In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Sept 10, 2020 18:49:05 GMT -5
[attr="class","cupidchu"]
Power: 5
Durability: 19
Sensory: 8
Stamina: 22
Control: 20
Total: 74
Mana: 60 | 70
Regen: five ic | ten ooc
Spells and Perks
word count: 1203 | total words: 1203
Why? Why did this have to happen to her?
"Move. Move, please move! Faster! Faster!"
Had she upset someone? Something?
Rapidly approaching footsteps pursued the girl as she fled through this forest, growing ever so closer. There was no way her Golem, Gaia, would be able to outrun these... these monsters. It wasn't like she was dealing with deer or fish. Whatever these were, they saw her as some sort of enemy. She didn't even have a good look at them. But she recognized that feeling. That sensation of "They want to kill me".
It wasn't the same type of intimidation that had been introduced to her five years ago, but that feeling that caused every hair on her body to stand at edge, that sensation of the necessity to flee. Wolves and other carnivorous animals had approached her before, but simply summoning Gaia was enough. This wasn't the case this time. She was in serious trouble.
... How did she end up in this situation to begin with?
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After her encounter with Kreig, the former Reinsberg had set off from Hage. There was nothing really there that held her interest, and in her visit, there was no work that she could particularly help with. It was kind of depressing, in truth. She wanted to be useful. To be helpful. Her body as it was wasn't capable of any sort of hard labor. Even reinforcement magic couldn't do much for her due to that curse, and the curse had simply become apart of her body by this point; healing magic was incapable of doing anything. But that was okay. She still had her golems to aid her. She couldn't be of much use, but maybe her magic could be. There was solace to be found with that.
As for where she'd head next, she figured she'd visit Hapshass. She did want to show Suna that new spell, though... she wasn't sure if she'd even see the girl there. Suna was a bit of a traveler as well if memory served. There was nothing guaranteeing she'd see the girl again, even in this lifetime. The thought was incredibly depressing to Verena as she traversed the land, being carried by Gaia. Well, if she didn't run into her, it was no big deal. The Spell might have been registered in her grimoire, but it was still very much incomplete. At the end of the day, it wasn't a Spell Verena was particularly proud of. Still, due to the rarity of encountering the elven girl, it'd be a waste not to show the Spell, incomplete as it might have been.
With nothing further to do in Hage, the girl made her leave from the village, her destination taking her out of the Forsaken Realm. It was still a long way to go, but it wasn't especially daunting. She was a nomadic person. Because she had no one place to call home, she was quite familiar with the land of Clover, something that wouldn't be apparent at a glance. That was one of the few things she did take pride in about herself, she thought as she moved out of Hage.
The region was vast, but also poorly protected. Despite the fact, it was close to the border of one of the most dangerous countries to the north. Add bandits into the mix, grand mana zones, regular beasts, and mana beasts, the Forsaken Realm was arguably one of the most dangerous places to visit. Due to how far away from the capital it was, she knew it was unreasonable to expect more defenses in that area, and so the idea of dividing the Magic Knights into various regions wasn't a terrible idea. In fact, it might have realistically been the only option. Still, the idea of having to trust your lives in the Magic Knights was not an option Verena was particularly fond of, and she often found herself hoping that there were better options, even in times like these.
Still, as dangerous as it might have been, there was a certain beauty that couldn't be found in the Noble Realm. Perhaps, because of how far away it was from the business of the capital, nature, as it was intended to be, could thrive. She remained stationary in the palm of Gaia, watching the scenery pass her by with those bright red ruby eyes. If she was a normal person, she'd be walking at the same pace. But she couldn't walk for that long, and she was even slower than her golem. Gaia might have been slow, but it at least offered her the most protection. Plus, due it's size, it felt like she made more progress this way, anyways. There was more security traveling with Gaia. She was grateful to that man for teaching her this element all those years ago.
It'd be a few days before she'd reach the common realm at this pace, however. How frustrating...
Eventually, she made it into a clearing she recognized as part of the Common Realm. Hapshass wouldn't be too much further away at this point. All she had to do was stay on the trail and eventually she'd arrive in Hapshass in a few more days. It was as simple as that. She'd done this time and time again, so nothing should have to change... Right?
That wasn't the case. In the distance, she heard several roars and saw a pack of animals approaching her. But these weren't like standard animals. They seemed to be... on fire? They resembled tigers of a sort, but instead of their fur coats, they were ablaze. What on earth were mana beasts like these doing so far away from any... well, fire? Though she didn't have the luxury of really giving it much thought, as there were three in total all pursuing her right now, and they weren't going to wait on her. Frantically, the brunette opened her grimoire, using casting the same spell twice--Carbon Restraining Magic: Chains of the Past. It wouldn't completely immobilize them, but it'd give her a much needed head start. As it was, there was no way she could hope to outspeed them, and even if she was on a golem, the heat would definitely cause a problem. Not to mention, these could potentially even destroy Gaia. If her golem was to fall, she would unquestionably die here.
Her chains did manage to successfully catch her targets, but for now, all she could do was...
-------------------------------------------
"Run!" she pleaded to her unresponsive golem. She didn't have to scream, but she had no idea what else to do. Any moment now those chains would break as she got further and further away, desperately racing through a lightly forested area. Due to the nature of these beasts, they wouldn't start a forest fire, but they would likely cause things to simply be burned. "Help!" she frantically called out. "Anyone! Please, help! Mana beasts!" What were the odds of anyone hearing her plight here? Was she really all alone? What other choice did she have though? She didn't want to die, especially not like this. There was so much more she wanted to learn...
...She wasn't going to die, right?
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Suna hummed softly underneath her breath as she travelled leisurely through the forest. The blue-haired elf had finally made the move from the Witches’ Forest into Clover Kingdom. So much had happened the past few months, but at the end of it all, it had convinced her that she needed to leave the Forest. It had not been an easy or smooth process, but thanks to some of her new friends and allies who encouraged her, she took the step to leave her past behind and move on with a fresh new start.
That new beginning meant a new home, and she found one in a little town in the Common Region. It was not one of the major towns of the area, but she preferred the obscurity. The small and unassuming community fit her just right, and its ambiguity would help her hide from any potential troubles from the Forest. It was unlikely that any of the witches would come after the fugitive, but she has made every precaution, just in case.
Then, elven ears caught wind of...a cry? And there was a smell, too. Like something was burning. "Oh no..." She breathed. The elf was already on the move, running as fast as she could towards the direction where she heard the sound. Her training with the fastest mage in Clover Kingdom sure came in handy now. Not that it made her any faster, but her endurance has drastically improved the last few months. The vice captain had pushed her beyond her limits, and she was deeply grateful for it. Even more now, as she pressed deeper into the forest.
Suna looked up, panting lightly. She could see wisps of smoke up ahead. If there was anything she was afraid of, it was a forest fire. "Please no, please no…." She chanted underneath her breath. Back in the Forest, fire was the one thing that united all witches together. Regardless of what each other’s feelings might be for the other, they were one unit when it came to fighting a common enemy. All forest-dwellers knew how drastic fire was to their home, and she was no different.
As she neared where the commotion was, she heard the cry again, though this time more clearly. The voice sounded...familiar? She caught the words ‘mana beasts’ and that was all she needed. She hummed a certain pitch, and her harp materialized in front of her. Then she burst into the scene, and caught sight of a girl on top of her golem, and the mana beasts that were chasing after them. Her eyes flew wide. Wait, was that...
Before she could confirm her suspicion, one of the mana beasts caught sight of her and was rushing towards her now. She could see the flames that came from it, scorching and burning the bushes where its breath touched. Ritenuto flowed from her harp, blue sound magic flowing towards the attackers like an ocean tide. Upon contact, it slowed them down, like they were now wading through knee-deep mud. However, the one charging towards her was not giving up, and it continued to thrash its way towards the blue-haired elf.
Suna bit down on her lip and changed tactics. Slender fingers plucked a singular, sharp Accent note, and a V-shaped projectile formed in front of her. At her command, it launched towards her attacker. It hit the creature straight between its eyes, effectively knocking it out. She watched it crumble to the ground. It was down—for now. But there was more than one.
The elf whipped her head towards the girl and golem. "Verena!" She cried. It was her. Her fellow book-loving friend. What was the shy, soft-spoken girl doing all the way out here? And what did she do to attract the fury of this pack of mana beasts? Suna ran towards them, hoping to catch up to them. One of the creatures was closing in on them, and once again, she played an accented note, launching another projectile at the ugly creature. She sucked in a breath as it hit its side, but it was not enough. It only threw the beast off for a split second, but it was determined and bent on reaching its target. The creature was closing in on them, and Suna would not be able to reach them in time.
"Verena!" She cried out again. If the other female mage would allow it, an aura ring would form around one of her fingers, her Crescendo spell. "Throw the ring at it!" She could only hope the girl could hear her. Whether she chose to follow through was up to her, but if she did throw it at the mana beast, the ring would explode upon contact, dealing enough damage to kill it, or at least enough to knock it out.
Then Suna tripped. Just in time, the elf managed to twist her body so she would fall to her side, saving her instrument from being crushed. Magical or not, it was still capable of being damaged. Her restraining spell from earlier had stopped, the music stopping due to her fall. Now the creatures were released from their magic bindings, and they were able to move around at their usual speed again. Her fall had attracted the attention of yet another mana beast. Just how many were there? She looked up to see one leap up towards her.
Oh no...
Notes & Stuff
> Cast Ritenuto, -20 mana > Cast Accent, -10 mana > Cast Crescendo, -20 mana > Vampiric Magic on two INT mana beasts, +20 mana > Quick Charger & IC Regen, +25 mana
Elemental Type: Sound Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Restraining Range & Speed: 20m | 20m/s (AoE) Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: -5 m/s, -5 mana regen Applicable Perks: Tightly Bound, Vampiric Magic Description: As Suna plays a slow melody, her sound magic would flow from the instrument like a stream that 'floods' a circular area. Upon contact with the targets, it spreads upward to bind and slow movement speed by -5 m/s. This AoE spell affects 1 + (Control/10) targets before the speed debuff starts to weaken, and Tightly Bound deals junior damage to all those caught in the debuff. Vampiric Magic siphons 5 mana (+5 mana per target's rank above junior) from the two targets of Suna's choosing. Restraining magic naturally cuts their targets’ allotted spell usages by half and also interrupts mana regen by -5. These restraints will dissolve if dealt damage equal or above the spell's rank.
This restraining spell is not limited to which instrument she uses, as the technique is the same.
[Optional] Summoning An Instrument: If Suna does not already have an instrument on hand, she may summon her harp by humming a C (262hz). Her harp is 33"x19"x6" / 83x48x15cm.
Elemental Type: Sound Rank & Spell Type: Junior | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 25m | 10m/s (AoE) Mana Cost: 10 | 5 Stats Effected: +2 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator Description: As Suna plays accented notes on her instrument, her sound magic forms a 1m by 1.5m musical accent, a V-shaped projectile that may be launched at the target of her choice, dealing junior rank damage upon impact. Following ammo rules, she may form another projectile for every 10 Control she has, as long as the spell is sustained.
[Optional] Summoning An Instrument: If Suna does not already have an instrument on hand, she may summon her harp by humming a C (262hz). Her harp is 33"x19"x6" / 83x48x15cm.
Elemental Type: Pure Aura Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40 | 20 m/s Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator Description: Suna shapes her pure aura into a silver topaz-set ring that may be worn by herself or the target of choice, increasing the wearer's power stat by +4. If the ring is thrown at an enemy, it will burst in a singular aura explosion and deal intermediate damage to its target. Additional targets are buffed with +2 Power. Apex Predator gives an additional +3 Power stack-able buff caps after 5 attacks or +15. Buffed allies must stay within the spell's range, otherwise the ring will dissipate.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Sept 16, 2020 6:30:12 GMT -5
[attr="class","cupidchu"]
Power: 5
Durability: 19
Sensory: 8
Stamina: 22
Control: 20
Total: 74
Mana: 50 | 70
Regen: five ic | ten ooc
Spells and Perks
word count: 991 | total words: 2194
In the distance, a person? Then maybe after all she was saved! She hated having to drag others into her mess, but she also didn't want to die. There was little choice. She'd just have to make it up to whoever this was after this was said and done. That, or they'd both die.
...
She really needed to be more positive.
However, she wasn't the only one who saw the person. "O-One of them's coming after you!" she shouted. "Run!"
She said this, but in her heart, she knew she didn't mean it. Verena would likely die if that was to happen, and she didn't want to die. She really, truly didn't want to die. She yelled that instinctively, without really thinking of what she was saying. At the end of the day, she didn't want to die, but she didn't want someone else's blood on her hands because of her own innate weakness, either. That would be...
Verena was grateful for the way her restraining Spell worked. There was no possible way she'd have made it this far without the assistance of her golem. Even if she was fast, there was no way she could have outran mana beasts. There was no humanly way that would have been possible. It was able to keep them on a leash long enough for her to break away from the pack. Even despite that, they managed to catch up relatively quickly, and she needed to break away. There was the possibility that she could use her golem to fend them off, but she had so little experience in doing combat that it seemed riskier than not.
Though Verena was wearing glasses, they were mostly for reading. Her eyesight was otherwise fine, and so as she drew closer, she could make out the figure a bit more closely. They were using a Sound-based spell from a... harp... that aimed to hamper the mana beasts mobility...
She had long, blue hair and soft skin. That was unquestionably Suna! What was she doing here? "S-Suna!" Verena called out. "Get out of here! Please!"
It was one thing if it was a stranger. But she absolutely did not want anything bad to happen to Suna. They had only met once, sure. It wasn't as if they were best friends for life. She knew that. Even still... Suna was someone who was a genuine person. It was just mana beasts, but they were abnormally ferocious, and far from home. If that was the case, then...
Suna called out to Verena, recognizing her. In this one moment, there was something about that that gave her solace, but it didn't distract from the issue at hand. The reality was quite simple; these mana beasts were a threat to both of their safety. Suna had taken immediate action, but Verena had just been running. And then...
One of the mana beasts was now dangerously close to her now. Suna realized the danger and called out to her. Verena realized a ring of some sort appeared around her finger, and though she couldn't make Suna out amidst the chaos, she did at least her say "throw". She was fairly smart enough to put two and two together. As she looked at the mana beast that approached her, she tossed the ring at the now leaping flaming tiger-like animal. The resulting explosion likely would have caused Verena to fall from her golem and land on the ground. However, she was smart enough to expect some sort of shockwave; the moment the ring was about to pass through it's fingers, it's fingers clenched together, and it's hand folded up, creating a sort of shield.
...Of course, it wasn't as if Verena was completely unaffected. The shockwave did send her reeling a bit within her golem's palm. It was large enough to carry her, but it wasn't as if it was spacious. Not to mention, due to the material it was uncomfortable, even if she'd grown used to it.
However, before Gaia had shielded her... Verena saw it. She had seen Suna trip, roughly eight meters from where she was at now, with the third mana beast in pursuit of the fallen Suna. There was no time for her to get close to her and save her. It was too far away. But she refused to let anything bad happen to Suna. And that was precisely why...
It was loud. It was painful. It wasn't deafening by any stretch, but it was certainly enough to be of great annoyance. Especially to a creature that likely had much better hearing. The creature turned it's attention before it lept to a "three-headed" creature that had simply manifested, the right head having its mouth wide open to emit this sound. The heads resembled busts from statues, with details of the face too vague to really make out, placed on top of a quadruped's body. It seemed every action that it took caused a weird sort of dispersion effect but regained its sense of self, as if it could disappear at any moment.
The beast was ready to strike at this bizarre creation at any moment when it was abruptly smacked down right into the ground at full force-- a third golem had appeared, a second Gaia. Taking advantage of the distraction created by the bizarre creation, it brought down the hammer that was it's head dead center into the back of the creature with enough force to immobilize it. However, as a precautionary measure, it was ordered to remain, making it impossible for this beast to get up.
Verena's Sound golem was subject to the assault of the mana beasts, however, all it took was one hit before it simply faded away. It was, after all, still in an incomplete state. With that one dealt with, the one that pinned down an otherwise seriously injured mana beast became next on their attack list due to it's close proximity. Notes: man do i hope i read this right @mana beasts and how many there are lol.
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The voice had called out, something about one coming after her and telling her to run away. Like she was going to do that, leaving a defenseless person out there to fend for themselves. Besides, the fire and smoke was no joke to the forest-loving elf. Of course, she had no idea that the mana beasts were not capable of actually burning the place down, but fire was one element that always caught her attention. She was extremely concerned and worried that the forest might possibly burn; these woods were close to her house, and she was not about to let it burn out of control. Not if she could do something about it.
"S-Suna! Get out of here! Please!"
She recognized her. Suna breathed a sigh of relief. For a second there, she was afraid that she had somehow mistaken the female for someone else. Thank goodness that was not the case. But there were more pressing issues to address now. She watched as Verena threw the ring at the mana beast, and as she did so, the golem’s fingers closed around itself to form some sort of barrier, shielding her from the explosion from her aura ring. Smart.
The explosion did its job, effectively wiping out that fiery feline. But then she tripped, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Another one of those tiger-like creatures was running towards her, its flaming pelt glowing and its beastly eyes dark with malicious intent. It was almost on to her, and the elf could only throw her arms around her head, bracing herself for the gaping jaws that could surely snap her in half...if she was not scorched to death first.
Then that sound.
An A-flat.
Suna blinked at the sudden sound, not comprehending. But seeing how her pursuer was now attacking the new golem—which had seemingly came out of nowhere and was unlike anything she has ever seen before—she took advantage of its diversion to roll out of the way and get back up on her feet. Verena had provided an opening, and she took it to get out of harm’s way.
Another golem had appeared on the field, one that looked like the one Verena was riding on, and it had one mana beast pinned down. She now ran towards the last two beasts who were now attacking the golem that first emitted the sound. Somehow, her element called her to it, and she sensed that it was made out of sound. It all clicked in her mind, but she did not dwell on it. First, she had to deal with the danger at hand.
Immediately, she adjusted her harp around her, preparing to unleash Tremolo. Blue aura formed into a circular dome around the crumbling sound golem and the two remaining beasts. Just as the sound golem seemingly broke, her semi-transparent aura dome was completed, and she released her sound magic into the confirmed area. The two tiger-like creatures were just about to attack the other golem that had their comrade pinned down, but was caught in the circular prison. Their movement speed was hampered, and the ricocheting sound dealt continuous damage to them. For Suna and those outside the dome, all was quiet, save for a few muffled cries from the dying creatures.
The elf did not stop her spell until she was absolutely sure the targets caught inside the field were dead. Only then did she stop the ricocheting sound waves, and slowly make the aura dome dissolve. Yes, they were dead. A few moments later, their bodies faded away into a sprinkling of mana, which a light breeze blew away, no trace that they were ever there.
Suna quickly ran over to where she assumed the summoner mage and her golem was, hoping she was still okay. "Verena! Are you okay?" She looked over at the golem that she assumed still had the last feline pinned down with its hammer-like head. "Oh, right, there’s still one more over here." She formed another Crescendo ring on the palm of her hand, but did not throw it. Yet.
Instead, she turned to the girl, assuming she was still there. "Verena! You can have your golem hit it! With its arms!" She made a motion like she was crushing something between her hands. She was sure that the hits would definitely kill the creature—she just did not know if the girl would actually do it. From what she knew, the gentle soul would probably not want to kill it, but then again, the beasts were the ones attacking her in the first place.
"They would have hurt you. It’s either us or them." Her voice was softer now, as if to persuade her. "We can’t let them burn down the forest. Or hurt more innocent people." Whatever Verena decided to do was up to her, but the elf was ready to throw the ring at the feline creature in case it somehow wiggled free from its current situation.
Notes & Stuff
Summary: Suna killed the two mana beasts that attacked the sound golem, ready to kill the last one with her ring if Verena does not kill it first
- Sustained Crescendo, -10 mana - Cast Tremolo, -20 mana - Vampiric Magic on one INT mana beast, +10 mana - Quick Charger & IC Regen, +25 mana
Elemental Type: Pure Aura Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40 | 20 m/s Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator Description: Suna shapes her pure aura into a silver topaz-set ring that may be worn by herself or the target of choice, increasing the wearer's power stat by +4. If the ring is thrown at an enemy, it will burst in a singular aura explosion and deal intermediate damage to its target. Additional targets are buffed with +2 Power. Apex Predator gives an additional +3 Power stack-able buff caps after 5 attacks or +15. Buffed allies must stay within the spell's range, otherwise the ring will dissipate.
Elemental Type: Sound & Pure Aura Rank & Spell Type: Attack Creation & Restraining Range & Speed: 20 | 20 m/s (AoE) Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator, Tightly Bound Description: Suna shapes her aura to form a 20m circular dome in a specified area and releases her sound magic within it. As her sound ricochets within the confined area, those caught in the spell will suffer intermediate damage by the bouncing sound waves and will have their speed debuffed by -5 m/s, while she is buffed by +4 Power. This AoE spell may follow the specified target. Restraining magic naturally cuts its targets’ allotted spell usages by half. Following ammo rules, she may form another dome for every 30 Control she has, as long as the spell is sustained.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Sept 17, 2020 6:09:44 GMT -5
[attr="class","cupidchu"]
Power: 5
Durability: 19
Sensory: 8
Stamina: 22
Control: 20
Total: 74
Mana: 50 | 70
Regen: five ic | ten ooc
Spells and Perks
word count: 812 | total words: 3006
The combination of the Muses and Gaia had given Suna enough of a chance to recuperate from tripping. She'd opened the palm of her golem now to assess the situation, previously shielded from the chaos that she had brought with her from her view up top. Suna was back on her feet. Gaia's superior weight, combined with the impact of the blow was keeping the mana beast immobilized, which meant there were two more left to deal with. Verena glanced over to Muses, and the mana beasts that were approaching it. There was nothing she could do for her creation, sad as it made her. She was glad that this one had been made as a non-humanoid. It would have torn at her, even if just a bit.
But before her construct was completely eliminated from this plane, Verena noticed a new Spell being utilized by her blue-haired ally. She watched as the a dome appeared, entrapping two of the beasts in a dome. She watched with curiosity, but also a little bit of sorrow. She'd been thinking on it this entire time. Why these mana beasts would have been in this area. There was nothing about this environment that was suitable for them. Not to mention, they were unreasonably violent. Perhaps that was just instinctive for mana beasts, but the brunette was pretty sure that wasn't the case. Mana or not, there were still far more hospitable environments for these creatures to exist in. A forest was not one of them.
Within their dome-shaped confines, the two mana beasts' lives came to an end, dispersing as a result of the number of strikes they took kept accumulating over and over. It was a little scary to Verena. It was a cage for them that only resulted in their removal from this plane of existence. Even if more would eventually come, it wouldn't be the same. The experiences up until this point were rendered moot.
Still, she pondered... did that matter if these beasts lacked any sort of consciousness to begin with? Or perhaps they did. Mana was a very complicated thing to begin with, and though she was an avid researcher when it came to golems, she was by no means the authority. There were plenty of better people suited to that task than she herself was, anyways.
Suna called out to her as she remained in the palm of her earth golem. She knew what she was saying. She could hear her from this distance, especially now that the chaos had died down. Her crimson eyes fell from Suna's gaze. She couldn't bring herself to look Suna in the eyes right now. She heard her clear as day. And she knew the truth in her words.
As they were, they were too dangerous. Other people would get hurt. They hadn't demonstrated any ability to spread the fire, but if they could catch something ablaze, this entire region could be at risk. The dangers these beasts possessed could not be ignored. And that was why...
Verena let a soft sigh escape her lips. "...Forward," she audibly commanded to her golem that was carrying her, stopping just in front of the restrained creature.
"Kneel. Lower."
The golem fell to a single knee, as it lowered the hand that the sitting Verena was contained in. She stood back up to her feet, hesitantly as she removed herself from the confines of her favorite golem. The timid girl approached the beast, getting down on both knees. She was dangerously close to the creature, but her faith in this situation was showing.
Her eyes of crimson met the glowing red inferno that made up the pinned down the beast. "...Poor creature," she said quietly, her voice somber, keeping quiet enough to try not to let Suna hear her conversation. "...You lost your home, didn't you? You have nowhere to go. And we hurt your friends..."
"...You're all alone in the world now... That's why it pains me to have to do this. I'm also alone... but I can't let you hurt others... So, I'm sorry, but... you have to leave now."
Verena stood back to her feet, taking a few steps backward. "Gaia, stand. Forward."
The same golem that served had knelt down to let Verena give some comforting words to this creature in it's final moments stood back to its impressive twelve-foot frame. While the mana beast was restrained, the other golem took a single step forward, it's massive frame right on the head of the mana beast, crushing it with little resistance. From under it's foot, the mana dispersed, floating into the air as Verena watched with a frown.
Slowly, she turned to Suna. "...Please don't make me choose if you were going to take it's life regardless," Verena weakly said. "...but you were right. It was too risky to let it be."
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Suna watched the girl’s expressions carefully. There was a mix of emotions that seemed to cross the brunette’s face, and she even came out of her golem’s protection to talk to the creature. The elf had not heard the conversation, but had an inkling of what it probably consisted of. Still, she turned her face away, letting the golem master deal with things her own way.
Then she heard a crunching noise as Verena commanded her golem to step on the tiger-like beast, instantly ending its life. She let out a small sigh of relief, thankful that the immediate threat was removed and the forest was saved from burning. She would have said something about its impressive power, if she had not caught that look on the other’s face. It was as if the girl was in remorse, almost sorrowful. The following words also confirmed it.
"I...I..." She was at loss for words. She caught the implications in the other girl’s words and tone, and could not help but feel sorry that she was the one who exposed her to such an experience. Definitely not something she would have wished to do, but necessity called for appropriate measures.
"You’re right… I-I’m sorry for putting you through it..." She said softly. "I’ll take care of it next time." She said softly. The sound mage could not meet the other girl’s eyes, if she was even looking at her. However, she could not have thought of any other way, besides killing all the mana beasts herself. Would that have softened the guilt a little? Probably not, as either way, her gentle friend would still have to face it.
The blue-haired elf tilted her head, a sympathetic look in her eyes. It was understandable, the way the other girl felt. Suna had felt terrible when she killed her first mana beast. Guilty, even. She spent the remainder of the day crying in secret. But it was all a part of life. Or, was she becoming colder? She still had a conscience, and would never kill anything if it was not attacking her in the first place. She had been killing a lot of abominable creatures lately, though out of necessity—perhaps she really was becoming numb to it, and that frightened her a little. But there really was not anything much she could say to that, so she let it stand at that.
Suna stood there, unsure of what to do next. "Erm..." She rubbed a hand on her arm. "Do you...do you need some time...by yourself?" She said, a little awkwardly. In most cases, she usually had a good idea of how to deal with the situation. But this? She had just run into a good friend, which should have been a joyous thing. Yet, circumstances have subjected the other to a horribly painful experience, with Suna playing a part in it. There was nothing cheerful in that, and any elation that she might have felt upon meeting up with Verena was now translated to a grave and sorry atmosphere.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Sept 19, 2020 17:17:40 GMT -5
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❝We are all broken.❞
[attr="class","verenascroll"]It wasn't that Verena blamed Suna. Either way, one of them had to deal with the mana beasts. Without question, it'd have been seriously injured by the initial strike from Gaia, but the anatomy of a mana beast was still very much different from the anatomy of an actual beast. It'd be able to heal much easier, and much quicker than a regular one. At which point, someone else could just as easily fall victim. Without her golems, Verena was useless. She'd have very well been a corpse as a result of the curse imposed on her five years ago.[break][break]
"...It's okay, Suna," Verena said after a period of what must have felt like an eternity of silence between the two girls. "... As I said, I agreed it had to be dealt with. It... would have been preferable if I wasn't asked, but... the fact that I did it should be a sign I wasn't entirely against the idea, either. This was the same mana beast that almost hurt you, so... I was a little mad at it, anyway..."[break][break]
"Besides, I do hunt for my food. Deer, rabbits, fish... so on, and so forth. It's not like I haven't had to take a life before..." she said. Her tone was encouraging. "Since I don't call anywhere home, there were some morals that I had to sacrifice to survive after all..."[break][break]
Verena took a moment to collect herself. She wasn't the type of person who enjoyed hunting, after all. She just had to. The thought that she had to resort to it was enough to cause her to feel immense guilt. They were just trying to live out their lives. But then again, she was too. The vicious cycle of what it meant to survive. The crimson eyed girl offered her blue-haired friend a smile--weak as it might have been, to try to encourage her.[break][break]
As long as Suna understood Verena's position and wouldn't do it again, then there'd be no issue. These were extraordinary circumstances, so she couldn't really fault Suna in this instance. Either way, the beast had to be taken care of.
Suna continued rubbing her arm awkwardly. It had to be done, yet why did she feel so guilty? It was like she had just tainted an innocent child to the dark ways of the world. But then Verena was speaking, and she was trying to...comfort and encourage her? Or that was the impression the elf got. Strange as to how the tables have turned.
"Ah, okay..." It was also reassuring to know that Verena was concerned about her safety as well. It was a sign of growing friendship. After the girl explained how she had to hunt for food and the like, it made Suna feel a little bit better. At least she was not to blame for being the first person to encourage her killing an animal. Hopefully she was not giving off the impression that she was a cold, bloodthirsty killer. Like Verena, she had to hunt small animals for food from an early age, but that did not mean she enjoyed taking lives. It was only out of necessity, or if they threatened immediate harm.
"You don’t have a home?" The blue-haired woman was momentarily taken aback, although she should have known it from the start. She did not know all the details of Verena’s past, nor of her background, but she could guess that she was not in contact with any of her family. Why, she had no idea, but the golem user did not look like she had any kind of support from her community. That spurred an idea.
"Oh, do you need a place to stay?" Suna offered, her hands outstretched. "I just recently moved, and my new house has some extra space if you ever need somewhere to stay for the night...or more than a night, if you need it." Then she added quickly, lest the girl got the wrong idea. "I mean, if you want. Not to say that you look like you need it or anything, but..."
She wanted to slap herself. More than likely, she was probably succeeding in giving the impression that Verena was homeless, while she did not mean anything of that sort. "...but yeah." She finished lamely, her face tinged pink with embarrassment. She really needed to find better word choices next time. But then she remembered something, and her face brightened.
"Since I just recently moved, I haven’t gotten the chance to organize my book collection. Maybe you can give me some ideas on how to organize and catalog them all?" She smiled sheepishly. "I have a bad habit of collecting old volumes, and especially music books. Do you want to come over and see them?" At least they had a common ground they could talk about and bond over. "Might be a bit of a mess, though." She warned, but her countenance had lightened up considerably.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Sept 21, 2020 18:43:12 GMT -5
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❝We are all broken.❞
[attr="class","verenascroll"]Verena wasn't quite sure about what she should say. There was an awkward air that hung between the two for a while. While she didn't blame Suna, she also wanted to set a boundary--a line in the sand, for the future. No doubt in the chaos of the moment, her blue-haired friend had been consumed. It was really chaotic and a mess. Neither of them could have seen it coming. But even still, Verena saw no reason to take the life of something or someone if another was going to do it, regardless. To her, it was an act akin to handing someone a sword, then gradually pushing them into a helpless prisoner. It was a position she was very uncomfortable being in.[break][break]
The heir to a disgraced family nodded her head to Suna's question. "...After my fifteenth birthday, um... things happened, and I ran away." she admitted.[break][break]
Given the moment, she didn't want to make things more awkward, but she didn't feel comfortable saying "yes" without giving a reason, as if afraid that it'd look bad on her. She didn't want to be pitied for that or anything like that. In truth, she didn't want to be pitied at all, but the fact of the matter was she knew by this point in her life, it was probably inevitable with how she carried herself. Still, the fact she didn't like it... it must have been what some called the stubborn pride of the nobles. Useless and helpless as she was, she couldn't shake her birth and upbringing. How absolutely pathetic.[break][break]
So it was only natural she had a mixed reaction within herself as she thought about Suna's proposal. She didn't accept right away, because she had done just fine by herself at this point. However, she also hated hunting, and it wasn't exactly comfortable having to camp out as much as she did. Not to mention, there weren't really any homes in this general area... It was still aways to the next town over.[break][break]
"...If I happen to be passing by, and it's growing dark, would that be acceptable, too?" she inquired. She wasn't going to turn down the offer when it was asked in good faith.[break][break]
Verena looked up towards the sun, as it began setting. She could probably make it to the next town before it got dark, albeit just barely. But in truth, the incident with those mana beasts had gotten her all worked up, and she was still a little nervous. Going immediately back traveling when another option had been given to her just seemed silly. And so...[break][break]
"...Tonight should be fine. I don't think I should stay multiple nights. I can't be of much help with housework, but I can offer assistance with my golems for wood, and I can help organize things that aren't heavy. Even I should be able to help you organize and tidy things up. That's my condition for letting me stay. Let me be useful so it's not complete charity."
Suna bit down on her lower lip. That young? To think that this golem user had left the shelter of her family at such a tender age, without any support for all these years… Well, the elf also had a similar experience, though she had gotten used to it since that was all she knew. The separation from her witch community had only intensified after she received her grimoire at fifteen. But unlike the other mage, she never really had a connection with her community to begin with, so the loss did not seem as bad.
"...If I happen to be passing by, and it's growing dark, would that be acceptable, too?"
"Always!" She offered a small smile. "For safety reasons, I mean. It would be dangerous for anyone to be out by themselves after sundown, especially with all the beasts that are out and about at night." She nodded, though more for emphasis. "And yes yes, of course," Suna held her hands up, as if in surrender. "I need the help, and you could use a place to stay. That makes us even."
She could understand the girl’s hesitance, as she would not want to encroach on someone’s good graces, not if she could pay it back somehow. Besides, she would not be offering like she was extending charity...which she was not. "Thank you, your golems would be helpful in gathering wood. My place is not too far, only a short walk from here."
Assuming Verena would follow her, the sound mage would turn and start walking towards the direction of her place. After about ten minutes of travel, the duo would near a little cottage-like house located on the outskirts of an unnamed town. The sun was starting its descent down to the horizon, and darkness would soon settle in. On the outside, it still looked a little run down and abandoned, but Suna planned to plant some bushes and maybe a hedge around its perimeters once she finished fixing up the interior.
The blue-haired elf ran up ahead to unlock the door, and held it open for her guest to enter. "Welcome, come on in." Once they crossed the threshold, her visitor would be able to see that there were two main rooms. The front one was the general living area, with a table and a few chairs near the middle of the room, and the kitchen off to the left side. The right side of the room led to the back part of the house, where her mini library and bedroom was located. There were boxes on the floor near where she planned the library to be, but for now, there were only empty shelves.
"Excuse the barrenness of the rooms right now." She apologized, and waved a hand at the chairs. "Want to sit down for a bit first? Need some water? Or maybe a snack?"
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Oct 2, 2020 15:40:03 GMT -5
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[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"] Verena couldn't help but smile, though she did fidget a bit. She was grateful for the offer, but it still felt like she was intruding even with the offer. Likely that cursed Noble blood. She couldn't just accept an offer like this in it's generosity. Five years after the fact, and she still couldn't shake some aspects of her upbringing. There was apart of the Reinsberg that wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She'd likely have been killed if it wasn't for Suna, and she was also offering her shelter. Not to mention, she still hadn't been able to repay her back for taking the time to teach her how to use sound magic.[break][break]
As Suna explained why she was okay with it, Verena did see the logic in it. In the opposite scenario, she'd be doing the same for the exact same reason. Her neck turned upward, thinking on her friend's logic, facing the sky dyed in various darker shades of red and orange. Would she be able to make a request to ask someone to work? It wasn't that she blamed Suna; it was only right. But she wasn't sure if she had the self-confidence to do something as basic as not be taken advantage of.[break][break]
Still, Verena was grateful when Suna hadn't just "agreed" to her terms, but rather encouraged it. As long as she wasn't being dead weight, then she was happy. She was very glad that the elf understood where she was coming from. At least then, she would earn the right to be there when she stopped by. It wouldn't be fair otherwise, and she was glad Suna was giving her that chance, despite her limited ability to work to begin with.[break][break]
Her blue-eyed friend lead her towards a cottage. During this time, Verena still trailed behind, dismissing her Earth Golem as well to avoid causing any damage as they ventured into the forest. Suna likely realized how much of a struggle it was for the girl, however. She was slow. Very slow. She'd seen it before when they went out of the town to train, but Verena struggled to keep up, despite her best efforts. Even for a mage, her mobility seemed severely limited.[break][break]
It was just ten minutes, so Verena thankfully did not need to catch her breath. Her eyes met the cottage, and she immediately fell in love with it. The quaint stonework with delicate tiling for the roof. The decks, patio. It still needed some work, and while that might have been beyond her, she was confident that with time, she could create a golem to help out if it was still necessary. There was a certain charm to it, despite its run-down nature. Or perhaps Verena just saw the potential within its charm.[break][break]
Suna let the girl in, and Verena looked around. It was, as she mentioned pretty bare. She must have only just recently arrived. It was also unlikely that she herself built this; most likely it was just abandoned by someone previously here who had built it. The former noble questioned if it made her friend a little uneasy, though didn't vocalize her curiosity. There was no real reason to, all things considered. Suna at least seemed quite at ease here.
"...Rest would be preferable before starting if I'm to be honest. Water is fine. I ate just a little bit ago. I'm a bit thirsty, especially being so close to those fire mana beasts," Verena said. She wondered if she should help, but between everything that had happened, she really needed a moment to collect herself, despite her best to try prim and proper.
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COMBAT SUMMARY
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[attr="class","verenaver2scroll2"] TL;DR Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. [break][break]
Suna had walked slowly, remembering how Verena seemed to have a hard time getting around last time. Or maybe not hard, just slow. Regardless of why it was, the elf did not mind a leisurely walk back home. Luckily, the path through the forest to her house did not have too many ups and downs, nor did it have lots of obstacles in the way. As they arrived at her house and entered, the elf went around to light up several of the lamps around the room. Dusk was rapidly falling, and from the outside, the little cottage was bathed in a warm and homey glow.
"Of course." Suna nodded and walked over to the cupboards to grab a glass. She filled it up with water and brought it over to the table. "Sit, sit." She urged, if Verena had not already sat down. "I’m also going to make some tea, if you want some." The elf went over to the stove and lit the wood underneath it with a match. Once the fire was going, she filled up the kettle with water and readied it for boiling. Then she went back to the table and slid a chair out for herself.
"So, how did the fire mana beasts start chasing you in the first place?" Suna propped an elbow on the table and leaned her head against her hand. "I’m sure it was not because you angered them or anything...right?" If anything, Verena looked to be the type who would help those mana beasts. Which made it very strange how she could have done anything to warrant a chase by those creatures.
But then again, those wild mana beasts have been attacking more often than usual, growing bolder in their attacks against people. Why, just the other day, she had been attacked again, out of nowhere. There was also another incident that she and her man had come across a strange anti-magic snake and a boar-man. There was something strange going on, something unnatural. But for now, she just needed to ensure the safety and comfort of her guest.
"I haven’t moved in for long, as you can see." She waved a hand at the room. "This house was abandoned for the most part, so it was fairly cheap when I bought it." She explained. "It’s not that big, but it’s nice and not too close to town. The only places I’ve fixed up a bit is this front room and my bedroom. I think my favorite part is the tree that is growing in the back room. When I saw it, it reminded me so much of home, I knew it was the right house for me. I will give you a mini tour later and show you where you can sleep for the night. The library is also in the back room."
Then the kettle started singing. "A moment." She skipped over and gathered the tea leaves, a strainer bag, and a teapot from the cupboard. After throwing in a few leaves in the strainer bag, she dropped it into the teapot and poured in the hot water. "It’s green tea, by the way." Whether Verena would want some hot tea was up to her, but Suna laid out two cups just in case she wanted some.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Oct 7, 2020 13:05:44 GMT -5
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[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"] When encouraged to sit, Verena took a look around the space. It was indeed relatively barren, but it at least had some furniture around. It didn't look especially comfortable though, but then again she was comparing it to that house. She always subconsciously did that. Even though she normally sat upon what amounted to actual rock, actual chairs were leagues better. She was definitely going to need a comfier method of transportation in time. Perhaps she should consider working on her Carbon Golem at some point. There was probably ways to soften up the palm when holding her.[break][break]
Verena found herself taking a seat on one of the chairs in the front room. It was at least leagues better than Gaia's palm. "Tea sounds lovely," Verena said, her voice a bit more audible than usual.[break][break]
The Reinsberg was usually quite a bit timid, but it seemed she was a little relaxed now, despite the earlier situation the two girls found themselves in. She still glanced out past a window, as if expecting something bad to happen, but otherwise was fine. She watched as her the elven girl went into the kitchen for a moment to prepare the tea, letting Verena's mind wander for just a bit. She herself had never made tea, though mostly because she simply didn't have the means to. Usually, when she was subject to someone else's hospitality, they were the ones to do so. However, she had watched a few times, so she knew how. This wasn't a two-person task, however.[break][break]
Suna came back in, eager to learn what had happened to her. Verena put her right hand to her cheek, head tilted so slightly. Why did they attack, to begin with? All she had was a theory, but nothing she was really sure about. "I can't say for sure. I was on my way to Haphass again, when I heard their roars and they started chasing me. If I was to guess, they're native to the Volcanic Grand Mana zone, due to the abundance of fire mana in that area. I'm guessing something must have happened that caused them to flee. Even then, to be so far from home..."[break][break]
Verena let out a sigh. "I really have no idea, I'm sorry..."[break][break]
There was a momentary pause, and it seemed like Suna tried changing the topic to cheer up her friend as she explained the reason for the state of things. Verena glanced around when she waved her hand. "It has a lot of character," Verena said, agreeing with her. "When it gets fixed up, I'm sure it'll be a lovely home. It already has a sort of charm to it."
Suna mentioned that it reminded her of home. Verena had since lowered her hand down to her waist, both hands resting gingerly upon her lap as she thought about it. She didn't actually know much about Suna's past, not that it really mattered to her. But she was a generally inquisitive person. Still, she didn't feel right about asking about it when she herself couldn't really bring herself to talk about her own. Ah, this was frustrating...[break][break]
Still, she couldn't help herself. "Where did you grow up? What was it like? Do you still keep in contact with your parents?" she asked, bombarding her friend, before putting a hand over her mouth. "Ah... apologies, that slipped..."
As she busied herself with being a good hostess, Suna was glad to see that the summoner mage had taken a seat at the table. Sure, her little house was only a humble dwelling, hardly fitting for any nobles to enter, but it was cozy and homey. In addition, it was not every day that she got to extend her hospitality to any visitors or passerbys.
It was also a plus that her guest also drank tea. Come to think of it, Suna remembered that the other girl had mentioned something about tea the first time they met. Oh, right, she also preferred green tea. That was perfect, as that was the sound mage’s favorite. Jasmine green tea, to be specific. In her mind, there was never a wrong time for tea. Tea in the morning? Perfect. Tea at noon? Lovely. Tea in the afternoon? Delicious. Tea at night? Relaxing.
Suna ‘hmm’d and nodded at turns when Verena explained a bit of how she got into her situation. She had not thought of where those fire mana beasts came from, but hearing the theory of how they were native inhabitants to the volcanic zone, it made sense. "I see..." The elf pursed her lips in thought. She had not even stopped to think that those poor beasts were out of their natural environment. What could have driven them so far from home? "It’s not your fault that they were out there, though it’s strange that they just started attacking you for no reason."
Her mind was already whirling with possibilities and theories as to what might be going on. But she has no leads. All she knew was that mana beasts were coming out of their usual hiding spots and attacking innocent travellers, seemingly with no intent. But that was only a very general knowledge, and there was nothing she could go off of based on that fact alone.
Then the sound mage had gone on quite a ramble describing her house. It would have been easier if she just showed it to Verena, but a pleased smile did appear on her face at the words of praise. "Doesn’t it? Whoever the old owners were, they had good taste." The house tour would definitely come later, but for now, she also needed some time to relax.
"Where did you grow up? What was it like? Do you still keep in contact with your parents?"
Suna tilted her head a little, hesitating. When the girl apologized, she shook her head. "No, no, it’s fine." Just a few months before, she was very secretive on telling anyone about her past, mainly in fear of what kind of negative reputation witches may have. But as of late, certain people have encouraged her to open up, so she was able to speak more freely about it now.
"I grew up in the Witches’ Forest," she started off simply. Might as well get straight to the point. "I lived alone for the most part, since not many liked me due to my elven heritage and gold grimoire. My witch sisters—erm, I mean acquaintances, also looked down on my sound and aura magic." There were many aspects for her solitary childhood, but jealousy, she had learned, was one of the root causes.
Living in a community where power was everything, the witch community had looked down on her as a result. Interestingly enough, it was not like she found her gold grimoire special or anything. In fact, it may have brought her more sorrows than power. As for her elements...well, sound was not really a tangible magic, neither was aura. Many of her witch ‘sisters’ had laughed at the two strange elements, while at the same time being envious of her elven mana blessing and looks.
Of course, Suna did not actually explain all this, as it might bore her visitor to death. Honestly, she did not really hold it against them for what they said and did to her, because now she did not have any lack of friends or support or community here in Clover Kingdom. Truly, her move had been one of the best decisions she has ever made in her life.
As for her parents... "Witches don’t have parents, only nurses who raise us until we’re old enough to fend for ourselves. Then they move on to the next witch baby. We consider the Witch Queen as our mother, and the other witches our sisters." Like the perfect female-oriented family. Only, it was far from perfect. At least in her case. It was a mystery how she came about, since she knew the basics of biology and reproduction, but some things in the Forest are just not meant to be known. At least for now. She would probably look into that on a later date, but for now, the kettle was calling for her attention.
"Here you go." She had poured the hot tea into both cups, and pushed one of the cups over to where Verena could comfortably reach. She took a sip from her cup and sighed in contentment. That hit the spot. "If you don’t mind my asking," she took another sip before continuing. "What do you do when you’re not reading or traveling? Do you have any other hobbies or things you like to do?"
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Oct 10, 2020 2:30:53 GMT -5
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[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"] While the crimson-eyed girl explained her theory, she watched attentively for Suna's reaction. Her blue-haired friend seemed quite in thought as she considered what Verena was saying. Ultimately though, she seemed to agree with Verena's own speculation; or, at the very least, the elven-human hybrid couldn't at least come up with a plausible explanation of her own. Verena herself lacked any real answers as to the why, however. The reality was she didn't know enough about mana beasts to actually give any sort of answer. She studied more on golems than anything; something like this was simply beyond her expertise.[break][break]
Suna tried comforting Verena however, assuring her that it wasn't her fault. Admittedly, she wasn't sure what to think. Had she done anything that had provoked them? Had they settled nearby? Was it a matter of hunger? Did mana beasts even need to eat? They could have just consumed mana. Perhaps her golem had drawn their attention? The former noble let out a sigh, having no idea on the matter. She simply couldn't piece together this puzzle.[break][break]
As she did so, Suna began explaining the myriad of questions she'd bombarded her with. Verena felt a little bad, but she couldn't help it. She was a naturally curious person. Would Suna hold it against her? It didn't sound like it, at least. Part of Verena wondered if she should share her own story but ultimately decided against it. The Witch felt bad for her when she mentioned she had run away from home five years ago. Explaining the reason for it might cause more harm than good, and so it was for the best that she just not talk about it.[break][break]
There was a part of Verena that was surprised to hear that Suna had grown up in the Witch's Forest, but at the same time, it also didn't surprise her. The daughter of disgraced nobility had the mental image of Suna wearing one of those pointy hats that she thought were so fashionable growing up (and still did) when they first met, believing that it'd look good on her. Of course, that was just the product of a wandering mind rather than anything she would have predicted or guessed. It also wasn't worth bringing up then, to say nothing of the fact she was too shy to really bring it up to begin with.[break][break]
Verena listened to the full story, her expression shifting a few times throughout the conversation. Suna had experienced loneliness too, huh? But she seemed so full of life and cheer. She was working on bettering herself, too. Even though everyone around her had tried bringing her down, she was trying her best to rise up. Her eyes fell to the floor as she heard that. Could she do the same? If Suna could do it, was it was possible for someone as weak as her to? ...No, that was unfair. Suna was clearly a stronger person than she was. There was no way she could ever hope to match Suna's own resolve. It was arrogant to think that someone like her actually could.[break][break]
Verena couldn't believe her ears when Suna explained that witches didn't have parents per se, but rather nurses who just watched over them. It wasn't too much unlike her own upbringing, but she at least knew who her parents were. For better, or for worse. Thus, there was only one question on the mind of the ever-curious and inquisitive brunette:[break][break]
"Do you have any idea who birthed you? Any way to find them? Aren't you curious?" she asked, eyes wide with child-like innocence. Unlike previously there was no apology, only fascination that immediately returned her natural state of calm when she poured the tea for the two.
The very first thing Verena did was first check it's temperature. Sometimes, hosts had let the tea grow too hot, or the cup it was poured into was of poor material and was easily heated up. She'd accidentally burn herself touching the cups sometimes, and the scene that followed always made all parties involved feel a little bad. However, it was a relief that the cup wasn't too hot. Verena did grab the cup by the handle, but sometimes people didn't have handles, or she had to rotate the cup around to actually grab it by the handle.[break][break]
Verena carefully wrapped her delicate fingers around the handle, before bringing the cup up to her lips and pouring a small amount down through her lips. "...It's been a while since I last had a cup of tea," she confessed. "But this is wonderful, thank you so much."[break][break]
"No, but uhm... the social structure of the Witch's Forest is far more interesting than I would have ever thought. I knew it operated on a matriarchy and was an all-female society, but to think it ran like that... I'd be very much intrigued by it... if not for the fact it has the same issues that plagues the Kingdom as a whole..." Verena said, letting out a sigh.[break][break]
Still, it was Verena's turn to be asked a question. Placing a hand to her chin, she seemed to think hard on it. What did she enjoy besides either of those things? She really didn't do much. Everything she did could ultimately be traced back to reading or traveling. But since Suna didn't technically mention it, she supposed she could point out the obvious answer.[break][break]
"...Well, of course, there's golems. I love learning other elements, too. I want to learn as many as possible, to be able to assess each and every type of golem I have. I want to write a book with all of my observations and share my knowledge. I also am interested in human anatomy as well... though I suppose that comes right back to golems," she confessed before letting out a small laugh. "I'm sorry, I don't have many hobbies or interests. I'm very single-minded in what I do."
