#illusorydungeons

   the summoner lady -- ingrid, you think her name was -- had explained to you the unique circumstances around canas’ presence in askr. he had been plucked from an odd space between life and death, just as that fateful storm was taking him from you. as a result, though his soul had been saved and tethered to life... his body could, unfortunately, not say the same. at first you hadn’t understood it, far too occupied by both ensuring you would receive a steady pay for your aid and the realization that your father -- perhaps not quite breathing or living -- is somehow walking amongst these halls. just him, though; mother, unfortunately, had not been called upon. 

   but now, as you take in the man, you’re starting to see what she meant. the druid’s robes cover much of him, but you can see how sunken and gaunt his eyes are when he looks up at you; the skin clinging to far-too-bony hands ashen and mottled. it’s a chilling sight to be sure, and suddenly you’re not so certain you can do this-- but you have to. you’ve got to talk to him at least once, or you’re going to kick yourself for the rest of your life. grandma had always talked about how powerful a dark mage your father had been, usually out of bewilderment of how the family’s arts had been lost upon you. 

   ... would he react the same when he learned you hadn’t a lick of talent for elder magic? would he berate you as the mountain hermit had your whole life? from what little you had heard from your travels your father had been known as a kind man, and studious to the point of it being a little ridiculous. that said, he was also a son of niime. perhaps pride ran in his blood as it did hers? 

   it would, at least, explain why he’s been avoiding you. he’s disappointed in your lack of skill. just like grandma.

“yeah... yeah, thanks.” your throat feels dry, and you find yourself staring at the book in your hands. none of the words register -- it’s not as though you can read them; they’re all in a different language; no doubt father is hard at work translating it. ... are you being an annoyance? “i’m... really glad to see you.”

   perhaps earlier on you might have despaired. now, all you can do is wonder.

   carefully disentangling yourself from laslow’s and peri’s watchful eye, you’d slipped into the battlefield and gotten lost in the clash of light and dark. leo and camilla, as well as their retainers, were thankfully too occupied in their own battles to notice you’d pushed forward... at least, you hope.

   ... would this work, though? ryouma would keep his word if you surrendered yourself to him-- he would not break a promise like this if an innocent’s life was genuinely endangered, even if she was a princess of nohr. what you’re concerned about is what would come next. would you be imprisoned in a hoshidan tower this time? interrogated about nohr’s battle plans? ignored entirely...? 

   you don’t know, you don’t know, you don’t know. 

   what you do know is that this has gone on for far too long and that the kingdom of dusk needs its light. you have to try. slipping into palace macarath hadn’t been easy, especially since the endeavour had involved dodging ninjas you hadn’t wished to hurt, but you can see your older brother at the end of this hallway and he looks about ready to charge... as do the entourage of samurai accompanying him.

   oh, gods grant you strength.

“ryouma, stop this! please!” 

   you throw the yato to the ground, wincing as the golden blade clatters against the tile and comes to rest several feet ahead. you dare not give up your dragonstone, but make sure it is where he can plainly see it. 

“she’s dying-- please, call off your troops... i beg of you. elise has done nothing wrong!” 

   you get to your knees before lowering into a deep bow-- saikirei, you think this level of respect had been called. you keep your gaze firmly on the ground, daring not to show any sign of insincerity when you next speak; the bow must be executed perfectly, or else...

“leo and camilla don’t know i’m here. i surrender. i’ll go back to hoshido, so please... i humbly beg of you, let elise be treated...”

vlad is! gonna kiss! give kiss!

gangrel vc see she has the right idea

IMG SJNMDGSKSSL HES LARGE!!!!

“Here, Chrom, I got an extra umbrella for you between matches. I think we will both need it.”

“Gray and Kliff are friends, aren’t they? No wonder Gray’s grinning that way... It makes me worried about how dry we’ll be staying.”

Gray

Round 1: +3

Round 2: +1 (trick-or-treat ELM bonus)

Gray gets a running start for his first swing and leaps from the lake’s small cliff, hurling himself into the water with a large cannonball splash. The audience laughs and cheers, some of the front rows getting wet. He climbs out quickly and rushes for his second dive, but perhaps goes a bit too quickly. His footing is off in the second swing and Gray stumbles but still manages to get in the water, albeit he flails as he goes.

Round 3: +2 (FAVOR bonus)

Round 4: +4

Round 5: NAT 20!

The audience is cheering Gray on as he continues, and his third dive is in better form than his second. His fourth jump gets great distance, and Gray twists into a daring jack-knife before he splashes into the water. With his final swing, Gray doesn’t let go of the rope, he instead swings all the way back, kicking off of the rope pole and swing even farther before he lets go and dives in.

Score: 3

Water from the last dives splash into the moderator’s box, but luckily the umbrellas help to keep Emmeryn and Chrom dry, albeit they still get splashed on their legs.

“At least we’re keeping out heads dry?”

"Don’t jinx it.”

Kliff

Round 1: +3

Round 2: +1 (FAVOR bonus)

Round 3: +1 (trick-or-treat ELM bonus)

Kliff takes a deep breath before he takes hold of the rope and swings off into the water. His first round gets good distance, bringing cheers from the audience, even as they get splashed by the impact. His next two swings are a bit clumsy, and Kliff lets go early, not giving him the best distance, but he does have good form while diving into the water.

Round 4: MISS

Round 5: MISS

However, Kliff’s foot slips on his fourth swing and he trips before he can even swing into the water. The audience lets out sounds of concern and “oooo”s as he stands back up and tries once more. Kliff gets his hands on the rope, but his grip is off and his hands slip, bringing him falling into the water.

Score: 1

“Both had such strong beginnings, but Sir Gray seems to have taken the day with his final swings.”

"I shouldn’t root against a contestant, I know, but those slip ups kept us dry. Thank you, Kliff.”

“Um... Excuse me...” 

   It’s late, far too late to be wandering the castle halls. You know that, and you’re certain the prince brooding in the armory does too. Curfew had been hours ago, yet you’d found yourself tossing and turning under soft covers. Any scraps of sleep you’d grasped had fallen victim to those gruesome images. 

   ( Elise, lying cold. Xander, huddled against a wall, Takumi, upon Suzanoh’s edge, Ryouma, making a choice so you wouldn’t have to... And Aqua, nobly accepting her fate, though you swear you can see a disappointment in buttercup hues... )

   Perhaps, you think, bare feet padding softly against the cool tile, perhaps Berkut is having trouble sleeping too. Perhaps his way of mulling over the demons in his head is to sharpen a blade until it’s gleaming and razor sharp, just like yours is wandering the halls at night or staring out a balcony at the moon.