HokumPocus

Harbringers: Canticle of Sacrifice

I AM SHOWING INTEREST. HELLO. WILL CREATE A CHARACTER

The Five Senses

Interlude
-Collab Between Pezz570, 13org and HokumPocus-

Akai
Lynx
Sil

@13org
@Pezz570

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Year 4256
3nd day of the month of Olfaccium
Evening

The entire group gathered after Karina and Chres returned to deliver the news. War was coming two days from now, and they needed to prepare. With Karina, came her new Familiar Akai and her fellow soldiers, who delivered the message to the group themselves.

As they finished talking, the group slowly began to break away from each other. Chres went outside to get some air to think. Sil, meanwhile, spent her time zipping around the room chasing a strange silver fly she had found resting on the common room walls.

An air of authority followed Lynx, all three feet of him, as he almost marched towards Akai. He had seen what Sil was like when it came to combat situations, and he had been through enough of them himself to know that being a professional distraction wasn’t good enough. The hard gaze that came out of his eyes wasn’t one of disapproval, but rather one of tense anticipation.

“Greetings,” he stated. “What is your purpose?”

Just like always, Akai was simply following Karina, hearing what she had to say to the group about the recent events. When she was finished, the group began to break away and go to do their own things. When Akai was about to follow Karina, she saw with the corner of her eyes when a large black feline walking towards her with a rather dignified stride. What caught her attention though was his stare as he approached her, making Akai immediately stop and look at him, raising an eyebrow almost as if anticipating words as harsh as his stare.

"Hey there, kitty." Akai said with a teasing grin.

"My purpose?" She asked, laughing, obviously at the manner how the feline was speaking.

"Oh, I'm just here to have some fun. My owner is quite an... interesting person and this group isn't that far behind either." Akai said looking at the few other members who were still in her field of vision before going to do their own things.

Lynx circled her, eyes trailing from his new party member to the old ones. It was easy to tell when his eyes were on Sil from their flickering from one side of the room to the next. “I understand what you mean,” he said, hiding his disapproval of the fairy’s hijinks. “This is a group of people formed by a third party, so there is a definite, er, variety in terms of motivations.” It was embarrassing to compare Octavio and his wish to just survive with everyone’s higher ambitions.

“I ask your purpose because we are in the middle of a conflict at the moment.” He turned his head towards the humans, who were currently engaged in spirited conversation. “How much did Karina tell you about our situation?” The nobler part of him didn’t want to state the obvious, but he also wanted to avoid revealing too much, if it was the case.

Aiko couldn't help but let out a mischievous smirk when Lynx mentioned that the group indeed had a 'variety' of different reasons and motivations. In fact, that was what made everything even more interesting. Aiko was certain that not everyone would be really happy with what would happen in two more days. That said, it was undeniable that they didn't have many options other than accept Karina and the Military of Touch's intervention.

"Hm... She did tell me most of it. Including her surprisingly high position in the Military of Touch. There might be a few details I'm not aware of but I'm sure I know the overall situation." Akai said, thinking.

"The fun part is that no matter what everyone thinks, I know very well that Karina will have things done her way. One way or another. Besides... There's not much you guys can do against the Military of Touch… Or Karina herself." Akai said with a chuckle and a provocative grin. It was clear to Lynx that she was indeed finding all that situation rather amusing.

“The opposite is true as well.” They had about as much freedom as that silver fly, at the end of the day. “We are all limited in terms of how we can deal with one another. It is because of those restrictions that some of us have come to develop what some would consider a friendship with one another.”

The words dripped with disapproval. He once read about the kinds of unbreakable bonds that formed between prisoners, but was never convinced by the way novels romanticized them. It always seemed like a sort of mutual desperation to him. He didn’t use either term to describe how he felt towards his companions. As hesitant as he was to befriend others, there was a certain pleasure to be had in knowing he was partaking in something humans normally did.

Sil zipped between the two familiars still chasing after her prey. Sil giggled while the fly buzzed angrily as it did its best to stay ahead. As Sil began to close in on her target, the fly zipped downwards suddenly to avoid colliding with a table. Sil, of course, had been far too focused on catching the fly to notice and collided head first with the piece of furniture and let out a loud ‘Ooof’.

Sil fell to the floor, giving the fly the chance it needed to escape. It quickly zipped out of the group’s shared living space and away into the corridors that made the underground maze.

”Hey! No fair!” Sil called after it, while waving a fist in anger.

"Friendship, camaraderie... Call it whatever you want, it's still fun watching them interact with one another. This situation surely created bonds, but they originate out of pure necessity. It's unavoidable that they will be broken sooner or later once another opportunity arises or the situation that created such desperation passes. One example of that is Karina's position. Not everyone here probably agrees with the war." Akai said with a chuckle and an amused expression.

He paused for a moment at her response. Too many conversations with a fairy familiar and a man who spoke like he stood in front of a crowd had left him unprepared for a straightforward, solid answer. The tension in his body vanished far faster than he would’ve liked.

The moment she finished speaking though, the noise of something hitting the furniture, followed by a loud 'Oof' interrupted them. Turning her attention towards where the sound came, she would see Sill falling on the floor as the fly she was running after used that moment to flee as fast as it could to the corridors. Seeing such scene, Akai couldn't help but to laugh as she looked at Sil.

"It seems the fly was faster than you this time." she said with a chuckle.

"Anyways, I'm sure it will come back for a rematch, I wouldn't go after it if I were you. It seems to be awfully easy for one to lose themselves in those corridors." she said, approaching Sil, who was waving her fist towards the fly, protesting in anger due to it's 'unfair' tactics.

”Not me!” Sil said. ”I have a great sense of direction!”

“Are-“ he stopped. Sil had been the one to exit the chambers seemingly effortlessly during her search for fun. “You do. That worries me more, for some reason.”

”Probably because you’re a big ol’ worry puss.” Sil said. ”No worries though! That’s why I’m here! To help you learn how to relax.”

"Does she?!" Akai asked, surprised when Lynx confirmed that Sil indeed had a good sense of direction.

"I mean... I would have expected for Lynx to have a good sense of direction but Sil? That is surprising!" Akai said, laughing.

"Well, Chres would probably be worried sick if you went into the tunnels though..." Akai mentioned as she looked at Sil.

"Still, Sil is right on one thing, Lynx. Relaxing is indeed necessary. You should worry a bit less and just have fun!" she finished with a smile.

Had he been human, he would have scoffed. Instead, the lynx familiar’s mouth moved in an odd way that showed the difficulties that came with trying to emulate human facial expressions as a feline.

“Fun. That is not something worth focusing on when in a life or death situation. I will have fun once this is all over.” He paused. “Or when I can appreciate something like a warm meal.”

Sil sighed. ”See what I mean?” She said to Akai. ”Little kitty here, ever the grump.”

Akai couldn't help but roll her eyes upon hearing Lynx's words. Surprisingly enough, Lynn wasn't really exaggerating.

"You're right, Sil... He's no fun at all..." Akai said looking to Sil before turning towards Lynx.

"There is always fun to be had if you know where to look for it. And if you don't find any... You just need to create some... Right, Sil?" Akai said with a mischievous expression.

Lynx gulped. He recognized the feeling that crept up on him as what well spoken humans referred to as “intuition”, and the rest as “the suspicion that things were going to hell”.

Sil looked to Akai. Head at a slant. Finger to her lips. ”Are you implying we should find someone to push off a cliff?” Sil asked. By the look on her face, she seemed to be asking a genuine question.

”And just how did you arrive at that conclusion?” he asked incredulously.

”What other conclusion is there?” Sil asked back with a shrug.

Despite Syl's rather grim suggestion, Lynx would be alarmed to see Akai stopping to think about it for a moment, before she finally answered.

"Hm... We wouldn't be able to see the reaction of whoever we pushed down the cliff so I don't think it would be that fun... Besides, the mess afterwards wouldn't be exactly nice..." Akai said, in a matter-of-fact way.

"Personally, it is quite interesting how much chaos can be made just by whispering a few words to the right people. Humans always have the most intriguing and fun reactions to stuff." she finished with a mischievous giggle.

In truth he had been expecting and even desiring a familiar capable of violence, one who could excel where him and Sil could not. Registering the edge to Akai’s words had the opposite effect on him, however. The adage of “be careful what you wish for” ran through his mind with every extra syllable of her giggle.

”Hmmmmmmmmm...” Sil hummed. Suddenly a wicked grin appeared on her face ”I think I know just the thing!”

She zipped off, only to stop a few meters away. ”Akai!” Sil shouted behind her to get Akai’s attention. Sil made a series of hand gestures, that looked utterly ridiculous, while adding in a few nods of the head in Lynx’s direction. With a wink and a thumbs up she zipped off yet again to somewhere outside the room.

Akai was amused with the expression Lynx had when he heard her words but Sil interrupted her when she suddenly said that she had an idea, which made Akai look at her with a surprised expression and a rather mischievous smile.

"A fun idea? Oh please do share." Akai said with a chuckle as she looked at Sil.

Akai watched Sil zipping away and looked at the gestures she was trying to make when she called her. Even though she wasn't able to understand anything by the gestures she made, she was still curious about the idea Sil had. Assuming that it was something that Lynx couldn't hear, seeing as how Sil nodded towards him a few times in a not-so-discreet manner, she soon followed her outside of the room.

Were it not for the atmosphere in the room, Lynx would have been more alert. Instead, he took Sil’s disappearance as his cue to listen to the other’s conversations. It was to his disappointment that none of them were particularly interesting. Sparing a glance back at Akai, he noticed she was gone.

Sil hovered excitedly as she Akai met her outside the living quarters. ”You see that little guy over there?” Sil asked, pointing to a nearby spider. ”This little guy is one of many little spiders looking to move into our boring brother’s favorite pair of pants. Problem is, Lynx here has outsmarted our little friends.”

Sil paused, looking left and right before hovering in close for a whisper. ”You see,” She continued. ”Lnyx doesn’t wear pants.” Sil fluttered back an inch and giggled at the thought.
She looked to make sure Lynx wasn’t listening before continuing ”Isn’t it horrible? What kind of monster, must Lynx be to deny our adorable spider friends a new place to live?’ Well, yes, Lynx might be a monster -A furry little monster that doesn’t understand the meaning of fun- but you see, he has forgotten one little detail… Lynx might not wear pants, but I know a certain Octavapoo who does...”

Akai started listening to Sil with a curious expression, raising an eyebrow and nodding when Sil mentioned the spider. Even though she was just beginning to explain what she had in mind, Akai couldn't help but let out a mischievous smile as she did so. She was sure that Lynx wouldn't like the idea one bit given how boring he was.

"Oh, I see where you are going..." Akai said with a chuckle and a mischievous smirk.

"And I like it! Oh it will be priceless to see his expression when he finds out, Both Lynx and Octavio." Akai said, laughing, clearly enjoying the idea.

"What do you have in mind, my little accomplice?" Akai asked Sil in a conspiratory tone as she got closer to her.

”Hmmmmm...” Sil hummed as she placed her finger to her lip in thought. ”Well… Lynx can’t know what we are doing, right? So maybe we could use some kind of distractionation?” She said.

Looking to Akai, her eyes lit up with glee. ”Ooooooooo! I know! What if you tossed a bucket full of puddle onto him?! Yeah yeah, that’s it! Just do that for ten or so minutes. There will be so much puddle, he wouldn’t even know what to do with himself!”

What a lucky Lynx he would be! Sil thought to herself. How come nobody ever splashes me with puddle?

Akai heard Sil's suggestion with an interested expression. It was true that Lynx probably wouldn't agree with that small prank so a distraction could help their little plan. That said, Akai knew that Lynx wasn't an idiot and would immediately realize that they were up to something if she simply threw water on him.

"Hm... Lynx might be boring but he is still pretty smart. I do have an idea to distract him though. Since he is so serious, a serious talk will probably distract him enough so you can do your part." Akai said with a mischievous smile.

"When you're done though, please give me a signal. I reeeeally want to see both Octavio and Lynx's expressions when they find out." Akai finished, laughing.

A talk? Sil thought that sounded like a good idea too, though it was nowhere near as brilliant as tossing puddles over Lynx’s head. Regardless, she suspected it would do the trick.

With a nod of the head and wink, Sil zipped off to find her spiders.

With Sil off to gather the spiders, Akai went back to Lynx, getting closer to him.

He flashed the same uninterested expression that most took to be judgemental in appearance. This time however, he truly was bored out of his mind, hesitant to engage in any conversations out of an odd sort of weariness that blurred the line between the physical and psychological.

"Sil is quite... energetic, isn't she? It's almost strange on how boring you can be despite having to deal with such a tireless little thing like her." Akai said to Lynx with a smirk, teasing him.

"That said, when Sil was talking about the tunnels though, it made me think... Who exactly is these guys that are letting us stay here?" Akai asked, her expression quickly becoming a serious one.

"I mean... I know I got here recently but... Secret underground tunnels under the city, some very shady people... They do sound exactly like the type that would be best friends with those crazy cultist guys... At least from what I've heard Karina and the others talking about..." Akai said, looking around.

“Boring?” he asked. “It is simply what I do. Typically, I sit and listen, and Octavio talks. He acts, and I prevent anything disastrous. He fights directly, and I skulk. It is an unintentional strategy, but it works.” While Akai had learned of their party on a surface level, it had occurred to Lynx that she might not know some of the finer dynamics present. It felt nice to participate in a conversation with no ulterior motives and nothing to do with Syl.

“I understand you may not trust the people who assist us, but we need each other for our mutual survival. They are stronger than us, as well…” he warned.

Even though she was indeed trying to distract Lynx, the fact that what she was saying was indeed something that genuinely made a few members of the group worried would make it even more likely for Lynx to believe she was being serious.

Akai listened to Lynx's reply with an amused expression. His behavior wasn't a reflection of his owner's but it was almost as if it was affected by it. It was an interesting insight on how Lynx and Octavio worked together as a party and maybe an interesting for her to think herself regarding how she would interact with her owner.

"How sweet, you two complete each other!" Akai said with a teasing grin.

"Regarding that..." She said, replying as he mentioned that the people who were helping them, the shady ones inside the tunnels were stronger than them.

"I can see why we would need any help we can get, seeing the situation we're in but... There is a difference in having more resources and being stronger, you know..." Akai said, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Lynx.

If he had the ability to raise an eyebrow, he would have done so sharply. Instead, the feline’s head twisted by a fraction.

"That said... Thinking about all this a bit better, it is but another reason for them to not try anything funny with us right now. They wouldn't be crazy to make enemies of us and have to deal with both the cult and our group..." Akai said, with a thoughtful expression.

Sil zipped in and around the room stopping directly behind Lynx. Hovering behind Lynx, she alternated from waving to Akai and pointing at the spider in her hand as if to say, ‘Hey hey! Look, I got one!’ Then, flying Octavio’s room, she planted the spider then sped off to go find more.

Lynx’s eyes shifted their focus from Akai to nothing in particular, as if looking through her while in thought. “You are new to this group, and yet you are already beginning to have seditious thoughts,” he said, as if scolding her. “Our origins as strangers continue to define our interactions with one another, even after our various conflicts. Cooperation, organization, the unspoken bond between warriors repeated endlessly through books of every kind… whatever you consider strength, there is still much more to be learned.”

Akai chuckled as she heard Lynx's scolding. Just like Sil said, sometimes he worried too much about things. In this case, he was finding a problem where there wasn't one.

"Seditious? Oh no. I am merely stating the obvious, kitty." Akai said with a mocking grin.

"It is exactly why we are strangers that I'm saying what I did. Each one of us is playing to our strengths. Our group has power, they have resources. We need their resources, they need our power. It is exactly this interaction that prevents us from betraying one another. At least one of us is deemed... no longer necessary to the other, that is." Akai said with a rather ominous smirk.

"Cooperation, organization and this so called 'bond' you speak of... All of them are dictated by our personal interests. Both individually and as a group. Our group was formed when our priorities became similar. At least our immediate goal, that is, to survive and escape. It is exactly the same as why the Kharu group won't betray us. We need each other, at least for our immediate goals. Betraying one another, for whatever reason would be completely illogical and would do nothing to help each one of us to attain our personal goals." she continued.

"You see? Deep down, it's all about our own personal interests. There is no 'bond', nobody is helping each other just because they are 'good people'. There is no such thing as a 'good samaritan', or in another words... 'Nothing is ever free'." Akai said with a smirk.

"Regarding what you said about strength... We have a few people in our group that can fight very well, a person with an incredibly troublesome and disruptive magic and all the other abilities our group has. We are clearly a threat for anyone looking to fight against us. Not only directly, but indirectly as well, or have you forgotten Karina is a strategist? Even the cult showed us that by prioritizing our capture... We are a threat to them. Therefore, for this and many other reasons, we can consider that our group is indeed... strong. Compared to the Kharu-Natjer group, even though we might lack in resources, we have something they don't have. The ability to oppose the cult. To fight." Akai said, walking around Lynx,as she continued speaking.

"Oh and talking about strength... It should be quite obvious that I'm not exactly the muscle-headed type to think that physical strength or violence are a solution to everything. In fact, it should be clear that I do love to do exactly the opposite. Cunning, strategy, the power of words, deception... There are a lot of other things that can be considered 'strength'... And each one of those, are most effective when used in a specific situation or manner. Just like the resources they have." Akai said, stopping in front of Lynx again as she gave a light flick on his nose.

Truth be told, even though that started merely as a distraction, she was actually enjoying such talk, but just like what she said to Lynx, behind every single action, there is a personal interest. Something motivating it... And it was no different for Akai herself.

As she spoke, Sil made multiple trips in and out of the room. During each trip, she made a point of stopping and giving Akai a wave, wink, or thumbs up. Sometimes, she would stop right before entering Octavio’s room. Other times directly behind Lynx. Once she even stopped directly outside Lynx’s peripheral view and mocked him by sticking out her tongue and raising her upper eyelid with a finger.

Lynx let out a tired sigh that sounded a bit like a hiss. Her way of thinking was confident in a way his internal monologue almost never was. Karina was a strategist, not a man with too many daggers and a couple of illusions that could only just get them out of trouble, so it made sense.
“Being open about having ideas like that is dangerous. I agree with them, but I am hesitant to take some of them into consideration. A future where a disruption within our ranks leads to doom would be something I would prefer to avoid.”

Sil had landed comfortably atop Akai’s shoulder and gave her a solid thumbs up. Clearly she had finished with her task.

While she was speaking, Akai noticed how Sil made multiple trips, zipping around the room as she entered and exited Octavio's room. Sometimes even stopping and mocking Lynx before going back to her task, which made Akai have to hold herself to not chuckle and smile at that.

After she finished talking, Akai couldn't help but let out a mischievous smirk as she heard Lynx saying how having ideas like that was dangerous. Indeed, some of them weren't exactly pleasant to think about but they were still possibilities which were worth taking in consideration.

"Oho~ Isn't the fact that they were my ideas the reason for them being dangerous?" Akai said with a laugh and a mischievous grin just as she noticed Sil landing on her shoulder, giving her a thumbs up.

"It was an interesting talk, Lynx. I honestly wasn't expecting to enjoy it that much." Akai said, as she gave a small wink to Sil.

"Talking about dangerous ideas... I think it's time for me to start thinking about some. I do have a reputation to maintain, you know?" Akai said, with a chuckle and a mischievous wink to Lynx before she walked away.

He assumed the wink was for him and thought little of it. She was trying to get a rise out of him, not in the same, mostly unintentional way Sil did, but in a more calculated manner. If that was her intention, then he decided that she had succeeded. After a few small stretches, he wandered off for a walk, the conversation having left him with a feeling of dread.

With her and Sil's small prank ready, they only needed to wait to watch Octavio's reaction to it.

---

Buzz buzz buzz, when the silvery fly. Left right right left. The tiny insect wove throughout the cavern’s corridors. Its body glinting in the crystal jade light. Slowly but surely, it made its way to the outer edges of the tunnels until finally it caught a glimpse of its destination ahead. A wooden door guarded by a pair of slaves.

It landed on the door frame and inched its way through a crack spewing light from the chamber beyond. With one final push, it made its way past the crack only to then stop in and clean its antennae.

A man sat quietly in the chamber, reading a book by a burning hearth. The fly looked to the man as it rubbed its front two legs together. Pausing only after the man stirred. He raised his gaze towards the fly, a smile crossing his lips. Marking his page, he closed the book and placed it by his side.

”Done with your rounds for the night?” The Kharu-Natjer asked.

The fly buzzed, taking off towards the man. Its form beginning to shift and grow. The fly’s mouth began to curve curved and sharpen as small bumps took form along its body and protrude outward. Its mid and front legs merged together. Widening and combining with its wings. Its hindlegs sprouted claws. Its eyes turned glassy and beady.

Talon perched himself comfortably atop the Kharu-Natjer’s shoulder. Raising his left wing, he began nuzzling at his recently transformed feathers underneath.

“The… guests keep secrets from you.” Talon said, lowering his wing.

”Course they do.” The Kharu-Natjer said with a chuckle. ”I would be surprised if they didn’t.”

“Disrespectful.” Talon remarked with a click of his beak.

”Talon, my familiar, you seem to think that even a glance in my direction should be considered a slight.”

“And it should be!” Talon snapped defiantly. “You should earn nothing but praise for the labors you perform to stamp out this world’s imperfections!”

The Kharu-Natjer frowned, eyeing Talon as if studying him. ”I seek not praise, familiar. I merely seek what’s best for my people.” The bird ruffled and smoothed his feathers. Talon often took issue with the Kharu-Natjer’s disinterest in worship.

”Now then,” The Kharu-Natjer began. ”what’s this about our new friends keeping secrets from me?”

Talon fluttered over to a nearby perch designed specifically for him. He flapped his wings thrice in quick succession before settling down.

”The army of touch marches. They plan to attack two days from now. The girl is to open the gates for them.”

”Ah.” The Kharu-Natjer said, rubbing his chin in thought. ”Been wondering when they would make their move. I presume Karina received word from those scouts she returned here with earlier?”

Talon nodded. “There’s more.” He said. “Malkev, the girl revealed her identity to him. She plots to turn him to their side.”

”That’s of no concern to me.” The Kharu-Natjer said with a wave. ”I have little interest in what Malkev does after we take our leave of this city.”

“So we are leaving then?” The bird asked.

”Of course!” The Kharu-Natjer replied. ”We’ve played our part here. We hid those requiring hiding. Fed those we deemed needing feeding. And helped Malkev stir the townsfolk who need stirring. All that’s left is to be there to guide our friends before the attack, which we will be noticeably absent from. With the army of touch on the move, they need no further help from us here.”

Talon almost seemed to shrug. As always, he seemed indifferent about the plight of others.

“I think Svephreay has caught onto my other form.” Talon said after a moment of silence.

The Kharu-Natjer frowned. ”Pity.” He said. ”That is unfortunate.”

“You should kill her now.” Talon warned. “You let her get away with too much.”

”We will kill her in time.” The Kharu-Natjer said as he reached for his book. ”Just like we did with the one before her. For now, though, she’s still useful to us.”

Talon narrowed his eyes at the words but kept his comments to himself. He had learned long ago not to second guess his master. Instead, he took to preening his silvery feathers. It was a necessary action for one such as Talon. After all, when in servitude for a man such as the Kharu-Natjer, a familiar should always look his best.

~ The Rosalie District - Art of Sound ~ [Music / Slice of Life]

Masumi

---

“…and if you stutter, don’t forget. It’s marketable!”

Name
Masumi Takeuchi

Age
22, November 10

Gender
Female

Sexuality
Heterosexual

Nationality
Japanese

---

Appearance
Standing at an unremarkable five feet and four inches, Masumi has the height and slim build of your typical Japanese woman. Her face is what people are tuning in to see, though. Masumi's smile is dazzling in front of a screen, a perfect replica of her mother's. And her big brown eyes don't lag behind either. If there's one thing she's managed to inherit, it's her mother's good looks.

When on stage, she tends to lean heavily on Japanese idol aesthetics, with a focus on jovial colors, small skirts and an array of terrifyingly coordinated accessories throughout her body. With her attempts to launch outside of the underground idol scene she's made some adjustments to her style, notably ditching the gaudier looks for a more subdued kind of cuteness. Outside of the stage she dresses with a focus on personal comfort, going for sundresses and loose sweaters.

Personality


Masumi is introverted and prefers to relax at home when not working as an idol, though by no means is she shy or hesitant in social interactions with others. On the contrary, her diehard curiosity and business-oriented mind have molded her into an excitable conversationalist. Her attempts to seek out fame and fortune are absolutely fueled by selfishness, but she doesn't see it as a bad thing. Audiences want a fantasy, and she wants them to pay for premium tickets. It's nothing more and nothing less than a win-win transaction. She's notably direct about these ideas with others in the industry.

When interacting with the public, her personality is strongly influenced by what she can lean on at that particular moment, as she is incompetent at being naturally charismatic. Cues, scripts, and notes are what gets her through these interactions, rather than any natural sense of intuition. At her best, her fans would call her bubbly and energetic. At her worst, her stiffness and hesitation would be distressingly apparent.

Her high willpower and discipline can veer towards stubbornness and tunnel vision at times. These quirks are exacerbated whenever business is involved.

---

Rosalie Occupation
An idol, a solo singer accompanied by a personal assistant, with a handful of contacts to producers and the like. She enjoys composing, but recognizes her lack of finesse in the field and tends to collaborate with producers or pay them outright to make her music. As she is an independent artist with no ties to any agency, these collaborations tend to happen sporadically.

Act Information
Masumi is skilled enough on the keyboard to compose, but her main strength is her voice. While she began her career covering bubbly idol music, she has begun to veer towards a more mature and stripped down sound. As part of being an idol she doesn't shy away from dancing on stage.

Relative Experience
While small pockets of the public have known about her since even before she was born, it wasn't until her late teens when she started to make a name for herself within Japan's idol scene. She's been emboldened with her latest small bouts of success, and is open about her ambitions in living up to her mother's name.

---

Biography


Once a legend in the Japanese idol circuit, Kanon Takeuchi left the scene in a state of shock after her early retirement during her thirties. Her departure was met with sadness from her fans, who wished her well. As with most musicians, it didn't take long for her career to disappear from the public's consciousness, eventually becoming nothing more than a name occasionally dropped during conversations of the "good old days".

Masumi spent her childhood rejecting the possibility of following in her mother’s footsteps. She had a passion for math, and the drive to pursue a career in the field. With time, however, she realized music wasn’t an abstract art that needed an innate talent to understand. She could break down the formulas of what made a song work into series of notes and chords, which she could then rearrange and warp to create whatever she wanted. This newfound passion for music intersected with her love of money, and so she began her charge into the entertainment industry.

She was initially hesitant, with no desire to stray from her passion for math or step into the spotlight, but the money was too enticing to pass up. And to Masumi's amusement, she discovered her skills could be applied to music production. But there was a problem.

Masumi is an awful idol.

Lacking in everything from style to cuteness to that certain "star quality" people insisted was important, Masumi and her two left feet weren't meant for the stage on her own. But she wasn't on her own.

If there was a single advantage to being the daughter of a legendary idol, it was having money to spare. She's sought out help from everything from stylists to choreographers to producers, all of them trying to mold her into anything resembling her mother, with mixed success. Now a young adult, Masumi and her assistant have set their sites on Nimrod as their ticket to fame. With only the faintest traces of a fanbase and fame, she's dead set on carrying her family's name onward.

Affiliations


Kanon Takeuchi - A now retired idol once revered throughout Japan. Only those heavily invested in that particular music scene recognize her nowadays. Her insistence on having her only daughter follow in her footsteps has caused friction between the two.

Shin Imamoto - A portly man in his mid thirties assigned hired by Masumi to serve as her personal assistant and liaison with the professional world. Called "Masumi's lapdog" by his friends, his paychecks are enough to keep him satisfied with dealing with her whims. He has a notably negative view of the entertainment industry.

Relationships
N/A

~ The Rosalie District - Art of Sound ~ [Music / Slice of Life]

Masumi

---

“…and if you stutter, don’t forget. It’s marketable!”

Name
Masumi Takeuchi

Age
22, November 10

Gender
Female

Sexuality
Heterosexual

Nationality
Japanese

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Appearance
Standing at an unremarkable five feet and four inches, Masumi has the height and slim build of your typical Japanese woman. Her face is what people are tuning in to see, though. Masumi's smile is dazzling in front of a screen, a perfect replica of her mother's. And her big brown eyes don't lag behind either. If there's one thing she's managed to inherit, it's her mother's good looks.

When on stage, she tends to lean heavily on Japanese idol aesthetics, with a focus on jovial colors, small skirts and an array of terrifyingly coordinated accessories throughout her body. With her attempts to launch outside of the underground idol scene she's made some adjustments to her style, notably ditching the gaudier looks for a more subdued kind of cuteness. Outside of the stage she dresses with a focus on personal comfort, going for sundresses and loose sweaters.

Personality


Masumi is introverted and prefers to relax at home when not working as an idol, though by no means is she shy or hesitant in social interactions with others. On the contrary, her diehard curiosity and business-oriented mind have molded her into an excitable conversationalist. Her attempts to seek out fame and fortune are absolutely fueled by selfishness, but she doesn't see it as a bad thing. Audiences want a fantasy, and she wants them to pay for premium tickets. It's nothing more and nothing less than a win-win transaction. She's notably direct about these ideas with others in the industry.

When interacting with the public, her personality is strongly influenced by what she can lean on at that particular moment, as she is incompetent at being naturally charismatic. Cues, scripts, and notes are what gets her through these interactions, rather than any natural sense of intuition. At her best, her fans would call her bubbly and energetic. At her worst, her stiffness and hesitation would be distressingly apparent.

Her high willpower and discipline can veer towards stubbornness and tunnel vision at times. These quirks are exacerbated whenever business is involved.

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Rosalie Occupation
An idol, a solo singer accompanied by a personal assistant, with a handful of contacts to producers and the like. She enjoys composing, but recognizes her lack of finesse in the field and tends to collaborate with producers or pay them outright to make her music. As she is an independent artist with no ties to any agency, these collaborations tend to happen sporadically.

Act Information
Masumi is skilled enough on the keyboard to compose, but her main strength is her voice. While she began her career covering bubbly idol music, she has begun to veer towards a more mature and stripped down sound. As part of being an idol she doesn't shy away from dancing on stage.

Relative Experience
While small pockets of the public have known about her since even before she was born, it wasn't until her late teens when she started to make a name for herself within Japan's idol scene. She's been emboldened with her latest small bouts of success, and is open about her ambitions in living up to her mother's name.

---

Biography


Once a legend in the Japanese idol circuit, Kanon Takeuchi left the scene in a state of shock after her early retirement during her thirties. Her departure was met with sadness from her fans, who wished her well. As with most musicians, it didn't take long for her career to disappear from the public's consciousness, eventually becoming nothing more than a name occasionally dropped during conversations of the "good old days".

Masumi spent her childhood rejecting the possibility of following in her mother’s footsteps. She had a passion for math, and the drive to pursue a career in the field. With time, however, she realized music wasn’t an abstract art that needed an innate talent to understand. She could break down the formulas of what made a song work into series of notes and chords, which she could then rearrange and warp to create whatever she wanted. This newfound passion for music intersected with her love of money, and so she began her charge into the entertainment industry.

She was initially hesitant, with no desire to stray from her passion for math or step into the spotlight, but the money was too enticing to pass up. And to Masumi's amusement, she discovered her skills could be applied to music production. But there was a problem.

Masumi is an awful idol.

Lacking in everything from style to cuteness to that certain "star quality" people insisted was important, Masumi and her two left feet weren't meant for the stage on her own. But she wasn't on her own.

If there was a single advantage to being the daughter of a legendary idol, it was having money to spare. She's sought out help from everything from stylists to choreographers to producers, all of them trying to mold her into anything resembling her mother, with mixed success. Now a young adult, Masumi and her assistant have set their sites on Nimrod as their ticket to fame. With only the faintest traces of a fanbase and fame, she's dead set on carrying her family's name onward.

Affiliations


Kanon Takeuchi - A now retired idol once revered throughout Japan. Only those heavily invested in that particular music scene recognize her nowadays. Her insistence on having her only daughter follow in her footsteps has caused friction between the two.

Shin Imamoto - A portly man in his mid thirties assigned hired by Masumi to serve as her personal assistant and liaison with the professional world. Called "Masumi's lapdog" by his friends, his paychecks are enough to keep him satisfied with dealing with her whims. He has a notably negative view of the entertainment industry.

Relationships
N/A

~ The Rosalie District - Art of Sound ~ [Music / Slice of Life]

...was also making a female character, oops

I´m probably still gonna go through with the idea though

~ The Rosalie District - Art of Sound ~ [Music / Slice of Life]

I remember joining cystra city a looong time ago

def want to join this

Eɴᴛᴇʀ — Into an Isekai World

---

Tarashima Forest

---

"That makes sense..." he told Ipharia, voice dropping to a near whisper. They were dressed oddly because they were foreigners. They asked a lot of questions because they were uncertain how life functioned in these lands. Neither statement was false, yet refusing to strengthen either with some sort of cover story felt like a bad omen on par with what Honami had mentioned. Kaito had discussed the topic of the spotlight effect with others in the past, how humans had a tendency to overstate how notable they were to others. He would have to reassure himself that some fantasy villager would be too preoccupied with farming or getting drunk to do anything milder than raising an eyebrow at them. That's what villagers did, right? Drink something like mead from an oversized wooden mug, in mobile games and television shows.

"That would be our safest option, I think."

The Five Senses

INTERLUDE

_{Year 4256
2nd day of the month of Olfaccium
Morning
Svephraey + Octavio}

---

Octavio strode through the halls that connected the dungeon's chambers, his gloved index finger brushing past the length of the stone wall as he moved. Though initially an earnest attempt to use its texture to avoid getting lost, he'd gradually grown bored. He saw no reason to continue acting as if this situation was any different from his encounter with the Mysterious Stranger. If either of the powerful men had wanted him dead, then there would be no obstacles in their way. While his first encounter of that nature had left him feeling frustrated and powerless, he now felt a kind of disinterested respect. There were far more important things to worry about than the intentions of men who insisted on shrouding themselves in mystery.

His movements came to a halt. "An indent, interesting."

His finger traced the circumference of a small concave bump in the wall. He withdrew a small knife to carve out a marker, but thought better of it. There was no way to know the extent of the Kharu-Natjer's power, and he wasn't about to vandalize his home. He chuckled. In the absence of his companion, it was a lot harder to make civilized decisions.

"Little runt, little runt. Not like the other pups." A female's voice purred from the tunnel's depths. There, where light met shadow, sat Svephraey, scraping at the floor with a needle like dagger.

Eyes towards the ground, she continued her chant. "Begs for food. Begs for love. Never did it find a one." Her words came rhythmically. They hung in the air much like a melody. "Alone, it wandered to and fro. Till, one day... it met another..."

A pebble leapt from the ground. Chipped away by Svephraey's dagger. The woman ceased her scrapping. Her weapon hand relaxed. Slowly Svephraey's gaze wandered upward. Her eyes meeting Octavio's expectantly.

"Tell me, love." The woman said. "What happened then?"

A sudden noise made Octavio turn. Through the eerie glow of the jade torches he made out the rough shape of a person, a shape that moved bit by bit as it carved the ground with a dagger. He cursed himself for having carelessly assumed the Kharu-Natjer’s territory would have been free of threats outside the man himself. As the sound of metal scraping against stone rattled in his skull, he realized that just because the man saw use in keeping him alive it didn’t mean he’d be under his protection. What general or king hadn’t waved away the lives of his inferiors without as much as a blink of the eye?

She chanted, or at least seemed to recite, a verse about a lost animal, and although there was no way a reasonable man would arrive to the conclusion, he knew on an instinctual level it was about him.

“What an interesting little chant,” he mused, eyes drifting towards the miserable sources of light around them, “do you by any chance remember who taught you that?” In the past, he’d had conversations with individuals who had blades pressed against his throat. Despite the distance between them, the encounter felt similar.

Svephraey cocked her head. Her expression unchanging... or at least as far as anyone could tell. The exaggerated turtleneck made reading her expression quite difficult, as the only thing left visible were her eyes.

The woman gave the man a shrug. Slowly, she rose from the ground. Her dagger vanishing beneath the folds of her sleeve with a flick of the wrist.

"Just a story my mother told." She said. "Her stories never did end... pleasantly..."

A part of him wanted to let out a fabricated chuckle, or even a grin to ease the oppressive tension that permeated the chamber, but it was hard to gauge what was appropriate given the woman's obscured expressions. At least withdrawing her dagger meant he wasn't a target. For now.

"Ah, well they say every story is either a tragedy or a comedy. I myself always preferred the latter, in my youth as an actor." His shoulder leaned against the stone, the rest of his body softening in response.

Amused by Octavio's words, Svephraey's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Smooth words, fine garments, a fear of tragedies and..." Svephraey's eyes wandered to Octavio's many rings. "a taste for shiny accessories... Yes... an actor indeed..."

Svephraey slowly approached Octavio. Her steps so light and delicate, it made her appear to glide across the floor in the dim light. "Be honest now, love." The woman said. "Did you steal your pet the way you stole the cloth on your back?"

It wasn't the first time he'd been correctly accused of having stolen his garments. But those other incidents had been after copious amounts of alcohol or the failure to latch on to some trend among nobles. All of this was information she could possibly have no way of knowing, information she laid out on display as part of some attempt to cut him down to size.

He was really starting to miss the good old days of just stealing.

"Ah, you mean Lynx..."

He was becoming aware of how uncomfortable the rough stone against his body felt, a pressure that prickled against his skin through the stolen cloth. "Calling him a pet is a disservice to his capabilities. A fine young man, once you look past the four paws." As strange as it felt to defend Lynx, the words flowed out of him effortlessly.

"My-my, you are an amusing one..." Svephraey replied, her eyebrows rising just a hint. She raised her arm to her side, letting her fingers brush against the stone wall as she drew ever closer.

"It followed the other. A runt much like itself." Svephraey continued her chant. "From here to there, it didn't matter where. Learn, it did, from the other's ways. To survive, to hunt, wherever it stayed. Some lessons, though, did allude. Trust. Friendship. A heart left askew."

Svephraey's steps came to a pause, positioning her just in front of Octavio. Her gaze seemed to intensify as her chant cut off. "Talon spoke of your Familiar's delusions of self-importance. He did not mention you encouraged its behavior." Svephraey's eyes almost seemed to twinkle in amusement. "Funny, I would almost believe that you're the pet and it the master."

Svephraey paused, tilting her head as she regarded Octavio with curiosity. "A dangerous thing, love," She started, her voice just above a whisper, "when a pet becomes the master. You walk that same line the other did. A line so fine it leaves no sign..."

As she drew nearer he didn't budge. It was clear she was looking to toy with him, and he wasn't going to squirm that easily. "It's not pets and masters, it's two allies, each helping the other. Unless... you see all relationships that way?" He let the words hang in the stagnant air.

The corners of Svephraey's eyes appeared to rise almost as if she were smiling. "When you do what I do, you have no choice but to view all relationships with a healthy dose of skepticism. Else one day you'll find yourself alone. Bleeding out. Left to die..." Svephraey hesitated. Her gaze grew distant. "Sometimes, it's best to cut away others before they cut away you..."

A knot formed in Octavio’s throat. This is how I sound like to other people. The man who had once proudly proclaimed himself to be ruled by no one, coming and going wherever whenever. The man who had managed to ruin every inkling of a relationship with others, who ran before he could ever face anything approximating a consequence for his actions. “That’s not… right." His words caused Svephraey to raise an eyebrow, skeptically.

He couldn’t believe he was hesitating, but he couldn’t think of any suitable retort either. His experiences within his current party and his past both raged in his mind, images that contradicted one another. For the past few days he had been on the edge, and Svephraey was pushing him.

“Who are you?”

The woman eyed Octavio. "Just someone capable of filling in the blanks." She said coyly. Her gaze turned toward one of the nearby crystal jade candles. Slowly, she strode toward it.

"The story... it ends with the other realizing it outgrew the runt. But the other couldn't just let the runt go. So it did the only sensible thing... It bared its fangs on the little runt."

"The other devises a plan to trick the runt." She continued. "It kills a sickly boar and invites the runt to feast. Eating the boar would surely leave the runt weakened. It would be then that the other would come in with the killing blow."

"But the runt saw through the facade and found a weasel to bring to the feast. A weasel with quite the bite. Just right to set upon the other before it makes its strike."

Svephraey stopped in front of the candle. Her story ending much like it started. Silence.

Reaching out, Svephraey took the crystal jade candle and turned it in her hand. "A tragedy, much to your dislike." She said in a hushed tone. "Two companions turned enemies... On the bright side, the little runt does escape with its life... But one does wonder... Why did the other bare its fangs upon the runt?"

"Because there was distrust. And ignorance. Had they been civilized little animals," his eyes followed the taken candle, "then they would have known that cooperation is the wisest choice. It's why we're the civilized species." The wording. I'm going to come to regret that.

He felt like an idiot, to say the least. The story was intended to be a parallel to his own experiences and an invitation for them to be dissected, and he'd chosen to take the coward's way out and criticize it in the literal sense. A younger Octavio would have considered that a victory, but he couldn't help but desire more, more than to simply be content with never truly understanding a problem before running away from it.

"Civilized? Us?" Svephraey said. "That there is the real comedy. Cooperation? We cooperate only for as long as it serves us. In the end, no matter how much we pretend, our species is no different."

Svephraey paid the man a sidelong glance before tossing him the crystal jade candle. "Tell me, love. What do you see when you look at the crystal?"

Being with Lynx had helped Octavio in a number of ways. With their combined efforts, it had been far easier to determine crucial information, from the layouts of buildings to what a target's favorite color was. But exclusively targeting the emotionally vulnerable had come at the cost of dulling him. Against the woman's sharp wit, he found himself at a loss for words once more. Had this been a physical battle, he would have been scrambling from cover to cover, none of it working. He had to think harder, the way his younger self would before growing comfortable in the world of false luxury.

She wants me to agree with her. But why? She's stalking around a dark tunnel. And based on a handful of her earlier statements it wouldn't be wrong to assume she believes most of the ideas coming out of her mouth. He refused to let himself lapse into thinking about escape.

The candle, for lack of a better term, glowed in the palms of his hands. A symbol of hope. But that wouldn't be the "correct" answer. No. What did the candle really represent? The answer came to him quickly, much to his distaste. "The lack of cooperation. The sacrifice of hundreds of lives, of those who would never be able to receive the light to protect them." The fingers of his right hand stretched around it, gradually smothering the glow in streaks of pitch black. His eyes remained on the green energy, however. "But that wouldn't be right, would it? There are people willing to band together to stop the madness tearing at this world, willing to give their lives for it."

Svephraey gave the man a bored sounding clap. "Very deep. Very drawl." She lamented. "Is he a philosopher or a thief?" She wondered aloud. "Or just very good at putting a woman to sleep?"

With a shrug, Svephraey turned and proceeded to lazily stroll down the tunnel's length.

"People band together only when madness threatens their comfortable way of life. Much like that mismash of friends of yours." She said jeeringly. "Come, Love. You think you will all be sticking together once this fight is over, do you? No... You know better than that. They will all split up. Each of you going your separate ways."

Svephraey stopped her stroll in front of another crystal. "You know what I see when looking upon a crystal?" She asked. She didn't bother to wait for an answer. "When I stare into that greenish glow... I see a profit..."

The woman stared into the eerie light. It shine gave her a wolfish look. "Yes," She continued. "A Profit. One made by trafficking large quantities of crystal across the border."

She nodded to herself as if coming to a decision on something. "Yes..." She said. "If things go poorly here, that is what I shall do."

The woman raised her gaze back to Octavio. "When the dogs can no longer hide among the shadows, they will pay a lofty sum of coin to have tools like this in hand."

"And here I thought we were having an interesting conversation about society." He rested a hand on one of his hips. "It was about me this whole time?" A chuckle left his lips, as if they were both in on some sort of joke. "While I can't say I'm confident my allies and I will even survive this, cooperation is what's kept us from anything grisly so far. I'd even go as far as to say I've befriended some of them."

His attempts at unearthing her motivations hadn't given him the success he was hoping for. The answer ended up being the most obvious option, what every man toiled and yearned for most in life. Or at least as much as love, but Octavio had no respect for those who thought that way. "I was finally beginning to enjoy myself. Then you had to go and make it all about money."

It really was like trying to have a conversation with another him. One that hadn't been humbled by mortal combat and beings that skirted the line between human and not. Judging solely by appearances, she definitely seemed to be someone who could hold their own in combat. He mused how likely it was that he would have turned out the same had he put more effort into training. Why am I feeling jealous again? First that one stranger who dragged me into this mess, and now her.

"Is stalking around dark tunnels related to your plan?"

"Of course," She said smoothly. "After all, it's never been about the money, love."

Svephraey flicked her wrist. Her needle-like dagger reappeared in her hand. "It's always been about staying on top."

Svephraey spun quickly. With a yell, she swung her blade with all her might into the nearby crystal jade candle. To the candle holder's credit, the candle stayed in the structure. The structure, of course, unharmed. The candle, however, didn't fare as well. Where her blow landed, a few tiny white cracks spread out like a web.

Svephraey cocked her head. Her dagger already having disappeared back beneath her sleeve. "Sturdier than I thought." She said.

With a shrug, Svephraey let the candle be and retreated back towards the shadows. However, upon reaching the shadow's edge, she came to a halt.

"You know," She said, looking over her shoulder. "I suppose, in a way, the runt wasn't actually a runt after all... Funny, isn't it? How sometimes a tragedy and a comedy can be one in the same."

His eyes followed the spider web of cracks along the crystal in a way that suggested he knew how valuable they were. They were, of course, responsible for having saved him and his party’s lives repeatedly. But he now knew that Kheru-Natjer was more lax about his property than he assumed. Unless Svephraey was important enough to where an act like this was permissible?

Staying on top. Survival. They were on the same page now, at least. It had taken some time for both Lynx and him to grow accustomed to cooperating with others, yet survival hadn’t wavered as their ultimate goal in mind. He approached the cracked crystal and traced the white lines on its surface, his index finger traversing their paths like an explorer inside of a labyrinth, only barely avoiding one dead end after another.

“Who knows? We’ve yet to find out,” he said, as much as to himself as to her.

The corners of her eyes appeared to rise as if she were smiling. “Farewell, love. I imagine we will be seeing each other much more often in the future.” She said, disappearing into the shadows. “... Unless, of course, she gets revenge before we get the chance…”

It felt like a heavy blow aimed at his chest. He was certain he was on the edge of keeling over.

Ophelia was coming.

Eɴᴛᴇʀ — Into an Isekai World

---

Tarashima Forest

---

It was no small relief to hear Ipharia's explanation for his trouble with the spell. Magic was still too new of a concept, too fleeting and mysterious in his mind. Despite knowing almost nothing about his new power he felt it would vanish and leave him defenseless at any moment. "Attunement?" he asked, eyes widening.

They continued their journey and their conversations, with an increased cohesion. Kaito couldn't recall when it had happened, but at some point their conversations had lengthened and lost their initial sense of distrust with each other and their surroundings. Even Honami had calmed down. He hesitated to call this feeling friendship, however. It felt more like an alliance, something born out of a mutual need for survival.

"I don't know much about the stories you mention," he told Honami. Except that anything could happen in them, apparently. "But we should decide how to present ourselves to this settlement. We can't be entirely hidden since we need information yet we can't cause a scene. The most obvious thing though, is that we need to come up with our own story, some sort of explanation of who we are and what we're doing." He cast a cautious glance at Ipharia, worried of offending her. "Something like being your colleagues, maybe?"

Hey'all

WELCOME TO DA GUILD