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pawnstorm2016-09-19 07:13 am
boardmaster) wrote in pawnstorm2016-09-19 07:13 am
Entry tags:
- !dungeon,
- alice liddell (american mcgee's alice),
- arashi narukami (ensemble stars!),
- archer (fate/),
- bolin (legend of korra),
- caren ortensia (fate/),
- commander syrlya (guild wars 2),
- corrin (fire emblem: fates),
- elise (fire emblem: fates),
- favaro leone (rage of bahamut: genesis),
- felicia (fire emblem: fates),
- gilbert nightray (pandora hearts),
- jae-ha (akatsuki no yona),
- kaede (elfen lied),
- kija (akatsuki no yona),
- koumei ren (magi),
- lenalee lee (d.gray-man),
- mammon of greed (umineko),
- masakuni doudanuki (touken ranbu),
- masamune date (sengoku basara),
- mikleo (tales of zestiria),
- minato arisato (persona),
- miranda lotto (d.grayman),
- niles (fire emblem: fates),
- one (drakengard 3),
- orihime inoue (bleach),
- owain (fire emblem: awakening),
- pacifica northwest (gravity falls),
- rory connor (original character),
- setsuna f. seiei (mobile suit gundam 00),
- sion astal (lolheroes),
- slaine troyard (aldnoah.zero),
- sorey (tales of zestiria),
- subaki (fire emblem: fates),
- wander (wander over yonder)
DUNGEON ♛ GRANTEBRYNCGE LIBRARY
20 SEPTEMBER (SYLVANT) 2016
In the morning, the Heroes chosen for the dungeon will receive a message via Carrier to meet at Grantebrycge. Heroes already in Grantebrycge will have a quick trip. For those who are not, however, the recommended method is to use Platform 42 5/8ths and then head to Cochrane's train station. The ticket is sponsored, and will arrive with the orders.
The train will pass through Friedgood before arriving at Grantebrycge. It's a long ride. Sit back, have your breakfast if you haven't eaten already, and hold your breath when riding through Friedgood.
After arriving at Grantebrycge Library, Verdoni can be seen with a number of professors. Nosy students stare at him (and you) from a distance. A few might try to introduce themselves to you before being shooed away by their professors.
Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.
The train will pass through Friedgood before arriving at Grantebrycge. It's a long ride. Sit back, have your breakfast if you haven't eaten already, and hold your breath when riding through Friedgood.
After arriving at Grantebrycge Library, Verdoni can be seen with a number of professors. Nosy students stare at him (and you) from a distance. A few might try to introduce themselves to you before being shooed away by their professors.
| Verdoni Despite the ongoing investigation, we haven’t the slightest idea what would cause this anomaly… [ pause ] That was my attempt at humor, mind; save your laughs for later. Someone has been practicing forbidden magic deep within the library. Who, why and since when are unknown, as it is impossible to enter. However, the mana fluctuations match the dungeons, which I’m sure you’re all acquainted with. Investigate the library and find the dungeon core. Failure is an option, but we don’t need to embarrass ourselves, do we? [ snaps his file shut ] |
Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.
ONE ♙
It's eerily quiet when you enter the first room, which, given that it's a library, says something.
The first thing you'll encounter is a massive library counter. Atop it are three things: a bell with a sign that reads “Ring to get the librarian's attention”, a sign, and a list. There's no librarian to be seen. If you try ringing the bell you'll discover there's no clapper inside of it and it makes no sound. If you try reading the sign it says, "Please return all books in a timely manner." If you look at the list, it has the names of unreturned books.
You can try to leave, but for some reason no matter how far you go or how many times you turn, you seem to pass by the same three shelves and end up right back where you started. Strange. Was that potted plant always there? How about that couch? All of the bookshelves look alike after a while...
The only way to continue is to return the books to the front counter and scan them with the magical lens there. And it will be a hunt. Behind that potted plant (and how is it growing when it's so dark below?) is a copy of Wretched in the Fog. Over, under the chair, is Friends Behind the Counter. (There's nothing behind the counter. You checked.) In that drawer, halfway shut with traces of blood on the handle, is They're Watching You. And there's more books above bookshelves and wedged in shelves incorrectly, sandwiched between 15 medical records which shouldn't be there.
Once you're done the doors behind you will open up to the rest of the library. And running towards you are...
Once the mandrakes are defeated, the way is clear and you can move to the next area. Ahead of you is a long and dark hallway with several closed doors. They have signs telling you which department the room belongs to, but you can't quite read what they say. Must be the lighting. Or maybe you just forgot how to read. They do seem to be getting more and more nonsensical as the seconds pass.
Why does it feel like you’re being watched?
Attempt to turn the doorknobs, and you and your teammates will hear chilling whispers of “You had everything. I had nothing.” And if that message doesn’t sink in the first time, perhaps the way the words are quite literally being carved into your arm will make it stick.
Unfortunately, there’s no other way to get through. You must keep trying to open doors. Eventually one will open, right? Just how long is this hallway, anyway? You tried twenty doors but you've barely moved away from the entrance. Eventually, you'll discover that one door is unlocked.
TWO ♙
It's a study room, complete with two couches, a rug, and bookshelves. And more bookshelves. Lots of bookshelves. Did we mention bookshelves yet? You can't see an end to them. You may attempt to leave, but outside is the same corridor as before, unchanged and with all of the doors locked. If there's a way forward it must be inside the study room.
Searching the couch will reveal a note written in Prehnite green talking about adding to the underground tunnels and a code to unlock the doorway. If you search the bookshelves you'll discover that there's one particular book which seems to attract your attention. Do you dare pull it? Of course you do. One sharp tug later, you unwittingly summon:
Once all of the ridewords are defeated, one of them will drop a key. Back to the hallway.
THREE ♙
The hallway suddenly doesn't seem so long this time. Unlock the door at the end and you'll see a long and winding, spiral staircase, surrounded by bookcases, leading below. Keep an eye out, as ridewords will pop out from the shadows or from the bookcases themselves. They'll drop from the upper levels, launch themselves from behind darkened shelves, and so on. You can fight, but there's too many to fight off indefinitely. You can only run.
To make matters worse, the ridewords seem to have some friends. Massive and ornate paintings decorate the walls around you. Initially benign, as paintings tend to be, they now literally fill the hallways with new life. The subjects jump at you from the walls, hostile. Between them and the increasing numbers of ridewords, it would do you good to figure out an escape quickly!
Calm down for long enough to examine the paintings further, and you'll notice that the clues are in the colors...
Keep going, and you’ll eventually reach the next area. It's another library room, with more bookshelves and books. The lighting is as bad as before but luckily, there seems to be a lack of ridewords. Given the number of book corpses on the ground, their fate seems obvious… or if there were ridewords they all were killed given the number of book corpses on the ground.
There are no doors in sight, except for the mess of books on the ground, and there is a sign that reads: “Please return the books to their rightful place when you are done reading and arrange them properly.” The way is unlocked by arranging the books in alphabetical order on the empty bookshelf in the middle of the room. It doesn’t matter if it’s by title or by author, as by coincidence the author’s names start with the same few letters as the title. The poor lighting and blurry font on the books will make the task tedious. Is that an ‘o’ or an ‘e’?
Heroes will have to be creative in coming up with a light source. Those who brought the Prehnite note from the study room will probably have an advantage? It did mention a well-hidden reading lamp behind a certain set of shelves in the corner… Except after you finally locate it, you realize it’s broken. There’s a note that reads: "Sorry man, we broke it. We'll bring down a replacement later.” Either try repairing it yourself or start looking for an alternative which doesn’t involve burning the books you need.
Once the puzzle is solved, the center bookshelves will suddenly move by itself to reveal the final passage leading to the last room in The Detention Hall.
FOUR ♙
In the deepest part of the dungeon is a research room, one that seems to be dedicated to the study of alchemy. There's a strange scent, akin a women's perfume. The walls are covered with photographs of blurred out faces. If you look closely, you'll discover that most of them have been scratched at or appear nicked.
Most likely you will not have the time to investigate, though. A hysterical laugh echoes in the area. If you hesitated too much or entered too quickly, violent matagots pounce you. And while you fend off the matagots, a beautiful woman enters, looking young enough to be a recent graduate. If it weren’t for the ancient cruelty in her eyes, she might have fooled you into mistaking her true age. She refuses to give her name, though if you ask nicely enough she'll introduce herself as the Mistress.
The moment anyone in your party says anything about Pigeonsblood or asks what she’s doing here, she'll start her agitated rant. She'll talk about how things have taken a turn for the worse, how talents are wasted, and how they're driving the school into ruin, how misguided everyone is. The Mistress says she'll turn the tides of the academy and she'll make everything right again. Starting with your defeat.
The Detention Hall’s beginning to fade away like ink on old paper while a school bell echoes. Looks like school’s out.
FIVE ♙
The moment you return, the people of Grantebrycge will cheer, and pop lights or throw confetti… but not too many. They know that you're tired.
… Though some Prehnite students might try to slip you their dorm room number and ask if they can talk to you about the dungeon later.
Heroes who have enrolled in Pigeonsblood will have access to their dorm rooms, where a hot meal is already waiting for them if they're hungry. Heroes who have not enrolled will have a temporary room assigned to them. A hot meal will be belatedly brought to them; however their portions seem to be more rushed, considering the quality...
In the morning of the following day, Heroes will receive news that the Royal Family of Cochrane, House Amethyst, will be sponsoring an extravagant field trip for Heroes with regards to their job well done and continued service for Gammon. Details on this will be released in a few days.
It's eerily quiet when you enter the first room, which, given that it's a library, says something.
The first thing you'll encounter is a massive library counter. Atop it are three things: a bell with a sign that reads “Ring to get the librarian's attention”, a sign, and a list. There's no librarian to be seen. If you try ringing the bell you'll discover there's no clapper inside of it and it makes no sound. If you try reading the sign it says, "Please return all books in a timely manner." If you look at the list, it has the names of unreturned books.
You can try to leave, but for some reason no matter how far you go or how many times you turn, you seem to pass by the same three shelves and end up right back where you started. Strange. Was that potted plant always there? How about that couch? All of the bookshelves look alike after a while...
The only way to continue is to return the books to the front counter and scan them with the magical lens there. And it will be a hunt. Behind that potted plant (and how is it growing when it's so dark below?) is a copy of Wretched in the Fog. Over, under the chair, is Friends Behind the Counter. (There's nothing behind the counter. You checked.) In that drawer, halfway shut with traces of blood on the handle, is They're Watching You. And there's more books above bookshelves and wedged in shelves incorrectly, sandwiched between 15 medical records which shouldn't be there.
Once you're done the doors behind you will open up to the rest of the library. And running towards you are...
| MONSTER ♟ Mandrake | ||
| Weak against Fire |
Strong against Earth |
Immune to Water |
| Creatures born of an ALCHEMY EXPERIMENT GONE WRONG. They have precise control over the growth and movement of their roots, which they use to ENSNARE OR HIT TARGETS. Don’t get hit by the POISON EXTRACTS that they launch via their leaves, either. As a last resort, they will shriek loudly, STUNNING any Hero nearby. Killing a Mandrake makes it lose its magical nature, and they cannot be replanted. DROPS: Mandrake Core, Leaves, Roots, Poison Extract, Mana-rich Powder |
||
Once the mandrakes are defeated, the way is clear and you can move to the next area. Ahead of you is a long and dark hallway with several closed doors. They have signs telling you which department the room belongs to, but you can't quite read what they say. Must be the lighting. Or maybe you just forgot how to read. They do seem to be getting more and more nonsensical as the seconds pass.
Why does it feel like you’re being watched?
Attempt to turn the doorknobs, and you and your teammates will hear chilling whispers of “You had everything. I had nothing.” And if that message doesn’t sink in the first time, perhaps the way the words are quite literally being carved into your arm will make it stick.
Unfortunately, there’s no other way to get through. You must keep trying to open doors. Eventually one will open, right? Just how long is this hallway, anyway? You tried twenty doors but you've barely moved away from the entrance. Eventually, you'll discover that one door is unlocked.
TWO ♙
It's a study room, complete with two couches, a rug, and bookshelves. And more bookshelves. Lots of bookshelves. Did we mention bookshelves yet? You can't see an end to them. You may attempt to leave, but outside is the same corridor as before, unchanged and with all of the doors locked. If there's a way forward it must be inside the study room.
Searching the couch will reveal a note written in Prehnite green talking about adding to the underground tunnels and a code to unlock the doorway. If you search the bookshelves you'll discover that there's one particular book which seems to attract your attention. Do you dare pull it? Of course you do. One sharp tug later, you unwittingly summon:
| MONSTER ♟ Rideword | ||
| Weak against Water |
Strong against Wind |
Immune to Status Effects |
| MAGICAL FLYING BOOKS that cast spells, the nature of which is BASED ON THE BOOK’S GENRE, at their targets. Horror books will cast waves of darkness, religious texts deal Holy damage, and romance novels will either engulf their enemy in flames or charm teammates into fighting each other. These are just a few examples, but there are many more genres of literature, and these little books are creative with their spells. DROPS: Enchanted Book Pages, Glowing Bookmark, Saucy Pin-ups, Bags of Potato Chips |
||
Once all of the ridewords are defeated, one of them will drop a key. Back to the hallway.
THREE ♙
The hallway suddenly doesn't seem so long this time. Unlock the door at the end and you'll see a long and winding, spiral staircase, surrounded by bookcases, leading below. Keep an eye out, as ridewords will pop out from the shadows or from the bookcases themselves. They'll drop from the upper levels, launch themselves from behind darkened shelves, and so on. You can fight, but there's too many to fight off indefinitely. You can only run.
To make matters worse, the ridewords seem to have some friends. Massive and ornate paintings decorate the walls around you. Initially benign, as paintings tend to be, they now literally fill the hallways with new life. The subjects jump at you from the walls, hostile. Between them and the increasing numbers of ridewords, it would do you good to figure out an escape quickly!
Calm down for long enough to examine the paintings further, and you'll notice that the clues are in the colors...
| MONSTER ♟ Surface Painting | ||
| Weak against Fire (red), Lightning (yellow), Earth (green), Water (blue) |
Strong against None |
Immune to None |
| A magical animated blob of paint that can move between finished works of art or CAUSE PAINTINGS TO FLOAT. It’s the mischievous type, finding fun in jumping from painting to painting, using its camouflage to animate pictures. THE COLOR OF ITS ORIGINAL FORM INDICATES ITS WEAKNESS, which makes things quite confusing! DROPS: Oil Paints, Playing Cards, Sunflowers, Floppy Clocks, Fig Leaves |
||
Keep going, and you’ll eventually reach the next area. It's another library room, with more bookshelves and books. The lighting is as bad as before but luckily, there seems to be a lack of ridewords. Given the number of book corpses on the ground, their fate seems obvious… or if there were ridewords they all were killed given the number of book corpses on the ground.
There are no doors in sight, except for the mess of books on the ground, and there is a sign that reads: “Please return the books to their rightful place when you are done reading and arrange them properly.” The way is unlocked by arranging the books in alphabetical order on the empty bookshelf in the middle of the room. It doesn’t matter if it’s by title or by author, as by coincidence the author’s names start with the same few letters as the title. The poor lighting and blurry font on the books will make the task tedious. Is that an ‘o’ or an ‘e’?
Heroes will have to be creative in coming up with a light source. Those who brought the Prehnite note from the study room will probably have an advantage? It did mention a well-hidden reading lamp behind a certain set of shelves in the corner… Except after you finally locate it, you realize it’s broken. There’s a note that reads: "Sorry man, we broke it. We'll bring down a replacement later.” Either try repairing it yourself or start looking for an alternative which doesn’t involve burning the books you need.
Once the puzzle is solved, the center bookshelves will suddenly move by itself to reveal the final passage leading to the last room in The Detention Hall.
FOUR ♙
In the deepest part of the dungeon is a research room, one that seems to be dedicated to the study of alchemy. There's a strange scent, akin a women's perfume. The walls are covered with photographs of blurred out faces. If you look closely, you'll discover that most of them have been scratched at or appear nicked.
Most likely you will not have the time to investigate, though. A hysterical laugh echoes in the area. If you hesitated too much or entered too quickly, violent matagots pounce you. And while you fend off the matagots, a beautiful woman enters, looking young enough to be a recent graduate. If it weren’t for the ancient cruelty in her eyes, she might have fooled you into mistaking her true age. She refuses to give her name, though if you ask nicely enough she'll introduce herself as the Mistress.
The moment anyone in your party says anything about Pigeonsblood or asks what she’s doing here, she'll start her agitated rant. She'll talk about how things have taken a turn for the worse, how talents are wasted, and how they're driving the school into ruin, how misguided everyone is. The Mistress says she'll turn the tides of the academy and she'll make everything right again. Starting with your defeat.
| BOSS ♟ Mad Matagot Mistress | ||
| Weak against None |
Strong against Lightning, Status Effects |
Immune to Dark |
 “If I knew what would happen, then it would not be called research, now would it? Oh-- but oh, my. It appears I've drawn in some special little guinea pigs. I'm all full up on living subjects, but that's an easy fix, isn't it? Let us begin.”With a sharp clap of her hands the Mistress summons her familiars, her FAITHFUL MATAGOTS. Seemingly harmless, they will nevertheless CLAW AND SCRATCH at any Hero while she casts off quick but DESTRUCTIVE ELEMENTAL SPELLS. Heroes who ATTEMPT TO CAST A SPELL themselves may find a matagot attacking their head! Unlucky Heroes will discover them attempting to claw out their eyeball, or trying to scratch out their tongue. “Hehe, what’s wrong? We’re just getting started! Show me more, show me why they noticed you, what makes you so special…” They CAN BE PACIFIED. Food and toys work wonderfully, and Heroes who dare to pet them will be rewarded. Singing a sweet lullaby for them will put them to sleep. A Bishop Tamer’s ability can win them over temporarily to the party’s side, though a Queen’s charm magic is ineffective. The matagots will not betray their Mistress, but they can be convinced to STOP ATTACKING. The Mistress will use her charm to regain influence over her matagots if they’ve taken too long to attack. ”Oh no no no, you didn't think that would work, did you? You should know better. My babies are incredibly loyal, you see.” Distracted Heroes, watch out! The matagots will start attempting to steal your blood, a scrap of your clothing, or some of your hair. If the Mistress gets these items, she will use her ability to create VOODOO DOLLS that will render you immobile, making you easy targets for her spells and for her pets. And if you are male, she will give you a PRIVATE LESSON, where she enticingly steals mana to fuel her next attack. The only thing that can free a Hero will be destroying the doll. “I was the special one, once. I was the one who... well, it doesn't matter, does it? They passed me over. But mark my words, darling, Pigeonsblood was mine. Not his, mine!” She will also use “Private Lesson” to SEDUCE MALE HEROES and turn them into her willing human shields. In order to snap them back to their senses, you must overwhelm her charm magic. For example, KISSING an affected Hero will instantly free them from her control. The more intimate, the better. ”I've worked so, so hard! I did so much for the academy! And how do they repay me?! How?!” The Mistress is now angered and will begin displaying her remarkable grasp on COMPLEX ELEMENTAL MAGIC. She will combine multiple elements to blast her enemies. Her favorites are water with lightning for painful shocks, or fire and wind in high speed flame curtains that sear the very air. The ALCHEMY BOTTLES in her dress will turn her attacks into an overwhelming force. For instance, she will use poison with her water magic to create acid rain in the room. Break or steal the bottles before she has a chance to use them. ”I just wanted to make the school a better place. I really, truly did.” With tears streaming down her cheeks, she falls, and the DUNGEON CORE appears in her hand. Her beloved matagots, the only ones the Mistress could count on, will drag her body into the shadows. The core is left for your party to take. DROPS: Catnip, Fish Heads, Toy Mice, Dead Mice, Alchemist’s Dress, Assorted Alchemy Potions, Life-like Dolls, Pins and Needles, Lesson Planner, Alchemy Recipe Book |
||
The Detention Hall’s beginning to fade away like ink on old paper while a school bell echoes. Looks like school’s out.
FIVE ♙
The moment you return, the people of Grantebrycge will cheer, and pop lights or throw confetti… but not too many. They know that you're tired.
… Though some Prehnite students might try to slip you their dorm room number and ask if they can talk to you about the dungeon later.
Heroes who have enrolled in Pigeonsblood will have access to their dorm rooms, where a hot meal is already waiting for them if they're hungry. Heroes who have not enrolled will have a temporary room assigned to them. A hot meal will be belatedly brought to them; however their portions seem to be more rushed, considering the quality...
In the morning of the following day, Heroes will receive news that the Royal Family of Cochrane, House Amethyst, will be sponsoring an extravagant field trip for Heroes with regards to their job well done and continued service for Gammon. Details on this will be released in a few days.
no subject
[He yelled it over the crashing and splintering of the bookshelves and the screaming of the mandrakes, hoping to be heard amid the din. Alice had been so obviously affected by the fire before that the spell Koumei cast, useful as it would prove to be (for he had no doubt in the other man's ability!) would only bother her further, and with all the effort she was putting into saving them all now with her magic, it seemed completely unfair to do that to her.
He didn't know her history and would not ask, but he remembered when he had first met her, his first few days in this realm. The memorial ceremony for the fallen, tiny boats filled with flames to guide the lost souls on their way...
She'd been uncomfortable then, and it had stayed with him. So while he had no idea of the details and had no wish to make her live them again in order to share with him, should she ever choose to, he made it his personal mission to protect her from any imagery of fire itself.
But all he could do was trust in Sion to be able to protect her. He needed to stay beside Koumei, to help with toppling anything else that might need to be used to contain their enemies. To that end, he smiled at him.
Thanks definitely weren't necessary, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate them!]
Can I do anything else to assist you?
no subject
Turned from the magic, Alice's chin rests atop his shoulder, the bend of her knees, the small of her back, supported in full as she rests against him, his mana linking with her own just as it had upon the plateau—cleansing and cool (purifying and heartfelt), the energy which he offers to her forms bright, protective arcs about them both, aetherous as a mistral wind from the north. Like this, held safe and close, no hint of the fire will touch her even as Koumei's machination unfolds before Sion's eyes, the bookcase fashioned into a furnace by spellcraft which should have been beyond the grasp of someone so ranked as Pawn.
But then... it is will which characterizes the strength of magic, and Koumei is a man of startling potential, and as the mandrakes, contained within the bookcase and subject to flame, broil, their shrieking intensifying before dwindling away, Sion's lashes veil over the lambent shine of his eyes.
Humans, like Koumei, like Alice who remained, yet, in his arms (who had, even in fear, held the mandrakes at bay), would always possess the strongest power; the greatest faith. And that's why—
(For the second time, his wings unfurl, his feet lifting from the ground as he takes flight, unwilling to linger in the first room for long with the threat of mandrakes gone.)
—he would protect them. ]
Koumei, Shunsui-- I will lead the way through the next corridor. [ For the way is dark and full of shadows, and there is nothing about the King which is not a source of a light. ] Are you able to follow?
no subject
It was strange, how easily the symptoms that resembled the beginnings magoi exhaustion had come upon him.]
Had I my usual skills, this could have been done more swiftly and gracefully, [He said quietly, even as he hoped for Sion and Alice's safe escape from this madness.]
There would be less damage...and no one would have been as upset by the outcome.
[Alice's trauma in association with fire was becoming steadily more apparent as they continued their venture-- but, he last spell was one that Koumei had intended to be a light spell. The two were similar in function when used offensively, but he knew for certain now that he desperately needed to find a proper magic tome, so he wouldn't make such a mistake again.]
...I will be fine, [He added, pressing a hand against his head to stave off a headache that was forming now that the immediate tension from battle was starting to abate.] Please, just stay a few moments.
no subject
Light spell or not, Alice didn't look. She rested her eyes, unsure what to do with her hands so they remained awkwardly placed on Sion's chest, over his heart. Only for a few minutes would Alice tolerate Sion's grip, even enjoying the warmth of his body, let alone her mana and strength seeping back into her body.
She felt terrible, she felt like a hindrance to the group with her fear. They had plowed through so much and Alice felt like a child. She couldn't safeguard anyone, she felt, not when just the mention of fire sent her into a small panic. When her fears were doused, Alice opened her eyes to peer over Sion's shoulder, half-surprised she didn't smell anything else that she remembers what fire brings.
She almost feels like she's overreacted despite keeping her calm. A battlefield is not a very good place to spend in the arms of someone you care for, Alice thought, and public displays of affection were too much. It's the most she's ever been relaxed in Sion's arms and as much as she dislikes the idea of breaking from him, she does so, gently, pushing back from him.
Her, safeguarding the others? She shakes her head, turning back to Koumei and Shunsui, needing to see with her own eyes the two of them were okay. And if anything, she needed to see for herself that nothing was as bad as she thought it would be. ]
no subject
Just stay a few moments, Koumei has said, and though Sion has turned from him in his flight, he is no less aware of the man, the once-Prince's mana flickering (and dimming) in his mind's eye. And beside Koumei, still, a Knight to rely upon—a rose-colored presence which the King finds himself thankful for. Shunsui would not allow for Koumei to fall, regardless of how Sion pushed him. The both of them, really, for just as the doorway heaved open, there is a resounding creak, a groan of hinges which Sion will not wait to see the result of. ]
Deliver them! [ —the King's spell is given strength by the Lady who remains, yet, in his arms, her hands pressed flush to his chest (over his heart) in a manner none too dissimilar from that evening now seared into his memory forever (the love he had for her would never disappear).
Even if she should be gone from his arms (she slips free from his grasp, and he makes not to stop her), and even if a day should come when he is no longer the Sion Astal she knows (but someone new, a thing comprised of God's strength and human will), he would never forsake her; their friends who now find themselves pulled together by the grace of the King's magic—wind which curls and coils about the body in vortex marked by threads of light, first levitating (a gentle sensation, rather like the protective grasp of another), then...!
Hauling ass through the doorway before it slams closed.
Alice will find their two party members safe and sound, delivered to them (surely with vertigo, but without a scratch!) and deposited neatly upon the floor.
Behind the, the way is shut. Above, the King hovers still, suspended in flight. And before them...
An endless corridor of closed doors.
Head cant, to the side (eyes open now). A long fall of silvered hair cascading down, down, and down...!: ] My apologies, but I just could not wait for you to join us.
no subject
[And that was a rather salacious (if only joking!) grin up at Sion, from his spot on the floor where he'd knelt upon landing. It had been quite some time since he'd had the reiatsu to skip around effortlessly in the air, and the feeling of the flight Sion had treated him to had been at once exhilarating and comforting.
Koumei, beside him, was also kneeling, having hit the floor a bit harder than Shunsui had due to his weakness. But Sion was right: he would never let the man fall, even in this position, and felt no qualms whatsoever about gathering him into his arms. Fire magic was as exhausting as it was powerful, after all!]
Are the both of you well?
[He'd seen their embrace and had been happy for it, but Sion...Sion had casted the spell to save both he and Koumei when she'd left his arms, thus expending more mana. He had to admit he was a bit worried.]
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Koumei merely looked away, trying to hide his own flustered state somewhere in the folds of Shunsui's clothes.]
It seems you're not only an arrogant Hero King, but one without patience as well, [He uttered softly, not pulling back his words.]
That said, thank you; there's no need to worry over the two of us any further.
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But having Koumei and Shunsui were both through the doorway and Alice falling suit with Sion, heaving a sigh from her chest. Taking note of Shunsui's heavy impact, Alice turns back up to Sion with a slight scowl. It's not Alice without any sort of scolding or reprimanding Sion, in an effort to compensate for her gentle gesture. ]
You could have been more gentle getting them through the threshold, Sion. Now, come on, before you reveal our location or draw even more attention to us. [ Alice turns on a heel, resting her right hand on her sword's hilt. ] Like you always do.
[ She cares! Mostly. As Alice picks up her brisk pace, her face softens at Koumei. ]
You're both doing wonderfully getting us through this mess. It's only fair that someone cares for your well-being.
[ Not like the sparkling embarrassment behind her. ]
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[ From the satchel at his thigh, he procures a delicate macaroon before pressing it into Koumei's free hand. ]
...for they are what make him a Hero.
[ A brisk nod of head, a puff of breath: ] The cookie is mana-infused, please do it eat it. Your mana is flickering, still.
[ And no star of his should be so close to falling dim. ]
Alice... [ Wings blazing, yet, at his back, he turns to glimpse his Lady's silhouette; and it is odd, isn't it, how however far she ventures...
She gains no ground forward at all, and before them remain several doors. The closest of which, Sion cares to test, his fingers falling upon the handle--... ]
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[ ...--and coming away bloodied, incandescent gold dripping in thin rivulets from wrist to fingertip, the source of the wound his forearm where the words themselves have been carved, the material of his uniform matting there along with the slow seep of lustrous color.
But were he not bleeding, he'd have given no indication that he had been wounded at all—his face remains fixed in an expression marked by acute curiosity, his hand once again return to the doorknob before him. Call it intuition, or simply preternatural knowing, but the sensation which thrums through his person is too much to ignore, his voice falling soft, featherweight (as though he were possessed of something) in this moment: ]
This is...
[ The way through, he's certain of it. His grip fast upon the handle, he twists, and the door...!
Pushes open. ]
...the one.
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A tyrant who wages war on leisure and naps-- surely, he must battle against flocks of pigeons as well.
[He uttered, thinking fondly of another blazing tyrant that he knew. Spying the curious golden droplets of blood dripping from Sion's fingers, he held fast to his own concerns and continued.]
Although a tyrant who leaves his army behind is a fool-- a King can only do so much on his own.
[Both in terms of a King's power and status and in the powers that such a rank held in this country.]
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It had to be an odd sight, Alice being the smallest out of all of them, blazing ahead. ]
You know-
[ She's cut short, nearly stumbling into them altogether. She knows by now that it's not really a trick of her mind. And there are times that she wishes that they were. This is the door? She isn't blazing ahead of them any longer. Alice doubles back, wordlessly offering a handkerchief to Sion.
This is great, this is fantastic. ]
Then... have we completed the task?