Hero

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

Lilie's hands flew to her ears as she squeezed her eyes shut. Grinding again! She was going to go deaf at this rate! As she felt the platform move she let out a gasp, opening her eyes as she realized their surroundings were changing. Why was this place so focused on trying to drown them?! Or crush them, judging by the ceiling suddenly starting to crack. Surprisingly, she wasn't nearly as panicked as she should be--before she was trapped and powerless, but now she was free and ready to rumble.

Okay, since the cat hadn't transformed, it was safe to assume that was what they needed, so that was good. Testing her control with a flick of her wrist, she turned back towards Ben, finding him just standing there. Did he not see what was going on? She tugged at his arm, letting out a small squeak of surprise as the platform shifted. She opened her mouth to talk to him but was surprised when he spoke. Okay, if he agreed that they needed to go, then why wasn't he moving? Wait, he did mention that he heard a woman sobbing before, was it someone he knew?

Despite her hesitance--she wasn't really keen on seeing another loved one dead or dying if she was being honest--she stole a glance at what had Ben's attention. A woman was chained to the pillar, and she felt a pang of guilt seeing how panicked and beaten she looked. She didn't know who she was, but Ben looked like he had just seen a ghost. Whoever it was, she was clearly important enough to actually stop Ben; until this point he was always so stiff and proper that part of her was convinced he was more of a robot than anything, and seeing him actually shaken was...weird.

But now wasn't the time to ask, especially since she was a fan of not drowning. Putting her arm around Ben's waist and making sure he wouldn't drop the opal cat, she eyed the little entrance they had crawled through, and groaned. This was probably gonna hurt. "Hang on, we're leaving," She told him (even though she was pretty sure he wasn't paying attention) as she made the water surround them, and once she was sure she had enough, she pushed them out, hugging Ben tightly as they turned and shot through it.

Of course, like the first time she had launched herself, she greatly underestimated her heightened ability. They went fast, too fast, and it was only by a panicked push upwards that they didn't crash into the bottom of the pool. That push, however, sent them flying, and she had to release Ben to make sure they didn't crash into the ground. By some miracle, they landed in one piece, although she did have to cough up some water.

"We're alive!" She cheered, throwing her arms up. After a few seconds, the adrenaline seemed to fade, and she realized that she was now soaked. Good thing she had taken off her boots, she probably would've ruined the material. She released her bun and wringed out her ponytail, looking over at Ben. "Are you okay?" She asked Ben.

---

Taking on the challenge with @Bert Macklin.

ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴩᴀᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴩɪᴅᴇʀ ʟɪʟɪᴇꜱ

歩き続ける 彼岸花 咲き続ける



ɪ ᴋᴇᴇᴩ ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ
ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴩɪᴅᴇʀ ʟɪʟɪᴇꜱ
ᴋᴇᴇᴩ ʙʟᴏᴏᴍɪɴɢ

---

The world knew darkness long before it learned of light. Creatures born of evil called demons roamed the land freely, only ever fearing the light of the sun. Nighttime was their domain until the gods blessed the world with the moon--so long as it shined it would grant humankind reprieve from the night's terrors and banish them to the shadows. However, the demons proved time and time again that they would not be forgotten so easily as they would corrupt the moonlight that kept humans safe, resulting in a phenomenon called the Red Moon. In an effort to counteract this, humankind prayed to the gods for salvation. The moon's blessing manifested in bits of light forming tiny crystals, and those who could unlock and wield their power seized the chance to take back the land. They erected barriers around their towns to protect themselves and would destroy any creature that sought to harm them. With time, these people were called Lunari Priests, and the scattered towns worshiped them as they grew in size. These days each Lunari was tasked with preparations for keeping up the magic of the barriers throughout the Red Moon.

Curiously, just as the next Red Moon nears, the Lunari Priests have been disappearing, one by one...

---

Final Fantasy Crystallum en Absentia

---

---

The streets of Alexandria were a lot different than Luna had imagined, albeit she blamed her uneasiness on the day's events. It didn't seem like her attempt at her spell had caused much of a commotion, fortunately, so that was one less thing to worry about. Still, there was an uneasiness that gripped her, like a cold chill had draped itself around her. She supposed it didn't help that she felt like she was being buried in her thoughts, a multitude of possibilities running through her mind. The rise in monsters, the black crystals--this one was so close to Alexandria that it worried her, but what could she do?

Letting out a sigh, it took Luna a moment to realize she had completely bypassed the shops. Oh, how careless of her, she really needed to pay better attention. As she looked around to see where she had ended up, she noticed the crowd had gathered by the fountain. Strange, she didn't think there would be any proclamations today. But the sound of bells and coins clinking together made her think they were watching something interesting, and she ended up quietly making her way around to get a better look.

A blond miqo'te stood out among the citizens, striking out among his surroundings in a blaze of blue--though she couldn't help but think he would have stood out even if he wasn't the one everyone was watching--dancing with such fluid movement that it reminded her of fabric fluttering in the breeze. A lame comparison, sure, but in the moment she really couldn't think of anything better. The way he moved was mesmerizing, the way he manipulated the fans adding a sort of zest that captured the attention of the people watching. Luna blinked slowly, admittedly drawn in by the style--that was nothing like anything she had ever seen before.

That said, she was so drawn in that only when the crowd erupted into applause did she realize she was still staring at the miqo'te, jumping slightly but hastily clapping along as well. What a show!

---

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

"Ow...ow...ow! That one hurt...ow..." Lilie's opinion of the glittering rocks definitely soured the further she crawled. The pains on her hands wan't terribly bad, more annoying than anything, but each one on her knees felt like getting prodded with needles. Her muttering was consistent with each hit, the girl stopping once or twice to give the rocks a scolding look. By the time they had reached the opening, she had thrown caution to the wind and was way too happy to be back on her feet, only pausing to rub her sore spots.

The scene was as pretty as up above, the sight of the flowers in particular wowing Lilie. She was all too happy to see that they matched the water lilies above, though she shook her brother out of her thoughts as she continued to look around. Unlike before, there didn't seem to be a bottom to the pools surrounding them, and Lilie couldn't help but shudder slightly as she looked around for some sort of clue. The cat in the center was definitely noticeable, but after her experience with the koi fish, she wasn't exactly eager to touch anything.

At the mention of a woman sobbing, Lilie perked up, looking around worriedly. What woman? She couldn't hear a lot over the waterfalls, so she wasn't entirely sure what Ben was talking about. At least they were both wary of the cat, but Lilie was still a little confused by what Ben meant when he said there might be more to what was in front of them. Still, even as she did as instructed, there was nothing but stone behind each waterfall.

As Lilie released the water, she gave Ben a small shrug. "Um, there's nothing around us. It looks like maybe taking the cat is safe? Or, well, we won't know unless we try taking it...?" She told him, scratching her cheek. So long as it didn't cancel her magic, in the worst case scenario she could maybe shoot them through the path they came from. Or at least, that was her backup plan for now. "But, um, what woman are you talking about? I didn't hear any crying."

---

Taking on the challenge with @Bert Macklin.

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

Bashful was not a word in Eris' vocabulary. What did that even mean, anyway? Okay, he knew the dictionary definition but that wasn't what he was trying to say. Eris was just feeling a little weird and reluctant to admit things, and maybe he was a little vulnerable right now, but bashful? Really? Was he? This was just one of the strangest nights in his life, further cemented when he dared himself to look at Max and was met with a weird sort of grimace. Buddy, no need to look at him all weird, Eris was mighty tempted to jump back in the shower and scrub himself clean of this feeling.

Honestly he was tempted to just laugh it off and say it was some sort of joke, but the thought made Eris tired. Well, he was already tired. Maybe he was just tired. Keeping a neutral expression, he gave Max a dismissive wave. "As much as you barely tolerate the minimum interaction thing we have going on, I need to know this sort of thing," No games, no lying, just a straightforward response. That wasn't weird, right? Right. "Investing in your future and developing you as I see fit means I need to know the paths and decisions you decide to make. Since, you know, it'll look real weird if I lend you out to someone promising them you can make something in gold and instead you're better suited for skewering someone."

Not that the kid cared about anything like that, of course, but it wasn't about what he wanted, it was about what Eris wanted. And Eris wants to make sure to never embarrass himself in front of anyone important--bad enough that Sunny knew more than he did, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't do his best to change that. Besides, it would get Ismene off his back for not 'trying enough' and 'alienating him' or whatever the hell her last complaint was.

Of course, even he recognized that Max had zero incentive to do as instructed, so Eris decided to add, "And that entails all the goodies: extra tutoring, better magical items, connections with higher learning institutes..." He shrugged, rubbing his sore shoulder. "And whatever else. I mean, I guess if you chose not to say anything I can just annoy the shit out of you until you give me what I want, but that sounds like too much work and I have better things to do."

And now to address the weird thought. "The only reason I'm even bringing any of this up is because the whole point of the practical was to bring vampire and mage closer together," He stated, almost huffing as he rolled his eyes. "I'm not being weird. Everything I said was perfectly valid." He couldn't help but mutter the second half, feeling like he was trying to justify it more to himself than Max.

---

Blah blah blahing with @Scribe of Thoth

Scion: Children of Light

Sarahi wasn't entirely sure why she was surprised to have been delegated to servant so quickly. Expecting the worst was her typical way of thinking--nothing in life came without some sort of great annoyance. Maybe it was because this was actually something she had been looking forward to, or maybe for just a second she had somehow assumed her new mentor wouldn't be the same as the other adults in her life. Then again, she had some sort of expectations for the magically inclined and highly respected the art of magic and those who rose through the ranks and assumed they had some sort of dignity about them. But no, she was entirely wrong.

Diadem had nearly come out in full force, although they chose to cling and climb all over her hair and clothes, looking around at the various people she passed. She ignored their occasional whispers, acutely aware that she probably sounded like she was jingling with every step and movement. Unfortunately, when she walked back to the Magus, Berenice Whats-her-name was there, too. Great, she was going to get a massive headache from this interaction, she could already tell. She didn't miss that questioning look, either, glaring daggers at the brunette in return. Did it look like she was enjoying this?!

Just as the urge to drop the next plate and walk away came, Diadem was spooked, hastily hiding under her hair and cloak. Sarahi had seen it so many times that she wasn't remotely surprised when the last third of the trio came over with their tutelary, a falcon of some sort. Interesting, although the constant tingling Diadem chirped in panic ruined the first impression just a touch. The only solace she got was that the Magus found Berenice just as irritating, though that wasn't saying much since her first impression on Sarahi was well into the negatives. Have some dignity she said while ordering Sarahi around like a servant. This was all so stupid.

Did she forget that Sarahi was the only one around when she first spoke of training? Not only was the Magus a lazy fuck, she was also either forgetful or delusional. Yeah, because anyone would equate sending someone to fetch food with actual training. This was all going to be painful, wasn't it?

To her surprise, it looked like the Magus was actually doing something of value. Straight into the pyramid, huh? About time they were doing something of value. Though if her initial interaction had any indication, they were probably going to do some dusting or something mundane.

All care thrown aside, she decided she may as well get her expectations out of the way. "Are we doing actual training, or is it favors disguised as 'training' like fetching you food and drink?" She asked, not bothering to hide her bitterness. "Because I'm not here to be anyone's servant."

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

Yeah as much as I'd like that dynamic, stone is right, though I'd be more than happy to establish that sort of relationship!

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

In case I described it poorly, the way the dorms work is that they have the same lobby/common room, and then split into the male and female parts of the building with two different hallways. So technically all the dorms are in the same building.

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

stone don't need no instruction manual!!!

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

He could always wander back down to meet the dorm advisor!