#magic thieves

Happy storyteller Saturday!

The mercenary mages are mainly Jasper, Llinos, and Kaua, who are all feral mages who travel the worlds as caravan guards when they're not doing their own thing

They don't, strictly speaking, have their own novel - more just a series of scenes that follow an arc - but they appear in Soul of the Party pretty heavily

Jasper - as much as any of them can be the leader, it's him. Found Llinos, brought her and her brothers to his home when they needed it. Doesn't know he's a feral mage until Llinos points it out, will always pull through for his family even if they're annoying as hell occasionally. The only son of a single mother who clawed her way into a noble house on a foreign world, he's polite when he needs to be but has no airs of grandeur about him. He's doing the dishes, y'know? Considers Llinos and her brothers his younger siblings. Fully bonds with his familiar, a lynx, during a caravan attack. It does not go well, partly due to circumstances (never a good idea to full merge with someone in the middle of a fight) and partly due to an unknown curse set on his father's family

Llinos - the oldest daughter of the Glynn family, a lineage of feral who have solely bonded with foxes to grow their power. A "freak accident" when Llinos is fifteen results in the family home burning down and Llinos escaping with her younger brothers, believing everyone else dead. She's slow to put down roots and doesn't always think through her decisions before stepping forward. Bad with her own feelings, good with a bow. Takes her time, but does eventually fully bond with her familiar, a fox, when they return to the ruins of her family home.

Kaua - poorer than dirt poor family, thrown out by her older brother when her acting out lands her in trouble with the local law enforcement. Promptly leaves home, leaves the world, becomes a bandit. Has been fully bonded (therefore a humanoid bird person) since about now. The only thing she keeps from home is her ukulele, that her brother taught her to play. Meets Llinos and Jasper a few days before she then raids their current caravan. There's some mutual stabbing involved. She ends up staying with them while she heals, and honestly, she was sort of looking for about anyway. Dating Llinos! Can also use "bardic" powers in a. Words become physical and hurt people sort of way.

Hi Trade!!

You may have Elise rubbing everyone's face in it

"No, no, I reserved the right for this. I knew it." Elise grinned as sharp as a knife. "I told you it was going to be a trap."

I have a bunch of last line tags to answer ‘n’ all, which I will get to once I’m not about to watch stuff with my friend before work, but in the meantime

 Have a writing?

 These have been going up on my patreon since... March...?

 I’ll throw up a post with the links separately, ‘cause there’s another series just starting there (I think yesterday actually) that I can announce

Or something

 ANYWAYS

this is from a list of prompts I took from DA back in... I dunno, I think I was still in uni so like. a couple of years now, and I’m still working through them now

 this one is the beginning of the Magic Thieves, so @unfortunatelyunfocused, it may interest you?

 I have very informal taglists starting up so if anything I write seems like your deal, lemme know and I’ll add you to ‘em ;)

~

“He can’t keep us here forever.”

Skren looked up to see Elise pacing, again.

“He didn’t have to take us in! We owe him nothing!”

“We’ve eaten quite a lot of his food,” Skren remarked.

“Again, he didn’t have to give us that.” Elise shot him a look that was almost a glare as she tested the strange locks on the windows.

Strange locks. As if anything in this world wasn’t strange.

“Balshat!” Elise yanked her hand back, hissing.

The handles were glowing red.

Skren frowned, hearing an almost familiar chime in the world.

“Damn things are – are cursed or something.” Elise turned away, heading for the pitcher of water that had come with their meal that morning.

Skren hopped down and made his cautious way across the thickly carpeted floor to the window.

The locks weren’t like anything he’d seen before, certainly not from home. But that didn’t really matter.

“Hello,” he murmured. “What are you doing all the way up here?”

They’d been ignored, they whispered back. The mage had set them there and left them.  They weren’t allowed to open, ever, although the mist at night tried very hard to get in around the edges. They were worried they might never be able to get open again.

They talked differently, too, but the meaning got across.

“What are you doing?” Elise came back, a cloth held tight between her hands.

Skren held out a hand to the locks.

“Don’t touch it!”

“They won’t hurt me,” he replied, placing his hand on them. “Come on now. What’s a little breath between friends?”

The locks chattered against his palm, and it was a wonder the girl couldn’t understand – or even hear – them.

It was a long way to the ground.

“We’ll need a rope or something.”

“On it.” Elise ran to their elaborate beds – ridiculously soft, after what they’d been sleeping on – and pulled the sheets free, tying them together. “But if we can’t – oh!”

Skren swung the windows open and hopped up to balance on the windowsill, looking out over the winding streets below. For all the buildings, there weren’t many people out. That was good.

“Here.” Elise pushed the end of the makeshift rope under his arm. “I don’t know how long it’ll hold.”

“You’ve done this before,” Skren remarked, playing it down.

“A few times.” Elise grinned.

Skren nodded, whispering to the knots, convincing them to hold fast. They weren’t technically locks, but they held things shut.

And they were eager to be of service.

“You first.” He shifted to let her past.

“Why…?” She glanced at his hooves. “I don’t really want you landing on me. If you can’t grip.”

Skren laughed. “I won’t fall.”

“Because neither of you are going anywhere.”

They both jumped, and Skren caught at the nearest window to prevent overbalancing out.

“What are you doing?” There was the mage, the master of the castle.

“Leaving.” Elise jutted her jaw. “Since you aren’t telling us anything!”

“This is – how did you open the locks? I placed them there myself!”

“They weren’t very good then, were they?” Elise jeered. “If people like us can get past them.”

“You.” He ignored Elise, glowering at Skren. “What kind of halfer magic do you have?”

“Halfer… magic?” Skren frowned.

“Demon bonded!” He gestured at Skren. “Which you obviously are.” He frowned. “I’ve never heard of one that wasn’t destructive.”

“I understand doorways.” Skren shrugged. “There’s not more to it than that.”

“Doorways… come with me.”

“What?” Elise scowled. “Why?”

“Well, you don’t have to,” he replied. “But I would like to talk with the demon bonded.”

Skren hopped down from his perch, leaving the windows hanging open. He touched Elise’s arm before she could retort, shaking his head. “Come on.”

“Hold up.” Elise folded her arms. “What’s your name? What do you want?”

well over a month later but here we go!

 thanks as ever to @zmlorenz for tagging me!

Rules: for each of your OCs, rate how cuddleable they are on a scale of 1-10. Descriptions/elaborations are totally rad, but you do you, fam. Tag some people you like after!

Ok, which crew do I use hmmm

hey, you know what? Magic Thieves. This is gonna be short like, but hey

Skir: 2/10 will put up with it but I doubt he’s going to reciprocate. Will probably stiffen up and/or sigh. Good if you just need to like. lean on something vaguely warm and upright

Elise: 8/10 probably best to ask first or let her instigate, otherwise there’s a high chance of stabbery and thieving. Knows how to do the comfort thing, but generally better just to like. lean into her when she’s sitting somewhere

Millicent: 10/10 mum. hugs. she’s the best alright, v warm and soft and honestly probably a little bit suffocating, but she’s there for you. You’re gonna be alright sweetheart

Skren: 5/10 touch starved to high hell but bad at genuine physical contact. will relax into it, but constantly quivering and no one’s sure who’s giving who comfort here

It’s all good buddy! There are no stupid questions

So in terms of Magic Thieves (bc that has the most delightful dynamic for this), it would go. so. hilariously badly.

 Skir would try to be super methodical about the whole thing, block it out, organise who’s doing what according to perceived strengths etc

 Elise would ignore that for nonsense and have some big dramatic grandiose idea that is absolutely biting off more than she can chew

The two of them devolve into a very bitchy argument with Skir trying to use his title/seniority over Elise and Elise taking exactly no shit and probably flicking paint at him

 Skren would try and appease both of them without a fight, try and modify both so it fits, offering sketches and the like but honestly his hands are shaking too much so nobody can tell what anything’s supposed to be.

 Elise would lose her temper first and drag Skren out to do literally anything else to blow off steam lmao

@owlbearwrites tagged me for this one thanks!!

Rules: Post a snippet that matches the previous vibe.

And what I'm getting from the previous is hmmmm Elise's version of the masquerade ball from Soul of the Party (which oh wow needs edited super badly but like we're not here for that just now)

 There was a band in one corner, tuning up and occasionally playing thin tunes that were lost in all the talking. Long tables covered in dainty looking food and drink extended along the length of the opposite wall.  And everywhere were the people, dressed in dresses and suits of all colours, and great masks to cover either the whole face or just the eyes. Elise stared and stared, since she had never seen this great a gathering before.  “Elise, are you alright?”  She blinked and looked around. Abigail was leaning over, a hand on Elise’s knee.  “Oh – yes, I am sorry. Only I’ve never seen a gathering like this before. It’s rather… astonishing.”  “Oh, we invited everyone worth having,” Abigail said, smiling. “Milric is quite a bit smaller, is it not? Fewer personages.”  Elise nodded dumbly.  “Oh, you can’t mean that this is your first foray into society? And your uncle just left you! What a wicked man, truly.”  “He… he means well,” Elise said, without much conviction.  “Of course he does, dear.” Abigail smiled falsely. “I’m sure you know much better than us.”  Elise shifted uncomfortably on her seat and nodded.  “Would you care for some refreshment?” Abigail asked, gesturing to the nearby table. “The dancing will not start until later, although I believe we will have some light musical entertainment before then.”  “I – I think I am fine.” Elise twisted her hands together and looked around. “I had something before we arrived.”  “If you are sure, then.” Abigail nodded and turned back to the rest of her circle, flowing easily into their conversation.  These people were all so strange to her. She had lived in their world for a long time, but… she still did not know them. Who would be most likely to have magical artefacts on them? Skir hadn’t gone over that with her. In fact – Elise frowned, running over the outline he had given her – he really hadn’t said much at all. She knew the necessary gestures to make, but… well, he was new to this as well.  But she’d thought he might have thought this out more.  Elise sighed and got to her feet. Abigail and the other young ladies didn’t even notice as she wandered away, tiptoeing carefully in the embroidered silk ballgown.  This was ridiculous. When she found Skir – oh, she would have some words to say to him!  People moved out of her way when she asked, but didn’t break their conversations as they did so, and she was thankful for that. Having to engage more people in niceties… Skir himself was much better suited to that.

Hmmm

Skir's get out clause for if the magic thieves get caught involves pretending he's been kidnapped and forced to work with them. like he has the spells practiced and ready to go to make it look real convincing.

yeah that’s cool! I am,,, Bad at talking about all of them consistently (or like introducing half of them) lmao I don’t blame you :)

 That’s three different groups so I’m gonna answer for each and you can have more characters semi-introduced maybe ^^

 so five is go on a six hour road trip with (no car radio, you choose who drives), sit next to on a six hour plane flight, sit across from on a six hour train journey

 Magic Thieves (Skir/Elise/Skren/Millicent/Lisetta)

 I’d go on a road trip with Skir but I’d drive so I didn’t necessarily have to focus on what he’s saying lmao. He’d be good for history knowledge on everywhere we were driving to/past (Otherwise Millicent, who would pack us some excellent snacks)

 Sit next to... Elise on a flight, I think. We’d probably just watch films the whole way and talk through them.

sit across from Skren on a train ride! He’d be so excited to go fast and would be glued to the window the whole dang time. Lots of exclamations and he’d be so caught up in everything. Might get wearing, but I think it’d be fun ‘n’ possibly cute to indulge him

Circus (Asin/Miko/Ral/Shiver/Ice)

Asin would get so dang antsy in a car without music so uh maybe not her. Shiver, I think? Wouldn’t feel the need to talk all the dang time but... well, I wouldn’t trust her to not get us lost, so I’d have to be navigator there

None of them are good with flights haha. Asin’s probably best but like she’d music up and tune the heck out.

Miko or Ral for a train journey! Miko would talk with everyone around us and get distracted entertaining kids. Ral would probably crack out a deck of cards and win every game and claim he’s not cheating but y’know.

and last but not least

 The Flyers (Ifernia/Saich/Miroth)

I’d take Miroth on a road trip. She’d make sure we have plenty of rest stops and that I wasn’t  getting too tired driving etc. Many snacks, but probably healthy ones (as opposed to Millicent, who would be on baked goods all the dang way)

I’d shove Ifernia in a plane just for the absolute delight in her affrontry (she has wings she doesn’t need this but... it’s nice not to expend the energy she guesses)

Saich on a train ride? We’d start off reading and then end up discussing whatever we’re reading in a semi-intellectual way