Kikka - Coliseum Road@Xaltwind@Databug@Expllo
As Hikari approached the shy girl and basically forced her forward in the line, she let out a squeal and looked back at him like a frightened animal. Her long, wavy chestnut hair hung over a face with fine features, but anguished eyes. She wore a long sleeved white shift and a plain, dark blue dress over a lean frame, but aside from that it was hard to make out much about her form. Her posture was somewhat hunched and she held both of her arms close to her body, as if hugging herself.
"I-I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-s-sorry!" She practically hyperventilated on the spot, until she realized Hikari was helping her instead of shoving past her like everyone else had. As he spoke, all she could do was stand in place, shivering and wringing her hands, and then nod when he finished. She turned around, and straightened up a bit. With visible effort, she gave the official her information--
"I-I'm Elyssa Barnfield. F-F-from S-Sosshi...F-fifteen..." She flinched when the man handed her the badge. Numbly stumbling out of the line, she simply stared it for several moments...before a big smile broke out over her face. She turned back to Hikari as he was given his own badge, and seemed like she was about to say something.
Then he turned and walked swiftly away without a word. Her outstretched hand fell, and she settled for holding her badge to her chest and sighing wistfully. As she did, the next person in line got their badge as well and strode past her, bumping her shoulder hard in their rush.
"Get outta the w--" They bit their remark back as Elyssa turned to them with a new glare in her eyes. She held up one hand, fingers curled into a claw, as a sudden, bone-chilling breeze swirled around her. The shadows cast from her hair gave her an outright menacing look, causing the boy to shrink back.
"No,
you get out,
maggot!" she hissed. The other applicant held his hands up submissively as he backed away, one careful step at a time, then ran for his life.
Elyssa turned back towards the direction Hikari had gone, and started to giggle as she made her way towards the coliseum gates...
Meanwhile, Tristan was beginning to think he would need to get forceful after all. Pompadour kept taunting him, while the two lackies behind him laughed in typical "hur hur hur!" fashion. But the fact that both of them fell silent at the exact same time was what cued the redhead in that something had just changed. With a grunt of effort, he straightened his back against the noble's grip, almost dragging the other youth's arm off of him--
"Hey, c'mon! Fine, how about six--"
Pompadour now noticed who his two cronies were staring completely slackjawed at as Camilla made herself known. Tristan felt his own cheeks flush a bit as he averted his eyes from the young woman, his stoic expression now wavering.
Good LORD! She blows all the girls back home out of the water! he thought. Was she a noble as well? Surely she had to be--that kind of skin, and complexion, and...figure...didn't come from working on a farm and eating Nomotatoes with every meal!
"W-well, y-you know," said pompadour with a gulp. Both of his cheeks were practically shining pink, and his eyes were clearly not on Camilla's face. "I just thought, these poor urchins! Maybe they wouldn't be, um, so willing to put themselves in harm's way, if they, uh, had a little coin!" He withdrew his arm and actually patted Tristan's head, despite the commoner being an inch or two taller than him. "They're so desperate, you know--but we don't want them getting themselves hurt, now do we?" Some of his swagger seemed to be returning...
At that moment, both of his lackies let out an "oof!" sound as Hikari grabbed them. Tristan turned as the taller, more well-built boy challenged the nobles. Pompadour didn't seem very pleased to have his attention taken away from Camilla, either. His nose wrinkled as he clenched his fists at his sides.
"How
dare you! Unhand my friends at once, you uncouth--what
are you, anyway?" He pointed at Hikari. "Ah, I see! You're someone's
dumb ox that got loose! That explains the nose ring!" Beside him, Tristan reached up with one finger and pulled down the hem of his cloak's collar to reveal a growing frown as his brows furrowed...
At that moment, one of pompadour's lackies decided to use the moment of distraction to escape. He worked two fingers up to Hikari's ribs and pinched, hard, before pulling away from the bigger boy's headlock."Commoners can't lay hands on nobles, you gutter trash--!"
As he stumbled backwards, the young man smacked right into poor Kohra, who'd been observing the whole fiasco. He flailed his arms to regain his balance, which would've made the situation worse--had Tristan not caught him by the collar and yanked him back onto his feet, setting him down sternly before glaring at the others.
His other hand had reached out to steady Kohra, if she needed it, but now he crossed both arms.
"Enough!" He said, raising his voice for the first time. Pompadour blinked. The blacksmith's son looked from him to Hikari. "Thanks, but...Don't start fights on my behalf I didn't ask for." He then turned to Camilla--eyes squarely on his own feet--and bowed his head. "Miss, your concern's appreciated as well. Please, don't mind me." And to Kohra, a simple, "Sorry about that." Then he turned on his heel and headed for the gates again.
"Uh, um, m-yes, well!" The noble with the pompadour tugged at his petticoat dismissively, and gestured to his followers. "As milady says, we're wasting our time here! Clear out, you ragamuffins!"
Turning his nose up at Hikari and Kohra, he smiled in a way he no doubt thought charming before offering his hand to Camilla. "Shall we, then?"
Food Stalls
@Th3King0fChaosThe young blonde man Illios called out to peered around a kebab of some sort stacked a foot high, and a paper tray in the other hand piled with nomotato wedges, cheese, and diced bacon. Between his fingers he held a Fried-Pie-On-A-Stick, an extra large pretzel, and a chain made from interconnected onion rings.
"Oh? Thanks man, I appreciate it!" he smiled, before handing off the tray. This mostly freed one arm, which rapidly whipped the whole fried-pie into his mouth, pulling it off the stick as his cheeks expanded. His short hair bristled above an oblong face with a large, smooth forehead. As he chewed, the movement of his facial muscles made a pale scar on his right side apparent--it was a pale gap between his right eyebrow that trailed next to the eye, not quite down to his cheeks. As he chewed, his bright blue gaze fell on Illios, and he returned the other youth's cheerful expression. "Yoowa nishe gai, ya nodat?"
His tall, skinny frame was draped by a plain green tunic over black pants. A pair of thick, elbow length leather gloves were tucked into his belt, and he wore boots of the same material. It was hard to place his social status--his clothes seemed finer than most commoners' but they weren't as fancy as nobility. He swallowed with an audible sound and licked a flake of pie crust from his lips.
"I'm Bryant! Nice to meetcha!" He nodded by way of greeting rather than shaking hands, given his current predicament.
"What's your name?" He then took an extra large bite out of the pretzel, crunching through the thickly baked dough without issue.
@RemramAt the sound of Ludo's voice, the orange-topped giant stopped. A huge build, with broad hands and thick legs, slowly turned. Roughspun clothes dyed in fading colors stretched over the broad mass, dark sleeveless shirt and blue pants held together by a rope belt.
Dum, dum, dum came the heavy, plodding steps as a large shadow fell over Ludo and his employer.
"Are
you talkin' to
me?" growled the...youth(?)...as he tilted his thick neck. His hair fell in an untamed mop over his eyes--until he brushed it aside with one hand, revealing a large and watery pair of doe-brown orbs.
"Cause you didn't have to insult me! M-my name's Maverick!" he sniffed as his lip quivered. "I'm stressed enough as it is, I didn't even get to town until this
morning! I'm scared I'm gonna be late!" He looked at Isvelt, then bashfully bowed deep at the waist. "I'm very sorry I knocked you over! M-My eyes aren't s-so good, but, ya know, it's hard for a Commoner to afford a good pair of glasses..." He straightened, and then turned back towards the coliseum. "A-anyway, l-let's hurry! They might start without us!"
@DuthguyAs Albie was hastily urged out of line by one of the less patient officials, the hub and bub of the moment surrounded him. Up ahead, he could see the (really, rather unmistakable) figure of the blue haired noble girl he had been following, along with several others--an odd mix of commoner and noble, it seemed.
However, before he could follow, someone stepped in his way. They were so close they almost ran right into him--but it wasn't another mage come for the exam. Instead, the figure was an old man with a scraggly beard and a big, hooked nose. Clad in ratty robes, he looked like a vagrant of some kind.
"Psst! Hey kid!" The old-timer adjusted his hood as he peered around in a conspiratorial fashion. A bit odd, to be wearing such a thing when the sun was bright in the sky. "You, you're a Commoner, ain'tcha? It's unfair, competin' with all these nobles, ain't it?" He reached out as if to take Albie's arm like a long time friend.
"Howz'about it?! I got..." He looked around once more, before whispering, "Information~!" He then whipped a notepad and a stick of graphite out of one sleeve, dangling them before Albie's eyes.
"Which noble families had kids get their grimoires, this year and last year? I can tell ya! Any famous names coming to apply this year? I know 'em! The juicy gossip from the Royal Capital on the Captains?! I know it all! What they're lookin' for, what they hate to see, and who knows what else!
I knows what else, that's who!"
He took the graphite in hand and flipped open the notepad, licking the tip of the writing implement before he looked at Albie again.
"So, whaddya say?! Willin' ta make a little trade, kid?!"
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