#hungrymage

Team 4 Arena Event starter for @hungrymage @aubins @neirsung

Priam hefted a sword in his hand and he was at home instantly. He would’ve preferred one of his own swords, since others just didn’t feel the same, but no minor thing like that would stop him from giving this his all. Surely illusions conjured for a training arena would be no match for them, being himself, a guy he’d ran over, a girl with an appetite to rival his, and a mysterious figure who he sensed may have tricks up his sleeve.

“Let’s get em.”

Priam Roll: 10, -1.5 to fire mage

He rushed in without further preamble, steel sword raised. The first strike of the round was against the fire mage. It was a solid hit with no blood spilled, but at least the illusion flickered, like it’s energy had depleted slightly.

That didn’t stop it from hitting back with a spell up close that he had no time to dodge.

Fire Mage Roll: 12, -2 to Priam

The jet of fire hit his side and singed his shirt and the flesh underneath. He grit his teeth, not even willing to give a phantom the satisfaction of a reaction.

No matter. He refused to lose.

Priam HP: 8/10

On the long walk back to Garreg Mach, Elincia found her mind reeling. Were the events of the past week real or just a very convincing figment of her imagination? If that prison truly did exist, was it wrong to turn their backs on the poor people trapped in that hell? There was no sign it had ever been though and things they saw were unsettling like enemies that never bleed. As much as she would prefer to leave the past behind her something deeply uncomfortable was clearly at play.

This is exemplified by the fact that the monastery is surrounded by shadowed warriors, cloaked in umbra and wielding magnificent and menacing weaponry. Their group splits, hoping to take down a few each and Elincia flies alongside Marianne, Morgan and Ilyana as she tries to mentally prepare herself for the coming battle.

When she draws her Levin Sword, she instantly feels a new energy, a new power emanating from the stain on her hand. It goads her onwards - she will not allow her allies to fall. Sword raised high she and Chrysaor dive upon the shaded trickster. He’s nimble but she’s quicker, more accurate and lands a solid blow before backing away. It’s then that she notices the archer among their ranks and prays she hasn’t seen her too. Thankfully, their foes mostly ignore her for the time being.

Dealt -1.5 damage to Shadow Trickster

          “   and here the two mages of beauty and thunder stand!   ”   ophelia gestures to the expanse before them, a wonderous lake with few knights positioned on its bank.  it’s quite the sight, in all honesty.  there were already a few students at the waterfall with them yet their conversations were muffled by the rushing water as it followed gravity down to its base.  the volume of the water was nothing compared to the loudness of ophelia’s voice   —   she thinks of it like a challenge.  how dare the waterfall blessed by the dragons above with such pristine beauty, try to outvoice the chosen one?  the audacity that nature had nowadays, pitiful!

          she turns back to ilyana, moving a hand over the side of her face as a confident grin makes way.  of course, she’s only presenting herself as such to support the spirit of the event.  there are still cracks in her attitude from the mission last month but why sulk over something that cannot be changed when this month called for a better use of time?  the pink card is handled delicately in her hand, fingers flipping it from front to back and waving it around as she hums in thought.

          “   so, if the stars are whispering in proper articulation,   ”   ophelia hooks her arm with ilyana’s and smiles brightly,   “   then we’re to launch ourselves off this descending fall of water and later—”   her card is raised by her other hand.   “—we’ll be in completion of both tasks by having an small meal afterward?   ”

          was it an absurd idea?  why, yes it was!  which is why ophelia can’t help but LOVE it!  taking, not to the skies, but to the idea of allowing gravity to pull them down instead of up.  to let themselves fall into the lake below and refresh their mind and body with the pure ripples of water.  ilyana didn’t seem like the type of gal to worry over getting needlessly wet or dirty   (   then again, this is mandatory so it wouldn’t matter either way.   )   and, although slightly wobbly, she’s standing on her own two feet so ophelia can’t find anything to doubt.  she tightens her hold on ilyana, her other hand moving to wave the pink card more.

          “   so, comrade in arms!  shall we both descend together or will one take the fall before the other fails against the battle of gravity?   ”

Isaach was never known for its spices, yet Shannan knew all too much about flavoring food, if only because Larcei was always a picky eater. Always complained about flavor, and while Seliph and Scathach were willing to tolerate the budget they lived on, they did appreciate the more flavorful meals they shared. All the kids Edain helped to raise were surely spoiled by how well she cooked, and Shannan often watch as she slayed it first hand. 

Rummaging around the cold cellars yielded a fine yet smaller cut of beef that he’d bring out. It was salted, and was a fair few days old. Needed to be cooked or else it might start going bad. 

At least the kitchen was empty right now. To be fair, it was late, the moon was high in the air, and the sky was dark. Shannan had forgotten to eat something for dinner, so it only felt fair that he gets to prepare his own meal. He wouldn’t overuse anything or overstep his welcome. 

That being said, as the salted cut of meat was dropped into the buttery pan, the delectable sizzle that arose was enough to make the mans stomach growl in anticipation. Gods above he was so hungry.

While the steak was cooking, he set about gathering a few vegetables. Onions and garlic, along with some sea salt, paprika, brown sugar, and some black pepper. The veggies are chopped up, and properly stored efficiently, before tossing them in the pan, before carefully spreading the seasoning and spices he’d gathered in with the rest of it. After a few moments, he flips the cut of meat, and all that he can do is sigh, wishing that he was already eating.

NON-MISSION TASK BOARD: The Ethereal Ball is still months away but that won’t stop students and staff looking forward to it early. There’s one big hiccup at present, however: the Goddess Tower, where hopes and dreams of confessions and romance go to burn bright or crash and peter out, is reportedly being haunted by a nasty ghost. What’s worse, the specter seems to particularly have it out for those touched by love’s embrace. Not to mention, no one is technically allowed inside… Patrol the grounds or bust in, and save the Ball from certain doom.

          “   okay, so here’s the plan,   ”   sharena pushes her textbook aside after a quick glance around the now empty library,   “   by the third bell, the first patrol squad will be circling the campus.  from the secret passageway behind the library, we can get across the academy in maybe the time it takes for on patrol pair to finish their first circle.  the only issue is, they’ll stop us if we’re seen entering the tower.   ”

          a push of her pencil against her cheek, sharena pauses for a moment to draw a quick scribble of what seems to be two separate sketches; two girls on the tower’s side and one girl with magic   (   what looks more like insanely random lines and curves   )   in her hand.   “   so,   ”   she turns the notepad toward ilyana and points to the first sketch, then the next.   “   we could try to climb the tower but i find that a bit... excessive.  also, it’ll be easy to be spotted from the ground.  either that OR we break down the doors with magic   —   or my lance if we see fit.   ”

          the reality of the situation, the rumors and all, seemed... also excessive.  a ghost who hunts those in love?  questionable.  love is subjective, anyone can love anything.  it’d be like her getting her ass kicked because she loves her family.  if the ghost is going after people who have fallen in love, romantic-wise, then that’s another issue; how would it know?  if it’s magic was being used to sense this kind of emotion, then why what was the point of attacking those who are in love instead of trying to encourage those who aren’t?  in sharena’s eyes, it’s a waste of talent and magic.

          askran princess glances down at the ring around ilyana’s finger   —   held closely with define beauty, a generous grace   —   and she stops.   “   wait wait,   ”   she cuts her own thought off, gesturing at the ring with a tilt of her head,   “   is that a friendship ring or... an engagement ring?   ”

          if it’s the latter and this supposed rumor of a love-hunting ghost were true, then they’re both in trouble.  big trouble.

Were this any regular ol’ mission, Matthew would have preferred to go this alone. Any ol’ mission, he’d have had the chance to case the place days, weeks, or even months in advance, make himself a plan, and slip himself into the shadows. Become one with his environment. Slot himself in as one of the residents if need be, as someone who belonged.

Thinking of the three he had with him, he felt less than relaxed. But thinking of the plans the whole of the monastery group had come up with made the hairs at the nape of his neck stand on edge. There was always an element of danger to this kind of thing, and in truth, he’d not have it any other way but...

With so many kiddos running around, the stakes felt a smidge higher.

Stood in the shipping room, Matthew pondered the what ifs.

What if there were people with those zap sticks on the other side of the mirrors? Would they be able to grab their things in time and fight back?

What if their weapons had already been moved right under their noses?

What if they failed to grab the keys? The bulk of this motley crew’s plans hinged on retrieval of their effects.

None of these what ifs would matter however, in the end. Que sera, sera.

“What’s shakin’, friends?” he inquired, oh so casually, grunting as he removed one bin full of rocks and placed another at the mouth of the chute. This, before he turned back to humming himself a jaunty little tune~

mine time @hungrymage @kirablik

Rion had appeared, keyring in hand, before Robin and Micaiah could finish coming up with a plan to escape. The plan most likely would have involved magic and, well, looking at Constance behind her in the processing line she saw evidence of what might have happened to any of the woman in her own cell. At least... at least they were still all alive.

The processing itself was demeaning, but manageable. Micaiah could see at once with her eyes what Leanne had mentioned of the wrong settled in these peoples’ hearts and tried not to dwell on it as she got dressed in the clothes she was given and begrudgingly held out her left arm so that she might also wear one of the bracelets they all seemed to have.

Was their listlessness simply what the place did to people?

Micaiah shook herself out of such thoughts and did her best to pay attention when they were all united again and given a quick tour by Rion. He at least seemed like a person one could communicate with, but even as she thought that he was already splitting their group up into smaller ones once more and she had missed her chance.

She, Ilyana, and the mage Kiran were chosen to work in the mines. For that task they were given only a pair of boots and gloves. Micaiah slipped hers on embarrassingly quickly and only wondered after if she should not have seemed so eager. The others down here certainly didn’t seem to be paying the three of them any attention at least.

        In some standards, the male leads and the female follows in dance—size difference primarily. However, L’Arachel could only trust her partner as far as she could throw him. She wanted to win this and the only person she could grab with a sufficient dance skill was Rennac, her employee. 

        The princess was not immune to competitions, far from it, and she was determined to triumph, no matter the lengths she would drag her partner through. Literally. She marches to face their opponents, Rennac linked with her, on her will, likely not his. “Just follow my lead,” she nudges him in the side and shoots him a wink. 

        A small price to pay for a large prize. She dangled those words in front of him like a bone in front of a dog. 

        When the music begins, she takes Rennac by the hands and begins moving her feet in rapid fire motions. Meanwhile, she begins to lead, dragging the pair around the floor in... somewhat of a gallop.