Ti

The Hourglass Order

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Event: Visiting Friends | Location: Ersand'Enise

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Oksana found herself being picked last, which was a little expected. She wasn’t one of the students from Ersand’Enise, after all, and when standing next to obviously powerful individuals, the choice was clear. She didn’t hate anyone for their choices; she simply accepted it for what it is. She used moments to leave the team house to visit her friends when the opportunity struck her.

It was good to visit Ashon; the big oaf was up to monkey business as usual. His silly antics always brought a smile to her face. What was even more special was that in the year since they last met, he had got together with Penny! She recalled how Ashon was really shy and embarrassed at the auction house when they teased him, especially as Penny was sat there behind him. In the year together, they are now engaged, and she has babies on the way, three of them, even! She gave him a big hug and wished him the best, even if the Penny wannabe looked on in envy.

Esmii was very pleased to see her, the Yasoi girl, wanting to learn more about hand signals used for communication during hunting. They spent a good time together, exchanging jokes, laughs, playing with the animals, and other merriment. The Sanguinaire lover in the background kept muttering and complaining passively about Esmii consorting with the enemy, but they made the most of it. It was great seeing her again.

Oksana managed to get a good ride through the various scenic sites around Ersand’Enise on her Glacial Elk, as she accompanied Ayla on who was on Gina, the cute little Shetland Pony, and Zarina, mounted on the mighty stallion, Riesco. The pair even had a little race; Riesco definitely had the home advantage, and poor Ayla was trotting far behind them on poor Gina, complaining about them galloping off.

Last, and certainly not least, was Maura. The girl’s smile lit up the room when Oksana approached, as she offered her arms out towards her, inviting her for a hug. “Sana! You are here,” the pair embraced tightly. “Druh, how be keeping?”. She looked at the girl’s face, becoming easily bemused, as she had forgotten just how much Maura loved to talk. She wasn’t able to catch most of the conversation, but the important thing was that the boy nearby was her boyfriend, and she has been in ReTan recently. Sana indicated and said about meeting a few from the school in Kirimansk, and the issues with Sanguinaires over there.

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It was as if on cue; Taleja had appeared, and with a silver platter, began to serve hot tea to Maura and her guest. Oksana shivered a little as she felt the presence of the Venomhand amongst them. It certainly brought back memories of Kirimansk and the anti-magic devices.

She looked up toward the pretty white-blonde-haired girl with full lips, striking green eyes, and a bruise? She raised an eyebrow toward Taleja. Taleja noticed the gaze; their eyes met, as it appeared she was about to make excuses to leave. Maura was about to comment before Oksana spoke up, “Ztsilennya?” as she indicated with her hands the mark on Taleja’s face with a rubbing motion. “Sana is offering to heal your bruise, Talia,” Maura conveniently translated.

Taleja simply smiled, politely declining the ornamental women. “I don’t require your services; I am able to tend to it, though I am choosing not to at this time.” Oksana peered towards her in confusion as she turned toward Maura, who sighed, then did a sharp cross motion with her arms, “No ‘silennya.” Oksana appeared to understand, though not quite understanding why, as Maura spoke up toward Taleja, “She is Deaf; you have to make it simple for her. She is nice as well; you might like her.”

Taleja sweetly smiled as she brought her hand towards Oksana to attract Oksana’s attention. She then began to reduce her name to simple terms, using her fingers to spell out the letters, “Ta. Ley. Yah. Ta-ley-yah.” The blonde smiled and gave a little clap at the success. Oksana began to blush a little as the blonde smiled warmly towards her, “Hi Ta-ley-yah, I am Oksana. Call me Sana.” Taleja gave a wink towards her as she turned to leave, leaving Oksana and Maura together.

“She is pleasant enough; it is just that we find ourselves stuck in the most inconvenient of locations when she is around. As for the bruise, she was attacked by Sanguinares last night, who fled the scene; she wants to send a message to whoever it was that she is not scared of them.” Oksana nodded as she tentatively followed the conversation, “No Sanguinaires, like her.” Maura smiled, hiding her true feelings as a certain face came to her mind. “Yes, they really can be the worst."

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Taleja was on an errand as she journeyed through the city, making sure to pass by the market for the freshest ingredients for her latest batch of elixirs. She had been careful on her route, as she had meticulously prepared herself for anyone following her. She felt her heart skip a beat as she realized she was being followed already. The individual was very good at hiding their presence.

Her mind began to race; she never expected their attention to be aroused so quickly. As she began to set off towards a darker section of the workman quarter, the figure followed. She turned around the corner as she hurried into position. The figure turned around the corner as Taleja stood there in the dead end, her back towards them. She clicked her fingers as the wall made with binding magic rose up behind the figure, trapping them within range of her venomhand.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” Taleja commanded, only to be met with an eerie silence. After a moment, she turned around to face the figure, only to see Oksana stood there sheepishly. Taleja looked towards her, both visibly confused and annoyed, “Why did you follow me?” using a hand signal of a person walking with her fingers towards her other hand, then pointed towards herself.

Oksana appeared to beam at the hand signal, as she created a five-legged beast with one hand, moving towards a lone finger, then did a chop motion on the beast, “Protect from Monsters,” pointing again towards the bruise. Taleja sighed, then smiled, placing her hand over the bruise as she healed it with binding, and it faded away. “There, it is gone.”

She shifted uncomfortably, especially as the annoyance of the situation crept in her, “Why are you trying to protect me?”. Oksana smiled wide, with a blush, “Ta-ley-yah is nice, and she is pretty.” Taleja looked towards her, a little flustered at the rationale, as the other girl playfully flexed, “Kozaky Strong, Protect Ta-ley-yah,” The blonde fluttered her eyelashes as she removed one of her gloves, “and what about being unable to use the gift?” as she gestured around Oksana as she indicated the disrupted magic.

Oksana smiled as she shrugged her shoulders, “No need,” as she moved back her cloak and revealed her sword, clapping her hand upon it. “Well, this pretty one doesn’t need a strong defender.” Taleja walked towards Oksana as she laid a finger on her hand for a couple of seconds. Oksana could feel the manas in her hand recoil in pain, a burning sensation, as it feels like she had her hand stuck in boiling water, as she brought her hand away.

Taleja smiled sadly towards her, as she used her gift to remove the barrier she made. Oksana looked towards her, as she could sense the loneliness in the other. She placed her hand on Taleja’s shoulder, as the blonde turned around. “We battle, you go no easy.” She signed as them fighting, the pair of them together.

Taleja pursed her lips, as she contemplated, then relented, “North of the Field Gate.” She pointed in the relevant direction, indicating a wide-open space, “Be there. We duel.” She winked as she departed.

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Taleja was sat on the blanket as she had a picnic basket beside her. She didn’t particularly know why Oksana wanted them to have a duel. Was this as simple as some ploy in an attempt to seduce her? She had attempted to question Maura, who was unhelpful in providing her any kind of relevant answer, and her probing led to accusations of interest toward the girl. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation, those heterochromia eyes and goofy smile, and she had no interest in taking pushtail oil to sate the whims of some infatuated girl. From what she gathered, Oksana was not particularly strong and has been traded frequently between teams, so the fight should be relatively one-sided.

She was drinking from a glass as she saw the girl approaching on a Glacial Elk. The sight of the white hide against the green certainly made it stand out compared to back in its native lands. She smoothed off her dress as she stood up to meet her, hooking the picnic basket underneath her arm. “I see you came,” smiling up to her as a cheery blonde, patting lightly on the basket.

Oksana smiled back in return, a forced smile, as she unfastened her white cloak and drew her sword. “We fight.” She pulled on her Elk as she rode to create distance, then she dismounted from it wearing her dark leathers and tucked her braids in with a cloth that she wore like a mask. The Kozaky drew from the environment as the air began to rapidly cool down as a mist enveloped the battlefield, as she prepared herself for combat. She moved her hands as if pulling on a bow, as an icicle formed between them, as she released, firing it with her kinetic magic towards Taleja.

If Taleja didn’t take the opening shot seriously as it flew past, the feint disguised a second came straight towards her, causing Taleja to rapidly create a shield with binding to protect her from the lethal attack which narrowly missed the mark. She cast the shield to the side as she sees the ice-wall before her, concentrating on it with the touch of doom as she disintegrated it into its base elements and water, only to reveal nothing behind it.

A gust came from the side of her as Oksana came swinging her blade towards her, the momentum getting sapped due to the proximity with venomhand, as she was to be met by a blast of faceless thunder, causing her to divert away from the last moment back out of range. Taleja took one of her vials as she catches Oksana with it, the glass exploding as the other girl disappeared out of sight. The Kozaky cursed as she used binding, feeling her skin and clothes melting with the foul liquid acid.

Taleja waited for the next attack, which didn’t arrive. “If the fight is over, allow me to attend to your wounds.” Her voice tentative and cautious, those green eyes surveyed the surroundings as nothing appeared to move through the wisps of mist. She was about to drop her guard when she felt it. A strange and powerful sensation as she was finding herself drained of her magic and rendering her gift useless. She could feel the tingling sensation in her cells as she looked around, for perhaps another venomhand. Then she saw Oksana, standing with her sword drawn, and her leathers damaged, as the other girl charged towards her.

A sly smile played on Taleja’s lips as she calculated the implications of an opponent being completely disabled. An interesting party trick. Her eyes watched the sluggish movements of someone charging without kinetic magic towards her, having the time to move her hand into the picnic basket as she pulled out her pistol. Somewhat a hand cannon in truth, as the flintlock mechanism clamped down as she fired it towards the other girl.

Oksana had decided to evade as she saw the pistol rise towards her, as Taleja’s shot went wide. She hadn’t considered her opponent to switch to conventional means so easily, and aimed to move closer as she was reloading. She began to charge again as it fell short; the pistol had been reloaded and fired, only narrowly missing her, but importantly, she was able to make up some ground. Furthermore, she was forced to try to flank Taleja, as the other cast a vial in her direction, using the pistol to cause the substance to rain down in the area. However, this led to an opening as it appeared Taleja was struggling with the pistol.

Taleja expressed frustration as she tried to pull back the lock on the pistol due to it being jammed, or so she wanted Oksana to believe, anyway. In fact, the pistol was already loaded, and she was creating her opening. Predictable, Oksana came towards her priming the sword for a swing, a downward cut. With her hand pulling out a knife, she moved to intercept the blade as swung the gun up to fire it from the hip.

The metal clanged together as the knife splintered and snapped. She couldn’t stop the blade as it came down on her, cutting into her arm as the gun shot fired wildly, causing her to drop as she took a significant wound. She looked up toward Oksana as she cursed out in pain. “You win.”

Oksana moved the blade towards Taleja’s neck, the one flawless sheen now stained with blood. She nudged the blade under her chin to cause Taleja face to face her, the venomblood’s life now firmly in her hands as she crouched down before her. Her gaze met those defiant piercing green eyes, “Kozaky strong.” She leaned forward as the blade continued to press against Taleja’s neck as she kissed the girl. Their lips tangled together as she smooched the blonde in a prolonged gesture that easily took over five seconds. A fact Taleja became very aware of as this had been the longest contact with another for a very long time. Oksana broke the kiss to lean back and raise. “Ta-ley-yah to stop, no more plans. Now Ztsilennya!” She gestured for her to heal herself as she began to walk away till she is sufficient distance before she deactivated the anti-magic device, enabling their use of the gift to return. Taleja used the moment to heal as the Kozaky rode off on the Elk, her eyes watching the other leave.

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The Hourglass Order

The Sheets for Mano e Mano
Ashon - Vyshta's More Favoured
Ayla - Singers and Saints
Maura - Teatro Sorridente
Oksana - King's Ear
Taleja - Teatro Sorridente

docs.google.com/document/d/1J6mUep6Zg…

Welcome to Vradia

ꁲ ꂵ ꁲ ꋊ ꂠ ꂑ ꋊ ꈼ ꋖ ꂑ ꂵ ꈼ Day 2 [Afternoon] ꒒ ꂦ ꀯ ꁲ ꋖ ꂑ ꂦ ꋊ Bandit Ambush ꉣ ꁲ ꌅ ꋖ ꂑ ꀯ ꂑ ꉣ ꁲ ꋊ ꋖ ꌚ @WhiteAngel25 Faline @Jamesyco Torsten @Herald Conn @jasbraq Gus @Damycles Rock ꌚ ꂦ ꐇ ꋊ ꂠ ꋖ ꌅ ꁲ ꀯ ꀗ ♫

After indulging in her share of the roasted meat, the party seemed to ready itself for the next leg of the journey. Amandine waited for the signal from Faline, who was making the rounds, overseeing preparations and assimilating the new party members into the established order with Dorian.

Her gaze wandered toward the forest. Following the encounter with the bandits, their path led to the long-lost ruins, where the hope of securing the amulet resided. Amandine pondered whether they might encounter any Dragonians there, or perhaps the descendants of those who once safeguarded the lands of their ancestors, intermingling with local populations.

As the party set off, Amandine took on the role of a scout, venturing ahead and using her heightened senses to scan for any lingering threats—bandits who might be lying in wait to ambush their group.

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The Hourglass Order

The Melon Derby was underway, with various students plotting and planning their schemes.

One of the most notorious participants was a sweet little girl in a wheelchair named Maura. While she might not have been the most intelligent student, she had a keen understanding of people. With this in mind, she hatched a scheme so dastardly it would surely go down in the record books. Maid Malena nodded in understanding as she received her master's instructions, the puppet running out of the door to deliver its message, followed shortly by the others. The team's plan was simple: spread, snatch, and gather the melons before others could even reach them. Maura collected the obvious melons but found herself at a severe disadvantage, especially when facing some of the bigger competition who saw her as an easy target.

On the other hand, Taleja took charge of the box's fate and opted for assertive negotiation. Approaching the base of Saint and Singers, she got stopped by the formidable team of Covenant, determined to defend their allied team's box. Deviating from the script, Taleja swiped the Ipte box from Maura. Upon delivery and exchange, she claimed her prize. Walking out, Covenant faced difficulties in claiming theirs. Not willing to take the risk, Taleja dropped a smoke vial, using it as cover for her escape from their potential retribution.

Ayla found herself in a predicament as their team captain disappeared without a trace, leaving the rest to decide their course. Opting for the Cathedral, she thought it would be the best place to go. However, she ended up in a battle with a Soul Sister and lost.

Jamboi, swinging from the ceiling beam during the planning, heard a tapping at the window. A bird, perhaps? Opening the hatch to listen to its sweet song, he spotted Maura from his angle and saw an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Running by, he accidentally knocked into her, leaving a big grin on his face as he made off, leaving the girl befuddled about his intentions. Unfortunately, it was not the Banana derby, or he would have collected more points for his team.

Oksana tried to take a box too but failed.

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The Dragon is the second great trial of the games.

Maura did the thing she loved most—share the sound of her voice, and the Revidians actually loved her Segonian charm as well. With the delicious Pizza prosciutto e funghi in hand, the Nonnas were left satisfied.

The Plunge was hotly contested, with Ashon, Ayla, and Oksana all working hard to get through the challenge. Ashon dove into action, using his skills to take advantage of the terrain to grab the eggs required to complete the challenge. Oksana focused on getting boosts to try to keep up with the others, her kite-ear hat flapping to allow her access to the tethered baskets. As for Ayla, she focused on trying to support her partner to the finishing line, though didn't do a great job, as she got distracted by a pretty Pearlescent Egg.

Taleja, on the other hand, had other ideas. Let's say Invasion going off with a bang was an understatement. The locals had a front row to the first explosive symphony, as the forest was being shaken to its very core. The Threshers who tried to escape were soon picked up in the care of Sister Dominica and Sister Laska, the church girls readily accepting responsibility for them, with the latter taking the lead.

As for the Cherune boxes this round, it seemed like Maura’s tongue didn’t know how to rest, as it wrestled the prizes away from their owners, and leaving behind a smile.

The Hourglass Order

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Event: A Home Visit | Location: Ersand'Enise

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There were times when Jocasta liked to just... float.
High above the city, far from the reach of everyone down below.
Sometimes, she would watch it awaken.
Sometimes, she would watch it fall to slumber.
Up here, she was cold and alone, but she was safe.
It would be naught but a month. Then, she would be warm and joined, and safe.
She would share her husband's bed. She would...
Lying there upon her stomach upon the air, gazing down at the twinkling lanterns in windows, she did not know.
She did not know what it was to be a wife.
Yalen was a man, after all, even if he was a gentle one.
He would not be like...
A particularly cold gust caused her to draw her arms tight about herself.
There was no point in delaying. The invitations needed to be sent out.

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It was a half hour later. The sun was peering over the skyline and Jocasta was back on solid ground, wheeling briskly down a hallway in the female merchant dormitory. It was not a route she was unfamiliar with. Zarina had stayed here during their first year, when both had been students, and Jocasta had been to her dorm often enough.

Now, however, she was here for a different quarry, and one she wasn't actually particularly keen on catching: Trypano.
Slowing down as she neared the hallway's end, Jocasta looked about. It was the last one on the left.
Or was it?
Maybe it was the last one on the right.
In any case, this was a matter of obligation. Trypano was in her apprentice group. Trypano and her had an agreement of sorts.
Trypano was about as social as a bric

Surely, were it not for the obligations they both held, her under-classmen would have been far happier in her secret lair in the catacombs.
Jocasta went with the door on the left. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face it, retrieved the letter from her bag, and let it out in a long, tension-relieved sigh. She knocked.

Maura was in her room after she spent the night, engrossed in her work, diligently dealing with paperwork. Her hands were still smudged with ink as she navigated through a particularly challenging problem late at night. Amidst the warmth of the morning sun rising in the distance, a knock echoed at the door. Initially she was planning to ignore it, she sighed and instructed the wheel throne to guide her toward the doorway as she wrapped a blanket around her. With a deliberate motion, she opened the door.

To her surprise, Jocasta sat on the other side, clutching what seemed to be an invitation. Maura paused for a moment, then composed herself with a polite smile. "Ah, Tan-Zeno Re, how may we help you this morning?" Her eyes flicked toward the document in Jocasta's hand, attempting to decipher its nature. She silently prayed that it wasn't related to any transfer papers for her Zeno-group.

Jocasta's neck was pre-emptively craned upwards in anticipation of the usual pain that accompanied speaking with Trypano. Instead, she found nothing there. She lowered her gaze... and her expectations.

"Oh, Maura. Sorry to disturb you!" She grimaced, but there was actually a degree of relief. "It's practically still Ipte. I was looking for Trypano, who's always up at this ungodly hour." She rolled her eyes and offered up a knowing smile. It was... actually kind of nice to be able to look someone eye to eye in conversation.

Jocasta arched an eyebrow, suddenly annoyed. "You're at the end of the corridor, and your expression is saying more or less the same thing, you know." She sighed after a moment. "It's the wedding invitations, alright?" The tethered reached back into her bag. There was a brief flash of magic. "I was going to wait until some later hour but, since I've already woken you, this one's yours!" She smiled good-naturedly. "I... I hope you can make it," she stammered. "I know Ayla would be thrilled." Jocasta blinked and scratched sheepishly at the back of her head. "I uh... know we haven't always gotten along so well, but so would I."

Maura frowned as Jocasta began to retort and sat, politely listening. When handed the invitation, she displayed a wide, surprised smile, audibly gasping. "We didn’t realize it was the first of Victendes already!" she said gleefully.

Her expression relaxed, and she raised an eyebrow at Jocasta, visually conveying 'Really?' with her facial expression. "You don’t need to contrive an excuse as a cover for your error, Tan-Zeno Re. Even the great Jocasta is allowed to make a mistake here and there."

Maura offered the wedding invitation back with a sigh, “If you sincerely want to get along, then drop the act. You are stronger, richer, talented, more experienced, and congratulations on getting married. What you have achieved is great, and you have no need for... whatever you call this.” She gestured to the performance Jocasta had put on. "We’ll send a bottle of Licor Salbeirão for your big day."

Jocasta was somewhat surprised by the response, but not unpleasantly so. "Well, finally, she just says what she's thinking," the Tan-Zeno replied with a slow, repeated nod. "She lets it out. Gods I can't tell you how good that is for the soul." She placed the envelope back on her lap. "Oh, and I fuck up plenty," Jocasta admitted, pushing forward a bit and sighing. "If I didn't, I might actually have... real friends." She swallowed, hands sitting light and nervous on her wheels. "I wouldn't... care when people judge me," she continued. She could see, on some level, how Maura was... hurt. How, despite her intelligence and precociousness, she was young. There were five years between them, and the entire antipathy she held towards this girl started to melt away and feel stupid.

"I was fucking with you, but... then, I don't know. It was genuine after that." She shook her head. "Maura, you don't know me and you judge me." She shrugged. "I don't know you and I judge you." She took up the envelope again and held it out. "But we both know Ayla and she saw a friend in both of us, alright?" She sighed. "That's gotta be worth something." She took a moment to adjust one of her feet. With all the turning about, it had come off of her wheelchair's footrest. "And, you know, we both see the world from the same angle most of the time." She let out a snort. "We both have to look up bipeds' noses whenever we talk." She swallowed nervously. It all began to seem so pigheaded: the way they'd always been with each other, ever since an awkward first meeting. "Look: we don't have to be best friends, but we should at least be real with each other. I mean... half of it: this act you see me put on, it's because I became the mask. For as long as I knew, until I actually just came out and used my Gods-given power, do you think a fucking soul on Sagand took me seriously?" She let out a long sigh. "So take it, Maura, please. It's not a trick. I'm not laughing at you. I'm not belittling you. It's a peace offering, because that's long overdue."

Maura continued to sit quietly as Jocasta seemed to be having an epiphany moment on her doorstep, during the hours of Ipte, no less. She let the blonde express herself as she accepted the wedding invitation again. “Do you want to come inside, or has Yalen got you enrolled in the Red Rezaindian’s?” She smiled cheekily toward Jocasta as she moved backward, making room and inviting the blonde inside. “Would you like a coffee? We’ll stick in the arsenic just for you.” The tone was clearly tongue-in-cheek, aimed to break the uncomfortable tension, as she moved to boil the water, allowing the other to make themselves comfortable. Then she came through with the tray on her lap, placing it on the table between them. She also took the opportunity to freshen up her appearance and get rid of the ink smudges.

“If you don’t let people see the real you, then how can you expect them to be your real friends?” She poured the cups, which were clearly absent of anything remotely dangerous other than a dose of addictive caffeine and a suspicious-looking container that threatened to contain spratz in it. “Warts and all, as the saying goes. Pay lip service where it is due, network where you can, and create genuine friendships when the opportunity arises.” She parted with some advice from her own play book.

When it came to the matter of them, there was a formal politeness about it. “We probably know you pretty well to judge,” Unable to resist a playful tone completely, “but we are not Dami, and you are clearly trying to get my attention. You have it, and we are listening.” She took a drink from her cup, and smiled sweetly toward her. “What would you truly want from me; approval, validation, a favour, or are you wanting to build a real friendship?”

It was just for a moment, but Maura's little quip landed in a way it almost certainly wasn't meant to. Mid-push, Jocasta froze in place, palms skidding against her wheels. Her heart beat a tiny bit faster. Maura couldn't have been involved in... She couldn't have known. She couldn't have... "I'll take sugar instead of spratz if you don't mind," she replied. "Hold the arsenic. Had enough of that lately."

Then, with the best of intentions, Maura went on to give a speech about how to win friends, make money, and succeed in campus life. It was Jocasta's fault. She'd made a needlessly self-indulgent comment about not making friends earlier but, in truth, she'd rarely had trouble doing so. She was, for the most part, a good talker, or at least she had been.

Then had come Yalen. Then had come Ayla, and Zarina, and Marceline, and Kaspar and... after it all, she was still a tool, because then had come the academy. Then had come the Dieci Volti Nascosti once more, and the offers from Volto Nero and Volto Argento that she couldn't refuse. They were, in a sense, no different from Zenith Upta and Arch-Zeno Harrachora. She accepted the tea with a thank you, checking it for any unexpected substances and cleansing it just the same with her chemical magic. Never again would she show that sort of weakness; that sort of stupidity. It had almost cost her everything.

"Here is the thing... I cannot be entirely truthful with you." She grimaced even as she said it. "In some ways, being what I am - this thing of monstrous capacity - defines my life. I do not want it to, but it does because others say that it does. I may try to hide it and then I am a poor girl with useless legs, to be pitied, perhaps even humoured, and then pushed aside. Never respected, never listened to, rarely seen but by a handful of close companions." She paused, taking a sip of the drink. It was a Palaparese blend, from Zenobucks. She set if back down. "You know... I may just know you pretty well enough to judge as well." She smiled faintly. "And I think this is a pain that you also know something of." She shook her head with a tight smile. "My point is this: if I live as myself - as my true self - and I don't hide, my very existence is a problem or an opportunity for others that they will feel they cannot ignore. As with the late great paradigm, I do not have the option of going unnoticed or un-harassed. I must either join my fortune to others of great power in loyalty or become so powerful myself that even the many cannot destroy me."

She frowned. "If ever I have struck you as self-serving or callous, this is the underlying reason." She wrung her hands for a moment. "I do have friends, in a sense, though we can never completely know each other's worlds, though they may never truly understand me, or I them. Yet, the mere act of knowing me puts them in danger. If something were to happen to one of them..." She trailed off for a moment. "If one were to be hurt by some external force on my account -" The mere thought caused something to sit, heavy and awkward, atop her stomach. She shook her head. "Well," Jocasta joked, trying to lighten the mood, "Perhaps that's why I have asked you to be my friend." She managed a small smile and winked as she lifted the coffee to her lips and sipped. She did not wish to speak any more of herself. She had resolved to know something more of the girl who sat across from her, but she realized that perhaps her words demanded some form of response first and she would not deny Maura that opportunity as, perhaps, others sometimes did.

Maura rolled her eyes after Jocasta’s comment about the arsenic, “Don’t tell me you have been going for that bright-eyed and translucent look as well; you are more than pretty enough without it. The lengths some go to for a man’s affection.” She tutted at the actions of some of their classmates.

She continued to listen to Jocasta as the words spilled out, interjecting a little here and there. “Well, we don’t really want to know about the pimple on your bottom, Jo. Over-sharing is a thing as well.” She smiled, making light of the heavier words, “but being truthful comes down to self-respect, and that is super important. One little lie here and there may not matter much, but if you are regularly lying, then you begin to stop loving yourself. After all, does that mean you are the sum of your lies, a lie yourself, the feeling of being an imposter? By being truthful, we own who we are, being our authentic self.” She wagged her finger for a moment, “Though that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t lie, as sometimes it is very appropriate to do it for good reasons. It means understanding the decision in choosing to lie in that circumstance.”

“And now you are comparing yourself to Hugo the Great; this is the humble woman we know.” Her tone was teasing, as she couldn’t resist the temptation not to comment on that. “One thing about Hugo is that he didn’t care about what others thought. He did what he did, even if some hated him for it, while others loved him. You are never going to please everyone, so at least make sure you are at peace with yourself with the decisions you make. Treat yourself with respect, then others will come to respect you too. If they don’t, there is a reason you are comparing yourself to Hugo.” She gave a wink.

“We are still waiting for you to come tottering up with a bunch of rifles under your arms and giving Desmond a run for his money; don’t disappoint me now by suggesting that is you being self-serving.” She recalled the surprise as she saw Jocasta swiping the guns in ReTan, though with the latter comment about Jocasta wishing she was her friend. “Though speaking of ReTan, we do vaguely recall Wu Long muttering something along the lines of ‘May you all live in interesting times’ when we left the palace…” She stroked her chin for a moment, then shrugged. “Besides, if they come for me, we’ll use our puppets, probably.”

She rested her hands on her coffee cup, “Though we are not a sycophant, nor have any interest in you being one either. If you are willing to be truthful with me, within reason, we would do so likewise, and perhaps you never know, we can be rolling sisters from different misters.”

This, at its root, was why Jocasta was not particularly fond of Maura. Just like her at times, the Torragonese loved the sound of her own voice. She loved to be the clever, witty one in the room. Unlike Jocasta, however, she loved dispensing her own brand of wisdom. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't get enough of being ever the one who knows. Good advice, mini-me, the tethered thought with an eye roll that was strictly internal, and it honestly is, in any other circumstance, but my entire point is that this involved a few more moving parts than my personal need to love myself and be genuine. Jocasta could be as authentic as she wanted, and she was with a very select group. If it got her killed, however, it wasn't of much use. She'd rather live to fight another day. She'd always rather live. It meant she could try again. It meant she could beat them this time, and she just might be more than a victim.

Rolling right up to Volto Argento and telling him to shove it might've been cathartic in the short term but, in the long term, it might mean Yalen, Zarina, Ayla, or Marci dead. It might mean her poisoned again. Someone had tried to murder her not even a week ago. Then a knower had tried on top of it. If ever there was proof that she simply could not be normal, that she could not let her guard down, there it was. And you just don't understand that, she thought, as Maura made another quip. Really, how could I expect that of you? She sipped some more tea. There had been a group of them - a fluctuating group - at Ersand'Enise, who'd found themselves involved in a dozen different perils. Sure, Maura had been part of it for the past few months, at least, but she was still, fundamentally, a normal, emotionally healthy girl. Jocasta was sure that she had her insecurities and her issues, but whenever gentle feelers had been held out, she'd gone off in another direction. The nasty part of her wanted to push that much more. The better part understood that it was a boundary.

She sighed. "Yes, we shall, though I expect sisters bicker from time to time." She managed a smile. "I have too much fun tugging your tail anyway." The smile grew into a grin, which she hid behind her cup. "I shall also look myself in the mirror every morning and say one self-affirming thing," she promised with a wry grin, placing the empty cup back on its saucer. This, she floated back onto the table. Then, she furrowed her brow. "Please don't take it as too forward of me," she began, "But I am ever so curious as to why you refer to yourself in a partial royal 'we'." She sniffed and took a moment to fix a rumple in her dress. "I've noticed that Ayla does it as well."

Maura smiled warmly, “Always wanted an older sister.” She softly nodded as she took a sip of her coffee, allowing the sweet moment to sink in. “Now, we are able to relate with Ayla in saying how awful they are.” The sting of her tease added a playful element to the comment.

She did an eye-roll at the self-affirming thing every moment, “My point was…” she paused, considering the best way to explain, “It is like those church-sponsored carnival freaks; their name is Memento Mori.” She swirled the cup in her hands, mulling over the wording, “But the biggest shame would be to die without ever truly living. So we make sure to say ‘screw you’ to the world and push myself out there, rather than be locked away in some cupboard, out of sight, out of mind.”

Maura simply smiled at the question, “Oh, it is just a habit by this point. Imagine being stuck to Ayla for so long; you just start doing it in amusement, a joke here and there. Start acting like the noble Torragonese girl, speaking with some authority. Then you notice the reactions of others, and you begin doing it to amuse yourself at their expense. Before long, 'we' is all that remains.”

Jocasta had no idea why Maura was going on about some churches team. They were likely just further creeps who'd wish her dead, but she sat through it. At the end of the day, Maura's conclusions seemed not too different from hers. It was just a tall and perilous mountain to climb to become strong enough that she could do it without endangering herself and her few loved ones. Still, it was heartening to know that, even with limited perspective, someone else whose opinion she respected was encouraging these things.

When Maura answered her closing question, Jocasta smiled. "Ah! So you, too, have become the mask!" She released her brakes and rolled a push or two around the coffee table. "Checkmate!" She floated her cup and saucer over to the wash basin with some kinetic magic and let herself coast another foot or two, until they were close. "I'm happy we did this, even at this red-eye hour." She reached out for a light embrace. "I find the best thoughts tend to come in the morning or right before one falls asleep, and I was just dying to share them with you." She winked.

Maura blinked, then smiled, accepting the hug offered by the blonde. “Though no dying on me just yet; we've got to finish showing how amazing we are first.” She pulled Jo into a tighter embrace than what the other intended, getting rid of the formality of the others’ gesture as she gave her a heartfelt squeeze. “Perhaps when they threaten to put me in your Zeno group again, we wouldn’t reject it so hastily next time.”

It was somewhat unexpected, though not entirely. Jocasta hugged back. She'd... gotten better at hugging over the past year. It no longer made her tense up, and Maura was small and soft in any event. She smiled as they separated. "Neither would we," she replied.

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Welcome to Vradia

@Damycles I just wanted to let you know that your appearance picture isn’t working in your CS. I was trying to remember what Rock looked like under his helmet.

Otherwise, how is everyone doing? Any questions? 😊

@WhiteAngel25

It is working for me.
Upside down crucifix scar under the right eye, and a right angle scar which goes across the nose bridge and lips under the left eye.
Swept hair, and a shadow/light beard.

Welcome to Vradia

ꁲ ꂵ ꁲ ꋊ ꂠ ꂑ ꋊ ꈼ ꋖ ꂑ ꂵ ꈼ Day 2 [Afternoon] ꒒ ꂦ ꀯ ꁲ ꋖ ꂑ ꂦ ꋊ Bandit Ambush ꉣ ꁲ ꌅ ꋖ ꂑ ꀯ ꂑ ꉣ ꁲ ꋊ ꋖ ꌚ @WhiteAngel25 Faline @Jamesyco Torsten @Herald Conn @jasbraq Gus @Damycles Rock ꌚ ꂦ ꐇ ꋊ ꂠ ꋖ ꌅ ꁲ ꀯ ꀗ ♫

Amandine tilted her head as she gazed at Faline. "Having a stick up there can become very uncomfortable, you know," she winked toward the red-head, then shrugged her shoulders as she gathered some twigs and dried leaves to create a makeshift fire. Amandine began to prepare the prized pheasant, looking pleased with herself as the bird crisped over the flames. Overhearing the comment about Athen the owl not being on the menu, she stuck her tongue out at Faline. "One less invited for the pheasant party if you’re not going to share," she hummed to herself with a smile.

While the bird roasted, she seized the opportunity to investigate the others who had joined them. She started with Gus, the one who had been giving Faline bedroom eyes non-stop. "So, pretty boy," she moved up toward him, getting into his face with a huge smile. "We're trying to find a cure for the Duskrot pandemic. Your old man is working for the Emperor to help with the problem. He wants you to help him out by working with us to raid some old Dragonian tombs looking for a pretty necklace." She plucked the coin out of Gus’s hand. "And this thing gains you entry into the… secret Emperor club led by Faline over there," she jabbed her thumb backward, pointing toward Faline. Flicking the coin up with her thumb, she leaned in, whispering with a nudge to his side, "She has been very tense with the whole ordeal." She left him with those parting words, allowing him to collect the coin.

Next on her agenda was the naked wizard, but he seemed occupied behind the bushes. She turned her attention to the other newcomer who approached on his grey horse. Facing him, she eyed him and his steed, giving a wave. "No siree, it seemed they had a score to take us out, or at least the pretty one with the red hair at the back. Don’t let her coy looks deceive you; she is as strong as they come." Glancing around as the others disposed of corpses, she pondered if she did the right thing by simply disabling them instead of killing. "But you can take the credit and help yourself to any bounty. As the saying goes, we were never here." She tapped a finger against her nose knowingly. "But you can join us for some roast pheasant if you have the time."

Torsten, hard at work, received a visit from Amandine. "Don’t forget to enjoy some pheasant when you're ready. I've saved a leg for you. Perhaps say hello to these new people."

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New person here!

Welcome!

A wild void kitty emerges from the tall grass...

Meow meow meow.

Welcome to Vradia

Disappointed we lost Red Wizard, but that can happen!