Avatar of Cello
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    1. Cello 4 yrs ago
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Recent Statuses

6 yrs ago
Current Sliced Bread is the best thing since Betty White
7 yrs ago
I finally got around to watching A Silent Voice. Very nice to see some deaf culture representation in anime.
5 likes
7 yrs ago
My room is so empty! All of my furniture sans bed and wardrobe have been moved to the new place. Not long now :)
3 likes
7 yrs ago
Buzzbead... BuzzBEAD. WHICH GEMSTONE ARE YOU? TAKE THIS INSIGHTFUL QUESTIONNAIRE TO FIND OUT!
7 yrs ago
*Downing a bottle of cab merlot whilst filling out mental illness quizzes on buzzbeed* COMING OUT OF MY CAGE AND I'VE BEEN DOING JUST FINE
1 like

Bio

"Just a white girl trying to enjoy the croutons in her salad."

Most Recent Posts

There'll also be a semi-strict posting policy, which will vary in length though no shorter than a week






Leon looked over Ria’s shoulder at the commotion surrounding a strange, talking machine that had been tossed through the guild’s window. His guild mates crowded around it, trying to ascertain its origin and purpose. If he hadn’t been talking to Ria already, perhaps he may have gone over to take a look himself. Though the mission to Era was intriguing enough. If not somewhat bothersome. These student uprisings were so common it was hard to imagine any work actually got done at Era University. The faculty deserved some kind of pay rise for all the nonsense they had to deal with. Ria spoke of a diplomatic mission, but if it was anything like Leon remembered then they should definitely be preparing for the worst.

Okay, I’ll give Irene a call.” Leon tried to suppress his childish grin to no avail. “She’s one of the smartest people I know. I’m sure she’ll be able to give us the information we need.” Leon gave Melia a little pat on her head, sending her back to the Fae realm while he went to get ready.

After a quick shower to clean himself off from his morning exercise, Leon dressed comfortably for the Era mission. Keeping his codex strapped to his hip, he would be prepared to summon one of his Pixies if the need arises. Even though he knew some of the more eccentric characters from the previous coups, he figured the stakes for this mission weren’t particularly high. Glancing over to his bedside table, a small communication device sat at the ready. Lacrima powered, it allowed wizards to communicate via voice over long distances through magic signals. He stared at the device for a short while, lost in thought.

It’s been a while since we’ve talked. Leon and Irene had kept up correspondence over letters, but it paled in comparison to the feeling of actually being with his friend. Would it be the same as he remembered? He reached for the device, punching in a series of symbols from a small, black notebook. The name ‘Irene’ was messily scrawled next to the array. He moved the device up to his mouth and awaited for the other end to receive the call.


Leon returned downstairs to meet up with Ria once Irene had given him a tip off of the situation. He had scrawled the details down onto a little scrap of paper. It was all pretty standard stuff, when it started and which faculty were caught up in the escapades. In particular, the list of students running the coup was what would be most valuable to them. Though Leon suspected from the beginning it would be them.

Alright, Irene says she’ll help us. We’ll meet her along with Professor Harvard’s thought projection at the University Belt.” Leon took another look at the flier, thinking of the group they would have to face against. He turned to Ria with his list.

Here’s who we’re up against.” Leon went on to describe the members of the student council who had all helped instigate the coup. Giselle Kaiser, a nice enough girl who Leon had shared a few classes with. Kai Haul, the guy was weird and Leon didn’t know much about him, truthfully. Ramiel Dreyar, a Dragon Slayer who Leon despised. He had been one of the few who insisted on antagonizing and demeaning him for his simpler upbringing compared to most of the student body. Hama Bloomfield, an entrepreneurial sort who Leon had the displeasure of dealing with when his Fairies caused some property damage to the school. On their own they weren’t too bad, some of them were even nice enough to have a chat with if you ran into them in the halls. Yet they were being led by Jana Fernandes, the younger sister of Professor Harvard. She was a wild child who used her brother's position as a means to get away with all sorts of rule-breaking shenanigans around the school. Leon avoided her like the plague during his time at Era - hoping she would graduate before he ever had to be on the receiving end of her ire.

We might want to see if anyone else wants to lend us a hand. If I know Jana, we’re going to be in for some trouble.
Boop



The last few weeks had been somewhat of a turning point for Leon’s regular routine. His first month at Fenixtear had been spent coasting around, fulfilling the bare minimum required to pay for his expenses. With the defeat of the dragon in Era, and the notoriety that came with it, the young man had decided to work a little harder at bettering himself as a mage. His mornings started earlier than they once did, a change he took some time to accept. It would become a habit eventually. It became clear during the battle that he lacked the stamina of his guildmates, so he had started going for runs at sunrise to help with his overall fitness. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Having returned from his run, Leon was cooling down with some iced tea at the bar counter - watching Zenith fuss about like a headless chicken. Today he had decided to bring Melia out for a little play. Unlike Lorelai, Melia held very little respect for Leon as her summoner. The pixie shared a similar likeness to Lorelai, albeit with more fuschia tones in her wings and dressing, but the comparisons ended there. Melia was obnoxious, mischievous and downright trouble. Just as one of Zenith’s patrons went to add additional seasoning to their meal, they would find the entire contents of the salt shaker poured out over their plate in a flakey pile. From underneath the table, a cheeky snicker confirmed the presence of the aforementioned fae.

The patron, one of the newer guild members, shot a nasty glare in Leon’s direction. He scratched the back of his head with his good hand, offering an apologetic nod. Melia fluttered beside him, still giddy with delight over her little stunt. She took note of his stern gaze, waving it off with a series of incomprehensible squeaks.

Please, Mel. Zenith is going to lose the plot if you keep screwing around with his meals.” Leon begrudgingly remembered the talking to he received the last time Melia decided to get creative. Bluntly put, a lot of the guild members weren’t too keen on the Pixie’s presence. While Leon would never try to control them forcefully, it was clear he didn’t command a lot of authority over them as a summoner. He continued to speak with Melia, his Fae having improved a fair bit over the last few weeks, before Ria turned up to his table with a job flier.

Oh, I’ve heard things were going a bit pear shaped over there.” Leon roused the flier from the counter, turning it over for additional information. He looked back at Ria with a slight grin.
I know the campus fairly well, but there’s always the risk someone would recognise me.” He rubbed his chin with his prosthetic hand, musing over the situation. The money would be a great help, and maybe he could convince them to acquit his debt instead of a scholarship. Perhaps Ria wanted the scholarship? He glanced at her sideways. He reckoned she would be a nice fit for Era. The two of them had spoken at length about magical theory and other thought provoking topics on many a night. Usually accompanied by warm mugs of cocoa. Even Lavinia joined in - though she didn’t seem much interested in Leon. The point being, Ria sported an intellect that matched a lot of his former peers at Era. He could see her getting into debates with the professors or lounging in a local cafe with fellow studnets pondering philosophy or other such topics.

Before he let his thoughts wander, he would offer an assured response to her original plea.
Yeah, sounds fun. I have a friend who still attends Era that will help us out.” He smiled, just the prospect of catching up with Irene was enough to brighten his day. “Oh, and I could also show you around to some real neat places. There’s this bookshop with a massive occult section; real big Lavinia vibe-” Leon began to babble on about a few other spots, more excited about the prospect of going on a mission with Ria than anything. He pushed down feelings of regret and shame, the memory of his failure at Era ever present.


To say today was eventful would be the understatement of the century. Leon had been eagerly anticipating his first real job as a mage, though he hadn’t quite expected to be thrown into the deep end so soon. The district in which the battle had taken place was charred almost beyond recognition. He had frequented this area not six months ago; stopped for drinks with friends after class, chatted up girls at the bookstore and walked past the Council building so many times the architecture was practically imprinted upon his retinas. Though he knew the city would recover, he still couldn’t shake the feeling of despair that came from gazing over the remnants of the life he left behind.

He shook his head. Today wasn’t the time to despair over such things; his guild had achieved a victory here. Though his part was minimal, he couldn’t help but bask in the pride of being a Fenixtear Mage.

As Grasidia was set to depart, Leon considered asking the plant mage if she would take Felix back with her. He didn’t mind taking the train, but it would be best for the young boy to get some rest in a proper bed as soon as possible. Yet he remained silent, watching her prepare for her departure. Back during the fight, Grasidia had scolded him for misdirecting his attention. Now, carrying the limp body of Felix over his back, it was clear she was right to disparage his efforts. He wasn’t ready to face her yet, now knowing she was right to doubt his judgement in the heat of battle. Leon had much to learn before he could stand before a mage like Grasidia with confidence.

As the Obsidian Kite airship descended upon the group, Leon would count his lucky stars at the prospect of a free, comfortable ride back to Crocus. Boarding the ship with his peers, he turned his head towards Lavinia while she spouted some nonsense of a diabolical nature.
God, you're weird.” He smirked, walking past her to find a suitable place to put Felix down for the trip. Settling on a row of seats that weren’t occupied, he lay the boy down across them before planting himself on the floor in front. He’d monitor Felix through the trip just to make sure everything was alright.
Here's a sheet for an NPC I've been working on with some relevance to Leon.



Leon was starting to feel spent. He always underestimated how draining healing magic could be when overused. Not to mention he wasn’t exactly known for his efficiency when casting spells - oftentimes blowing large amounts of his power unnecessarily. Thankfully it didn’t matter today, because they were safe and Felix was no longer in a critical state. Leon couldn’t help but feel a little proud at how well he’d managed to patch him up - it was his first time mending such a damaged body. So when Luke approached to check in on Felix, the healer was more than happy to offer back his own gleeful smile and thumbs up.

He’s going to be okay. Right now he just needs to rest.” Leon smirked, extending his fist to playfully nudge Luke in the shoulder.
You’re awesome man. Really smacked that beast around.” Not many people could dropkick a dragon in the face and live to tell the tale. Truly, he was surrounded by some pretty spectacular mages. One day, he hoped to join their league.

The familiar fluttering of wings from behind made Leon jump to his feet, spinning around to be face to face with his little pixie. Lorelai had returned from aiding Lilianna, crashing into her conjurer’s chest with an excited squeal. He returned the embrace with a gentle pat with his index finger.
You were great Lor. Go and rest now.” The fae nodded, dispersing into thin air with a puff of residual pixie dust. Leon hadn’t noticed Liliana until she called to him, thanking him for his efforts.

Leon could feel a warmth spread across his cheeks, his eyes welling up with joyful tears. Before he could start bawling, he quickly rubbed his sleeve across his eyes and tried to laugh it off. Standing tall, a childish grin plastered across his face, he tapped his Codex and spoke with pride.
Lorelai is really something special, isn’t she?” He was beaming. He had contributed so little, but his guildmates still valued what he could do. They had no idea how validating that was.
I’m just glad you’re alright.” It was the truth. Whilst Lilianna still looked a little run down, seemingly less affected by Leon’s healing than he’d hoped, she still looked pretty good for someone who took a dragon’s tail head on.

Leon paused for a moment when he remembered watching the tail swipe wipe her out across the streets of Era. He had been able to mitigate a good amount of the hurt on himself when the tail crashed into him. If he had been faster, more vigilant, better, then he could have done the same for Lilianna. Yet despite that realization, he was feeling too good about himself to let it bring him down. So instead, he pointed to the dragon slayer with confidence.

Next time, I’ll make sure you don’t need healing in the first place.

Gwen joined their group, checking in on Luke like the protective big sister Leon had heard much about from Ria. She turned to him and thanked the young mage for keeping her friends healthy.
"It's my pleasure, ma'am." Leon rubbed the back of his head. The praise was starting to become awkward. He wasn't used to it. It was very flattering though. Before anything else could be said, a reporter stopped by and asked the group to smile for a photo. Leon complied, though he admittedly looked quite awkward. Once they had left, he looked down at Felix’s still unconscious form and decided it would be better to bring him to the rest of the ground. Crouching down, he heaved the young boy up over his shoulder and fastened his prosthetic arm around his waist to keep him from moving around too much.

I’m going to go join the others.” Leon began, taking a brief glimpse at the chaos his guildmates were instigating.
I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. He mused, concerned that he would be caught up in the tomfoolery by association. He supposed there wasn’t much point standing around anymore though. It was with that resolve he began to approach the others, thinking it was time to get Felix back home to the guild for some rest.


Leon had spent the remainder of the battle crouched in the debris from when the dragon had sent him flying with its tail. His eyes were puffy with dried tears, his trousers stained with his own blood from the gash he had since patched up with a bit of restorative magic. The wound wasn’t that deep, so it had healed up nicely with minimal effort on his half. Meanwhile, Lorelai was still alongside Lilianna, making sure she was recovered enough before returning to Leon as per his request.

Gritting his teeth, Leon clenched his fists with such intensity his nails began to dig into the palms of his hands. Slumped over, the young mage let out a pained wince, but it was not physical pain he was feeling right now. His first chance to prove himself useful to his guild mates and he had spent most of the battle frozen up. When Marduk had dropped Felix off beside him, he couldn’t even muster the courage to help the boy through his own self pity. Luke had stopped by to pick the boy up, bringing him back to the group.

If not for the droplets of rain sending an invigorating sensation along his skin, Leon may have stayed where he was for quite some time more. Blinking, he caught a glimpse of his guild mates converging around the disintegrating dragon's corpse. Among them, he spotted Holly and Marduk. The former looked pretty worse for wear. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. How could he face them after failing them so spectacularly? Felix lay unconscious before the entire guild, and it was entirely his fault. He was so desperate to look useful that he ended up abandoning the only thing that was asked of him.

Now, drenched from head to toe under the sudden downpour, he would have to face the music. Raising himself from the ground, he held his codex firmly under his arm and began to approach his comrades. As he got closer, he took note of their injuries. They all got off so much worse than he did, yet they held the line. He didn’t deserve to stand among them. Once he was close enough to lay eyes on Felix’s still body, the boy’s wounds became much more apparent.
I’m…” He choked on his own words, eyes darting between his peers. “I… I can help Felix. Please, you’ve all done so much.

Please, let me do this for you at least.

Crouching besides the boy, a cursory glance at the amount he was perspiring confirmed him to be overheating from some unknown cause. Perhaps it was magical? Leon admittedly knew very little about Felix’s magic. For now he thought it best to proceed with his aid as normal. He first went to unzip the boy’s jacket to free his breathing of any restriction. As his hands got closer though, he felt an intense heat. His first instinct was to pull away, but Leon was determined to push through and help this kid. Taking the pain in stride, he managed to open up the jacket. Hopefully this would help him cool down a bit.

Opening up his codex, Leon lay his hands above Felix and began to channel Physick. The familiar green light swathed over the boy, pulsating back and forth along the length of his body. With less distraction, Leon’s healing worked a lot faster than it had on Grasidia during the battle. Once he had done all he could, Leon let his arms slump back down to his side with an exhausted sigh. He wasn’t sure when Felix would wake up, but at the very least he had stopped his condition from worsening. By the amount of power he had to exert just to stabilize him, it was clear things could have gotten worse if left unchecked.

All of a sudden Leon felt the familiar touch of sunlight against the back of his head, followed by an intense crash that shook him into a standing position. Fearing the dragon’s brother or cousin or something had decided to pay them a visit, his immediate reaction was to clutch the sides of his head in panic. Only for a man with a commanding, powerful voice to address the group.

Leon watched the standoff between Grasidia, Holly and this man - who would eventually introduce himself as Ajax Thera. The tension in the air was palpable. He hoped he would never find him on the receiving end of either Ajax’s or Grasidia’s intense presence. The conversation eventually came to a stop, with Ajax leaving the S Classes behind him in a stifling silence.
Uh, what now?” Leon questioned, looking to the other guild members for direction.


Grasidia’s unexpected hostility had definitely caught Leon off guard, but he understood her frustrations. Despite that, he couldn’t help himself from voicing his own concerns.
You’re one of our strongest mages, Ma’am. If we’re to stand a chance you need to be kept healthy too.” His words seemed to ring hollow, the plant mage ordering him to aid the others. At the very least she seemed a little less worse for wear than before. Leon turned to Lorelai, who was continuing to wrap Grasidia in her healing embrace just for a tiny bit of extra relief.

Alright Lor, that’s enough.” The fairy flew back to his side, resting on the young man’s shoulder. Tucking his codex away, Leon scanned around to try and find someone else in need of his assistance. Unfortunately the battle was much too chaotic for him to get a good grasp of his surroundings. Though the sight of a young Felix rushing in to face the beast immediately drew his attention.
What is he doing?! This was bad! Holly and Marduk had specifically told him to look after Felix and he’d already abandoned the young lad. Grasidia was right - he has wasted his efforts and now Felix was in peril. He began to move forward, thinking he could try and protect the boy at the last moment. He willed his legs to move another step, but a blood curdling screech locked his muscles in place. The dragon was enraged. Fear had Leon in its grasp, Lorelai’s words of encouragement falling on deaf ears. Then the dragon readied its breath attack.

If not for Grasidia’s brambles, Leon would surely have been roasted to a crisp. Falling backwards, he took a moment to catch his breath as the heat of the flame breath lashed all around him. Had Grasidia managed to protect Felix too? He would never forgive himself if he has failed to keep him same. Once the flames subsided, Leon peaked out from behind his cover just in time to see Zenith escorting Felix to safety. What a relief. Before he had time to get comfortable, the ground rattled and warped around him - the result of the dragon’s body slamming down to the earth with immense force. The foundation of the streets around him buckled, and Leon employed a bit of quick footwork to try and stop himself from being swallowed up by debris. Jumping from large pieces of unstable ground, he made his way to a patch of earth that was relatively untouched. The decimation of Era surrounded him, but at least his friends had managed to get some good hits in on the creature. Or so he thought.

Leon couldn’t believe his eyes, the dragon was healing itself! It was hopeless to try and fight this thing. Though it seemed he had resigned himself to despair a tad too early. His allies were not so complacent as to let the beast get away with dismissing their efforts to fell it. A good portion of its face, neck and wing bloomed into sanguine thorns - a sight that sent shivers down Leon’s spine. No doubt that was Lavinia’s doing. Did blood magic have to be so unsightly?

Meanwhile Holly’s assault, cleverly taking advantage of the Dragon’s own carnage of the surrounding area, pelted the monster with chunks of rubble and debris. Wait, was that Clover being flung towards it as well? Leon watched him torpedo into the dragon before attempting to further rend its wound apart. That was definitely one way to go about it. All the while, Grasidia continued to subdue the beast with her vines, but it would seem the effectiveness of her restraints was starting to fade. That was when he saw the tail swipe heading straight for Lilianna. Damnit, in all the chaos he had failed to keep an eye out for his other guild members. He winced at the sight of the dragonslayer’s body being sent reeling from the attack.

The dragon’s tail swipe didn’t end there, continuing along its arc and heading straight towards Leon. Lorelai braced for impact, but thankfully the young mage had been given enough warning of the impending attack to pull his codex in front of him.
Adloquium!” He shouted, the same magic circle from when he had healed Grasidia bursting forth from the flipping pages of his book. From the bottom of his feet, an array of tessellating hexagons began to solidify into a crystalline force that enveloped him in a sphere of protective magic. The shield had only just finished taking form right as the tail collided with it. The barrier shattered immediately, but had thankfully managed to absorb a good amount of force from reaching Leon. He was still flung backwards, tumbling along the streets in a messy heap. Lorelai flew to his side, beginning to heal him with her own regenerative magic.

Raising himself to a kneel, Leon pointed towards his injured teammate and issued a pressing order to his Pixie.
Go to Lilianna! Do whatever it takes to get her back in the fight!” Lorelai hesitated not wanting to leave her conjurer in an injured state, prompting a much more forceful shout.
Go! She’s more important than I am!” Leon was practically useless against this dragon, but he could at the very least try to keep his allies safe. He attempted to stand up, only to be met with a throbbing pain in his right leg. Crumpling to the ground, he winced whilst examining the gash along his thigh. Probably nipped it on some jagged rubble.

I’ll be fine.” Lorelai wasn’t reassured, but she reluctantly darted away towards where Lilianna was. When she had stopped in front of her, Leon closed his eyes and began to focus his magic. In front of his face, a magic circle depicting a pair of butterfly wings formed.
Whispering Dawn” On his command, Lorelai began to pulse with energy, twirling around Lilianna before an intense plume of pixie dust burst from all around her. In addition to her own healing magic, the additional restorative effects from her spell began to mend Lilianna’s wounds much faster than if he had relied purely on Lorelai’s embrace.

Leon watched as Felix began his assault again, only to be taken out by one of the dragon's attacks. Similarly, Zenith had a gout of intense fire breath aimed towards him. Leon grit his teeth and attempted to stand up again, but his body failed him.
Come on! Move!” Tears welled up in his eyes. He pounded his prosthetic fist into the side of his good leg. “Move!” Unfortunately, he could not overpower his instincts right now. Everything in his body was screaming at him to run and hide, to give up and let be. No matter how hard he wanted to continue helping he just couldn’t force himself to move. How pathetic. He’d only received mild injuries and was already at the end of his rope? He started to think perhaps his guildmates should have questioned bringing him along rather than Felix. At least Felix had the guts to keep on fighting despite all odds. Through his tears, Leon looked over to Lilianna and prayed Lorelai’s efforts accumulated to something. He hated to leave Zenith and Felix without his aid, but he had to trust that the other more composed members of the group would be capable of helping them.
@j8cob Can I join that wait-list queue?


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