Zapdos
Damycles
Izurich
Teyao
Dark Cloud
Lucid Dreaming
Noctis
xenon
Charybdis@ZapdosI'm not sure you know the meaning of the word, but it's cute that you tried lol xD
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I'll try and post today or tonight. @xenon Simon and Appsro look like fun. Please make them recurring somehow xD
MacKensie chuckled at Adam's response. "Of course, my friend." It was barely noon, so it would've been quite surprising if any of their group had actually asked for beer or liquor. Ummm, maybe not so surprising if it came from Zell, come to think of it, she corrected herself. Nevertheless, she never would have dreamed of offering Adam an alcoholic beverage at this time of day. "Hi Fenna," she smiled at the dutchwoman. "Also with perfect timing."
"It smells good," Fenna said.
"Our fearless leader is cooking up a storm," MacKensie bounced back. "What can I get you to drink?"
After getting the orders of her friends, she brought them their drinks and then disappeared back into the kitchen to chat with James and Frederick while the final touches were being put on lunch. The three of them served lunch shortly after and MacKensie joined Fenna at the bar, leaving the men at the table. "So, how did it go at the Church, yesterday? Did Lillianna learn more about the spirit who assisted us?" After Fenna filled her in, she couldn't help but add, "I do apologize for leaving so suddenly."
The tacos were lovely and MacKensie made sure to let her approval be known, asking Fenna and Frederick (who was stood up eating as he did paperwork behind the bar) how their's were too. When they were finished, MacKensie cleared the plates, finding herself at the boys' table when Zell was talking about going to the Adventurer's Guild.
"You're invited too, of course," Zell told her.
"Sure," she agreed. Meeting other adventurers sounded fun, but more than that; getting Lucy's take on the political situation would be interesting. Especially after some time to digest the conversation she'd had with Clarissa Shields at the Academy. From what she'd learned, The Emperor wasn't actually as all-powerful as the title suggested, and this war had created fractures in Capitol City. Reinforcements were being sent from the West to shore up the front lines, but the lion's share would go to a fortress in the north. And then there was that moment when Clarissa was about to say something - several moments like that, in fact - but this particular one she stopped herself and suddenly ended the conversation. Something about 'the Wellsprings...?'
Perhaps if she asked the right questions to Lucy, she could pry a few more pieces to this puzzle.
She was about to start the task of washing up, but found herself unsure of what to use in place of the usual washing-up liquid, so she went to find Frederick to ask. She ended up bumping into Adam. Seeing him with a packed bag, she naturally inquired as to where he was going, a little concerned considering how his mood had been since the battle.
Up the mountain? "...Don't worry though, I should be back before we start our quest," he finished.
"Alone?" MacKensie asked almost incredulously. "I don't think so. Hold on, I am coming with you," she told. "I insist. Who knows what is out there." As she said the words, she pictured the metal ninja and got goosebumps. "I will get my things."
She ran up the stairs, rushing for fear of him trying to leave without her. She left all the tidbits and quality-of-life accessories she'd bought in Valhiem, taking only the rucksack of supplies she'd acquired in Hommas. Her heartbeat quickened as she looked at her one-handed crossbow, her memory feeding her imagery of Lillianna's stabbing, James and Zell being struck to the floor, and of course, herself getting a bodyblow and being tossed into the rockface, and that black sword almost splitting her skull. As she snapped out of her reverie, she could hear own breathing.
She gritted her teeth and holstered her weapon, then joined Adam downstairs. She let Zell and James know that she wouldn't be joining them at the Adventurer's Guild, then told them and Fenna that she'd see them later, before nodding her readiness to Adam.
MacKensie was like an excitable little girl in the kitchen with James and Frederick. For every command that the Cleric would give, the Ranger would give a determined nod in response.
"Oui," she replied affirmatively. She picked up a knife and, without thinking (or even looking, for that matter) twirled the sharp utensil expertly and rapidly around her fingers. "Cutting."
She was having fun. She'd never been a particularly good cook. She wasn't terrible - she could manage herself - but she tried to stay away from ambitious projects in the kitchen. With James and Frederick here though, and her only job to support, it was enjoyable. Frederick's recurring reaction to being in the kitchen with the two adventurers was amusing every time she looked at him. The fact that James' illusion was not just visual but auditory too was giving the innkeeper a hard time keeping up with who was who. With machine-like chopping action, she sliced and diced up the ingredients, then brought them to James, "There you go, Sis," before cleaning up her work surface. When the salsa James was making started to take form, she swiped up a blob of it on her finger, then plonked it on James' nose.
Frederick made some drinks for everyone and MacKensie took them out to the taproom tables for anyone who wanted one.
"Adam," MacKensie greeted cheerfully, when the Druid came in. "You have arrived just in time. James is making lunch for us all. Would you like a drink?"
<Snipped quote by Zool>
Oil together, it was a good idea :P
Booooo!!!! xD
@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Zool@Teyao
This post is for the ones with a mundane weapon. Barracker is going to choose Fenna once he realises she has a spear, as it takes much less oil to coat a spear tip rather than a longsword or a anchor or crossbow bolts or arrows. Fenna will be able to have a certain number of hits against enemies who can't be hit by non-elemental attacks.
Oh I see how it is - playing favourites. You better tell Barracker to watch his back. Would be a real shame if he got hit by an 'accidental' stray crossbow bolt!
Lmao honestly though, nice thinking Jay. This way Xenon has to give you more combat rounds of the oil bonus. Good choice xD
"Think about what I want to happen, in my head..." Zell muttered Adam's teachings to himself. "...and apply magical energy."
The swordsman was with his best buds, James and MacKensie, just outside the city walls on the fallow fields of a farm, just by the river. Valhiem's western gate was in sight from the spot they'd chosen to test some of their abilities, and Paladins could be seen patrolling the walls. Zell was getting fustrated as he failed, yet again, to activate his Teleportation power.
"Fuck's sake." He shook his head. "This magic stuff is hard work."
At Zell's words, James couldn't help but comment.
"It ain't that hard, like, I think your problem might be visualization?" A shrug "I can't speak for the others but I just think about a bookshelf with every book being a different spell, then when I want to cast one I just 'open' the one I want and the chant comes to the top of my head"
MacKensie looked from one man to another as she stood with a hand on her hip. She'd never considered asking how everyone makes their abilities work - the details of their technique. James' visuallization was very interesting and elaborate. Clarissa Shields, the director at the Academy, had been doing some kind of finger movements. Perhaps it is different for each class? Or maybe dependant on personality?
Another shrug from James and then he turned to face MacKenzie "Alright, I will use the Blessing now, please tell me if you notice anything different" They had talked about that for a bit before, he was sure the blessing was some sort of disguise but he was not sure how it worked.
MacKensie put away her thoughts for now, and nodded. "Okay."
Like a bookshelf. Hmmm. Zell thought about it for a second. "Not too fond of books," he muttered while the others talked.
Taking a deep breath James started chanting.
"Lady Sillagy, mistress of deceit and persuasion, hear my plea for your blessing, let my flesh become my disguise and for no one to realize"
She gasped when he transformed, a hand covering her mouth. Sudden feelings of dizziness and sickness came over her as her brain struggled to get used to the jarring sight of HER OWN SELF!!! stood in front of her.
The results of James' new blessing were astonishing. Zell's eyebrows shot up, his mouth falling open as his Mexican friend became a Frenchwoman. Zell blinked twice, making sure his eyes weren't decieving him. "Wow," was all he could say for a second.
James felt the change immediately, as if he had blinked and suddenly was a little bit shorter, quickly rummaging through his pockets he pulled the mirror he had prepared beforehand and saw the usually smiling face of MacKenzie staring back at him with his usual grimace. Looking back at the real MacKenzie he couldn't help but let out a "Wha-!? Even the voice!?" Well at least it seemed like the disguise was thorough.
"Oh my," were her words of dismay as she began to recover. "That is... quite the spell. It looks so real." She hesitated a step before going up to him and touching his (her? his) hair.
As MacKensie inspected the illusion, Zell rubbed the top of his head. His brain was hurting.
"It feels real too. Mistress of deceit indeed."
"James, you are bewitchingly beautiful. Drop-dead gorgeous," he told him. MacKensie felt herself blush brightly as she looked at James. She was determined not to show Zell. Then Zell looked at MacKensie. "For a man, at least."
Now she span around to him, furious! She took her shoe off and threw it at his head.
"Haha-ugh!" The shoe hit Zell square between the eyes, he slipped on a stone and fell on his back.
"Oh shit! friendly fire!" Saying so he put his(?) arms on the air on the universal signal for surrender as MacKensie turned towards him. "Please Mac! Don't do anything that you will regret! I will help you cover the body, just please don't hurt me!"
MacKensie pointed at the Cleric. "I have another shoe and I'm not afraid to use it," she joked. The feeling of the earth under her bare foot was quite nice, but it was barely a background thought due to the weirdness of looking at the illusion. "So, you can become anyone? Of your choosing?" This could be useful. So far they'd only fought against rabid monsters, but a foe with any kind of intelligence might be fooled with the right disguise in the right situation.
"I mean, kinda?" James grimaced and dropped his arms.
"It may be possible to drastically change your size or shape."
"There is something of a feedback when I casted it, it felt like, how do I say it?" He rolled the words in his mind until he decided on the most accurate ones "Like if I was being 'compressed', it is not painful per se but cetainly noticeable, I can guess it would probably become a problem if I was compressed too much, same with the contrary as that would 'stretch' me beyond what I can manage"
MacKensie frowned at the idea of being compressed or stretched by magical means. "Ooh, that sounds awful."
James shrugged. "It feels like it would outright fail to trigger with anything not human-shaped though, that feels like a requirement for it to activate"
"Well..." she awkwardly stared at herself (James) for a moment. "This new power of yours may be useful in the future. Somehow."
She looked down as she retrieved two apples from her satchel. It was time to test a power out of her own. She needed targets to practice against, and what better targets than the classic - apples. She'd brought half a dozen. Admiring their shine for a moment, she tossed them to James and then grabbed two more and turned, throwing two to Zell.
Zell threw MacKensie her shoe as the apples came through the air towards him, then caught the fruit, one in each hand. Wait, what was she going to do?
"If you would kindly hold the apples out in your hands please. Mind your fingers aren't covering them." She instructed as she put her shoe back on. Since yesterday, doubts had plagued her regarding her abilities as a Ranger, but one thing she could be sure of, at least, was her accuracy aganst simple, stationary targets. The only question was; how fast could she fire accurate shots? She walked twenty paces away from the two men, keeping her back to them, and stood with an apple in each of her own hands.
Hold up the apples? What!? "Are you sure about this?" Zell asked, concerned to say the least. As the swordsman held out the apples, he couldn't help but squint as if bracing himself for a punch to the face. This was not a good idea.
James shared Zell's enthusiasm, he trusted Mackenzie to have perfect accuracy but that didn't mean he couldn't be a little bitch about it. Still, there was no reason to go through with this in a stupid manner, letting the apples rest on the palms of his hands he extended each arm to his sides as far as he could -which was less than usual.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready? Er... yeah... okay." Not okay.
"Ready too!"
Eyes closed, MacKensie inhaled and exhaled slowly. In her mind, she pushed aside her growing confidence issues (something that was fairly easy when around James and Zell,) then she willed her Deadly Flurry to activate, feeling the Source flow down her arms to the tips of her fingers. Blue flames danced along her hands.
She opened her eyes.
After throwing her apples over her head, towards James and Zell, everything around her may aswell have been in slow-motion. She moved with blurry speed, grabbing a handful of bolts from her pouch with her left hand, and spinning around to let them all go, into the air in front of her. For a split second, it was almost like the bolts were floating before her - six of them - in a slightly arching row.
With her right hand, she had already drawn the one-handed crossbow off the small of her back and now whipped it across herself in a horizontal sweep, to catch each of the six bolts side-on, one after another, in the firing mechanism of her crossbow - rapid-firing each one as her crossbow-sights swept from right to left.
Three seconds - from the moment she opened her eyes to the moment the last apple fell to the ground with a bolt through it.
Zell, who was stood holding the apples out like a scarecrow, was stunned by the speed as MacKensie practically turned into a blue whirlwind in front of him. He could barely see her movements as the crossbow came to point his way, but he heard the twang of her weapon as it fired 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
The faintest flicker of a grey flash and Zell was gone, instantly appearing ten feet to the right of where he was before.
...6
All six apples hit the floor as Zell breathed heavily, his hands briefly checking he hadn't been shot. Then he realised what he'd done and it clicked in his brain. "Ohhhh, I get it now," he said to himself. There was a short pause for a mental celebration in his mind, before he walked a few steps towards his friends. "That is one helluva move," he complimented MacKensie. " Think you could combine that with your grapplehook thingy?"
MacKensie hid her concerns about being able to use the grapplehook effectively. "Perhaps," she said at the bright idea.
"You'd make a killing at the circus."
The Cleric let out a snort at Zell's words "Somehow I knew our destiny was becoming a circus, I just didn't expect it to happen so soon" MacKensie chuckled as James looked towards her. "Hey Mac, you think you could make it with more bolts or are 6 your limit?
She thought about it. Just how far could she push this? "It is certainly worth trying out," she said. "Though I did not bring enough apples." Another chuckle.
Still hell of a move either way, you are practically a revolver now"
"Thank you, I am excited to try it out on our next contract."
Excited to try it out? The more mature side of her warned that she should be taking this more seriously but it was hard not be starry-eyed at these superhuman powers when her friends were egging her on.
"I see that you managed to teleport again," she said to Zell. "Have you figured it out now?"
"Yeah," Zell replied proudly. "Just clicked in my head." He teleported behind them and gave them a finger-point and a wink, then teleported back in front of them, MacKensie and James turning their heads to try and follow him. It was remarkable. He tried to teleport again and it failed. "Huh?" He tried again. And again. "Maybe there's a limit on it of some kind."
MacKensie's brow furrowed at Zell's postulation, but her eyes were dragged back to James involuntarily, unnerved by the perfect illusion of herself looking back at her. "Do you mind turning back to yourself now James? It is a little weird for me, seeing myself without the glass of a mirror between."
Zell disagreed. "I dunno. You can never have too much Mac to look at it, in my opinion."
He braced himself to dodge the next shoe.
"Will you behave, Zell Brooks," MacKensie reprimanded the cheeky swordsman, having to put effort into not smiling. She wasn't sure why she bothered telling him off - it only seemed to encourage him.
"While I agree with the sentiment I don't want to be another Mac" A pause "No offense" Turning her attention to James, she did give a small smile and nodded, showing no offense taken, and also resisting the urge to take her other shoe off and throw it at James (herself) for joining in with Zell. James closed his eyes and reached to the blessing in question, searching for some way to end the blessing effect earlier. He found none.
Scrounging his face in irritation he searched faster, spinning and pulling at his mental image of the blessing intent on finding something relevant to the termination of it. Incidentally finding the cost for casting the blessing itself. "Well shit" Opening his eyes he looked towards his friends "Okay good news? I found out what is it that I am paying for pulling this off, bad news...?
MacKensie was frozen in anticiptation on what the bad news would be...
You got the most uncomfortable twin for the next 24 hours, sorry Mac, I can't turn this off"
...it was pretty bad. "Seriously?" MacKensie blinked a few times, getting ahold of herself before taking breath. "Okay. Well, I suppose we..." she looked at Zell as she echoed the words he'd told her the other day. "...should not stress over that which is beyond our control." Then she looked at herself James and forced a smile. "Clerics are really something."
Zell burst out laughing, his wide reach giving each of the twin MacKensie's a consolation-pat on the shoulder in tandem.
James smiled (the expression much more MacKensie-like than his usual grimace), seeing both of his friends interact always felt relaxing "Well, I don't know you guys but I think I could use lunch back at the inn, I have been slowly convincing Frederick to let me use the kitchen and I want to try my hand in making some food from back home if you are interested" MacKensie had only had an apple for breakfast, and it wasn't like Zell was ever going to say 'no' to the prospect of more food.
"I have never had Mexican cuisine before," MacKensie said, as excited as she was hungry now. "May I be your kitchen assistant?"
James started walking back to the Mended Drum, at a calm pace, with Zell and MacKensie on either flank. Despite everything that had happened the last days it felt good knowing he had good people to rely on. And the other two felt the same.
Bump.
"Ow."
Knock.
"Perhaps if I..."
Dink.
"Rrrrgh."
MacKensie Trydant moodily tried to rearrange the furniture in the tiny room so she had enough floor space to do her stretching exercises. Spolier alert: It would not help.
Creak. Scrape.
...a few moments later...
Thud.
"Sacre bleu! I give up!"
After donning the leggings and undershirt of her Ranger gear, she slipped on her shoes and she marched out of her room with a face like thunder. Thankfully she didn't bump into anyone. After waking up in a foul mood due to unpleasant dreams, only to be trolled by the deceptive dimensions of the rented room, it was probably for the best that she take a walk outside and get some early-morning air.
The empty streets and cooler air did in fact help. As she walked along, one elastic band between her teeth while another was used to tie up her hair, her eyes shifted left to the magical gauntlet on her forearm and narrowed with disdain. The gauntlet looked like the embodiment of her problems right now - the cause of her bad dreams the night before. But really it was bigger than the gauntlet. Nonetheless, she'd brought it with her this morning. To start the process of conquering it, and thereby conquering her fears and misgivings.
She was on her way to find a nice spot by the river where she could do her streches, but found herself checking out the trees lining the roadside of the avenue she walked along. One tree coming up, with sturdy looking limbs, finally got her approval and she'd built up enough courage to point and fire up at it.
The blue beam shot out, the grapplehook connected, and she flew... Get ready! Look where your hands are landing! Tuck your- "Waagh!"
She caught the tree branch all wrong, banged her chest and elbows, her legs flailing before she unceremoniously fell from the tree into the bush below. It took her a second to clamber out of the bushes, flustered from the pain and embarassment. First she checked the street to make sure no one saw her, then quickly brushed herself down.
This was going to take some work.
On the next street, she was forced to slow down and wait for the few citizens around to get about their business and disappear, before she ran at the side of single-floor building, jumped and wall-kicked herself straight up to catch the roof and pull herself up to her feet. Then she walked quickly along the very edge, testing her balance.
Be careful. Heel to toe. Arms adjusting to center of gravity.
She almost fell several times. Such a simple test. What has happened to me?
As the early hours progressed and the sun gave a little more light, the streets became busier and MacKensie's little experiments were no longer appropriate (if parkour in public spaces was ever appropriate, at all.) She found her way to riverside and ended up in a nice spot - a clean stretch of grassy riverbank behind a warehouse, out of sight of the main road. There she spent an hour stretching her muscles and focusing on her breathing in a somewhat meditative process. It was relaxing enough that her tension slowly dissipated and the heavy focus solely on inhaling and exhaling had quietened her mind of negativity.
A barge floated down the river past her, manned by a portly blue tiefling (she'd learned the name of that race yesterday.) "Good morning there!"
MacKensie was in the splits pose, reaching to grab her toes as she smiled and waved. "Good morning to you sir! How are you today?"
"Doing just fine and dandy, miss. Just come in from up west with our wares," he explained in a rather short summary as the barge was floating by and he was now moving away from her. "Hope the Bazaar's buzzing!"
"I hope so too! Good luck!" the volume on both of them was rising as the distance grew.
"Have a good day!"
"You too!"
MacKensie smiled to herself, glad to be rid of the dark cloud she'd woken up with. It would be back at some point, for certain, especially now that she was even more unconfident about her balance and agility. But she was determined not to be defeated. She just needed to figure out what had gone wrong. Until then, extreme caution would be required.
When she was finished, she went back to the Mended Drum, stopping by a fruit stall to purchase some apples. She bought seven and ate one on the way back to the inn. The rest were not for eating.
<Snipped quote by Zool>
If you want people kicked out for vacations I'll have to leave too, I've been on a few trips this year and am planning another one :P
You heard him @Xenon... get rid!
"And you're right about Fenna also. She was so brave yesterday. She could've ran from that wolf, but chose to charge at it anyway. Braver than I am."
"We were all extremely brave in that labyrinth," MacKensie said firmly, holding Adam's gaze. She would not abide any argument to that. If he was about to persist down this road of self-blame and self-pity, then the frenchwoman was ready to have the conversation she'd initially tried to avoid. But judging by her instinctive and immediate response just now, she knew it would be a bad idea. Fortunately, he said,
"and I hope you can see your family again also."
And she smiled, inhaling a sharp breath that she hoped he did not identify as relief. "I appreciate you saying so, Adam," she said. She didn't hold out much hope for herself. In spite of the vivid flash of a memory of her last seconds on that plane before the crash, she bobbed her head in gratitude. "I wish the same for you."
It hurt that she was forced to admit to herself that she was in no mental state to be a true friend to Adam and handle his confidence issues with the kind of care and kid-gloves he required. She would, right now, be too tough with him. Firm. Harsh maybe. And not because she didn't know how to be anything else. But because whatever words she had for him would be words for herself too. For her own confidence issues that were growing in her own mind. "We will find a way home. All of us. Even if I have to grapplehook us all the way across the universe," she added with a chuckle.
I am sorry, Adam. I am failing you.
When Zell arrived with their new recruit, MacKensie stood up from her seat to return Barracker's salute with a short curtsy. "How do you do?"
The four of them shared amiable conversation through to the evening and Barracker proved to be a very interesting person. He talked very formally and properly, which MacKensie liked very much. He was polite, very calm and measured, and not least of all, seemed like a quite capable addition to the party in terms of fighting ability. As James, Fenna and Lillianna returned, another table was dragged over to connect with the original, creating more room for chairs so anyone who wanted to could sit down. Overall, it was a nice and relaxing evening.
When Barracker took his leave, MacKensie decided to get up and follow him out of the building. "Barracker," she called as she got outside. She went up to him. "I just wanted to say again; thank you. For lending us your experience and skill. It might not seem it, but you've really turned up in our hour of need." She bowed her head slightly, then lightened the mood. "You are one of us now. I hope the world is ready," she smirked and arched a cocky eyebrow. "Sleep well."
Back indoors, she stayed for a little longer, finished her glass of mead then bid everyone that was still at the table goodnight. "Sleep well. See you tomorrow."
In bed, she was bothered by 'ifs' 'ands' and 'buts' for a while, but eventually sleep took her.
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