fantasize

>Bronze round- Team 2

The sight was amusing. Magic being use in impressive ways to make the perfect training dummies. Nina wasn’t truly familiar with the art of dark magic- but she did known a little something. It all seemed real enough so that was weird....at least to her it was.

She didn’t think she would be put in a team though- with random people at that. It wasn’t something she was comfortable with but she could manage, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice anyway.

She doesn’t waste much time, she could do greetings later. For now she would focus on the enemies in front of her. She didn’t have much of a problem besides her not having her bow- maybe it would be time to learn how to use a new weapon.

>Nina uses Flaming Axe @ Mercenary {Roll 14! Hit} 

>Mercenary Hp - 5.5/6

The axe was heavy and hot. Nina was surprised she could even pick it up. Quickly she decided on a target and made her way over. She was a bit slower than usual, not used to the weight of the axe. She gripped the handle and swung the axe over her shoulder before bringing down at the mercenary. It was decent for a first time but it wasn’t anything to get excited about. She learned to stop doing that.

>Mercenary attacks Nina {Roll 3! Barely Hit}

>Nina Hp - 10/10

Not to long after her attack, the mercenary gripped the handle of its blade. A step to the side before a quick slash had Nina stumbling back slightly, the blade nearly hitting her. It was a close one and Nina took a couple steps back, making sure she was away from its attack range even though it could always just come closer to her.

“ i wanna s-say that there’s still hope....but sometimes things j-just don’t go your way. ” Nina rested her back against the tree as she held her breath. She didn't want to look the mage in the eyes- just hearing her cries for help hurt Nina more than her wounds. Her hand gripped her stomach tighter, the pain getting worse.

She didn't expect to get hit from behind- she was too busy making sure no one else got hit to even pay attention to who was around her. She didn't mind the outcome of her protecting others because she knew she would do it over and over again to protect the ones she loved.

The mage only got louder and Nina winced at the noise before bringing a hand up to Ophelia's cheek. "Felia...y-you can't stop the inevitable. Pl-please don't cry over my waste of a.....life." It was getting hard to speak and even harder to breathe. She felt her vision blur as she blinked away tears. Ophelia only stared at her before denying what she said- she wasn't speaking in her normal weird extra word way...it hurt Nina.

Nina removed her hand from her wound, ignoring the blood that stained her fingers and reached for her headband. It was a slight struggle to get it off her head and she groaned in pain every time she had to move her body but she managed to get it off. Slowly, she placed it in Ophelia's hand and closed her fingers around it.

A tear rolled down her cheek as her vision began to blur even more. At that point, she was trying to breathe but it wasn't easy- of course it wasn't, she was dying. Her head tilted to the side as her thumb wipe a tear that rolled down Ophelia's cheek and with as much strength as she could muster, Nina smiled, taking a deep breath- one she knew would be her last.

one, two, skip a few

It’s easy to see that the chances of actually landing a shot anywhere near the center were slim. In fact, a cursory glance at the toy bow and arrow that the stall attendant is holding tells him that they’re more likely to send the arrow flying anywhere but at the target. The string’s drooping, for fuck’s sake. How can anyone even look at that and think there’s a fair chance?

“Two chances, huh.”

…But Nina looks excited; she’s been eyeing one of the dolls here ever since they came close enough for her to see. How can Niles ever refuse her?

Besides—he knows all about playing a little dirty.

“I only need one,” he says, and hands the required coin over. The bow’s lighter than it looks; the arrow is pathetic. 

He remembers, now, that he’s shot with worse.

With a slow breath, Niles takes aim. An appropriately-trained archer—perhaps someone like Setsuna, or that Prince Takumi—might be able to figure out the boring details. This is how you shoot a bow. This is how you adjust for the wind, for the distance, for the tension and thickness of the string. Look at the arrow’s fletching; you’ll how how it’ll cut through the distance between you and the target.

But Niles isn’t a properly-trained archer. He was taught by members of his crew, and by mistakes, and by experience. He might not know why a certain method is right or wrong, but he can feel it. It makes him more flexible. 

Thwap!

…It also lets him fire a shot, and see the arrow land dead center for a bullseye.

Niles grins in the face of the attendant’s disbelief. His hand finds Nina’s again, and for once, he feels a little proud. “That was easy. Choose your doll, Nina; one of the big ones.”

It all happened so fast. One minute Niles was holding her hand and the next minute he was holding the toy bow. She wasn’t that surprised that Niles made the shot but she was extremely happy- of course she hid it slightly but the twitch of her body gave it away. 

“Thank you father.” She took the teddy bear from the man and laughed at his shocked expression. An idea came to her as she grinned at Niles. “Dad can I get you something now?” Nina didn’t let him answer as she grabbed his hand again and pulled him towards another station. 

So maybe she didn’t understand that she was supposed to use the toy bow and not a real one but that wasn’t the point. Before the attendant got a chance to speak, Nina handed him a coin before looking at Niles. “Hold this.” She mumbled as she handed him her teddy bear. Taking a deep breath, Nina pulled out her bow knocking the toy one out her way and onto the floor.

She notched her arrow and pulled the drawstring back, ignoring the whispers from people around her. She closed one of her eyes and took another deep breath before releasing the arrow from her fingertips.

The only noises she heard was a thud, a crack, and a gasp- well a couple gasp but she didn’t care. The arrow nearly hit the attendant but that was his fault for standing so close to the target- or was it her fault for using the wrong bow? 

Looking at the target, Nina realized that she not only hit the target but her arrow went through the board the target was on. The only thing she could do was laugh as she bounced up and down before turning her whole body to face Niles. 

Nina hums quietly as she brushed her hair. She was too tired to do one of her long gay rants that normally took up hours of her day and instead decided the silence in her room was nice.

She was too tired to braid her hair- but she didn’t want to leave it out. It was long and got stuck to things quickly. “Mitama, could you pass me a rubber band?” Her voice was soft and full of sleep. 

She heard a bit of shuffling behind her but continued brushing her hair. Once she felt Mitama’s presence fully behind her, she held out her hand. She froze slightly when she felt a pair of soft lips pressed against her shoulder. 

The poet behind her giggled and Nina’s lips pressed into a thin line before she turned to face Mitama. Her face felt hot as she was blushing slightly- she was sure she would have passed out if she wasn’t so tired. 

A nod is her only response. The heroine blinks. Slowly. "Why don't you get a boy to, since the protagonist is a male?"

Something about Ophelia being her best friend is her next response. Right... She huffs, a hand coming up to mess with her hair before an idea sets in. A frown traded for a smile, hands now on Nina's shoulders. "I got it! Instead, I'll kiss you so you can feel how the protagonist feels!"

And she does.

"Ophelia, I need you to kiss someone for me." She has a blank face as she speaks. It was a simple request, it was supposed to be quick and simple, but of course nothing was simple when it came to Ophelia.

Nina sighed before nodding her head yes to Ophelia's question. She only asked so she could finish the chapter she was writing for her book. At Ophelia's next question she glared at her. Ophelia should know why she didn't ask a guy. There was no guy to ask. Besides, that would be weird and she can't hold conversations with them anyway.

"I asked you because you are my best friend and the chosen one. It is only fair that you help me out." She watches Ophelia for a moment- she sees her friends face switched from a frown to a smile.

Nina's heart stopped when Ophelia placed a hand her shoulder. A blush spread across her face as she tried to back away. Ophelia's grip only tightened as she leaned forward.

"I love you, Nina. Never forget that."

She's silent as she watches her father. She keeps an eye on his every movement- from the small smile on his face to the hand that rested on her shoulder. He shouldn't have to tell her those words yet she longs for him to say them every time.

Her lips press into a thin line as he places a quick kiss on the top of her head. It makes her throat burn and her eyes fill with tears. She can't look him in the eyes. She's grateful that he loves her- no, more than grateful.

"I..I wont," She stops. She wont what? She wont forget- how could she ever. Nina grabs on apart of his shirt, refusing to let go. It wasn't until the first tear trickles down her cheek that she hugs him.

“Ophelia, I’m telling you, my father is gay.” She kicked another rock away with her boot. So maybe she wasn’t completely sure if he was into men but from how many stories she’s written, it only feels right to believe it. 

She held a red journal in her hands- full of stories dedicated to her situation. She loved her father. Really, she did but damn to see him with another guy. She practically lost her mind whenever she would watch him talking to other men.

She didn’t like how he looked lonely at times. Even if he always claimed he was fine. She hit her palm with the book before handing it to Ophelia. “Hold that for me- and don’t open it.” She would die of embarrassment if Ophelia read anything in there. 

“I want to help him but I don’t know how...maybe,” She paused before her eyes widened. What if she could help him by finding someone for him. Of course the only issue would be having a conversation with men. Nina couldn’t talk to one without stuttering and Ophelia would scare them all away.

There was only one other person Nina knew who could help- one other person besides Hilda, but she didn’t count. “Ophelia I have the best idea ever but first I need you to meet someone.” She takes the journal out of her hands before grabbing her arm and practically dragging her away. 

They didn’t have to go very far to find who she was looking for. “Hey Patty.” She greets the girl before coming to a stop. She’s a bit out of breath but had so much she wanted- no, needed to say. “I need your help on something but first I want you too meet my best friend, The Great Chosen One, Ophelia Dusk.” She tugs on Ophelia’s arm slightly to pull her forward before continuing. “Ophelia this is one of my friends, Patty- she was on the mission with me.” 

She hated talking about the mission but for introductions it would do. Nina smiled slightly before putting her full attention on Patty. “Anyways- Patty your great at talking to men and I need your help. I want to find my father a lover but I can’t talk to men and I fear Ophelia would scare them off. So, do you want to come with us? It wont take long, probably twenty minutes at most.” That was a lie. Nina was determined to do this and if it took the whole day then so be it.

one, two, skip a few

…It’s a normal thing, he tells himself, for a girl to be interested in boys. Though he desperately wishes he could’ve been there for her more during her youth, he has to accept that she’s a teenager now. She’s been one. Of course she’d want to look at boys, and think about boys, and talk about boys, and, gods forbid, do things with boys. Like date them. Hold their hands. Maybe even marry one, in the future.

He hopes he’ll still be around when that happens. He’s missed enough of her life to even fathom missing any more.

“Come on, then,” Niles says, and almost reaches for her hand out of habit. (But could it be a habit, when he’s only done it a handful of times? When was the last time he’d even done this? When she’d been a child, still learning how to walk on her own two feet?) “It’s not far.”

And it isn’t. They hardly have to go far before the sounds of the carnival greet them, bright lights and cheerful music luring them close before the smells—candies, baked treats, fried goods, everything imaginable—close the deal.

“What were you writing, anyway?” he asks. As they approach the carnival, there’s more and more people joining them on the road. He can’t say he likes it, but it’s a discomfort he’ll gladly swallow for his daughter’s sake. “A diary? Or was it homework?”

Her eyes immediately look down at his hand and her own twitches. She noticed it moved slightly before stopping completely. Nina wants to hold it. To feel the chill of his hand in comparison to her warm ones. Would he find it weird? Would he yank his hand away? Would he even care? She ignores her thoughts as she looks him in the eye. 

Who was she to be scared- this was her father. She could do what she pleased and if that meant she wanted to hold his hand then she would. Quickly, she grabbed his hand and looked away. “Lead the way.”

She doesn’t say anything as they walk. The sounds of the carnival were loud- too loud. It reminded her of something. Loud noises, healing, death. Her grip on his hand tightens and she’s thankful for when he speaks. 

If only he asked something else--

The deep blush spreads across her face at his question. She hesitates but speaks. “No its not homework,” she pauses. Now what if he says your weird? It wouldn’t make sense though cause she got it from him. Not the writing but the language in it. She sighs- there would be no point in lying to him. 

“Fanfiction. I can show you if you want. Just to stay pure- not that you are, skip the following pages. 23, 30, 45, 65, i think 76, 116, 154, and 200.” She pulls out a small red journal. She couldn’t stop the small laugh that escaped her. It wasn’t any ordinary journal, it was one dedicated to stories about Niles.

one, two, skip a few

mission: anniversary 2021; bow +1

There’s a carnival in town. It’s nothing that Niles normally has interest in, though he remembers once finding them to be a veritable buffet of opportunities. People so mesmerized by the lights and food and activities of a carnival often tend not to keep a tight grip on their wallets; it’d been easy to slip his hand into an unwitting lord’s pockets or a distracted lady’s purse. But those days are behind him; there’s no reason to go now unless he wants a very unnecessary and unwelcome trip down memory lane.

“Nina.”

…No reason, that is, except to spend more time with his daughter.

He doesn’t know if she’d even be interested. That he doesn’t know is one regret on an ever-growing mountain of them.

“There’s talk of a festival in the nearby town,” Niles says, resting his hand against her doorframe. It’s silly to feel nervous, but he does. (Imagine that—feeling nervous about asking his own daughter if she’d like to come to a simple carnival with him. But why wouldn’t he be? He fears his answer, though he can’t tell what’d feel worse: being told that he was the last person she’d go with, or that she’s not a child anymore, she doesn’t like them, but of course he wouldn’t know.

Of course.)

“How would you like to swing by and see what it’s like? I’ll get you anything you want.”

…Ugh. Now he’s just sounding like the kind of people he hates, who try to buy affection with money. It’s not what he intends. It’s exactly what he tries. He cares for her; she’s his daughter. He wants her to be happy, and he wants her to have anything she could possibly want. Would buying her trinkets and candies and whatever else a carnival might have be the same as buying her love?

@musing-fantasies

So lost in thought she was. Nina stood by one of the empty walls in her room, filling it with different papers. Each paper was a story-- well part of a story. Every paper was significant in its own way, from her favorites personally to her best writings. She felt herself begin to loose focus on everything around her. She didn’t even notice Niles was there until he said her name. 

Nina let out a small yelp as she quickly snatched one of the papers off the wall and hid it behind her back as she faced Niles. “Oh.. uh- Hey dad. Everything okay?” Nina couldn’t help but smile as she listened to him speak. It soon faded from his request. “You want to go with me?” She could’t help but question him.

(Out of everyone he could have gone with he picked you. She should be happy.... not confused. Be happy he wants to go with you and not Leo- he really would do anything for him. That filthy royal)

She let out a nervous laugh. Perhaps this was chance to redeem herself- a chance to fix whatever they had left of their relationship and to start new memories. A small part of her that she kept locked away longed for a moment like this. To be babied and have her father wrapped around her finger.

She almost forgot about the paper she hid behind her back. Nina folded it up and put it on top of her desk as she looked at her father, making sure it was out of his line of sight completely before smiling slightly. “I would love to go with you.” The smile on her face shifted into a face of shock when she realized that this was a carnival she would go to. “oh..my...god- Do you realize how many men I can encounter.....how much romance I can witness.” 

All the Missions look really good- but there are some I really find interest in. Bow Prompt- Mostly for the point but Nina is down to play games (Taken: NIles)

Sword Prompt- I love this prompt with all my heart

Authority Prompt- Nina is not the best teacher assistant but she can try I swear she wont try to change her grades, yet

Linhardt had recently noticed a girl staring at him while he chatted with some of his male friends. Normally he would brush off such attention, but her intentions fascinated him. What was so interesting about the meaningless conversations he had with his classmates? He had to know.

During one such instance of her staring, Linhardt withdrew from his conversation and went up to her. He stood close to her and placed his hand on her chin, gently lifting it up slightly so the two faced eye-to-eye.

Linhardt didn't think about others getting the wrong idea about the two, but this seemed like the only way to get her attention. "Why are you staring at me?" his voice was a whisper, loud enough so they would be the only ones to hear it.

She just need fifteen more pages and then she would be done with her new book. Just by watching a group of friends talk, Nina managed to write a book with twenty-six chapters. It was a classic love group- one friend like another but that friend liked the other friend and so on. 

She became lost in her thoughts. The world around her was fading into the distance and everything was a blur besides what she wrote in her journal. What if one of them proposed? What if one friend kissed the other friend to get back at one of the friends? She would have to give them names later. Just thinking about how all of them were referred to as friend(1) or friend(3) was confusing- even if she knew who was who. 

A proposal scene would be needed. The book needed to have a marriage in it. Oh- what if one of them cheated on one friend with the other. She would have to make a part two to this.It wasn’t until a hand was placed under her chin, gently lifting it up slightly that she broke out of her trance. 

Oh god- it was friend 1.

He was too close- way too close for her liking. A dark red blush spread across her face as she just stared. A male in her face. Close enough she could feel his breath on her face. Someone kill her please. She closed her notebook and moved her head back. She was going to pass out- too close. 

Nina wanted to say the easiest threat she knew- ‘My dad kills people.’ but no words formed. “I- o...oh u-um...I,” She wanted to run- he was too close. She could hit him with her journal and run, her best option at the moment but her book deserves better than to be used as a weapon. It held all her fanfics and she would rather stay like this than do that. Good luck then. “I- i w..wasn’t staring... n-now f..fuck off.”