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.
[attr="class","hanatextd"]Lilliana's gaze would travel to follow that of the captain towards a man she recognised only from the papers, the current wizard king. It was her first time seeing him in person, despite how joyous the man appeared to be, he did not seem easy to approach, not like the captain beside her, she was more than content to leave him be. She couldn't exactly agree with Ardere's words in regards to the event, whilst true that it was nice to relax given what was going on in the kingdom, she disagreed that this was the right way to go about things. Perhaps it was simply due to her being used to finding it far more quaint ways of relaxing. Large scale celebrations were not entirely her thing.
"I fear if they celebrated like this too often the kingdom's funds would soon be depleted, then there'd be no one to pay your salary." The pink haired mage smiled genuinely for the first time since their conversation had begun. Despite being better off than the Diamond kingdom due to the far more hospitable land, Clover was far from the richest kingdom in the world, even they must have limits. Not that she was entirely well versed in the financial situation of the country. His next question did catch her off-guard however, she hadn't expected him to be so straight forward, it seems he was not the type to beat around the bush. She wondered momentarily how best to respond to his question. Would he be mad at learning the truth, or would he be more upset if she lied to him directly? Well there was only one way to find out however, before she could respond their conversation would be momentarily cut short as the woman from earlier approached and greeted her captain, ignoring Lilliana who stood beside him.
It wasn't like she minded, in fact she was used to being nearly invisible, if anything it helped her quite a bit get to where she was today. Staying out of trouble was her specialty. What did catch the bubble mage by surprise though was how different the woman seemed to be acting now she was speaking to Ardere over what Lily presumed was her family. They spoke like old friends, not bothering with the silly formalities, it was almost as if the woman in front of her was a completely different one from moments ago as they conversed merrily amongst each other. Once the opportunity arose, Lilliana would take a moment to clear her throat and gain the captain's attention once more before finally answering his question now she had decided how to go about it.
"Sorry to interrupt the two of you, but I just wanted to answer your question before leaving the two of you alone to chat, so as not to be rude." She'd start, already planning to put some distance between herself and the fellow pink haired woman as soon as possible while still getting to know Ardere a little better first.
"I guess I must have been too obvious with my gawking earlier, as you've seen right through me. I don't know about allies, but I'm definitely attempting to leave a good impression on those with higher power than myself." She'd pause as she gazed around the room, "Which I guess is everyone here for the most part." she'd chuckle nervously as she glanced towards the Vice Captain. While she was confident that the Captain would not be offended by her words, she was still treading carefully after seeing how easy the woman could lose her temper. After all, it was nothing short of a miracle that Lilliana was even standing here at this moment in time. A farmer's daughter was not the kind of person one would expect within the walls of the royal palace.
Deciding to go with the truth was a risky move, but not one she hadn't accounted for. As long as he wasn't the type to take offense at someone trying to get to know him for their own personal gain, there shouldn't be a problem. It wasn't like she could really use him without his consent anyway, if he truly wished to he had enough power at his disposal that he could probably get away with ending her life right here and now with little to no repercussions. Who would dare to fight his word on the matter should he claim she was a enemy of the kingdom?
If he wasn't offended for her reasons in being interested in him however, it would make things go a lot smoother for her having been completely open and honest with her feelings on the matter. There would be no reason to lie in the future and she would have gained some of his trust. She was confident she had made the right choice, considering how blunt he had been with his question. The only thing that may complicate matters was... The bubble mage's purple eyes glanced momentarily once more in fear towards the other woman. How she would react to someone approaching their captain with these intentions.
Suna shook her head at Charles’ question. No, she was not a Cloverian citizen by birth, but it was not something to be talked about now. At least not here, as they were surrounded by people and being jostled around. Of course she was flustered and embarrassed at how she was so easily duped by the games. But as the mercenary claimed he had no previous knowledge of this, she had to raise an eyebrow.
The sound mage found it very difficult to believe that he did not already know those games were rigged. He must be lying...but the lie saved her from some discomfort. It was like he was trying to share the blame with her. She was thankful for that small act, and was pretty certain he only said that to make her feel better. As Charles explained what he knew about those games, she nodded in understanding. She would not be so easily deceived next time.
As for how they beat the game, her partner tried to push the praise on her. "Hey!" She elbowed Hans right back, though she missed and her elbow unfortunately hit his side instead of his arm. "You did it your own way, so it wasn’t entirely my idea." This kind of light bantering back and forth...was this what couples usually do? If so, they must have leveled up somewhere in this new relationship of theirs.
As the night drew late, more people seemed to join in on the festivities. Usually, the introverted soul did not prefer these types of settings, but this was a one in a lifetime opportunity, and with Hans by her side, she would not miss it for the world. Now the whole kingdom seemed to be here, and one could easily be lost in the crowds if one was not paying attention. Thank goodness her escort had her arm secured, otherwise the wandering-eyed elf could easily slip and drown into the sea of people. It also helped that people seemed to clear a way for them. Or at least the children did. Yes, the man’s mask with its horns was a little frightening, but she thought she had never seen him look more dashing than he was now.
As she bought the sweet rolls, she handed a bag to each of the two guys. Both seemed to enjoy it, with Hans giving his approval with a full mouth and Charles stating how he needed to get some before he left for the night. She only smiled happily and continued eating. Or rather, more like snacking. Now they had moved on to the kebabs stall right next to the sweet rolls, and Hans wasted no time getting some. Suna followed suit, getting one with beef and one with pork.
"Mmmm...it tastes good with these rolls" was her only comment before she finished off both sticks. She reached for another one, of a different variety, just like Charles. The one with the lamb and mushrooms was definitely her favorite. It was not often she got to eat such a variety of food like this, but she was thoroughly enjoying herself now...and even more so as she glimpsed the looks on her companions’ faces.
From the corner of her eye, Suna saw Hans moving away towards another stall. She hurried to catch up, not wanting to lose sight of him nor Charles in this crowd. Now they were in front of...a stall selling alcohol. The sound mage pursed her lips and frowned slightly. Of course. She should not be surprised, not when the mercenary pretty much polished off an entire bottle of sake in a short amount of time. If it were not for her little game with him drinking water, he would have probably puked all over her house in no time. But then again, she did not know just how much he could hold his liquor—if at all.
Her eyebrows shot up when he asked for the entire bottle, and was popping it open and about to drown it all. From their previous encounters, she knew the younger man did not drink, and they had bonded well over tea. Thus, she was not surprised to hear him decline Hans’ offer. "No," she shook her head firmly, long hair flying. "The only time I touch alcohol is when I cook." Now she cast a nervous glance over at Charles, and lowered her voice so only he could hear her. "Ermm, if he does get really drunk, think you can help me drag him into a carriage later?"
Assuming that the mercenary would start drinking up, the elf would watch him carefully, monitoring and gauging his actions. She really hoped he would not get wasted this early in the night, and before she got a chance to visit the palace. Speaking of which, the silver mage brought that up. "Yes, we are! Or," she cast a more doubtful look at the dark mage, "at least I am." Her tone was more questioning, as she knew Hans did not particularly like rubbing shoulders with nobles. He would probably be very uncomfortable in that setting, but she was loath to miss a golden opportunity like this. Who knew when the next time the palace would be so open to commoners and civilians again?
"Are you going now? And...who’s the ‘someone important’ you’re looking for?" Azure eyes glowed as she contemplated his earlier words. Could it be…? For a split second, the young woman got excited at the possibility. But then again... No, no, otherwise he would have told her already. Right?
"Do you...do you want to stay here and continue to drink, Hans?" She asked lightly, patting the dark mage’s arm that was not holding the bottle. "I know you probably don’t like hanging around those people in the palace..." At least, that was what she assumed, seeing how he was more comfortable with the common people. Like her. She did not particularly have a preconceived notion about nobility and ranks—as long as people possessed general decency and civil manners, she could care less of their station. Little did the trio know that they would soon be walking into a gilded stage of heightened tensions and family dramas...
Notes & Stuff
Outfit: hover image minus the little hat (original)
Shizuyoru quirked a brow slightly at the somewhat shallow smile offered by the noblewoman as they proceeded toward the palace proper. Her attention sweeping at this point as she began to map the area in her head, intrigued by the wealth of nobility that seemed to be making themselves comfortable sneering at one another. She herself promptly transitioned into stealth, erasing her presence as well as her mana signature as she quietly followed along beside and slightly behind the silva, listening as she scanned the room whilst her......sponsor? Chaperogne? ......as her accountabilibuddy proceeded to give her a sortof .....tour of the noble scene. and a surprisingly nefarious one at that as Eritheia leaned in secretively and promptly slipped into a sortof rant/gossip mode. One that was.....surprisingly girlish to come from a noble. She had seen so many more ...stoic noble women that she was surprised to see such hennish behavior from Eritheia.
And then just like that the woman...packpedaled just a little. Seeming to consider the rammifications of speaking in such a way abut clover nobility. In what perhaps was the thinnest excuse for mild concern she'd ever seen, as that murmur was also packed with a sortof apathy that showed that Eritheia really didn't have much care for what she should or shouldn't be saying. and then, quite suddenly shizu stiffened up, her brows raising as she was swatted on the shoulderblades and then promptly corrected in her somewhat cattish posture. Though it was a short-lived affair as almost immediately, the Silva was promptly distracted by some sort of confection? Hearing such an almost lurid dirty-talking of the food made Shizu blush and FIGHT not to giggle behind her mask as she watched the woman promptly start to seduce the Chocolate soufflie. Her mask, of course, the intricate dark-wood panther visage that it was, concealed this suppressed mirth rather entirely as she watched with intrigue as the woman promptly indulged in the available food.
And then she was instructed to eat. She perked up and glanced at the finery. It all seemed rather........opulent. "Oh! I see. I've never really been much of a big eater." She noted. Labwork was intensive stuff, and at most sparse meals helf whilst working were the order of the day for her and her mother back in the days when she was still around. All the same, she picked up some sort of truffle and sighed, wondering vaguely what her Mom would have thought of such a thing. She took a bite and almost winced at the rush of sweetness to it. Awfuly sweet for the stuff that usually hung around a noble's mouth. She thought to herself, idly taking small bites of the confection as she scanned the room once again. Making notice of a wealth of magic knights And. .......a VERY large number of Nobles who really didn't seem to be enjoying themselves, let alone the festiv al itself. Actually a lot of them seemed outright annoyed, which was a bit odd now that she thought about it. But then again, she, a 'commoner', nevermind the fact that of all things these discusting sacks of trash species thought that they were in some way superior to witches, was allowed here. Perhaps they were miffed at being made to share their splendor with common folk? She'd have to keep an ear out to be sure. "Not everyone seems to be quite enjoying themselves it seems... I suppose being nobility is hardly an enjoyable existence." she observed idly, an off-handed comment, but also an affirmation to cater to Eritheia's clear disdain for the nobles by somewhat reinforcing it with her own sense of distinction from them. As though the nobility were more like animals in a zoo to be watched than proper people. Of course, by the nature of sharing this with Eritheia, her own exception was implied. All the same, she watched them with mild fascination. "Are things always like this?" She asked the woman, glancing in their direction as she did so.
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Oct 22, 2020 18:22:03 GMT -5
Though clearly still in a sour mood, it was obvious that just being near his sister had calmed him down a great deal. Despite his teasing of Waylynn due to her status as a Green Mantis, he still truly respected her. As his sister, as a Magic Knight, and of course as a Ravencrest. He'd probably even respect her even if she became a Black Bull. While he wouldn't necessarily ever voice this to her, let alone to Lydia, he found it commendable that she sought the strength to one day take the title of the head of the family for himself. He still believed it an unnecessary endeavor of course, but the idea that she was capable of even dreaming that to begin with was commendable in his eyes. Of course...
The "younger" twin also didn't have the heart to tell Waylynn that that dream was not one she would be able to fulfill. Michail realized it himself first hand. The family head was not to be trifled with. If she wanted you dead, then you were dead. To go up against that type of power was not something he wanted. And thus, it was just simply easier to work to push the Ravencrest family at large to even further greatness than to simply have any individual dreams of being at the helm of that greatness.
"...You're right," he admitted with a heavy sigh now that they were nowhere near the other Ravencrest, taking in the view.
Yes, this Clover was a beautiful one. Festivities had been on the rarer side of things for a while now, and so this was much needed. It was always a good idea to sit back and appreciate the things that one had. In an instant, one's entire world could be flipped upside down before even realizing what had happened. The scar on his face was proof of that.
...Just why had Lydia attacked him? What had he done wrong? He was insulting the Ravencrest by insulting a member of the family to his face. Michail was certain he was well within his rights to strike the commoner then and there; it wasn't as if he was going to kill him. He wasn't the type to go that far. A little... disciplinary action was very much in need for that loose tongue, and that was what he intended on doing. Yet, his cousin didn't seem to think it that way.
The Silver Eagle was so lost in thought that he almost didn't hear the rest of Waylynn's rambling, coming back to earth at the end of her tangent, though he made sure to have followed along with her all the same.
"...At any rate, I'm sure the entire family at large is in agreement. Typhon is far too much of a problem. Sooner or later, we will need to put him down. He jeopardizes both the family's reputation and his own dignity with every utterance that comes out of his mouth. But that is a conversation we shouldn't be having on a rare instance of such a joyous party. I confess, I'm not so eager to return to the ballroom. Shall we stroll about and mingle with the other party attendees?" he inquired. "I'd go so far as to say I'd enjoy the conversation with a commoner moreso than I would be anywhere near Typhon at this point."
Word Count: 564 Total Word Count: 986 @spirit ball
“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”
As the silver mage asked Suna about her status as a Clover citizen, Hans watched her silently shake her head at him. The merc knows of the woman's origins as a 'witch' from the Witches Forest, and to be expected, it does not seem to be something she really wants to talk about. Considering what she told him, the dark mage couldn't blame her. Even though his mother was, Hans isn't exactly a citizen of Clover as well since he was born and spent part of his childhood in the Diamond Kingdom, something only his partner knows since it is something the man does not really want to get into...especially with the relationship between the two kingdoms.
Feeling the woman nudge against his side, Hans chuckled lightly before giving a shrug. "Hey, it wasn't my...intention to shatter that bottle." he claimed, not really knowing his own strength sometimes. The couple definitely has been opening up more. What started out as pure awkwardness and the constant stammering of words grew into something more comforting...which was something Hans believed he'd never feel, or at least never took into consideration.
Now at the food stalls, Hans couldn't help but to smile a little at how much the other two were enjoying their kebabs. The merc had honestly never eaten one of these before, but he had a feeling it would be good, and the man was glad that he wasn't wrong.
Then of course Hans had his eyes set on his one true love....besides Suna...
A stall holding various bottles of booze!
Perhaps a bit of an over exaggeration...but one couldn't deny Hans' fondness towards these types of beverages, something he had to both praise and curse his ex mentor over for getting him hooked.
Hans was just about to drink the bottle of ale he acquired before asking the other two if they wanted any. He wasn't too surprised over Charles declining since he did appear to be a bit on the young side...despite that not stopping Hans back then. Briefly thinking about it now, Hans' mentor wasn't exactly...the most positive of role models.
Suna quickly declined the offer as well, causing Hans to slightly tilt his head. As she explained, Hans looked back at the bottle in his hand. "Ah, right." He does remember her saying something like that previously. Them declining his offer didn't really bother the man neither. "More for me then." he muttered to himself...looking a little satisfied.
As soon as Suna and Charles were whispering among themselves, Hans had brought the bottle back to his lips and took a gulp. He then cleared his throat, followed by a satisfied sigh. The ale was bitter and left that usual burning feeling as it traveled down his throat. With a little nod, the dark mage went back to downing the bottle, tilting his head back a bit as some of it leaked from the side of his mouth, down to his chin.
With his lips parting from the bottle, Hans let out another sigh, this one a bit longer than the last. He looked at the bottle, and it was now finish, catching some nearby onlookers by surprise as well as the lady who was selling this stuff as she gently poked the merc's arm to give him a napkin for his face. "Oh..." The merc finally realized the streak of booze running down the side of his mouth, and glanced over to Suna embarrassingly before grabbing the napkin and turning away from the two to wipe it off. He then looked back over at them...the drink appearing to have not done much to him...
"Hmmm...the palace?" Charles had brought up going to the palace now, causing the merc to turn his attention to the mentioned building, watching it silently. Even after Suna answered, the merc still had his attention on it. He really didn't feel comfortable around so many nobles, or at least those that are quick to judge, and look down on lesser folks. There's just something about them that's so....punchable. So far, Hans has been able to restrain himself from getting...violent with one, but if he planned on drinking anymore, that might just change reaaalll quick.
While Suna and Charles continued to talk, Hans had felt a....tug against his leg? He immediately turned around and looked down...but there was no one close enough who could've done that. He then looked around his surroundings for anyone that looked suspicious...but no one really stuck out. Maybe the booze was getting to him...? Then he felt a pat on his arm, making Hans quickly turn back around, looking a bit on alert...but it was only Suna. "Ah..." the merc loosened up a bit. His eyes returned to the palace since he was able to catch his partner's question. It looked like he was contemplating it for a little before slowly shaking his head. "I'll...It'll be fine." He claimed with a shrug. "It's not exactly hard to ignore a few condescending nobles." the dark mage then smirked lightly before glancing back over to the elf. "Besides...I'm pretty sure those are where the dances are going to be held...Yeah?"
In all honesty, Hans was more worried about...the dancing than the nobles....but he figured it would be worth it...to see Suna smile.
But before deciding to head in...
"One more bottle." The man was at the stall yet again. "I'm gonna...take this one with me."
Oh boy....
POW
50
DUR
60
SEN
20
STA
23
CON
49
HEALTH senior
SKIN senior
MANA POOL 80/80
MANA REGEN 25 IC / 20 OOC
ITEMS Cosmic Blessing
NOTES He isn't an alcoholic I swear! Hans' outfit (He's also wearing a pair of fake fangs and white gloves.)
[attr="class","forresttext"] He didn’t think much about his own preferences, or his apparent inability to have quote ‘fun.’ Some people were just more extroverted than others, and it was his choice not to get any more involved than he needed to be. Or rather, in this instance, any more than he was forced to be. [break][break] In the end, being a fish out of water was just one phrase for it. It had been too long, or perhaps never in his memory when he did feel like he was doing something because he felt natural about doing it. Maybe he was just thinking too hard, stuck in his own head, getting lost in his own thoughts. That was bad. [break][break] And yet for all the people that told him he could talk to about it, it almost felt like it wasn’t worth talking about at all. [break][break] He looked at the glass of champagne in his hand, noticing how in the reflections, dots of lights scattered, all catching from the decorations down below and the festive indoors, where bright light shone through the windows. [break][break] Maybe happiness and levity weren’t emotions he would be blessed with in this new life. [break][break] “What would have you come dressed up as, if given the time, money, and second chance?” [break][break] Forrest didn’t like the question, the slight recoil on his face was rather obvious. As wrinkles on his forehead formed his flustered frustration, he further felt defeated when Mor quipped he wouldn’t take ‘no’ or ‘nothing’ for an answer. [break][break] “That’s just ridicu--.” Unfortunately, Mor was relentless. [break][break] Also, Forrest was rather sure he wasn’t ‘socially anxious,’ not at all. He just didn’t like being around large crowds of bustling, annoying people, who all too much enjoyed wanting to draw attention to themselves. The blond mage stayed silent for another moment, left struggling to come with an answer for the bluenette. Such a forceful implication of creativity surely meant he couldn’t come up with anything imaginative. [break][break]
Sighing, Forrest then took another large sip of his champagne. Crossing his arms and he held his glass by the stem, he took another hard look at Mor. [break][break] “I’d be a daemon.” His answer was short. [break][break] Yes, a daemon. The things that had been the reason for his amnesia. The hellspawn of another reality that threatened to destroy this one. He had nothing of note that he wanted to be or aspired as such, so why not choose something he hated? Something that everyone else would hate in this world as well…
Post by Valo Stark✾ on Oct 22, 2020 22:06:13 GMT -5
Valo Stark
"Don't need a reason to seek strength."
Valo was taken aback when Alyssa addressed him as a lord and used his entire first name. Valo hasn't heard his full first name in a long time, it mostly came from his mother's mouth and some neighbors back home. He honestly despised his full first name, it sounded so much like a female's name. He always preferred to keep it short, Valo was perfect. He cringed a little upon hearing it spoken out loud. "Aaahhh please no titles, and just Valo is fine. My full name is unnecessary." he replied to her quickly, not wanting anyone else to hear his full name being used. Let the wrong person hear his full name, and he won't hear the end of it.
The Blue Rose captain started to pull something out of her small bag, revealing a nicely crafted mask the same color as his squad Green Mantis. He thought it actually looked pretty impressive, it had a shield with the mantis crest on it. He was surprised she got one for him, and she was absolutely right he did forget about the mask completely. He took the mask gently and admired it for a few moments. "Oh. You didn't have to...but. Th-Thanks. I really appreciate it." he said genuinely before putting it on. And she was right he did take pride in his squad now more than ever. Valo would then suddenly flick his forehead, "Oh damn. I totally forgot to bring something. If I was supposed to bring something? I honestly don't know, Ive never really been to things like this." he said looking around.
Valo looked at the Captain as her facial expressions changed, stating that she guessed pretty much he was struggling with everything happening in Kikka. Just the thoughts of it all brought his mood down, his own face changed to a focused one that looked down on the ground. He was still listening though, making sure he heard every one of her words. She said why she thought this ball was needed, it was for the siege and the people going back to reclaim Kikka. He was one of those people. But he couldn't deny what she said made sense, he cringed again when she used his full name. "Just Val-you know it's fine." He started to say but then stopped himself. Truth be told he was beginning to not mind it, Alyssa Lilygate seemed like a motherly elegant women. Those were usually the types to keep making use of his full name, he just had to get used to it.
She continued to speak, and Valo left his ears open. This was one of the reasons why he was here, to learn. If Alyssa had some wise words and thoughts he wanted to hear it. Perhaps enlighten his perspective on things. She stated the reason why this ball was happening was to celebrate what they have right now, and to protect it and keep pushing forward. A couple of her words did strike him though, his eyes widened a little bit when hearing them.
"We remember what even though we are in the light there are those that are not, that they, for now, are spirits at ill-ease and that at the end of the festival like the spirits of those long ago they will once again find peace because the darkness that the night brings too will be gone."
He nodded once hearing those words, full taking them in and understanding them. "The spirits at ill-ease will find peace. The darkness too will be gone." he said really low to himself. For a few moments Valo was focused in thought, he looked up his face more at ease looking at Alyssa. She wanted to ask him a few questions, that he might find difficult. He nodded thinking how difficult could some questions be. "Yeah. Sure. Wait...Dance!?" his tone got louder towards those last words. He was taken aback again, he knew he was coming to a ball but somehow he didn't think he would be dancing. Valo looked around the room at the other people dancing and laughing, his mask would cover how red his face was. The street kid from Kikka has never been dancing, at all. He was really starting to realize he was completely out of his element here. "Do-we...uuhhh. Wait. Sure...ok. Let's...dance." he stuttered over his words, obviously nervous at the idea. He held his hands out awkwardly there was a little bit of shakiness in his limbs. If he could he would attempt to lead, but the poor young knight knew absolutely nothing when it came to dancing.
POW 110
DUR 000
SEN 025
STA 065
CON 064
WORD COUNT: 770 TOTAL WC: 1,933 ITEMS: Kolivan's Lantern火之迦具土 Hinokagutsuchi BATTLE: Valo listened to Alyssa's words taking them in. After hearing the request to dance, he wanted to say no. But he turns down no challenge, so he got in a awkward position in a wholesome attempt.
"I see..." His question was answered, Suna was not originally a citizen of the Kingdom, though this was the first time ever asked such a question. She never truly bothered to talk about herself, either way, if he wanted to ask more about her right now it wasn't the time. It was better for the trio of mages to enjoy themselves. Charles knew that not everyone's stories were happy or enjoyable. Everyone had a dark past, especially if they didn't openly talk about it. Hans seemed to be a pretty quiet guy, he probably had to go through a lot and that's why he usually doesn't speak much. The same thing applied to Charles, his laziness came from something that occurred to him when he was younger, as he wasn't exactly always lazy or careless. The Black Bull simply gave the two a serious nod in response, as he needed to further explanation. Even he was able to be mature at times, but that was a side of him that was rarely shown. Things have changed ever since, but he found people he felt he could rely on as friends and allies. [break][break] The two truly felt like a couple, a good one at that. Charles was relieved that even though Hans had it rough like him because of his experience in Kikka. He seemed to do fine in terms of his relationship with Suna. Considering how reserved the mercenary appeared to be, this was truly showed that he could have fun as well. They were at the festival, the best they could is to enjoy themselves as much as they could. Such an opportunity didn't present itself often. "The most important thing is that you won the game and outsmarted the guy. Sounds like something I will do." [break][break] The sweet rolls were great, there was no doubt in that. Suna seemed to have a good eye and good taste for food. The same thing applied to Hans, the mercenary also had a good eye and taste for food. The kebabs' were certainly good to the point that he ate two. Before he decided to head back to the base, he was surely coming back to buy more in order to have something to eat on his way back. Charles was satisfied for now, though Hans wasn't as he was now going to give in to his instincts and drink some alcohol as he was heading towards a stall where they were selling alcohol. Of course the silver mage wasn't really the type of person to drink alcohol. The fact that Suna also said no was not surprising, the blue-haired elf didn't seem like someone who would drink alcohol. If she did then that would've surprised him a bit. "Yeah, sure thing..." Helping her out with her drunk partner wasn't going to be an issue. It wasn't the first time he had to deal with drunk people, considering there was one time he had to carry the Captain of the Golden Dawn back to the base after getting drunk trying to get them into a team for an expedition. That expedition was pretty memorable. [break][break] Noticing how Suna was looking at Hans. She wanted make sure that Hans didn't drink too much and ended up getting wasted, at least early on. Charles didn't feel like having to help Suna carrying a drunk Hans to a carriage if it could be avoided, but something he knew from experience is that once someone started drinking it was hard for them to stop. "Ah, that's nice to know... And yeah the palace. I will prefer not go there, but I don't have much of an option at the moment." The Black Bull would frown to her reaction, the look on her face. She really was getting the wrong idea, the silver mage was able to tell that the elf was already starting to get idea that he had a date with some sort of noble-woman. "The person I'm looking for is... The Captain of the Crimson Lions..." Right away shutting down the possibility that the person he was looking for was actually a possible partner. He didn't exactly feel comfortable with going there. The place was probably infested with nobles and entitled people who naturally felt superior. [break][break] "I don't think anyone will enjoy being around those kind of people, I don't blame you." Even though Suna asked the mercenary if he wanted to stay here and continue drinking. He was willing to accompany the two the palace. The toughest challenge was probably going to be holding back against those nobles, but Charles didn't particularly paid attention to them. Most of them were harmless and they were all just talk. "It's fine... I'll deal with them if it comes down to that." The instincts of a member of the Black Bulls kicked in. If the situation came to it, the silver mage wasn't simply going to allow the nobles to step over the two of them, he considered them his friends and those nobles were ignorant about the things him and Hans had to go through. Ignorant to the sacrifices many people had to do in order to keep the Kingdom safe, a good amount of those people were also commoners. [break][break] Charles stretched his arms and looked towards the direction of the Royal Palace. "Either way, I'll get going." He looked at the couple before facing once again the Royal Palace. The Black Bull began to walk towards the Royal Palace, depending if the two would follow him or not he would've carried on walking until he eventually reached the entrance. Not long after reaching the entrance the Black Bull would walk inside, until he reached the main room where the dances where taking place and most of people where at. "That's a lot of people... Good thing I brought this with me." This is where the true laziness of Charles was shown, he couldn't be bothered to look around the place. The ring on Charles's index finger would glow, creating three-dimensional semi-transparent map of the Royal Palace showing up several mana signatures and making it easier to distinguish the strongest ones. This would help him nail down the location of Captain Ardere. The ring was something given to him back in Kikka, which possessed some strange yet unknown type of magic to him. If Hans and Suna followed behind him, they would've been able to see the ring's ability in action. [break]
Name of the Ability: Sonar Tracking [break] Type & Uses: Flow ¦ 3 (uses) ¦ 2 (overheating) [break] Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Sensory ¦ Tracking [break] Mana Cost: 8 ¦ 4 [break] Range & Speed: 10m aoe + (x2 sensory) ¦ 10 m/s [break] Stats Affected: N/A [break] Description: The bearer of the ring need only to turn the ring once to activate this ability. When active a three-dimensional semi-transparent map that is so detailed that it gets every minute detail seems to project itself from the ring showing up to 10 meters +(x2 sensory) in all directions to its wearer. The added bonus to this is that it shows any people within the area in the form of small effigies allies and civilians seem to appear, pale blue-grey representative of the wind, while enemies appear as a lightish to dark blue representative of the fire, the opposite colour seems to appear around them as if to indicate the potential strength of those it is showing this, however, could also be a false positive as it is clear it hasn't reached its full potential.[break]
A daemon. Forrest ’s hard gaze was returned with a softer, unreadable one. Mor stayed in his casual lean, elbow on the railing and other hand idly swirling the golden champagne in his glass, the liquid glistening almost as much as the wealth worn on his fingers. He waited, wondering– hoping, more accurately– that more explanation would come.
More didn’t come after a silence, and Mor hid his heavy, closed sigh with a tightened smile.
He continued to twirl his drink, inquiring further since it seemed that he’d have to be the one to fill their space with words. “A daemon? What kind of daemon? A simple one? A flamboyant one? Share, my dryad~" he sweetly lilted. "You have to be imagining something more specific than a generic ‘daemon’. What color would you want? A bold rouge like the rest, or something more unique?”
Would it be enough, those specific questions? It certainly wasn’t as detailed as how the merchant went about his own costume design, already having specific bolts of cloth in mind and what type of cut he’d want to fashion them into. But it wasn’t as open ended as ‘a daemon’ was either, so maybe it would do. If the man chose to answer.
Mor had his way of being nosy and shifted in his stand, a more mischievous smirk falling onto his lips as he looked up at the other. Carefully speaking, “If you wont tell me what you envision in the outfit, pray tell me why you’d come as a daemon?”
They weren't the only one with the idea as a number of other ball goers attended with their disguises of the same theme, but Mor did always wonder at why people chose to dress as the evils daring to haunt their world. Some of the attendees did execute the concept well, though none felt nearly as exquisite as his own. Did the people not desire after beauty?
As the mercenary drowned the bottle, Suna bit down on her lower lip nervously. There had been only one other instance when she had seen the man drink, but it was in a controlled environment and she was able to handle the aftermath. However, this was a public setting, and she did not know what a drunk Hans would look like. She just hoped that it would not affect him too much, or make him act in a way that might incur the fury of those nobles. Or perhaps he would fit right in. She could only hope. Perhaps she should have drank some of it, but then again, the elf was a lightweight and would have fallen asleep instantly.
He polished it off quickly, while the two younger mages watched in. The look on the female’s face was a mixture of being appalled and concerned. Thank goodness Charles had agreed to help her out, otherwise she would potentially have a hard time carrying a drunk man out of the festival grounds. The woman behind the counter was giggling at the sight of alcohol running down the side of the mercenary’s mouth, but handed him a napkin anyways. Hans did not seem affected by it much, but looks could be deceiving.
Suna noted that he was looking down at his leg, even though there was nothing there. Was that his imagination, or was that like the invisible tug she felt earlier? Perhaps there was some foul play afoot—or just an innocent gag. She doubted the prank would be carried on within the palace, so that was one reason more why she would hasten her steps there.
"I'll...It'll be fine. It's not exactly hard to ignore a few condescending nobles."
Suna nodded slowly, not entirely believing him...especially now that he has alcohol running in his blood. But her facial expression lightened up when he mentioned the dance. "Yes, they are!" She was more interested in the music then the actual dancing part, but she would not pass on that opportunity either. "You don’t have to dance if you don’t want to, though." At least he seemed all right with going to the palace. She knew how uncomfortable that might be for the dark mage.
As for Charles, Suna held her hands up in surrender when he said he was not going for a noble woman. "Hey, hey, I didn’t say anything!" She protested, though the young mage had been right on her assumption. "Pity, though." She sighed, but the light in her eye was still there. Nobles or not, there was sure to be some pretty girl in there that would catch his eye, she was sure of it.
But then he mentioned the captain of the Crimson Lions. "Captain Ardere Kasai? He’s nice." She gave a little nod in acknowledgement. "It’ll be nice to see him again." That could not be said of the other nobles, but Suna did not know that yet. She just naturally assumed that those present would at least hold on to some shard of common civility and dignity. Right? Even Charles’ comment about ‘dealing with them’ did not click in her mind. Not yet.
"A-Another one?" Suna squeaked when Hans went back to the stall to grab another bottle. She was really worried, and even as they made their way to the palace, she could not help but keep a wary eye on him. Yes, she was sure he could handle himself perfectly fine, but she was still a little apprehensive.
Charles led the way, and the two would presumably follow behind the Magic Knight, towards the Royal Palace. Here the streets were wider, not as crowded, and even the atmosphere has changed. The people were dressed in finer clothes, and as they strode up to the entrance, the elf could not help but stare wide-eyed at it. She has passed by the palace before, and it was beautiful from the outside. But once they crossed the threshold, she was blown away. Everything looked so rich and fine, like a fairytale come to life.
"Wow..." Instinctively, Suna squeezed Hans’ arm, assuming he was still there besides her. The main room was gigantic, and there was a crowd here as well, though of a different breed. Instead of the sound of vendors shouting their wares and unrestrained laughters, here was the lull of murmured conversations and the tinkling of glass. Everything was so prim and proper...and there was a certain tension in the air.
As Charles cast a spell using his ring, Suna could see that there was a congregated area where the strongest mana signatures radiated. She would have asked where he got that ring from, but she was too distracted by the map. "That must be him," she murmured, pointing to the area on the map, then looked up. Indeed, that was where they were, even Lydia. She could see several figures standing within that area—some familiar, some unfamiliar. All radiated power and class.
"Oh, look!" All around the room were tables filled with delectable sweets and goodies, and waiters were everywhere, serving drinks and such to the guests. Even as the trio stood there, one came up to them and offered them some champagne. Suna shook her head no, maybe later, but the two men besides her were free to take one if they wanted.
"Perhaps I'll greet him later. But go talk to him, Charles, before he gets swamped with a line of people." The elf prodded the young silver mage forward, then turned to the dark mage. "I want to look around a bit first, but feel free to go see what’s good to eat and drink over there." She released his arm, allowing him to go if he so wished. "I’ll head over there in a minute." People watching was, after all, one of her favorite pastimes.
For now, she was content to just stand by the side of the room and observe the setting before her. In addition, she wanted to familiarize herself with the whole picture before her, and commit it all to memory so she could revisit it later on as a pleasant memory. Hopefully pleasant, that is, but the night is still young.
Notes & Stuff
Outfit: hover image minus the little hat (original)
No matter how much time he spent here he just could not get used to it. From dirt roads to cobblestone walkways. Where once there were wooden homes was now a lake of stone and mortar. Neighbors and members of the community knew one another and now one was surrounded by strangers unique to each day. Transition from life in a small country village to the bustling and, honestly, claustrophobic city was still a transition that he just hadn’t completed quite yet. Even after spending a few months here at the very least. A part of him was worried he was never going to get used to it, but, with time he was confident he’d finally get the hang of it. Customs and behaviors were different here and all that.
Boots tread across cobblestone walkways with sounds of crunches of gravel that were absolutely drowned out by the oceans worth of noise coming from everything around. One couldn’t even hear their own thoughts with all the screams, conversations, and laughter happening all around. Suppose that would be the case with the excitement brought on by a festival. What a festival it was as well. The Spirit Ball. From what Roman understood of what he had been told about it, sometime ago, it was supposed to be a celebration regarding the unity between man and spirit. Beasts as well, maybe? He couldn’t quite remember. Point was it was a holiday celebrating peace between people. Nothing wrong with that.
Roman strode silently through the streets of the Capital. Green eyes drifted from person to person, stall to stall, keeping a watch on everything while also possessing an interest in the festivities going on. ”Oy! You’re a Magic Knight ain’t ya?” a voice called out from the young man’s left, earning his attention and a turn of his head in that direction. Roman blinked as he wondered for a moment if the stall owner who was looking directly at him was actually talking to him. As if he sensed the man's hesitation the stall owner grinned and waved him over. ”Yes you, you see anyone else with that mantle?” the man asked with a laugh.
”No, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting to get called out to out of the blue.” Roman replied politely, approaching the stand and immediately having his nostrils assaulted by the aroma of something delicious. Looking down from the stall worker Roman saw the source. Before the man was a grill with a variety of cuts of meat all sizzling with juice popping satisfaction. ”What do ya think? Looks tasty don’t it?” the worker asked, chuckling rather proudly to himself. The man blinked again, closing his eyes with a smile so he could better focus on the aroma. ”How much for a piece?” he asked. Getting himself a snack didn’t seem too bad an idea. Almost seemed foolish to not do a little something to celebrate the festivities. With the exchange of some coins, Roman was handed a thin slice of meat held together by three rather long toothpicks. A couple of kids ran by him as he stepped from the stall, laughing as they played.
Watching the kids as they scurried off into the ground he almost felt a little guilty. Not that he had done anything wrong. Rather he wondered how his own siblings would feel if they had gotten to come to celebrate as well. I’m sure they’d have fun. Romani would probably cause trouble though knowing her. Meanwhile Dad would probably pull his hair out trying to keep the twins from acting like clowns and lighting something on fire. It made him chuckle a little before he took a bite out of his little snack and resumed walking about the streets. But they’d enjoy it. I wonder what they’re up to.
He’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss his family. Or that he was homesick. Or that he sometimes thought about whether leaving was the right call or not. He tried not to dwell on it since, well, he was here now. He’d made it. He was a Magic Knight now. The first step to accomplishing his goal in life. Stopping in his steps he turned his head upwards to peer up at the castle in the center of town. While the castle town was celebrating in their own way, the real attraction was happening within the walls of the palace. A ball was being thrown for the Magic Knights at the behest of the Wizard King. He seemed like a nice guy. While it was true all Magic Knights were invited to attend the ball, Roman felt hesitation. Even now, looking up at the palace, his mind wondered what was happening in there. But he made no move to actually enter the palace. It just wasn’t his place.
Despite the Golden Dawn’s significant status there was something Roman had come to learn in his short time here that wasn’t present in the boonies. Birth mattered. He was a commoner. A lesser in the eyes of many, many, people in the Capital. He’d seen the stares, heard the whispers, and been on the receiving end of many sneers. His kind wasn’t treated very well. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t bother him. His social status combined with his low ranking, even in the Golden Dawn, didn’t earn him much respect and, well, it did hurt from time to time. But that's just how the world was. He was from the class that was their breadbasket. So, to him, the Palace just wasn’t a place that seemed very inviting to him. Even with the Wizard Kings consent, Roman didn’t want to put himself in a situation where he’d be made to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. He was enjoying himself just fine in the streets anyways.
Well, I do want to go in there. It’s only natural. Roman thought to himself as he stared up at the palace before sighing. ”But I don’t want to cause trouble either. Maybe next year.” he said to himself, scratching the back of his head as he started wandering about the capital streets again. Finishing off his protein snack and disposing off the little toothpick handles, Roman picked up an odd sound to hear amongst all the laughing and celebrations. Turning his head from the left to the right he followed his ears. Following the source he came upon a girl crying by her lonesome in the street. Roman blinked, recognizing her as one of the three kids from earlier, and wondered why she was alone. ”Hey there, what’s wrong?” Roman asked softly as he approached the small child, getting down on one knee to be level with her.
The blonde haired girl, with a blue ribbon in her hair, stopping crying for a moment to look up from her hands at who was talking to her. She seemed frightened at first, since Roman was a stranger, but then noticed what he was wearing. Childish recognition formed on her face as she looked at Roman’s face before the tears started flowing again. ”I-I can’t find my friends! They ran off without me. I can’t find them.” she cried. Roman sighed a little. So that’s happened. ”Maybe they just didn’t hear you? It’s really loud with all the people around.” the little girl looked at Roman, her sobbing stopped, before she asked him ”Do you think they’re looking for me?” That was better. ”I’m sure they are. Let’s go find them.” he offered. ”After all, I’m a big strong Magic Knight aren’t I? We’ll find them no problem.” he said with a big goofy grin, saluting in a silly fashion to get a little giggle from the kid. He might not have been attending the ball but he could at least say he was still doing something worthwhile with his time.
WC: 1312
Last Edit: Oct 24, 2020 15:09:14 GMT -5 by Deleted
“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”
Hans shook his head about the elf's little comment regarding the dance. "No...no I'll dance...with you..." With a bit of hesitance, he attempted to lock his free hand with Suna's own, and looked at her. "You don't need to worry about me too much." he claimed, trying to reassure her. He didn't want to dance, but he wants to spend time with Suna which of course would mean having to do things he isn't too thrilled about, a thing that comes with most relationships.
Apparently the person Charles was looking for was a Magic Knight Captain and not his own. The captain of the Crimson Lions was who the silver mage sought, Ardere Kasai. Just like with the other Captains, Hans has only ever heard about this person, not personally knowing them. Feels like one would have to either be a Magic Knight or real special to actually know any of these captains...and then Suna made a rather interesting comment that didn't fly past the merc's radar.
Hans glanced over at Suna, his expression showing that he's a little curious. So she has met that man before it seems, but as the dark mage thought more about it, it started to feel less surprising. Given that her mentor is the vice-captain of the same squad, it would make sense that Suna has had run-ins with the head lion. The man was now smiling subtly as he glanced away. Suna was definitely going to go far training under and knowing such strong people....but it was now making him think of where he currently stands and potentially where he'll stand in the future. Hans is strong...but will he be able to keep up with his partner?
It was nice to hear that Hans wasn't the only one who's uncomfortable around nobles. Charles does not seem to be a fan as well, the stuck up ones to be exact. "I appreciate that, Charles." Hans commented with a nod. Hans didn't really need anyone defending him, but the thought of others having his back was still new to the dark mage...but it felt nice. First with Suna and now with others. Of course, there was his late mother and mentor, but they were pretty much family. This sort of trust felt...different.
But onto the booze!
Upon getting a second bottle, Hans heard Suna's comment and squeak. He looked over to his partner, appearing a tad confused before looking at the second bottle of ale in his hand. "Suna, I'll be fine, I promise." he...claims.
With everything settled, the trio led by Charles were now en route for the palace!
Getting closer to the building, everything was starting to appear...fancier. From the structures to the people...it was a little much. Hans thought the clothes he, Suna, Charles, and the others outside were pretty fancy, but they were starting to pale in comparison to the outfits of these obvious nobles, but for the most part, the three could still pass off as nobility...or at least two of them could while Hans looked more like...a very hot butler? This gave Hans some ideas...but it'll have to be for another time.
Hans took a look around his surroundings, studying everyone carefully. He was a bit on edge, going further out of his element like this, but then he felt Suna's hold tighten around his arm, making him look over to her. Unlike him, she appeared to be so intrigued by everything. Hans will probably never get over how cute Suna looks whenever something greatly catches her attention. It was enough to put Hans a little at ease...until they actually stepped into the palace.
Everything was far different from the outside, including the atmosphere! It was as if the three stepped through a portal, entering another dimension. From endless stalls, and shouting people to a more sophisticated setting.
"You think...? Hans said, referring to Charles' comment about there being a lot of folks here. Felt more like an understatement...at least to Hans.
The silver mage then made a map of the room through the use of a magic ring. Hans looked up at the map then back down to the source curiously. "Nice ring." Hans commented before looking back at the map, looking at all of the mana signatures lighting up. There was a particular area on the map, showing powerful signatures which Suna pointed towards. That certainly would be the best place to start looking.
Now Hans' attention was on the various foods Suna pointed out, and they did not disappoint...at least in appearance. The merc thought the food outside looked good, but this was top tier...at least in the eyes of a commoner. This was probably nothing special in the eyes of a noble. A waiter even came up to the three to offer them champagne. Hans simply held up his bottle of ale as his response, and the waiter gave the man a sheepish grin.
Assuming that Charles was going to head off to find Ardere, Hans would give him a brief nod then watch as he walks off.
As soon as he heard her voice, Hans turned to face the elf. "Hmm..." He seemed slightly...concerned about having to briefly part from the sound mage...especially in a place like this. But the man nodded as she let go. "Sure." Watching her walk off assumingly, Hans let out a sigh and started to look around. He was now on his own....in a sea full of nobles. Well...at least he still had his bottle of booze which he quickly opened up and took a few gulps out of, another sigh escaping his lips afterward. His dark eyes were now on one of the buffet tables. Suna suggested he'd go check out some of the food...so might as well.
Making his way to the buffet table, Hans was starting to notice some eyes glancing his direction. He may look all fancy, but if one looks close enough, it was still easy to tell that the man did not fit in this setting. The dark mage decided to ignore it, and drink some more from out of his bottle. He was a bit distracted that he accidentally bumped shoulders with someone, causing the man to stop in his tracks, and lower the bottle. "Oh, sorry." he apologized to the person, awaiting for their comment.
POW
50
DUR
60
SEN
20
STA
23
CON
49
HEALTH senior
SKIN senior
MANA POOL 80/80
MANA REGEN 25 IC / 20 OOC
ITEMS Cosmic Blessing
NOTES Wonder who he's bumped into Hans' outfit (He's also wearing a pair of fake fangs and white gloves.)
Post by Eritheia Silva on Oct 25, 2020 15:32:23 GMT -5
Eritheia stared blankly at Shizu. "Not much of a big eater? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. Everyone has to eat, so why not enjoy it with something delicious?" She forked more dessert into her mouth as her eyes scanned the room again. "Not much of a big eat." She scoffed. "The finer things are most certainly wasted on people with that mentality." Shrugging off Shizu's comments, she couldn't help but notice a tray of meats pass by her table. "Ah, ah, ah. Come back here." The server put several slices of meat on a plate and placed them in front of her. The best part of these parties was the food and drink. It certainly wasn't the company, though there were good people among the blowhards and windbags. There were likely famous authors, artists, and other dignitaries of note. Some of the guests likely had brilliant minds without the grating personalities. Eritheia had spotted a few of note, but didn't want to make a point to go hunting for these people. She had to be here, but she also wanted to avoid her family. At the same time, she would be quite pleased if they were to see her in the company of a commoner. How splendid their reactions would likely be. Then again, that could draw them closer which is a drawback of her plan.
"I suppose being nobility is hardly an enjoyable existence." Eritheia laughed as she lifted her glass to be refilled. "It is a perfectly enjoyable existence. You are blessed with wealth, status, power, and influence. Nobility isn't really the problem, it's the people. After a while you can't find contentment in nobility itself and find yourself becoming more and more ambitious. And with ambition comes envy and with envy comes anger and regret. So, you see, all these unhappy nobles are unhappy because of how they behave and treat one another. They make themselves miserable. They can't even have a conversation with fellow nobles without barbs and bluster. It's absurd. You'd think they'd save that for the commoners." Eritheia paused, her face and body freezing instantly. She realized how obnoxious she just sounded considering she was saying that to a commoner. It didn't make it any less true, she did feel as though nobles should save their barbs for commoners should they need to at all but to say it to a commoner was something else entirely. Eritheia decided to defuse any tension with a hearty guffaw. Her voice carried like a sweet melody. Her words might have been unkind but her voice and laughter was like honey.
"Well, anyways, you know what I mean. And yes, things are always like this. Unfortunately." She added bitterly. "They're always baring their teeth like monkeys. It gets worse when you have nobles who become magic knights. Not only do they think they're special for being nobles they think they're invincible as magic knights. It's pathetic. They just go around threatening one another and saying cruel things in hopes of a reaction. It's quite childish. I honestly couldn't care less about any of it. I think people should know their place but I'm not going to brawl with you to prove anything." Eritheia's scathing rebuke of other nobles was not uncommon, but she mostly kept those thoughts to herself. Perhaps this was the next phase in his rebellious nature - speaking truth about those in power to a mere commoner. Here family would be appalled, but that would be the point. She figured if she couldn't do as she truly desired she may as well make a point to poke at her family whenever she can. In many ways it was much safer this way. Sharing with Shizu her thoughts about nobility wasn't as dangerous as it would be to other nobles. Sure it was scandalous, but who would believe a commoner anyhow.
"So...Shizu." She said with a tinge of excitement in her expression. "Tell me," she began while narrowing her eyes as if she were a hawk on the hunt, "what brought you to the capital? Surely you have friends and family in whatever...village you come from that would enjoy celebrating with you." Eritheia gulped and inhaled at the mention of a village, but was making a significant attempt to not sound as if a village consisted of flea-ridden shacks. "Why not bring them or stay and celebrate alongside them?" Eritheia's eyes widened and lips reached into her cheeks. "Orrrr maybe you're on the run and you decided to use this as an opportunity to relocate. Although, I suppose playing instruments outside the palace wouldn't be very stealthy."
The woman's incredulity of course caused her to cant head to the side, smiling sheepishly. "Well, it's not that I don't eat or anything. Honestly I had some of the food outside already." She clarified, recalling the rather monstrous meat wrap she'd had. All the same, she could tell that of all things, Eritheia really wanted to wow her with the food, and so she spotted a tray of pineapple glazed meat kebabs and promptly snared a couple for herself, sliding a hunk of ....lamb? She couldn't quite tell, but all the same the juicy tender meat was peeled off of the skewer and munched as she listened idly to the woman's response to her question regarding the motivations and nuances behind nobility. The notion that these individuals born with everything find themselves trying to set goals anyway and falling to envy certainly made sense. "Ahhh I see what you mean. When you're born with anything you could want, it probably comes as a surprise when something you decide to strive for just doesn't fall into your lap." She murmured thoughtfully after swallowing a hunk of what was doubtlessly glazed pork. One of the skewers had some sort of seasoned gravy on it instead of the pineapple glaze, which promptly snared her attention for a moment. She more or less entirely sidestepped the woman's ......slip? She tilted her head slightly, vaguely aware that if she were a human that was supposed to be demeaning in some way that the woman felt scorn was reserved for those she perceived as born beneath her.
Shizu was not particularly bothered by it.. A, because it matched more or less the picture the woman painted of nobles, so why wouldn't it apply to Eritheia as well? Additionally, she was still not quite....acclimated to this notion? She felt fairly detached from the term' commoner'. It was a term humans used for other humans, so she more or less felt isolated from that category, even though they would probably consider her a commoner anyway. Though she did smile warmly in response to that stiffening on Eritheia's end, almost seeming a little amused at how the woman almost seemed sorry for her little slip. It was a little cute and she muffled a giggle as she saw it. All the same, Eritheia continued on her Theories about Nobles: Part 2: Magic Knight Boogaloo. Something which frankly made her stare off into space thoughtfully. Supposedly humans were very hardy and grouped together when in peril. And yet, these knights in such jobs that endangered theiri life seemed not to do that at all. If anything hardship just seemed to make them even more bitter. She was still mentally chewing the information when she was suddenly addressed, causing her to glance back at Eritheia as they inquired as to her ...personally? Interesting. Was the woman actually interested in her? Or was this some manner of being polite? Either way, she finished one of her kebabs and set the skewer on her plate before answering.
"Interest in the festival! We have a similar festival around this time of year where I'm frome. However it's more of a tradition of warding evil, and so I came to see if there were any similarities to the Clover Kingdom festival. Though that doesn't quite seem to be the case. Apparently it's more of a very old political celebration thing having to do with the spirits. A shame really, given how much the kingdom could probably use some evil warding." She noted contemplatively. Though at the reply of the woman's prying regarding her family/"village" she couldn't help but chuckle just a little. "I'm sure there are some scattered around here. We don't usually operate in groups. As for celebrating at home welll.... as secure as I'm sure the palace is, with the Daemons it's a bit on the dicey side of things back home. I'm not sure if the actual main structure is actually bigger, but the rooms here do feel rather small in comparison to the palace back home. But then again we have more vertical space, not quite as many chambers probably. It's a little drafty and cold as well. Though that might just be the choice in materials. So much stone...." She noted softly as she looked around at the venue.
At the implication that she was some sort of criminal, Shizuyoru let out a warm little laugh. "Nothing of the sort. ever since the Forest opened up, pilgrimage has been a lot more popular among us! Besides, our Mother generally does not suffer those who betray the kingdom to live. Though I suppose qualifications for that probably differ considerably between what constitutes a criminal in the lcover kingdom compared to the Forest." She noted idly. That Forest with an implied capital F would narrow down what she could be talking about considerably. That and her mention of it opening up, assuming Eritheia had any knowledge of recent events, would more or less pinpoint that Shizuyoru was indicating that she was a witch. Something she seemed wholly unconcerned about revealing.
Charles was able to see the concern on Suna's face. After all, the fact that he was drinking meant that he may get wasted if he doesn't stop. It was also possible that Hans may get drunk and act differently from his usual self. Then again this what just another Friday for the silver mage, as drinking was something quite common in the Black Bull's, while the rest of the squad spent their time drinking he was slacking off and sleeping in his room if there was nothing better to do. Though what seemed to concern her is that they were going to the Royal Palace, where everyone there was very refined in all aspects. Most people there were nobles and royalty. People would be quick to notice something out of place if a drunk person like Hans got in there and probably kick them out. The Black Bull could only hope that it didn't come to that. [break][break] The possibility that Suna thought he was going to meet up with a girl was all times high, though chances of him liking someone much less a girl from the nobility were extremely low. Charles raised an eyebrow when Suna replied, it seemed to imply that the two met on a previous occasion, which was quite surprising to him. Not many Magic Knights got the chance to know a Captain outside of their own squad, much less a civilian so that was quite surprising to him. "Yeah... You two met before? He tilted his head forward curious as to how the two met in the first place, she did mention to him that she trained with the Vice-Captain of the Crimson Lions, Lydia Ravencrest so the possibility of her meeting the Captain wasn't too far-fetched now that he thought about it more clearly. "Yeah, not a problem, Hans." Unlike Suna, Hans did understand the Black Bull meant by dealing with them, which was fine to him. Indeed, he wasn't going to allow the two to be humiliated, especially Hans, who had it rough like him and fought the Daemons despite being a simple mercenary. He was more of a Knight compared to the rest of the nobility that spent their time living in comfort. The ones who deserved this festival were the ones who fought the difficult battles against the Daemons, nobility or not. [break][break] It was best for him to lead the way, Charles had been in the Royal Palace his fair share of times before, but all of them revolved around his job as a Magic Knight, this was his first time coming to the Royal Palace for more casual matters, even though he wished to avoid it if possible. "Yeah, I assume it's your first here. Anyone can get lost if not careful enough, hah." Charles later activated one of his relic's special abilities, which was a map with all the mana signatures of everyone inside the palace. It made things much easier, considering he had poor sensory abilities, which was also a reminder that he needed to learn something to make up for his lack of sensory skills. Sure, the relic helped, but there was only so much it helped him with. Identifying the mana signature of Ardere was a piece of cake, first by narrowing down the more powerful mana signatures. After that narrowing the Captain's mana signature in specific, as he was already familiar with it. "Yeah, I'd assume the one with the highest mana signature here is the Wizard King, which is to be expected. Thanks... I'm still curious about what type of magic it uses, as I can't quite narrow it down." He nodded to Suna, confirming that it was indeed Captain Ardere. Charles could still not narrow down the type of magic the ring possessed, he hasn't really used it a lot ever since he got it, but it had some strange abilities. [break][break] As the trio of mages went into the main room, which was filled with people and tables were a lot of fancy food was offered. It didn't take long for someone to come and offer them champagne, to no one's surprise, the Black Bull politely declined, he didn't like drinking and he didn't come here to drink anyway."Yeah... I'm sure I'm not the only one with an interest in talking to him, might as well go there as soon as possible." Charles sighed, but he knew what he had to do, even if he had to wait. He just hoped it didn't take the entire night. "Anyway, I'll get going now. I'll come back once I'm done talking to him, go have fun." The Black Bull raised his hand casually waving off to the two as he made through the sea of nobles, he let out another sigh. [break][break] Eventually, Charles made his way towards the location Captain Ardere was at, he seemed to be talked with other people, which wasn't surprising at all. Of course, for the sake of politeness and respect, he remained quiet until they finished their conversation. "Excuse me, Captain." The Black Bull spoke in a rather polite and refined voice tone, which was out-of-character on his part, but the place and the circumstances forced him to act differently. He found himself in the Royal Palace, filled with nobles, coming up to talk to a Magic Knight Captain. Of course, the moment the Captain of the Crimson Lions would turn around, he will find out that the person was no more than Charles. The two previously met months ago, training in the Volcano Mana Zone, something that the Black Bull at the moment didn't take seriously at all, but now the circumstances changed. Kikka changed him, for good or bad, it changed his perception and way of seeing things. He was unable to do anything useful and at the end of the day. [break][break] "If you don't mind, I will like to speak to you for a moment." Aside from the fact that the two met many months ago, it was likely that the Captain would've probably heard from the reports that he was one of the two Magic Knights that made it out of Kikka to tell the tale after the Daemons attacked. The look on his face was different from back then, perhaps something that Ardere was more familiar with. There was an unusual yet determined look on his face, indeed, right now Charles was powerless and the only way he could do something the next time danger presented itself was to train, something that the Black Bull had neglected for quite some time and saw it as pointless. He not only needed to become stronger but learn new abilities and how to adapt to any coming situations. The silver mage learned, that even though the Vice-Captains and Captains were quite strong, there was still a possibility for them to be defeated, Vice-Captain Artemis was a clear example of that. If no one else strong enough present then everyone would be doomed, that was the exact thing Charles wanted to prevent. "This is probably not the best time to bring this up, but this might as well be one of the few chances I may get to say it. I need your assistance, I need you to train me." There it is, a part of him didn't want it, but he knew that if he ever wanted to do something for people who supported him when things got rough, for Captain Malcolm and Vice-Captain Rosalia this was the option the silver mage had to go for, not only for his own sake, but for the sake of everyone he cares for. [break]
Name of the Ability: Sonar Tracking [break] Type & Uses: Flow ¦ 3 (uses) ¦ 2 (overheating) [break] Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Sensory ¦ Tracking [break] Mana Cost: 8 ¦ 4 [break] Range & Speed: 10m aoe + (x2 sensory) ¦ 10 m/s [break] Stats Affected: N/A [break] Description: The bearer of the ring need only to turn the ring once to activate this ability. When active a three-dimensional semi-transparent map that is so detailed that it gets every minute detail seems to project itself from the ring showing up to 10 meters +(x2 sensory) in all directions to its wearer. The added bonus to this is that it shows any people within the area in the form of small effigies allies and civilians seem to appear, pale blue-grey representative of the wind, while enemies appear as a lightish to dark blue representative of the fire, the opposite colour seems to appear around them as if to indicate the potential strength of those it is showing this, however, could also be a false positive as it is clear it hasn't reached its full potential.[break]
