Cu Chulainn

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Balmung Castle - Courtyard
The True King

---

_{Specific Mentions:}

Aelphis croaked in relief as he heard everyone calming down. Focusing once more, he would turn himself back into a Faye and take a seat against the wall he was hiding behind, peeking over to see what's going on. Everyone seems to be safe, including the Lord they were serving. That's good... their paycheck is safe! With a sigh of relief, Aelphis would move to stand up and prepare to head back to bed. That is, until a familiar Mystrel would show herself once more.

"L-leadership? Right, right..." Aelphis paused to ponder what she meant. To be a leader of the team would be a hefty responsibility, and if the wrong person was chosen to be leader, then this expedition would be doomed to fail. It wasn't something Aelphis wasn't confident in everyone else deciding on, especially given there were much more experienced people than him in their team. In the end, he just shrugged and stood up, resolving to head to bed as well, although he'd wait a bit as he didn't want to walk by himself with the Limbtaker of all people.

However, as he waited for her to walk off, the gears in his tiny head began to turn once more. Whoever the leader is, they're likely to get the lion's share of the reward! It's either that, or they'll be the ones to distribute the gil they earned among the team. If that's the case, there might be a strong chance Aelphis will be cheated out of his share, whether it be due to his status as a magician or his lack of physical ability. Either way, it's unacceptable!

The Faye would march towards the courtyard with a newfound sense of determination, his chest dramatically puffed as he would begin to address everyone in the room. With a flourish, Aelphis would make his grand entrance.

"Hm, hm, so I see you all began to discuss the terms of Team Kirin's leadership without me..." Aelphis began, stomping resolutely towards his allies. "I'll have you all know that only the strongest among us should lead us to victory! And who else would truly possess such strength than a master of the dark arts such as I? To even have the gall to assume anyone else is more fit than I is prepostero- oh?"

Before he could finish his declaration, Aelphis would find his footing unstable before realizing he was standing over a sleek puddle of blood. He tried to balance himself, but it was all for naught as both his feet flew into the air. With a thud, Aelphis would crash onto the ground, falling hard on his ass as his staff went flying. The Faye could only barely process what had just happened before his staff had landed heavy-side first, hitting the Black Mage square on the top of his head with a rather audible bonk!

"Wha-... ahh... w-waaaaah..."

Between the pain, embarrassment, and the blood that ruined his robes, Aelphis eyes began to well up with tears. Slowly and softly, the Faye began to cry, sobbing quietly at the series of unfortunate events. This really was the worst first night he could've had.

Expedition to Isekai

Clearing, ???

---

_{Mentions: @Yankee@OwO}

This was it, huh?

Dying beside your peers, against beasts beyond your comprehension.

Life was pretty unfair, wasn't it? Being born in a backwater town where your only talent wouldn't get the recognition it deserved, covered in obscurity by a few jealous seniors.

You couldn't make your mark in the world, and now this is where life has lead you.

Dying in an unknown world, one where only a few will remember you...

Kogen's eyes fluttered as he slowly succumbed to his fate, the pain that radiated through his body becoming more unbearable as the bearwolf crushed him. Despite this, he still had some willingness to fight in him, the barest remnants of his instincts flaring from within.

Kogen launched an arm up, grasping hard on the bearwolf's arm. Maybe if he allowed himself to get torn up by this beast, if he squirmed just enough, Masato could crawl out from underneath him. It's the least he could do, after all.

He was too out of breath to really do anything else.

As he squirmed, Kogen noticed a glint in the sky. Was this a... hallucination? Were his delusions becoming real in his death throes? No, it couldn't be... is that Inaba, falling from the sky? Did a branch break, or... no. Her movements, stiff as they may be, seemed deliberate.

... Are you just going to sit and watch, or are you also going to fight?

The boy's body moved swifty, though he wasn't sure if it was entirely of his own volition. It's almost as if seeing his classmate's will to fight despite being totally dead filled Kogen with a deep-seated sense of resolve. He continued to grasp on the bearwolf's arm, digging his nails into its flesh as the pain that surged through his body began to disappear. His other hand clutched the hammer tightly, waiting for just the right opportunity to act. Fo fight.

The air that escaped his lungs was instead replaced with fire.

As soon as Inaba made impact, Kogen swung his hammer into the one of the bearwolf's elbows, throwing all his might into the blow. From its weakened grasp, Kogen used the counteracting momentum of his swing and the bearwolf's movment to throw his own body to the side while still clinging to the monster's arm.

Nothing else matters anymore. The only thing you need to do is kill it.

And so, Kogen would do so, raising the hooked side of the hammer and jamming it into the bearwolf's neck, before ripping downward.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Balmung Castle - Courtyard
Catching Up

---

_{Specific Mentions:}

So... much... running...

Aelphis had paused for a bit in the middle of the hallway, resting a hand on the wall as he leaned over to recuperate. Gods, if he had to do this much running on the field, he'd probably be dead before he even had a lick of that Gil! Aelphis was regretting not investing into any materia that would increase his physique in any way. That would have been better than the one he was shackled with. Procuring the green orb in his sleeve, Aelphis actually wondered for a bit about its uses. Really, all he used it for was for pest removal, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that toads are pretty fast and light. Maybe turning into one would help him catch up with the rest!

Speaking of the rest, Aelphis began to take in his surroundings, specifically the bodies littered around the hallways he was in. Truthfully, the dead never really bothered Aelphis in the past. After all, one of his earliest lessons in alchemy and magic involved processing carcasses to their base materials. What made the Faye a bit on-edge, however, was the fact that he recognized some of these bodies. For instance, the Sollan Vagrant he was leaning over!

Wait a minute. That guy spilled wine on Aelphis's shoes when they were making their way to their sleeping quarters. Aelphis gave his body a firm kick to the ribs, flinching backwards at the pain of kicking solid steel. Right, he was wearing a breastplate.

Well, between his bruised foot and his aching legs, there was no way Aelphis would catch up to the others in his condition! So instead, he would test his thesis out, procuring the green orb. Thank the Skaelans for their innovation! Thankfully, he didn't even need to come up with some magical mumbo-jumbo like he does with his spells! All he needed to do was focus on the aether held within the orb and...

Poof

With a puff of purple smoke, Aelphis's very form would change into that of a... toad. Nothing special or fancy, just a toad. On one hand, the shock of your body shifting into something smaller and slimier had induced the Faye into a bit of minor shock, but on the other hand, his feet were in less pain! Well, time to hop on over to the rest!

...

By the time Aelphis had reached the courtyard, a few people already had their weapons drawn on each other. At first, Aelphis thought more Valheimans were about, and prepared to recite (think very hard on) the incantations needed to turn back to his natural form. It was only after he realized that it was his team against those from the other group that he second-guessed that decision. Were they fighting each other already? And is that their boss over there? Things are looking pretty tense...

... and Aelphis has decided he is not having none of it, today. Instead of making his grand appearance, he would instead hop back into the hallway he was walking from and shift back, peeking over to see what would come about from this encounter.

Expedition to Isekai

Clearing, ???

---

_{Mentions: @Yankee}

Between seeing one of his classmates fly to their death and another who's also already dead in this situation sacrificing their life so that he could run, Kogen could not help but freeze up at what was going on. After all, he hadn't seen people die in real life before. It was just so unbelievable, seeing the classmates he knew not too long ago fade away as if they were nothing.

Was this really it, then? Were they all going to die out here, hunted by these bearwolves and whatever other monstrosities laid out there? Kogen's legs shook at the thought, before he took a big gulp as his resolve began to harden. If he was going to die, he'd be dying on his own terms.

If I ran headfirst into that bearwolf and gave it a good tackle, maybe karate girl'll fall off it. Ma-kun might have enough time to pull her away, carry her off...

Poised to speedrun his death so that at least some of his peers could survive, Kogen would turn to Masato. However, before he could spring off to commit to his plan, Masato had called out to Kogen first as he turned his head towards him.

"Wha- MA-KUN, WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kogen exclaimed, as the hammer flew right for him.

Thankfully, that season he had spent as a catcher paid off, as Kogen found himself armed with what was once Inaba's hammer. As he turned once more to question just what Masato's plan was, he saw that his childhood friend dove straight for the bearwolf! God damn it, was he stealing one of his ideas again?! It only took a split second for Kogen to realize what Masato had actually intended to do, and the opening it would create.

Withour a second thought, Kogen rushed forward as well, hammer clenched tightly in both hands. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel... slower than Masato. Was it the adrenaline, maybe all that hot air in his head pushing him forward? Nevertheless, Kogen primed the hammer back, his instincts as a batter flaring in his arms as he prepared to wallop the bearwolf right in the jaw!

Sadly, Masato did not account for the fact that Kogen was an idiot.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Balmung Castle - Sleeping Quarters
Gearing Up

---

_{Specific Mentions:}

Aelphis wasn't quite sure what was going on, with his head whirling around and all. What he was sure about, however, was that the castle was under siege, and they needed to move. While everyone was busy either discussing plans of action or arguing semantics, Aelphis instead chose to get all the things he needs ready to head out, almost sneakily heading back to his pack.

The mage's main focus was hooking up his ether distiller to his arm, but he also needed another thing from his pack. Something he probably shouldn't have. It was a strange spherical crystal, green and hazy. With a quick peek over his shoulders, Aelphis stuffed the crystal into his robes, before ensuring that his ether distiller was properly hooked onto his wrist. Of course, this would likely take a bit of time given the intricacies of the device, but as soon as he was ready, he would quickly waddle back to the rest of the group...

... Only to see that much of the group has already made off.

"A-ah! Wait for me!" The Faye yelled out after his companions, doing his very best to catch up! Oh, how tiring running was...

Expedition to Isekai

Clearing, ???

---

_{Mentions: @Yankee@OwO}

Ah shit, ah fuck, I'm going to die, aren't I?

Kogen had, in fact, been eerily silent, huddled up as he allowed Tsubaki to do her work. Rocking back and forth, he was almost pissing himself in fear. Almost. For some reason, Kogen felt that if he had pissed himself, he'd be imitating someone else in a similar situation to him. Was it one of his peers? No, it couldn't be...

In any case, Kogen was indeed freaking out about the situation at hand. It wasn't because of the fact they could be in a portal of all things, but that his eye was still bleeding! Of course, if Kogen knew any better, he'd be aware that the cut on his brow was merely a superficial one, and it only appeared to bleed heavily due to all the little blood vessels in the face. To Hitotsumi-kun, however, it really did feel like he was going to die or, at least, bleed to death.

"A-an infection?" Kogen scoffed, his voice clearly breaking. "Oh please. I've held our collective misfortunes back in this eye for so long! A mere 'infection' would mean lit- Ow! That stings!

"... My eye's not going to fall out or anything, right?"

Kogen did his best to stay still, but he couldn't help but shake ever so slightly at the thought. Ironically enough, however, Akechi's comments, while adding more to the gravity of the situation, helped Kogen steel himself a bit more. The sooner he'd look vulnerable to that rat, the sooner he'd sink another knife into his back once more. And besides, if Kogen gave that rat anything else to work with, he'd be more of a pain in the ass to him. He knew it was better off to ignore him until he got bored.

It seemed that Ayana had it from there, anyway... probably?

When Tsubaki was done stitching his eye up and moved to work on Ayana, the blond-haired boy simply walked over to the edge of the gathering, away from everyone else, and laid down on his back, his arms spread out as he let out a pained sigh. Some music would be nice. Kogen reached to his pockets, and-

"I left my AirPods on the bus, didn't I?" He asked himself, before the smell of smoke filled his nostrils. Damn it. Ah well. C'est la vie.

...

Before Kogen could truly relax, however, the sound of ruffling leaves followed by... a scream? A yelp, was it? Damn, did infighting start already? Probably all Akechi's fault, the bastard that he is. Well, not his problem once more. He already saved someone today. If the only danger to their lives was each other, Kogen couldn't care less. After all, those damned normies would all throw him to the wolves again if he butted in. Better off conserving his energy and resting for the time being.

A fight could be fun to watch, though...

Kogen sat up to see what was going on, before truly beholding the horrors of the situation they had found themselves in. Two large, gray-furred shapes came charging towards them in the horizon, with a third one a bit farther away. It seemed to have cornered one of the mechanic weirdos (Kogen's one to talk) while the self-righteous karate kid attempted to help, to no avail. There was another, much more recognizable shape standing there, too. Was that... no. No. He was just bossing everyone around! How could he... before Kogen even could...

He shook his head, springing up onto his knee as he took account of the situation. The two bear-sized wolves... bearwolves? That sounds catchy, much catchier than any other denotation. Kogen took count of the bearwolves. It seems that two of them were charging the group, but a few his his classmates already seem to be dealing with them in one way or another. Meanwhile, the three that separated from everyone else looks like they need some help. Kogen inquired as he stood up and began his sprint, taking advantage of his disparate position from the rest of the group. Still, even as he ran, he could see how disorganized they were.

You asshole, running off like that... guess I gotta do your job, too, then!

"Cheese Pizza-kun!" Kogen shouted towards Fujita, a new nickname Kogen had given his disciple both out of disdain for his normiehood and pride for his glow-up, "Get everyone else together and look out for any more of those things! Strength in numbers!" Strength in numbers indeed, especially if this pack of bearwolves was only the tip of the spear. Having eyes in all directions would help, and remaining in this clearing would be wise until the immediate threats were dealt with. Probably. Kogen wasn't too sure about all this.

What he was sure about, however, was his ability to run wide circles, his sprint continuing through the perimeter of the clearing they had found themselves in. Of course, there was one thing Kogen was shockingly good at, one he didn't take too much pride in for fear of it overshadowing his steadily growing rock career.

It was his talent with baseball.

Hitting the dirt with a slide, Kogen had found himself a perfect eighteen-or-so meters away from the trio and the bearwolf that stood atop one of them. While on the ground, he would find himself conveniently next to a couple of nice, somewhat rigid rocks. It wasn't ideal, but it will do. Kogen grabbed a handful of them, before tossing one at one right for the bearwolf's eye.

"Ibar!"

Standing up and dusting himself off, Kogen scoffed as he looked upon the bear, tossing another one of the rocks playfully into the air.

"Oho, what have we here? A mongrel who would dare lay their claim to the Devil Hitotsumi's subjects?" He spoke, his voice sinking into a deeper tone as he had allowed his demonic person to take the reins. He would then look to Masato, briefly.

"Get these two and run back to the rest. I've got it." He stated, his pubescent voice nearly squeaking in terror as he faced the bear once more. And with that, another rock thrown at it. And another. Really, this would go on until the bearwolf's attention was pointed to him instead of Inaba.

Kogen was primed to run as soon as that monster had its attentions set on him, prepared to dash deeper into the woods if need be. Maybe he'll eventually run out of stamina, or maybe he'll trip on the branch. It didn't matter, as Kogen was never one to think too far into the future. All that mattered was that everyone else was relatively safe.

Safe from the horrors of this world.

Safe from pain. From torment.

From certain death.

It wasn't the first time Kogen had thrown himself to the wolves, after all.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Balmung Castle - Sleeping Quarters
war crimes of my own!

---

_{Mentions: @Psyker Landshark@Ogobrogo}

The festivities were much more awkward after Aelphis's scene. While the Black Mage was thankful he didn't hear much negative words on his... occupation given his spectacle, Aelphis is sure he achieved notoriety in a different sense. Oh boy, he can already hear the countless nickname. Butter-Boy, Butterfingers, Butter-Off-Dead... Aelphis was sure that was the name that Viera had picked out for him. He shivered in his sheets once again at the thought of that butter knife at his throat. Ah well, at least he didn't end up bunking up with that vicious fellow.

Speaking of his bunkmates, Aelphis didn't have any strong opinions of them. The shifty-looking fellow was pretty good-natured, if a bit playful. The Faye's instincts told him that this man would be the source of all his butter-themed nicknames in the near future. As for his other roommate, even for someone who was as secluded as Aelphis, the reputation of Mystrel woman was something he was at least aware of. To be honest, Aelphis had no stake in the war, so he didn't care too much if someone who was once an enemy of his country was now watching him sleep. It was almost comforting to know she didn't seem to look at his apparent magical talent with the same scrutinizing gaze most people gave him.

And so Aelphis was quick to sleep, almost passing out from all the walking and nervous shaking he had done on the way to their quarters. He didn't even change out of his clothes, though he was at least mindful enough to store the strange concoctions buckled across his body into his pack on the side of the bed. As for his stave, he seemed to cling to it as if it were a teddy bear, sleeping with it soundly in his arms. It was a cute sight, really. The staff was barely taller than the mage!

Sadly, it seems that despite the vast assortment of food at tonight's banquet, it seems that a good night's sleep was the one thing not on the menu.

The sound of a shattered bottle was what stirred the Black Mage awake, and a call for action by one of his allies had caused him to sit up in surprise. The group was being attacked! Aelphis quickly shuffled out of his bed, using his staff to move his sheets out of his way. Thankfully, his bunkmates all seemed to grab the attention of their attackers. Aelphis observed the situation, seeing his allies make quick work of the soldiers. With their firearms rendered useless and a few of them missing one or two of their extremities, the Faye resolved to take care of the remaining soldiers.

Aelphis took a deep breath, raising his staff into the air as he allowed the aether to flow into his catalyst. The twitchy, nervous gremlin seemed to have a moment of lucidity as the winds of magic flowed through his robes. It's as if the magical energy that flowed through the Black Mage also gave him a sense of lucidity, despite the situation they were in.

"Behold the mighty voice of the heavens, that echoes with fury and power untamed! Let Dhinas' electrifying wrath strike down my foes, and leave them trembling and ashamed!"

Azure pheres of electrified aether filled the eyes of the boar's skull that had adorned the Faye's stave, the energy surging through Aelphis. The static electricity had even caused Aelphis's hair to stand up and surge with sparks of blue and white.

"Thundara!"

The energy dispersed for a brief moment before a mighty bolt of lightning struck Aelphis's staff like a lightning rod, a current of lightning zipping forth through each of the remaining Valheimian soldiers, frying them one-by-one from within their metal armor. The black magic that Aelphis had cast was mightier than anticipated, nearly blasting the Faye back as he struggled to hold onto his electrified staff. As the last spark bounced to the poor soldier who had his knees give out on him, the Faye quickly snapped his staff back as if to end the flow of aether.

And with that, their battle was over. Aelphis sighed as he wiped some sweat from his brow, not realizing his hair was left standing at its ends as a result of his spell. The colors, they began to fade, the noticeable loss of saturation bringing about a single gulp. Man, some ether would be nice by now...

"S-sorry I hadn't awakened sooner. A-are we being attacked?" The mage asked, quickly eyeing his pack. There wasn't enough time to shuffle out a bottle of ether from his pack, especially since all of it's in that damned distiller. He'll have to conserve his energy a fair bit. He just needs a few deep breaths, and some concentration. Focus on the colors, don't let them fade away, just like Mother had taught him...

"We should s-see if everyone else is fine."

Expedition to Isekai

Hitotsumi-Kun

"Draped in darkest darkness, cloaked in crimson carmine, the One-Eyed Demon King appea-... W-wait! Where are you going?! I'm not done yet!"

---

Name
Tsutsumi Kogen

Identity
Tsutsumi Kogen, much like his peers, was born in raised in Kuroshiro, where he lived with his parents and cute younger sister. From a young age, Kogen was fascinated by the world of punk rock and anime, often daydreaming about being a powerful wizard or a cool rock star. However, as he entered middle school, his fantasies turned into something more extreme.

Kogen is what one would call a "chuunibyou," prone to acting out his fantastical delusions in real life. It didn't help that he was also something of a troublemaker, pulling pranks on his fellows while blaming it on his "air of misfortune." Naturally, his classmates generally avoided him, as they found his tendencies to quote the lyrics of his favorite songs in gratuitous English while ripping on an imaginary guitar strange and off-putting.

Desperate for friendship, Kogen thought he had found it with a certain group of delinquents and hooligans in the baseball club, introduced to them by one of his very few childhood friends. They seemed to accept him and his eccentricities, and he was overjoyed to finally have people to share his interests with. However, he soon realized that he was being used as their errand boy, and that they didn't actually care about him at all.

Determined to prove himself, Kogen stood up to them one day, but it ended in disaster. He was beaten so badly that he had to wear a bandage over his eye for several weeks. The other students took pleasure in taunting him, calling him "Hitotsumi-kun." At first, Kogen felt ashamed and embarrassed by his injury, but he soon realized that the whole reason why he got beat in the first place was so he could truly stand up for himself.

Kogen began to embrace the name "Hitotsumi-kun," even going so far as to wear an eyepatch as a fashion statement. He no longer cared what others thought of him and continued to live his life as he wanted, even if it meant being an outcast. As Kogen prepared to enter high school, he knew that things wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to stay true to himself and not let anyone bring him down. Having been coerced by his homeroom teacher to make at least a few friends before graduation, Kogen knew at heart that even this wouldn't cause his peers to accept him for who he was.

After all, who would want to be friends Hitotsumi-Kun, Demon Lord of the Evil Eye?

Peculiarity
As a generally peculiar person, it is almost a given that Kogen would possess a multitude of... talents that set him apart from his peers. If asked, Kogen would be more than happy to talk about his peculiar abilities, including his hidden right eye which holds all the world's misfortunes. Sealed within it is the very essence of Hell itself, a scar born of betrayal...

As far as actual talents go, he is a treasure trove of obscure facts and trivia, especially in regards to topics like the occult, J-rock, and fantasy anime. However, his depth of knowledge into these topics is quite shallow, kind of like a kilometer-wide kiddie pool. In fact, his accumulated knowledge is so surface-level that even the otakus don't consider Kogen to be one of their own, among other reasons.

To be honest, a lot of Kogen's talents are pretty useless for survival situations. He may possess the mischievous nature of a prankster, but not the mental abstraction needed for anything elaborate. He could take a punch or two, but he's by no means tough. Even Kogen's ability to entertain others is middling, his musical talents extending only to the air and broom guitars.

If there was one thing that Kogen has that sets him apart from his peers (aside from his admittedly pretty sick air guitar skills,) it would be his ability to stay true to himself. Even when he was beaten by those he once called his friends, even when he was ridiculed by his classmates, even when his teachers have told him to grow up, Kogen's sense of identity has not once conformed. Call it willpower, stubbornness, or the inability to mature, Kogen's true strength lies in his strong sense of self.

In other words, Kogen's true strength lies in "being Hitotsumi-kun."

That said, there is another talent that Kogen possesses, one that will likely never be truly realized due to his past traumas.

That is, his genius talent for the sport known as [Baseball.]

Awakened: 100
Mind [33] | Body [33] | Spirit [34]
Facsimile: Armor - Manifest incredibly durable armor over body. Capable of withstanding most forms of physical damage, but doesn't change mass.

Expedition to Isekai

Bus, ???

---

_{Mentions: @Yankee}

Hell.

It was a feeling all to familiar.

An ever-distant heat, a burning smell, a sense of pain reverberating through his body. This truly was hell, wasn't it?

Kogen's eye fluttered open instantly, his maxed-out earphones muffling the sound of chaos from all around him. With his one eye directed to the window, he took a glance at his surroundings. It was an almost tranquil sight, really. A nice scenic view of a forest once undisturbed. Kogen couldn't help but smile at what he has seen, his tumultuous heart filled with a sense of peace.

"Ahh, how nice it is for the weather to clear up." He spoke to himself, his eye slowly closing as the cacophony of screams and the shredding of metal that he called music filed his ears...

... Wait. Why are we stopped at a forest?

It was then that Kogen opened his eye once more, sitting up from his seat to truly behold the chaos before him. The once packed bus filled with his peers had turned into a sight unimaginable. Shattered windows, caved-in seats, what is left of his classmates all scrambling out of the hell that they had found themselves in. This can't be happening, surely. This must be a dream, a nightmare that he needed to awaken from. All Kogen could do was place his hands on his face in utter shock of the scene around him.

It was then that he realized the blood on his face. His right eye ached... it was bleeding.

It only made sense, after all. It was the eye that contained all of the world's misfortunes. Surely it had been trying to speak to him before this had all happened! Surely if he was awake for the crash, he would have been able to prevent it! Surely such a thing happened because his cursed leaked out into the school bus, and his classmates were to suffer! And surely, his eye wasn't bleeding due to any rational reason such as the rhinestones in his eyepatch cutting into his eyelid during the crash!

In any case, Kogen could not help but feel responsible for this catastrophe. He needed to take responsibility for his actions, or more accurately, his inaction. Resolutely, he would stand up, realizing only now that the pain in his body was much more severe than he had thought. He keeled over and retched, his breakfast almost rematerializing as the sheer agony had almost caused him to throw up. His AirPods fell to the floor unceremoniously due to the sudden jerk of his upper body, allowing Kogen to truly take in his surroundings.

Scream of panic, frantic scrambling, and a foreboding crackling coming from the front of the bus... and yet, amidst the hell that they had found themselves in, a familiar voice called to Kogen. A familiar voice that he had not heard in too long.

That voice... it couldn't help but rile up the One-Eyed Devil!

"J-just who the hell do you think I am?!" Kogen shouted out in defiance as he did his best to keep in this morning's meal. Lifting his head high in the air, Kogen would almost leap out of his seat, rushing through the aisle as his one eye would dart around the bus. The doors were already handled, and it seems that most of the students were already being lead out of the bus in an orderly fashion. Knowing that these two vital roles were already fulfilled, Kogen would instead search for anyone in need of help, his eye settling on a wayward hand grasping the air for aide. Someone was buried in their seat, the cushions having collapsed over them!

"I've got you!" Kogen yelled as he grasped the hand tightly, pulling them out with all his strength as he kicked the rubble out of their way. Whoever was under there didn't matter to Kogen. All that mattered was that he was able to act, to at least save one person's life in the same way his was saved as well. He couldn't help but grit his teeth into what was almost a grin, thinking once more of the voice that stirred him to action.

It was ironic that the only times Kogen had heard that voice holler for him desperately was when his right eye was already bleeding.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Balmung Castle - Banquet Hall
Butterfingers

---

_{Mentions: @Vertigo@Ambra[@honestly everyone lets be real here]}

Aelphis was focused on one single thing. Not the flowy speech by their gracious host, nor by the rowdiness of those who feast alongside him. No, he had a single-minded goal for the butter. Yes, just one block of larded up fat that he so desperately needed, else he'd get shanked! Or worse! He wasn't sure what Viera did when they were angry, but he did not want to find out.

Thankfully, the Faye did not need to climb onto the table to grab the butter for himself. A plate of butter appeared before his very eyes, given to him by the blonde-haired woman who was seated to his left. Graciously, Aelphis bowed his head in thanks as he slowly grasped the plate.

"T-thanks." Aelphis muttered, his shaky hands holding the plate. Finally, the butter was his! All he needed to do now was pass it to the Viera and rejoice in his guts remaining in his body for another day! Aelphis's eyes were fixated to the Viera's knife, the plate of butter moving in accordance to his own will.

However, before he could fully let go of the plate, Aelphis froze, his knife-shaped ears twitching as they keenly picked up on the Lord's speech once more. Did... did he just say ten million gil? Ten million gil?! That's... that's a lot of gil! Assuming it's evenly distributed among, say, everyone on this table, that's still more than enough gil to buy all the ether Aelphis could ever dream of!

As Lord Leonhart concluded his speech, goblet raised in honor of all those who have gathered today, Aelphis could not help but literally jump out from his seat, standing atop his chair. His fist was raised in the air as he hollered in celebration, striking an almost dramatic pose as his hood flew right off his head.

"For the Goddess! For the Mothercrystal! For the Gil!"

Aelphis stood (relatively) tall and proud on his pedestal, in something of a victory pose. The Faye, in his excitement, did not realize the skeptical he made of himself, though it probably was not too egregious given the rest of the festivities. To be honest, this was the most motivated Aelphis has ever felt! For this one brief moment, all his worries began to wash away, his eyes settled almost firmly on the prize!

Almost, of course, as a glint of white and pale yellow caught his eye.

"... Oh, shi-"

Aelphis reached his hand out, but to no avail...

CRASH!

The plate of butter had found itself shattered on the floor, spared naught by the Black Mage's hubris. He stood there on his pedestal, frozen in both fear and shame. If they weren't already, all eyes were surely on him now, especially those of the particularly vicious Viera seated next to him! Right, suppose it's time to save some face, then?

"Aelphis Vres-Lii. Practitioner of Black Magic." The Faye said, giving a formal bow to his new colleagues, trying hard to avoid eye contact with anyone. "I will be in your care." Without a moment of hesitation, Aelphis readjusted himself to a seated position, straightening his clothes and doing his best to subtly kick the mess of butter and the shards of the shattered plate under the table.