@t2wave@hatakekuro@Silvan Haven@HereComesTheSnow


"I guess it's best described as mimic magic. So possibly any magic."

Sayatachi observes carefully as Ariel demonstrates her powers. Indeed it is impressive, and it appears that she happens to have a form of mimic magic ability, yet she has seen this magic before. Not often of course, but still enough to recognize what it could be.

"I'm still pretty new to all this but I'm learning... slowly."

It seems as if she was lowering her gaze. It seems she doesn't to want to make eye contact.

"Impressive skills," Rainbow Majesty replies with a smile, "If I'm not mistaken it seems you have some sort of an advanced form of absorption magic. That's quite impressive for any user I've seen, new or experienced."

But before she can continue, two male mages came up to the two women. It seems that her flirting with Nolan must've given her some attention. Oh well...

"Excuse me." one of them called out. "May I enquire as to what is going on here?"

"A friendly conversation." she answers bluntly, "Why do you ask?"

@Lmpkio@hatakekuro@Silvan Haven@HereComesTheSnow
She smiled lightly, if not briefly, at Sayatachi when she mentioned that the magic was impressive. She hadn't run into too many people that could compare it to anything. Like the woman she was talking to, Ariel glanced over when addressed by two mages walked over. At first she looked a tad confused as to why they were asking until she realized Nolan was lying limp on the ground. "Oh, yes we're just talking. He just passed out because he's scared of women and she was close to him." She pointed to Nolan and Sayatachi respectively.

Speaking of Nolan, he hadn't moved much at all. Not unheard of really but she should at least check on him. Stepping around in front of him she knelt down and lightly slapped his face. "Nolan, wake up. I'd rather not have to drag you back to the rest of the guild." Despite having just stated that Nolan was afraid of women she didn't seem to have any qualms trying to rouse him. Then again she was from the same guild so she may just be used to this kind of thing.

Jason Alexander

Things were too damn noisy.

I'll start the way I always do: Blunt and To the Point. I will hold nothing back nor twist anything's course. My style of magic is illusionism— I'm more than capable of fufilling any quota on dishonesty through that alone.

Therefore, I don't need corrective lenses put upon how I see things like everyone else. Compared to 97.5%, or thirty-nine of every forty people here, I am bereft of such shackling in my presentation. The ultimate example of freedom of speech and expression can be found here.

Whether you like it, or not.

Take it or leave it here, because that's what you'll get out of me.

Now, onto the immediate topic: I hate people.

To wit:

It's not that I hate every person. Such a claim would be absurd in a world populated by the billions I never have, never will, and never cared to meet.

There are a few persons I am fond of:

Such as my sister. A fifteen-year-old with a precocious savvy and insight into my own personal enlightenment. She gets me, and she loves me unconditionally. What kind of big brother wouldn't love her back with all the honesty in his heart?

Certainly not me. I don't have the guts to be so callous.

There are even persons whose presence and company I have learned to tolerate:

One Lux Harken. The Heads to my Tails, the Yin to my Yang, and the Light to my Dark. He is my opposite in essentially every manner you could think of—

And in a way, he is my equal. We travel together, out of necessity, of course, seeing as the road is long, hard, and unforgiving of even a moment of weakness. He and I disagree on a lot of things. We probably hate eachother, to be honest. But even so, whether we like it or not, we have eachother's backs.

Because we have to.

Anyways, no. "I hate people" does not mean I hold hate in my heart for every person, or even a general blanket hate for the population that you need to chip away at to gain my affection.

I'm not some shitty two-bit store-brand tsundere or kuudere. Give me credit when it's due.

I mean I hate "people": The nebulous, formless, ill-defined name for society. For normalness. For social hierarchies.

"People" isn't something that is worth loving. People tread upon you in their climb upward, people pull you down to their level or below when you achieve, people sacrifice your life and livelihood for the sake of their own. People lie, people cheat, people steal, and people who are loved by other people are probably in some fashion a liar, cheater, or thief.

If not, then they are loved because they are useful. What can you do for me? What have you done for me lately?

People love wrapping other people around their thumb, too.

"People" is a pack of wolves. Fitting, considering what social creatures we humans are.

There are parallels throughout the animal kingdom in any animal society. Carnivores have our social hierarchies. Any alpha gets the lion's share of the wealth an prosperity, only leaving what they cannot physically stomach for the betas to eat. The process continues down the line, and those who are left are reduced to gnawing upon bone, hoping for a scrap. From the betas on down, the lower strata of the pack also carry the burden of their failures to the end of the line.

Herbivores have our willingness to sacrifice eachother, to save ourselves. They feel neither guilt nor shame in leaving their old, their weak, or their sickly behind to pre-occupy the oncoming carnivores— better they than oneself. Even their young, they only give a token amount of protection towards. Additionally, they have our "herd mentality", although since we're a bit more enlightened than filthy beasts the common phrase is "mob mentality". They mindlessly follow whomever is in front of the crowd, while those individuals equally mindlessly respond to the surge of everything behind them, resulting in an aimless stampede driven by whims, emotions, and never logic.

Again, fitting: We humans are omnivorous. It stands to reason that since we both play predator and prey, eat both what we kill and what we take, that we adopt the traditions of both societies as well.

In this great metaphor, I suppose it makes me the lone wolf.

Not that it's all it's cracked up to be. A lone wolf isn't some badass who was too tough to rely upon his fellows, or was so capable they have no need for a pack.

No.

The Lone Wolf is a Stray Dog in fancy dressing. He has either lost or been kicked out of his pack, and is forcibly alone against the world because he does not fit, and is not accepted or accommodated anywhere. That's where society has greatly erred in it's romanticizing of the lone wolf.

If you must be solitary, be something that is naturally solitary. That is supposed to be solitary. That truly does have no need for others, aside from the token understood exception of passing on its genes.

That's why I don't wish to be a lone wolf.

Why would I? I would much rather be a bear.

A bear has no need for packs, and doesn't hold any delusions of them benefiting the individual when weighing pros and cons as a whole. It is strong on it's own.

I would much prefer that solitary path.

Unfortunately, though, I must play the wolf. An Omega, clinging to a small pack not out of desire, but out of need. True foolhardiness is traveling alone, when you're a normal person like me— that is to say, normal in capability. I am not a fool.

Having quietly tailed Lux at a small distance in this city, choked with tourists in the wake of the Grand Magic Games and just as dank and dirty and cacophonous as you like, I noticed him stopping to confront a strange scene head-on, as he always does.

Well, with his charisma, it's probably best I leave it to him and let him play his strengths.

He could negotiate and gather information, while I concerned myself with collating the data and considering my next move.

Ascetic Arts:

(The 108 Skills of A Loner):

Observational Technique: People-Watching.

Finding a nearby bench, I wearily plopped myself down and gazed their way, looking for all the world with my slumped posture and "dead-fish eyes" to simply be somebody trying to rest.

Which, of course, I was. I hated having to walk so much, and we had just finished lunch. He of all people, being in such stellar shape with that training regimen of his, should know that if you exercised too much on a full stomach, someone would end up seeing what their lunch looked like after mastication and the beginnings of digestion.

What insensitivity, Harken. How very like your type.

Lux Harken

Lux simply raised his eyebrow at the rainbow haired woman as he kneeled down next to the unconcius mage on the ground. Any honest person would step in if they sometching like going on, her attitude simply made her extra shady.

The skimpy clothes hardly helped, really.

"Well if he's just unconscious it should be an easy fix. I'm a Light mage, fixing people is what I do."

He layed a hand on the unconscious Nolan's shoulder and spoke.

"Light Make: Healing Touch."

A flash of light covered Nolan for several seconds, when it was gone the effects of the pressure points would be gone and the youngf mage would feel as if he had just woken up from a nice nap rather than being forced unconscious.

Removing his hand Lux stood up and glanced suspiciously at Sayatachi. He did not say anything, but Lux knew his magic. A simple case of stress would have been much easier to deal with. The amount of energy needed pointed to something more serious.

Trinity ate slowly, so she could listen as the others spoke. She swallowed before she bid Sasha and Mayt well as they left, leaving her with her meal and her music. In other good news, she heard the name of Angelo called, from her team. Which meant she wasn't fighting today, and she could play some. She dismissed her harp, calling instead eight violins and two cellos.

Once she'd finished her meal, she'd pay and leave, herself. It was time for her to spend time doing something useful. She should thank Regan for helping Damian rescue her. She wouldn't have been able to get past those four by herself, even if she could have gotten off the ship mid-flight. How to thank her, though... She'd claimed that ship, hadn't she? And it's stabilizer rotors were all busted up. Well, if they haven't changed anything drastically, she should be able to fix it. Mmmaybe... It's been a long time. She wouldn't know until she could look at it.

With a bit of difficulty, Trinity found her way to the park where the ship was... parked, on the northern edge of the city. There were signs of a fight outside the ship. "Ooh, jeez." The minstrel made her way to the back of the ship, examining the fight scene before she reached the rear hatch. It was an entrance to the lower deck. She stepped aboard and approached the stabilizer rotors, examining them closely for what damage they sustined.

Ike's comments received an appreciative grunt from Chester. The Doma Flau lay quite close now. ”Your help will be valued. So far we've been putting off dealing with the ones we captured -the ones that call themselves the Lovers- until we get a better idea of what's goin' on.”

Before long the two made it into the arena. By the looks, a fight was just wrapping up, and a brutal one at that. Chester and Ike navigated toward the Frenzy plant seating, but detoured when they saw a familiar, towering shape among the crowds. ”Good morning, Enma!” Chester called, waving. He gave a slight bow to acknowledge the elegant lady Samir, saying, ”And to you, ma'am,” before pointed to Ike. ”Look who's back! Not only did the curse get broken, but we captured the little witch that did it to him!”



Barely-veiled contempt shot continuously from the eyes of Hyun to sting Marlene, Argus, and Jane like the prickles of pine nettles. The swordswoman took a deep breath to focus, before belting out to her subordinate, ”Jane! Go into the camp, find somewhere to stick your privateer, and bring back clothes for this girl.” Her brown eyes then burrowed into Marlene's. ”Miss, I do hope you've enjoyed your tomfoolery. Private Argus is an idiotic and troublesome ally, but he is a member of Frenzy Plant until General Sanders says otherwise. For the assault one of our members and the destruction of guild property, you are under arrest. I suggest you do not attempt to use magic.”

Other wizards raced through the trees, drawn like moths to the flame to the place where a red-black maelstrom had raged. Owen, Frenzy Plant's A-rank rapier-wielder, arrived first. Behind him came Ange Bolganone, the bespectacled glass maker, and on her heels were frigid Joakim and Leixia the archer, both sufficiently recovered from the wounds inflicted on them by Ike.

Finally, Jane arrived with clothes for Marlene, and at the same time, none other than Indigo, Frenzy Plant's premier sorceress, appeared. As the former piratess rushed to give Marlene her clothes, Indigo paced slowly around the scene, ignoring the perimeter set up by the other soldiers. In the manner of a librarian in her native habitat, she scanned every detail of the scene to memorize all that was out of order. After a minute, she decided. ”The detention tent is going to be quite full. Jane, if you please, use some sleeper cells to put these two under.”

Laughing nervously, Jane replied, ”Uh, beggin' yer pardon. Hyun said to leave my Privateer in the camp. I can run and get it smartlike...”

Indigo shook her head and threw a look at Hyun. ”No, it's fine. Joakim, don't you have a spell for sedation?”

To this, the northerner nodded, and stepped forward. In his light but peculiarly chipped accent he explained, ”It won't make them unconscious, but it will bind to their magic reserves. If they try and use magic, they will receive headaches, blindness, and dizziness.” He dutifully waited for Indigo to nod her approval. ”Right then. Brain Freeze!” A seeking package of sparkling mist wafted from his ribcage staff and headed toward Marlene. In short order another appeared and homed in on the prone form of Argus.

At the same time, Hyun approached Riona. ”My sincerest regrets that you arrived at a bad time,” she affirmed in a near-monotone. ”What can Frenzy Plant do for you?”

As if on cue, Jane appeared over her shoulder. ”She wants to join. Reckon we gotta find a C-rank for her to quarrel with. T' get a rank, ya gotta wallop someone of the rank in a fight,” she described for Riona.



Nero watched in silence the breakneck battle between mist and lightning, though in his head he knew of only one way for it to go. Since arriving, Phoenix Wing had proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that it would be pulling no punches. Plus, both Lazarus and Angelo were God Slayers. How did Phoenix Wing come to acquire such ridiculously powerful magicians in bulk? Of course, neither could last a second against his curses, but all the same the genie did not relish the prospect of getting on their bad sides. Except, of course, he did; the world was full of people to annoy and debase, and Nero would sooner choke down a hard-boiled scorpion than refuse the opportunity to irritate a single one of these gifts.

Chuckling at the thought, he pushed himself off of the railing and resumed his circuit of the main stadium walkway. On impulse he glanced back to where Nolan and Sayatachi had been exchanging foreplay a few minutes ago, and saw with some surprise that the amount of couples thereabouts had doubled. ”And they call me a weirdo,” he grinned before moving on.

After only a few seconds, he encounter an entire cluster of wizards sitting and babbling together near the edge of one of the sections. He saw a little girl who reminded him of Ayame, though with long, dark hair rather than short, peach-colored hair. Next to her sat a tall, slender woman with long, feathery black hair, who seemed to be clothed in a nebulous cloth rather than conventional attire. Some scars across her bare legs and shoulders gave her a troubled, woeful air. Nero also beheld a blonde kid, a young girl dressed like a Halloween witch, a featureless raven-haired guy, and a perky goth girl. They seemed to belong to no guild in particular—or else, they belonged to the same guild, but one so insubstantial as to have no identity. Regardless, they seemed like an ideal group to be peddled to in this lull in the Games.

”Wishes, wishes!” he called merrily, his unfailing smile bright as the sun now that the atmospheric anomalies were gone. ”Get your wishes here! Need something changed? Want to be more powerful? Are you or someone you love sick? Just ask good ol' Nero the Genie! No more than three, no less than miraculous! Ask, and it shall be given!”

@Lmpkio@hatakekuro@Lugubrious

They arrived at their destination and seemingly missed two fights so far, yet none of their guild members fought yet so that was good. Before they could arrive at their seating, they would run into Enma and this lady he didn't recognize. She was either a new recruit or in a different guild. Yet while Chester's greeting was much nicer, Ike simply nodded his head at her before Chester pointed at him and told the story. Ike would remain silent as he looked at Emna and held out his hand. "Good to see you again Enma." Ike said before glancing over at the woman then back to Enma. "Good too see you didn't change." Ike said smiling towards the towering male.

@Lugubrious

Riona sat down and just watched them give out orders, and watched Jane run around the place which made her giggle a bit at the scene. More people came to the scene as well, one with a rapier and two that looked like they were victims of something dangerous. Then some really fancy looking lady, who must have been highly ranked descended upon the scene as well. Yet they decided on what to do with the individuals and that was that. So Riona would jump up to her feet and stretch her arms out as The woman who nulled magic approached her. She apologized for what happen which Riona just waved her hand, a gesture to show it didn't bother her.

Yet as she asked what did she need, Jane would speak up to which Riona nodded her head at. "Yeah what my assets friend said over there! Yet don't I gotta wait for the big man himself before doing the whole test thingy? Granted I can wait, yall did just stop two nudist from beating each other to death." Riona stated before looking at Hyun and looking at her hair. She remembered having straight black hair like that, she would have suggested adding some dye but... she looked like one of those people where any color to her hair besides black would make her look odd.

As Damian looked for Penny, he thought to himself on the rather large ripple effect that besting the council had seemed to have. And he also started to have a rather large problem occur to him. How many other dark guilds had been using Angelica for information on good targets and people who were making life difficult for them. However, before he could progress too far, he spotted Frenzy Plant and caught what had just been cast on Marlene. "Oh to hell they are; OI!" Damian sprinted forward, clearing the distance in fairly record time, and slid to a stop between Frenzy Plant and Marlene. "Marlene is a member of Phoenix Wing. If there's a problem, we handle it."

A disgusted expression appeared onto the small face of Isla as Indigo spoke her words towards the young girl. No one would call her something like this but knowing all her powers were taken from her didn't help her at all "How did you call me you, you!" She pressed both her hands forcefully against her mouth as she fell onto her back and started cramming out some swear words. In complete silence she sat upright again angrily facing Indigo. Her face a little red with her cheeks just slightly puffed up. As Indigo kept talking Isla calmed down and patiently listened. In some way she knew the older woman was right but she couldn't just give into her just as simple as that. Isla slowly started staring at the ground instead of Indigo and twitched the corner of her mouth in annoyance. Indigo summoned one of her books which Isla had seen before and began to give her some weird command again.

Isla gave a tired sigh and listened. Her eyes widened when she heard what the woman had said. Never paint again if she didn't free everyone she had ever placed into a painting. Isla stared up with spread eyes at Indigo and stayed silent for a whole long time. One of her eyes twitched a few times as Indigo began talking again and soon left her alone "Everyone..." It reminded her of the past, where she had found her power and used it to get rid of those two imbeciles. No way those two would get to be freed once more. Isla's eyes overshadowed as her stare fell to the ground. The footsteps of Indigo slowly faded as she could just let out something small "Heartless Witch..."



Ayame and Nero had decided to split up for a short moment so Ayame could go to the toilet and get some snacks while Nero already would go ahead and enjoy the games. They were already late by the disappearance of Eve and now with all Ayame had small tasks. Nero looked pretty excited for the games either way so she wouldn't dare to hold him up like that. With this in mind she shyly smiled buried her red face into her hands while shaking her head simultaneously. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him on times like this. Ayame and Nero had been together for several months but it almost looked like they have been born together. Either way she had to focus on her own steps for now otherwise she would get lost in this huge arena again. A sudden realization flashed by. There were a lot of people around her and she hadn't even noticed. Wait how did she even end up here in this part of the arena!

Ayame nervously curled up and hastily looked around herself "N-nero! h-h-help..." Why was she even trying. He would be around the other side of the arena and with all those people her soft voice wouldn't even reach down the hallway. Ayame slowly and dizzily made her way over towards the nearest wall and sat down against it with a big flower pot at the right of her. She curled even more up and covered her ears and closed her eyes "H-happy thoughts... h-h-happy..."

”You are mistaken, Damian.”

The circle of soldiers, now surrounding both Phoenix Wing members, and incorporating Riona though she did not yet bear their mark, stood in palpable silence as a lone figure walked toward him. Hyun's long, dark brown hair flowed freely in the sweet wind that filtered through the remaining trees. Her stride held no worry or hesitation, instead mirroring the grandiose magnificence of her glittering golden eyes. Only two days ago the Blade of Phoenix Wing had broken the will of a woman to live, but Hyun was not that woman anymore.

Her words held force in and of themselves. Even without a kingdom forevermore, she had not forgotten the bearing of a queen. ”Miss Marlene has committed crimes against Frenzy Plant. Assault of one of our members with intent to kill, and destruction of guild property. If someone came into your guild's hotel, trashed the foyer, and beat one of your friends, would you simply let her go freely back to her guild without consequences? I think not. Until her innocence has been proven or her actions justified and reparations made, Marlene is the prisoner of Frenzy Plant.”

While speaking, Hyun had been advancing, and now stood only a few feet from her former opponent. Abruptly, her face broke out into a very uncharacteristic smile, one that combined with her oddly luminous eyes to give her a subtle air of the unnatural. ”You should think twice, next time, before barging onto an army's turf and loudly demanding to have your way. But I'm sure that you were just leaving.” Obvious within her tone and golden eyes was an unspoken challenge, one that put the entire circle on edge and thickened the tension enough to be cut with a knife.



The lull settled over the Doma Flau following the shocking and mysterious bout between Jack and Angelo suddenly and extravagantly gave way. High above the sand, the grand lacrima display blazed to life, showing Games Master Sheldon in lethally gorgeous cyclone of shadow and fire.

”The short wait is over, ladies and gentlemen! You might have paid for your whole seat, but you'll only need the edge, because we have a glorious matchup for you right now! Demitri of Frenzy Plant, and Laynette of Iron Enigma! Get down here and be ready to rock—heaven or hell!"

As Laynette's name was called, Deyja would curse under his breath and start to climb down from the top edge of the stadium. It would take him almost ten minutes before he got all the way down and into the tunnel that lead into the Arena itself. Why did he have to come here while Laynette watched that stupid furrball? He swallowed as he walked into the arena, immediately feeling tens of thousands of eyes on him. He had to keep himself from shouting and running back into the stands. He stood at the entrance, staring at everyone in terror for a few moments before he got his voice, though it was almost inaudiable. "U-uhm, Laynette b-broke her A-ankle s-so... I'm s-subbing for her." He doubted anyone heard him, so he said it again slightly louder, before dropping his eyes to the field and walking to the middle. Unbeknownst to him, the display overhead shifted to accommodate, swapping out Laynette's insignia and face for his own.

How could he fight with this many people watching him? Even worse, his guild was watching him too, and there was also Phoenix Wing, who he could feel a few evil eyes from. "I-I guess I'm ready." He'd murmur under his breath once he was standing on his half of the middle, looking across the Arena at the other entrance, wondering what his opponent was like. Would he be able to fight him? Or would he let his whole guild down? He continued to worry, and sweat was beading already aon his forehead.

By the time that Deyja had arrived, Demetri had already made his entrance. He leaped from the stands into the arena, performing a flip, his fiery forearms burning out the letter D in the air as he fell. The ground where he landed burst into a miniature crater on his arrival, and he'd settled in to wait for his opponent to navigate timidly and meet his challenge.

He'd been speaking up to a few members of Frenzy Plant, those with the lowest seats, when Deyja finally appeared. Having been off to the side, he'd been somewhat hidden from the Iron Enigma mage's immediate view. Now, however, the soldier noticed the other competitor's arrival, and strode over to join him. Demetri approached until he was about twenty-five feet away, and gave the small, skinny man a nod. "Alright then. Let's make this battle like shortbread: short and sweet. Prepare yourself."

Demetri pulled his arms, inhaling simultaneously. As fresh oxygen filled his lungs, the fiery cracks in his brimstone forearms flared up. After gathering power in such a manner for a couple of seconds, the soldier quickly spread his arms, flexing the fingers. His arms danced with fire, and around his feet, burning-red magic circles began to form. They were small, only about the size of plates, but as more and more appeared in very quick succession it seemed like there was no end to them. In only a moment, the ground for several hundred feet in every direction was blanketed in the circles.

Deyja would not have long to contemplate them, however. Demetri rushed forward, sprinting at high speed, and aimed a crushing flame-powered hook punch at the other wizard's shoulder, so it would be more difficult to dodge than, say, a head shot.

Deyja would watch as the disc like magic circles landed everywhere, and he would shift back and forth on his feet. What is he doing now? Is this an attack? It doesn't really look like one. He bit his lip, and was almost caught off guard by the direct attack his Opponent launched. "Sh-shadow Control!" The dark mage would throw his hands up between him and the attack, his shadow disappearing from behind him and forming a hemisphere around him instead. Demitri's attack would slam into it, but do seemingly nothing to it or its occupant, who wasn't even looking at what was happening.

After the few seconds it took for Deyja to realize he hadn't been hit, he looked up at his attacker. It took another second for him to remember what was going on, and the hemisphere that was his shadow would suddenly begin shrinking. It would form a sphere in in front of its owner, before being launched away from him at Demitri at high speed. The orb of shadow would continuously charge at the fire mage, whenever it flies past him it would stop before shooting towards him again. The continuous barrage of attacks would likely keep the mage busy while Deyja went back to worry about all the people staring at him. He felt so uncomfortable in a stadium like this. Why couldn't they just put a dome up or something? Then I could focus on fighting this guy and not all these people. Do they all have to be staring at me? He shook himself and turned back to his opponent, whom his shadow was probably still attacking.

As far as priorities went, dodging was not high on Demetri's list. When his punch had been blocked, the brawler squinted to get a read on his opponent's magic. It's like Make magic, but with shadows. That means while it's versatile, it...uh, what did Indigo say about it again? Nevermind. Deyja's projected shield attack bore down on Demetri, but after extensive training and near-daily workout, his speed was almost as impressive as his strength. Fire spewed from the cracks in his forearms as he brought down both fists on the incoming blast with enough force to cause it to lose cohesion. Demetri smiled to see that he'd managed to destroy the boomeranging spell on the first attempt. "Don't underestimate me," he told the distracted Iron Enigma wizard, "Strength isn't all I bring to the table." He made a gesture with his arm -thrusting it straight upward- at about the same time that Deyja turned back around. From twelve of the magic circles surrounding the raven-haired man, fiery brimstone fists erupted straight up--a fusillade of uppercuts, all with equal might to Demetri's own.

When Deyja turned and saw that his shadow orb had been destroyed, he immediatly panicked, looking below him. It was still there, good. He didn't even notice his opponents taunts, or his attack, until he was flying. An experience he would've found pleasureable had it not been caused by pain. As gravity retook the frail mage, he came crashing down to the ground, groaning. Did I break something? Oh how Ironic that would be. Lying about Laynette having broken something then breaking something myself. No, nothing broken yet. After a few seconds lying there and doing his wellness check, the dark mage would stand up, glancing at the cheering crowd. Why couldn't they just shush and go away?

Shaking himself, Deyja faced his opponent again, seemingly unaware of any pain he should've felt. "I-I didn't a-appreciate that. Th-the crowd w-was distracting m-me... All th-their staring. I-I can't stand it." He'd hug himself and rub his shoulders, seemingly disinterested in the fight. After a moment he regained his composure and held out his hand. "Shadow Control." His shadow would again form a solid ball and launch itself at Demitri. However, instead of simply trying to hit him over and over again like the previous time, it would stop just out of his arms reach, and stay there. Moving as he moved, not approaching nor going away, and certainly not attacking. If Demitri moved towards Deyja, it would move to the opposite side of Demitri to it's master.

The strange words of Deyja earned him a frown from his Frenzy Plant foe. After determining that the new shadow ball wasn't offensive, but rather another distraction to keep him busy while the Iron Enigma member pondered his insecurities, Demetri crossed his arms. If his brimstone skin burned against his chest, he took no notice of it. "That's your problem. If you let yourself be put in the games, then you signed up for this. You've got thousands of eyes on you, all just waiting for your next move, and you're giving them a downright awful show. If you really just want it to be over, don't bother defending. They'll all be so unimpressed that you'll be forgotten right off. Hear that, kid? Being a nice man, I'll finish this for you now. ASURA!"

Four magic circles appeared on Demetri' back, specifically his shoulderblades. In a flash, new brimstone arms reached out from them, muscular and with fingers clenched into fists. The brawler now had six arms. Roaring, he reeled back and punched the ground, causing a miniature explosion that launched him up into the air. Beneath Deyja, another round of burning uppercuts emerged to send him skyward as well, faster than a distracted man could react. As Deyja neared the zenith of his launch cycle, Demetri executed a six-armed slam to return his opponent to earth and end the battle in a decisive and showy move.

”What's this!?" Sheldon's voice sang out in awe. ”Looks like Frenzy Plant's formidable fist-fighter is about to deliver Deyja a smackdown of diabolical proportions!"

@Crimson Raven

Time Lord

Take them to jamie. Yes. Because that would work well for Time Lord, wouldn't it? Time lord shock his head, and looked at the two. What was he to do with them? it was doubtful he could take them to Jamie anyway, who seemed to have enough of her own problems to fill the arena three times over. And it seemed like Ferrin was going to get himself into even more trouble, leading Time Lord to believe he'd have to step in.

"It is, isn't it?" Time Lord replied musingly, withoout any real commitment. Undoubtly they were interesting, but Time Lord didn't have time to babysit them. And he couldn't take them with him.

So what to do with these children? He could, he supposed, take them to Eve, but things weren't so good there, something that pained Time lord. He sighed again, wondering how things had gotten so messed up. There was always Sasha, but whether or not she'd take them was something he wasn't so sure of. He had no doubt of her abilities.

"I'm going to take you to a friend. She will look after you, and its the closet I can get to Master Jamie right now. Ferrin seems to be getting himself in trouble, and we can't have that now, can we?"

So, choosing that, he hunted the Ice wizard up, and after a short, heated debate, left the troubled Sasha with the two. Figuring that was a win, Time Lord began to hunt. It did not surprise him in the least to find Ferrin approached by the magic council. "He isn't alone. And I'm sure you'd want to know that Iron Enigma had kidnapped a member of the guild Phoenix Wing. Ferrin was merely helping to rescue her, someting you idiots from the council couldn't do even if your opponents had their hands tied behind their backs. I'd be more concerned that there's a, certainly questionable, guild iin crocus at the moment, or is it not the job of the magic council to put a stop to dark guilds? I would have thought given their history, the council would want to show they are certainly trustworthy. Of course, I've never trusted them but thats just me. Now, if you excuse me, I'll be taking Ferrin with me" So saying, Time Lord seemed to Blink in front of Ferrin, bypassing the Rune Knights as if they were nothing. "I'm doomed to having to save your butt, aren't I? Never mind. Hm. I think a few minutes forward will do the trick"

As time Lord grabbed Ferrin, the Rune Knights would see it as the two disappearing, but Time Lord watched them through the layers of time, waiting for them to split and begin what would surely be a massive search.

[b]Sasha[/i]

Sasha wasn't quite sure how she ended up watching after some kid. She wasn't in a good mood, but how the hell did Time Lord manage to dump them on her? She blinked uncertainly, watching the child. Just what was she meant to do? She was halfway back to the hotel, having left the Arena troubled.

"um...hi?"

Damian didn't move, nor did the large presence of Frenzy Plant mages case him to waver. "No, I wouldn't. But I wouldn't attempt to bring my own justice on them either, nor that of my guild." His eyes stayed sharp and he was already anticipating a counter of some kind. "It's been illegal for years for one guild to war against another, and if you really want trouble, keeping trying." Damian turned and helped Marlene up, keeping his back to the swordswoman. "I will handle this issue and there will be punishment. And if there are future issues, feel free to contact myself or Master Jamie. But don't EVER try and treat a member of Phoenix Wing like they're in yours. If you could keep your soldiers in check, Marlene wouldn't have come after Argus, not that you had considered any of that."

He moves to step away, then stops, looking over his shoulder. "Glad to see you're alright, Hyun. It wouldn't have sat well in my conscience if you'd died because of our match."

@Lugubrious@rivaan@lunarlors34

Anya frowned as the fight between Angelo and Jack ended in a draw, though she supposed it was better than either of them dying, even better she was glad they were carted away. The smell of blood was beginning to get to her, sure she fed before she got there, but still it'd been a few hours minimum. She might have to skip out midway of the next fight if it got too brutal, she really didn't want to chance losing it in front of all these people.

Soon after a fairly creepy looking guy with an even creepier smile approached her and the rest claiming to offer wishes, calling himself Nero, and being a genie. She narrowed her eyes at him coldly, the last 'genie' she'd met had been a jackass with illusory magic that conned her out of all her jewels. She definetely didn't trust Nero one bit, 'genie' or not. "A genie, huh?" She commented, looking him over, her eyes still narrowed at him.

Eventually her expression went back to her normal happy exterior after a moment or so of looking him over. "Well then Mister Genie, if you're so magnificent, I wish you'd turn the entire stadium pink. Not light pink though, thatd be horrible." She told him, grinning cheekily.

@Lmpkio@t2wave@Silvan Haven
NOLAN

N-no. Not again! Nolan screamed in his mind though he was too terrified to actually make a sound. Sweat ran down Nolan's now unhealthily pale face, his stomach churned as if he was going to vomit at any given moment as he tried to squirm free from her grasp though to no avail. He was too exhausted to use any more of his strength and in his panicking state of mind he couldn't think of any other solutions. All he could think about was that day...Powerless as they toyed with his body...The tip of a knife dancing around in places it should never reach, using his body while they laughed. The scars had all, but faded away. Scars in places where they never should be. Constant reminders of the torment and helplessness that he had faced at the hands' of women. It was happening all over again and he couldn't even force himself to fight back!

Before the woman could have her way with him, Ariel appeared like an angel and rescued him at the last second. However he wouldn't get to say anything to her because a certain white haired council member pressed on some pressure points, causing him to pass out on the ground without any warning. This bitch... He thought to himself before passing out.

He didn't know how long he was out. All he knew was that he woke up by an unknown man with white hair and Ariel by his side though in her water form. She somehow was able to obtain her magic again though he wasn't in the mindset to ask her what happened. "...Tch." Nolan stood up shakily and shoved his hands in his pockets. Even when he had been made a fool he still pulled the tough guy act. He glanced at the council member and then glanced away from her, grinding his teeth to hold his tongue lest he said any death threats against someone high up the food chain of Fiore's government. The God Slayer walked away with haste with his head hanging low.

@Lugubrious@Lmpkio@Oblivion666
ENMA and DALTON

"Heh, wise move. No need to scare him off." He chuckled, but quickly stopped when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. Enma turned around and saw it was Chester and some white haired guy standing next to him. "And good morning to you Chester." The man that stood next to the beast tamer puzzled him because he seemed familiar but very different. The oni was about to ask when the man said that he was glad to see him again and that he was glad that Enma didn't change. Wait, he sounded very familiar..."Wait, Ike?! Why is your hair white and what happened to your muscles?! A stick has more mass than you do!"

The Exceed stood there scratching his head at Enma's behavior. "Um, so who exactly are these guys?"

Enma looked at Samir and Dalton, blushing slightly in embarrassment for freaking out a bit. "Oh, uh, these are guys from my guild. The bearded guy is Chester and the other is Ike. I didn't recognize him because, well, that's a whole different matter that I don't think we should delve into." He turned back to the Frenzy Plant mages and said, "These two are Samir and Dalton. Samir is a veteran of the guild and that ugly fucker is Nolan's partner." He pointed to the feline who in turn glared daggers into Enma's back.

@Caits
FERRIS

Ferris chuckled briefly and flicked some sauce onto Jessie's nose before accepting her napkin. "It seems to be a common trend to see Dragon Fang tying up with Phoenix Wing in their matches. While they both fought on an equal level, we need more definitive decisions on the Games Master's part. Hopefully with Demetri versus Dejya we'll see these two guilds rise higher into the ranks. Iron Enigma certainly needs it considering how poorly they did in the previous game today though will this shadow mage be able to take the heat or will she have to get out of the kitchen?"

@Zarkun@Zarkun@Raijinslayer


Marlene almost fainted as she dropped to her naked knees when she found out that she was under arrest. She should've seen this coming, yet she got way to cocky and rage-induced for her own good. Even as they managed to put some clothes on her, they would've had to hold her and dress her like a baby. She was just a total mess. If only they understood why she fought Argus in the first place... if only. Her eyes begin to fade out as three words began to flicker in her mind.

"Help me... please... help me... please..." she silently said as if she was in rhythm with her heartbeat.

Yet much to her good fortune, she heard the voice of Damian coming to help her. She wanted to say something, but was drowned out by the voices around her and her fatigue. And by this time, everyone was arriving at her location like moths to a flame. It felt utterly and horribly humiliating to be in this spot...

"Marlene is a member of Phoenix Wing. If there's a problem, we handle it."

”You are mistaken, Damian.” answered the voice of Hyun, ”Miss Marlene has committed crimes against Frenzy Plant. Assault of one of our members with intent to kill, and destruction of guild property. If someone came into your guild's hotel, trashed the foyer, and beat one of your friends, would you simply let her go freely back to her guild without consequences? I think not. Until her innocence has been proven or her actions justified and reparations made, Marlene is the prisoner of Frenzy Plant.”

While speaking, Hyun had been advancing, and now stood only a few feet from her former opponent. Abruptly, her face broke out into a very uncharacteristic smile, one that combined with her oddly luminous eyes to give her a subtle air of the unnatural.

”You should think twice, next time, before barging onto an army's turf and loudly demanding to have your way. But I'm sure that you were just leaving.”

Marlene's eyes were closed as she coughs several times, wanting to prove what's going on, until being interrupted by Damian.

"No, I wouldn't. But I wouldn't attempt to bring my own justice on them either, nor that of my guild. It's been illegal for years for one guild to war against another, and if you really want trouble, keeping trying. I will handle this issue and there will be punishment. And if there are future issues, feel free to contact myself or Master Jamie. But don't EVER try and treat a member of Phoenix Wing like they're in yours. If you could keep your soldiers in check, Marlene wouldn't have come after Argus, not that you had considered any of that."

He moves to step away, then stops, looking over his shoulder. "Glad to see you're alright, Hyun. It wouldn't have sat well in my conscience if you'd died because of our match."

Despite being saved by Damian, Marlene needed to justify herself in front of the Frenzy Plant's members. She grips tightly to his shirt, signaling him to stop as she slowly looks up to Hyun.

"I-It's true that I attacked Argus-s..." she explains weakly but with a determined look, "B-But here's the t-thing... Yesterday, he caused trouble b-between me and my friends. I-I was eating with S-Sasha an-and Lazarus... when he p-pulled a trick by s-shattering our chairs a-and disturbing the peaceeee..."

She gasps before continuing.

"I-I tried to g-get back at him, in which t-the oni Enma wa-was around... b-but he escaped... and stripped us of our c-clothes... lea-leaving us naked in the eyes o-of the public! D-do you know how humiliating that is?! I n-needed to get b-back at him A-ASAP... s-so when I s-saw him here, I t-took it as my chance t-to throw a punch a-at him, j-just to show how c-crime doesn't paayyyy..."

Another long gasp.

"B-But what I d-didn't expect... was to punch anyone elseeeee... and cau-cause anymore people too *gasp* joiiiiiin. S-So I ran after him a-as he escaped, only t-trying to throw a-attacks towards him... and not c-cause property damage... only... to pay... the p-price... of facing a d-demon... slayer... and h-he caused... the giant... crater..."

She was already running out of breathe... and consciousness. She tries to establish a regular breathing cycle as she rests on the ground all limp.

"I... I hope y-you all... understand... my pain..."

---

@t2wave@hatakekuro@Silvan Haven@HereComesTheSnow


Sayatachi mentally frowns as the white haired person, she would later find out as Lux, manages to wake Nolan up and make him escape. Looks like she wasn't going to have some fun today. Oh well, what to do. Not like he was going to enjoy what she had planned anyways. No hard feelings towards Lux... yet at least.

"So your a light magic user?" she then says towards the white-haired man, wanting to change subjects, "Not too shabby for a man such as yourself. I happen to use a more advanced form of light magic, something far more powerful then it's regular form..."

She then looks towards the second person who was sitting on a bench.

"And who's your friend?" she asks again, "Looks like he's more of a loner type."

---

@hatakekuro@Lugubrious@Oblivion666


It appears that more new faces are coming towards them as well, they being Ike and Chester. As they say high to Enma, Dalton and to Samir herself, all she did was wave back with a polite smile.

"Um, so who exactly are these guys?" Dalton asks, with the archer wondering the same.

Enma looked at Samir and Dalton, blushing slightly in embarrassment for freaking out a bit.
"Oh, uh, these are guys from my guild. The bearded guy is Chester and the other is Ike. I didn't recognize him because, well, that's a whole different matter that I don't think we should delve into." He turned back to the Frenzy Plant mages and said, "These two are Samir and Dalton. Samir is a veteran of the guild and that ugly fucker is Nolan's partner." He pointed to the feline who in turn glared daggers into Enma's back.

Samir would nod and wave, saying her casual greeting of "Hello and that Exceed is Dalton. He actually looks pretty cool."

She was trying to make the exceed feel better about himself by that comment...

The excuses and hypocrisy of Damian set Hyun on fire. Even if every comrade she held most dear mocked her to her face, she could not imagine herself more insulted. Damian generalized about the guild, using a single good point to justify a heap of pretentiousness and incredible assertions that frankly besmirched the name of Phoenix Wing. Did his guild truly think itself above the law, only to cite the law as under attack by Frenzy Plant, who in the name of the law performed the unforgivably warlike standards of holding Marlene to the same legal standards as everyone else? After a moment of thinking, she shot back, ”How like Phoenix Wing to be so sure of yourself to start leaving before I can even respond. You shouldn't breath easy just yet, Damian. Your actions killed the Hyun you knew. A different soul arose where the old perished. You...”

Hyun trailed off as Marlene began to choke out words of her own. The drop of a pin could be heard in the clearing as she gasped out her story, one labored breath after another. Only once did a single noise interrupt her discourse: the soft patter of feet as hooded Lexia sprang unbidden to head into the camp and retrieve antimaggot poultices. Owen left alongside her to help, though with silent, measured steps. Indigo kept the peace, watching Hyun intently. Recently the swordswoman had proved herself worthy of the S-rank in terms of combat skill, but the Librarian now examined her for leadership and responsibility.

Marlene finished just as the poultices arrived. Leixia dipped forward, offering the medicine-slathered bandages to Damian. If he applied them, the minuscule antimaggots would enter her skin in droves and begin to autonomously repair damage done to her inner systems. Hyun, meanwhile, looked not upon her but open the prone figure of Argus. Her vehement golden glare fixated upon his features, marking him with an invisible, red-hot brand as the source of all of Frenzy Plant's troubles. Then, she turned to Marlene and Damian. Her golden eyes lost their shimmer, turning to a dark, woody brown that matched her hair. When she responded, it was with difficulty, but without reluctance. ”Understood. Your report can be verified with Corporal Enma, Private Gabriel, and Lieutenant Ni, but I do not need to see it. The blame for the whole incident, not to mention most of the destruction, is the demon's...and therefore, ours. On behalf of Frenzy Plant I apologize, and drop the charges against you. It lies with you to ask reparations should you see fit; the shame of any of our members is the shame of us all, though for this chaos I expect Argus will be stripped of his rank. Go in peace.”

After a moment, Indigo gave an approving nod. Like magic, the tension in the forest clearing vanished. The soldiers, their presence now unnecessary, left to go their separate ways. Indigo requipped A Tale of Two Sons, summoned her clone Sepia, and set to work filling in the crater with arcane earth.



Nero raised an eyebrow at the little girl. ”Pink...oh! Havin' doubts about your new friend Nero, are ya? Fret not, sweet child! No matter how trivial the wish, my Laws are absolute.” He returned to Anya a grin that overshadowed her own entirely in terms of cheekiness—his was the face of a seasoned, professional mischief-maker. ”Let's make it a demonstration of my whimsical powers, for all of your friends! An incredible show that will tickle you pink. Not light, you say? I agree, a weak shade would be an absolute b-light. Neheheh! Rosy pink will suit you, I hope.”

After fluffing out his purple cloak, Nero spun around dramatically, seemingly ignoring the fight getting started in the arena. Actually, he noticed it full well, and did so with pleasure; a spectacle such as that would distract the vast crowds from his own, more subtle feat of magical mastery. He put a white-gloved finger to his chin and adjusted his glasses with the other hand. ”Color. It's as simple as the material's surface, for the permutations of the surface affect how we see the light what bounces off it. I summon the power of the Law of Embodiment!”

A pale red magic circle with yellow borders sprang to life beneath his feet. One after another, two more layers appeared, each one larger than the last. Nero struck a pose, and gleefully said in an exaggerated whisper, ”Your wish is granted.”

Instantly, starting at Nero's position and expanding outward like a wave of rosy pink, the grayish-brown stone of the arena transformed into red sandstone. In fifteen seconds the entire stadium had become an impressive, rich shade of pink. Nero meanwhile, unposed himself and panted lightly. He cracked his knuckles. ”Thanks for the workout, kid!” he scanned the group, waiting to see their reactions. ”As fun as novelties are, they ain't as valuable as fulfilling wishes. Any of you got any of those?”

@hatakekuro@Lmpkio@Silvan Haven@HereComesTheSnow
It appeared that the newcomers magic revived Nolan. This was good to see. Him usually being in a bad mood it was hard to tell if there was something wrong or it was just Nolan being Nolan. Standing up she faced Lux and quietly spoke. "Thank you for your help. I need to be sure he's alright." Turning away she followed after her guildmate.

Ariel wasn't entirely sure if the Charm spell was still in effect or not. She had noticed that he didn't freak out which left some to worry. Catching up she stayed silent at first. Though it did seem that she changed magic again, this time it was Earth and had a brown color. It was actually one that Nolan hadn't seen her ever having. Speaking curiously she "Are you alright? You didn't say anything when that guy healed you." Just in case she tried not to get too close. Just in case she would scare him like she normally would.

@Lugubrious
Her attention was drawn to the stadium though. Or to be more exact, the structure itself. It had changed color out of nowhere and now had a pinkish color. Was this part of the show or something. Glancing around others seemed to be just as confused as everyone else.

Jason Alexander
@t2wave@hatakekuro@Silvan Haven@Lmpkio

The situation, it looked, was resolved.

More or less, anyway. The important part was over, the kid had gotten back up onto his feet and had his wits about him. Lux's diplomatic savvy had won the day without need for tense confrontation. Without the need for my assistance.

Well, that was perfectly all right for me. I didn't want to work when I don't have to. I never have, and I never will.

And if I must work, being forced with no other options left and every alternative exhausted, you could be damn sure I was going to hate it.

In fact, I would hate it so much I'd have it done as quickly and efficiently as possible. That way, it would never bother me again. If I must work, I will work in a manner worth putting in the work to do work. And on that note, I flicked my eyes over a few degrees, to focus my gaze upon the man in this scene with the biggest chip on his shoulder.

The young man, that is. I don't waste energy trying to fight everyone and everything that I hate, or has wronged me ever in my life. It's an uphill battle, if the hill were a sheer cliff face.

Even after the Panacea that was Harken's magic, he was still weak in the knees as he rose. Meaning, he wasn't simply unconscious there. Something must have entered his system that ended up having a lasting effect— putting a damper on muscular control. When Harken wakes you up like that, you aren't groggy as you are in the middle of the night, when you need to go to the bathroom but slept on your leg so the lack of blood flow's made it too numb to stand on. No, you woke up instead from a day-long midsummer nap, bright and refreshed and in almost uncharacteristically good spirits.

Well, you felt good, at any rate.

Judging from that sour look he tossed rainbow-hair's way before trudging off, such was not the case here. Meaning he'd had a bone to pick with her, meaning she was likely part of the reason he had gotten up so awkwardly in the first place. There was a story to that look, and that sullen expression. I was entirely sure of it. Spectra here was either at fault, or at least receiving blame.

What was it, then? Did this lady slip the kid some roofies? Ask if he could sniff this towel for a moment, because she was pretty sure it was chloroform?

Feeling my skin crawl, I continued to keep my eye on him as the other girl, now sporting brown hair, ran after. What was that all about...

Just checking up and keeping up appearances, probably. Something like "I feel bad, so if I show concern I'll feel better about myself".

People are self-centered like that, but they just hide it behind how they express those desires. Things like "I can't just let you walk off like that," or "I'm sooooo sorry that happened.", meaning "I want to keep pressing the issue and drawing the whole thing out because I want to feel like I'm helping."

Give me a break. I don't need that kind of pity, and neither does anyone else. Don't half-ass things. Be the real you. Be genuine.

Well, that was my take on it. At any rate, they were providing a good distraction from being stared at myself.

Come on, Harken, the deed is done. Just get hungry and crave some cinnamon buns or something, already.

Get me outta here.

@Lmpkio @HereComesTheSnow @t2wave @hatakekuro

Lux Harken

Ariel's words of thanks were received with a simple nod. Lux had simply doing the right thing, no thanks were needed. The white woman with the rainbow hair required a significantly larger amount of his attention though.

Possible attempted kidnapping, not so subtle intimidation tactics and a generally unpleasant personality. Is this person part of a dark guild or something?

"That is my traveling companion Jason. You'll have to excuse him if he does not come over and say hello. Not exactly the most outgoing of people."

He stepped forward and held out his hand in the traditional handshake position.

"Where are my manners. My name is Lux, Lux Harken. A traveling mage without a guild. May I enquire as to your name?"

@t2wave@Silvan Haven@HereComesTheSnow


"That is my traveling companion Jason. You'll have to excuse him if he does not come over and say hello. Not exactly the most outgoing of people."

"I see." Rainbow Majesty responds as she pays her attention back to Lux, "And your name?"

He stepped forward and held out his hand in the traditional handshake position.

"Where are my manners. My name is Lux, Lux Harken. A traveling mage without a guild. May I enquire as to your name?"

"Sayatachi Nijko," she responds while shaking his hand, "Member of the newly formed Magic Council. And since you happen to be guildless at this point, I recommend joining Phoenix Wing, the same one Ms. Ariel and Mr. Nolan are in."

She then looks towards where Nolan and Ariel are currently.

"And if your wondering what happened with Nolan, he had... a panic attack. Too late was I to know that he happens to be gynophobic, basically scared of the opposite sex, and my presence seemed to had made things worse. Alas, it seems that he's alright at the moment."

That was a white lie, yet it was believable towards the other two, considering they have no idea of what was going on.