In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Aug 27, 2021 21:34:54 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 706
total word count 706
[attr="class","glentext"] It has been a while since Charles last dedicated actual time to training Ki, while he used it often during missions or other related matters. He hasn't dedicated actual time to solely focused on his improvement of the technique, using it wasn't the same as actually training it. The silver mage knew he has grown in terms of strength and magical ability, but all of it will be useless if his sensory ability still sucked. Even if he knew Ki, it wasn't enough, he had to train and improve his ability to sense it, its range, and other things. He was fully aware of its potential and capabilities, but in order to let out its full potential, he'll have to dedicate time to train it. A lot of things had changed as of recently, now he had the company of a spirit, a silver spirit. Argenti, a spirit that had the form of a human with doll-like features. She was just as pretty as its element, it definitely made her worthy of being called a silver spirit. Her personality was something else, filled with arrogance due to her status as a spirit, but she was normally calm and passive unless she felt like speaking her mind. Charles could easily deal with that, as long as it didn't get out of hand. He was still adapting to living with a spirit next to him, he was pretty much new to it. It made him wonder how the likes of Ardere and Cyrus dealt with their spirits, although the personalities of their spirits were different from his. [break][break] Charles had made arrangements with Verena, a Royal Knight a few days prior to train. In exchange, he offered to properly teach her silver magic. Aside from that, he wanted to dedicate some time to train his Ki. So he chose the Common Region as the location, from what he had heard the summoner mage had moved to the Royal Capital as she had apparently joined the Golden Dawn. So for the sake of convenience, the Common Region would be a good place. A forest that was filled with life was favorable to him as it made it easier to train Ki. It was also the place where he had last trained Ki a while ago, it got the job done for him so there was no need to change the location. It wasn't that long of a trip anyway. Although he was fully aware that Ki didn't work in terms of tracking in the Cloud Colisseum it would help in other things such as bypassing illusions. It was definitely possible that one of Aamon's soldiers could specialize in illusions. If the enemy found out about his weak sensory then they wouldn't hesitate in exploiting that weakness. [break][break] After several minutes of flying towards the Common Region, Charles had arrived at the forest where he was going to meet up with Verena. Upon arriving, he didn't feel anyone's Ki, aside from the insects, trees, and plants that surrounded the place. "Seems like she isn't here yet... He said to himself, with Argenti floating next to him. "Hm? Who are you referring to?" The silver spirit asked, unaware of who exactly Charles was waiting for. She only knew they were going to the Common Region to train, but wasn't aware someone else was involved. "I'm waiting for someone I know to get here... I agreed to help her out in a training a while ago, so." He replied to her comment, the spirit decided to stop asking questions and just see how things go for now. As for the silver mage, he decided to sit on the grass and await Verena. Charles only hoped he wouldn't take long, in the meantime he could burn some time with some meditation to prepare for his Ki training. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, getting to know his surroundings better and looking much deeper into the energy that surrounded him. As expected, the most notable energy he felt was from Argenti. The silver spirit simply stared at Charles with some curiosity in mind. To her, he didn't seem like the type of person to meditate, this was new to her. [break]
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Aug 28, 2021 14:43:43 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
082
195
014
065
075
[break]
MANA SKIN archmage+grand
HEALTH grand
MANA REGEN 55 IC // 75 OOC
MANA POOL 310/310
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
It felt like forever since she had been able to stop in in the Common Region for anything beyond simply traveling through. It was a very nice change of pace. While she was beyond grateful for everything Lydia had done for her as well as the training in Carrion, as well as a proud member of the Golden Dawn, the brunette felt most at ease when traveling through the lush forests of the common region.[break][break]
Of course, her temporary lodging in the Basin was by far her favorite. She hoped the day would come when she would be able to visit the Heart Kingdom. The vibrant greenery was beyond anything she could truly imagine. The trees, the flowers. Everything about it was so fantastical that it couldn't help but cause her mind to race in wonder and awe every time she was present within its domain.[break][break]
However, as beautiful as the Basin was, it wasn't without its dangers. Dangers that, even now, she needed to be wary of every time she was present in it for her lodging. It was, after all, a Grand Mana Zone. Something had to have been "off" about her for deciding to set up something resembling a main lodging for her belongings such as her books.[break][break]
The perfectly ordinary forests of Clover might not have been able to rival the same beauty as the Basin, but they most certainly still had a charm in their simplicity. A charm that she had been taught to cherish and love as she walked down the forest trail, opting to take a shortcut.[break][break]
The brunette didn't need trails to find the location that Charles had pointed. Seven years of nothing but travel. Seven years of living in the forests. And four years of completely avoiding human civilization out of fear. The forests of Clover -- especially within the Common Region -- were basically her backwoods at this point.[break][break]
Verena stood atop a cliff, basking in this view as the sun brought warmth across all of Clover. It was hard to believe it wouldn't be much longer before an all-out war would be taking place for the future of the world. After all, these daemons weren't simply territorial. They were capable of stunts such as altering entire realities, creating new ones, and destroying old ones. If such power wasn't a world-ending threat, what was?[break][break]
And then, without so much as another word, she cheerfully jumped down from the cliff, falling only a moment before Kikka showed up. Right before her little hop down, the brunette had uttered the spell's name, conjuring it up before she would fall too far down. The soft creature was more than capable of supporting her down the cliff as it carefully put her back down.[break][break]
"Let's see, Charles wanted to meet out near the Sea of Trees," she said to herself after dismounting her golem and dismissing it. "I believe I designated that area just a little east of here, four kilometers away from the old loggers home. It's been a while... I hope he's doing okay..."[break][break]
The brunette made her way down, moving across a creek before she arrived at the meeting place. However, what surprised her was the presence of a much smaller entity floating around him. "...An Elemental Spirit?" she asked, her eyes practically shining with excitement. "Ah! Sap, fire, and fire! Now Silver! This is wonderful!" she said as giddy as a schoolgirl.[break][break]
"I have so many questions! Ah, but right, right. Training. We need to train. Uhm, sorry, sorry," she said, forcing herself to calm a bit.[break][break]
Verena eyed the Spirit, now with a bit of curiosity. Her expression was impossible to read. Some people had described her as having a similar impression of a doll. Delicate and beautiful, and yet expressionless. However, she was positive anyone who would say that would change their mind upon seeing this Spirit.[break][break]
Her shining shoulder-length silver hair was neatly polished, as a massive crown encircled all around her head. The dress the spirit wore was most confusing. By human standards, it resembled a wedding gown... albeit one that lacked modesty. If not for a very obvious difference in size, Verena wondered how comfortable it was, or if it was clothing at all.[break][break]
"U-Uhm, I'm Verena. Verena Nicole Ruhm Reinsberg. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, offering a curtsey to the two.[break][break]
Verena glanced to Charles. "To confirm what we're doing here, I'll be learning Silver magic, and you'll be enhancing your ki abilities I believe. I think the best course of action to take to allow us to hit two birds with one stone would be something I did with Hans. I'm not necessarily an expert of Ki, but my time with Satori showed me what it's capable of. If you don't mind offering suggestions..." she said, before listing off her ideas, assuming Charles was okay with the idea.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Aug 28, 2021 17:47:24 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 715
total word count 1421
[attr="class","glentext"] Charles had his eyes closed as he was attempting to become attuned with his surroundings. All while he awaited Verena's arrival. The moment she got close he would probably be able to sense her, that or Argenti will probably mention someone was coming. It didn't really matter that much to him, he was going to find out one way or another. Hopefully, he wouldn't fall asleep while he's meditating out of his own laziness. He did tell Argenti to wake him up in case he accidentally did that, but he made sure it wouldn't happen. [break][break] A few moments later, he sensed a familiar presence approaching. It was obvious to him that it was Verena. "I hear someone coming." This was followed by a followed from Argenti, she had heard someone approaching their location. She had figured it was the person Charles was waiting for, but he awaited his confirmation anyway. Charles opened his eyes and stood up, only to see Verena filled with excitement. He briefly turned to look at Argenti, he had deduced it was because of her. It made sense, most people would think that he'll be one of the last people to make a contract with a spirit. "I figured you'll be surprised, well, most people are. Don't worry about it..." He shrugged. The silver mage had heard Verena mention fire and sap, she was probably referring to Ardere's spirit and Cyrus's spirit. He saw them while he trained with them in the Yuiee Estate. Although, he heard fire twice, so that meant there was another fire spirit besides Salamander he was unaware of. [break][break] Argenti's facial expression didn't change much, lacking emotion as usual. She did take notice that Verena was constantly staring at her. The silver spirit found Charles's friend to be a little strange but considering she lived with the silver mage. She was exposed to the Black Bulls' shenanigans, so compared to them, she was actually quite normal. A part of her was actually relieved about it. Verena had introduced herself to her, so the least she could do in her return is give her name as well. "Argenti." The silver spirit spoke, giving Verena her name. She normally didn't speak much, unless she had to or actually felt like this. It depended on the situation and circumstances. Argenti wasn't a shy spirit, instead, she could be compared to an anti-social person. She had very little interest in interacting with humans, yet even with that little interest, she established a contract with one. The Black Bull happened to be a decent source of amusement every now and then. [break][break] Going back to what the two had come here for. Charles looked at Verena as she asked for his confirmation. "Yeah..." He nodded, giving her the confirmation she desired from him. That's exactly what the two had come here for. "...Oh? Is she a silver mage as well?" Argenti spoke. She found a bit of interesting on Verena's comment that she was going to learn Silver Magic from Charles. This made her wonder if she was a silver mage just like him. Silver mages were quite rare, so this certainly managed to pick her interest. "Not exactly, she isn't a silver mage. I'll let her explain instead." He replied to her comment, she wasn't a silver mage like him. The Black Bull found it a bit hard to explain, so he thought it would be best if he allowed Verena to explain how her magic worked. Her magic was special and worked differently from others, he got the gist of it, but the summoner mage would give her a way better explanation. [break][break] Charles was curious as to what Verena had done with Hans. He knew Hans knew how to use Ki, but had no clue what Verena was referring to. "What did you exactly do with him? Sure, if you got any suggestions shoot them right ahead. I'm actually curious now..." Whatever Verena had referred to, the silver mage was now curious about it. She had mentioned it could help them shoot two birds with one stone. So he was all ears for any suggestions she had to say, after all, he wanted to improve his sensory abilities through Ki. He would like all the help and suggestions he could take. [break]
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Aug 28, 2021 22:37:01 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
082
195
014
065
075
[break]
MANA SKIN archmage+grand
HEALTH grand
MANA REGEN 55 IC // 75 OOC
MANA POOL 310/310
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
It seemed as though Charles was already practicing what it was he was working on. While she herself wasn't exactly studying ki yet, her time with Satori had her constantly exposed to his usage of ki. The intricacies of it she did not know, but she had a general idea based on how she saw him use it. And the conclusion she reached was why she felt they could effectively hit two birds with one stone. However...[break][break]
"Don't be worried about it?" Verena enthusiastically said. "Spirits are mana in its purest sense. Literal embodiments of the element. How can I not be excited about Spirits?" she asked, nearly pouting.[break][break]
Verena expected Charles to know why it was such a big deal to her. Even if he didn't know the ins and outs of her magic, surely he at least knew that her magic was one of being able to form some sort of bond with mana -- to earn its trust to use it. She "learned" the elements in the sense she was permitted to use it by understanding it. He had seen her attempt it once; had he not been able to pick up on that?[break][break]
Verena's gaze was set upon the expressionless spirit, introducing herself as Argenti. "Argenti, Argenti..." the woman said, repeating it over and over in her head. Yes, yes. A familiar enough word, but one she hadn't come across in a while.[break][break]
Her family was one of scholars, academics, and so forth. Naturally, they had a variety of books on various languages from all over the globe. However, it had been a very long time since she had actually come across the word, and even longer since she had heard it spoken. But it was still very familiar in her education.[break][break]
Ultimately, she couldn't quite match the name to what she had read in one of the many books she had come across in her life. Rather than getting frustrated over such a trivial thing compared to the training that was yet to come, the brunette was silent as she listened to the exchange between the two -- spirit and spirit holder.[break][break]
Verena had to admit. While she might not have always seen herself as an especially strong mage, nor did she view her magic as exceptionally powerful, she always did love hearing such an exchange between people. However, it brought her an even greater feeling of purpose when not even a spirit seemed to catch on to what she meant. As though she was truly the only person capable of learning every magic.[break][break]
An exceptionally arrogant thought, she knew. And one that did somewhat bother her. But there was still some level of comfort. As though she was here for some sort of purpose, that her magic had chosen her for a very specific reason that only she, somehow, could do. She wasn't a braggadocious person, however, and so the very nature of this thought was one she felt best not to disclose. A secret to the grave, she supposed.[break][break]
"That's uhm... correct. Though I was blessed with two elements, my primary element is simply known as 'Summoner'," Verena said, raising a brow to see if it rang any bells with Argenti.[break][break]
If a need for a further explanation was necessary, Verena nodded her head. "I am capable of learning a wide variety of elements. I have nine different elements resting in my grimoire. I'm sure you can sense that, too. That there aren't just one or two elements within my grimoire," she explained to Argenti. "Unlike Imitation, I actually have to learn the element, rather than simply copy its properties. And I am capable of creating golems with those elements."[break][break]
Verena looked around, kneeling on before a single flower. "The ability to sense ki isn't entirely different from what I am capable of. I'm very sensitive to mana; I may not be an acute sensor, but I am at least familiar with various elemental signatures, especially ones that I've been in contact with frequently. I consider Satori an unparalleled master in ki. Even when I tried to keep a stoic expression and mind, he was still able to tell when something was off. A girl can't keep secrets around him," she said, sighing, before looking back up to the two.[break][break]
"You were already practicing when I got here, right? To try to sense when I'd get here. That's very good. It's important to remember to not try to use a mana signature as an exact basis for signature. I believe Satori defined it as something like being able to detect the very life energy of a person; their natural energy. I can't do it anywhere near well as you or Satori can, but he told me what I do isn't necessarily all that far off from actual ki sensory. It's just another half."[break][break]
"First off, it's important to remember that mana is alive. It is a part of the world living amongst us just like this flower or these trees. Just like we are. I don't think many people realize that. I'd suggest that you first start by trying to use your ki to feel your own mana," she said, looking at the Black Bull. Her fellow Royal Knight.[break][break]
Verena glanced to the spirit. "...I-Is it okay?" she nervously asked, switching from a wise and educated teacher to that of a timid schoolgirl, afraid to upset the most popular person in the class. "I mean, may I have your blessings to learn your magic? A-As the Spirit of Silver, you embody the element itself. I feel like trying to learn that which you embody right in front of you would be the height of disrespect..."
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Aug 29, 2021 14:49:19 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 942
total word count 2363
[attr="class","glentext"] Much to his surprise, Verena seemed to have some knowledge of Ki. Although, she wasn't a proper Ki use herself. It was something rare to see, but after she explained it made sense. She had interacted trained with people who use Ki, so it was expected she had some experience by seeing other Ki users train their Ki. Her suggestions would be useful for him in the long run so he didn't mind hearing them out. "Hm... That's true..." Charles nodded after he responded to her, she was right about it, but he didn't have as much excitement as Verena did. Well, the two had established a contract for a while already, so the shock factor was very low to him. He did know that spirits were the physical form of the mana in its purest sense. They were quite rare to encounter, but also extremely powerful in the hands of a compatible host. [break][break] After a few moments had passed he began to actually think the reasons as to why Verena make a big deal about spirits. He could actually deduce the reason why, but Charles didn't actually bother into thinking about it until now. Most things weren't a big deal to him and it was rare for him to get excited. The only thing that would assure his excitement was good food, aside from that it was a rare occurrence. In the Clover Kingdom, spirits were rare. Only a few mages actually had a contract with them. Not everyone was lucky to establish a contract with one, they were also said to be very powerful. They had countless abilities the silver mage didn't have access to, yet. [break][break] To him, Verena's magic was a bit complex to understand a hundred percent, but he had a good idea of how it worked and what needed to be done for her to learn an element. Charles noted that the summoner mage probably spent a lot of her time reading about magic. That's how she had such a good understanding of her magic, knowledge about magic itself and elements were necessary to learn new elements efficiently. He noticed that every time something related to magic, Verena started talking a lot more than usual. There was a clear contrast, between the way she talked when magic wasn't the topic and when magic was the topic. If he could figure what her favorite thing was, then he would probably say it was talking magic. There was no other thing he believed she liked, as far as he was aware. [break][break] The Black Bull listened to Verena's explanation, although he had already heard it before. This was directed towards Argenti who was unaware of her magic, she had first assumed she was a silver mage just like Charles, but her assumption was wrong. The silver spirit listened to her, she raised an eyebrow upon hearing the element of her magic was called "summoner." It was rare for her to get any sort of reaction, most of the time the look of her facial expressions was emotionless with little interest towards her surroundings. Sounds familiar, right? "...Oh? So you're one of those. Interesting, I never thought I'll actually come across a Summoner. Summoner Mages are able to become attuned and learn the mana composition of other elements. Seems like your friend is a lot more interesting than I had anticipated..." Argenti said, one of the few times she was actually taken by surprise. She was aware of the existence of Summoner Mages, but they were an extremely rare kind of mage that she was never expected to come across one. It was one of the few times she had actually bothered to talk more than usual. The silver spirit wasn't known for being talkative. [break][break] "I see..." That was all Charles had to say for the time being, but he understood what the two were talking about. The conversation followed with him listening to Verena explain. He found her last comment amusing when she mentioned that one couldn't keep her secrets around that guy. It seems like hiding their true nature to a Ki Master was an almost impossible task. For the rest, he already knew that Ki was essentially the energy that surrounded all living beings. Only select livings things had mana, but anything that was alive had a Ki signature. Both were similar, yet extremely different at the same time. "I've done this before." [break][break] Her next comment, however, grabbed his attention. "My own mana? I've actually never tried that before... Alright, let's see." Charles had never actually tried sensing his own mana, his own energy before. This was actually his first time, it was definitely possible, but he had never thought about that until now. It was a good idea, that he believed it was best to try it right away. The silver mage closed sat down on the grass below him and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Instead of focusing on the exterior, his surroundings, he decided to focus on his interior, on what was inside of him. [break][break] Argenti turned to look at Verena. Her behavior instantly changed from someone educating another person to a shy girl waiting for the approval of someone she looked up to. "You're a Summoner Mage, I don't particularly mind. In fact, I'm curious as to what you'll create. You're not disrespecting me. The only way you'll disrespect me is if you make something disappointing out of the silver element. Be sure to make something that is worth looking at." She said, not minding at all. As long as she made something that was worth looking at, she would be satisfied. [break]
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Aug 29, 2021 23:00:43 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
082
195
014
065
075
[break]
MANA SKIN archmage+grand
HEALTH grand
MANA REGEN 55 IC // 75 OOC
MANA POOL 310/310
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
Verena realized only after the fact just how much she had been talking. The brunette felt a little awkward, immediately falling silent when she saw Charles's reaction. Ah, why did she always do that? Stupid, stupid! Charles might have already known what she was sharing, too. After all, he had a spirit! Ugh, why was she so stupid? She felt embarrassed after seeing Charles's silent response to her tangent.[break][break]
However, it was Argenti's reaction that made her ease up, ironically enough. Just knowing that a Spirit thought of her magic as something unlikely to encounter was flattering. It only furthered that arrogant thought that her magic was something that only she could truly do. That there was some sort of reason why she had been blessed with such rare magic.[break][break]
Still, the brunette knew it was important to not let that get to her head. She was a capable mage. But she wasn't invincible. Her magic still had a number of glaring weaknesses and she was wise enough to know that she wasn't someone really special. She was strong. But still had a number of weaknesses through her magic. Her fight against Griswold had proven that.[break][break]
However, Charles' lightning oddity was what caught her off guard. Charles was already taking what she was saying and using it to help his own training, however...[break][break]
She needed to get to work now, too. "I'm honored, Argenti. I've many ideas for Silver golems. Its unique structure amongst the metal magic allows for numerous possibilities. However, I'm afraid that I must bother you with a simple question," she said to the Spirit, before looking over to Charles.[break][break]
"What do you think of Charles?" she asked, watching as the black-haired young man was looking inward.[break][break]
"Not as the person with whom you contracted with. But rather, an assessment of him as a Spirit."[break][break]
The hunter was unflinching in his beliefs, making him quite stubborn. The seamstress wished to make people happy through beauty, even if she felt she had lost her own. The logger was one with nature. Suna was a free spirit. Ardere was the very embodiment of passion and destruction. Echo was a flashy individual who flaunted his strength to compensate for his own insecurities; hopefully, he had been humbled by the end. Anata was a kind woman, but in the short moment she had known her, her flexible thinking was exactly what water magic was. Vaile was a man who couldn't let the shadows of his past go, and Hans's own past seemed to cast a darkness over a future.[break][break]
However, Charles ... Kikka had beaten him up. Understandably so. But it was enough to where he couldn't bring himself to go further. Perhaps that was why he had accepted the offer to become a Royal Knight. To make up for that time. However, he didn't embody an unbreakable mind. He didn't embody flexible thinking. He didn't embody silver. She needed a different perspective.[break][break]
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Sept 1, 2021 23:47:18 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
[break]
@tagme
word count 886
total word count 3249
[attr="class","glentext"] At this point, it wasn't much of a surprise that Verena would talk more than usual whenever magic was brought up. Charles could tell that she had a liking for magic-related things. He didn't know much about her personally, but it was easy to tell that she had a fascination for those things. Well, she probably wasn't the only person in the Clover Kingdom to have a fascination for magic. The members of the Coral Peacocks were likely to be filled with people who shared her interest. Although, the silver mage had actually never met a member of that squad personally. So the best he could do is just guess. [break][break] Charles didn't actually care much about the summoner mage's extensive talking. He didn't care about many things as other people did, so he didn't mind that at all. As a member of the Black Bulls, he had to deal with much worse things and Verena wasn't even close to the top five. If it was about weirdos, then he could consider himself an expert in it. He's in a squad filled with them, after all, and to a certain degree, he was also one of them. His laziness and his lack of care for many things placed him in that spot too. The Black Bull didn't take pride in a lot of things people normally do, that's made him different from the rest. [break][break] The silver mage continued with his Ki training, most of the time was spent with his eyes closed as he attempted to sense his own mana. A suggestion from Verena he decided to take into account. It was something that he hadn't tried until now, but if he could get tap into his own energy, himself, then he should be able to get a better understanding of the energy that surrounds the other living beings. How could get a better grasp on sensing the energy of others if he couldn't even sense his own? Sensing his own energy and mana was a necessary step to further his understanding and skill of Ki. It was something he hadn't considered before until she mentioned it. Her suggestion was of great help to him at the end of the day. [break][break] Charles remained focused, despite Verena and Argenti talking. It definitely made things harder for him, but it was also important for him to remain focused. If he could get distracted from a mere conversation, then it battles it would be easy for him to lose focus when it came to using Ki since a lot of things occurred there that could easily distract him. It was probably not the intention of the two to distract him, but it posed a greater challenge for the silver mage. One that he would eventually have to overcome if he wanted to master the technique. [break][break] Argenti continued talking with Verena, the summoner mage that had managed to get her interest. Verena had asked a rather unusual question about Charles. She was slightly surprised by it, but the best she could do was to answer truthfully. The silver spirit briefly looks at him before turning back to look at Verena. "Hm... Well, he's a lazy and big idiot. That's for sure." She said bluntly and without holding anything back, of course, that was true, but she also wanted to see if that would be enough to force the silver mage to react. "Of course, anyone who isn't stupid would know that there's more than the eye can see when it comes to him. He's a good mage and he has the potential to be stronger, smarter than he looks. He's kind but doesn't openly show it as other people do. Seeing through him isn't a problem for someone like me." As a spirit that had lived for more than a century, seeing through someone like Charles wasn't a problem for her. Anyone who wasn't an idiot could see beyond that, many people had seen through that. [break][break] "He's not what would people normally expect from a silver mage. It's something that caught me off-guard. It's not like he was normal, to begin with. The lightning properties of his magic are something quite unusual, but you could say that adds up to his strange nature. A silver mage possessing lightning properties isn't something natural, that's for sure." It was a fact that he wasn't what someone would think of whenever meeting a silver mage. In her years even as a spirit, she hadn't managed to meet someone like him. What did he embody? Aside from laziness, of course. "How about you, hm? What do you think about him?" Argenti asked her if she saw him as your average idiotic weirdo then she wouldn't waste her time at this very moment. [break][break] Although, there was a whole conversation going on about him in the background. It seemed like Charles was focused that he barely heard what the two had to say. He knew they were talking, but he didn't know they were talking about him. The silver mage was more focused on his meditation and training his senses that he couldn't find himself to be bothered to listen to them. Attempting to do two things at the same time as possible for him, but ultimately he was too lazy to do actually bother doing it. [break]
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Sept 3, 2021 6:56:27 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
082
195
014
065
075
[break]
MANA SKIN archmage+grand
HEALTH grand
MANA REGEN 55 IC // 75 OOC
MANA POOL 310/310
[break]
[attr="class","verenaver2scroll"]
Verena watched as Charles focused on training his ki. For one as "lazy" as he was, when it came down to it, Charles was as hard working as anyone else. When it came to trying to notice the subtleties between others ki, one needed to figure out what differentiated them from one another, as well as the intent that they carried with them. Being able to pick up on that -- those ever so slight fluctuations.[break][break]
Before one could do that, Verena felt it was best to be able to look inward. For ki came with an innate ability to understand and read others in a way that cold reading couldn't keep up with, and if one couldn't understand themself, then surely they would struggle to go further in evolving their ability to sense ki. It was an impressive thing for sure, and she had every intention of training ki once she had a bit more elements within her grimoire.[break][break]
Still, even as excellent as his focus was... Verena knew that it wasn't enough. He was going up against archdaemons, which meant that he would be facing very dangerous situations. There would be times where he wouldn't be able to afford to simply sit still and use ki. If he was to truly go further... Verena had to forcibly shake him from this comfort. Rude as it might have been, Charles likely would know where she was coming from. Worst case scenario, however, she would need to explain herself.[break][break]
However, she also wanted to talk with Argenti. She had, after all, asked the Silver Spirit a question, and the Spirit was kind enough to answer. She didn't bother trying to be polite about it, immediately jumping into some of Charles's weak points. Referring to him as lazy and a bit of an idiot, the latter point coming as to some surprise to her. She never thought of him as an idiot by any stretch of the imagination. The Spirit even noted that he was smarter than he looked.[break][break]
The Spirits assessment continued, noting his potential, but also how his kindness was not one for public display. He was kind, but he didn't like showing it. She supposed that was true; she hadn't ever seen him be actually mean to anyone, but she also hadn't seen him do or say anything that was truly kind. It wasn't like he had an obligation to, he just preferred to downplay it or "hide" it all together. A very strange sentiment. What was the term she had heard in Ryuu for this type of behavior? Tsundare? Tsundere?[break][break]
Verena nodded her head when Argenti brought up the sentiment she felt about Charles. On some level, one could always find something about mages being likened to their element. There were a number of theories about why this was. However, Charles was an outlier -- perhaps even rarer than four-leaf grimoires. His existence single-handedly threw all of the theories that she was familiar with on the Element-Mage Likeness Theory discussion out the window because he didn't match any.[break][break]
Kikka had "broken" his structural integrity. But now, he was confronting an even larger threat. It was as though he had welded himself back together. But if that was the case, it was like his element was one that was a depiction of what his life would become. None could deny he was broken after Kikka -- not even Charles himself. Yet, what compelled him to go forward? It wasn't sheer force of will. There was something more at play here, and she was... curious about it. Of course, she didn't feel it proper to outright ask him; there wasn't a way to do so without coming off as rude, after all.[break][break]
"What do I think of him..." Verena said as her eyes wandered to Charles.[break][break]
"I am a woman of theory, knowledge, and learning. I love to learn new things, and, obviously, new magic. Charles is a 'new thing', completely upturning what I thought I knew on several theories discussing mages and their elements. Prior to meeting him, I thought it was true. But there can't be exceptions. If there are, it means the theories are incorrect and need to be re-evaluated."[break][break]
"Kikka broke him. I met him after the fact. He was just trying to pretend he was fine and didn't want to talk about it. Just bringing up that I was going there seemed to earn a negative response and one of warning. He was serious about training, but I think that was just to distract himself from what he was feeling and remembering. Having been a part of the Reclamation Effort, I can understand why. But..."[break][break]
"...I think the strange electrical properties of his magic aren't there for no reason. As a human being, he might have been lacking in something. His lightning oddity reflects his subconscious will to make up for that. If he "breaks", he can effectively "weld" himself back together and become stronger than before. I know that might sound strange, but I'm still discussing it in a matter of trying to make sense of the theories out there with my own twist in his unique case."[break][break]
Verena's eyes narrowed at the mage. "At any rate, it's time I help him with his training beyond just giving advise," Verena said as her grimoire responded in kind. "Summoner Creation Magic. Despair Billy."[break][break]
The large six-meter tall patchwork golem manifested from her grimoire. It was one of her weaker golems, though still far more functioning than some others of hers. It wasn't exactly incredibly fast, but given the close proximity, it would still be a challenge as it raised its hand and was about to strike the mage. She couldn't dismiss it, as if Charles could sense her ki, he'd realize that he was just going to be able to stand there regardless. That wouldn't be enough.[break][break]
If he could dodge or retaliate in time, it would mean a successful further evolution of his training with ki.
Post by Charles Constantine✾ on Sept 6, 2021 23:00:56 GMT -5
[NOSPACES]
"I'm no g e n i u s, I'm just a fool who keeps going forward."
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@tagme
word count 922
total word count 4171
[attr="class","glentext"] Although there was an ongoing conversation between Verena and Argenti that was about him, Charles was too focused meditating that he could just barely even hear what they were talking about. Not actually paying attention to anything they had to say. Considering his lazy personality, one could even think that the silver mage had fallen asleep while he was meditating, but it wasn't the case. He was looking much deeper, using the energy that flowed within his body to differentiate between a person. What made someone different from the rest? How was it possible to tell the difference? Through getting a better understanding of his own energy he could answer those questions and improve his ability to sense and feel the natural energy that surrounded him. [break][break] If he could apply the same thing he performed to himself internally, then getting a better understanding of the type of energy that other people had in them. Eventually, he'll be able to get a grasp of the type of person they are, their personality, and their emotions. What Verena had said about her friend who was a master in Ki and was impossible to hide secrets for him. With enough training, he would be able to reach his level without a doubt and that was the place. If he became a Ki Master then sensory wouldn't be an issue for him anymore, he will have a good grasp of his surroundings. It was a matter of time and patience, if Ki taught him one thing is that he needed to learn how to be patient and looking deeper. His perception had changed upon first learning how to use Ki. After all, everything he saw had a much deeper meaning than the eye could see. [break][break] Charles knew that the enemies he was going up against were stronger than the ones he had previously encountered, but things were also different now. He was stronger and knew what he was going up against, back in Kikka the attack had taken him off-guard, and lacked the correct preparations. Nobody was expecting the daemons to attack that day, he was inexperienced and much weaker back then, but he also knew his enemies were much stronger than they were back then. Despite all of this, for once, he had faith he would be able to make a difference and that things will end up differently this time. [break][break] Everything shifted back to Argenti and Verena talking about Charles and his lightning oddity. It was truly something strange, even the silver spirit found it weird. Something like elemental oddity was commonly found on witches, but he wasn't a witch, nor did he have a heritage. The only way to explain the presence of lightning in his silver magic was through a mutation in his DNA. Argenti heard out Verena's theory, a woman of theory and experimentation, it definitely suited her. After all, that's what summoning magic was all about, experimenting with the different elements out there and getting the best of them. She nodded in agreement with her theory, it made sense and she thought the same as well. "Hmm... I had a similar idea. You're a smart woman..." On a very strange occasion, the silver spirit saw Verena as a smart woman in her own right. She definitely had the potential to be a capable magical researcher. [break][break] Argenti nodded and let Verena do her thing, to her surprise the summoner mage was actually intending to attack Charles with one of his golems while he was meditating. She wasn't expecting Verena to do that, but it was also quite amusing to see he would react to that. [break][break] Charles had sensed that Verena moved places, as a golem was summoned in front of him. He was fully concentrated and he could already feel the golem was about to attack him. As the golem's strike began to head towards him, he raised both of his legs, and with help of his right arm, he moved towards the right, dodging the golem's attack successfully. The silver mage stood up and looked at Verena with confusion, and disturbance. "What the hell?!" Truly a unique reaction, one of the last things he was expecting was to get attacked, especially from the summoner mage. Thanks to the fact that he was fully concentrated on his Ki training he was able to dodge it, but it was also proof that he had improved. Aside from that, Verena's advice had worked and he achieved what he wanted to get done. [break][break] "That aside... Your advice actually worked, so thanks. Anyway, I'm getting a bit hungry. I know I told you I was going to teach you silver magic, I'll probably go get some food nearby if I can find a town. After that I can teach you, I think it would be good to say thanks for giving some pointers on the Ki training." Charles stretched both of his arms and let out a sigh. Training Ki made him hungry, although he didn't move much. "Anyway, I'll get going for now. We can do that later, feel free to come if you want, though, I don't mind." He said, in case Verena wanted to join then it was something he wouldn't mind. That aside, he was happy with the progress he had made today. A few moments later, he left making his way to look for a place to eat, he had agreed to do Verena's silver training later. He did promise that, so it was fair for him to fulfill it. [break][break] [Exit Thread] [break]
Post by Verena Reinsberg on Sept 7, 2021 1:46:38 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","verenaver2image"] [break]
POW
DUR
SEN
STA
CON
082
195
014
065
075
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MANA SKIN archmage+grand
HEALTH grand
MANA REGEN 55 IC // 75 OOC
MANA POOL 310/310
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Verena couldn't help but smile when Argenti praised her. It wasn't every day that one recieved a compliment from an Elemental Spirit, let alone one whom wasn't contracted to it. Naturally, to the Summoner, it was the highest level of compliment she could recieve, even higher in its significance than a praise from Ardere Kasai or Lydia Ravencrest -- not that it was any less meaningful coming from them.[break][break]
"You honor me with your praise, Argenti," Verena said, grinning ear to ear. It seemed the Spirit had made her day.[break][break]
Though, now the time for testing the results of Charles' training. Simply standing by wasn't going to help him truly test his ki. In fact, it likely wouldn't have done him any good if he just stood there. "I apologize," Verena said, politely bowing after Charles exclamation. She did feel a little bad, after all...[break][break]
"But it would have been pointless if I told you it was coming. The threat we're up against... our opponents are likely much stronger than you or myself right now. We can't afford to assume we're enough, so we need to push ourselves further. More and more. Truthfully, I probably should have used something a bit stronger, but..." Verena frowned, sighing.[break][break]
Verena was worried about Charles, in truth. If Kikka had wounded his heart, what about this time? It wasn't that she doubted his strength. She knew Charles had come a long way. The fact he had become a Royal Knight in her eyes was proof that she wasn't alone in acknowledging his efforts. That he was trying to push past what had happened. But if Kikka had hurt his heart, what would happen against these three daemons?[break][break]
"I'll be coming with, of course. I won't let a second chance to learn your magic slip by, naturally," she said with a grin, partially joking.[break][break]
