Hero

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅 & 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉

On this day, Raghba Shahr knew nothing but joy.

Founded one hundred and eight years ago today, its citizens celebrated the success of their kingdom. The streets were flooded with people as they took to enjoying themselves, taking every chance to fill on food and drink. For the most part, the spirit was shared among both peasant and royalty; within the castle walls, the Sultan had invited several important figures, intent on showing the capital their leaders.

That said, there was one who did not quite participate. While the Sultan was all too happy to impart his joy, a man known as Khedive Raoul had an imposing aura about him. His composure was kept in expression save for his eyes: a tranquil fury filled them as he glanced over the crowds outside. He tapped his cane with long fingers, only moving when a guard approached him. His scowl was plain at this point, though he didn’t need to respond as said guard departed immediately.

His name was then called, and after putting on some semblance of a pleasant expression, rejoined the other nobility. The guard that had departed exited the room, letting out an exasperated sigh before straightening up at the arrival of the captain.

“Khedive Raoul has asked to increase the numbers in the search,” He stated.

The captain slowly shook his head, unamused. An escaped concubine of sorts wasn’t necessarily anything urgent, but the Khedive insisted on her recovery sooner than later while urging for discretion. “I won’t afford him any more, it shouldn’t be so difficult to find one woman,” He replied curtly. “Quietly, get to it. I’ll take over from here.”

The guard nodded, taking off in the direction of the populace. Music filled the entire city at this point, conversations shouted over one another in an effort in communication. Throughout the celebrations, the occasional guard was seen conversing with another. They would never linger, their reactions a mix of disbelief and exasperation. The result was a stumbling search as the guards alternated between caution and carelessness obvious to any who looked.

Emerging from an alleyway once the guard had passed, the raven haired woman took a look around. The celebration had been just as good a distraction as any, though judging by the guards crawling around, her presence was missed. For now, that simply wasn’t her concern, though she did stop to tug at the golden choli; considering his insistence that she was his tawaif and not his ’courtesan’ as the servants assumed, the man certainly liked the idea of showing her off. The sari was less modest than the others she was used to, the slit outright scandalous, as if her midriff hadn't shown enough skin as it was. But he had assured her of its fine quality, pointing out the intricate designs of gold on blue. She could have believed him if he had been subtle at all, but at this point she knew better.

She stopped as she heard a commotion, raising an eyebrow. Right, then, if she was to escape, then she would need another pair of hands. But there was nothing wrong with a little exploration, her eyes drawn to a small gaggle of women dancing for a crowd.

Of Blood and Magic

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A bunch of falling rocks was more along what Eris had thought the practical would be, so he could honestly say he was surprised when Wells admitted he had dropped something. The wind blowing through gave him an additional spook, but he shrugged it off as he focused more on not dropping the block. Well, physical contact wasn't doing anything at least, but he figured it might do something else eventually. His thumb continuously ran over the star symbol as he tried to focus on it. Definitely a star, but aside from size and shape, he couldn't really tell anything else otherwise.

Once they came to a stop, Wells went ahead and described what was next. He didn't read the next riddle out loud, but he seemed confident enough in what they needed to do. 'Stratum Picon'...the first word meant layer or something, the second was French for 'pick', but he wasn't sure what they meant together. A 'layered pick'? That couldn't be right. There might have been more to it, but he'd have to just let him take the lead.

He went along with whatever the kid wanted, changing the block to the same hand the vambrace was on. "Block in, countdown, gibberish. Got it," Eris replied, lightly rolling his shoulder. "Is that all there is to it? Or is this the first part to something?" He remained relaxed, waiting for the pull.

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Getting ready to sync with @Scribe of Thoth.

Of Blood and Magic

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See, that was the kind of thinking Eris could get behind. There was the tiniest chuckle before he felt the vambrace getting tugged, and he followed suit in the hopefully right direction. He lightly rubbed the block, frowning as he tried to think of the riddle. There were likely to be more parts to it, but since Wells was more concerned about getting the practical done sooner than later, he wouldn't stress himself out too much over it.

That said, Eris did feel like he should try the small talk thing again, only with more relevant topics. Maybe he'd start dropping some other gossip topics, but there wasn't nearly enough time in the night to properly discuss to get an effective conversation going. Going forward, he would make sure to try to keep the kid in the loop with anything relevant; it was only natural that he have some sort of idea on important people and important information to casually bring up if the occasion ever came. Or whatever.

The vampire stopped as he heard something hit the ground, tensing up immediately. Was there someone else there? Was it the kid? Fuck, he hated this so much, anytime he thought he was finally begrudgingly getting used to it only for something to remind him that not seeing sucked. "Uh...was that you, or...?" Eris asked slowly, holding the block to his chest almost protectively.

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Getting a lil spooked with @Scribe of Thoth.

[c a n c e l e d]

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The harmonic chirping was accompanied by a buzzing sound, ignored even as its owner sat less than a foot away. Miriam was more focused on prettying herself up more than anything at the moment, her brush effortlessly traveling through her hair. It was pointless to go out in public if you weren't going to look your best at all times, and needless to say, she did have an ulterior motive. She had actually looked forward to the school year; ironically, it was at Alexandrina Prep that she felt independent and on top of her game. The only thing she really missed were her cats, of course, but lately she felt that she was ready to be taken seriously in the world.

That said, her phone wouldn't stop giving notification after notification, and once she finished with her hair, she decided to see what the buzz was all about. She had gotten tagged in some image someone had taken, and after squinting at it, she realized it was a board of pictures. What was this all about? She almost dismissed it until she spotted Zacharias' face among them. 'The Saint' was right underneath, and it took her a moment to think about that. Cute, but she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about someone else penning him.

She scanned the rest of the picture, eyebrows shooting up as she saw her own face. Ugh, what a terrible picture, she knew she never should have uploaded that one. She narrowed her eyes, unamused as she finally noticed what was put underneath. The tag wasn't at all flattering, either; it was downright offensive considering the connotations. That someone would compare her to an animal of sin of all things was completely ridiculous. "How daft," She muttered, putting her phone down and giving it no further thought as she put herself to work on her makeup.

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Texting @Amore

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The Festival of Destiny

Lia Avonmore

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Name

Lia Avonmore
_{→ Princess Cordelia Merise Thalassa VII}

Age

21

Species

Thalassan Mermaid

Gender

Female

Sexual Orientation

Heterosexual

Job

Royal Princess of the Thalassa Kingdom

Appearance

Normally clad in aquatic armor, Lia sports a violet tail with orange fins on her head and hips. Her bright, aqua colored hair matches her eyes. Her mark takes the shape of a stylized crescent moon and is located on her upper right arm, accompanied by her summoning markings located on her upper arm. While on the surface, she wears a magically enhanced necklace to help her keep her legs.

Likes

• Meeting new people
• Swimming for obvious reasons
• Fizzy beverages
• Music is always fun, watching or playing
• Love and romance!

Dislikes

• The dry feeling of air
• Cold temperatures
• Disrespect, especially if she's touched without permission
• Violence
• People who abuse their power

Personality

Cordelia is a bubbly, charismatic young woman. She's very open and welcoming, able to communicate with nearly anyone while keeping a bright smile on her face. She's curious about others, always wanting to delve into her thoughts, though she is quick to put up her own walls when inquired about. Despite her sunny appearance, she tends to get lost in thought a lot, and is on the forgetful side of things. She seeks to avoid fighting and arguments, though understands they're inevitable. Often, she prefers to keep her insecurities and fears to herself, though once in a while she'll let her true feelings slip.

The princess carries the grace and poise of royalty, as expected--or at least, she does underwater. Above ground she is still naturally graceful, though a lot clumsier considering that she is not entirely used to being on land, and for so long. She is still somewhat naive, believing that most people have good intentions even when its clear they don't. Her first reaction when running into trouble is usually to cry, feeling at a loss whenever she isn't sure what to do. She desperately feels that finding her other half will make her happy, and the thought of ending up alone terrifies her.

Biggest Fear

The thought of being thrown away terrifies Lia to no end.

Greatest Dream

Becoming a blushing bride is her number one priority, of course!

Background

The Kingdom of Thalassa

One of the kingdoms of the seven seas, Thalassa is known for having one of the longest lineages that date back several millennia, priding itself as a historical landmark with the Library of the Ancients housed on a small island above the kingdom. Its creator and founder was said to have the ability to command the very seas themselves, blessed with a trident created by the gods themselves. Said trident is passed down from generation to generation, the ability to wield it proof of their lineage.

As the second child, it took Lia some time to realize that her life was meaningless. Her mother died giving birth to her, her father stricken with disease when she turned seventeen. Her older brother, Aedre, is the heir apparent to the throne. After the tragic passing of her father, his position was all but guaranteed. The responsibility was great, and despite the burden of royalty he swore he would do everything it took to uphold their father's legacy. He promised his younger sister an easy life, telling her she was free to do as she wished.

Except, Lia didn't know what to do with her life.

She dabbled in a few hobbies here and there, even tried her hand in politics once or twice, and despite having no real troubles to speak of she found things needlessly dull. It wasn't until a nobleman had offered her his hand in marriage that she started thinking about that sort of thing. Her brother told her stories of her long-deceased mother and father, of a romance that bloomed between them. Lia found herself illuminated, an idea hitting her: all she had to do was find her other half. She was Marked just like her parents, so that meant that if she wanted to have meaning in her life again, then she needed to follow in their footsteps!

And so began her search, visiting different kingdoms and going through every eligible bachelor she could get her hands on. Granted, she actually didn't realize how the Mark worked and after some gentle coaxing from Aedre, she put her energy into properly understanding what she needed to do. The stars seemed to align, with the Festival of Destiny right around the corner. All that was left to do was to brush up on some mermaid magic and practice using her legs!

Personality Questions

1. What is their worst specific memory from childhood?
- Overhearing that she was just a spare to the throne affected her a lot more than she would have liked to admit.
2. What do they think of being Marked? Do they believe in it? Have they come to the festival in search of love, or for some other reason?
- Being Marked means she is destined for happiness, so of course she believes in it. The festival is not only where she will find love, but her future as well.
3. Spirit animal?
- A soft and fluffy sheep! _{You thought it was going to be some kind of aquatic animal, didn't you?}
4. Thing they’re most proud of?
- Her persistence. Many of her kind have noted just how her spirit never gives up! _{Though she isn't sure if that's positive or not...}
5. Thing they’re most ashamed of?
- Her desperation to find her other half is glaringly obvious. She wishes it were less so.
6. What motivates them?
- The prospect of finding true love! She knows that this festival is her chance and has put all her energy into finding her 'One and only'.
7. What would they change about themselves if they could?
- Maybe her impulsiveness could use some work? And she would have liked to have known her beloved was on land, she would have had much more practice with legs had she known!
8. What’s most important in a romantic partner?
- The most important thing is feeling happy just to be together.

Extra

Trivia

Mermaids going to the surface isn't uncommon. Most that live close to the coast transition seamlessly and have almost no limits to how long they can stay with legs. However, those that don't transition often tend to have a more definite limit.
Lia is currently planning to attend the festival incognito, not wanting to intimidate her future husband with her royal position.

Color Code: 94fcfc | Light Blue
Theme song: Something beautiful and romantic!

Of Blood and Magic

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After staring at the plants for a moment, Lilie crossed her arms as she thought to herself. Two plants, something safe at night, and blooming. The direction was obvious, so this must have been part of the extra credit. She frowned, mumbling the phrase as she tried to think. Nighttime was always associated with darkness and fear, so there really wasn't anything that kept them 'safe'. Unless it was a vampire. But 'vampire's bane' was the sun. Or something? She would have to really think about it, but she did feel that the bloom part definitely referred to a flower--she just needed to decide which flower to take.

The vials had to do something, right? She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought that standing around waiting for something to happen wasn't really productive. Her eyes flickered to the vials and back down at the plants. Well, if they were supposed to 'see something bloom' then maybe the vials were magic! Yeah, that sounded right to her, at least. Or maybe it was just a step in the right direction--not that every single doubt was buzzing in her head considering she had been wrong.

Lilie nodded to herself, deciding to throw caution to the wind. Carefully taking one of the vials, she knelt down and gingerly poured the substance over one bulb from each bush. Okay, if it really was magic, then this would probably help them 'bloom' or whatever, right?

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Staying close to @Bert Macklin.

[c a n c e l e d]

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"Yes, Mom...No, Mom." Juliette had repeated the same four words for what felt like all morning, phone to her ear as she unwillingly listened to her mother's rambling. It was a lot of 'be careful' and 'behave' and a few other jabs here and there (including one on how her last picture made her face look fat so now she would obsess over that for the next fifty-two hours) but otherwise, she was used to it by now. In a way, it did help her nerves, at least, so instead of freaking out about how she wanted to make a good impression on the senior class and make some new friends, now she was just freaking out about her classmates probably noticed her fat face. Fun!

Spotting what she assumed was a welcome board, she silently thanked God for the out of the phonecall. "Okay, Mom, I have to go," Juliette said as she tried to peek over the slowly forming crowd. The board of pictures and labels came off as weird, and it took her longer than it should have to notice that it wasn't a welcome board--or at least not one that she had seen. Was it some kind of practical joke? She thought of ignoring it, but as soon as she spotted a flash of red, she did a double take. What the--that was her! And they totally stole that picture from her Instagram! Ugh, she loved that picture, she managed to get her hair absolutely perfect despite the constant wind. Her only real regret was not taking a picture of the rest of her outfit, but she had been feeling kinda blegh because of all the--

Wait, wait, wait, no, no, now was not the time to start reminiscing! More importantly, she needed to know what the heck was under her picture. 'The Bird'. Like, what? Did they find out about her secret shower karaoke sessions? She knew she shouldn't have sung so loud, but once she was in the mood, there really was no stopping her. Except, she didn't know anyone that would know about that. She was new here, how could anyone know anything about her? She let out a small whimper, whatever previous calm she had shooting away as she nervously chewed on her lower lip. She messed up already without even knowing it! How could she be considered anything on her first day?!

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𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅 & 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉

Of Blood and Magic

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At least they both thought Ryner just did this to mess with the vampires. Eris sighed, the confirmation dragging his mood down rather than lifting it. He did manage to hold in a yelp as he was suddenly pulled forward, though his expression made absolutely no effort in hiding his unamused expression. He hated getting pulled without warning, would it kill the kid to give him a heads up?! Then again, he was probably enjoying this, no amount of goodwill or trust would ever erase the mini power trip that probably came with the practical.

That said, at least he made good on actually informing Eris of what the next challenge was. The first thing he thought was that he took solace in silence, but he was pretty sure that might have been overthinking things. They probably needed to take the blocks, but if they had runes, then he wasn't sure what they meant. If there were multiples, it did mean that they were probably meant for a limited amount of students, or so he assumed.

"One block for you, one block for me, could be used for a future puzzle," Eris guessed, scratching his chin as he walked forward and right into the table, letting out a slight gasp of surprise. Maybe now was the time to kick the habit of walking while talking. "The 'solace' part is what I don't get. What, are we supposed to comfort the blocks? Cradle them as we go along?" He felt the table, hand brushing against one block as he picked it up. Carefully running his fingertips over it, he felt the indents, recognizing the pattern as stars.

"Can't be harmful to take them along, if there aren't that many then it's first come first serve," He noted, covering the block with both hands just to see if it did anything. "And even if we get it wrong, it blocks someone else from doing well and that's always fun." And that much did make him feel a little better. Who didn't like a little sabotage?

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Using his last two brain cells to help @Scribe of Thoth.

Of Blood and Magic

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The trek was mostly silent with Lilie focusing on her magic. When she first cast the spell, she saw things crystal clear, but if her affinity lessons taught her anything, it was that she had a tendency to push too much magic into everything. The last thing she wanted was to fail because she ran out of magic, so she was trying to limit the spell as best she could. That and she felt like she should've seen something by now, right? Did she do something wrong?

She bit her lip worriedly, though she took in a deep breath to calm herself. She was getting nervous, the weird feeling of holding a vampire growing more and more to her. They weren't warm at all, making her feel like she was holding a mannequin's hand or something, but honestly, she felt like she was getting all nervous and more attentive to that because she was convinced she messed up somehow. The one thing she wanted to do well, and she probably messed up. She didn't think she could hate things any more than right now.

Unfortunately, Ben didn't like her response. Of course he wanted to talk, why wasn't she surprised? But she really, really didn't want to, she wanted to get to the next place already. She sighed, trying to think of something. "Well, like I said, you didn't really do anything wrong," She admitted, and that much really was true. "Arcane magic doesn't come as easy to me as my affinity, it's actually really hard for me and I have to practice a lot just to be on the same level as my classmates. So...just let me focus. Please."

Lilie stopped for a second as she spotted another plaque. Finally! She released Ben's hand as she approached the sign, squinting at it. If she read the sign out loud, that would make it seem like she was including him. She decided to read the clue out loud, that way if he wanted to offer whatever advice he wanted he could, and she would avoid any more uncomfortable talking.

"A little lost is not all bad but it's time to find your way," She read out loud, the realization hitting her after it was said. Lost? But she went east! Unless she wasn't supposed to? Great, the sign ratted her out. She should've just kept it to herself, now he knew she messed up, too. Clearing her throat, she kept reading. "Now that sight is lost, what keeps you safe in these early nights? See it bloom and take it South."

She eyed the vials warily, then looked at the bushes. Approaching one, she knelt down and gently ran her thumb over the bulb. The picture of a trumpet-shaped flower made her think it could have been a honeysuckle, but she didn't know for sure. As for the other one, it reminded her of a rose bush. Would the vials make them blossom, maybe?

Looking back at Ben, she sighed again. Maybe she should clue him in. "There's a bunch of vials hanging from the treetops, and there's two bushes with signs. One has a trumpet shaped flower with stars and the other one has a spiral flower pattern," She told him as she stood up straight.

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Staying close to @Bert Macklin.