussed with it in her hands before slowly reaching into her hair and tying up a section of her platinum blonde mess with it, leaning hard onto her hand and looking away from him. "You only piss me off when you keep making excuses and beating yourself up... What's done is done. Can't change the past-- wouldn't be here if I could. Gotta live in the present and look at the future... It's all we've got left. That tiger, Natalya whatever, she had every right to shoot you, and she could have, even through me. She didn't, so you have to live with that, no matter what. No matter what your stupid brain tells you... s-stupid..." She could feel her face getting even warmer, sinking against the table and hiding it, groaning some. "Can't believe you made me do something like that cuz you just... W-Wouldn't, accept words at face value. So dumb... Dammit..." "Ugh, ew, don't use my last name. We're not siblings..." Hopefully Coral didn't need to explain why saying such a thing was a problem, blushing only faintly. Kise wasn't paying any attention to all of that. The fox had once again gotten stuck in her mind. Thalia was coming with them, that could only be a good thing... But, why did it make her feel so uneasy? Because it means you've wasted three hundred years-- "Shut up!" She suddenly blurted that out, almost shouting, hands holding her head. Coral flinched, glancing towards the fox, then Gean. "Is... I-Is she, alright?" She sure didn't look alright, having come from fawning over Thalia to holding herself like she was in pain. It was all a waste. They yet live. Who are you getting revenge for? They can speak for themselves. They survived. They don't need you playing hero! It was all a huge, wonderful, waste of time, wasn't it, Kise!? "No!? Sh-Shut up! I still... Th... They still haven't, answered for...!" That was right, that was right. Lufiria still stood. She'd heard nothing of its destruction over the last hundreds of years... No one had made them answer for the crimes of their predecessors! That's all that mattered! They still had to pay... "There's no need to fight among ourselves, I don't want that. I want you to be happy and healthy Kise, I love you and I still have so much I want to learn about you--" "NO!" Now she was shouting, gritting her fangs and clutching tightly at her head. "I'm not, listening to you! I'm MAD at you! It doesn't matter what you say...!" She shrunk in on herself, taking deep breaths, almost hyperventilating, glancing at Gean-- not helping, only making her more upset, more and more, why didn't they see, why didn't they listen, they didn't even KNOW-- Kise. You're going to hurt yourself... It's okay. I'm still here. Rest, for a time. I will speak with them... That's why I exist, isn't it? "... Hah... Y-Yes... Yes, that's... That's why, you...!" She let out one final pained gasp and slumped over, slowly rising, and as she did, her light pink hair slowly grew darker and darker, fading to a deep purple, her tails bristling as they changed in color as well, the white tips remaining as the rest shifted. "Hahhhhh... Such a troublesome child. Honestly... So happy to be free, and as soon as you hit a wall... Tsk. Good evening, Aegean~ My apologies for the sudden outburst." The same face smiled calmly, leaning to rest against a hand, tails idly swaying behind her. "Sometimes I just can't help 'myself'. Always overthinking things... But I'm alright, now~" Her now ruby red eyes narrowed towards the two sat next to her, giggling quietly. "Hopefully I didn't scare you, Thalia... 'I' simply needed a moment to myself." Edited Friday at 03:27 AM by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakezuGD Posted yesterday at 12:46 AM Share Posted yesterday at 12:46 AM "Haha, well, I try. I can be a big shoulder for her to lean on even if all of the magic stuff goes way over my head," Tasha simply replied, not thinking there was any sort of supernatural level of understanding between the two or anything like that; they were simply lovers who both had their own emotional needs, ones they could happily fulfill for each other. She took a more pensive stance once Renais actually explained herself, nodding along to what she said. "Convictions are bastards that are difficult to sway, even if you've got reason to, yeah? Especially if either of you is the stubborn type who doesn't take no for an answer. Me and Alvira are both a little like that, which is why I feel like we could've been fighting a lot more if we didn't complement our needs so well," the tiger explained, and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at the mention of Kisara. Unsure of how much she should say of what she knew, the commander shook her head, though not to imply that she didn't know. "I take it Kise told you. If you want to meet Kisara, go ask Syta about it; that's as much as I'll say on the matter." Leaving that as it was, Tasha gently pushed herself away from the wall and laid a hand on the pinkette's shoulder. "Every one of us makes mistakes, Renais. The important part is what you learn from them, not trying to avoid them altogether. If you only ever did things that you knew you couldn't fail at, well, that's not life, if you ask me, eh?" Elisa had figured there was something else Tio wanted to make certain of, considering Roxanne had cast a spell before as well, even if it wasn't while she was looking through her circuits. Something about the sheep's mana was very familiar, feeling surprisingly close to her wife's signature despite the two not even being the same kind, but perhaps that was due to them both using conduits to cast light magic. Tio's demonstration of momentarily stealing the crystals showed as much of them being close in wavelength, being something that the strawberry blonde probably couldn't do herself, unless the link between the caster and their implements was particularly weak. It, however, didn't pose a problem insofar as Roxanne's circuits themselves were concerned, only reiterating how she needed to be careful while she was still recovering - something that put a slight, brief pout on Elisa's face, considering what she'd just recovered from not long ago. As their group of guests made plans to visit the pop-up arena made for the festival, the younger Evoker unlinked herself from Roxanne with a small sigh, going back to her usual smile. "Don't sweat it, you're in much better shape than you'd expect after what you pulled off. Overcasting damage isn't something that gets worse by casting magic normally within your means, but it might lower the ceiling for what you can safely cast for a time. Depends a lot on if there's any severed sections of circuits. I didn't see any, though, so you should be good sooner rather than later." She refrained to comment on the sheep's stress-test casting of a much stronger spell without issue, since light magic wasn't her own field, and simply went back to Tio's side. "If you're all going to the arena, good luck. Practice makes perfect, and if you feel like that practice goes toward making you able to do your duty, whether it's something as simply honorable as protecting your friends, or as complex as an act in some kinda divine comedy, all the better!" Partially echoing Alvira and Koba's statements, Elisa gave the latter one final look just to answer the implied question. "But if you're thinking of asking either of us for help, do it quick if you're not coming with us! And absolutely tell us if you are coming with us." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted yesterday at 01:55 AM Share Posted yesterday at 01:55 AM As the final verdict came down, Roxanne was both relieved and a little bit disheartened in equal measure. Her circuits would recover, and despite her gambit didn't seem to be too worse for wear. If Elisa couldn't find anything expressly concerning within her circuitry, then Roxanne didn't have much in the way of fear. The list of people alive who might even hope to compare to the Evoker's expertise in this particular area were scant to none, and the sheep was more than willing to take her word on the matter. The bad news then... the spell tethering her conduits to her was meant to gradually ramp up in the volume of magic pushed through it as her casting improved. Forcing more than they had been allowed to adjust to through at this moment in time had introduced a weak point into the spell, something Tio demonstrated by seizing control of the funnels from her after she had cast. At the moment the connection had been forcibly severed, Roxanne's face twisted into a shocked expression, settling into a thoughtful one as the Evoker explained. According to Tio herself, the ability to both identify the exploit and take action upon it required a mage of excellent caliber, whom Roxanne really shouldn't be facing anyway, but if it was her eventual goal to rise to such a height as well, then such a weakness could be of great detriment. If that was truly the case... it became ever more paramount that she find a way to fix her circuitry properly, and remove her reliance on the conduits to cast. As it stood, were they taken during the heat of battle... all she could really do was charge in a melee with her light blade. As the talks continued around her, Roxanne absorbed what was being said, but during the length of it had sat perfectly still, chin resting against her hand in thought as all of the new information swirled through her head. Errant fidgets or sudden dancing were suddenly the least of her concerns, for a few moments even her breathing would be difficult to notice unless you were paying very close attention. "Raaaaaahgh!" Roxanne burst out from the pensive statue that had been sharing space with her in a single, explosive motion, arms uncrossing from her chest and coming back in to slap herself hard on both cheeks, the sound of flesh striking flesh ringing through the air, followed by a low hiss from both the aggressor and the aggressed as her face ballooned into a pout, cheeks now bright red from the impact. "Yes, yes I think a go at the arena is a wonderful idea, actually." She followed-up, erupting into a giggle after a few moments. She must have looked like a lunatic, but it really did help to clear her head, at least after the momentary ringing had ceased. Turning towards Tio and Elisa, Roxanne gave the pair a rather deep bow, holding it as she replied "The both of you have given me... a lot to think about. I'm glad to hear that my circuits seem to be well on the road to recovery, and while the situation with my conduits is... concerning, if you say you could have done this before, if with a higher degree of effort, then it's a vulnerability that I suppose was always there. It just means it's... all the more important that I find a way to move past my dependance on them. Until then... mmm, I suppose I just need to hope I don't fight anyone near your level of skill, though at that point they might be lesser of my list of worries. Speaking of, I should hope I give you no cause to step in to a friendly arena. If I could cast Morning Star without issues, nothing of sparring caliber should be of any concern." Roxanne assured, and given Elisa had not said anything to the contrary when she had actually cast the spell, it seemed a safe enough assumption. Surely Tio didn't expect her to attempt to launch a second Gamma Ray into whatever unfortunate souls had decided to staff the makeshift spectacle arena. As she came back up from her bow, a wide smile adorned her face. "But yes, I do think the arena in a wonderful idea. Clear the head of the negative, let the positive shine through like the sun. First that, then lunch... best not eat first and then potentially lose it if things do turn out a tad rough in the matches. And while I can't speak for Alvira, I've no issue with you accompanying us to the grounds if we do intend to tackle the arena first off, Koba. Show me what that determination can bring forth. Finally, thank you again for the help, Tio, Elisa... and doubly for the open invitation for the future. If there was nothing else, then I suppose we should head that way?" Roxanne finally offered, meeting the goose's look of determination and the dragon's grin with her own radiant smile. It was, perhaps, a tad concerning that it was her potentially losing her magic that seemed to have thrust her into a position of role model for the avian, but if this was what pushed him to pursue his magic, she would simply need give a better example in future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted yesterday at 06:30 AM Share Posted yesterday at 06:30 AM (edited) Gean turned to Thalia as she introduced herself, it seemed that the magic lesson was over for now. Her banter with Coral was cute, and showed the bond the two had with each other. “Welcome to the Iron Tigers, Thalia. Last names don’t truly matter with us, unless there’s a reason we should fear it.” It’s probably best to ask those questions now, and avoid another situation like me or Syndra. “You'll fit ri-” Gean’s sentence was cut short as Kise began to raise her voice, which instantly got Gean to look in the older kitsune’s direction. “Kise? Kise, what’s happening?!” Gean was at Kise’s side immediately, she looked her girlfriend all over to see what might be the problem. She looked pained, frustrated. She then threw a glance of frustration out at Gean, which only worried the mermaid more. She was talking, but not to anyone particularly, at least not anyone around her. When she let out her last gasp and slumped over, Gean’s arms were instantly around her, holding her. Then, right before Gean’s eyes, Kise’s hair and tails began to change in color. Her bright pink turned to a purple that Gean recognized from before, and the kitsune smiled in a much calmer tone. The blue eyes of Kise were gone as deep red orbs looked back at Gean as she apologized for her outburst. “M-Mikoto?” Gean was now more confused, but she let go of the kitsune as Mikoto leaned on her other hand. “Is everything truly ok?” She mentioned something about hitting a wall and trouble, but Gean didn't understand she simply placed a hand on Mikoto's, and hoped for more reassurance. Edited yesterday at 07:46 AM by Bluemask 96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted yesterday at 06:25 PM Share Posted yesterday at 06:25 PM "Whoa--!" Lost as the elf had seemed in her own musings - and mutterings to herself, no less - she had what seemed like nothing less than a sudden and unfortunate burst of awareness in her own surroundings, snapping up Ai's wrist and yanking her off the ground. Brought face to face with the elf, she waved, sheepishly and aimlessly, in response to the abrupt accusations. Why are you blushing? Weirdo. "Thief? No wayyy~, I was just taking a look. I dunno what you're mumbling about with all that 'painful fate' stuff, but I never even touched anything~. You'll be the one explaining to the guards why you're going around snatching up women. I know you're all biiiiig~ mercenaries and everything, but you can't just go and do whatever you want in town now~" Ai squirmed in the elf's grip, trying to twist her arm away; unfortunately, her grip was holding fast, and all she was able to do was kick about. Ugh, this sucks... how did she know? She was all muttering about that shirtless guy and everything, she's too self aware for a perv. Or prude. Or whatever. Laniva sighed, the unending stream of pets doing an excellent job of warding off the bitterness of defeat. "Mhm... I-I should probably have at least one dress, just... just in case, or something like that. Um, and this one definitely won't do it anymore..." She blinked, Syta's hand turning her head as she pet and pet, tail swishing with mild confusion as she tilted her head up - then thumping against her leg in surprise at the finger trailing along it, the cat blushing back to Syta. "N-No, it's... it's not any trouble, um... I should, wear things other than my armor sometimes, after all..." She squirmed in place, slightly. "Um, I understand the dress, but... mm, w-what makes you think a choker would be...?" Laniva blinked, a bit of an inquisitive head tilt accompanying her question. "Hmm... okay. Thanks, Gean." The kitsune turned her head slightly, addressing Coral. "What, why not? I mean, if they need something for the papers, I'm not going to use Reed..." Thalia was about halfway to a realization when Kise suddenly yelled, the rapid switch from doting motherly figure to unstable baffling her more than anything else - she didn't understand the first thing about what the bigger kitsune was talking to... herself? about, shifting back on the bench towards Coral. "W-Wha... are you okay...?!" Thalia blinked with confusion, tails whipping back and forth as the sudden change in her appearance took shape, pink turning to purple and eyes fading to red - lurched over, then rising as if she hadn't a single concern, much less any experience of what had just happened. "U-Um... huh? Hwha...? I - you did, a little, I guess, but if you're fine then... I-I suppose it's fine?" The mermaid had wrapped herself around the fox, briefly, obviously out of concern - but she at least seemed to have a bit more of the picture than the traveling pair, who were rather utterly out of the loop. "You're... sure you're alright? Kise?" Her ear twitched, catching the name Gean had called her. "Uh, Mikoto...? Huh, which...?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted 23 hours ago Share Posted 23 hours ago Alistar let a little smile cross his face as he was listening to Lucretia explain how she met Jeremiah. Between her story and her thoughts on combat with the Tigers there was a fair bit to take in. "Well I'm certainly fine with taking a few hits to my pride in an arena; it beats the alternative in losing my life overestimating myself in a true combat scenario. What you're saying is accurate, working together as a unit always tended to be how Ryfia, Syndra, and myself worked best. It's always reassuring to have someone you're capable of relying on in case things get dicey." Alistar then thought on what Lucretia had said again about Jeremiah, including the 'single' part. "Upset that Jeremiah's married? Would that mean you aren't seeing anyone either? I honestly find that a little hard to believe. Someone like yourself, a person who's willing to risk being imprisoned by Hecatia to protect an innocent stranger? I'd hazard to say that you'd be quite the catch Lucretia." Ryfia heard the explanation the shoplady gave, and even though there were some parts that sounded true, it didn't explain one key thing. "Really? I dunno... because when I asked you what the price of this was, the thing that you did before you said the number was look at her." Ryfia said while pointing at Syndra. "So I assume that the price has more to do with the fact that we came in together and that you seem to know who she is. Am I far off in that lil' assessment?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted 13 hours ago Share Posted 13 hours ago (edited) "Eh? Ah..." Üllr wasn't expecting the waiter to come back at that moment, a little embarrassed at receiving the explanation. "Mmm..." He didn't fully grasp it, still. Wiith how Islexia was towards Clouded and monsters in general, he still saw Nicolas in much a negative light, akin to Kazran, but the people apparently didn't. Was it because he wasn't also shitty to humans? It was the first thought that came to mind. "Hrm. Sorry." He offered a disgruntled apology to the waiter, turning to Iris as she corroborated. "..." Honestly, the way Iris was putting it wasn't helping Üllr feel any better, so he took a bite of his salmon in frustration. "...Mmph. Tasty." At least that could drive his mood back, they could make good food here. "Humans are weird. Why Nicolas Two? Better just be yourself. What's the deall with him?" In respect to the waiter's warning, he lowered his voice some. ...Would monsters also be like this is they had a big place of their own? Üllr was still trying to understand, and he scarfed down his salmon in what seemed to be record time. "...Really good." The cooking was really helping Üllr's mood, "Yeah. Going to want more." He gulped his drink after... which also was positively tasty. "Much better than bear." "Ahahah... I'm not sure 'to forget' is a verb than invokes hope here, Seila." Owen refuted playfully, waiting for his drink as he sat. "Oh, but please, no offense taken to her comments. It's a day of cheer, after all. May this drink be a memory to last." Navigating the two of them wasn't bound to be too hard, despite his bumbling. It was Ember being on the offence that could be a curveball. "You were efficient protectors, and performed your duties true to our last skirmish. It'll be a shame to see you go, but I hope you will return one day. To a more presentable Eslcas, at that." His expression mellowed out, aware he wasn't only losing this group. It would be a lie to say it wasn't all bittersweet... but his duty would bring him loyal vassals eventually. Ones he hoped to match the caliber of what he now knew was achievable. Giovanna, that is to say, Alma Faris, entered her own arena challenge following Ferid, hoping to make a streak at least half as good, but she would end up having her mind clouded from the start. "Huh..." The person Giovanna was to fight for her first round was somebody she knew. Lumina Celea, heiress of a merchantile family that had left the politics of it all some good while ago. This is... what is she doing? Why here? What happened? She ceded the first move without thinking, eating a blast of light head-on for her troubles. "Urgh!" Giovanna retaliated quick, learning from the mistake, and returning in kind with thundering lightning. That... had to hurt, at least the field healers could care for Lumina quick. Stupid... you're not good against magic, Gio, stay alert. Unfortunately, the Tiger's pugilist would spell the end of her run, a third punch dropping her onto the ground after one of her spells missed. "Ugh!" She didn't get far... and it felt disappointing. "Well done, that's it for me." Pathetic... She couldn't keep her mind off of the encounter witth Lumina, and with how extreme everything had been these past few days, Giovanna was definitely on edge and negative about the results. I'd have died. At least the healing crew were very competent, Giovanna didn't need wound dressing afterwards. Giovanna decided to follow that nagging thought after the gauntlet, pushing her feelings on her performance to the side, a tactician could afford to worry on their fighting prowess at lower priority, after all. Lumina was... occupied, from the looks of it, but not enough for Giovanna to feel against intruding. "Ahem, excuse me..." She approached Lumina annd Eva, "You wouldn't happen to be Lumina... of the Celea family?" Edited 13 hours ago by Xinnidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted 9 hours ago Share Posted 9 hours ago (edited) It seemed like everything was fine with Roxanne, then, as Tio and Elisa both agreed to her assessment of how best to go forward and how serious the damage was. Roxanne would be fine, and from the looks of things, recover, so there was nothing to worry about, for now. "Lunch? Look how late it is, Roxy. Did something else get knocked loose during the battle?" Alvira couldn't help trying to inject some levity by pointing towards the still setting skyline, the red and purple hues dancing across the few clouds that scattered the sky. "You're right, either way. We'll get something nice to eat once we've thrashed the rest of the Tigers~ You too, Koba. Feel free to pal around with us as long as you want. You're one of us, right?" Alvira winked at him and then started to head towards the gauntlet. That ability to steal control of Roxanne's conduits was concerning to a degree, but only because of Luthier. Roxanne hadn't been there when they'd fought the man, but his mastery over light magic had been intense. I'll have to warn her later since he managed to survive... I can't imagine, with all we're doing in Islexia, that'll be the last time we see him. Ugh... Next time I see you, Luthier... Gonna shove ice in that smug face of yours...! She stowed those terrible thoughts before they showed on her face, happy to be safe and among friends for the moment. Okay, maybe going along with these people isn't a good idea. What the fuck is going on? Coral had gotten up and put a hand out in front of Thalia to shield her from what was occurring with this older Kitsune, but things seemed to calm down completely by the end of it all... They looked to Gean for some sort of understanding, but she seemed just as confused as the two of them. "What's...?" "Nothing's wrong anymore. I promise." Mikoto had things under control completely, a hand coming up to stroke the back of Gean's head as she panicked, cooing some quiet hushes her way. "You must be confused, Thalia, Coral... I will explain things as best as I can. I am... Kise. But I am also not, in the sense that you would best understand... Think of me... As a sort of mask. Humans develop personae when dealing with others and things they find uncomfortable... Kise, saw fit to develop... an entire, other self, but she, we, 'I', am still fully aware of everything going on. 'I' can see through these eyes, and have knowledge of all that occurs while... 'Mikoto' is in control. I'm simply better at dealing with... trouble~ And you've put 'me' into quite the spot of trouble, haven't you, Aegean?" The fox pouted slightly and lightly flicked the mermaid's nose. "Much less than Renais has, at least... Still, we will have to talk. I have much to explain, in ways that Kise would have been unable to without getting truly frustrated. Until then~" She gracefully slipped out of Aegean's hug and stood, her tails enveloping her for a moment, and when she re-emerged from the sudden fluffy cocoon, her kimono was much more modest, a higher cut v-line, longer, with the leg slit much lower, and most importantly, in a deep violet matching her hair. "Never did enjoy showing as much skin... Too much gives it all away, after all~ Ahem. You had wanted to continue our date, Gean?" She gave Thalia a quick apologetic smile. "This must still be rather confusing to you, but I promise, she... we, mean well, and I will still aid you with your magic when we get some time to ourselves. It's a promise." She held a hand towards the little fox and extended a pinky, hoping the sudden outburst hadn't ruined things. It was truly a miracle to have met Thalia... She couldn't let Kise's immaturity throw away a potentially continent saving relationship. Syta stared at that innocent face, unable to help but speak the answer with full honesty. "Because... a pretty kitty like you needs a lovely collar, doesn't she~?" There was a hint of something in her words, something lascivious, but she didn't let it go further, not so openly in public. "But, you can't wear a real collar, out in public, without people thinking weird things... So a cute little choker on your neck, I think would go really well with your look, don't you think? And yes~ We need to get you into lots of dresses and casual clothes... You're always wandering about in your armor or your bodysuit underneath it... I need to truly see how pretty you can be~ You've already shown me how cool you are, after all." My, my... I see you've finally awoken to your desires. Goodness... You might be as perverted as I am~ ... ... Yeah. I might be. I can already see the leash to go along with the collar... Kisara simply laughed. "And who are you to say what we can and cannot do? Tch." Talulah narrowed her eyes at the brazen thief, letting her go and dropping her back onto her feet, folding her arms. "This blade is not meant for the faint of heart. Touching it would sap your strength, and if it found you unworthy, your very life. Be careful with your loose hands, little girl... If you aren't smart enough to know where to keep them. At your side." Talulah sighed and turned herself back towards the gauntlet-- "Those two as well...!?" Now, the armored cat and that girl who had run the gauntlet up to Versaris before Ferid, they were getting lovey dovey! "Ugh! I am done here... This is, ludicrous. Do these people truly have nothing better to do!?" With an uncomfortable huff, Talulah left the viewer's area and stormed off down the streets with no real destination in mind. "Hey, babe, beats me! I'm not on their side. I only get it from like, the perspective of what would happen, that doesn't mean I understand it, not at all! They're all super weirdos if you ask me... Crazy that they want him in charge in the first place, crazier that they'd try to replicate the guy if he was removed! But, that's humans. Way weirder than Lufirians and wayyyyyyyyyyy weirder than monsters-- er, no offense, buddy, you make a mean fish, so you can't be all that bad." Iris winked at Alphonse before shrugging heavily, devouring half of her fish, bones and all. "Just means we gotta deal with a whooooooooooole buncha folks, but hey, we got this far, we'll deal with them~ No problem. We'll go out swingin' together~" She threw some punches at nothing over the table, smirking with a fishbone sticking out from between her teeth. "Awww, well isn't that sweet of you to say~ But, I've got incredibly high standards for women, and a hefty preference for men... If you haven't noticed, the Tigers... Well, there's one real good looker, but he's taken, and the rest are all women-- none of them coming close to my strict demands... Alas~ I'll just have to keep waiting for mister perfect to come around. Even Jeremiah didn't fit every criteria, but he really pushed the envelope on others, so I was willing to give him a pass, but, the best ones are always already taken... Hahhh~" She exaggerated a sigh and stretched her back, everything pushing out some in front. "Well, that's life. I'm content enough without, so I'm in no rush." Edited 8 hours ago by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.