Hero

Deleted

How dull.

There may have been honor in tradition and in the future there was very much the possibility that she would come to appreciate their people's customs, but standing around while an old geezer blabbed away was boring Sarahi to death. Yes, they were the future, they were the chosen ones to pave the way for future generations--fine, but all this could have been valuable time used for lessons and resolved easily with a few congratulatory letters. Even the Crimson King himself elected not to show, further proving her point. That said, she did pay attention, even if she found the entire ceremony pointless.

The only upside was Diadem hiding pitifully under her cloak instead of consistently ringing in her ear, the occasional chime mixed in with the occasional breeze heard every once in a while. One look at one of the others' tutelaries and they had retreated, chirping about 'winged demons' and 'hiding their light'. At the very least they were quiet, sticking to her clothes and only sending one tiny butterfly as a lookout. She would have felt bad if it wasn't for the fact that they hid every time a bird flew past; by now she was used to it.

Sarahi's mood didn't lift when she heard her name wasn't associated with the Cult of the Scarab. That was what she got for actually hoping for something. Moving over with the other faces she didn't care about, Sarahi closed her eyes and tuned out the rest of the names and speeches out as she deliberated. It wasn't the Cult of the Phoenix, at least, but wasn't even her second or third choice, either. What was the point of accepting an average student into a cult specializing in something else? Did her mother have a hand in this? No, she doubted that--Behiti would find any cult worthy of bragging about and wasn't aware of what Sarahi liked. Maybe a transfer could be arranged--biomancy didn't really hold her interest enough for her to specialize in it.

Once they were free to roam, she let out a long sigh that she had been holding. Right, if this was how it was going to be, she may as well embrace it. First things first: Magus Nevrakis, the only person worth speaking to at the moment. Or at least that had been the initial plan, as one of her fellow initiates decided to engage her. At the salute, Sarahi slowly raised an eyebrow, though had no comment. Peppy and sociable, everything Sarahi actively avoided, go figure.

"Good for you," Sarahi replied as she lifted her hand, watching the little creature of light land on her finger.

A small bell could be heard ringing, its voice in Sarahi's head. Is it safe to come out?

"I don't know," She replied verbally, flicking her wrist as she noticed the other girl was still around. "Sarahi." She offered her name at least, having no comment on the other thing. It wasn't like she recognized anyone here, either, but there wasn't any point in saying as much. "The selections are interesting, considering they inducted someone into the Cult of the Serpent with no interest in biomancy. Truly fascinating." And asinine.

The Worst Writing Advice

"Don't ever use 'said' when a character is speaking."

Sometimes characters just say things. Said is fine. Use it.

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

That was too bad, Eris did briefly flirt with the idea of directing once in a while. Of course, that would probably take him out of the spotlight, but it had been a nice backup plan some centuries down the line whenever his first wrinkle showed up. Oh well. That said, he did raise an eyebrow at the kid. Wow, Max didn't take his first and probably only opportunity to try to beat him senseless? Then again, that wouldn't be much of a match. At the very least his clone hadn't given Max any sort of ammo, or at least nothing that could possibly damage him. Hearing that his family showed up did make Eris curious, but unless further context was given, he couldn't really get anything from it.

His attention whore status proceeded even through illusions. That was strangely comforting, actually. He was ready to dismiss the entire thing until Max threw a last jab at him in the end. Him, nice? That was a hoot. Eris was surprised, so much so that he couldn't help but burst out laughing at Max's statement. Not just a laugh, but full on cackling. He didn't know why, but the thought of him being nice was just too good to him. After a little while, he stopped, devolving into lesser snickering as he brushed his hair out of his face. Alright, that made him feel much better, he really needed that.

"Quel rire--I don't know how to be nice but that must've been a wild ride," Eris chuckled. "That improved my mood immensely, I'm going to have to make sure to be 'less' annoying tonight. You know, as a small reward for the laugh; that hasn't happened in a while."

Eris lazily swiped the remote, changing the channels until it landed on a woman with what looked like long, violet hair. He stared at her for a moment, watching as she posed for the camera. "Elle a l'air moche dans cette robe..." He muttered to himself, clearly displeased with what he was watching and changing it back.

Looking to divert his attention elsewhere, he decided to go back to their previous topic. "Sunny mentioned your clone told him little as well. I suppose we lucked out in that regard," He said. For the better, having compromised information falling into the wrong hands could've proven to be a headache. "Though that reminds me, I don't know anything about your affinity progress or wishes for your major. I'm going to need to know these sorts of things for the future." And to make sure he didn't make a fool of himself if someone important asked.

---

Continuing to blab to @Scribe of Thoth's annoyance.

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

At least Ben seemed confident about what they were doing. Lilie wondered if maybe there was more than just the objects, if only because this seemed a little too simple to be the solution. Then again, it seemed to be doing something and that was definitely better than nothing happening. Invigorated, Lilie helped guide the blind vampire to each object, watching with fascination as each one disappeared into the marble. Would she be able to do something like that someday? Maybe it was a cooperative effort? She had a million questions that she couldn't wait to spring on Kanalie the first chance she would get, though she forced herself to focus after nearly tripping over one of the objects.

It looked like their initial guesses of object per house were right, too, so that was a relief. Watching each house crest form, she frowned to herself as something came to her. "Hey...do you think that there isn't just one answer?" She suddenly asked Ben. "Earlier I wondered if maybe we had gotten the answer wrong because the fear the King talked about didn't have to be a bad thing. Maybe none of the nobles feared him back then? I mean, when you're loyal to someone, you're not scared of them, right?"

As soon as she said that, however, the other part of the riddle came to mind, and she gently laughed at herself. "Actually, that doesn't seem right, either, since he said 'Fear the one that does not fear me'. Because even if they had a good relationship with the king, we'd have no reason to fear them. Or something, anyway...it was just something that came to mind," She shrugged to herself, looking at the stern Noilan King. "He said 'your friends are close but your enemies are closer'. That's kind of sad, though..."

---

Standing next to @Bert Macklin.

Deleted

Sarahi Parvaneh

---

Name:

Sarahi Parvaneh

Age:

16

Appearance:

Sarahi

Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gray
Skintone: Olive

Background:

A little more than sixteen years ago, a man by the name of Sa'd had doubts about his bride-to-be--the marriage was one of convenience to both of them, signifying a union of wealth. Instead of owning up to these doubts, he decided to chase one of the servants' daughters, and after one last fling, he felt he could move forward. Unfortunately for him, the woman wound up pregnant. Preferring not to have his marriage blown up (and risking his wealth), he and the woman, Bahiti, came to an agreement: so long as he financially supported her and her child, she would keep his secret and make sure no one knew the child was his. Unfortunately for Sa'd, Bahiti saw their child as a ticket to a life of luxury and made sure to use that to its fullest, demanding nothing but the best under the guise of giving their daughter the life she deserved.

Sarahi saw things much differently.

With Bahiti's stubbornness and Sarahi wanting nothing to do with either parent after the truth came to light, the two clashed more often then not. The luxuries Bahiti enjoyed became an addiction, and she was all too willing to push Sarahi to show up at her father's estate more than once. Sarahi turned to school and dancing for her escape, happy to drown herself in books and lessons to get her mind off her home life. When she wasn't in school, she was out in the streets performing. Magic came as a welcome surprise and one more thing she embraced to occupy her time. In an effort to further her studying, she met with her father once, privately: she'd agree to never show up around him nor ask him for anything if he would fund her schooling. Surprisingly, he agreed, and Sarahi kept true to her word and wound up at a private institution for magic in her district.

Eventually, her relationship with her mother deteriorated fully, but by that time, Sarahi had fully embraced the idea of being a sorcerer and getting as far away from her home as humanly possible. It was a little more 'secure' than her hopes of finding a troupe to run away with, but for now she would focus on mastering her skills.

Personality:

Sarahi is an aloof young woman who takes solace in silence and is perfectly fine with keeping to herself. She comes off as distant and anti-social at best and cold and uncaring at worst; even normal interactions with people 'close' to her don't seem to change that. There is little that seems to get a reaction out of her, often taking things in stride and easily accepting even the worst outcomes--that much comes from an unhealthy amount of pessimism she carries with her.

Very few things in life elicit a muted reaction, and they are magic, dancing, and her family. The first two are the closest things to passion as they can be; she was initially unsure about having the ability to use magic, but by the time she graduated she came to embrace it. She claims dancing is just a hobby to let out steam, but it's obvious by her talent that she does at least enjoy it. Her family, on the other hand, is a sore topic, and while she doesn't bother hiding her murky lineage, it comes with nothing but contempt and bitterness on her end. That said, Sarahi feels that magic is the solution to her problems, and is all too eager to fulfill her role and become a proper sorceress.

Aptitude:

Sarahi finds her aptitude leaning towards the mental magics of telekinesis and telepathy, with more emphasis on the first--the former in particular comes from her own desire to master it. That said, the other disciplines are about average with the exception of a struggle with pyromancy (not that she cares).

Tutelary:

Sarahi's tutelary has manifested in what is called 'Diadem'--at least, that is what they call themselves. It appears as a mass of tiny, iridescent butterflies that tend to flutter around without a care, their sizes ranging from about the size of a fingernail to a child's fist. They have the capability to unite and transform into one 'massive' butterfly roughly the size of one's head, but appear unable to speak as their voices come out as a sound akin to tingling bells, communicating mentally instead. Their delicate bodies seem to operate as a hive mind, speaking in unison at all times. They bask in all sorts of light but seem to particularly enjoy moonlight best, continuously glowing softly and leaving behind tiny light particles as they move.

Diadem operates on gratitude for being pulled out of their world and have a 'life debt' with Sarahi, treating her with reverence. They do not hesitate when they are called and are openly fond of her. There is a sense of consistent but quiet cheerfulness, though they are very clingy. Usually on the calmer side, they're happy to communicate with anyone and everyone. They tend to be wary around any creatures that can fly, as their natural predator is a being with wings that likes to snack on their light.

Aura:

A sudden cold chill you get when waking up in the middle of the night.

Deleted

Sarahi Parvaneh

---

Name:

Sarahi Parvaneh

Age:

16

Appearance:

Sarahi

Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gray
Skintone: Olive

Background:

A little more than sixteen years ago, a man by the name of Sa'd had doubts about his bride-to-be--the marriage was one of convenience to both of them, signifying a union of wealth. Instead of owning up to these doubts, he decided to chase one of the servants' daughters, and after one last fling, he felt he could move forward. Unfortunately for him, the woman wound up pregnant. Preferring not to have his marriage blown up (and risking his wealth), he and the woman, Bahiti, came to an agreement: so long as he financially supported her and her child, she would keep his secret and make sure no one knew the child was his. Unfortunately for Sa'd, Bahiti saw their child as a ticket to a life of luxury and made sure to use that to its fullest, demanding nothing but the best under the guise of giving their daughter the life she deserved.

Sarahi saw things much differently.

With Bahiti's stubbornness and Sarahi wanting nothing to do with either parent after the truth came to light, the two clashed more often then not. The luxuries Bahiti enjoyed became an addiction, and she was all too willing to push Sarahi to show up at her father's estate more than once. Sarahi turned to school and dancing for her escape, happy to drown herself in books and lessons to get her mind off her home life. When she wasn't in school, she was out in the streets performing. Magic came as a welcome surprise and one more thing she embraced to occupy her time. In an effort to further her studying, she met with her father once, privately: she'd agree to never show up around him nor ask him for anything if he would fund her schooling. Surprisingly, he agreed, and Sarahi kept true to her word and wound up at a private institution for magic in her district.

Eventually, her relationship with her mother deteriorated fully, but by that time, Sarahi had fully embraced the idea of being a sorcerer and getting as far away from her home as humanly possible. It was a little more 'secure' than her hopes of finding a troupe to run away with, but for now she would focus on mastering her skills.

Personality:

Sarahi is an aloof young woman who takes solace in silence and is perfectly fine with keeping to herself. She comes off as distant and anti-social at best and cold and uncaring at worst; even normal interactions with people 'close' to her don't seem to change that. There is little that seems to get a reaction out of her, often taking things in stride and easily accepting even the worst outcomes--that much comes from an unhealthy amount of pessimism she carries with her.

Very few things in life elicit a muted reaction, and they are magic, dancing, and her family. The first two are the closest things to passion as they can be; she was initially unsure about having the ability to use magic, but by the time she graduated she came to embrace it. She claims dancing is just a hobby to let out steam, but it's obvious by her talent that she does at least enjoy it. Her family, on the other hand, is a sore topic, and while she doesn't bother hiding her murky lineage, it comes with nothing but contempt and bitterness on her end. That said, Sarahi feels that magic is the solution to her problems, and is all too eager to fulfill her role and become a proper sorceress.

Aptitude:

Sarahi finds her aptitude leaning towards the mental magics of telekinesis and telepathy, with more emphasis on the first--the former in particular comes from her own desire to master it. That said, the other disciplines are about average with the exception of a struggle with pyromancy (not that she cares).

Tutelary:

Sarahi's tutelary has manifested in what is called 'Diadem'--at least, that is what they call themselves. It appears as a mass of tiny, iridescent butterflies that tend to flutter around without a care, their sizes ranging from about the size of a fingernail to a child's fist. They have the capability to unite and transform into one 'massive' butterfly roughly the size of one's head, but appear unable to speak as their voices come out as a sound akin to tingling bells, communicating mentally instead. Their delicate bodies seem to operate as a hive mind, speaking in unison at all times. They bask in all sorts of light but seem to particularly enjoy moonlight best, continuously glowing softly and leaving behind tiny light particles as they move.

Diadem operates on gratitude for being pulled out of their world and have a 'life debt' with Sarahi, treating her with reverence. They do not hesitate when they are called and are openly fond of her. There is a sense of consistent but quiet cheerfulness, though they are very clingy. Usually on the calmer side, they're happy to communicate with anyone and everyone. They tend to be wary around any creatures that can fly, as their natural predator is a being with wings that likes to snack on their light.

Deleted

Interested, I'll see about throwing something in after the weekend hopefully

Of Blood and Magic

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---

Eris was mighty tempted to respond something along the lines of other things being hard, but for once, he chose to keep it to himself. It wasn't even that funny in his head, anyway. The kid's questions were pretty valid, further proving that he had a brain in there. He had to admit he liked how on point he could be. The question was how he could properly point that int he right direction--Greta was a start, but what he needed was a way to see how fruitful the kid's efforts could be. Fortunately for him, an idea came as he mentioned Sunny, and after inadvertently letting out a chuckle on his statement on his relationship with Varis, he decided to lay it out there.

Ignoring the show for now, Eris stood from his seat, stretching his back out for a second. "I won't drag you to the meeting with Ryner, it'll be mostly bitching about the exam," He'd admit that much up front, casually waving away his question. "For all I know, the entire thing was a ploy by Ryner to turn me against the count. You never know these days, it's not exactly secret that the Sinnenodels aren't liked and isolating the heir could prove advantageous to more than one person."

He paused for a brief moment before he would go on. "As for Sunny...asking sooner than later would prove better in this case, believe it or not; considering I had thrown around Greta's name during my conversation with his master, if it got back to Varis it could be construed as me looking for verification about the information I received," Eris decided to put Max up to speed, quietly fitting in the puzzle pieces together in his head. "In other words, you have a slowly shrinking net of safety. For now, anyway...reporting back to Varis could work in my favor, being transparent is what I need right now." If he was going to try to return things to normal, anyway.

Eris ran a hand through his hair, another thought occurring to him. "That reminds me...since you ended up getting me in the exam, I don't suppose you learned anything from that, did you?" He asked. "You ended up in the 'best' scenario, but considering I was the only one with an abnormal experience, I have to ask."

---

Continuing to blab to @Scribe of Thoth's annoyance.

---

---

The method? Were they supposed to do something else? Lilie frowned, wracking her head with ideas. Maybe they went into the wrong direction, just because you weren't scared of someone, it didn't mean that it was a bad thing. She was still scared of most vampires, but she wasn't scared of Ben. That counted, didn't it? But that didn't seem right, either, much to her frustration. This exam was starting to make her realize that she needed to work on a few puzzles in her spare time.

It took her longer than she'd like to admit to notice that Ben had walked off. By some miracle he made it to one of the pillars, Lilie joining him shortly after. Did he have some sort of idea? If he did, he wasn't telling her, so she just quietly watched him. To her surprise, the marble weapon fused with the pillar, draining it of its color. Her eyes widened as something formed on the surface, and when she went to take a closer look, she realized it was the symbol of the Astorios. They were right after all!

"Hey! That did something!" Lilie gasped. "The weapon disappeared into the marble, the colors are gone, too, but now the Astorio crest is on the pillar."

---

Standing next to @Bert Macklin.

You Can Become a Hero!

---

Hair: perfect. Makeup: light and natural. Uniform: ironed.

Asuka was more than ready to get the ball rolling. She and her new dorm mate got along swimmingly (or at the very minimum they didn't hate one another, so that was just a plus in her book), but she didn't socialize as much as she wanted to. Not that it mattered, there was plenty of time to get to know her classmates and plenty of opportunity to network and weed out who was worth talking to. Now that she had her first impression mostly out of the way, she needed to leave a good image of herself to whatever teacher ended up with them.

Her morning routine had been optimized to get herself ready faster than normal; there was no need to practice any speeches where anyone could hear them, and she wasn't about to reveal that side of herself to Mizuhana. Instead, she pampered herself and focused on her image, making sure she looked as cute as always before heading out to the classroom. She supposed she could have invited Mizuhana, but going independently would establish that she knew how to give people space. Clinginess was never really her thing, anyway.

Few students were starting to take their seats by the time Asuka arrived, and she strolled through the door casually. While she normally would have opted for a seat towards the front, she wondered if sitting in the back would help her watch her classmates more closely. Then again that could give off the wrong impression. Lingering slightly, she didn't see any familiar faces that she could attach to as an excuse. How troublesome.

She supposed it didn't really matter, instead choosing the closest seat. Fluffing her hair with her fingers for a moment, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, opening her compact to double-check her bangs.

---

Of Blood and Magic

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---

Aww, so being rude was essentially his love language. It was oddly charming, but whatever, Eris wasn't in the mood to pick a fight at the moment. The idea of having such a moody pet did earn a chuckle out of him. He'd at least give Max credit for persistence, though the question of how much or how little to give remained. In his panic, he had spilled everything to the mage, so there was no dancing around it. However, unlike Varis, he didn't see Max knowing too much to be a bad thing just yet. The fact that he openly communicated with Sunny could prove advantageous if he played it right.

For now, Eris decided that at the very least he owed Max this much--if only to clear his debt from Max's initial warning from the forest. "I thought a lot about what you said on my walk to and from the Sinnenodel dorm, and I've reconsidered a few things," He said, stretching his arms above his head. "This'll sound like more rambling, but I can promise you that everything I tell you has some form of purpose. As much as I love the sound of my own voice, what I don't like is wasting my valuable time. Long-winded it might be, only two other people in the world know that story, and now you're lucky number three."

Letting out a groan as he dropped his arms, he rubbed his shoulder. Apparently the trek through the forest took more out of him than he realized. "Unfortunately, the count had no idea what I was talking about. Part of me makes me think that your initial theory was onto something--the entire thing was designed simply to fuck with us. The only name that rang a bell was that of coincidence: Greta. He mentioned that she was Princess Nox's trainer and lover, but she had died before the forming of the Treaty."

Ruffling his hair, he seemed to lose some energy remembering the rest of the meeting. "Aside from that, the rest of the conversation was irrelevant. Pushing the attention off myself and onto the princess was my main goal, and Varis will be as ruffled as a Moon's Mirror turkey for a short while." While Eris got to spend the night licking his wounds and resisting the urge to cry. "The only part I can't figure out is the mark...I'm not sure why it would linger, but I believe I'll get closer to finding an answer once I meet with Her Highness tomorrow."

"I've also realized sending you on a wild goose chase wouldn't get you too far. Instead, I think looking into this Greta would find you more successful," Eris continued, pocketing his phone. "Who knows, the two princesses have been at odds for some time, the possibility of winning Princess Fucks-With-Us's favor could be beneficial in the future. At the very least, it would get her off my back for a while."

Eris almost kept going, but he paused, staring at the television. Should he bring up the apology? No, the kid had the paper, if it mattered, he would have brought it up. Instead, he simply watched the actress burst into fake tears, sobbing as she watched the man she loved walk out the door into the night.

---

Blabbing less (but still blabbing) to @Scribe of Thoth's annoyance.