Hero

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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Rubbing her temples for a second, clearly the girl had to resist the urge to whack Noriaki upside the head. The other three weren't helping much, either; judging by their uniforms, none of them would be of much help until they Awakened. And Purle McGee was being outright hostile. As he stomped off, however, she let out a tiny gasp, lunging forward to grab his arm. While she was acutely aware that he was probably going to explode any second now, she needed to make one thing clear.

"Okay, enough!" She raised her voice, making sure everyone was paying attention to her. "First of all, this mirror is the only way out of here. This world only ever supports one doorway, and if it's blocked like this, then that means we have to find the big Shadow that's blocking it. Kill the Shadow, the mirror opens back up. The hand that probably grabbed this boy is the likely culprit, but charging in alone is only going to end up getting yourself killed."

Releasing Noriaki, she turned her attention to the other three. "The only people that can cross over successfully are those who have Awakened or those that are Corrupted. The former means you transform and have a Persona--something like the blue lady that I summoned before--" She gestured to Noriaki, addressing his change. "But if you're Corrupted, it means the Shadow is starting to influence the real world. It might've decided to target the school for now, but if left alone, it'll spread over the city. It could affect your friends, your mom or dad, your siblings--and it will end up killing them eventually."

Approaching Daigo, the girl knelt down, her hands on her knees as she inspected Daigo. "...you're not directly Corrupted, but someone close to you is," She told him, reaching out and poking his chest. To her surprise, a blue card formed, though unlike before, this one was blank. "...and you have the potential, too. No wonder the Shadow decided to pull you over. Persona users becoming Corrupted would be really, really bad."

She stood up to her full height, stretching her arms above her head before turning back to Noriaki. "I waited for you because I saw you had already Awakened. Which means whether you like it or not, you're involved," She stated as plainly as possible. "You signed the contract, didn't you? Are you really going to run away from your responsibility?"

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@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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As Kazu entered, Momoji perked up, excusing herself as she walked over to him. "There you are, Asakura-kun," She shook her head. "I thought you were skipping out on us!"

At the mention of his name, however, Taniguchi saw fit to join the conversation. "Yes, good of you to decide to finally join us," He mused dryly. "It's good to see you're taking this year as well as everyone assumed."

"I'm sure Asakura-kun had a good reason for being late," Momoji said, looking at the boy. "Right?"

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@WXer@psych0pomp

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Sora hastily clamped up, squeezing his eyes shut as he realized what he said probably didn't make much sense. He decided to start from the beginning, trying to remain calm, but it was obvious by his antsiness that he was a little bothered by the situation.

"I ran into Mina-senpai from Photography Club crying in the stairwell," He explained. "She was really, really shaken up. I tried to ask her what was wrong, but she just mentioned Yamamoto and--I got this bad feeling. Mina-senpai's a nice girl, I don't know exactly what happened, but it couldn't have been good."

At that point, Sakuya exited the stairwell, noticing the trio gathered around. Was she really the last one to arrive?! The thought alone was mortifying, and she had to hold back a groan. As she quickly made some attempt at looking dignified, she managed to catch the tail end of Sora's explanation. While it was probably smart to ask, she felt like she was a little too aware of what they were speaking of.

"If you're talking about Yamamoto, I've already...spoken with him," Sakuya stated to the three. "I suggest avoiding him, he's been incessantly irritating. Moreso than usual, I mean."

Sora turned to face her, frowning. "That doesn't mean he can go around harassing people!" He protested. "We should say something to a teacher, at least!"

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@Obscene Symphony@Entityx

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Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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Letting out a cry of disapproval, the girl immediately tried to get out of Noriaki's grip. "Ow ow ow ow--stop! You're gonna pull my ear off!" She whined. "Why are you taking it out on me?! You've already awakened, haven't you?! We have to go defeat the source of the Corruption so it stops targeting that boy! That's just what we do!"

Yanking herself out of his grasp, she let out a tiny whimper as she massaged her ear. Letting out a small huff, she puffed out her chest as she threw a glare at her attacker. "I said you're my devil because you are, see?" Pressing her finger into his chest, the blue card formed before him. "I don't know how you got it, but that's my Devil arcana. I saw it when I was at the shoe lockers and knew you'd be the one to follow me over. Not that I thought it'd go grabbing people, but if it's getting that bold, it has to be stopped."

Coming to a pause, she realized something as she slowly blinked at him. "...I've never seen you before, though. I think you have me mistaken for someone else," She said, frowning.

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@Asura@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

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The sounds of battle were far off for some reason. He was a frontline fighter, why was he so far away? His chest was heavy, he felt dazed--was he injured? Did he let himself get hurt? His head was killing him, too, he must have gotten knocked out or something. As his eyes slowly opened, he was met with the sight of sandy blonde hair with a little red mixed in. Funny, his hair was as red, too. Red like blood. That's what all the village children used to tell him as they terrorized him, anyway.

His thoughts slowly oriented himself, a slight panic setting in as he realized what happened. The battle was taking place not too far ahead of him, but he and Isolde were surrounded by rubble--they had gone through one of the walls! "Isolde. Isolde, are you alright?" He didn't know how he kept the panic from rising in his voice, but he at least tried to make sure he held Isolde properly.

She let out a tiny groan, eyes peeking open. "...yeah," Her voice was so soft he almost didn't catch it.

Somehow, he had ended up fine, but Isolde must have suffered some sort of head injury--his guess was the debris came down and hurt her after the matter. Talk about adding insult to injury! He shifted himself up, clumsily lifting her over his shoulder with one arm while the other grabbed his spear. In the back of his mind, he knew he probably should have prioritized handling the girl more delicately, but he figured it was better to get them to the backline. Clarissa was a healer, right? And Professor Simeon was a nurse, too. They could help Isolde. Shaking off some of his daze, Derec took in a deep breath to steady himself and cautiously moved forward. He bit back a hiss as his back protested--did the trip really mess him up that bad?!--and kept going.

Meanwhile, the spear that had been hurled at the bandit leader was caught in time for his arm to catch both of Jorah's arrows. One seemed to lodge itself in flesh while the other bounced off his helmet. Still, with the combination of Auberon and Jorah, the leader was successfully distracted and could not stop both Imogen and Kellen. The two were too quick to block, but all he needed to do was go for whichever was the easiest to get to. The choice was made for him as the young girl was smaller and likely harder to catch. And thus his axe was swung, aiming directly for the boy's shoulder.

What he did not anticipate, however, was the Knight once again showing off their difference in skill. Michail was at Kellen's back, lance taking the brunt of the hit. The metal of the axe clashed with the weapon but said lance held strong, with Michail entirely focused on keeping the bandit's weapon as far away from Kellen as possible.

Tomai decided to avoid accidentally hitting anyone in melee range, instead deciding to focus on the mages in the back. Kaira had a similar idea as the pair cast their spells in unison. Both flew through the air, but before they could land, both light and dark magic were promptly sucked into the mage's skull staff.

"Huh," Tomai lowered his staff, raising his eyebrows.

Kaira blinked for a few seconds but collected herself. "The spells were absorbed, but...how?"

"I reckon it's the staff. I think I'm now invested in winning this fight as I'd like to liberate them of it," He replied.

Euphemia fell back some, temporarily sheathing her sword and pulling out her bow. She aimed directly for the mages, firing off an arrow. Said arrow bounced once again against the barrier that popped up. "That barrier's going to be blocking any physical attacks and any spells won't do any good. Now what?" She asked.

Kaira peered at the mages, an idea coming to mind. "We'll wait for Imogen to attack, and then follow up immediately after. The barrier is being manually conjured every time--I don't think it can block multiple attacks in succession," She pointed out.

Letting out a sigh, Euphemia offered Kaira her bow. "Alright. That'll fall on you, Jorah, and Imogen, then," She gave Jorah a confident smile before rejoining her brother at the frontlines. Movement out of the corner of her eye stopped her as she noticed a spare bandit decided to join his boss with the intent of crossing paths with Derec. Unbeknownst to them, however, was the last bandit sneaking up on the crew from behind, with every intent on beheading the unaware Kaira.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The pace at which Daigo was pulled slowed down at the additional weight, albeit it kept going. Eventually, as the four neared the mirror, the hand raised itself up, consequently pulling up all four students. There wasn't any warning aside from the change in movement, and in what seemed like a blink, they were then pulled into the mirror. There was nothing but darkness at first, and one could mistake it for an unpleasant dream if not for the chill that would run up their spines. Once they were through, the gym returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

On the Other Side, the four promptly fell through as the hand paused for a moment, though its grip on Daigo remained. The room they were now in was similar to the one that Noriaki had previously visited: there was nothing but bare walls all around them with only one way to go. The only exception was the mirror behind them, its color inky black as before.

A small spot remained clear but was slowly closing, though a brilliant blue light shined through it. Consolidating on the ground, the cat leapt through as its body took on the blue light, promptly erupting into a burst of flames that reached the ceiling. When said flames died down, a young woman stood in its place, opening her eyes to reveal the same pair of mismatched eyes as the cat. However, Noriaki would notice a few changes from before. For one, she no longer bore the same armor, instead clad only in a short, black dress and a pair of tassals hanging from her elbows. The second and much more noticeable difference was the addition of a pair of cat ears that were clearly not there before, and with a second glance, one would notice her tail swaying quietly behind her.

At her presence, the hand immediately released Daigo and grew in size, its fingers sharpening into claws. Letting out a scoff, she snapped her fingers, a blue flame producing a card in front of her. "Come, Lorelei!" She called, beckoning forth a creature behind her. As the hand shot forth, Lorelei released a spell of ice, resulting in several icicles shooting up and piercing through it. The effectiveness of the attack may have been questionable, but the hand yanked itself back, slithering away and through the open door.

Flipping her hair behind her back, the blonde took a step forward, listening intently. After a few seconds, she visibly relaxed, turning back to the other teenagers. Once her mismatched eyes landed on Noriaki, she lit up. "There you are!" She grinned. "I was wondering when my Devil was going to come back to me."

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"The two of you will be friends before you know it," The extremely dry and completely unconvincing response from Vice Principal Taniguchi could not have been delivered in anything that would have even remotely been anything but disdain, but there it was. The expectation had been laid out and there was no room for discussion; Maki's compliance was, at best, a convenience but little more to him. Suzuki was a little surprised, but not entirely relieved.

Still, at the very least she would give Maki some sort of recognition. "Your cooperation is appreciated," Her response was sincere, at least. "Now, as to what your duties entail, that will be up to Nakano. From what I'm aware, the council usually gathers a few times a week in the Student Council Room with Nakano herself being there every afternoon, but I don't think you'll be there every day. For now, go on over to the room and introduce yourself."

"And remember that we will be keeping a close eye on you going forward," Taniguchi added, ending his side of the conversation as he rejoined the other teachers.

Suzuki resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but she looked back at Maki. Letting out a small sigh, she crossed her arms. "I'm a little surprised by you, if I'm honest. I heard nothing but good things from Kaibara-sensei, but this...even you have to recognize targeting Nakano was wrong, right?" She stared down hard at Maki, searching her face for something to convince her. "I understand you've been going through a rough time, but there are better ways than this to let out all that anger. Have you considered speaking to Chitose, the school's counselor?"

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Of Blood and Magic

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Maybe he should have gone second after all.

Only when Varis' back was turned did Eris tenderly rub the many, many sore spots all along his abdomen. While his mood wasn't nearly as bad as the redhead's, he had to admit he wasn't fond of being used as an outlet for his anger. The lesson was mostly wasted on Varis and Professor Gaunt going back and forth, but it was essentially pointless. He really thought blocking his senses would have helped more, but maybe he was too used to pain? Next time he'd try it from a different angle or something.

Letting Varis rant and rave all he liked, Eris offered a token agreement here and there. It wasn't that he entirely disagreed, but between his busy schedule and certain developments, he didn't realize that they shared their next class, too. Dedicating the early evening to his new beau was as soothing as a porcupine in a good mood, but it couldn't be helped.

Honestly, Eris wasn't entirely sure why he made the decisions he did in regards to his choices this semester. He had convinced himself of sensory enhancement earlier, but did he really want to spend over an hour listening to someone drone on and on about the Noilas when he could probably learn everything from the library? At least the Dark Age Eceonomy had made him curious and the Noble History would hopefully give him more information on Cydril that wouldn't draw more attention than was necessary, but it was starting to feel like he was getting his information in an extremely roundabout way. He was usually more sure of his decisions and often calculated his choices, but recently he was starting to doubt everything.

And of course, one of the most pressing issues was walking in front of him.

No. He had come this far, doubt was for the weak and uncultured and he had laid out nearly every brick possible for this ideal outcome. Regret? He didn't know the word. But deep down he had to admit the entire Cydril nonsense was starting to unnerve him. As soon as he could figure out what exactly he was dealing with, he could banish all the lingering questions. Yeah, that had to be it--he was patient, he was used to waiting for things, but he had too many loose threads at the moment. But he'd have to be more careful than before, no doubt--the princess was aware he knew of the Sinnenodel, and he was still highly suspicious of her.

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, Eris ran a hand over his face and gave Varis an intrigued look. For now, all that needed to be shut away at the back of his mind. He had to continue to play his part for now. "I worry for this school, I truly do. For such an esteemed academy, the princess hasn't had the best track record in professors," He made his contribution in regards to the initial complaint, though he didn't even have to pretend--that woman's face was going to haunt his nightmares tonight, that was for sure.

Still, he did decide to lighten--or possibly worsen--Varis' mood. "Royal line, you say? Perfect, now I can doze off and just have you give me a proper lecture of everything the professor gets wrong," He couldn't help the joke, giving Varis a dazzling smile. "Lucky me, I get to indulge myself in having more of our night together."

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@Achronum

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Lilie nodded with great enthusiasm, taking Bar's words to heart. He wasn't just knowledgable on the element, but magic as a whole--that's what she expected from a resonance researcher. With his words in mind, she was more than ready for Round Two, but she had to admit that Johnathan was giving her an exercise in caution. He was more excitable than she was! It was nice to practice with someone who had just as much enthusiasm, but she often found herself adjusting to try to match his energy. Her true nature often peaked out at times, too, her magic being more cautious than usual as she tried to get used to the sensation.

Still, it worked out in their favor, with time flying by so fast that she was actually really disappointed that the class was done. The tingliness in her fingers felt weird, but she realized that despite the initial shock surprising her, it helped her understand how she was using her own magic a little more. She gave Johnathan her thanks and a wave of goodbye, but she ended up hanging back a little. She really, really wanted to talk to Bar some more, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Then again, Esi was a little quirky, too, so maybe it was just a water mage thing?

Glancing down at her phone, she figured she had a little time. Approaching the professor, she decided to er on the side of politeness. "Thank you so much for the lesson today, I feel like I really learned a lot," She told him, beaming. "Your words were spot on! I mean, I know it's your job, but it was just super informative."

After maybe half a second of pause, she continued, "I did have some more questions pertaining to the lesson! You said when it comes to handling larger quantities, does that mean the more magic we use the more risky it is? Or is it because we're so close to our element as primaries? Does that mean it's easier for us to tap into our magic for more power? Or is it harder because we're just as susceptible to be overwhelmed by it?" She was basically bouncing in place, her voice picking up in pitch as she fired off one question after the other.

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Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The cat focused on the dim glow of the unnatural butterflies, outright ignoring Noriaki's threat. She did end up dropping the other sneaker as she approached the mirror, lifting a paw and touching the glass. One butterfly sank in, enveloping the reflection in a pleasant, soothing glow. The reflection blurred itself until it was completely gone, making the mirror look more like a slate than anything. The entire gym was then enveloped in a similar blue light, reminding the students of their dream in the Velvet Room.

"God dammit! You guys need to get the fuck out of here, now, before—"

As the cat's meows cut him off, however, the blue quickly turned to black. Noticing the difference, she let out a hiss, slowly backing up. Much to everyone's surprise, something slowly came out of the mirror, looking a lot like someone trying to stretch out melted plastic. Eventually, it resembled a hand, reaching more and more until its shape was solidified, and it stopped in place. After a few seconds, it seemed to make a decision as several other hands slowly broke apart from it.

With an impressive speed, it zipped out, taking a hold of Daigo's ankle. There wasn't any warning before it hastily decided to drag him towards the mirror, the miniature hands making sure it had a good hold of his leg.

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@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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Maki's greeting did little to convince the Vice President that his action was in the wrong, solidified by his weary look over at Suzuki, who had no choice but to close her eyes and pinch the bridge of her nose. Momoji wisely chose to remain silent, crossing her arms and leaving the trio as she decided to wait for her own student. While Suzuki appreciated the lack of comment, she wasn't exactly thrilled at any of this.

Vice Principal Taniguchi remained relatively composed. "It seems the summer break did little to curb that attitude. A shame, but rest assured, we will not accept it," He stated. "Your penchant for slander is as far as we will allow it. For penance, you'll be joining the disciplinary committee under Nakano-san until we can be sure you've learned your lesson."

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@psych0pomp

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Sora stifled a yawn as he walked through the hallway, rubbing his eye. He had finally gotten away with falling asleep at his desk! And then promptly stayed there while everyone else had left. But at least he didn't get in trouble! Despite knowing he was likely to get caught out in the rain, he still needed to thank his senpai and return the camera.

He entered the stairwell and was about to climb when he spotted a brown-haired girl curled up in the corner of the room. Concerned, Sora cautiously approached her, only to realize he recognized her. "Mina-senpai?" He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She jumped at his touch, eyes wide with horror, though she visibly relaxed, shaking her head as she stood up. "I'm...I'm fine," She mumbled, hastily wiping away a tear. "Sorry, Kinoshita-kun, but I don't think I'll make it to Photography Class."

"Oh, well..." He trailed off, though he couldn't help but remain firm. Nakano=senpai warned them yesterday about the rise in delinquency. "Mina-senpai, if someone hurt you or threatened you, please tell me."

"No, it's not--It wasn't--" She stumbled over her words, shrinking back. "Yamamoto-senpai just..."

"Yamamoto?" Sora asked, but at that point Mina turned and ran straight out the door. "Ah, Mina-senpai!" He called after her, but she clearly had no intention of coming back. Scratching the back of his head, Sora looked up the stairwell. No one seemed to be around, but she mentioned Yamamoto. Not the same third year Yamamoto though, right? It was a common name, but he didn't know who else she could be referring to.

Ascending the stairs, Sora went straight to the Council Room, though it was empty, much to his dismay. Nakano-senpai hadn't come at all? He lingered, trying to think of what he could do, but after a moment, he spotted both Naomi and Ueno walking together.

"Naomi-enpai! Ueno-senpai!" He hastily rushed over to the two. "You haven't seen Nakano-senpai or the third year Yamamoto, have you?"

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@Obscene Symphony@Entityx

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Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

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CLANG! CLANG! CLANG--

The hammer would not rise too high as the touch on his shoulder alerted him that someone else was there. Safety first and foremost--that's what Tetsu would say before ordering him to fetch the bottle that had rolled away under a bench. While in practice it was disguised as being in complete control of his actions at any notice, realistically speaking it was so he didn't go swinging the very heavy, very metallic, and very hot hammer in surprise. The very last thing anyone wanted was to get hit, and since the village was so open with one another, it was common for anyone to come in at any time.

Once Tsubasa looked over his shoulder, however, the space behind him was empty. Had he imagined the touch? Blinking slowly, he nearly jumped out of his skin when Keiko spoke, whipping his neck so quick it was a shock it hadn't rolled off his head. Relieved that he wasn't just imagining things, he cautiously set side the hot metal far away, deciding now was a good time for a short break. He couldn't help but think that it was very nice of her to visit him, especially when she likely had better things to do.

Plucking his shirt from his skin, he took back his rag in his hand as he hastily wiped his face and neck. He was far from presentable, but he was sure she didn't mind. "Kei-chan, good morning," He greeted her, slightly out of breath. "I wasn't looking for anyone, but I'm glad you're here."

Taking a few seconds to regulate his breathing, as he smiled at the girl, something looked a little different. Her hair looked a little healthier, but that wasn't it. She looked more mature somehow, a little less like a girl and more...what was the word? Well, mature, but it was hard to say. She had always been on the thinner side, though he doubted Signkeeper Tomo would let her go hungry. It wasn't that she had gained weight in a bad way, though--aha! It was her chest! His stare lingered a little longer than he meant it to, eyes darting away as he became aware of his rudeness. Even if she did blossom into a woman, it was unbecoming of him to just ogle her like that.

"You look nice today," He decided to pay her a compliment as he fanned himself, leaning back against the bench. "It's nice to see you've grown up a little."

@Asura

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The blonde cat let out a sad meow, albeit she didn't let up as Noriaki stepped away. If anything, his distance caused her to get even louder, as if she was insistent that he give her his attention. Once Noriaki made it clear that he would be taking his leave, however, the meows ceased as she simply watched him. Her tail curled around her, mismatched eyes watching and following his movements. Once his shoes hit the floor, however, it seemed like a decision was made.

Without warning, the cat lurched forward, biting down on the laces on both pairs of sneakers and quickly dragging them with her as she darted towards the bulletin board. She stared at Noriaki in defiance, backing up slowly until she was approached--at that point, the cat outright ran. Both sneakers repeatedly hit the ground as she sprinted away, albeit as she tackled the gym door, there wasn't enough space for both sneakers and one was abandoned at the door as she slipped through with the other one.

Once inside, she stopped momentarily, looking around. The air in the gym felt off, an unnatural chill permeating the room. Abandoning the sneaker for the moment, she sat down as she eyed a pair of glowing blue butterflies flying around in a circle. They eventually split off, one landing on the mirror still intact, and the other one fluttering away. It went through the gym doors, flying past several students, but no one reacted to it. It circled around the shoe lockers, making its way back to the gym until it landed on the same mirror as its twin.

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@Asura@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

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CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The bustle of the marketplace was just a low buzz, barely registering over the sound of iron meeting iron. After a few more hits, however, the world slowly started to permeate his senses: the buzz of the town got louder, the bite of the chilled air nipped at his cheeks, and the hammer in his hand regained its weight. Overall, Tsubasa was feeling the labor of his work drain him, but the finished product made everything worth it. As he placed his hammer down and cautiously lifted the iron structure up, he dipped the metal into the pool of water, watching the steam and leaving it there as he wiped his brow.

Even though it was cold out, the forge had a way to always make the boy feel like he was ready for a cold bath. Granted, it was natural--working with heat to mold metal into anything he wanted meant he was always going to be hot, and that was guaranteed even on the days he didn't bother using the heat sign. Once he deemed it had been long enough, he lifted the metallic structure out of the water and plopped it down some steps away, abandoning it to let it cool in the chilly air. Now all he needed to do was toss it in the cart with the slab of wood he had ordered and someone would come pick it up.

Exhaling, he watched his breath form a misty cloud and then dissipate, running a rag over his neck. Let's see, now that the table was finished, he supposed he could start on the iron gate that had been requested. It actually hadn't come as a request for him, but Tetsu always pawned off those projects onto him. Festivals and celebrations always meant that work piled up since Tetsu decided that he was more interested in drinking than...actually, he always found an excuse to drink, so Tsubasa should have known better. Not that he minded--busy hands were happy hands, and the kid actually liked working.

Tossing the rag aside, Tsubasa knelt down in front of a chest, gingerly plucking out the few iron bars that were left in there. At least Testu had left him everything he needed, so that was good! He placed the bars over the forge, lazily writing the Sign in the air. Once the metal glowed a bright red, Tsubaba carefully adjusted his hammer in his grip, taking a firm hold and lifting it into the air.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

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The rest of the bandit's forces stood towards the now decimated ruins of what was left of the other half of the village. The first explosion had taken everything out--even the buildings that still stood looked more like an assembly of broken walls than anything else. The few bandits that were there largely ignored the destruction, focusing on pulling a large, heavy cart filled with a multitude of barrels. At a glance, there seemed to be something scribbled onto them in a variety of different patterns. Once they reached their destination, the cart was abandoned as four cloaked mages took their place around the cart, muttering an incantation in unison. Light burst from the ground, slowly carving out a circle.

A pair behind them differed from the rest. One was clearly a leader, with his armor decidedly less tattered as he carried an axe that was considerably more bloody than the rest. He towered over the rest, a combination of size and muscle that let anyone who laid eyes on him know that he would not go down without one hell of a fight. Next to him stood another cloaked mage, albeit they carried a staff adorned with a skull. The pair spoke in low voices, observing the other mages. The leader gave an order and the small group of bandits split into two, with the first continuing into the village and the rest leaving.

Euphemia stayed a distance away, eyes trained on the leader. Her horse had been stowed away and she remained on foot with bow in hand, blending into the ruins of the village. While the nature of the destruction bothered her greatly, she paid no mind to it. If she could get in a clear shot, she was sure she could end the rampage. As she got closer, however, the magic in the air was electrifying, tingling the skin on the back of her neck. It was difficult to ignore, the pull of the incantation letting her know that a decision needed to be made. On the one hand, she had no doubt she could lodge an arrow in his neck to kill him, but she wasn't a fan of that magic business right there.

Readying an arrow, she made her decision. Narrowing her eyes, she waited for him to take in a breath before letting the arrow go. To her surprise, a shield erupted around the pair. She didn't let that discourage her, however, as she hastily drew back another arrow, this time her hit landing on a mage as her arrow pierced through their neck. The incantation broke immediately, and that was her queue to go. The feeling of lighting in the air resulted in a thunderbolt colliding with the wall in front of her. She took aim at a stunned mage, ending his life with an arrow, though instead of preparing another arrow, she chose to sling her bow around her arm, withdrawing her sword from its sheath as she ran.

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It came a little too naturally to Derec, or at least, the thought came to him as he stabbed his spear through the bandit. Maybe it was the fact that it was for the service of others as opposed to the much-less-noble cause of self-defense. It had been a while since Matlock had gotten invaded, but getting raided once was already a harrowing experience as it was. What he couldn't help but wonder, however, was why the bandits were outright destroying the village. Sure, there were men who simply wanted to watch everything burn, but most bandits simply wanted to pillage. They wanted jewels, precious metals, women--here they were just destroying everything.

Pulling his spear out, he watched Michail dispatch a pair not too far ahead. He made it look so effortless--Derec was genuinely impressed. Then again, out of everyone there, Michail was a Knight. He supposed that the silly, goofy personality betrayed the skill he had. Auberon was the right choice for the front line as well, his swings practiced and effective. Isolde was slowly coming out of her own shell as well; while she struggled with multiple enemies and her fear was plain all over her face, it was obvious that she held some sort of skill. Melee combat wasn't something he expected out of the timid girl, but boy, was she fast.

There wasn't much time to compliment or even think too hard on it, as he turned back to check on the rest of the party. As soon as he had turned back, however, he realized he had made a mistake, every sense in his body screaming at him to look back ahead. When he did so, however, it was too late: an axe was already swung at him, fully intending to part his head from his body. Whether it was dumb luck or the divine grace of the goddess, however, said axe was practically tossed aside. Blinking, he watched as Isolde stood, armed and ready as the bandit picked himself up. That was one hell of a flying kick on her side, the close call leaving him shocked for a moment. He shook it off, however, repaying the favor by deciding not to give the bandit the chance to get back up as he drove his spear into the man's calf.

Meanwhile, Tomai had made sure any bandit that was stupid enough to get too close was promptly cursed and killed on the spot. As he spotted the incoming back attack, he turned, fully prepared to strike them all. However, the prince decided to dive in, much to his annoyance. "...hm," He hummed in disapproval, watching as the kid was struck. Fortunately for the prince, both Clarissa and Kellen came to save the day, and Tomai decided he may as well act like a professor as he rummaged through his pack.

Bringing out a concoction, he popped it open and raised his staff. A surge of magic surrounded Kayden and pulled him back to Tomai. "Drink up, frontline's just about finished," He stated, presenting the drink to Kayden.

Kaira let out a tiny huff of frustration, feeling a little useless. Maybe she should have taken a sword from the carriage after all. The students were doing well for the most part, with Tomai's power amplified by the staff and making easy work of the bandits. She honestly couldn't believe how straightforward this was, even if the air was still electrifying. Or was it? Something had changed somewhere, the magic in the air considerably thinner than before.

An arrow shot through the air caused her great alarm as she noticed Jorah wasn't standing. Oh Michail, telling Jorah to just do the thing instead of helping out! Clucking her tongue in disapproval, Kaira cautiously hoisted herself up the side of the carriage, slowly climbing up. Thankfully, aside from a cut on his cheek, he didn't look hurt. She sighed in relief, focusing her magic onto her hand as she carefully crawled up next to Jorah, placing her hand on him to alert her to his presence and sending a tiny heal to stop the bleeding from his cheek.

"If Euphemia was here, she'd say you're doing well," She offered him some encouragement. "I'm going to draw the archer's attention, when you see them shoot for me, make sure to shoot them back, okay?"

Patting his shoulder without waiting for a response, Kaira stood up straight on the carriage, looking around. She couldn't see the archer, but she was sure Jorah would whenever they'd loose an arrow. So instead, she closed her eyes and concentrated as she formed a small ball of light in her hands, promptly squeezing it until it burst. A wave of healing was blown around in a circle around her, recovering the students' energy and invigorating them.

As soon as Michail felt Kaira's spell, he continued forward. "Let's go!" Michail called, running forward. Through the smoke, he suddenly came to a halt, a glyph glowing from his free hand and banishing the wind altogether just in time for something to come flying towards him. He was nearly knocked over, but he managed to catch the flying Euphemia, skidding backward a few feet. To his surprise, the behemoth of a bandit came charging forward.

"Move!" Euphemia scrambled to her feet, the Kalonic siblings immediately leaping away as the axe came down. narrowly missing the pair.

Derec was shocked that someone so big was there, but his size worked to his disadvantage--his swings were wide. When the man lifted his axe, Derec saw that as his chance, deciding to slip in and relieve him of his arm. Unfortunately, he didn't account for just how fast the massive man was as he was nearly gutted, the timely entrance of Isolde delivering a swift kick to change the swing's trajectory saving all but a few of Derec's red locks. The bandit leader took a hold of Isolde, the girl letting out a shriek as she was easily tossed into Derec without so much as a second thought, sending the pair flying to the side.

Euphemia gripped her sword in hand, standing next to Michail. To her dismay, the three remaining mages were back at it again, the light forming the runes once again. "Those mages back there are going to cause those barrels to explode," She informed him and the rest.

Michail narrowed his eyes, spear at the ready as the bandit leader sized them up. "Then I hope someone's fast enough to get past them and stop them," He noted, leaping backwards as the axe came down again. "Great Goddess above, a speedy boy, are we?"

"I haven't been able to get past him," Euphemia admitted. "I took out two of the mages and slowed down the process, but..."

"You did what needed to be done," Michail replied before raising his voice. "Keep your wits about you, we need to stop that spell from going off or we're all done here!"

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The small group of bandits departed from the village, intent on retreating for a while. They traveled along the river for a distance until they spotted the carriages in the distance. After some deliberation, the decision was made to liberate the Knights of Seiros of the carriages. It was clear that the battle in the village was going poorly--at the very least, they could take their spoils and get away with their lives intact. And so they kept riding, intent on taking the carriages that had been seemingly abandoned by the knights...

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@Obscene Symphony

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