[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/z5KXy1d.png[/img][/center][center][color=9e0b0f][h1]Lavinia[/h1][/color][/center]

The absolute desolate wasteland that was Fenixtear's job board had Lavinia secretly grinning with delight. [color=9e0b0f][i]Ha ha![/i][/color] This guild was on the verge of collapse! Not a few months into working here, and already her mere presence was driving them all to ruin! Just a little longer now, and her 'fellow mages' would have no choice but to seek out less legitimate work, taking on nastier and dirtier jobs until they lost all their humanity and became corrupted hollows of their former selves. Yes yes, it was only a matter of time...

For the moment, though, the lack of work conferred some even more important benefits. For one: nobody could accuse her of slacking off anymore. [color=9e0b0f][i]Oho, you say that I'm just lounging about on the sofa with my book all day? Why yes... but that's only because there is NOTHING ELSE AT ALL TO DO! AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAA![/i][/color]

Her epic internal cackling escaped into the world as a tiny giggle, unbeknownst to the villainous mage immersed in her own cruel schemes. It was hard to catch her attention at all when she was like this; she could happily spend hours reading in her comfy seat without even noticing if the whole building was crashing down around her. As it happened, though, Grasidia managed to open the door at just the right angle that a flash of sunlight bounced off the doorknob and reflected in turn through Lavinia's glasses. She hissed with irritation, blinking rapidly and removing her spectacles to rub at her eyes with one hand.

[color=9e0b0f]"What's this, then?"[/color] Now that the monster had been roused, Grasidia's deflated state did not escape her notice, and she spoke loud enough to be heard across the tavern. [color=9e0b0f]"Has something managed to bring low even the great S-Class mage?"[/color]

Curious, she closed the sinister forbidden tome she'd been perusing (which incidentally contained some very useful tips on home cooking) and replaced her glasses, staring balefully over at the guild's resident gardener. Grasidia might be a bit hard to talk to sometimes, but that didn't mean Lavinia was just going to sit idly and watch her be miserable like this. [color=9e0b0f]"Come now, don't just keep it to yourself. Speak your darkest thoughts, let loose all your suffering and despair!"[/color] Maybe talking about it would cheer her up a little.