Achronum

Of Blood and Magic

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“Put him in classes after this. Then you won’t have to think about him for a while.” Varis suggested as he sipped. He watched Eris intently as he took a sip, sighing internally once again as the actor barely displayed any interest beyond the norm in the drink. Fruit might not be the way to go. He’d find something drier next time and if it gets a positive reaction, he’ll continue in that direction. He frowned momentarily but let it go. It had only been twenty seven years; Varis still had the rest of eternity to find it. “As much as I loathe to say it, I agree with that prattling bore from Mortal Psychology. Cultivate the boy’s friends group. He’s probably a shut in. A few years of forced social interaction should develop some semblance of decency in him. I’ll even lend you the Starag boy for it if you need. An hour or so of regular interaction should get some of the boy’s personality rubbed off on your mage’s.”

“Before I forget…” Varis muttered to himself as he checked his phone, putting it away again and walking over to place the extra key on the counter. He returned to his spot on the couch and nodded at the wine glass. “Finish your blood. I still have to handle a few affairs with the boy and I need you in position when he returns. So far he’s been a disappointment. We’ll see how well he faired today. I’m projecting maybe another two hundred lines and at least one correction on his first apology letter. His performance in his affinity class was abysmal.” His performance with the Spellman was at least. The boy had two years of training; Varis wasn’t interested in watching a piece of rock glow for a period but the tension between the two had been palpable and the Count expected better social skills from someone of the boy’s pedigree.

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“Give us just a- Eva, break this fucking thing already- second! Got some grade A douchebaggery in here.” “Hannah” yelled back. Muffled muttering and shuffling came from the room and then a loud shrieking sound as metal protested being ripped apart. More muffled muttering and “Hannah” walked out of the room, metal bars with jagged ends whipping past her and burying themselves in a rough circle in a rough cage. Evalyn came out with torn and shredded bedding, eyes pure black as she tossed them into the circle.

“Apparently, he wasn’t even allowed a proper bed. She gave him some sheets and blankets as padding and made him sleep in a cage.” Venom dripped from her words, clearly seething at the situation. She tossed a small coin at “Hannah” and pulled out a small bottle of liquid, unstoppering it and emptying it over the pile. The smell of oil permeated the air while “Hannah” muttered once more and the coin lifted off her hand, spinning lazily.

“Light this shit up and bolt out into the woods. The school will be here within thirty seconds of the alarm ringing so we won’t have much time. We’ll circle back around and go our separate ways once we are clear.” Evalyn said as she quickly stepped back and opened the sliding glass door. The sound of people chatting and laughing drifted in.

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“Welcome in!” The same clerk said as the group entered. He looked up from his computer screen and blinked, confused for a moment. “Or welcome back I should say to some.” The other two ladies looked up as well and greeted the group, watching expectantly.

- Fragmented - (dead; stay tuned for the next one!)

Lera

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Relief flooded Jacob as they swapped phone numbers. It was international so he’d have to check with his phone plan to see if he’d be hit with insane fees but a few messages would be okay. He inserted all her information, contact name Lera (Valeryia), in his phone and nearly closed it before he fumbled the device for a moment, caught between putting it away and opening the camera app.

“Hey, do you mind if I take a picture? I like to have them for my contacts.” Jacob asked, a little hesitant. Lera was a bit withdrawn so if she didn’t want to, he wouldn’t pressure her. “If you don’t want to, want to pick a picture for you from the default images?”

“Hey, at least it shouldn’t be too hard to find you on my phone, I don’t have too many contacts.” She grinned sheepishly up at him as finished inputting his number into her phone. She wasn’t lying either, he was her third contact. The first being two humanitarian aid workers who’d made sure that she had their number in case … well something happened. “It’s nice to have something more here …”

And then he asked for her picture. Suddenly she was a whole lot less sure about swapping numbers. It wasn’t that she was camera shy … it just felt weird … like she was getting a bit too close….

Then why did it feel so … right to do so? “S...sure, you can take a picture if you’d like!”

“Awesome.” Jacob grinned as clicked his tongue in time with the shutter noise his phone made, an unconscious habit from playing with a metronome. He set the picture as her contact phone and tucked the device away again. “Well, you have the perfect opportunity to add more this week if that’s something you want to do. Plus, your soulmate hopefully!” He fidgeted for a moment. He wanted to ask how she felt about all this. He knew he was eager, his history with the Lost the primary motivation, but finding someone who fills that empty spot, that yearning nothing would satisfy, made him giddy and excited. But also terrified he’d never find them.

“So, uh, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to but how do you feel about this whole soulmate business?” Jacob asked, deciding to jump in with both feet.
She shuffled her feet, not through worry, or being uncomfortable, that would only come after his big question. No this was more out of having something to do while she thought on something to say. Before even talking to Jacob, Lera had been positive that she wouldn’t want anything to do with anyone at this party, that getting attached to anyone enough to add them as a contact was something so alien and yet … here she was, swapping numbers with someone she’d barely even met. “I guess … I guess so…”

“M...my soulmate?” Valeryia was now truly lost for words and it showed. Her face had become noticeably more withdrawn and the mechanical fist, could be seen clenching and unclenching behind the layer of useless bandages. It was an easy answer and yet try as she might it just wouldn’t roll off the edge of her tongue.

Because really, how could she admit that it made her more scared than she had ever possibly thought she could be. That she’d lost everything before and now there was a chance for there to be someone out there she’d be so attached to again, someone who’d make her go through the whole thing again. Someone who … “I … I’m not sure, I mean, I don’t even know if I’m fragmented and … well …”

She paused for a second, then continued in, barely in a whisper. “I’m a bit worried to be honest …”

Jacob wanted to smack himself in the face. Outstanding move. Make the person who you could hang out at this party feel uncomfortable as shit. He was used to discussing it but that didn’t mean everyone was. Admittedly, he assumed everyone here was at least willing to acknowledge it but he shouldn’t have jumped into such a heavy topic so quickly. He noticed the hand clenching and a light bulb went off in his head. Maybe she hadn’t ever seen the mark? Perhaps she had been born without the arm. That was the only explanation that he could think of why she would never see the black band. Oh man, he really mess this up.

“Well, someone knows you are. You got invited here after all.” Jacob tried to stay upbeat and positive when all he wanted to do was apologize and slink off to berate himself, hoping that thing in retail training is true. Fake it til you make it though, right? “And hey, even if you aren’t, we’re friends! We can chill around the place while everyone goes around touching each other. I didn’t mean to over step.” He apologized.

Her eyes mostly stayed glued to the floor, it felt like the most comfortable place to keep them really. At least that way she didn’t have to properly look Jacob in the eye while speaking about it, he wouldn’t have to know just how much she was hiding. Yet every so often they did peek upwards, glancing from between messy strands of hair that had flopped down over her face, covering much her vision and they’d catch a glimpse of Jacob … and each time, she’d feel just a bit more comfortable.

“I guess so… after all these twins have been reunited all of their lives, it must give some insight … right?” Her human hand moved upwards to push some of the wayward locks of hair out of her face and she gave him her first proper smile, it was a weak one, the corners of her mouth barely twitching upwards, but it was a smile nonetheless. “No … no, you didn’t overstep … I … I just haven’t talked to anyone about it before, I never had to think about it much … But walking around with you feels nice! After all we’re friends.”

“Well, I have plenty of experience, so now's the best time to talk.” Jacob chuckle, a twinge of bitterness seeping into the sound. He had years of discussing it, mostly on the “patient” side of a therapist’s desk. Jacob would be the first to extol its virtues but it didn’t mean he could resent the fact he needed it in the first place. “I’m glad I’m not the only one enjoying the company.” He returned the smile with one of his own.

“When I got this letter, I couldn’t reply fast enough. The idea of becoming Lost…” An involuntary shiver ran down his spine. “Isn’t ideal. But now that I’m here, I had to butt into a group’s conversation about soccer and then destroy more than my net worth in glass to get a conversation started. I guess it’s all a little more nerve wracking than I thought.”

"I …" She stuttered slightly, after all, Jacob was someone she could talk to, she didn't want to be scaring him off with stories from the war. Even with every lie she told herself, it didn't stop the screams at night. She couldn't drag Jacob into that, he didn't deserve it. "Thank you, if you'd like … we could discuss it later… for now I just wanna keep chatting … you know? Being friends."

It was such a strange word to her, friend ... after everything she'd gone through she'd never thought it would fit someone again and yet … somehow Jacob just seemed to fit it perfectly. "But at least smashing some glass helped us meet right?"

“Yep!" Jacob went to nudge her with his shoulder, the way he did with Christopher when they were talking, but he stopped himself before he moved too far. Right, she hadn't wanted to shake hands. He had to be aware of his actions here. Otherwise, it would end up just like the glass situation.

Still grinning slightly Lera noticed the way Jacob backed off slightly. She’d really lucked out in meeting him, not only did it just feel … well right to chat to him, someone totally unrelated to her past, but he seemed to be quite considerate too. Although if she didn’t say something soon, it felt like the conversation would stall, that he might drift away .. “Hey … uhh … wanna grab a drink?”

"I could go for something. I think we both know I don't need anymore alcohol at the very least. Maybe they'll have a virgin piña colada." Jacob loved piña coladas but secretly, he liked them only without alcohol. Why would you ruin such a delicious drink with something that tastes so weird? Maybe it was childish but it made him happy. Plus, his dad hated pineapple so they never had it at home. He had to get his pineapple fix somewhere! "Can't ever go wrong with a classic right?" Jacob led the way through the crowd to the nearest bar, a little crowded but it would do. He didn't plan to linger long personally. "What's your choice of poison?"

“A virgin what now?” She was sure, deep down in her memory, she’d heard the name before, yet to Lera a cocktail sounded such a weird and alien thing. Of course as soon as he headed off, she’d trail behind him, eyes surveying the crowd for any suspicious movement, anything that’d trigger her little defence mechanisms. As it happened nothing did. “I … I don’t really know many of the choices here … could you pick for me?”

Ω Heroes of Olympus: The Next Age of Heroes Ω

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Aster Damien Luxiel

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Location: Wyandotte County Lake Park
Skills: N/A

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“Solid round of originality.” Aster clapped sarcastically at the taunt. Aries kids weren’t known for their creativity outside the pit but Jackson was too much. Chicken, really? Aster was almost insulted with how little effort Jackson seemed to be putting into these. “But I think I’ll sit out. While you can only improve on hideous, Aster shot Jackson a pointed look. “I won’t have my complexion scarred over a silly sparring match. It’s much more fun to watch a wild card match than participate in one anyways.” Aster laughed, turning to watch. He hoped the newbie kicked Jackson’s ass. At the very least, it might save Aster the trouble of his counter plan in the event Jackson really did try something. Maybe if he suffered a humiliating defeat, some of that annoyance wouldn’t be directed at him anymore.

Aster grimaced as Demteri practically threw himself to the ground. Another reason he had no interest in hand to hand combat: dirt. He could appreciate how people might find it an attractive look. Sweat and dirt caked on someone working hard and all that nonsense but Aster had zero interest in being the one covered in it. Anyone who loved themselves would feel the same way and Aster didn’t spend hours a week on skin care routines to mess it all up. Sure, he could glamour it away but what if he forgot or it didn’t come out the way he wanted? If it all fell away and he was left looking like a mess? That was humiliation he couldn’t stand. That’s why he was so meticulous about it. He wouldn’t be caught dead as anything less than perfect.

“Come on, less asking, more stabbing! You won’t know until you try!” Aster replied in a happy singsong voice, neglecting to answer the question. Let Demetri be a little nervous; it was all just good fun anyways. For Aster at least.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: The Mutant Underground (Floor 1)
Skills: N/A

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He returned Casper’s grin at the comment, ignoring the faint burning in his ears between Jack’s comment and Casper’s kiss, but he refocused on Jack’s question. Two people did just appear and try to bring a building down on them. They had to do something about safeguarding this place or moving since someone clearly knew where they were and from what James understood that was opposite to the idea of an underground, especially ones that harbored mutants. “Two randoms popped up and went full on kill mode. A guy start blasting the support pillars and the woman pulled out some sort of weapon and rushed Colossus. We knocked them both out but not without some pretty bad structural damage. They popped up just after Feedback got a message about the tunnels with her power.”

James listened to the conversation quietly as the others discussed motives and such, or at least that’s what he thought they were discussing. He took the opportunity to sit back and take a moment to catch his breath. Putting everything he could into piecing two people back together, one of them more dead than not, was a big drain so he was admittedly relieved when people started talking about this disaster. Even if he was confused. Hellfire Club? Phoenix Force? He had absolutely no idea what any of those were and he wasn’t sure if he should ask for clarification. They needed to figure out how they wanted to handle the situation first before anything else. “Well, speculating about it won’t help but we do have two people who were involved. I could wake one of them up so we can ask them a few questions if you want? That way we could at least find out how they found this place so we can safeguard against it again.”

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Requiem

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Location: The Hellfire Club
Skills: N/A

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Requiem watched, or attempted to, as Glimpse vanished down the ice. He noted where his bullet sat comfortably in the wall with little more than a furrow in his brow, taking a moment to wipe down the gun with a cloth and store it safely back in its holster. He watched Jinx apathetically as the child threw a tantrum and shook his head. Getting upset about what just happened would only make his job that much harder. Requiem settled back in his spot, taking advantage of the quiet Jinx’s absence left him with. The entire room was in shambles, scorch marks and shattered glass everywhere. He fiddled with his rings but was brought back to reality from his zoning as his habitual movement made his hands sting. He needed to deal with that.

Requiem stood, wincing as he leaned on his cane, and made his way to the restroom since the thief had the indecency to damage the bar. He got the water running, barely a few degrees under lukewarm, and stared absently at the running water. Recovering the computer was a high priority now but the Sentinel was also an issue. He still didn’t trust Shaw over all this. Regardless of who from the top was involved, Requiem knew if he wasn’t careful then they’d be sacrificed without a second thought. He’d have to start working on a stronger foundation soon but he had to make sure that the computer got back under their control. They had a line however. All they needed to do was figure out Glimpses assignment and they could follow her back to the source. He sighed loudly in exasperation as the heat slowly subsided from his hands.

That meant dealing with Ms. Frost again.

ＦＩＮＡＬ ＦＡＮＴＡＳＹ Ｘ｜Ｖ： Ｔｈｅ Ｂｌｅｓｓｅｄ Ｔｗｅｌｖｅ

Kajin Najin

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Kakajin Nanajin (Goes by Kajin Najin in the presence of non-dunesfolk)

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Lalafell

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Dunesfolk

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Drybone, Thanalan

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Member of Azyema’s Eyes

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Black Mage

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Screen Shot: Order outfit

Casual Clothing

Kajin stands at a fun sized 2' 10", the runt of the family, though he carries himself as if he was five times taller. Vibrant long pink hair with shocks of white make him stand out against the dark golds, greys, and blacks of the city. His eyes match his hair and he wears a jewel in the middle of his forehead to signify his zodiac in accordance to dunesfolk tradition. He wears loose breathable robes, all with a simple two tone color scheme. He isn't one for fashion and sometimes wears a simple tunic and breech combo if he plans to spend the day relaxing. He does enjoy braiding flowers in his hair when he doesn't have it pulled back in a bun.

His staff however is a matter of pride. In accordance to the traditions of his family, he was gifted a staff when he came of age. Created with meticulously carved voidsent bones-horns of a gargoyle topping a bone from an ogre-and set with a tiny and an Eye of Fire, every part of it is meant to draw aether in with efficiency. Kajin's family passes down the technique from generation to generation and each of his siblings carries one (with the exception of Shishijin) with a different elemental eye.

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Kajin is ambitious and creative, always thinking about the next step, the next challenge. He doesn’t understand the concept of shame, just as likely to burn his obstacles away and storm through the ashes with lightning and ice as he is to break down and cry until someone feels enough pity to help him or awkward enough to get out of his way. His obsession with aetherology often leads him to libraries and studies at al hours of the night and if given the opportunity, will work himself without food or sleep for as long as possible.

Despite his passion driven obsession, the first thing that always comes first is family. Once he has accepted someone as his own, they’re stuck with him for life. He is clearly the youngest of his own flesh and blood but his annoyance is outstripped by his protectiveness, barely needing a reason to bring down the full wrath of his arcane might against whoever slighted his kin. Unfortunately that brings with it a minor abandonment complex, ready to blow something up if his kin vanishes without giving him time to emotionally prepare.

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Biography

Before the Calamity, the Golden Bazaar dominated Eastern Thanalan as the primary stopping point between Ul’dah and Gridanna for those without airship permits. A bustling town of merchants, locals and transients, the small hamlet provided anything a traveling caravan could need, from a place to rest your head to chocobo feed to repair services to a touch of entertainment for the oft encouraged longer stays. Anything that happened in the least acrid region of Thanalan was often launched out of this gathering place and housed nearly all the regions local’s, including the members of the Church of Saint Adama Landama who maintained one of Thanalan’s largest lichyards.

Unfortunately, the lichyard’s size became an unexpected problem. The few ponds that the settlement housing the lichyard derived its name from were at risk of contamination from the rotting corpses of those interred due to the heavy rainfall the region tended to experience. Poor organization and insufficient field research put early graves, and thus newer ones that spiraled out from the originals, too close to the water source and the rains recent began bringing some of the sealed diseases in the region’s primary drinking sources. In a bid to correct their mistake in the most cost efficient manner, the Church reached out to the Order of Nald’thal for training in their funeral rituals that should cleanse the bodies of their impurities.

The Order refused. Mumuepo, leader of the Thaumaturge’s guild at the time, threw out the request because a lack of donations to Thal’s church, despite the lichyard demanding the entirety of the Church’s resources. In a panic, the church reached out to anyone willing to help and they received it from an unexpected place.

Kikisuki Lelesuki answered the call, an aetherically advanced thaumaturge whose lineage could be traced back to before the fall of Sil’dah. Her family roamed the Thanalan desert, wandering on the backs of adamantoises, and used their ancient traditions of black magic and thaumaturgy to help those who struggle to help themselves. Kikisuki arrived shortly after the Order’s denial and taught several members of the Church the foundations of Thaumaturgy, helping them purge the afflicted corpses with fire and ice and lightning. Fofojin Sisijin, a gravedigger Kikisuki selected due to naturally elevated aetheric reserves, fell in love with the wandering thaumaturge and courted her for nearly two years before she returned his feelings.

The pair ended up giving birth to four children, two girls and two boys, most with the Lelesuki’s natural inclination for aetherial manipulation and their father’s high aetheric reserves. His older sisters, Lilijin and Shishijin, twins and the oldest siblings, followed closely by Papajin and then finally himself. Lilijin commanded the family’s natural magical prowess, honing her abilities under her mother’s tutelage and eventually leaving Drybones to join the extended Lelesuki clan’s wandering mission. Shishijin unfortunately was born with abnormally low aetheric reserves, unable to safety cast even basic thaumaturgy spells without putting herself in harm’s way, but after a troublesome teenage spell of bitter resentment, Shishijin joined their father at the Church of Saint Adama Landama and helps prepare offerings on behalf of those with no one to remember them. Papajin loathed the Gold Bazaar and abandoned it as soon as he was able. He joined the Order of Nald’thal, welcomed in with open arms due to his easy command of the thaumaturgical arts.

Kajin was the youngest and clearly had minor attachment issues. As a young child, he would follow his siblings and parents around feverently, throwing a tantrum if the current object of his attention stepped out of eye sight for even a second. He never seemed to favor one family member over another but his need for familial affection did stunt his social growth, always staying away from his peers if a family member was present. It persisted as he grew older, scorch marks on the wall when he found out Lilijin was striking out on her own. The family still teases him for it but if not for their mother’s timely intervention, Kajin probably would have burned down their home.

Like his brother and older sister, Kajin inherited his family’s aptitude for magical mayhem but took it further than his siblings. Where as they wielded it as a tool, as something to be used when necessary, Kajin loved magic. He loved the feeling of coaxing form from aether and sending it flying in an explosion of pure will. He hung desperately to his mother’s lessons, always begging for more, pushing his limits as far as they go, and as he got older, started his own experimentation into the arts. If anyone as much as whispered the word aether, Kajin would be there, spouting ideas and concepts before anyone realized what mishap they’d brought on themselves.

The Calamity struck just after Papajin struck off on his own, Kajin’s clinginess once again resulting in an irritable outburst of fire and lightning but this time outside of the home. The extended family scurried around the desert for days, putting down raging sprites and creatures whipped into a frenzy by the horrific events that threatened the safety of the people of Thanalan. Kajin, his parents, and Shishijin watched as the Burning Wall practically exploded with malformed aether and the world burned before them. Many suns passed as they put out fire after fire in Eastern Thanalan, each one burning with Bahamaut's unusually concentrated aether. They rotated, exposure to the intense aether sicking them, as the smothered them with ice and dispersed the aether as best they could.

Two years passed with no word from Papajin. Lilijin made sure to check in afterwards but hurried back with their grandmother. The rest were so busy with the increased dead that it wasn’t until Kajin made the effort to go to Ul’dah and practically break down the Order’s door that he discovered Azyma’s Eyes, an organization dedicated to quelling the turbulent aether and creating safe guards to prevent such widespread devastation from happening again. His brother was at the helm of Ul’dah’s chapter, practically drowning in work. Not that that stopped Kajin from crying in front of his colleagues, to remind him he had a family who was worried sick of course, and then he demanded he be involved. It took nearly six moons and a handful of bells to get Papajin to accept his help, not to mention several letters begging their parents to help because Kajin has no shame, but he eagerly entered the Eyes with full expectations that he’d get to do something useful.

Instead, Papajin stuck him on desk duty and adamantly refused to change his assignment. Not that it stopped the Lalafell from struggling against the tyranny of his elder sibling.

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Favorite Dish: Spaghetti Pescatore served at the Silver Bazaar

Gets drunk off ether potions due to his sensitivity to aether.

Hates the term "Black Mage" because of the connotations it carries. His family practices "Aetherically Advanced Thaumaturgy" and has the proper documentation to prove it as required by the Eorzean Alliance.

_{ＲＥＡＳＯＮ ＦＯＲ ＥＮＬＩＳＴＭＥＮＴ}

Too real

The sun burned low against the city skyline. Crowds seemed to swell as the dry Thanalan heat diffused into the cooling air and a dull roar rang through the city as her nightlife emerged to enjoy the encroaching darkness, the screams and shouting of the coliseum swelling to a crescendo as steel met steel on the blood sands. For all it’s glitter and gold in the midday sun, Ul’dah truly came alive at night, her people slipping out from their shadowy oases as dancers, musicians, and entertainment prowled the streets, eyes set on the heavy pockets of the wealthy citizenry. Gil and wine flowed freely in the city, any pleasure available to those with pockets deep enough to forget their troubles, even if only for the night.

Kajin made his way down Ul’dah’s sandy cobblestones, books piled high as he balanced his staff on the top. He could barely see around the few tomes, each one weighing with carefully transcribed reports on the aetheric movements of every major section of the massive Thanalan desert. His wrist still ached with the last few quill strokes, eyes blurry as he and several other members of the Eyes made copies to send out to the Conjurers and Arcanist guild for safe keeping and comparative analysis. His arms burned with the weight, the dedicated space for Azyma’s Eyes far too far away for a lalafell like himself. Barely brushing three feet tall, more than two of these books stacked on top of each other block his vision and three made his arms burn but here he was, one in a bag and three stacked high. The things he did for this twelves damned group.

Five years have already passed since the calamity brought the world to its knees. His older brother, a member of the Order of Nald’Thal, helped spearhead a collaborative effort between the various magic guilds in an attempt to alleviate the strain placed on the resource starved grand companies and tackle another imposing problem. With the aetheric currents thrown into complete disarray, Azyma’s Eyes rose to watch and prevent further aetheric disruption through its methods of observation, notation, and reaction. Reports poured in over the years, compiled into tomes and sent out across the city states for comparison as the aether settled enough to permit safe teleportation again. Various members were now moving forward to develop safeguards against such events, including theorizing various ways to counter balance severe aetheric disruptions in the event of approaching umbral calamities.

And his own brother relegated him to desk duty!

Admittedly, calling him a shite-face, swill-sodden pile of goobbue vomit was a bit unnecessary but Papajin using his authority to crush his own sibling’s ideas was an entirely different matter! It was abuse through and through and even whining at his parents hadn’t fixed the problem. The world needed people attuned to the aether right now. Teaching more magically experienced people would solve that. After all, it wasn’t like advanced thaumaturgy was all about destruction. Well, it was but it wouldn’t be possible without the intricate process of aetherial manipulation! And that was what advanced thaumaturgy was about. Moving and converting aether from one form into another!

And there were so so many possibilities! Imagine what carefully calculated aetheric conversion could accomplish and then apply that directly to a rapid decomposition of elemental crystals across a general locale and then what couldn’t they accomplish! Of course, there were some problems with that but what idea didn’t have problems at the beginning? He got excited again just considering the possibilities, the books threatening to topple as he practically vibrated but reality came settling in far too quickly. His suggestion had been cast aside, his plans torn to shreds, and his brother punished him with a dead end desk job copying pages as long as he stayed with the Eyes. The monotony of it all was starting to wear him thin, his passion for aetherology crushed beneath the weight of scribe work.

He blinked and suddenly he was on the cobblestones, blinking as a dull pain exploded in the back of his head. A pair of children sped past him, barely noticing the stranger they’d knocked over. He grabbed his staff, a present from his grandmother when they decided to induct him into the family traditions, and picked himself up with a groan. He felt the irritation inside him rise only to bubble back down, too tired from the mind numbing drudgery to care that much, and he passed through the Quicksand to retire to his company funded room. He’d set out on the morrow to home and send his portion forward with a porter to the Black Shroud once he arrived.

He ducked into the tavern doubling as the adventurer’s guild as a Roegadyn nearly shut the door on him. It was a full house tonight, weary travelers and adrenaline high adventurers making merry as was their wont. He could see Momodi cheerily welcoming another group, blood still splattered on their armor from whatever grand adventure they’d returned from, another tale tucked neatly into their belt and a healthy pile of gil to return their good will. He felt the yearning for that kind of freedom pull at his heart, the freedom to do what he wanted without his family crushing his aspirations, but now he barely had the energy to work on his theories. Wake up, work, go to bed, rinse and repeat. He sighed and side stepped a tossed tankard.

“Oye, goobbue feed, fetch that for me!” The same Roegadyn that nearly crushed him in the door shouted at him and Kajin sent a half hearted glare and continued on his way until his books were, again, knocked out of his hands.

“You hard o’ hearing, midget? I said pick. It. up.” The Roedgadyn growled. Kajin picked up his staff instead, the anger from earlier raising its head and curling hot in his belly. Lalafell discrimination was fairly common, the Syndacte and money grubbing Plainsfolk merchants to thank for that, but open confrontation was still rare. Most people had the common sense to realize were the perfect height for the worst type of attack. As he picked up his staff, the screech of a sword drawn drew his attention and he saw the shadow of the blade coming down on him.

It was reflex at this point. The first spell any aetherically advanced thaumaturge worth their staff mastered. The sword crashed against the barrier of hardened aether Kajin wove with the ease of experience. Just a simple flick of the wrist and the aether would follow, rushing to fill the void the movement created. Kajin sneered at the “Bloody mages” the brute muttered and the sword swung back. A muttered incantation followed it and Kajin sent a spark of lightning straight into his crotch with a satisfied smirk. The crack of thunder following it silenced the tavern, the clatter of the sword as it fell from the Roegadyn’s hand reverberating through the open space. The gladiator’s mouth dropped and for a moment he was silent until he howled and rolled on the floor, hands over his sensitive genitals. Kajin marched over, fire in his eyes, and he caught a stray strand of lightning aether in his staff, his staff crackling with lighting as it hovered over the brute’s throat

“Next time, I’ll make sure even the Pajal’s can’t save your little sand gecko.” The Lalafell snapped, bringing the staff up and slamming it back down with all his strength. The Roegadyn shut his eyes with a whimper, hands still protecting his sensitive nethers, but Kajin let the aether fade and he paused just above the brute’s nose. The Roegadyn opened his eyes after a few moments to the wicked grin on Kajin’s face and he bopped the gladiator’s nose with a loud “Boop!” He turned, staff safely stowed, as he picked up his books once more. Using magic was always an incredible rush, one he didn’t have nearly enough opportunity to indulge in. He righted himself and something caught his eye. A new poster on the wall for a Free Company called “The Blessed Twelve.” As if he was blessed. Blessed with a prick of a brother. He grumbled his entire way up to his room as his good mood crumbled, dropping the books noisily on the desk and unceremoniously hitting the floor. He laid there for a while, just staring at the ceiling.

He could. He’d get to practice his art again. He’d get to actually test his theories without his family’s deraigned limitations constantly pressing down on him. He wanted to help people, like everyone in his family swore to when they took up the family traditions. Kajin couldn’t help but feel that transcripting aether reports while wasn’t hurting anyone, wasn’t really helping them either. The image of the Blessed Twelve’s crest hung heavy in his mind and he worried his lip for a few more moments. He’d practically be slapping his own brother in the face. Papajin would be furious. The thought made Kajin laugh and he was on his feet in a heartbeat.

He’d never written as quickly as he did in that moment, requesting a transfer. They often encouraged aether sensitives into the company of adventurers. They could evaluate more dangerous areas and performed random checks to verify reports as they moved through the world. His brother held no sway over this part of the Eyes. His only regret was that he wouldn’t get to see Papajin’s face when he walked into the room and discovered Kajin managed to escape his claws.

Talrae Reborn

“No, I haven’t. Probably won’t until tonight either. I dropped all my Renn on the rest of the body line and this.” She gestured ruefully to the food in front of her. Her eyebrows shot up as Prome joined them; she hadn’t been sure he would. She was about to greet him when she flinched violently at his words. It’s a miracle nobody died. The statement was almost a slap to the face but Willow kept her knee jerk reaction under control, nothing more than a sharp breath and a tightened grip on the mug she was drinking from slipping out. She smiled tightly at Prome but her attention was taken away by Holly.

“Good morning you two.That’s a lovely name but I hope you don’t mind I stick with Holly; it's been so long since I’ve called you anything else.” Willow smiled at the girl. Mostly, she’d rather not think about the outside world and real names reminded her of what she would be returning without. “Hopefully, the rest of them won’t be long so we can get some official business over with and get on with these quests we have. God knows I need the renn.” She sighed at the glaring zero she knew her dashboard would display. The rest of the body line had been murderous on the wallet but it was non negotiable. She wouldn’t walk into a fight without a full healing toolkit and anytime more spells came out, it would be her highest priority to obtain it. “Now all we need it…” She opened up her dashboard and pulled up a PM to River, the slow riser probably still asleep. Normally, it took all of them to phone bomb him repeatedly to either distract him from his job long enough to hop online or wake him up to hang out with them.

“Well speak of the devil.” Willow chuckled as the man himself made his way to the table. “Hopefully, the others will be joining us soon but for now we’ll jump into the thick of it. I’m sure we’re all eager to get a move on. Last night, a paladin approached me about possible joining the guild but we have-” Willow stopped as she saw Aura and returned the greeting.

“Not particularly. I gave up on everything but the spells.” Willow laughed with a shake of her head and gestured for Aura to join them. “Speaking of her, this is Aura. We spoke last night about her experience but she doesn’t have a ton of endgame experience so we’ll have to work on that. However, we need to discuss the position of guild leader. Karuu is....” Willow swallowed hard and tried to say it but she couldn’t. She couldn’t admit what happened so she just… didn’t. “Currently unavailable for the foreseeable future which means we need to put someone else in the position to handle paperwork, the Council, and whatever else we may encounter that demands an official representative. If you open the guild tab of your dashboard, you’ll notice a nominate guild leader slot. Just drag a name to it and it’ll add it to a ballot for us to vote on. If we all pick the same person, they auto become guild leader. Once we get that worked on, we can add Aura or take her out on a few quests to get a feel for how she fits with the group. And then we can discuss your images Cece, see what that other quests needs because if we can knock out two birds with one stone I’m all for it, and we can discuss what we want to do with the images you sent, Cece. All I got from it was Ascend upon a Well of Stars but there are some words that are outside my linguistics skill apparently.”

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

James Kingston

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Location: Human Resistance HQ, New York, New York
Skills: Acclerated Healing Factor

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---

“Yep, lets see what we can do.” James told Lance as he knelt down and gently place his hand over a wound, repeating his earlier healing with just a bit of effort. He watched the wounds close themselves as he focused and let go once he was satisfied with his efforts. He looked up at Novikova and reached out with a “Pardon my touch.Just be a moment.” as he placed his hand on her leg, an eerily familiar sensation as his own vitals aligned with hers. This entire situation with two sets of memories swirling in his head left him a little disoriented, the easy familiarity with which he healed this woman. Someone from his life here but not his real life. It was giving him a headache.

“Done and done. You’re all set.” James stood up, wincing at the slight pop from his knees. Too bad that wasn’t something he could heal. Joints popping always grossed him out. “So, uh I owe you all an apology for being a total ass in this world apparently. So, I’m sorry. I’m not normally like that.” He apologized, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, to his Red Guard coworkers and Lance. He would have continued but suddenly Max was listing off names and Casper’s dropped like a bomb when he was mentioned in the same breath as the X-men. James whipped around to stare incredulously at the man. “Uh, Max. While I 100% appreciate that your powers don’t burn down buildings―you still owe me that heat shrink wrap by the way. I will demand those across every reality we meet―are you sure you pinged them? Jack I could totally understand with the x-men. Poor dude gets wrapped up in more shit helping people than I could imagine but Casper? One of the last conversation we had was about how he hated his dad and wanted nothing to do with him or his pawn organizations.”

Of Blood and Magic

It took Varis less than a second to shrug Eris off, sending him a flat look as he went about pulling out the newest bottle he insisted the actor would fall in love with. "Focus. I need you to experience this in full so we can fix that awful habit of drinking from just anything." Varis shuddered as he popped the bottle and poured the actor a glass, passing it to him and led him to the living room, where Varis sunk down gratefully. Not having a mage to deal with for a while was a small blessing at least.

"I have my eyes set on the Eve here next. Once I get her under my heel, I think I may have enough away to knock that insufferable failure from his seat." Varis said, sipping from the glass. It was light and fruity, almost refreshing compared to some of the heavier vintages. He liked it well enough but it was an uncommon enough variety that maybe Eris wouldn't have tried it. He'd set himself this little task of developing the actor's palate more but so far, he'd had little luck. He'd keep trying though. He was nothing if not persistent.

"So, what are your plans for the short term? Clearly you've needed to put your work aside for a while but I doubt you're going to sit idle for long, if at all."

---

On the walk back to the administrative building, Lilie’s phone pinged with a text notification.

Text from Kanalie

“I’m so sorry! I took a quick nap after class so I didn’t see your message! Yeah, we can totally hang out one of these days! Uh, does Thursday sound good?. It’s the boy’s date night so I’ll have some time to myself! <3”

Otherwise the walk was much the same, allowing the little group more time to themselves.

Meanwhile…

The Champion’s group made their way quickly into the dorm section and made their way to part of the dorms that was quieter than the rest. Only two students were in the garden between buildings and neither Hannah nor Evalyn paid the9m any mine. Hannah whispered a short incantation and made as if she was throwing a net over the group, holding her finger to her lips in a clear sign to shut the fuck up. Whatever she did seemed to render them unnoticeable, a vampire and mage nearly hitting them despite the fact they were looking straight at them. Evalyn led the group up to a door and unlocked it, ushering them inside.

The dorm was immaculate,almost nothing seemed to be touched. Evalyn and Hannah ignored most of the area. Instead, the beelined straight for the rooms and ducked into the first one.

“You guys check the other one. It might get kinda wierd so be careful. Put these on and drag out anything that looks like its meant for humans. Her dad is a “Mage Accessory” big whig so collars, leashes, restraints all come out in the living room.”

---

“Oh.” Liam’s face fell a little at the clear apathy in Max’s face and the blatant disregard for his hobby. “I think I’ll avoid that for now. Don’t really need celebrity drama on my blog, especially his. But hey, the offer to hang out is still there if you ever want to. I’m normally sobbing my eyes out in the library over the eight billion conjuration prep classes I have to take.” Liam chuckled and ruffled Maxie’s fur one last time before waving goodbye and slipping into the administrative building towards the Library.

The main administrative building muffled all sound as soon as the door shut behind them. A small reception area met the pair, a few comfortable chairs scattered around a couple tables with various forms stored carefully in vertical leather magazine holders. The receptionist wasn’t present behind the counter, a little sign with a clock on it reading another ten minutes, but several plaques acted as signs for various departments in the building. Student Housing, with Inquiries and Requisitions printed in cursive beneath the department name, stood out among Library, Tutoring, Finance, Student Government, and various other areas.

Following the Student Housing sign would take students down a few hallways and up one flight of stairs before depositing them in front of a large frosted glass wall with a door titled Student Housing. Beyond it, a small row of chairs lined the inside and three receptionists sat behind counters. A muted clicking filled the air, the sound of three pairs of hands typing into their computers, and a few students either trying not to doze off as their vampires chatted after running into each other in the office.

Ω Heroes of Olympus: The Next Age of Heroes Ω

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Aster Damien Luxiel

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Location: Wyandotte County Lake Park
Skills: N/A

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“A wedgie. Really?” Aster scoffed before bursting out laughing. “What are you guys, five? What shitty middle school drama are we in?” Aster didn’t particularly care about some stupid prank. It’d be a simple thing to make the big, scary Jackson a love sick fool, turn him on his siblings, and then break his heart when he inevitably was destroyed. Not even an Ares kid would stand up against the combined might of his own siblings so Aster wouldn’t have to deal with the “reward”part of the game. It was fool proof. Aster grinned smugly at Jackson and rolled his eyes at Angie.

“Yeah, well I’m bored. I can’t even touch up my nails or anything. Amonster would make the night go by faster at least.” The boy grumbled as Jackson left. It would even be entertaining to watch Jackson maul something by himself. They were sitting around a fire, making random guesses about someone’s parent, and then they’d have nothing to do but insult each other. Which was something Aster was all about but they’d been out on this silly clean up quest for Gods know how long and he was bored. But an idea pop in his head and he sent a wicked grin the new kid’s way.

“Heeeeeeey, Demitri. I know a way we could help prove if you’re Zesus’ kid. Since he’s the king of the gods, you as his son should be able to best the Ares kid in combat right? Maybe a little sparring between you two could help figure some stuff out.” Aster suggested innocently.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: The Mutant Underground (Floor 1)
Skills: Healing Factor

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---

“Well good morning to you too.” James chuckled at Casper, relief replacing the worry when the man’s eyes opened and he shot James a playful comment. He had been concerned at first. Casper hadn’t been making a recovery but when he felt his own heartbeat speed up in response to Casper’s, he knew it would be okay. He sat back heavily, taking a few deep breaths as the work he just did hit him hard. James hadn’t used this aspect of his power much before these past few days and it was still a drain on him, especially on someone as injured as Casper had been.

His eyes shot over to Jack, where he’d collapsed on the ground. James pushed himself back on his knees, shuffling around to be across from Casper. “I don’t need money dude. I'll get him back on his feet, don't worry.” James waved off Casper’s offers, laying his hands on Jack. He could feel his own body protest how soon he was doing this and normally he’d take a breather but Casper was desperate and he didn’t know how bad off Jack was. If he was anything near his brother, James didn’t have the time to wait. He took a deep breath and let himself sync up with Jack’s vitals and pushed to heal him as well as he could.

Skill use

Take 20 to heal Jack.

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Requiem

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Location: The Hellfire Club (D3)
Skills: Vocal Hypnosis

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---

Requiem clicked his tongue irritably as Max made his escape with the computer. Requiem didn’t particularly care to capture any of the remaining standing members―the invisible woman, Veil apparently thanks to the brat with the computer, would be enough to figure out why the hell they were here in the first place―but losing the computer would deal a critical blow to more than one aspect of the Hellfire Club and he couldn’t allow that to happen. He seethed inside, desperately interested in handling Glimpse now that her interference threatened a new plan involving the unconscious Emma Frost. How convenient would it be for their investigation if she woke up in a power dampened cell and Requiem was there to pick her brain? Her mental defenses were trivial details; thirst, hunger, and pain wore those down quickly enough.

“Ignore Veil and destroy the stolen computer.” Requiem demanded of Sapphire, Havok, and Glimpse, repeating it when it failed to take hold in the two women. Again, it failed to take and Requiem pursed his lips irritably, deciding that was a waste of time and instead prepared for someone to grab the unconscious woman. At least the most destructive of their little squad would deal with the thief.

Skill Check

Firearms skill roll to shoot anyone that approaches Veil

Mental Control

Havok: Ignore Veil and destroy the stolen computer