Teyao

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

He listened attentively as Adam called his name, but of course, something interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. Watching Mackenzie direct a glare at him was a novel experience, she usually reserved those for Zell, which could only mean one thing.

"Shit"

Judging by Zell's expression the taller man was thinking the same. Okay let's think rationally, what was the fallout of this situation? She wouldn't leave the party over this he trusted her bond with all of them was too strong for that, in the best case scenario she would get annoyed at them and ask them to do something for her which was fair, worse case? she felt betrayed and a grudge would form. His scowl deepened. He didn't want that, setting aside his personal feelings, they couldn't afford a rift forming right before the siege, he should have informed her as soon as he could but he had forgotten in the preparations for the Temple Quest.

Ahhh he had almost forgotten how stressful it could be to manage interpersonal relationships at work, he was nearly tempted to go for a strong drink but he still remembered what got him in this mess to start with.

And of course, Zell didn't share his reservations.

"Hey man, I dunno this Sillagy gal," he said, feigning to leave his friend to hang out to dry alone. "Nowt to do with me."

This fucking guy!

He let his head fall to the empty table, a long and pitiful groan leaving his throat. It didn't stop him from answering in kind however.

"Heard of her, cool gal, think she gets into too much trouble though" At least he was still able to find the humor in the situation if they stopped joking then that meant all hope was lost.

“Huh, MacKensie seems upset. Would either of you know why?”

Adam Ramones

Well there goes the hope that nobody else noticed, just as he was about to explain he caught the look that Zell was sending him, he... he was planning something stupid, wasn't he? As Zell tried to deflect he surmised that yes, the Swordman was indeed just trying to sweep the thing under the rug, he let out another sigh, as much he was tempted to do the same it was better to nip this little flower from the bud before it bloomed into another mess.

He massaged his temples "Let's just say that Zell and I made some stupid mistakes, don't worry, we will solve things soon, if you want more details ask Mackenzie, by now she should be aware of enough to share" And that was if she wanted to share "What were you talking about before you were interrupted?"

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Using one of his spells for physical training felt like cheating as he knew he wouldn't really gain any musculature using it, but this was not about condition, this was about learning to hold a weapon properly.

Seeing Zell in teacher mode was bizarre, the guy was focused and nonsense, offering advice and correcting every mistake he unknowingly made, it was reassuring in a sense, knowing that his teanmate was someone he could trust to guide him in a proper path, and when he also revealed exactly how his blessing was progressing he could only feel awe at the other man.

By the time they were done he was sweating like a hog and struggling to catch his breath, fucking hell was he worked to the bone, the British man in contrast looked like he was about to go in his morning jog, was the difference between Caster and Martial classes really this big? Forget about the strength he wanted the stamina. Thankfully there was a tavern close to where they were training, despite not working his legs in particular all that fancy footwork had left them shaking, it was a miracle he was able to walk this far.

Hearing Zell talk about him was oddly heartwarming, he... well he couldn't say he was a good leader, frankly he felt anyone else would have been a better fit for the position, they either had the charisma, the initiative, or the wisdom to carry the party, things he lacked if he was being honest. Just as he was about to say something to Zell the other man, for a lack of a better word, hestiated. That was uncharacteristic, worryingly so, unless the other man was about to declare his undying love for him -Unlikely given that he had seen the way he looked at Mackenzie- then there was something that he felt was both intimate enough to share but also problematic or embarrassing enough to not share it, and taking into account Zell general attitude embarrassment felt like the wrong answer.

That left a glaring culprit.

The sword, that fucking sword, hate flowed from him, from a concerned friend and from a victim, of course, there was something happening with his best friend and it involved that fucking sword!. He wanted to yell, to break something. but that was not needed not now. What he needed now was to extend trust so the trust could be returned, Zigmund was against it, afraid and skeptical but James didn't budge, this was something they needed to do.

He grabbed his glass of water and downed it in a single go, he wished it was something stronger but he needed clarity of mind for this "Hey, do you remember the Blessing James used against Zigmund?" He waited a couple seconds "I never got to explain it did I? Not properly I mean" He gathered his courage "It does not transfer memories, not really, instead it... it makes both entities understand each other, when James used it on Zigmund he didn't get his memories, instead he saw everything, his past, his ambitions, his regrets, his hopes, and he Understood. When the blessing ran its course, I found that I was as much James as I was Zigmund" He struggled to make eye contact, but held firm, the truth laid bare, there was no time for hesitation "Those first hours were rough I admit, I did not- could not accept who I was when they still didn't reach a consensus but that is no longer a problem, it is in the past now and I was able to move on, I am James, I am Zigmund, and I am me" It was relieving in a sense, finally speaking his mind, but this confession was not done for his own satisfaction "I am saying this to you because you have earned my trust and I hope you can trust in me the same way" He was guiltying him, he realized, forcing the confession out of him. But if that was what it took for the man to be safe then he was willing to dirty his own conscience "So please Zell, talk to me"

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Will post tonight!

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

Junpei Kato

Her name is Ichinose Kurenai, she is 28, a biology teacher at Yamazaki High School, she is single but interested in a friend she made back in college. She has a corgi, an apartment she can barely afford, and drives an old Toyota she got for cheap, her parents are proud of her but she feels they nag too much about her career choice. Today she had toast for breakfast and a salad for lunch, for dinner she is planning on reheating the Tamagoyaki she didn't finish yesterday.

All in all, Ichinose Kurenai is a completely normal woman with a normal life and a normal future.

How beautiful.

Jinpei allowed the book to disperse as the older woman drove away from the High School. Silently he brought his hands and gave a quiet prayer for Ichinose-san love life, may she finally gather the courage to confess to Hinata-san. Once his praying was done he focused back on the other members of the North team, should he say something? He didn't really know what to say and was feeling kind of shy so perhaps another time. Instead, he focused back on the High School where the Grudge was set to form, he could try to gather more info about it but he had already given in to temptation so he was not keen on losing more memories than needed. But he was really curious about the school (and his teammates), was he willing to risk it? The responsible thing was not doing it but hadn't Grandpa Jun said it was okay to play around from time to time?

What a conundrum.

Hopefully they would give the signal soon.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Shorter post than I would have liked but lets keep the ball rolling

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

"Sup, so far it is a good morning, how 'bout you?"

Adam's joining was not a surprise, the younger man was an early bird if he remembered correctly, now that he thought about it when was the last time they just sat down to discuss and make small talk. Fenna not sitting down wasn't surprising either, she was probably still restless after yesterday's news.

"Mornin lads,"

Zellman

Looking at Zell enter the Mended Drum covered in sweat was weird in how expected it was, of course the taller man would go exercising in the mornings, probably meet some new people or started an armed conflict somewhere, he still returned the greeting and watched him go up the stairs

Back to Adam.

"So Adam, how did your last Ascension go? Got anything fancy? since my last one I got some new spells"

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Eventually after what he hoped was a shower Zell returned and sat beside them, at his words he felt himself little by little. 9 days and outnumbered, there was a quiet part of him that was convinced abandoning the city was the correct move, evacuate whoever you can and leave behind volunteers to serve as scapegoats. Not ideal but would allow the civilian population to survive. If done correctly it would even secure a small force of adventurers to fight in the next conflicts.

They wouldn't do that obviously, this was the hometown of one of their members, and fighting a retreating war was not in their best interest when the enemy used necromancer tactics. Once more he cursed The Marquis, that paranoid old fuck and his tendency for overkill tactics and risky maneuvers.

Ah fuck, they would have to pull a miracle to survive this.

"Ay, bro," he said to James, some time after the conversation petered out. "I wanted to show you a few things with that anchor of yours. You swing it like a madman. A few tips and tricks wouldn't hurt. Wha'dya'say?"

This fucker

...

"......Huh!?"

He felt his scowl worsen. Did this asshole really say that to him? He had been fighting for decades longer before this fucking welp even stopped sucking his mother's tit! How dare he say that... that...

Ah

Right

James had no experience swinging a weapon, did he? Of course he would just use the anchor as a club. He felt the tension leave his body at once, shoulders slumping in defeat he gave his confirmation.

"Yah, I really need to learn how to use that thing, thanks for offering to help, I will gladly take it" Zigmund was bitter that he had accepted the help, it rankled but he needed to get good at it before the invasion started and Zell is their Fighter, it made sense to get help from him.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

I am back! the dengue couldn't kill me.
Also.

Um... hello.

@EnduMakyr

Hello to you friend!

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

He turned to Kass to listen to his words.

Barracker stuck around for a moment, to be there for his friends in their time of need. He went to his captain and clasped forearms in a warrior's embrace. “I will retire for the night,” he said, and then added a few quite words in his ear. “This may not be my place to say, captain, but their is a web of lies and truths surrounding you and our friends.” he looked James in the eye and said. “Be careful.”

Kass

He gave the man a nod.

The warning was appreciated if slightly useless, out of everyone present he was perhaps the most aware of HER, everything SHE represented and was capable of. To be perfectly honest the panic was not lowering at all, it was just being shifted to the background until he could decompress in his own room. this felt like a mess.

Eventually, Zell and Fenna came back for them, followed by Adam and Maz shortly after, Kass having gone earlier meant that they could retire to the Mended Drum for the night, the chatting continued on the way but he could tell his party members were not really feeling it. He was the same, the only thing on his mind was the bed.

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His eyes opened.

He allowed himself a moment of stillness before rising up, years of rigorous routine having transformed him into a morning person by force, a few light stretches and he was feeling good, after everything that happened yesterday getting a full night of rest was sweet and he was raring to go through the day, if only his Ma could see him, she wouldn't recognize... him...

He stopped.

A quick look at the window confirmed that yes, it was indeed the early hours of the day and he wasn't the usual sleep deprived zombie he tended to become.

"What the fuck..."

The sudden feeling of wrongness was invasive and it was coming entirely from James, okay okay, deep breaths, this is... unusual yes, but is it truly unexpected? Zigmund had been an early riser for longer than James had been alive so it made sense that some things got a preference, becoming a morning person was not the end of the world. But he could admit that it just felt wrong, an antithesis to everything that James was. If this was different what else got changed?

Fuck it was too early to have an existential crisis.

Getting dressed with his usual gear he arrived at the restaurant portion of the inn, seems like he was the first. Might as well wait for the others to to wake up, albeit knowing some of them might be up already. He wondered if anyone would join him for breakfast.

"Hey Freddy boy!, the usual please"

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

The Reader

• Name: Jinpei Kato
• Age: 16
• Gender: Male
• Appearance:
  
  

  ---

• Personality: Calm and collected Jinpei tends to be almost lethargic in the way he acts, he is friendly but in a detached way, at least until someone starts speaking about stories, then any preconceived notion of idleness is thrown out of the window. A sweet tooth and a disgust for spicy dishes. Always carries no less than three pens on his person. Has a hidden mischievous streak.
• Backstory: As the child of a minor family of Contract Holders it would be easy to assume he would grow up training to become one, that is if one was anyone other than Jinpei. Born from two non-Contract Holders and with exceptionally weak Spiritual Energy it was believed that he didn't possess any at all, a fact that brought joy to the hearts of his parents, knowing that their child wouldn't be part of the unseen war.
  
  Life was sweet during his first years, love was abundant, helped by his capacity to mingle with other normal kids as their family's house was firmly in the mundane part of town but close enough to their family's place of 'work' that they could respond to an emergency on either side. It was in one such emergency that he lost his aunt. He never learned exactly what happened, the most he was told at the time was that there was a complication and his aunt was assigned as part of a rapid response team. Something went wrong and it was shortly after that he, his parents, and a bunch of his aunt's coworkers were holding a funeral.
  
  Eventually, like the other children, he was allowed to roam so he wouldn't disturb the adults, not knowing the other kids present and not wanting to socialize he decided to explore.
  
  
  It was under a light post that he met him

  "The whithered man.
  
  Skin as white as bone, robes that seemed ancient, and holding a scroll in his lap, seemingly detached from the world in a way that words failed to convey, his eyes itched and something inside was quietly telling him that approaching the man was to invite danger but his curiosity prevailed.
  
  He wondered what the old man was writing, reaching him he asked it bluntly. Were his parents there to witness they would feel appalled at their son's lack of manners, that is if they could get over the horror of seeing their child talking to something they couldn't see.
  
  The old man let out a chuckle.
  
  "Ah, but is that truly the question you seek? Is it the text itself that holds significance, or rather, the purpose behind it?" The old man never turned his gaze "But to answer your question, child, I am not merely reading—I am engaged in the delicate dance of thought and ink, weaving the fabric of my narrative with the threads of contemplation."
  
  Jinpei's interest was picked, he may not read a lot outside school but he still read manga from time to time, despite this the thought of meeting an author had never crossed his mind before and he was curious about what the old man who spoke funny was writing.
  
  Another chuckle "A novel, I have come to the realization that the parchment of my existence remains bereft of the ink of narrative. It is a curious lacuna that has lingered in the recesses of my consciousness, beckoning me to traverse uncharted realms of expression."
  
  There was a feeling of pressure growing around him.
  
  Those were a lot of words that he didn't understand, but he got the gist of what he was talking about, a new question plagued his mind, what was it about?
  
  "Ah, the essence of the story eludes even my grasp, for it is a journey yet untold—a narrative that emerges not from the dictates of my will, but from the whispers of the ink"
  
  The pressure intensified but he didn't notice
  
  He could only feel his confusion rise, how could the old man write a novel and not know what it was about? He decided to vocalize such thoughts.
  
  "Tell me, youngster, when dawn breaks upon the horizon, do you dictate the path of the sun, or do you merely bear witness to the majesty of its ascent? In much the same manner, the genesis of a tale lies not in the predetermined machinations of its author, but in the serendipitous dance of inspiration and revelation" The air felt heavy for a moment, the old man didn't look different but where before he felt old now he was ancient. Then the next moment all the pressure he hadn't noticed disappeared and with it the weight behind the old man seemed to evaporate "But the first decision is the one and only that is mine and mine alone—the name of my protagonist"
  
  That old man was weird, maybe senile? he looked like he could be very old so maybe he was loony? Mom always said to help his elders so why not help the old man choose a name for his protagonist
  
  "What about Jinpei?" So what if it was his own name? He liked it.
  
  The old man seemed to roll the name inside his mouth, face still directed at the canvas, and then a small smile appeared on his face as he seemingly came to a decision.
  
  "Jinpei it is then"
  
  For the first time since the conversation began the man separated his gaze from the book in his lap, his eyes were dark but serene, no different than a night without stars, the old man nodded at him and he nodded back with a smile, happy of having helped the old man.
  
  The Contract was sealed"
  
  He was found a couple of hours later, apparently having fallen asleep against a faded gravestone. It didn't take long for his family to find out about his new abilities and for his training as a Contract Holder to begin.
  

  ---

• Skills: Stealth was a primary focus for him as his abilities aren't contact focused, People reading was something he developed on his own, General combat as part of his family trying to help him, he is at least able to fight against other normal people.
• Spiritual Energy Grade: E
• Contracted Being: The Ghost of Yoshida Kenkō
• Contract Rank: B
• Contract Abilities:
  
  
  • Kengen: It allows him to choose something (designated as the Muse), once a Muse has been chosen a vessel will manifest, vessels vary in shape and form but they all share the common theme of telling a story, some examples of previous vessels include a comic book, a stone tablet, a pager with its controller and in one rare instance a musical sheet. The story depicted varies upon the person but as a general rule is a retrospective from their point of view up and is actualized in real time.
    Cost: Each time Jinpei uses this ability, a portion of his memories is temporally erased (12h). The activation of this ability also creates mental strain so long periods of activation can lead to problems such as intense migraines, hallucinations, or emotional instability.
  • Hicchi: When Kengen is activated Jinpei is able to write ahead of the current sentence, he is able to affect the physical status of the Muse and their surroundings in minor ways (as long as they follow the internal logic of their narrative) but where this ability truly shines is when he influences their mental status, as a detriment or as a helper.
    Cost: The memories erased become permanently lost.
  • Sokuhitsu: He can read and write at incredible speeds.
    Cost: Jinpei's biological clock is slightly accelerated.

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

As I understand it, he can force someone to work on his narrative? I'm a little sketchy on that, because it takes away pretty much all control from the other player.

@VitaVitaAR

No, no, its more like nudges, the idea is not that he forces someone to change their actions or opinions, its more like a random thought that offers a new or different opinion.

Mental Example

-He looked at the enemy in front of him, a gun against his sword, if the both of them were normal then this little duel would have only one ending. Luckily for him neither was normal. The sound of a coin falling and the both of them moved.

His attention was drawn inmediately to the gun, but he failed to notice the knife on the other hand

It was a-

Physical Example

-It hungered, too long had it gone withouth sustenance. Meat. It desired meat. A smell it knew, prey, that direction. There!. It stalked in its haunches, ready to lauch itself. An opening and it was on the air

In its haste it failed to notice a root, making it stumble and sending it off course, missing its target

It turned-

Helpful Example

-He took a deep breath, he could do this, he could! he just needed a moment to catch his breath. Soon he would be ready.

Unbideen, memories of countless hours training for this exact moment flashed across his mind, he had the experiece, he only had to believe in himself

Another deep breath and-

Plus, the ability is desgined to be used as little as possible, at least the second part.

If you have suggestions I am all ears my dude, god knows I don't want to make a character that steals the fun from other players.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Words carried weight, there was a saying from where he was from 'An action is worth a thousand words', while that was true it often blinded people to the fact that words carried their own value, people died just because someone uttered the wrong words. This was especially true in fucking politics.

Fortunately for them, Kass' word was worth gold inside Valheim, sure they would have been accepted either way, but the people inside knew they weren't in a position to refuse aid.

Grabbing the Alarm Receiver he spared a nod to the Paladin, it was a surprising kindness that he decided to extend and James was thankful for it. He wasn't the only one if the looks on his party faces were anything to go by, the mayor being the one to speak was surprising but perhaps it was to be expected, he wasn't sure what factions existed inside Valheim but it should be safe to assume the mayor would seek to present himself as a big player, regardless of how much power he actually had at his disposal, he had to admit, the way he carried himself didn't really imply confidence.

When Mackenzie and Fenna decided to speak about their equipment he simply raised an eyebrow, will he would have preferred to play the cards close to his chest that was just his paranoia or maybe Zigmund talking, as far as they were aware what equipment they had when they arrived wasn't anything out of the norm, at least not by his memories, custom made yes but not out of the realm of imagination. Still, it was not surprising that the abbr=Nerds]Academy Officials[/abbr] wanted to give it another look, parting with his idol was easy, most of the time he tended to forget he even had it in the first place, and he wasn't wholly concerned, he may use it for blessings but the lasers were all him. It was when they asked for the anchor that he hesitated.

The anchor was a memento of a dear friend, someone who had fallen on the line of duty helping them survive, it had become a staple in his life since he got it, and parting with it -even temporarily- just didn't feel right.

In the end he decided to just give his idol and keep the anchor, he may lose some info about it but the calm of mind was more than worth it.

After that business was concluded it was time to hash the details of the meeting with the commander. That done it was finally time to head back to the guild, one more step towards returning home, the situation was dire but he couldn't help but have a spring in his walk, nothing could ruin his good mood-

"Here we are," she announced as they arrived at the Guildhouse. But she stopped at the door and turned around to everyone. "You two," she said, looking at Zell and MacKensie. "I am willing to overlook your actions a few nights past, on this one occasion - I will go back on my word. You are unbanned from the Guildhouse, but know that you are on thin ice, my friends." She was deadly serious. "I won't hear of any apology or excuses, or relitigate the issue, so don't bother." She wagged her finger at them both. "One slip, and I will see to it that you never step foot in this Guildhouse ever again."

The Guild Master

Ah

He froze.

"Shit!"

He forgot about that!

Quick deflect! Don't let them-

“If you don't mind me asking, how did you get banned?” Adam's question was delivered quietly, with the skepticism in his mind apparent on his face.

Adam

FUCK!

He felt the familiar feeling of panic rising, he had to do something... or did he? Huh? At this point wouldn't it be better to just man up and admit to Mac that he forgot to come clean?

But it would suck.

But it was something that he should do instead of continuing pussyfooting around.

Fine, he would do it.

Walking behind Adam he made a gesture to Mac and mouthed the words 'I tell you later'. Admitting the whole thing would take some time (not to mention the fallout) he preferred it happened after they got what they needed,

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All the thoughts fled his mind at the message. To James the contents were suspicious but worth investigating.

To Zigmund?

Fear was an emotion the old Blessed didn't feel often, bravado was what saved his life in more than one location, and the things he had done curved the impulse to feel fear. And yet he would never forget the one and only time he met the Witch Queen, even now the urge to whimper and cower was still present. Like prey in front of a predator knowing the slightest move could set them off.

Fear was not an emotion Zigmund Mugba-Zarack was familiar with but in HER prescence? He was terrified.

He needed to distract himself, Lucy!, he should- no, he was panicking, acting foolishly, yes this was uncommon but Hacking was a known practice, of course SHE would have access to it and if she had caught on their existence it was rational to guess that she would try to do something about it.

Just in case better keep it under wraps at the moment.

Walking towards Lucy he spoke loudly "Thank you, the message was not what we expected and it raised some questions but is good to at least have a lead" giving her a nod he moved towards Clive "How you holding big guy?" He could see some of the other members of the party not dealing with it particularly well. Not that he judged them after reading all that.

Oh, right, he wondered how what insights could Kass have.