Hero

Final Fantasy Crystallum en Absentia

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She wished she could say Ianthe's comment would calm her down, but Luna wasn't so lucky. The back of her head wouldn't stop hurting and she couldn't quite shake the feeling--and that wasn't even taking the miasma into account! Supposedly it had ill effects on people the longer they lingered, but she wasn't keen on testing that theory. She practically hugged her bow at this point, her eyes darting around as she let out a slight whine at Edgar's words. If she wasn't panicking before, she certainly was now!

Her free hand rested on her collarbone as she considered something. If the absolute worst was to come, she supposed she could use it. But even with all her jumping and feeling like something was going to leap out of the forest and ambush them, she had to quietly admit that there was a tiny part of her that actually wanted to go deeper into the forest. Perhaps it was the 'flytrap' phenomenon Edgar described, but she had to admit there was almost a pull to it.

Not that she would voice that thought, because even she recognized how insane it sounded.

Taking in a deep breath, she shook her head quickly, as if trying to dispel the pain at the back of her head, and she looked back at the now gone path. Holding in a whimper, she reached into her bag, pulling out a clear-colored gem. Slotting it in the empty spot next to the wind aldite, she watched its glow before looking around again. Her fingers gently strummed the harp, both gems glowing brightly in response. Playing a four note melody, a soft wind expelled from Luna as she quietly sang, "For we who choose to defend." The party would feel a calming sense of ease, their defenses fortified.

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You Can Become a Hero!

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Had she been too bold? Asuka only realized her words could have been seen as bragging only when Mizuhana gave her a somewhat lackluster response. Shoot, she should have considered her confidence could be construed the wrong way. Humility was usually more favored, but she supposed she couldn't help herself. She was genuinely proud of her accomplishment, was it really so wrong to brag? Maybe she could find a better way to come across in the future; what's done was done, so there was no taking back anything she said. She'd stand by it anyway, as the only thing worse than a bragger was a coward.

Fortunately, Mizuhana didn't leave her hanging for too long as she revealed she had based her decision off luck. Asuka raised her eyebrows, her mouth forming a small 'o', though whether she was impressed or not was in the air. As cliche as leaning on your parents was, she had to admit it was a smart choice--go for what's familiar. On the other hand, though, going with what was safe didn't instill any confidence. Oh well, they were both in, both here, so no need to linger or dwell on what could have been.

Asuka decided that she would voice her approval, hoping it would warm up the aloof girl. She let out a giggle, giving her another smile. And here we are! Lucky us," She commented brightly. "Funny how life works, doesn't it? You never know how even the smallest of choices end up affecting your future. Of course, you should always do your best to decide your own fate, but it's still something to think about."

She wondered if she was too whimsical with that. Oh well, she would rather keep up the small talk, no harm in a little optimism, right?

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_{Conversing with @Inkarnate}

Fairygate Academy - a door between realms

@Arachnid0

Final Fantasy Crystallum en Absentia

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Luna frowned at Mitra's comment, although she had to admit it did embarrass her a little. She was right, this wasn't supposed to be a day trip, even if she found herself greatly enjoying the group's company. Still, she didn't mean to be a distraction. When she decided to apologize, however, the appearance of the miniboro caused her to jump. That was what they were hunting? It was so cute! Now she saw why Ianthe had referred to it as a cabbage, she definitely saw the resemblance, and the sight made her giggle again. Rioting cabbage, indeed! Once it fled the scene, however, it seemed to confuse Balder. Its behavior was erratic, and Luna found herself starting to worry again. An attack from any direction? That couldn't be good, could it?

She didn't have much time to think on that, audibly wincing as she felt something sharp behind her. Her hand flew to the back of her head as she titled her head downwards and squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to get away from the sensation, but the pain felt like something was trying to drive something in. Opening her eyes, she gasped as she saw the mist pooling at their feet.

"That's--" Luna looked up with wide, panicked eyes. "W-We need to leave--the miasma--" She winced again, grabbing her head with both hands. "We must leave the forest at once--we are in grave danger!"

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You Can Become a Hero!

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Well, at the very least, they agreed on one thing. The thought amused Asuka to no end, though she kept her thoughts to herself. It would be refreshing to have someone that thought along the same train of thought as her, but she did keep in mind that she still needed to be cautious. They had obviously just met, but it wouldn't do for her to go making any assumptions just yet; she considered herself lucky that Yasuhide was personable enough to overlook any hiccups or mishaps in their conversation.

As Mizuhana asked why she picked this school, Asuka had to take a second, as if she was putting real thought into her response even though she knew exactly what to say. What did surprise her was that she'd actually get to explain her thinking. Asuka gave Mizuhana a small shrug, trying to come off as casual as possible. "As counter intuitive as it seems, I didn't really care which school I got into," She had to admit that much. A hero is a hero, right? Getting into a decent school would only get you so far, after all. "Ishin is second only to one school, but I thought I would have a better chance at getting in here than in UA. I was right, of course, so I not only got into my first choice but also saved myself the embarrassment of a rejection letter." Perfectly calculated, of course.

She punctuated the sentence with another smile before looking over at Mizuhana. "And you?"

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_{Conversing with @Inkarnate}

Of Blood and Magic

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Lilie watched Ben move to her body, letting out a little groan. He couldn't hear her! At least he noticed her body, but the fact that he couldn't hear her worried her a lot. At least she could hear him--and he could see! She watched him anxiously, darting from him to the monster multiple times. This was so stressful, was she really supposed to just watch? Well, if it was supposed to be another way, she was sure she wouldn't be on the outside. She knew this was probably part of the exam, but she was seriously starting to panic. What if it hit her body? Would she be stuck like this forever?!

No, no, no, panicking wasn't going to do her any favors. But if she was supposed to be just watching, then she would be completely asleep. Maybe there was something else she could do that she hadn't realized yet. But what the heck was she supposed to do?! She couldn't even get past the invisible wall! And she was pretty sure she didn't want to go anywhere near those weird looking things under the water.

As Ben told her to wait for him, she couldn't help but laugh weakly. "I can't really do much else..." She sighed as she watched Ben ready the bow. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad?

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Panicking and putting her faith to the test with @Bert Macklin.

monster/fae school idea, needs some work

Nice, will there be a CS you'd like us to follow?

Current Mood in One Gif

Of Blood and Magic

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Eris should probably at least make an effort to teach the kid how to be subtle.

He made sure the groan that was coming up stayed in, albeit he couldn't stop himself from rubbing his temples. At least come up with a better excuse than that if you're teetering on whether to touch the skull or not! The funny part was that Eris himself had just as much enthusiasm touching the thing--he was eager to get things rolling and getting it over with, but seeing how unpredictable the challenges were made him very wary. There was a point in what he said, but he wasn't about to say that out loud. But there was a time and place for that sort of thing, and a much better way of phrasing it. Actually, no, the only scenario where anything would ever be okay was if Wells were Ismene, but even she knew better than that.

Shaking his head, Eris took a step forward, content with shoving the kid into the skull if he had to, though he stopped when Sunny reappeared and launched into an explanation. Aha, so they did have to fight one another's reflections. So that would leave Wells to fight Sunny, and for him to fight Varis. Hm, how would that work if him and Varis went in together, though? He didn't dwell on that too much as he noticed the coin, and suddenly it clicked. So each pairing had half a coin, of course! Two halves making a whole would probably qualify as a completion, which meant they all needed to go in.

Eris nodded to himself, flashing Wells a grin. "Well, would you look at that? Sunny came out right on cue!" He said cheerfully, deciding to hold Wells true to his word. "Now we know what'll happen and don't need to wait--you know exactly what to do. Go on and touch the skull, then." He gestured to it, keeping his cheery air about him.

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Thinking out loud with @Scribe of Thoth and @Achronum + @Obscene Symphony.

Final Fantasy Crystallum en Absentia

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The mage spoke to them, and Luna had to admit presenting her name in a riddle delighted her to no end. Another plant, what were the odds that all three of them had plant-based names? Absinthe and vermouth from a family of plants including wormwood, huh? She took a moment to think for a second, although she had a guess, face brightening up considerably.

"Ah, mugwort, sagebrushes, wormwood--the most common of which we have around is best known as artemisia absinthium, and those do have very small, yellow flowers on them. Your name is Artemisia? That's a lovely name as well!" She guessed. "Some say that the name originates from another, 'Artemis', and while its origins are uncertain, there is speculation that it has relation to the term árktos, or 'bear', but this is mostly guesswork or coincidence."

At Artemisia's line of questioning, Luna's smile seemed painted on her face as she let out a nervous laugh, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. She supposed she did reveal a little too much about herself all at once. She would need to correct that behavior sooner than later; they had just met and already someone was able to correctly deduce that something was off about her. How troublesome! "W-Well...yes, I did grow up with more privilege than most, I admit," She said sheepishly, avoiding her gaze. "However, I...I feel that there is little I can accomplish surrounded by walls and books. To take action is the right course, and to travel effectively, one must join the guild. I wish only to help in every way I can, even if it means leaving the safety of my home." She frowned, looking at the forest. "I must be able to do something..."

She seemed to catch herself, waving her free hand around frantically. "But look at me, going on and on like a ninny," She laughed more genuinely. "Please, tell me more about yourselves! I admit in my sheltered life I have very little in terms of social circles."

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