Hero

Of Blood and Magic

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Bashful was not a word in Eris' vocabulary. What did that even mean, anyway? Okay, he knew the dictionary definition but that wasn't what he was trying to say. Eris was just feeling a little weird and reluctant to admit things, and maybe he was a little vulnerable right now, but bashful? Really? Was he? This was just one of the strangest nights in his life, further cemented when he dared himself to look at Max and was met with a weird sort of grimace. Buddy, no need to look at him all weird, Eris was mighty tempted to jump back in the shower and scrub himself clean of this feeling.

Honestly he was tempted to just laugh it off and say it was some sort of joke, but the thought made Eris tired. Well, he was already tired. Maybe he was just tired. Keeping a neutral expression, he gave Max a dismissive wave. "As much as you barely tolerate the minimum interaction thing we have going on, I need to know this sort of thing," No games, no lying, just a straightforward response. That wasn't weird, right? Right. "Investing in your future and developing you as I see fit means I need to know the paths and decisions you decide to make. Since, you know, it'll look real weird if I lend you out to someone promising them you can make something in gold and instead you're better suited for skewering someone."

Not that the kid cared about anything like that, of course, but it wasn't about what he wanted, it was about what Eris wanted. And Eris wants to make sure to never embarrass himself in front of anyone important--bad enough that Sunny knew more than he did, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't do his best to change that. Besides, it would get Ismene off his back for not 'trying enough' and 'alienating him' or whatever the hell her last complaint was.

Of course, even he recognized that Max had zero incentive to do as instructed, so Eris decided to add, "And that entails all the goodies: extra tutoring, better magical items, connections with higher learning institutes..." He shrugged, rubbing his sore shoulder. "And whatever else. I mean, I guess if you chose not to say anything I can just annoy the shit out of you until you give me what I want, but that sounds like too much work and I have better things to do."

And now to address the weird thought. "The only reason I'm even bringing any of this up is because the whole point of the practical was to bring vampire and mage closer together," He stated, almost huffing as he rolled his eyes. "I'm not being weird. Everything I said was perfectly valid." He couldn't help but mutter the second half, feeling like he was trying to justify it more to himself than Max.

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Blah blah blahing with @Scribe of Thoth

Deleted

Sarahi wasn't entirely sure why she was surprised to have been delegated to servant so quickly. Expecting the worst was her typical way of thinking--nothing in life came without some sort of great annoyance. Maybe it was because this was actually something she had been looking forward to, or maybe for just a second she had somehow assumed her new mentor wouldn't be the same as the other adults in her life. Then again, she had some sort of expectations for the magically inclined and highly respected the art of magic and those who rose through the ranks and assumed they had some sort of dignity about them. But no, she was entirely wrong.

Diadem had nearly come out in full force, although they chose to cling and climb all over her hair and clothes, looking around at the various people she passed. She ignored their occasional whispers, acutely aware that she probably sounded like she was jingling with every step and movement. Unfortunately, when she walked back to the Magus, Berenice Whats-her-name was there, too. Great, she was going to get a massive headache from this interaction, she could already tell. She didn't miss that questioning look, either, glaring daggers at the brunette in return. Did it look like she was enjoying this?!

Just as the urge to drop the next plate and walk away came, Diadem was spooked, hastily hiding under her hair and cloak. Sarahi had seen it so many times that she wasn't remotely surprised when the last third of the trio came over with their tutelary, a falcon of some sort. Interesting, although the constant tingling Diadem chirped in panic ruined the first impression just a touch. The only solace she got was that the Magus found Berenice just as irritating, though that wasn't saying much since her first impression on Sarahi was well into the negatives. Have some dignity she said while ordering Sarahi around like a servant. This was all so stupid.

Did she forget that Sarahi was the only one around when she first spoke of training? Not only was the Magus a lazy fuck, she was also either forgetful or delusional. Yeah, because anyone would equate sending someone to fetch food with actual training. This was all going to be painful, wasn't it?

To her surprise, it looked like the Magus was actually doing something of value. Straight into the pyramid, huh? About time they were doing something of value. Though if her initial interaction had any indication, they were probably going to do some dusting or something mundane.

All care thrown aside, she decided she may as well get her expectations out of the way. "Are we doing actual training, or is it favors disguised as 'training' like fetching you food and drink?" She asked, not bothering to hide her bitterness. "Because I'm not here to be anyone's servant."

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

Yeah as much as I'd like that dynamic, stone is right, though I'd be more than happy to establish that sort of relationship!

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

In case I described it poorly, the way the dorms work is that they have the same lobby/common room, and then split into the male and female parts of the building with two different hallways. So technically all the dorms are in the same building.

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

stone don't need no instruction manual!!!

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

He could always wander back down to meet the dorm advisor!

Of Blood and Magic

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Ben's hand on her head was weird, the notion nearly causing Lilie to erupt into a fit of giggles. Was this his way of comforting her? He sure had a weird way of showing it if that was the case. Still, it did calm her down immensely, and she was all too glad to take his help as she got up on wobbly feet. That said, her eyes widened considerably as he mentioned leaving. What?! And miss the challenge?! No way, there was no way she was going to leave after going through that! If anything they had to succeed now!

"We're gonna keep going and win!" She told him, filled with confidence once again. "You said you saw something down there, right? This time, let's stay together."

She beckoned for Ben to stay close before pulling the water from the second pool, bringing it up and surrounding them. With the same motion she used to launch herself before, she made sure to bring them down the same way. It was a little shaky, but they landed in one piece, and Lilie casually flicked the water back to the second pool, making sure their way was clear. She could see the opening Ben had mentioned, as well as the golden light.

"Oh wow..." Lilie knelt down to look, though she gasped. "Wait a minute...'All that glitters is not gold but hides that which you wish to hold!' So that means this is what we're looking for! Come on!" She didn't bother waiting for any confirmation, hurriedly crawling through the opening.

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Taking on the challenge with @Bert Macklin.

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

...That being said, it's got kickin' music...

@stone

I really like Persona's music, this has my interest

Persona: The Rod of Asclepius

@Inkarnate I wanted it borderless!

@stone I don't know what that means, I found it on Pinterest and thought she was super cute lol

Of Blood and Magic

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Despite her best efforts not to panic, Lilie was definitely panicking. She was pretty sure she was going to end up drowning, the shark impossible to move. She nearly screamed as a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her wrist, looking at the assailant with wide eyes--Ben had come! What a relief! It looked like he was able to free her, but she didn't miss than he struggled a little with it too. She should have tried to be careful not to pinch her fingers but she was way too distracted by her lungs screaming at her for air.

Fortunately, Ben didn't take long, pulling her up with him. That first gasp of air was overwhelming, and she let Ben drag her out of the water as she coughed and tried to steady her breathing. She was shaking, clinging to the ground for dear life as she caught her breath. Thank goodness, she was convinced she was a goner! At Ben's question, she coughed a little, but nodded. "Y-Yeah...I'm okay now..." Barely, but hey, she wasn't trapped anymore.

Looking back at the water, she shuddered, shaking her head as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I...I saw my friends just floating there, and my brother--" She couldn't bring herself to say it. "It was horrible..."

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Taking on the challenge with @Bert Macklin.