Avatar of Sanguine Rose

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11 mos ago
Current Wow three years since an update....well - I guess I've been busy. Finally getting back into real story writing instead of just editing and submitting old stuff.
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4 yrs ago
Responses didn't come like I meant them to. I'm working on being able to get to them this week. Thank you for your patience with me.
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4 yrs ago
Responses to those waiting to hear from me will come tomorrow. Apologies.
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4 yrs ago
Shit happens, responses slow. Working on it. Please be patient.
4 yrs ago

Bio

I'm an adult with a family and responsibilities that take priority, as well as mental health issues that can cause me to not get on this site for periods of time. Just know I will get back to you - hopefully within a few days. Right now my schedule is in flux until I get everything figured out properly so I cannot make promises to respond quickly.

If you've come here looking to RP, please note right now I'm not accepting any new projects. Thanks for the interest, and I wish you luck on your quest.

I recently started working on getting published, and have self published one story so far. Check it out on Amazon - Into the Night by Alexia Wynd. You can also check out more of my work - short stories and the like - at my recently started Patreon: patreon.com/storiestocaptivate

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The concept of power scale for Nyssa is that as a B level, she can only call elements that naturally occur to use for her dances. As she gains more control and power, she will be able to create elements to use for her dances.
She also has very little knowledge in Sand and Ice/Snow, so she can't call or use them. Yet.




Carver's face went from a mask of politeness to lit up with barely contained excitement after Jessica introduced them as the mages here to take on his job. His posture straightened up and he suddenly was very aware of how much of a state he must look, inspecting and patting at his clothes to get them to settle and adjust properly. "Oh, yes, Fenixtear, wonderful. You're just in t-"

His words caught in his throat as something cloth landed on his head and face. Catching a glimpse of skin from beyond the clothing he pulled from his face, Carver's gaze immediately shot toward the ceiling and his entire body went rigid. His cheeks flushed a nearly glowing pink. He cleared his throat several times. It took another few to find his voice. "I - um - no, yes, I think...Well...madam, I would suspect...If it - perhaps...clothing. Is, uh. Well, quite necessary. Not that - you - not entirely...appropriate...to be in such a state..." A shaking hand held out the articles of clothing Gwen had discarded onto his face while he did everything he could to not look in her direction.








Ria had lost track of where they were going while she tried to think up ways that maybe she could help Damian figure out what was going on with his power. The guild now had quite an extensive library, one that finally put hers to shame, so perhaps she could find something. If not in her books or the guild's, then she at least had some ideas as to what shops would be the best to go visit to see if they could find sources. Plans were swirling through her head enough that she blinked and realized just where they were and how she'd accidentally started leading him toward one of the better magical book stores in the city.

Only to then realize that Damian had mentioned a fight and she certainly heard a scuffle. It wasn't really something they should get involved with, given if it was a fight they were just an indie guild, but she certainly couldn't deny wanting to make sure it didn't end up involving innocent bystanders or cause property damage to the shops around it. Of course, the people they came across when moving to check it out certainly was neither a surprise nor something she was pleased to see. She blinked and looked at Damian, putting up a hand as he walked into the fray. "Damian, wait I -" but her words came too late.

Teague growled lightly. Cracks formed in the ground again, before he swiped at Kaden once more, but with rocks forming claws around his fingers. Kaden swept the hit to the side and returned with an uppercut.

Salvis had wound up to hit while Kaden wasn't looking but was stopped. He glanced over his shoulder at the newcomer when his arm was pinned behind his back. "Well, you'd be wrong, bud, considering your guildmate did ask for it. Nothing like a fight between friends. Bit of bad form though, jumping in without the details." His eyes narrowed, but the smirk grew into a smile. He flattened his hand against his back - palm toward Damian - and sent a powerful blast of wind entwined with lighting toward the new combatant. He followed that up by immediately pulling sharply toward the same side as the arm he had pinned to try to work Damian off him.

Kaden punched Teague squarely with a right hook, sending the other mage to the ground, as he looked toward Salvis and Damian. "Really?" He glanced the opposite way, considering he'd seen the two near each other before he left the field, and managed to find Ria. "Hey, what are you up to tomorrow?" He jumped over a sweep kick the other guy tried to send him. "Because maybe tomorrow you and I can get some training done, yeah?" He leaned back away from another punch, slapping the strike away, as he grinned crookedly.

Ria's brows rose. "You're asking me? And you're asking now?"

The mage Kaden focused on growled again before sucking in a deep breath. "Earth Dragon Roar" and shot a breath of rocks and dust toward Kaden. Kaden caught the attack with his shield, hitting it toward the side.

Only for it to slam into and dissipate after hitting a barrier of water. Another wall swirled into place to isolate the four mages from allowing any of their spells to get beyond them, with an opening leading toward Ria. "Kaden, collateral damage is unacceptable. Please take more care, least you draw negative attention toward the guild. Now finish up the fight quickly, boys, before someone calls authorities to break it up."








The walk from Crocus to Petunia town took roughly seven and a half hours. It left plenty of time for the pair to talk, or not, about virtually any topic they could desire. At the end of it, and some quick directions once they finally arrived in Petunia Town to locate Sapphire Farms. Petunia Town, as they would find walking the few dirt roads in it, was quaint. Small, still set in older ways, and with scant but a few buildings denoting the center of town - including the town hall, a general store, an inn that doubled as a restaurant and bar, and the post office - while plenty of homes and farmland stretched out around it.

Sapphire Farms, unfortunately for Menzai and Alina, was located on the opposite end of town. After walking down a long dirt drive past rows of green houses, they arrived at the main storehouse. A handful of customers were milling about in the shop - looking over the flower pots on tables or flowering trees in pots toward the back - while workers busied themselves out back getting delivers loaded up into carts and trucks.

An older woman oversaw the whole thing, watching the workers and directing ones that seemed to be doing things just a bit too slow or mixing up the orders. When they walk into the shop front, an older man is also visible behind a counter - ready to ring up orders. It is he who speaks up. "New faces. Haven't seen a pair looking like you two around town. What can I do ya for?" The old man offered them a gentle smile, adjusting his bifocal glasses up his nose when he realized they crept down.






The team agreed and ready, they set off. The most direct route to the museum would have taken them through the center of the festivities, but it was a deal easier and faster to simply go around it all. It meant only catching the sounds and smells of what the festival had to offer, but not having to push through the throngs of people milling about in the way. It also meant none getting distracted by vendors calling out their wares. The businesses throughout Crocus still saw an increase in foot traffic, but it wasn't as packed as the heart of the city and surrounding area.

In no time at all, the four found themselves at a large building set a little ways back from the road behind a brick wall with wrought iron gates. The grounds were well tended, with sculptures and large replicas of olden war machines and canons, and a pair of small fountains flanked the entrance. The museum itself was much how one would expect - plenty of floors of actual displays, with people walking the halls looking at everything, or with tour guides. Approaching the admittance desk to gain entry allowed them to bypass having to pay, and were escorted through the halls by a guide straight down to the workshops in the basement, and to a large room that still managed to be cluttered enough to induce a sense of claustrophobia for those nervous about tall shelves packed with dusty books, and scrolls, and artifacts that look more dusted up for being in this room than wherever they were found. Carver sat at a table, with his back to the door. On the table was a large map of the mountain range just outside Crocus, on which he was marking potential routes to get to a location he marked on the map.

The guide knocked solidly on the door, despite it being open, to draw Carver's attention that way. She then motioned for the group to enter as Carver straightened up, and took her leave as soon as Carver had given the group his attention. "Ah, hello. Sorry, I didn't -" He glanced over his shoulder then looked back at the group. After adjusting his glasses, he put a smile on his face. "I wasn't aware I had an appointment. I was just working on something. Apologies. I'm Carver Mandrake. And you are...?"






Jobs out, his fun gone, Kaden sighed softly. If he stuck around, he'd end up roped into helping with customers. There weren't enough hot women in here to want to turn on the charm. So, rather than stick around to see what might come of just sitting around the guildhall sipping whiskey, the S-Class mage aboutfaced and headed straight back out the door. This was a festival, after all, and there had to be something - or someone - interesting out there to keep his attention for at least a few hours. He just needed a distraction long enough to pass the time until more of the guild was back. Or maybe he'd find Tone - that kid liked sparring, so considering the other one was out, he could maybe get a good spar in with a dragon slayer; that was always interesting matches.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kaden Penderghast," called out a smirking blonde man. He laughed softly as he slapped an arm across Kaden's shoulders before they both stopped walking and the other man rounded to stand in front of the Fenixtear mage. "Man, I haven't seen you since that last job you pulled brought you close to Oshibana."

"Nah, you got hit one too many times, Salvis. Last time we saw him was two months when Soryu had us come to Crocus to deal with some stuff. Remember?" The new speaker stopped just behind Salvis' shoulder. Both men stood about even height with Kaden, but sported Steel Hydra guildmarks - Salvis on his left hand, this new mage on the side of his neck.

Kaden smiled, though like the smirks the other two sported, it was anything but friendly. "Teague, Sal, funny running into you two here. How's Oshibana been?"

"Business is as good as ever. But you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"Oh come on, Teague, who can blame glory-boy from looking for easy fame?" Salvis chuckled and nudged Kaden with a friendly elbow. "If I wanted quick, easy money, maybe I'd slum it with some indie trash too. I mean, how long do you really thing the times will be good for a shit guild like Fenixtear?"

"Well, considering we're in the favor of the people, and since their popularity there's been jobs going to us that Crocus hall would usually take...Can't say I'm bored as often here as I was in Steel." Kaden laughed, and Salvis joined him.

The other mage lost his smile to a darkening look in his crimson eyes. "Yeah, we'll see how much you joke about that soon enough. Indie guilds are shit, and Fenixtear is no better. This fame that nothing guild is seeing is fleeting. Especially considering rumor has it your new guild master pretty much shit on the council after that dragon fight. We'll just see how long things stay good if she keeps pulling shit like that."

Kaden laughed more. "Oh, I get it. You're jealous I got attention for leaving the guild and you're still pretty much nothing. Just some sloppy A level that can't stop trying to throw down with someone better than you. Teague, you've been jealous I get preferential jobs since we were both Bs in Oshibana." A toothy grin spread on his face as he leaned forward, eyes narrowing a little in unspoken challenge. "Then I scaled you in power ten fold faster than you ever could make up power. Want to show you're big shit now that I'm an indie guild mage? News flash, just being part of Steel Hydra doesn't make you big shit. Being powerful would - and you'll never be powerful. So might as well set your sights for something other than ever hoping to get into Black Curtain and be realistic. You're stuck with Steel until you retire, mate."

The ground rumbled and cracks formed in the street around the three mages. Pedestrians moved away at the strange occurrence even as Kaden and Salvis laughed. While they didn't react much, Teague threw a punch toward Kaden. Kaden sidestepped, and grabbed his wrist to help knock the other mage off balance and throw him to the ground. "Really? Gotta work on that temper, Teague.

Salvis sighed softly, shaking his head with a smile. "Kaden, you know what happens now..." He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, but the smile never faded. "Can't have an indie rat making us look bad."

Kaden smirked and stepped back a bit. "Nah, you guys will do it all on your own." Then immediately ducked under the next punch thrown his way from Teague, and tackled the guild mage to the ground.






Ria laughed softly. "Yes, you're quite right. Your issue is nothing like Felix's. His is a hereditary trait, not magical overload. That seems like it will take a bit to train up. But perhaps books in either the guild's library, or my personal library, might have suggestions for how to train your body up to your magical power without increasing your current magical power. It likely wouldn't be good to increase your current magic reserve levels until you can handle them. It is certainly unique; I've researched a lot about various magics and this is the first case I've heard of anything like yours."

She shrugged lightly as she watched the sky as they walked. Familiar and comfortable with the city as a whole, she generally didn't need to watch where she was going. It wasn't hard to absently avoid walking into something when you were used to moving around unseen obstacles all day at work. She at least lucked out in not being clumsy. "I also know a few bookstores in Crocus that could possibly help us find something. I'm sure there's a solution out there somewhere that can point to the answer of the question of what is going on, and what could be done to assist you."

Her smile broadened as she looked back at Damian. "Besides, I wouldn't blame your father for this either. It likely has nothing to directly do with his suggestion to not train further with it. Likely this would have come up regardless. Parents do what they believe is best for their children given the understanding they have. Especially if they aren't familiar with the magic at hand. My own parents shared very little in common with my magic, as does my sister. Clan Gospel almost exclusively had ice mages - exclusions being my mother and myself, and even my mother wasn't a water mage." She shrugged lightly. "But we learn and compensate. Seeing a magic doctor was a good first step, but it doesn't sound like he had the full answer. The full answer is out there, I'm sure."



Kali listened as the fox said his peace. She certainly had thought of all that, and he was absolutely right. If she didn't get access to her magic - and a fire - soon after getting the cuffs off, it wouldn't matter. It would certainly matter if she got shocked and couldn't get herself to a fire and overcome the magic of the cuffs. So it was a stalemate. He could shock her without any blowback if she snapped his arm, but if that shock caused another arrhythmia and she couldn't make any headway with the cuffs....they were both more than a bit screwed.

A deep grumbling growl reverberated in the woman's chest. She tensed, tightening her grip and even putting a bit more pressure on the joint as a threat, but ultimately released his arm with a shove. It was more the point of making sure he knew she could break it than breaking it and seeing what might happen. One of them had to relent, and she wasn't in any position to remain the aggressor. Not at the moment. He could win this one battle. She'd win the next.

"Fine." She rolled away, ending in a crouch. Taking a moment to catch her breath, and adjust to waning pain in her chest, she simply glared at him for another few beats. "Alright. A bargain then, a wager if you will." Standing, she looked to the sky. "It's getting dark, sun is setting. Not a great area to be traveling at night. Especially for a slimy fox and an injured mage with magic restrictors on. So camping out here is going to be, unfortunately, our best bet. Unless you think you can deal with the Vulcan, the green wyvern, and the bandits that are in these woods. Vulcan might still be a problem at night - how are you at countering their takeover magic?"

The fire mage looked at Izu. "So, like I said, a wager. I will wager my cooperation against you removing these cuffs for the single night. I heal up over the night, help defend if we get attacked, and you can put the cuffs on if I can't convince you over the course of the evening to not do the completely batshit awful move of taking me back for this bullshit. I won't fight. I won't struggle."


Torys Felix




Not long after Torys gave her blessing for Reynard and his group to head out to assist the historian, she watched Felix storm in. Typically the boy was heated over something or other after a match with a guildmate, but this time he seemed more bothered by it than usual. No doubt their bubbly little water mage had put the smart mouthed teen in his place. It was little surprise that he headed straight upstairs. She shrugged lightly to herself and poured herself a drink before settling on the stool she positioned behind the counter.

It wasn't more than a few minutes later that Felix came back down the stairs with a pack slung over his shoulder. He ignored everyone as he approached Torys with a scowl still firmly in place. "I'm out of here."

"Oh?" Torys tilted her head slightly, observing the lad for a moment. "Lost to Ria, huh?" She had a playful hint of teasing to her voice, and followed up with a sip of her drink.

Felix's scowl deepened. "I need to train better and I can't do that trapped here with your stupid rules and lack of proper equipment. So I'm out of here."

Torys nodded, placing the glass down on the counter. "Well, if that's what you want then I suppose you know what you're doing."

Felix scoffed. "Of course I do. I just wanted to make it official. Because I quit."

Torys nodded. "Okay. Welp, it's your call. So then, it's official."

Felix hesitated for a moment himself before nodding. Then, without another word, he turned and left the guild.

Kaden approached the door as the kid exited, arching a brow and watching the younger mage brush past him without a word. After a moment, he shrugged and continued on his way into the guildhall.









Ria listened carefully, taking note in what he said of the wolves and then himself. It was interesting that a former soldier would settle to join their guild. It certainly raised questions for her, like wouldn't he perhaps be happier in a more well known guild. While she certainly enjoyed the fact the guild was bustling and had plenty of new faces in it, she wasn't about to fool herself into thinking that would last. It was the main reason she didn't look too hard at the job board. That was more important for others to do, to build up income and hope they didn't leave if the jobs stopped coming in as fast as they were.

"Well, I am always happy to help others with training. I'm not as skilled with a sword as my sister, but I still am quite handy with them and shields, and other techniques that could prove helpful for you to train against with your martial abilities. Gwen might be up for training as well. She does enjoy improving against others, especially with her blades." When Damian stopped walking, Ria did as well, turning to face him too. Of course his explanation perked her curiosity further. She reached out and gently touched his arm, fully sure she would know exactly how a standard body temperature was, then withdrew her hand just as quickly.

She watched quietly as the circles formed, listening as he explained things. Power locks weren't common, certainly not by any stretch of her reading, so to see one in action was a fair deal exciting. The fact he had several locks in place to help him control his magic thus far...was intense to see. She was still in aw for a moment after he released the final lock and approached her. "That's the first time I've seen a power lock actually utilized. That was quite impressive even for the draw back."

Reaching out, she gingerly touched his arm again before taking her hand away. Her gaze returned to his face. "Felix goes through something similar when he fights. A cultural thing for him that works to strengthen his powers. Perhaps that would be a good thing to work on as well. Control would help you withstand the burnout." She thought for a moment before offering him a soft smile. "You look like you could use a bit of a pick-me-up after that. Here," she said while cupping her hands together. "Rejuvenating Waters." A small sphere of softly glowing bright blue water formed in her hands and she offered it up to him. "Chilled so it should help you feel cooler already, but it'll help alleviate the fatigue of burnout like that."






It seemed more people were interested in the job board. Torys stood quietly, gaze fixed on Reynard as he took a job from the board. She waited patiently at the counter. Patiently was perhaps the wrong term. She had turned her attention from those perusing the available jobs and to the liquors behind the bar. When the paper slid across the countertop to her, the youthful appearing guildmaster had settled on a particular one and started pouring herself a glass.

Her brows rose up at the company drawing up around the new member, and gave them all a moment to discuss as she took the paper. Gwen accompanying two new members on this wouldn't be bad. Still...she tilted her head to the side as she considered the mission.

Finally, it seemed the group quieted enough for her to draw attention back to herself. She cleared her throat and perked back up. "Well, you are assembling quite the group. Carver would likely appreciate the extra company." She shrugged. "Just don't make the guild look bad, and don't screw it up." She motioned for the group to leave. "Carver is in the museum in town. Now off you go."









Ria didn't think anything of the two magical beasts continuing to investigate her. At first, her attention stayed on the path leading back to the main road, but that only lasted until the new mage began answering the questions. Her mismatched gaze turned on him. "The Royal Army? Ah, it makes sense now. You were very disciplined while training - saw you while Felix and I were choosing a sparring spot."

Then introductions came, and a light blush flooded Ria's cheeks. Her eyes widened a little. "Oh, yes, introductions." She laughed. "I completely forgot. Sorry. I'm Astoria Ocenade of the Gospel Clan, but everyone just calls me Ria." She smiled broadly, looking at Carmilla. "And she is welcome to investigate as much as she needs. I can't say I'm not equally curious about the pair myself. It isn't often one comes across magical beasts like these; I haven't come across really any books about such. If you wouldn't mind answering some questions about them, I would love to know more."

The smile stayed as her attention turned back to Damian. "Actually, it was a bit of both. I have an affinity for Water magics, but I prefer utilizing them for support rather than offense. Enough people can fight with their magic, but not enough can use it to defend or assist those with whom they fight." She shrugged lightly and smiled more.

"You were training with sword magic, yes? A rather rare form if I'm not mistaken. When you were with the Royal Army, did you train your magic alone too or is it just from your time as a wandering mage? It could do you good to truly develop more control against an opponent rather than trees or just the open air. The resistance of wood isn't the same as flesh, nor - and no offense, but obviously it's going to sound bad - your companions here. Magic with hints of your own is more mailable than those without a trace of it."
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