[IC] Dawn of The Coming Storm (Co-GMed with Eklispe this time!)

[Letter Bee]

The group would meet at a moderately luxurious resort in Florida, albeit one where most of the personnel doubled as spies and which was constantly checked for bugs. In a conference room with wide windows that let in the bright sun of late afternoon, Judith Lee would take the stage, and the projection screen would manifest image by itself without a projector; a sign that there were other Magi nearby. The female CIA Agent would then say, "Greetings. My name is Judith Lee, one of your current handlers, and you have been brought here because we finally have a lead as to the origins of the Malakim Records, and you all have agreed to help us find it when the time came. That time is now."

Our intelligence networks have discovered a potential lead as to the source of the Malakim Records." An image then appeared on the projection screen, showing an overhead view of some ancient Greek Ruins. "This are the ruins of Cichyrus, in the region of Epirus, Greece. Cichyrus is the site of the Necromateion, a site where the Ancient Greeks used to do rituals that were supposed to contact the ancient spirits of the dead. Apparently, those rituals worked in the ancient past. I used my divination abilities and determined large amounts of underworld magic were used recently in the area. It's likely that mages there have worked on summoning the dead."

Judith pursed her lips, then, "We will be heading there in order to seek out the Necromateion's secrets; you will accompany me and the other handlers as we head to Greece." She put her hands together and smiled. For right now however, even though are all familiar with each other's names at this point, we're going to be doing a teambuilding exercise. Capture the flag! The rules will be simple." Judith gestured and the screen zoomed out and moved over the resort to show the forest around the resort. Two flags have been set up in the woods, the area of play is showed by yellow tape, if you go out you have to stay out. The flags are in pedestals 200 yards from each other, the tape is 20 yards behind each pedestal and 50 yards to the sides. Get the flag back to your pedestal and you win. Team North will consist of Alia, Henryk, Alma, and Akyna. Team South naturally will have Finn, Alison, Lukas, and Me. Now are there any questions before we get going?"

@Senhara@Redward@Kafka Komedy@MagnetBolt@jdh97@Dead Cruiser

[Senhara]

Akyna smiles. She is happy that the source was found. Also a bit worried due to the journey ahead, the Capture The Flag would get her mind off it however. She probably would end up a target, due to her defensive abilities. The teambuilding exercise would be very beneficial to everyone that plays, she thinks. As they can figure out how to cover each other's weakness. A strong team can cover each other. That is essential for victory.

She also would like to see how the others do in combat. Maybe learn a thing or two about prioritizing and reaction speeds. She wonders how they would initially attack. Rush? Defend? Ambush? Many different avenues of approach. She stays quiet when Judith asks about questions. Not even letting out a peep.

[MagnetBolt]

Alison cautiously puts up her slender hand. She's been sitting in the back of the room, largely silent save for the sound of pen scratching on paper as she tskes notes in a small leatherbound notebook. Her handwriting is, aside from being almost incomprehensibly messy, in a form of shorthand that she taught herself and quite indecyperable to anyone looking over her shoulder.

She looks nervous. With her plain, dull clothing (purchased at a secondhand store just for the trip - she didn't have clean laundry or time to go to the laundromat) she faded into the background as soon as anything more interesting appeared to be a more worthy focus of attention. It's likely more than one person forgot she was there entirely.

"Excuse me," she asks. Her voice comes out rough and scratchy. It's been a long time since she said anything. It could be the first time some have heard her speak at all, too nervous to make small talk with a room full of strangers. "We're not expected to-" she swallows, clearing her throat. "To do any fighting, are we? I thought this would just be research a-and analysis."

[Dead Cruiser]

As the briefing commenced, Finn sat back in his seat, staring-wide eyed into space. The green luminescence of his eyes contrasted glaringly with the orange light of late afternoon, casting a strange pall over the rest of his face. He didn't look at the projector, and barely seemed to be paying attention to the meeting at all. Rather, his otherworldly gaze was fixated on a seemingly random fixture of the wall, which he stared at intensely. Sweat beaded on his forehead, making the silky shag of his hair stick to his face. With no other indication of what was drawing his attention, those in the room familiar with his powers could only assume that he was in the midst of another prophetic vision.

Eventually, he rasped quietly, "It's so hot outside." He lurched forward in his seat, flicking sweat onto the table, and made a sort of dry, choking noise. "Please don't make me go out, I'll die."

[Scarifar]

Alia sat cross-legged on her chair as she fiddled with the corner of her cape. She was slightly nervous about this operation. She may have fantasized about having magical battles, but it was actually kinda scary to be doing it for real, now that she thought about it. At the same time, though, there were going to be magical battles. It felt so exciting to get the chance to participate in one. Ancient rituals and summoning the dead.... the time for adventure and wonder was coming.

The thought of a Capture the Flag event was interesting as well. It would give Alia a chance to get to know everyone's spells, as well as figure out how to work with each other. Alia then asked, "Do you know how many people performed this recent ritual? And how many of them should we expect to encounter in the ruins?"

[jdh97]

Henryk

An air conditioning unit’s echoing hum could be heard in the meeting room from some far-off hidden recess. Despite this, Henryk had draped his jacket over the back of his chair and loosened his tie. The top button of his shirt was also undone, revealing more of his trailing tattoo. His cheeks seemed flusher than usual, but only Alma could possibly notice this. Apart from those, no obvious signs of discomfort showed.

After the hushed chatter and acquaintance making, Alma handling most of this for him, Judith began talking.

For the duration of the brief presentation he sat, reclined in his chair, away from the table, one leg resting by its ankle across his other knee. His gloves rested in his lap. He kept his face purposefully blank, a cold slab of granite, and allowed his vision to sweep across the room and its occupants with bored languor. His eyes were flints.

When it was done, he raised an eyebrow at Alma, as if to say, Can you believe this shit? And the semblance of a smile actually made its way across his face; a vein of silver in an otherwise daunting rock wall.

He would save his questions for last, waiting for the others to hopefully ask them for him.

[Redward]

Judith Lee, eh? Alma's eyes roved over the room she had been escorted to. The 'staff' had been pleasant enough, but a lot of it had felt forced. We're new blood, I guess. They know that. It was the steel behind their smiles, in the depths of their eyes, that gave them away. Alma was used to dealing with people that could be considered dangerous, but those smiles and those eyes bespoke a world of experience; and a boredom with their position. I could be overthinking it. Doubt it, but I could be. The name 'Lee' had been thrown around a couple of times, though she never caught the entire context. All she knew is that 'Lee' had dominion over the small group.

Handler, that's the right word. Alma chuckled reclining as best she could, in her uncomfortable chair. She had never liked the phrase, but Magi did need to be Handled from time to time. Especially those who had no fucking respect for the position they'd been afforded. Whether it was by luck, or some divine guidance; they had all been touched by the Malakim Records. Alma, for one, felt lucky that she got to be among the gifted. Before, she had always considered herself talented; now she was magic. It was awesome.

The resort...well, that too had been something awesome. She didn't get to spend much time lounging around, but the Sun felt nice and Florida was a hell of a change of pace. Her thoughts were interrupted by the flickering of a screen and the entry of Judith Lee. She was more impressive than Alma had imagined, and looked pretty tough. Probably has to be, to handle a buch of asshat Magi. She turned, slightly, to look at her dear brother. His eyebrow was raised, the obvious question put forward, and his face flushed.

"Aw," she cooed, sarcasm dripping, "how you holdin' up, bro?" It was quiet enough to go unnoticed beneath the briefing; which she heard, and was deeply curious about. She smiled in return, fanning herself lazily with an imaginary fan; putting a hand to her mouth, mimicing and old-time southern belle. That was just a momentary joke, though. Alma knew better than to make a Handler mad; or draw attention to herself in a meeting like this.

Greece, huh? That sounded exotic. Though the reason for going sounded less-than-pleasing. Necromateion? Doesn't sound familiar. Underworld Magic stuff...ew. "The dead should stay that way," she mumbled, rolling a pen between her fingers, "no point in the word existing if they just get back up for breakfast." The paper before her was empty, by her standards, slightly out of the folder she'd brought with her. It was covered in doodles and half-finished lyrics, though the folder its self was for 'official notes'.

Judith kept talking, informing them of their destination and goal in this mission. It was the first time Alma could really remember being called on for something that sounded this big. Talk about exciting! Get to go all kinds of places! Maybe this gig isn't as bad as I thought. That, though, reminded her of her guitar. She really wanted to shred. Bet Miss Handler won't let me take it with. Lame.

One thing stood out, though, and shook away all her little thoughts. "Capture the Flag?!" It was an outburst, one she barely contained; coming out an excited whisper, rather than the yelp it almost was. That was one hell of a twist. She eyed Henryk, again, raising an eybrow of her own; the silent question put forward. Think we'll get to use our Spells? It seemed, however, that they wouldn't be the only ones attending. Other Handlers were mentioned. Alma was curious, but the game afoot had her heart aflutter. She loved competing. She loved winning.

The screen showed the resort, certain areas marked; distances made clear. Then the divisions were made clear. She held her hand aloft, waiting for Henryk to complete the high-five. She didn't say it, but he would know her sentiment. North Team, baby, fuck yeah! Alia and Akyna composed the rest of their crew. She knew them, by name, and little else. Alma might have said a few words to one, or the other, but they certainly weren't friends; yet.

Gonna have to change that! Can't be working with people you don't know at least a little about.

Questions were asked, but not the one Alma wanted answered.

"Yes, ma'am," Alma's hand shot up at the prospect of being able to ask a question, "this isn't about Greece, though. I figure we'll get the low-down on the specifics, along the way." She folded her arms across her modest breasts and met the Handler's eyes. "Can we use our Spells in this game?"

[Kafka Komedy]

Lukas

Florida, Lukas's home. He was quite glad he didn't have to travel at all to meet with these people. A plane ride was a sure-fire way to make him tired and grumpy as much as he hated to admit it. Three hours in a car were worth one in a plane, even in a place as hot as he lived. Interestingly, he had recognized the name of the resort the group was meeting at. When he was young the family almost vacationed there, but decided to go out of state instead, much to his chagrin. Now he wasn't sure they had made the wrong choice all things considered.

But, enough reminiscing on the past. The present is what all are meant to live in, and it seemed the presentation was finally starting. A woman, Judith Lee if he remembered correctly (he had burnt the letter they gave him, it seemed like a good idea) had taken her place at the front of the room, a projection magically appearing even though no projector could be found. That seemed quite frivolous to him but maybe this was short notice? If it was, he doubted a government agency would willingly admit to being a bit slipshod.

Lukas listened to the presentation with interest, unlike some of the others who were presumably getting used to the Florida sun. Hrmm. Necromancers. Those who played with Lady Baphomet's plans were direct enemies to Lukas, so he was certainly happy to be getting to the root of that problem. First though, the group was going to be participating in a small team-building exercise; Capture the Flag. He was with Finn, the young man who seemed to be hit the worst by the heat of the tropical locale, and Alison, the woman who was taking notes in a small pocketbook and was nervous about harming others with her spells, or being harmed.

"I do not mind being attacked." Lukas offered, crossing his legs in his chair to prepare for the ritual he was about to perform. "In fact, hold nothing back. My Lord has blessed me, I do not die so easily as the rest."

With that he focused and concentrated, magical energies swirling around him as his body tensed and his eyes were squeezed shut. His hands were positioned specifically, two fingers pointing towards the moon and sun, two pointing down towards the earth and it's core. He grunted, out of exertion, before, with a 'woosh' the magical energies dissipated as quick as they had gathered. Lukas stood up and stretched out a bit, getting ready for the exercise.

"Well, that is partially true. I also do not die at all."

[Letter Bee]

Judith answered Allison by saying, "You're not expected to do any fighting; that'd be for Lukas and the more combat-capable members of the group. You and Finn are the ones who gather information while the rest use their powers to keep any threats away. As for me, I can do both information-gathering and combat."

She then looked at Finn, "Wear gym clothes, then. Or swim trunks with sunscreen and insecticide. But your complaints are another sign that you need to get better at enduring the elements; the Necromateion is not a field trip." Kid needs to build character; I sound like Calvin's Dad from Calvin and Hobbes.

Now Alia, where Judith would say, "That is the most mysterious part...to all eyes, even magical ones, the Necromateion seems like it just flared on its own, like a volcanic eruption. Another sign that Magic isn't just part of humans, but a component in the universe that is being added back. I will say this, however, expect to use your High Magic spell a lot."

Alma's turn to receive answers, "Yes, you are allowed to use spells as long as collateral damage is kept to a minimum. We bought this resort, but it is a courtesy to the original owner that it be kept as pristine as possible. That, and one thing I observed about other Magi, me included, is that they tend to be unsubtle with the more powerful spells. This is something I want to remedy, because wise and tactical use of magic trumps brute-forcing situations with it."

Judith then admitted, "Not that I am innocent of such acts, however. This is as much for me as it is for the rest of the group."

She then sighed as she turned to Lukas. "No need for such theatrics. Also, do not kill anyone here or cause too much damage. Also, we are not using lethal force in this team-building exercise; we are still easing the others to the use of Magic."

A few last words, "I am now going to go change; you guys should change too. Changing rooms have been set up at the back of the resort; have fun!" And with that, the projector shut off, and Judith walked away...

@Senhara@Redward@Kafka Komedy@MagnetBolt@jdh97@Dead Cruiser@Scarifar

[Senhara]

Akyna Vektor stands up and heads to the changing room, her eyes flicking to keep track of the others. Her mind is racing, going over several plans at once. She keeps walking. Wondering if one of the others will come to try to talk to her. She begins to think about the others.

How will the others react in CTF? Rushing might be a bad idea.

Akyna nervously rubs the back of her head. She looks over her shoulder. Then continues walking. Muttering quietly.

How fast will it take for us to get used to each other? In performance especially.

She thinks. Continuing to walk along. Her hand twitching. She then breathes quickly a few times, then focuses. She has to change then get ready for CTF. She has to be mentally prepared to cast her spells. She cannot allow stray thoughts to distract her.

[jdh97]

Henryk

Looks like I’ll have to get my hands dirty, ‘sppose that’s what you get for making deal with this sort. The theory of magic wasn’t his strong suit; he’d studied what he could, but wrapping his head around the more abstract stuff was tricky, and there wasn’t even much concrete to go on – mana and its uses were awfully nebulous. That left him as one of the “combat-capable”. I just hope you're right Al, otherwise I’m not letting you go.

A muffled sigh escaped past Henryk’s hand. Alma’s competitive streak was notorious. Never had he known anyone else who thought that eleven minutes was a notable amount of time, but Alma had lorded her miniscule seniority over him since they first learnt to speak. Well, now I can’t just blow it off, can I? Great. He ran a hand through his hair and completed the high-five with his other. His eyes held a further message, We’ll win, sister dearest, don’t worry; I’ll do everything I can to make sure you do.

The tirade from the willowy man, Lukas he had introduced himself as, made Henryk chuckle slightly. Didn’t have him pinned as a religious crazy, but I like the cut of his gib.

“Maybe we can test that faith of yours sometime?” Henryk muttered, scratching his chin, “Something tells me you’d made a good drinking buddy.”

Then it was over. Judith made her exit, quickly followed by the fidgety looking woman that must have been Akyna. Guess she’s laser-focussed. Henryk shrugged. The post-meeting hub-bub began to swell. He got up behind his sister’s chair and leaned on it with both arms. Greece could wait; right now there was a certain victory-hungry missus who needed to be sated.

“Dear sister,” he said from behind with a solemn face and monotone register, “Remember it’s just a game, yeah? Don’t get too carried away, this is supposed to bring us all closer.”

Then he leant in and squished his face next to hers, and a crooked smile cracked his façade, “And besides, we’ll hand ‘em their asses.” Henryk straightened up again and rested his hands on her shoulders.

“Hey Alia,” He said, waving at the girl dressed up like she was a court magician from some Dumas novel. Never thought a cape could look so good.

“Why don’t you talk shop with my sister here,” He said, pinching Alma’s cheeks, “She doesn’t bite,” then he winked, “Much.”

He began walking off, “Al, I’m going to our room to change, knock before coming in, if you do.” And he made his exit, snatching up his jacket and throwing it over his shoulder.

[MagnetBolt]

Alison stood up quietly, leaving the room worried and absorbed in her own thoughts. She wasn't the type to do anything more athletic than walk to the corner store, but she'd rather find somewhere else to be than try and make small talk.

Did Miss Lee make the teams like that on purpose? Maybe we're the least reliable and she wants to be there to watch us...

She stopped only a few steps outside the room, enough to get away fron the crowd, and leaned against a wall. Alison took out her notebook and considered the facts, making quick notes as she flipped through the last few pages she'd written.

It was clear everyone here was new, to Miss Lee if nothing else. With how much she had organized already, and the information under her control...

It's fair to assume Judith Lee is likely the strongest person here, and with her knowledge of the terrain, whatever training she has, and the dossiers she has on us, she is the only person with all the information on this scenario. With such an overwhelming advantage, she's probably acting as a ringer and will hold back to keep things fair.

She tapped her pen against the paper and underlined a few things.

She likely has a strategy already in place for this game, formed with more complete information than I have and with more time to consider the details.

Alison put the notebook away and took a deep breath.

"Why couldn't it be something like Trivial Pursuit instead?"

[Redward]

Judith had a point. Spells are really dangerous, if you're not precise about what you're doing. Still, can't say every situation can be handled with finesse. Alma thought about that as she removed her vest, folding it over her arm. A smile firmly welded onto her face. She looked to each of them, for a second; measuring. Interesting bunch. Who can do what? Their Handler had already assigned them into teams, and the game was on everyone's mind. Team divisions are probably relevant, too. Or is this just a blind assemblage? No, that's pretty unlikely. Still, makes me wonder why this group was chosen.

From behind her came the expected downer. She turned and gave the now-dour Henryk a winning smile, a hint of delight touching gently at her eyes. "Of course it's a game," she shrugged, "but it's a game with a purpose. Getting closer is fine, but finding where we stand is what happens first; right?" His face squished against hers, and her arm draped over his shoulder; her eyes narrowing as he whispered, but no mirth was lost. "Hell yeah, we're busting through the ceiling!" it was quiet, so as not to alert the others, but enthusiastic. she released her light grip on Henryk. Alia was approaching. The girl in the cape.

"Awesome outfit," Alma admired the crimson garb openly, making a quick circle around Alia before settling back into place, "I gotta get a hat like that, sometime." Her cheeks got a good pinch, then a warm-warning was given to their team-mate. Alma smiled. "Hardly ever, really. It's a really situational thing. Good equalizer in a tight spot." She shifted her hips, tossing her vest at her Henryk's back, landing it on his shoulder. "Go ahead and put that up for me, please!" Alma wasted no time turning back to Alia; a more serious cast to her face. "So, right, we have to figure out how we're going to crush these guys. Any ideas? What can you do?"

It was a little embarrassing, despite her suspicion that few of the Magi here knew what the others were capable of. "I'm, uh, more of a manipulator. You know," she lowered her voice, "gravity tethers, switching places with stuff, stone transmogrification and some High Magic."

She brightened, offering her hand out to Alia.

"Oh, and I can turn my skin into centipedes."

[Dead Cruiser]

Grumbling, Finn set out to the locker room of the resort to change into something more appropriate for the weather. Unfortunately, most of his clothes were suited for colder climates, and the only swimwear he owned was a thermal wetsuit. The best he was able to make do with was an undershirt, an oversized pair of boxer shorts worn over briefs, and his shower shoes. He didn't need foresight to have an idea of what his team was going to want him to do; anticipate the enemy team and scout remotely for their movements. Idly, he wondered if they would be near some sort of water feature that he could take advantage of. If nothing else, they would be in a high-humidity wetland environment, which was actually more or less the environment which he had the greatest advantage. Either way, he didn't want to burn himself out by scrying for information that would be readily handed to him in due time, so he quietly prepared for the coming trial.

[Scarifar]

Alia

@Redward@jdh97

Alia thought about the information Judith had just given her. The one thing that quickly sprang to mind was that if there were no enemies, then there would be no magical battle. That was quite the disappointment to Alia. However, Judith's warning was of considerable interest as well. If there was no battle to expect, then why expect to use magic? Perhaps it was merely to expect the unexpected, which made sense, or maybe there was some other reason. Regardless, she would keep it in mind.

As she listened on to Judith, Alia sheepishly looked away as she mentioned how those with powerful battle magicks tend to be unsubtle about it. She had not given much thought about how to act subtle with her spells herself, and decided to keep it in mind for the CTF match. Speaking of which....

Alia turned to face Henryk, who had come up to greet her. "Hello there," Alia greeted back, a smile on her face. Alia then looked over to Alma, who Henryk introduced before leaving. "Thanks for thaaaaa-" Alma said just as she got a good pinch on the cheeks. Alia rubbed her cheeks afterwards, though she still kept a smile on her face. After all, it felt nice to be the target of affection, even if the method of showing it was a bit unconventional to her.

Alia nodded thoughtfully as Alma explained what she could do. Already ideas were springing to mind on how to create some wombo combos. Alia then reached out to reciprocate the hand shake, only to immediately pull back instinctively when Alma said the word "centipedes". Alma blushed, embarrassed at the situation, but got over it quickly. "Hmm..." Alia said, trying to figure out how best to explain her magicks. "I know 4 World spells, each one using a different element. You know, fire, water, earth, and air. The fire and water ones are for offense, while earth and air are for CC and defense. My other two spells are High magicks. One of them just makes barriers of mana, nothing too fancy, but very useful." Alia then raised a finger before continuing, "My last one, though, is where the real magic happens. I call it 'Combo Cast'. Basically, it lets me combine two of my spells in order to cast a new spell with the originals' combined effects. Because of that, I can perform a lot of different roles. The only problem is that using too many Combo spells will eat up a lot of my mana, so I have to be careful about which ones I use."

[Kafka Komedy]

Lukas

Lukas made a few mental notes as Judith explained some things. Firstly, the Necromanteion was not afflicted with Necromancers apparently, it just sort of happened. This was definitely something Lukas was meant to investigate as a priest of Baphomet. Secondly, he should try and keep collateral damage to a minimum. That would be hard but he had a few ideas relating to his Ash powers. Finally, Judith didn't appreciate his 'theatrics.' Odd considering she didn't bother investing in a projector...

Henryk, he believed, made a comment after that, mentioning Lukas might be good at a bar. "I'm more of a fan of wine myself, but I certainly wouldn't mind taking you up on the offer. As long as you pay for the first round, of course." Lukas grinned, before exiting the room. He'd prefer to wear his robes and needed to change. Even if this was a simple exercise, the group would need to get used to him wearing such clothes. He knew he might look frightening in them and while that was great while facing an enemy, his allies would need to be able to trust him.

Exiting the room, right after the boy had, he saw Alison scribbling in a pocket book. She idly mumbled to herself how she had wished they were playing a different game and Lukas found that a prime opportunity to raise her spirits.

"I assure you, win or lose, this game can be fun. Just relax, this is meant to be a fun team building exercise." Lukas explained, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

[Letter Bee]

Timeskip

The Flag of Team FLAJ (Finn, Lukas, Allison, Judith) was set on top of a small hill surrounded by trees on three sides, and which looked over the other part of the resort grounds on the fourth side.

Judith would say, "Finn, you know what to do. Lukas, you attack from the front; keep collateral damage to a minimum and attention to yourself to a maximum. As for me and Allison...let's just say that if spells are permitted, so are paintball guns."

Smiling, she then took out a sniper rifle and paint ammunition, seemingly out of thin air. She then took out a can of sticky foam and gave it to Allison. "Use your Timespace spells to flank our enem - opponents, then spray them with this sticky foam; it's meant to be resistant to magic and physical force thanks to High Spells. I myself will pin the enemy down with sniper shots from this position." I think I am making a mistake. Oh, well, she'll learn more from it than I would.

And finally, Judith gave a lightweight shield of carbon-fibre polymer to Finn. "Just in case you need to protect yourself."

Taking out her phone, she then called the other team, saying: "Hey, it is time to begin!"

@Senhara@Redward@Kafka Komedy@MagnetBolt@jdh97@Dead Cruiser@Scarifar

[Senhara]

Akyna looks between all of them. Not moving from her position, she'll play defense apparently. She stays still. Hands twitching, her eyes focusing on whatever that moves. She begins to sing to herself very quietly. She then breathes a few times quickly, focusing on what to do next. She begins to think.

They need defense. Will I be enough to support them? Hopefully.

She then says a few lines somewhat quietly from the opening of the song Sabaton - The Art Of War, in the album The Art Of War.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

She likes those three lines. Resuming her quiet singing.

[MagnetBolt]

Alison looks at the can she was given. It's not much of a weapon. If she had to guess - and she's good at guessing - she was given something this harmless so she wouldn't be a danger to herself or others. For a moment she lets her power flow around it, and she gets a sense of it being assembled in some workshop, filled and assembled by hand instead of on an assembly line. The contents were a myatery, a blind spot. Miss Lee had said it would disrupt magic.

"This is such a terrible idea," she sighs, talking to herself. "Maybe I should just find somewhere quiet to sit this out..."

With the trees she could probably find a safe spot to wait for the game to end. And Judith did tell her to flank then.

Alison carefully makes her way into the brush, watching her steps to avoid falling or making too much noise.

[Scarifar]

Alia

"Alright, everyone, here's the plan," Alia said to her teammates. "We need at least one person to defend our flag while the others go out to capture theirs. Someone will make a distraction to redirect their defenses while another person will sneak around to take their flag. Then we hightail it back to our flag and it's our win."

"As for the roles, I'm figuring that I'll be on defense, Akyna and Henryk will make the distraction, and Alma will take their flag. Any questions or objections, anyone?" Alia believed this to be a decent plan, but there was almost certainly going to be something that had been overlooked, and she depended on everyone else for assistance on the matter.