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Pride & Podiatry


Event: Zarina's Soiree - Character's: Magnifico Verde & Zarina @YummyYummy

A green shadow slunk between tables, no one could really remember who invited Cawuio-Zast to the party but he wasn't doing the best job of looking inconspicuous about it. The Cazanax currently sat underneath a table with a bottle of Ellermane Bleu, despite the party just starting he had made considerable progress. It was free drinks and what better way to spend the night than with your bestest of friends, a great big bottle of booze.

Later that night…

Pissed, drunk, absolutely slaughtered. Cawiuo-Zast stumbled upon the top of an inside table and started dancing to a tune that could only exist in his head.

Zarina, after losing the sense of time with her exchange with Marz, eventually excused herself to cater to her party. Things had gotten a little rowdy, and she had a job to do.

“Oi.” The Virangish hostess was behind him, also on the table, and her arms crossed. She was tall, even for a human, and her look of disappointment was palpable. “What are you doing here with those dirty feet, Habibi?”

Cawuio-Zast stumbled around to meet Zarina and put his hands on his hips in offence, puffing himself up to look taller. He washed his feet about thrice a week, there was no need for her comments.

"Are you the bouncer or something? Because I have a special invite, I'll have you know. Let me fetch it..." He reached into the inner pocket on the left side of his jacket and pulled out a small roll of paper. It flowed open in his hand to reveal a message in immaculate cursive.

'Cawuio-Zast is honourably invited as a guest of honour to this soiree.' At the bottom of the invitation, it added: 'Thank you.'

The corner of Zarina's lips creased as she took note of the Cazenax's behaviour and supposedly spotless feet. When presented with the invitation, she raised a brow before entertaining the childish machinations of an intoxicated little man. Although the existence of such a trick suggested premeditation. Definitely Cazenax shenanigans.

She peered over the sheet of people. “Ah but of course.” She smirked behind the veil of paper she kept over before her visage. “Right this way, Mister Green!” Her trip to An Zenui had some linguistic payoff. “We've been eagerly awaiting your show.” She hopped off the table and gestured invitingly for him to follow.

They were to go to the yard, where a musical performance was reaching its end. “I was told you were one of the best. If I may be so bold as to ask if you could dedicate your first show to me?” she smiled. “The boss.”

One thing Zarina would have noticed after looking back from the crowd was that Zast was now standing on two oddly thick drink coasters; she was certain she didn't order or own those ugly things. But it did make him look just a little taller. "Wait a second, how did you know my name?... Oh yeah hiccup right."

Cawuio-Zast furrowed his brow as he got the invitation to perform. He was certain there was no such arrangement made, the invitation was a complete fabrication after all. But maybe this woman hadn't caught on, it wasn't time to blow his cover yet. Free booze was free booze. "Well itsss about time they quit hogging the stage." He adjusted his jacket and hopped down from the table to follow the bouncer lady.

"Maybe when I get my show done, hiccup I can start getting some proper respect around here." Zast looked back to Zarina in response to her question. "I didn't mean you by the way. I would be happy to dedicate it to you, you've been lovely." What did she call herself? The boss? A pretty grandiose title for a bouncer, Zast thought, but he didn't have the mental bandwidth to consider it further.

The Cazenax's stumbling didn't stop after climbing up onto the stage. Causing immense confusion to the band, this little green man clumsily made his way to centre stage and waved to address the audience to moderate success. He took a swig of the bottle while his audience turned their heads toward him. "Right! For those who don't know me and for those who, do but shouldn't, you are blessed by the musical talents hiccup of Cawuuuiiooooo-Zast. I'd like to dedicate this performance to the bouncer down the back." He pointed Zarina out. "Someone give her a smooch because she's the reason I'm up on this stage today..."

Zast trailed off as he looked down and began rifling through his jacket. "Now where was it?" He mumbled to himself as he reached into the same pocket that held the invitation only to pull out a fully sized trumpet of Perrench make triumphantly. "Aha!" The size difference was absurd, it couldn't have sat concealed in his jacket, let alone one small inner pocket. Where the hell had it come from?

There was little to ponder that question because, without further delay, he began.



Most of the invitees were curious to see a Cazenax, especially one without the whacky body paints of Technically Correct, take the stage. Many eyes turned toward Zarina when the 'bouncer' was given special dedication, prompting her to wave with a cheeky grin. The confusion quickly turned into a myriad of applause the moment air came out of that trumpet and the choreography came about. In fact, many took to dancing in the most non-traditional manner they could think of. Cheers and smiles were abundant, the soirée was reaching its peak for sure!

Zarina clapped to the rhythm, and eventually joined her 'guest' on stage to man some percussion instruments and dance along with the Magnificent Green.

“Hey hey, here we go!
So he's finally here, performing for you!
If you know the words, you can join him too,
Put your feet together so you can't be wrong,
as we take you through this greenie song!

HUH! C-Z! Mag-Green!

He's the leader of the bunch,
you know him well he's finally back,
TO KICK SOME TAIL!”


After his song, Zast took a swig of a wine bottle then grabbed the trumpet with both hands and broke it over his knee. But instead of the trumpet bending or even a dent being made, the instrument shifted into a mass of liquid that fell to the ground making a puddle of, presumably, water. "T-sh-hank you very much! You've been a wonderful bloody audience."

Leaning back, the Cazenax stumbled back a couple of steps before throwing his balance forward and running at full speed. With a very poorly performed leap, he threw himself into the masses for some crowd surfing. However, the alcohol caught up with him in the execution and he blacked out at some point in the chaos of it all.



Once more beneath the moonlight



Event: Zarina's Soiree - Character's: Kaureerah, & Leon @Force and Fury

His meeting with Juulet left the singer shaken. There was a moment where he wandered aimlessly, unsure of who to talk with or whose hand he wanted to shake, not that anyone could tell from a glance. He poured another glass of wine at a table out of sight from Juulet's and polished it off quickly. The alcohol helped a little, his mind was racing less but the thought was still haunting him. Perhaps the smarter move would be to go home and process his thoughts alone. He got up to leave.

Then he saw Kaureerah. He became transfixed by the way the moonlight caught her face. The smarter move would be to go home, he needed to be alone; he approached her table instead. Perhaps it was the booze had hit him more than he realised and it was causing him to go against his better judgment. But he just really wished to dance with her.

"Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Leon Solaire addressed the table with a smile then turned to the eeaiko. "Kaureerah, it's a beautiful night and I hope to make the most of it. Would you want to waltz with me in the light of the moons?" He extended a hand in invitation.

But it wasn’t quite Leon Solaire. His voice didn't quite hit the bravado he normally spoke in and his hands were a little more rigid. Even though he tried his best to hide it, there was something off about him.

"Yoo were, een fect, eenterraupteng my deep end penseeve thaughts." She giggled, rising to her feet. She padded over to him with the grace of a performer. "Eye coould use e dence too, Meester Saun." With no further words, her fingers intertwined with his as much as they could with their webbing. She leaned in until she was pressed up against him. Quietly, smoothly, she began to move: a gentle waltz that didn't seem to follow the music. Yet, after a moment, the music came to follow *it*.

"You have my deepest, sincerest apologies." Leon chuckled back, her joke worked wonders to his mood. "I would be happy to oblige, Missus Sun." He remarked, recalling the first song the two shared. With no further words, he held the eeaiko in a dancer's embrace, matched her movements without taking the lead, and mentally thanked a very accommodating band. He would send them a basket of fruit by the time tomorrow morning came around.

Leon’s movements were still a little frigid, it wouldn't be likely to go away for the rest of the night given his exchange with Juulet, but it didn't matter to him right now. To dance with Kaureerah was all the forethought he had put into his actions. For tonight at least, he would be true to his intentions.

Kaureerah leaned into the dance. She leaned in and felt Leon and... felt. It wasn't safety, but... She tried not to dwell. Trite as it may have seemed to her artist's muse, the world faded away and it was just them two and the twinkling lights of a party in the dark. Her body felt what it felt. Her mind simply... traveled, and it came upon the words, phrase by phrase, idea by idea. She tightened her grip on him. She kissed him as the music stopped.

Beautiful Boy, I see your bright eyes shining.
I see them looking:
Just-a lookin' at me.

Beautiful Boy, I see you lookin' for an angel.
You're lookin' like you're thinking
That the angel is me.

But I don't knoooo-o-ooow if this person that I've been,
Not the only me you've seen, is-a worthy of wings.

And I can't teeeee-e-eell if they'll carry her to heaven -
If she'll be your lucky seven - or your lucky thirteen.

Beautiful Boy, I feel the heart deep inside ya.
I feel it quicken
And I'm wondering why.

Beautiful Boy, I know the feeling of your body.
I know that feeling
When you tighten inside.

And I gotta knooooo-o-ooow if I'm the only reason,
Or the flavour of the season and a scent on the wind.

Do I beliiieeee-e-eeeve that your heart is on your sleeve
And you won't flatter to deceive, and this isn't just me?

Beautiful Boy, oh beautiful boy.

Beautiful Boy, oh beautiful boy.

Beautiful Boy, I don't know you,
Oh, but I lo-ove you.
But I don't know me.
Oh, do I love me?

Beautiful Boy, oh beautiful boy.

Beautiful Boy, oh beautiful boy.

Beautiful Boy, do I love me
Enough to lo-ove you?
Oh can you free me?
And clip my wings.





The Sun Seeker's Folly


Event: Post-Trials - Mentions: Ciro, Ayla, Kaureerah, & Ariadne @Ti@Force and Fury@YummyYummy















Event: Mano e Mano - Mentions: Asier @Ti - Interacts with: Kaureerah @Force and Fury & Ariadne @YummyYummy





























Carmillia Carbonneau

Collab with Dorothea @jasbraq













There's the Leon combat sheet.


A Reason to Fight

Mentions: Talkan @Grimnir, Roslyn @Fallenreaper, & Kaureerah @Force and Fury







Enter the Dragon

Interacts with: Laska @Force and Fury

Perfect Pizza


Leon rubbed his sore cheek which had just been pinched by the Nonna. She was impressed with the pizza, as he was certain of. But did she have to express it in such a physical way? Stupid question, the answer was yes.

He was a bit behind the leaders in the race. His fame, even with the Sun King persona, was a double-edged sword. He got fantastic deals on premium pizza ingredients but lost time and energy when the crowd swarmed him. He couldn’t keep his pace; it's not as though he could simply push them away.

Singers and Saints were still in a good position after the first inning and Leon was in no mind to slack about. He ran to the portal immediately and jumped through to tag in Ayla for the Plunge.

But that wasn’t the end of the race for the Sun King. No, it was just the beginning. He had an ulterior motive; to run the rest of the race alongside the teams and make sure every team completed it. The Trials were for fun after all. It wouldn’t be fun to be eliminated from them.

Mushroom Maze


Leon had not expected to be using his magic this way, ever. When he came through the portal, someone had grown a dense wall of mushrooms right outside the entrance. He was sure that the Trial runner would have more foresight than this; it had to be cheating.

He spent the time doing slow controlled burns of the fungi and he was there a good while doing it. The leaders of the race had long since run out of view and by the time he made any strong progress destroying the blockade, only the lagging teams had yet to arrive.

It would be a while until Leon could catch up to spectate his team at this rate. But he reminded himself of his goal and carried forth.

Leon lost himself in the maze and stumbled across a contestant lying face-up on the ground with a half-eaten mushroom in their hand. The student only had their hands visible as they were mostly concealed by a large oversized green robe. Despite their state of twitching on the ground, the hood still hid their face generously.

Leon thought about revealing their face but then remembered his rule. If someone has gone to these lengths to hide their face, it's because they are horrendously ugly. Best to keep their veil in place. It is the moral thing to do.

He hoisted the twitching body onto his shoulder determined to rescue them from the maze.

“What are you doing? Fool! I was spectating the future!” The student piped up in a gravelly and hateful voice while being run through the maze turbulently.

“You can thank me later,” Leon replied with a jovial tone. “You aren’t done with the race just yet.”

Lost City


Chaos greeted Leon as he entered the Lost City. Some great big thresher was spinning and thrashing around destroying everything. What made it extra terrifying was that he rode a leftover Perrench thresher with a dud fin. There were too many close calls to count. But there were also too many students with calls too close. Bodies of students knocked out and knocked off their threshers floated in the sub-aquatic city.

A kinetic mage who was painted green from the Green Meanies, a mage dressed like a lion mascot from Indomitable Lions, a foolish mage dressed in full plate armour from the Knights of Justice, and what looked like an Ersand’Enise guard all rode on the back of Leon’s thresher. He tried bringing them back to consciousness as they waited out the thresher rampage.

Afterward, he returned them to their threshers to continue the race.

Invasive


Leon had a great time running around in the hot bamboo forest. Plenty of sun is all he could ask for.

There was no great distance to travel on this one. All of the teams ran around the same area, so he had plenty of ability to catch up to the front of the pack, despite how far back he was.

He caught up to Laska at the last minute following just behind her as she jumped through the final portal. The Singers and Saint had come first. Victory was theirs.

In his excitement, Leon ripped off the Sun King mask and slam-dunked it into the ground. He revealed to all of the spectators that this mysterious figure was the famed performer all along. What better time than on the victory podium for the Dragon.

Leon was not humble in victory. After finishing a brief victory dance, he ran up to Laska and hugged her. “You did so well I could kiss you.” He didn’t. He made no indication of attempting it either. He instead releases the hug. “That is a victory worthy of song. I’ll need to go get the others immediately.”

But it wasn’t immediate. He instead basked in the glow of victory a bit longer, then dashed off to find the rest of the team, turned a corner, and then just about passed out from exhaustion.







Sofia Gabriella Valier, a young girl of modest nobility, felt like crying. For reasons beyond her grasp, her parents had packed their estate in the Revidian countryside for a newly built manor in Ersand’Ernise. As if the crowds weren’t enough, their new home was situated in a section called Mudville that certainly lived up to its name. Her father must have been out of his mind, on the assumption he had any choice in the move.

She bumped between an apathetic stranger and an apathetic stranger who lacked teeth, neither taking notice. Sofia longed for the long green fields of her old home, the one she had been at all her life. She missed the farmhands whom she had come to call friends after finally overcoming her anxieties, missed the chestnut mare she raised from a pony into her most reliable companion. Now she could only think about how much her father made over the sale.

And yet, that wasn’t why her tears were beginning to well up, no. She had lost sight of her parents in the commotion of the Mudville town hub. It was a scary enough concept for any nine-year-old girl to go through, but she had only been in Ersand’Enise for a week and had no clue how to find the way home.

Any calls were lost to the wind, drowned by constant commotion. The people paid little notice to her. Her status meant nothing. Did they not care about a lost girl on the verge of tears? For the first time in her life, Sofia Gabriella Valier felt truly alone.

She listened out only to receive the distinct sounds of a hammer on anvil. Two to be precise. The cold heartbeat of a place she very much wanted to escape.

Clank clank… … … clank clank… … …

It was hopeless.



A sudden flash of light from above caused Sofia to shoot their gaze skyward. It had not been a flash of light but rather a golden flare and one that was growing by the second. She had to avert her gaze, not just because of the flare’s candescence but also because of its position close to the sun. A mix of her existing fears and temporary blindness had her frozen in place while the others around her fled.

The thud of a blade stabbed into the dirt as the dazzling flare landed not two metres away from her. With a quick look over her surroundings, the people who had once filled the town square had made a makeshift circle of ‘safe distance’ around the pillar of light. As if they all suddenly agreed that a solid ten metres was enough to evade anything that was about to happen. It was just her left to be judged by the alien presence.

“HA… HA HA HA!” a mirthful laughter carried throughout the town square and cut through any chatter in the surrounding circle. While it sounded human enough, the power was far from it. Perhaps to a practising mage, it would be apparent the voice was amplified. But neither Sofia nor most of the crowd were.

The chime of a great, big bell rang and the pillar of light pulsed outward, quickly disproving the ten-metre safety rule as the light engulfed everything in sight. Many tried to run but could never escape it on foot, let alone having to push through the gathered crowds. But not a single person was harmed. It instead filled them with a comforting warmth that soothed the masses. They no longer looked on in fear but curiosity as the flash dissipated.

Sofia was the first to see the figure beyond the shimmering wave. A spear stood with its tip planted into the earth, rising at least two metres to a hand that gripped the very end. The figure was performing a one-handed stand to a combined height of about four metres.

Before she could make out any features, it released his grip and flipped downward. Its foot collided with the spear in a kick sending it spinning upward. The short acrobatic show ended with the figure, now clearly a masked man, having landed and the spear sliding gracefully into the holster on his back next to a lyre.

Landed wouldn’t be the correct word, Sofia thought, because despite making similar motions, he was still floating a few feet off the ground.

The masked man certainly encouraged the imagination in the way he dressed. His golden spear shone behind large, flowing robes of yellow silk with highlights of orange and black. Despite the quantity of fabric, it hardly looked like it weighed the man down. They instead looked weightless, as though the rules of gravity need not apply to them.

But the most distinguishing feature was a gaudy sun mask that covered most of the man's face down to a bit below the nose. His mouth displayed a large, toothy grin. It looked as though the man could burst into laughter again at any moment.

“AH HA HAAAaaaa!” Still floating, he reclined into a laid-back position as he surveyed the crowd. “Please, please there is no need to fear.” The man announced in a regal address. “The apology is mine! I have travelled long to be here.”

“I come from the great belfry in the sky that counts each day. I seek to win the trials, so in this city, I shall stay.”

“I am the Sun King, he who looks over all. And I serve you people, or so I recall.”


Admiration and anxiety were both rife within the crowd. Everyone looked upon this ‘Sun King’ enraptured, some with joy and others with fear. Sofia was the latter on both accounts, which did not escape the monarch’s notice. She froze when his attention on her caused him to lose his smile.

The Sun King had made the decision to grace the ground with his feet and close the distance between himself and the lost girl. “A girl with no friends, no family can be ever so lonely.” He continued to address the crowd but then turned directly to her. “How would you like your very own pony?”

The smile returned to his face, but the confidence and honesty in his voice gave it a disarming quality. There was no way he could be hiding something like a pony given his bombastic entrance. She felt silly; she still hadn’t wiped away her tears from earlier. But Sofia believed him, at least enough to nod in reply.

“I am only as good as the people allow. Please, everyone, start a clap… … now.”

There was a short moment of silence before one person started clapping. Then another started and another until only Sofia left yet to join. Once the rhythm of the claps picked up, Sun King put his hands together, one on top of the other. It seemed to be an innocuous and small gesture, but even someone uneducated in magic like Sofia could see incredible energy converging between his palms.

Another flash of light flared out, signalling the group to stop. The Sun King held out his hand upon which pranced a palm-sized pony dressed in a royal purple mane. It trotted in a circle to the distant sound of the anvils.

Clank clank… … … clank clank… … …

Trot trot… … … trot trot… … …

Sofia was shocked in pleasant surprise. She had never seen a horse like this, or one even five times its size for that matter. But she gratefully accepted the Sun King’s gift anyway, letting the pocket pony jump into her own hands.

“She’s yours now, this stellar mare. So treat her well and give her care.” There was a calming conclusiveness to his words.

And just then, all the day’s events caught up with the poor girl. More had happened to her in just the past couple of hours than in her entire life. At least it felt that way. She dropped to her knees and let the purple mare down to rest upon them. The time was well due for her to get some rest as well if only her parents could find her. But she lacked the energy to keep searching for herself.

The Sun King continued some grandiose speech to the crowd, but her focus was on the little horse. “Please, please there is no need for applause now. You may save it until after I win the trials.” He carried on, outside of her focus. “If you made bets already catch up with your bookie. I wouldn’t want any of you to make poor financial decisions. What king would I be then!?...” And he carried on.




“Sofia? Sofia!”

Sofia looked behind her to see that, because of the commotion, her parents were able to find her. She allowed herself a smile as her ordeal had finally come to an end.

The Sun King gave a parting smile to the reunited family. And then, with another blast of light, he was gone again.





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