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.
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
With the fated return to Kikka fast approaching, Hans has been training almost non-stop with that Green Mantis mage, Valo, and the redheaded shadow mage, Genesis. On top of that, he has also been trying to spend more time with Suna, not knowing how long it'll be until he gets to see her again....if he ever does get to that is.
The merc was walking through the town where Suna's home resides but didn't have any particular plans in mind. Maybe the sound mage would have some ideas, but if she didn't, Hans started to ponder a bit on helping her with the garden again....hopefully without things going south this time. But as that previous event came to the guy's mind, he stopped walking and just stood there, thinking. When was the last time Hans got to spend time with Suna...without anything crazy happening? The merc may not be a dating expert...but even he knows that relationships shouldn't be as...chaotic as his and Suna's own.
Placing a hand on his chin, Hans thought a little more about this but shook his head slowly. It was probably for the best to not think too much about this...and it isn't like that Hans exactly hates those moments or anything. Deep down, he kind of likes them in fact, getting a bit of a rush from the danger. Not that surprising considering how the dark mage has grown up.
Hans then turned his head to a window nearby and slowly walked up to it. He started to inspect himself, rubbing his fingers through his black hair in the process. He then looked down at his clothing and frowned a bit. Back then, Hans didn't really give a damn about his attire, but ever since he met that elf, he started to care a little. The man doesn't have much variety when it comes to clothes, unfortunately. He still does have that butler-like suit he wore at the Spirit Ball, but that was mostly for formal gatherings.
Although....
Before Hans could continue down that....train of thought, he noticed a guy staring at him from the other side of the window. The merc blinked a few times before looking up at the building...which turns out to be a house. "Oh. My apologies, I was just..." Before Hans could finish, the guy...winked at him followed by a smirk. Not knowing what to do with this...Hans just backed up, adjusted his sheathed greatsword on his back and walked off. It was clear that the guy wasn't bothered by Hans' accidental intrusion...
After a bit more walking, Hans finally made it to the outskirts of town and was now approaching that familiar-looking house. As he came up to the door, Hans was just about to knock until he stopped himself. "Right..." The dark mage lowered his hand and opened the case holding his grimoire. There was another book in there as well which he took out. "Symbolic Symphonies" was what it says on the cover along with illustrations of musical notes and instruments. He had bought this from the Archives for Suna, knowing her love for music. The man smiled a bit at the book, but then it started to falter slightly. What if she has this book already? Will she like it? Not being much of a musical person himself, Hans had no idea if this book would truly be up to her standards.
The man then let out a soft sigh. He already bought the book so there was no turning back now. So the guy just knocked on the door, and hid the book behind him, hoping for the best.
But little did Hans know that he wasn't the only one coming to visit Suna today....
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Dec 1, 2020 7:32:13 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
007
34
10
032
030
[break]
MANA SKIN senior
HEALTH senior
MANA REGEN 25 IC // 20 OOC
MANA POOL 110/110
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
Verena had not stopped by Suna's once since she had borrowed that book. It wasn't that she didn't want to though. But she had been busy training with Jorah. And after Jorah, it was a dungeon with the author, Valentine, and his companion. After the dungeon, it just nonstop training. She was lacking so much still, and she knew it. But it was far too late to rescind her admission. There just wasn't enough time in the day for it, unfortunately.[break][break]
But still, she had borrowed another book. Verena absolutely had to return it back to her friend. She hoped she didn't miss it. It was a lot longer of a return than she would have liked it to have been, and she truly felt guilty about that. There was also no real way for her to let her know the situation, and even if she did, it wasn't as if she could really bring it up. No doubt Suna would throw a fit if she found out that she was enlisted in Kikka.[break][break]
Verena had an obligation to return it before it was too late, and since she had to stop through the Common Realm to get to Kikka anyway, she might have as well stopped here. She had another golem she could have used, and it did move faster but it was too intimidating for Verena to feel comfortable trying to use as transportation. More importantly, Gaia was her first golem ever made--it meant a lot to her, and if this would be the last time she was to see Suna, she would rather cling to nostalgic and happy memories, few as they were in her short twenty years of life.[break][break]
Perhaps the most surprising thing was that Verena had little issue finding the cottage despite only going there once, but the reality was she had a keen eye for navigation with as much as she traveled around. Once she felt "secure" in a place, no matter where it was, it was almost a guarantee she'd return there again sooner or later. That was just how it worked.[break][break]
However, as she drew closer to the cottage, the heiress took sight of a most peculiar sight--a male, just about the same height as her at a glance. This unknown figure's hair was messy, albeit slightly spiked. His clothing indicated that he wasn't from the Noble Realm, but it wasn't clothing belonging to peasants or farmers, either. He had messy hair, as dark as night itself.[break][break]
"...What a suspicious man," Verena thought to herself as she approached the cottage, being carried by her Gaia. Though as she was approaching the cottage, she had its arm lower to the ground to let her off, before dismissing it.[break][break]
Verena was, of course, wearing her trademark coat over the usual attire, though her reading glasses were still on her face. Her hair was in twin tails, her most commonly seen look.[break][break]
Verena wasn't sure what to do. She had to return the book, but she also wasn't sure what to do about the man in question. It'd be rude to jump to conclusions--was that a book he had? There was still a bit of distance, so it wasn't as if she could make out the specifics.[break][break]
Then this was a friend of Suna's?[break][break]
A male friend. Ah, that was fine.[break][break]
wait.[break][break]
Verena realized the book she had to return to Suna. Ah... death seemed like a better alternative. Especially if this one was well read. She wanted to die. Could she even do this? No this was too embarrassing! Kikka was momentarily shoved out of her mind at this moment, despite the heavy nature surrounding it. Her face reddened, and she realized that she had no idea what to do other than stand around. Not to mention, if this male friend was more than a male friend... Wait, that quick? It felt like only a few months had occurred--she had last seen her over two months ago, at the bare minimum. She couldn't keep track of it all, but...[break][break]
Thankfully, her golem was quite loud, so she definitely had attention coming her way even despite her mental state being reduced to that of a child with how embarrassed she was. She was also still in sight of windows.
[break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll2"] TL;DR panicking verena because she has r18 book and she has to bring it to suna in front of a stranger. [break][break]
It was a gorgeous day, and it was going to be made even better with the prospect of having two very special people visiting her at the same time. Of course, Suna did not know all this—she was too busy reading and taking notes from a guide on music technique. As of late, she had been neglecting her sound magic, choosing more to expand on her aura magic. However, music was still her first love, and she needed to revisit that. She did not feel like she had made any progress in that area, and that needed to be changed. Tosto. Immediately.
She sighed and raised her arms to stretch, only to stop halfway when she sensed a mana signature outside the house. A familiar one. For a few moments, there was no sound to be heard. What was he doing? Then, finally, a knock. "Coming!" She called out and skipped over to the front room and flung the door open. If the mercenary was not quick on his reflexes, he would be tackled over by a hug.
"You didn’t tell me you were coming today!" There was nothing better than a surprise visit. Assuming the dark mage had let her wrap her arms around him, the elf would feel something, something that he was holding. "What’s that?" She loosened her hold on him and tried to peer around. Whether he let her see it or not was up to him, but then she would hear the sound of trampling.
She turned her head to catch sight of a familiar brown-haired figure alighting from a giant golem, and slowly walking up to her cottage. "Verena!" She waved energetically, which may or may not accidently hit the man by her side. "What are you doing here?" Assuming that the summoner mage would be coming closer to them, the elf would lower her arm and also her voice volume. Joy at the two surprising appearances had naturally caused her to be more energetic than usual.
"How are you? It’s been...what, like two months since you last came from my house? Oh!" She caught sight of a book in the other female’s hand. "You’ve come to return it? How did you like it?" Perhaps the wrong question to ask, but she was so caught up with it all that she had momentarily forgotten what the book contained. Nonetheless, she walked forward and reached out to hug the other girl...before remembering that she probably was not comfortable with physical affections. So instead, she attempted to do more of a side bug.
She had so many questions why each of them were here, but first, introductions. "You don’t know each other, right? Verena, this is Hans. And Hans, this is Verena." Suna turned her head, looking from one to the other. The short female had to crane her head up slightly to look at the faces of the two taller individuals. "She’s a friend who I met in Hapshass a couple months ago, and she loves reading as well. She’s the one who also helped me organize my library of books."
Turning back to Hans, she hesitated. "Hans is...uh..." She blushed a little. "He’s my...my boyfriend..." At first, her eyes dropped down to the ground, flustered. This was the first time she was introducing him as such, and it was quite definitive of their relationship. Then she would nervously glance up to see how the man was taking it, hoping she had not presumed too much on their unspoken bond. How mortifying would it be if he was to speak up now and deny that connection.
The trio made quite the sight. Three individuals caught up in their own trains of embarrassment, all for very different things. Suna got over her bashful moment swiftly, though now she was curious as to why her two companions seemed to be equally embarrassed. What was up with them?
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
Hans could sense that familiar, bubbly aura getting closer and closer, but he was still not completely prepared for that sudden embrace that came after the door opened! "Woah!" Hans took a step back, nearly falling over from the hug, but managed to keep his footing. "H-Hey Suna." The merc said before wrapping his free arm around the woman in return. "Just wanted to drop by....see how you were doing." The merc claimed, but of course, there was more to it than just that. The man smiled a bit, but it would fade a bit after hearing the elf's question. "What's wha-oh..." Hans almost forgot about the book he was holding.
"This is...u-uh..." Hans was still a bit nervous. This was his first time getting Suna something other than that necklace and flowers...which tends to end in failure half the time. "It's..." His heart started to race, pounding so fierce that it almost sounded like heavy footsteps, marching towards him.
Except those sounds weren't actually coming from his heart...
"Hm?" With an eyebrow raised, Hans sensed another mana signature coming from behind, one that he has never sensed before. Turning around, the first thing Hans took notice of was some sort of...earth golem heading the couple's way. The merc's brows furrowed, appearing a bit suspicious at this, but then he heard his lady shout a name, and looked over to see her waving energetically! After nearly getting hit by that energetic hand, Hans took a step back to keep himself from sporting a black eye. Now looking back at the golem, Hans finally focused on the woman riding on it. Looks like this is a friend of Suna's judging by how familiar she was being with her. He also took notice of the book in her hands, but couldn't make out the title of it or anything.
Now that he was thinking about it, this was the first time Hans has ever met any of Suna's friends...or at least one that he did not also happen to know.
"Uh...hey." Hans said with a slight nod after being introduced. It was obvious that the man still needed to work on his greeting skills. Suna then started to talk a bit about this Verena person. Another bookworm it seems. The woman definitely looks the part that's for sure. "I see." was all Hans could really think of to say. Then Suna changed her attention to the merc and called him her...
B-boyfriend!?
Surprisingly, Hans was not expecting that at all. Just like Suna, his cheeks lit up a little as well, as he looked over to the sound mage. Boyfriend....Hans never thought much about what they should call themselves. They were close...very close. He was hers and She was his, that's pretty much how Hans saw it, but this took the merc completely off guard. Suna looked over to him, and instinctively, he shifted his eyes away. "Y-yeah. She's my...gi-girlfriend." he added with a nod before clearing his throat. Girlfriend...such a weird word to come out of the merc's mouth...but it felt...right at the same time.
Trying to break through this now awkward atmosphere, Hans turned his attention to Verena. "Er...It's a pleasure to...meet you, Verena." the dark mage said, trying to go for a better introduction. "You're an...earth mage, I take it?" he asked, gesturing at the golem if it were still there. It was odd seeing Hans try to strike up a conversation for once...but there was a first time for everything.
"Oh." But then the merc finally remembered. Turning to Suna, Hans gestured his gift to the elf, and started to rub the back of his neck with his other hand. "I got this for you...It's a...book." he said, stating the obvious...
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Dec 21, 2020 16:05:35 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
007
34
10
032
030
[break]
MANA SKIN senior
HEALTH senior
MANA REGEN 25 IC // 20 OOC
MANA POOL 110/110
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
Suna seemed to be in great spirits. At the very least, she recognized this man, which gave Verena reason to at least be willing to offer him the bare minimum of trust--of respect. She was just happy that Suna seemed to be just as happy to see her as she was to see her. It would have been unfortunate if the elf wasn't home. She couldn't just leave the book at the door, especially if people did travel past here. Heaven forbid someone recognized it.[break][break]
As Verena got closer, Suna asked what she was doing here, visiting out of the blue, though she quickly seemed to realize the purpose of the visit when she asked what she thought of it. "Ah, it was-"[break][break]
Verena stopped, cheeks turning bright red--an even larger shade of red than the last time. She couldn't answer that question in front of someone she never met! She was so used to answering questions when asked. If it truly went against her values, she'd simply say she declined to answer. However, with a new person here, she couldn't answer something as outlandish as that! What would they think of her? Verena moved the book away from Hans' sight.[break][break]
Clearing her throat, Verena simply offered a sweet smile to Suna instead of answering. It was the best she could do in the moment. Perhaps one could liken it to a sort of almost instinctive reaction, as it was something she did often enough when bothered or uncomfortable without drawing a scene or complaining about something.[break][break]
While Verena was internally breaking down, Suna took the moment to introduce one another. Hans offered her a slight greeting. Then, Suna introduced Hans as her boyfriend.[break][break]
Verena looked between the two, her eyes darting between them and the book a few times over. The timing of the introduction combined with the contents of the book resulted in the questionably innocent mage maintaining her rosy cheeks. Had they...? No, there was no way. Only two months had gone by. Suna wasn't that type of woman... was she?[break][break]
Verena shook her head, as if trying to reassure herself. Even if the types of books Suna had were... questionable, that didn't mean Suna herself was into these sorts of things. Splintered Hearts was, after all, an accidental purchase of a sort; the purchase was intentional, but she hadn't a chance to read it to know if it was something she would truly enjoy. That was, of course, if she was to take her at face value--which the Summoner absolutely would--did, in fact.[break][break]
"An earth mage?" Verena inquired when asked about her magic. She had dismissed her golem now that she was close enough to the two, and was instead walking as a normal person would have.[break][break]
"Ah... I-I um... see why you'd think that. Erm... it's complicated. It'd be easier to think of me as just a golem mage with below-average efficiency with carbon magic..."[break][break]
Even though she answered, her mind was still wandering. The two were so shy--so embarrassed about being referred to as the other's boyfriend and girlfriend. Was this a new thing? It certainly wasn't something Suna mentioned two months ago. She eyed Hans, as if trying to get an idea of who he was. But his reaction to being addressed as her boyfriend contradicted his exterior. Was he just a softy then...?[break][break]
Though she was tempted to ask if they had engaged in more intimate acts, she knew better than that. It wasn't any of her business, anyway. Instead:[break][break]
"What about you? What sort of magic do you use?" A bit of enthusiasm asked in her question, as Suna likely expected--though Verena's mind still wandered.
[break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll2"] TL;DR panicking verena because she has r18 book and she has to bring it to suna in front of a stranger. [break][break]
Hans had seemed surprised at her sudden embrace, but she paid it no mind. He would get used to it if he kept hanging around her. At least, that was the thought. "Just to see how I’m doing?" She asked, her blue eyes warming up at the kind thought. "How nice of you!" She squeezed him one more time before letting go, because then he was saying something about the thing he had brought...
Only to be interrupted by her other unexpected guest. What a day, having two visitors show up at her doorstep without notice. She was absolutely thrilled about the prospect, and it showed in her greeting and conversation with Verena. Then came the introductions, and both her cheeks and her eyes lit up when the mercenary responded in kind, calling her his girlfriend.
Girlfriend...that was...something else entirely. It was like a new level of their relationship, and even more so when it was to a dear friend. Oh yes, these two individuals were close and dear to her heart. She had asked Verena why she was here, and for some reason, the tall girl only smiled at her but did not answer. Then Hans was rubbing the back of his neck, which Suna has learned was something he did when he was embarrassed. Why was he embarrassed now, though? Then his hand reached out and she understood.
"I got this for you...It's a...book."
"Oh!" She took the book from him and gently ran her hand across the cover. "'"Symbolic Symphonies'. Oh, I haven’t read this one before, and this looks so interesting! Thank you!" She beamed up at the dark mage...and would have hugged him again, but only if it had only been just the two of them there. But for now, she flashed him a grateful and adoring look. He knew how much she liked to read, and he has found one that she has not yet seen before—a feat, as she counted herself quite familiar with the writings within her area. This was a rare treat, and it was made even better because it was from him.
She glanced over at the brown-haired woman, and could probably guess that she had a lot of questions for her. Of course, knowing Verena, she would not ask them, nor would Suna answer them with the person in question around. She would be too embarrassed to do that anyways, and besides, that was girls’ talk. So for now, the elf nodded at Verena, blue eyes promising her answers later on.
Then Hans asked about Verena’s golem, and the sound mage would have answered for him...but then thought better of it. This was a chance to see how these two would interact. It would be simply terrible if these two dear people were at odds with each other. Each was special to her in their own way, and it would be like tearing her in half if they did not get along.
As Verena explained more about her golem, Suna looked between the two, trying to figure out their facial expressions and reactions to each other. Then she realized that the other girl had her hands behind her back, and the elf made a slight movement to the side to see what she was hiding. She caught sight of a book. That book. Realization dawned on her. Of course. She understood now.
"'Below average'?" Suna echoed, catching onto the last part of Verena’s answer. Her pert little nose crinkled up and she shook her head vehemently. "Verena, you shouldn’t sell yourself short." She elbowed Hans, assuming he was still next to her. "Did you know Verena could learn other people’s elements? She learned my sound magic in just an afternoon!"
Then she would take a step back from the conversation and let the two exchange their words. With her friend’s inquisitive and intelligent mind, Suna was sure she could gain a lot from talking to Hans—if he was willing to talk, of course. It did not take a lot to make her happy. Just to be surrounded by those close to her and books...all her favorite things together.
But first things first. Once the two had hit a lull in their conversation, Suna would wave her hand towards her house, inviting them in. "What kind of hostess am I to leave my friends standing outside? Come in, come in!"
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
Hans watched as Suna took the book from him, and started to inspect it with her hand. She seemed to be intrigued by it so far, but the merc still felt a bit tensed. He was never the greatest at giving gifts...mostly because he didn't do things like this before. Despite how long the mage couple has been together so far, Hans still had some things to learn about relationships. "Hm...Really?" was Hans' response to the sound mage's claim. He was really able to find a book that Suna hasn't even read before!? That felt almost unbelievable, but then again, the dark mage could just be overreacting. Still, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment, especially with how the woman was beaming at him. "I'm glad you like it." he nodded, giving a small smile of his own.
The merc's attention would then go back to Verena as she started to speak about her magic, but how hesitant she started off didn't go unnoticed. "Golem...mage?" Hans repeated, not exactly sure what she meant. He placed a hand on his chin and started to ponder about it. She brought up Carbon magic as well...so would that make her a double elemental like Suna? But what exactly did she mean by golem mage since almost all elements were capable of that?
As Hans continued to try and wrap his head around Verena's magic, he glanced over to Suna as she repeated something the brown-haired woman said. His hand then dropped to his side as the elf continued to speak, completely catching Hans' attention as well. There she goes again, trying to lift the spirits of others. Hans had another little smile form on his face while he listened. She could always find the positive in things and people...which is part of why the dark mage adores her so much. She then elbowed the merc, causing him to blink quizzically.
"Did you know Verena could learn other people’s elements? She learned my sound magic in just an afternoon!"
"Oh?" Hans raised an eyebrow before looking back over at the slightly taller woman with a hint of genuine curiosity. "That's impressive. It takes me a bit longer than that to learn new spells....and you're able to learn that quickly with other elements." Hans claimed truthfully before crossing his arms. The merc was genuinely impressed, being the type who doesn't mince words with most people. Golems....Other people's elements. It started to make sense to Hans now. "So you're a Summoner?" He questioned. The only reason he even knows of this magic is because his greatsword, Raven's Grasp was created as a failed attempt at channeling Summoner Magic. Hans ended up nabbing the sword, and it was only able to harness his own element.
Speaking of, Verena asked Hans about his own magic with a hint of enthusiasm. "I'm a Dark mage." Hans claimed, but then he thought of how that could be mistaken for something else and shook his head a bit. "As in I can control the element of darkness." he clarified before raising a hand up, letting a dark aura surround it to give a small example. "It isn't as fast as most other magics...but its durability makes up for it." Hans added.
Hans eventually brought his attention back to Suna as she gestured for both of them to enter her home. With another nod, Hans waited for both ladies to enter first before stepping in himself. Once inside, Hans would be greeted by this familiar atmosphere and decor, feeling himself getting a little comfortable. "Do you need help with anything, Suna?" Hans asked, ready to lend a hand. She may be the hostess...but the dark mage was still her man.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Jan 11, 2021 9:56:46 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
007
34
10
032
030
[break]
MANA SKIN senior
HEALTH senior
MANA REGEN 25 IC // 20 OOC
MANA POOL 110/110
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
Verena was surprised. Not only had Hans gotten her a book on music, apparently, but it was also one that she hadn't read. Though, it seemed like it was purely coincidence. Regardless of it was out of luck or if he knew she hadn't read it, the brunette was happy that Suna seemed appeased. The fact he could make her elven friend smile like that was all the reason she needed to be at ease. Though it wasn't as if she trusted him entirely; her trust was not so easily won, after all.[break][break]
Though Verena was tempted to ask the when, the what, and the how, she felt it hardly appropriate to do in front of the man. She didn't exactly know the 'rules' of girl talk, but she instead decided against asking purely as a result of how embarrassed these two seemed to be. Surely, they couldn't have been dating for too long by this point. Of that, the Reinsberg was relatively certain.[break][break]
A glance at Hans gave her quite a bit of information about him. He was experienced in combat, but he carried with him a set of uncertainty. His posture showed he was relaxed, but he still had a small bit of tension, as though he found himself at a crossroad in his life. Was it because of Suna? It was difficult to be anything but at ease when around the blue-haired woman, she knew that. Her boundless optimism even cheered her up. It wasn't hard to believe it, but she also wasn't sure if she was giving Suna too much credit; after all, she had no idea what Hans had been through.[break][break]
Suna was quite against Verena's comment of calling herself below average. Though she specifically meant that in regards to her carbon magic efficiency, she probably should have distinguished that. Immediately, Suna explained one of the most notable aspects of her magic to her significant other, causing Verena to just smile awkwardly. She wasn't used to others bragging about her. It also wasn't an afternoon; it had taken them till evening when the sun was beginning to set.[break][break]
Hans himself seemed to think it was something to be proud of. In truth, however, she still hadn't quite gotten Suna's element down. Her sound golem wasn't anything to be proud of; it was a far cry from anything stable. She could gather the mana, but keeping it stable enough so that it could be even remotely solid was still not yet possible.[break][break]
The most surprising thing to Verena was the fact that Hans seemed to know about Summoner magic. "E-Eh? You know about that type of magic?" she inquired, genuinely surprised.[break][break]
The number of people who had heard about that magic that she met could be counted on one hand. However, as soon as Hans' said 'Dark Magic', the Summoner's bright red eyes immediately lit up. Following the group into the house, she couldn't help but ask questions.[break][break]
"Dark Magic? As in, the type of magic unique to holders of four-leaf grimoires? Oh, I'd love to make a golem from that! I've yet to try to see if I can learn magic from another rare magic type. Aaah, I've got so many ideas! Let's see, let's see... Dark Magic's primary property is its durability, right? Oooh! I could make an improved version of my earth golem. Mobility isn't an issue; it would be much more suited to protecting others. That's the greatest thing about that element; it isn't predominately suited for offensive means, but defensive. Oh, but what would I have it look like... Dark magic is intimidating at a glance, but it should be able to make people feel at ease depending on the form it takes..."[break][break]
oh no. she was ranting.[break][break]
Verena was like this for a while, mumbling to herself after the initial outburst as though she began brewing something up, before abruptly covering her mouth. She still had the book behind her back and was the last to enter, but the woman seemed self-aware enough to know she had gone off on a tangent in front of a person she had never met. Her cheeks turned a little rosy in color.[break][break]
"Uhm... sorry about that... please ignore that..." she mused timidly spoke, before immediately seeking a topic change. "S-Suna, may I return that book back on the shelf?"
[break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll2"] TL;DR do not bring up rare magic around her less you want espresso depresso to not shut up [break][break]
Honestly, it was all quite adorable, watching the mercenary’s reaction to her reaction towards the book. Of course, she would like his gift no matter what it was, all because it was from him. Somehow, she felt like it would make things more awkward if she hugged him right there and then, so she made a mental note to thank him properly later.
It was also a satisfying feeling when Verena and Hans seemed to get along as well. The latter had correctly pinpointed her friend’s summoning capabilities, though she was not sure how. Regardless, she smiled as she listened to their exchange, especially when she saw Verena’s eyes light up at her man’s magic. She could not be more proud of him than now...well, she could, but at the moment, it seemed like it. Both individuals possessed such rare magic, it was such a blessing to even know both of them.
Her smile grew when she heard the enthusiasm in Verena’s voice, talking about dark magic and what she could possibly use it for. She sounded so happy and alive like this, and Suna wondered how she could help the girl to stay in that state for a longer period of time.
"S-Suna, may I return that book back on the shelf?"
And just like that, the timid Verena was back. "Of course." They were inside the house now, and Suna waved a hand towards the back, where it led to the other room. She had no doubt that the other woman knew where the book should go, considering that she was the one who helped her organize the shelves in the first place.
"Feel free to borrow another one if any of them catches your fancy!" She called out, assuming that the girl was already there in the back. Suna still had to ask her what she thought about it, as she knew those types of books were not everyone’s cup of tea, but there will be time and opportunity later.
"Do you need help with anything, Suna?"
It should be a motif by now, but of course she was going to offer tea first. "Can you help me boil some water? The kettle’s over there." There was also some flour and sugar she had in the pantry...perhaps she could also quickly whip up some sugar cookies. Those would go well with the tea.
The elf set the book she received from Hans neatly on the table, and assuming the dark mage was standing nearby, she would pull him in for a hug. "Thank you," she murmured, looking up at him with an adoring smile. "I’ll really enjoy reading that later." A quick squeeze, then she let go and started grabbing various ingredients and bowls from the pantry.
Within minutes, Suna was elbow-high in flour, kneading and shaping the dough to her heart’s content. If the mercenary had nothing else to do and Verena was back in this room, she would wave a hand towards the chairs, scattering a light spray of flour into the air. "Get comfortable, both of you!" If any of them tried to offer more of their help, Suna would only laugh and shake her head. "No, no, it’s fine!"
As she worked, she kept an ear out on her visitors. If neither of them knew how to start, she would inject with a "Verena, have you met anyone else with rare magic besides Hans?"
Her hands were kept busy. She had rolled the dough up into a long snake, then cut them into equal parts. After rolling them individually between her palms, she flattened them and set them on a baking pan. As soon as that was in the oven, the kettle started singing, so she measured out some black tea leaves and poured the water in. "Careful, it’s hot." She warned them as she carried it over to the table or wherever Hans and Verena were at. "Might have to wait a few more minutes if you want it stronger, but help yourselves!"
Now she was back in the kitchen, making the sweet glaze that would go over the cookies. It was quick, just powdered sugar and milk in a small pot. Stirring it continuously, she would watch it carefully, making sure it did not burn. Once the sugar was all melted, she took the pot from the stove and allowed it to cool a little. All that was left was for the cookies to finish baking, so she leaned on the counter and caught snatches of the conversation that was going on, if any.
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
Hans nodded at Verena's inquiry and removed his longsword from its sheath to show her. "This sword was made with the intention of harnessing Summoner magic...But it's only capable of summoning a single dark golem now." The merc claimed, leaving out how he exactly got a hold of this weapon. Golem creation is still very new territory for Hans and something he doesn't fully have a grasp of, but he was getting there. Like with most other things, he just needed to train hard at it.
The merc had talked a bit about his own magic, and just when he thought he had a gauge of Verena's personality...she immediately threw the man's assumptions out the window as she went on a rant! Seems like the woman knows a lot about Hans' magic as well...a lot more than he did about hers. The dark mage could do nothing but just watch the summoner as she went on and on, blinking a few times at her sudden change in mood. Was he even talking to the same woman at this point? "U-uh..." No...He wasn't even talking at all, because he couldn't get a single word in. Hans even glanced over to Suna to see if she saw what he was seeing and that he wasn't just imagining this. Of course, the elf smiled at this...especially since this is something she'd also do herself.
Looks like the two ladies have more in common than just reading....
Then Verena finally caught herself and stopped herself, reverting back to that shy woman from earlier. Again, Hans blinked a few times as Verena apologized and the merc rose his hands up a bit before shaking his head. "Uh, no no, it's fine, really. I just wasn't expecting you to...know so much about dark magic." That's not exactly what he wasn't expecting, but it was probably better to just go with that. Plus it wasn't entirely a lie. Hans was genuinely surprised about Verena's knowledge...and part of him was now curious about how she learns other people's elements...But could he trust her with his own? Suna trusted the summoner enough with one of her elements, so that alone should be enough....but still it would probably be for the best if he gets to know the brown-haired woman a little bit more.
The summoner had now turned her attention to Suna, apparently wanting to return a book she borrowed? So that's probably what she was hiding...but why hide it in the first place? Assuming that Verena would go to put it away, Hans would try to discretely peek over at the timid woman to see if he could get the title of the book...but unfortunately, he was only able to get a very small glimpse of the book's design. No matter, the man just chalked it up as Verena being shy and left it there.
After offering his assistance to his lady, Hans turned towards the kitchen and was just about to enter before getting embraced by the blue-haired elf. "Maybe we can read it together sometime." Hans suggested with a little smile while returning the brief embrace. "Didn't know you were a librarian now." Hans said in jest, referring to Verena's borrowed book. "Perhaps I should check a book out as well." Another jest, but Hans wouldn't mind reading something else from Suna's collection. Maybe he'll try picking up that book Verena had after all of this. Could be an interesting read!
With the water boiled for the tea, Hans looked around for something else to help with before being gestured to take a seat along with Verena presumably. "But do you need anymore hel-" Suna quickly chimed in while shaking her head, causing Hans to close his mouth. "Hmm, alright alright." Hans said with a light chuckle before heading over to the table and taking a seat. The merc was silent at first, his hands clasped together on the table as he twiddled his thumbs a bit. Hans may be a fan of silence...but even that could get a little awkward for him, especially around new people.
Fortunately, Suna came in with a question of her own, making Hans loosen up a bit. Speaking of, Hans also had his run-ins with some rare magic users besides Lydia and Verena. The others however Hans has never seen in quite some time, one of them being a man who also uses dark magic. But those people were simply acquaintances so he doubted that he'd run into them again anytime soon. Speaking of, Hans never noticed until now, but Suna is almost surrounded by people with rare magic. A mentor, a friend, and also a significant other. She certainly has a knack for attracting interesting people.
Suna then brought in some tea for the two mages to which Hans gently grabbed his before nodding. "Thank you, Suna." he nodded before blowing it and took a sip. Tea may not be Hans' cup of...tea, but he didn't exactly hate it....Plus he would never turn anything down from his lady.
Thanks to Suna's earlier question, Hans was able to figure out something to ask, so he placed his cup down and brought his attention to Verena as Suna went back into the kitchen. "If uh you don't mind me asking, Verena...how do you go about learning other elements...?" Well it was certainly a question...but he could've asked her how long she knew Suna, where was she from, what her occupation was, but nope, he went right back to her magic!
The merc still requires a lot of help with his social skills...
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Jan 18, 2021 8:29:26 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
007
34
10
032
030
[break]
MANA SKIN senior
HEALTH senior
MANA REGEN 25 IC // 20 OOC
MANA POOL 110/110
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
When it came to magic, Verena studied up on as much as she possibly could. To that end, she had a bare minimum understanding of almost all magic at a minimum. She extensively researched the known magics due to her fascination. Her ability to learn a variety of elements was something she was truly thankful for, so she never wanted to be caught off guard.[break][break]
It wasn't as if she knew everything about the applications of these elements, of course. She just had the bare minimum of knowledge, and even then she was sure that there were just as many that she wasn't familiar with. For someone in her position, not studying as much about the different types of magic in the world was tantamount to failing to use her magic efficiently. At least, that's what she told herself to justify her seemingly almost out-of-character excitement when dealing with rare types of magic.[break][break]
"This sword was made with the intention of harnessing Summoner magic... But it's only capable of summoning a single dark golem now."[break][break]
Oh. Oh no.[break][break]
Hans had opened the lid on pandora's box, sealed it just as quickly, and then he had just tossed the lid away. However, Verena did not start asking questions. Instead, she clenched a fist, bit her lip, and marched into the back room as she almost mechanically moved into Suna's 'library', completely unaware of how bizarre her reaction was. And there was a very simple reason for that.[break][break]
As Verena was in the library, she was trying so hard to control herself. "Control yourself! It's just a sword! Oh, but I have to know how Summoner magic was channeled into it... Did he try crafting it? Someone he knew? Maybe I could help...! Ugh, but I know nothing about crafting. O-Oh! I know, by imbuing it with my mana, that should make it possible. Oh, but what if it's tied to my own knowledge? If that's the case, it wouldn't work. Ugh, but an item capable of channeling summoner mana sounds so mystifying. I have to know...! Then again, it didn't succeed, so.... but it could! Even still, how would they go about it...!"[break][break]
The poor woman was trying so hard not to bombard Hans with questions and she was implementing every bit of self-control in the library so as to not disturb him. But no matter what she did, the brunette couldn't shake the thought. She had to know more; it wasn't a matter up for debate. Even still, Verena had already embarrassed herself once in front of Suna's boyfriend. She didn't want to make a fool of herself a second time. But she couldn't help it! Not only did he have rare magic, but he also had a weapon that was made with the intent to be similar to her own magic! How could she not be intrigued? Surely, Suna would understand...![break][break]
Eventually, she made her way out of the library, having taken longer than anyone really thought necessary, even herself. The red-eyed girl had put the book up, at the very least, but she was still as excited as when she had gone into the room, carefully sitting down as she helped herself to some tea. The poor woman was trying so hard to control herself.[break][break]
Suna asked if she had met anyone with other rare magic. Once more, that same spark had appeared in her eyes, but she clenched her fists as she gripped the couch, taking a deep breath. Clearly, she was about to go off on another tangent again, but she caught herself. "Uhm... yes, I've met a Void magic-user. He was feeding pigs in Hage, strangely enough.. There was another man who trained me for a month, but I have no idea what magic he used; only that he did have a four-leaf grimoire."[break][break]
Good so far. She was in control of herself. Verena seemed quite pleased that she was keeping herself in ch-[break][break]
"If uh you don't mind me asking, Verena... how do you go about learning other elements?"[break][break]
well so much for self-control.[break][break]
"Ah! That's a great question!" the brunette exclaimed proudly and happily. "So, in order to use mana, we have to have a degree of control over it. Normally, mages don't have to think about this, because it's just a part of them. But all mana has preferences based on its element. Things that it can and cannot do. A sword crafted from wind, for example, could not be expected to be as solid as a sword made from earth, nor could a spear made from water be expected to burn under normal circumstances. Summoners not only need to be able to recognize the strengths and limitations of said mana but also need to befriend it, in a way."[break][break]
"Mana may not have sentience, but it is quite picky, too. The Grimoire Ceremony of Clover is proof of that. Summoners are basically trying to channel that same mana and add it to their grimoire, giving it form. The truth is mana loves being used; it means it's going back into the world at large. When you give it a form like a golem, a wall, expend it for illusions, or anything like that, you're effectively freeing it. And... what greater feeling is there than freedom?"[break][break]
The woman paused for a moment, before sheepishly scratching her neck. "...well, not that mana has a concept of freedom."[break][break]
That sparkle had momentarily faded from her eyes, but they quickly returned. "A-Anyways! Tell me more about your sword! Who made it? Was it you? A friend? Could you introduce me? I can try to help! I've never seen an item capable of channeling Summoner magic, and I want to see if it's possible. I didn't even consider the possibility, but surely it must be possible. Summoner Magic contains the feelings of everyone I've met. That's why Suna's Sound magic contains her vibrant blue upon formation! I think it'd be fascinating to have an item that could manipulate a variety of elements. Just think about what that would mean for the Kingdom! Commoners would be able to use a variety of magic that could be used to help with construction! The elderly would always have help in any situation. Limiting the magic to things like cloth, wood, so on and so forth, and their forms to be suited to repairs and heavy labor so as to not need to worry about heavy damage...!"[break][break]
Verena was bright-eyed with so many ideas that by this point she had completely forgotten about the tea, let alone that she wasn't shutting up. She was just so excited and she had no idea how to control it. The two could practically see the sparkle in her normally hesitant and afraid eyes.
[break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll2"] TL;DRdo not bring up rare magic around her less you want espresso depresso to not shut up HANS YOU FOOOOOOOL, LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE UNLEASHED UPON THIS THREAD. [break][break]
Before, Suna was next to clueless about rare magic that four-leafed grimoire holders possessed. But now, thanks to these two individuals, she was learning more about them. From Verena, it was summoner magic, something that was almost unheard of, or wrongfully misrepresented. She had been duly corrected in her previous ideas of what that type of magic was, as her friend was kind enough to point them out for her. From Hans, it was dark magic, something more well known but also rarely seen. And well, she has learned more than just about his element from him.
Suna looked back a little quizzly at Verena’s strange reaction to Hans’ explanation of his greatsword. She seemed to have stiffened up, and had marched to the back room without another word. Was her friend okay? She would get her answer later.
"We can." The elf replied, in response to Hans’ suggestion of reading together. "But wouldn’t it be kind of boring for you?" Unless it was something like a fiction book pertaining to music, she doubted the mercenary would find much interest in it. But if he wanted to read it with her...well, she would not say no. "She’s the only one I lend my books to," she was referring to Verena. "But I guess I can extend that privilege to you, too." She tossed him a cheeky look before starting to prepare the refreshments for her guests.
She had waved off any offers of assistance, but as she worked, she still kept an eye out on the two. Her mercenary, she knew, needed a little prodding to get going. But once one earned his trust, things were a lot smoother from there. As for Verena, all she had to do was to gently steer the topic towards something she was passionate about. So far, the two triggers the elf knew were golems and rare elements, and that was why she had prompted the idea in her question.
Verena had answered, just as Suna had brought the hot tea over. "Void? I remember meeting someone like that..." She tilted her head curiously. That description sounded similar to someone she had met in her first visit at the Hollow Nest, but she could only guess.. "Would that person happen to be called...hmm...let me see if I remember his name...Faust?" Her mouth twisted as she tried to remember the last name, but failed to remember any more. It had been a brief encounter, that time. There had also been a powerful wind mage present, and she could only hope that those two were doing all right now.
After setting the teapot down, Suna went back to the kitchen and brought a small bowl of ice cubes over to the table. More options was always better. "If you don’t want it hot." She explained to the two, before going back to check on her cookies.
Suna opened her oven a little bit, peeking in. The dough had spread out, and they were now a warm golden color. That meant the cookies were finally done, and sliding two oven mitts on, Suna carefully brought the pan out of the oven. The fresh smell of baked goods wafted in the air, filling the kitchen with its pleasant but not overpowering aroma. "Mmm...perfect." She murmured to herself, looking at the results. Needless to say, she was very satisfied with them.
Just as she let the cookies cool on a rack, she heard Verena’s voice go up a pitch...and continue on into an endless stream of words. She turned around to hide her smile. There we go. She was also curious as to how Hans would answer her questions about his sword as well. As she listened, she quickly spooned out some of the sweet glaze from earlier, covering the top and giving a little extra sweetness to the cookie. Then she grabbed some black food coloring, mixed it in with the remaining glaze, and with a fork, swirled a few quick designs on top.
The blue-eyed female turned around to see her friend practically alight with life. Gone was the shy and hesitant demeanor. Verena was like a different person now, so eager and glowing with excitement. If the brown-haired woman ever paused to take a breath, Suna would throw another question her way. "You mentioned that summoner magic contains people’s feelings." She brought the plate of cookies over and set them on the table. "What does my sound magic feel like then?"
NOTES & STUFF
OOC: COOKIESSS and just Suna listening in to the exciting convo ^^
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
"Not if we're reading it together." Hans replied to Suna's question before crossing his arms. "Wouldn't be the first time we did this, right?" the dark mage added, referring back to the first time he set foot into Suna's home. They did end up falling asleep halfway through reading...but Hans wouldn't call that experience boring. Sure sitting down and reading wasn't one of Hans' hobbies, but with Suna, he was willing to try it for her. Hans returned a smirk to the elf's cheeky expression then nodded. "I am honored." the dark mage joked, placing a hand on his chest as he did a mock half bow.
Suna was now in the kitchen fixing some stuff up while Hans took a seat with Verena. The man wanted to try striking up a conversation with the summoner...but nothing came to mind. Hans was an impressive fighter...but a not so impressive socialite at the same time. He sat there thinking quietly to himself about what he could start with, but every idea that came into his head was immediately struck out due to the merc thinking that they would be too boring or awkward. He then thought about his lady and glanced over to the kitchen. What would Suna say at a time like this?
Then right one cue, the sound mage asked Verena a question much to Hans' relief. If this silence would've gone on for any longer, Hans would've probably asked Verena about....the weather....
Hans looked over at the summoner mage and noticed how she clenched the couch. It appears that the timid woman has some sort of fondness towards magic if she was having this much trouble trying to contain herself...plus the rant she went on earlier. The merc picked his tea up and sipped on it again as Verena spoke about some void user in Hage. Hans has only ever had one experience with a void user and it was with that sentient hat from that Eldritch House dungeon. Hans nearly lost a leg to that creature, but the experience wasn't all bad....It was also where he and Suna confessed to each other after all....
Seems that Suna had also run into a void user? Perhaps the same person? Hans did not recognize the name, but since this Faust person was feeding pigs, it just meant that they were a farmer of some kind? That wouldn't be too surprising for Hans since even folks who live the most ordinary of lives can turn out to be far more extraordinary deep down. But...the idea of a void using farmer still seemed rather...silly.
Other than this void user, Verena talked about another mage but did not know their element. "Interesting..." Hans would say under his breath, but not referring to this mystery mage. He was just surprised about the amount of "rare" magic users out there. Seems that the oh-so "mythical and rare four-leafed" grimoires aren't as...mythical or rare as people assume.
With that topic done, Hans has finally figured out the perfect question to ask Verena!
Unfortunately for him, it was too perfect....
The merc opened his mouth, and the question slipped out, but what came next, he was not prepared for.
"Ah! That's a great question!"
Oh boy...
Once again Hans was at the mercy of Verena's bombardment of magical knowledge! He was about to take another sip of his tea, but found himself almost frozen at the information being thrown at him at speeds that would make even Lydia Ravencrest jealous! Hans could already tell that the summoner was passionate about this sort of stuff...but she took it a step further now. Her eyes were practically shining with excitement as she went on and on about mana and its not so sentient sentience.
"...well, not that mana has a concept of freedom."
The woman sheepishly paused and Hans tried to take this moment to say something...but as soon as he opened his mouth, Verena was at it again! So the merc just took a sip of his tea and slowly placed it down on the table in front of him, and just decided to keep his mouth shut until she was done...if there was an ending to all of this!
"U-uh..." Even after she finished speaking, Hans was a bit hesitant to say something in fear of causing another storm of words. Verena seemed to be finished, but with that look on her face, it was kind of hard to tell. "You're very...passionate...about magic." Hans wasn't even exactly sure how to answer her question about his sword. Sure with an item that can harness multiple elements, that could do a lot of good for the kingdom, but knowing where this sword came from, Hans doubted that it was made for the intention of good. He definitely couldn't introduce her to the person who made this because said person's whereabouts are unknown...not that the sorceress would've helped them, to begin with. But as Hans thought about this, he was reminded of the research papers that "came" with the sword. He never took them with him...but wondered quietly if Suna still has them...
Speaking of, Suna brought up a question related to what her friend said earlier. He was now wondering what this sound golem looked like, how much inspiration it has gotten from the elf. It also made him wonder what a dark golem crafted from his element would look like...if these summoner golems really do reflect the person they originate from in some form.
But these thoughts would be brushed to the side by the smell of something delicious coming from the kitchen. "Oh, what did you make, Suna?" the merc asked...just in time for his stomach to growl.
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Jan 28, 2021 11:01:48 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
007
34
10
032
030
[break]
MANA SKIN senior
HEALTH senior
MANA REGEN 25 IC // 20 OOC
MANA POOL 110/110
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
It had been quite some time since Verena had met the man, so she couldn't remember everything as much as she would have liked to. However, she did remember his given name at least. And that was precisely why it was such a surprise to her that Suna had brought up that name. It wouldn't have been... entirely out of the realm of possibility that she had met another Void Mage at some point. But the fact that she met a Void mage named Faust? It was incredibly unlikely they were different people.[break][break]
Prior to her excited outburst, there was an odd silence that befell the two. Similar to Hans, Verena could not figure what to say or to ask the man. It was only natural that her mind was geared towards the two's relationship, after all. When did they meet? How long had they been an item? What did the two like in one another? Ultimately though, as curious as she was, she did not like being nosy.[break][break]
"Dark hair, seemed to be in above-average physical condition?" Verena asked. If Suna nodded, Verena was taken aback, confirming that yes, it was the very same mage.[break][break]
The two had met on a farm in Hage, with the aforementioned man working hard taking care of the pigs for a farmer. If she remembered correctly, he was in the middle of feeding them when she arrived. The two talked for a bit, and though he agreed to teach her the Void magic, it never happened.[break][break]
"The strangest thing about that man was that though he agreed to teach me his magic, he disappeared not too long after, and none of the other people in Hage seemed to recognize him beyond a visitor..." she said aloud.
Verena had no problem with hot beverages, though she wasn't going to drink the tea right away. She was a bit... picky when it came to this and felt that the ice would alter the original flavor as a result of melting, mixing water in, and thus affecting the ratios. It did not do it enough to matter in the slightest, but it was something she heard as a child and still believed it now. Still, it was a gesture Verena appreciated all the same.[break][break]
Hans' reaction seemed to earn a more... embarrassed response out of her. It was clear to her that she had just had a similar outburst, even 'worse' than before, and it had caused a bit of discomfort for the other. Ugh, she was so embarrassed. That wasn't what she intended on doing! She was trying so hard not to make the man uncomfortable! He was so taken aback by it that he didn't even answer her question about his sword...[break][break]
And thus, another awkward silence befell after his own comment of the brunette's passion for magic.[break][break]
At least, that would have been the case if not for the fact that Suna brought a question of her own, going back to something she had mentioned earlier. About the feelings contained in the mana.[break][break]
"Oh it's..." Verena paused, needing to take her time to think on this. It wasn't that she couldn't answer immediately; she just wanted to be precise.[break][break]
"...Gentle. That is perhaps the aptest word I can think of. Kind."[break][break]
Verena began fidgeting her fingers as she interlocked her hands together. It was a little embarrassing saying things like this, even if it was factual. That was how her mana felt to her; there was no ignoring that. So then, why was speaking facts something so embarrassing? It must have been because there was her boyfriend in the room; she was certain she could say it without getting embarrassed if Hans wasn't here.[break][break]
The aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the living space now. Verena's embarrassment quickly turned into hunger, a fact which quickly made itself known with the low growl of her stomach, causing her to find a new reason to embarrassed. "Uhm... they smell delicious..." she said, scratching her cheek and hoping that none of them heard that.
[break]
COMBAT SUMMARY
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll2"] TL;DR yo i want cookies now too. this isn't related to the post, i just thought i'd share. [break][break]
Suna flushed rosily. Oh, how she did remember that clearly. It definitely would not be the first time they did that...nor the last, if her guesses were correct. She tried to cover up her half mortified, half pleased facial expression with an awkward curtsey to his bow.
But now they were in the house and conversation was flowing. Well, ‘gushing’ would be the more accurate term, considering how animated and energetic her brown-haired friend was. At least she did not have to worry about filling in any awkward silence. Verena was at it, and the elf sneaked a peak at the mercenary. Poor guy, he probably did not know what to do with such a barrage of words thrown at him, but rather than ‘saving’ him, she let it happen. He would learn. But at least they were talking about those rare magic, something he should be quite familiar with. The topic had shifted to a certain void user, one that the two females apparently knew.
"Dark hair, seemed to be in above-average physical condition?"
"Mhmm." Suna nodded. "But a pig farmer, you say? I can’t recall him acting like one." Come to think of it, he was all civility and gallantry, but who knew? It was not impossible for a pig farmer to also have the manners of a perfect gentleman.
"The strangest thing about that man was that though he agreed to teach me his magic, he disappeared not too long after, and none of the other people in Hage seemed to recognize him beyond a visitor..."
"Hmmm, interesting. We met in Hollow Nest, along with a wind mage. Both suddenly disappeared after we entered, so I just flew back out of there as fast as I could." Strange things have been happening, but in a world seeped in magic, nothing was entirely impossible. "I hope both of them are all right, though."
Then the elf had posed the question about what her mana felt like, and perked up when she heard Verena’s answer. Gentle? Kind? "Thank you." She said sincerely, warmly. "I’m glad it’s something positive!" She laughed merrily, then sobered back down. "I can’t feel other’s mana like you, but when I ‘borrow’ mana from others, I can get a little taste of them." Usually, though, she only siphoned mana from enemies, while in battle. While none of them directly affected her, she was able to taste a little of the enemy’s element. However, she rarely used that, unless she felt like her mana was weakening.
"Just some cookies!" was her response to Hans’ inquiry, and smiled when she heard his stomach grumble. "Tea just by itself felt a little...lacking." Then another grumble, not from her. Must be from Verena, as confirmed by the girl’s embarrassed demeanor. Suna wisely did not say anything about that, only brought the cookies over and set it on the table. "Help yourselves!" She herself took a seat and poured herself a cup of tea. Blowing gently over the surface, she waited for the tea to cool a tiny bit before taking a tentative sip. Still a bit too hot.
She set it down, mind going back to Hans’ sword. She was present when he received it, and it was quite a strange event overall. Just one of the many interesting experiences she has had with the dark mage. She glanced over at him. The elf still had those bits and pieces of research papers that had fallen through the portals with them when they came back. But now she had an idea. She has not been able to garner much information from those scraps, but perhaps another pair of eyes would be able to spot something she has not.
"Verena, do you have anything else after this? Perhaps you can help us shed some light on something related to Hans’ sword. I couldn’t seem to decode any of the scribbles, but it looked like something strange was being researched and tested..."
