Marlowe

Mahz's Dev Journal

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Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

MENTIONS: Everyone

Neve felt as if her feet had been frozen to the floor forever. Eyes wide, she watched as the beasts rushed closer and closer. How were they to deal with them? There was no way they would meet the Blightbeasts’ charge with the same type of vigor. Biting the inside of her mouth, she fully faced them with the intent of forging a shield around them. That was, until Izayoi tore towards the creatures with all of the ferocity of a tempest. Neve stared in awe as blood and intestines gushed into the air and the two halves of the beast slumped to the ground. The other Blightbeasts released a high-pitched cry, and the small cluster of them swiveled on their heels, pelted for the grassline, and disappeared into the fronds.

So they do feel fear. Good. Neve let out a sigh of relief.

The rest of the horde still lingered. Arton and Galahad clustered close as well, which brought her comfort in the face of the ruby-eyed creatures. Gritting her teeth, Neve raised her staff once again. Exhaustion brimmed in her in the form of a heavy fog that weighed her down, though the wild thumping in her chest gave her the strength to stay standing. Her staff glowed a warm golden hue, the light poured out and sworled around the figures of her teammates before the aura evaporated into the dusk. They would be able to drive back the remnants of the beasts with her haste-- all they had to do was give one last, final push.

Wings of Fire: Distant Storms

Above their heads, the night became darker and darker. Its hue was so colorful out in the desert; the stars stood out so beautifully against the backdrop of blues, greens and blacks that sometimes Bluemoon thought she was looking up at the wing of a giant NightWing.

When Hemlock spoke again, she lowered her gaze back to him. ”No, this is the SandWing’s home. They just live here with everyone else. In the past, the SandWing queen lived in her castle in the middle of the desert, but Queen Gila spends so much time here that she might as well live here.” Bluemoon flicked her tail in slight annoyance. ”Many don’t like it, though. Usually the leader of the Scorpion’s Den manages its civilians while the queen is in charge of everything else.”

Bluemoon caught sight of several dragons eyeballing them. One of them, a pale-colored SandWing merchant, gave her a particularly nasty glare. She was probably miffed they were milling around without buying any of her food. Bluemoon ducked her head and strode further down the path.

”Any other questions?”

Fire Emblem: Crestfallen

MENTIONS: Roland @Ithradine, Theodoric @Psyker Landshark

That night, Sherry felt like she was slowly being swallowed into the Abyss. She had told herself that, if she had to spend one more night sleeping in the same room with someone as atrocious as Leonid, she would rather die. It was a serious enough thought that Sherry had woken up early just to try to speak to the Archbishop and see if she could get her room assignment changed. Much to her dismay, the Dean had intercepted her path and spoken to her before she could even track him down. Iris had appeared to be interested when she listened to the first of her concerns regarding the dorm assignments– but when she spoke about Leonid and how it was uncouth for her to share a room with someone from Cretus. At that point, Iris sent her on her way with little room for compromise.

It was no question that Sherry arrived at class a little late and with a more than upset expression. By the Abyss, she didn’t even offer a good morning to him, which she usually did. She had set her chin in her hand, her gaze staring off into the front of the room as she awaited their teacher. Of course they were late. Of course they hadn’t even been decent enough to leave a note or pass along a message to Professor Talbot, who had gone off to teach the Serpents.

At this rate, she was going to be the laughing stock of the whole continent.

Sherry was pretty close to her snapping point when Theodoric sat next to her. She sent him a sidelong glare and scowled.

”I hardly want to talk about it. Thank Roland made himself useful and made sure the bedroom was clean of any strange items or devices,” she grumbled under her breath. Sighing, she rested her head on the table. ”The Dean refused to listen to my complaints as well. And now the professor hasn’t shown up. My father mentioned nothing about the monastery being such a mess.”

Yokohama Midnights | Persona

MENTIONS: Kimiko [@vietmyke], Yurie @Psyker Landshark, Kaede [@Serei2477

At last, Kimiko and Yurie left him and his curry buns alone. Junichiro said nothing else as he devoured his second bun and quickly started on his third. He was so intent on the flavor of his meal that he hardly heard what Kimiko asked him. Something about passing by her place. He pondered the question. Would his old man care too much about him coming home late again? Eh, he didn’t think so. He nodded at her before once again tucking into the bun.

A third member– a girl that he didn’t immediately recognize– wandered over to their little meeting. Junichiro raised a brow at her, chewing loudly. She had offered her delicious bento box to them. But why give away such savory and beautiful looking food? If he hadn’t shoved the last bite of the curry bun into his mouth he would have immediately accepted her gift. Junichiro gave Kaede a pensive look, then eyed the other two warily. The risk of getting his head bitten off was far too great. Snorting, he turned his nose up at the mouth-wateringly decadent bento in front of him and brought his hands behind his head before he tipped his chair back. His eyes slid closed as he relished his full stomach.

”I’m good.”

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

MENTIONS: Everyone

Neve truly believed that the Blightbeast that had snapped its teeth around her right calf was going to break something. Agony, a sensation that she wasn’t quite used to, burned white hot as it streaked up to the inside of her thigh. Spurred by her cry of distress and the stench of her blood, the other creatures lurched forward. Neve flinched, expecting to be overtaken by their number, yet the next thing she knew she was soaring through the air. A strangled squeak of terror ripped from her throat as she clung to Galahad, the one who had brought her so far above the fields of grass. The world whorled beneath her feet and she scrunched her eyes closed as her stomach lurched. However, their flight lasted for a sheer moment before her trembling feet touched down upon the tarp that sheltered their supplies. She brought her head up to see Galahad dashing away, once again taking to the skies to mark the area with bolts of lighting. The others sprang into action as well, dashing towards the beasts with all of the vigor of seasoned warriors. She flinched when Izayoi cut the grass with her wind materia, Eliane right at her feet. Her chest churned when the Blightbeasts slowly surrounded Arton, their maws glistening as they exposed their teeth to the half-lit sky. Aelphis was nowhere to be seen and Goug trembled ferociously with both of his paws wrapped around the reins of the wagon’s chocobos. Neve bristled as she tenderly set her foot down upon solid ground. She was tempted to heal herself, but there were more important matters to attend to.

Gritting her teeth through the pain, Neve grabbed the tarp and threw it over Goug’s head. The moogle hardly let out a complaint as he remained frozen in place and for a moment she felt bad for him. Sorry, friend. But I need to help them.

When that was done and over with, Neve dropped down from the side of the wagon and rushed after the two other women. It was for the best that she stuck with them since Galahad and Arton were so far ahead of them. Since the thick of the Blightbeasts had set their sights on them, her trio had come across stragglers that lagged behind the pack. Neve set her sights on the largest of the abominations, shakily raised her staff, and conjured a fierce Aero spell. The lashing winds sent the monster flying a few feet through the air before it crashed to the ground in a muddled heap. It only took a split moment for it to leap back up onto its feet, screech a blood-curdling cry to rally the singled out pack members, and streak towards them with a frothing jaw. To her surprise, it seemed like the spell hadn’t done much to it.

Yokohama Midnights | Persona

MENTIONS: Kimiko [@vietmyke], Yurie [@Psyker Landshark]

Junichiro was so pleased with himself and the praise that he received from Yurie that he couldn’t even hold himself back from beaming at her in delight. ”Yeah! Like, who did he think he was, hogging all the good stuff?!” he said. The balls on some people, he swore!

The sight of Kimiko’s lunch was tempting, that was for sure. But Junichiro was happy enough with his curry buns. When she held out her hand, Junichiro gave her a baleful look and took another chunk out of the bun, chewed loudly, gulped down the mouthful, and stuck out his tongue in defiance. ”Hell no, these are mine! You got your own food right there!” He jabbed at the good Grangran made for her with an indigent pointer finger. It was rather rude, even he knew that– but it was just like Kimiko to ogle the food he ate. He had starved all day just to get one taste of such precious treasure… he wasn’t about to just give it up just because someone asked him to.

Wings of Fire: Distant Storms

Bluemoon kept the pace as she led him deeper into the Den. They kept close to the walls and stayed well out of the way of any dragon that streaked down the path, stretched their wings, or whatnot. The denizens of the Scorpion’s Den were just as hot-blooded as the desert that surrounded them, SandWing or not. It was best to stay out of the way, especially when the night cooled and the town became more tolerable to roam. It only took a short amount of time for them to reach the bazaar, where stallkeeps brandished their wares as they lined the stone walls. Jewelry, pottery, meat, and whatnot– anything could be found there, and everyone knew it. Bluemoon’s muzzle wrinkled as a hybrid waved skewers of meat like a cat’s tail. Such energetic stall-workers would do anything to sell their wares– and she had become much more wary of them. Especially after that time. Her stomach churned and a shudder passed through her spine. Boar would never taste the same.

As they traversed the bazaar, Bluemoon cast several glances over her shoulder to make sure that Hemlock still followed. Each time she saw him, she was more and more relieved. It would mean chaos if she lost him here. Well, she pondered as she took note of the color of his scales. Maybe not. Now that she thought of it, he did look a bit too unique, even for a RainWing or SeaWing.

She turned to answer his question. ”The Scorpion’s Den might lie within the bonds of the SandWing kingdom, but many dragons, like the downtrodden, shunned, or exiled, reside here so they can pursue new lives.” Bluemoon motioned towards the bazaar with her left wing. ”Many learn crafts or become treasure hunters. Others wander around points of interest, like the bazaar, and offer their strength.”

Bluemoon’s mouth opened to speak again, but she noticed that she was on the verge of rambling. She closed her jaws and watched Hemlock in anticipation. Hopefully what she said made sense to him.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

MENTIONS: Everyone

As the sun continued to arch over their heads, so did the grassline. Each blade had become so tall that they furled above her head and her eyes could no longer see the mountains of Midgar. It was disorienting; she could hardly tell where she was going, but her determined chocobo continued onward. Its strong, clawed feet crashed down upon the roots and crushed the grass beneath its steps. Even Goug’s chocobos, who also had to lug behind a heavy wagon of supplies, had little issue keeping up with the rest as the moogle hummed a song from her homeland. Though the party was slowed by the steady change in terrain, it was thanks to their mounts that they kept a somewhat steady pace.

The aroma of wet earth teased Neve’s nose, and she drew in its scent. Here, the land was lush and vibrant to the common eye. There was something else, as well. Something that probably only she could pick up at this point. A sour stench on the upwind. One might be able to shrug it off as rotting grass or a creature on the brink of death. Neve knew that it was different. Her hackles rose and her expression tightened as she shifted her eyes to the sea of grass to her left. A dark whisper swept across her ears.

The chocobo picked up on the disturbance only a few moments after she did. Her bird stopped straight in its tracks, flared its wings, and let out a half-frightened, half-angered wark.

Blades of grass thrashed violently as black-pelted beasts tore out from its depths. Medium-sized and with stout, lemur-like forms, each member of their pack of more than a dozen bore beady red eyes and gnashing fangs. The creatures swiveled their heads to and fro, their rounded ears pinned against their skulls as saliva dripped from their maws. They were manic things, taking in the sight of their caravan with hungry gazes. Neve’s blood ran cold and froze her to her saddle.

Goug squealed behind her. ”Blightbeasts!”

The creatures– the Blightbeasts– took the initiative. They darted forward in a terrifyingly organized unit. Neve was so stunned that she almost didn’t notice that a pair of them had clambered over her poor bird’s flank with long, spindly forearms. Grimacing, she turned to grab her staff before the creatures could so much as touch it. Already, the creatures had sunk their teeth into her chocobo’s feathers. Blood welled up beneath their oversized talons. Her chocobo cried out again and thrashed beneath her. Caught off guard, she was sent crashing to the ground. Pain razed across her arm at the poor landing. The agony was like wildfire; Neve whimpered as she attempted to haul herself to her feet, either way. Even she knew that staying on the ground was a death sentence. Head still spinning, she cast her horrified glare towards the three beasts that surrounded her. They chittered as their mouths frothed with bloodlust. Neve grit her teeth and raised her staff towards the one that strafed a little to her right. Her staff glowed as shards of stone ringed around its frame– in an instant, the pointed ends slammed straight into its sides and spilled its black blood. It screeched in pain, but it shot towards her in a mere heartbeat. It seemed that her attack had only served to make it angry, and she cursed herself as it sank its teeth into her ankle. The other two gripped the hem of her muddied robes with fangs and claws alike, yanking her as their arms stretched upwards to grab her injured arm. Neve snarled in fear and raised her staff to slam it down upon one of their heads with a loud thump. It yelped and rushed off in a frenzy to wreak havoc elsewhere. The other two howled in fury as she clubbed the other on the side of its skull. Her feet fought to keep her standing. For the first time in forever, Neve wished that she was adept at the blade like the others.

Yokohama Midnights | Persona

MENTIONS: Kimiko [@vietmyke]

Monday, April 25th

Izumi Academy, Classroom 3-C
Weather: Fair

Junichiro’s morning was spent daydreaming about curry buns.

It was just his luck for his alarm not to go off on time– and it was very much not his fault. He was certain that he had set the proper time on his phone before going to sleep last night. It was supposed to go off at 8. It was supposed to make this big, blaring sound that made his ears hurt and he would curse at it to no end as he got ready for school. It was supposed to help him to get to school on time. That morning it had remained eerily silent, almost judging him for staying up until three playing video games. Maybe it was its way of disciplining him. Maybe it just wanted to make fun of him. Whatever the case was, Junichiro had little time to freak out about the fact that it was 8:30 am and he had 15 minutes to get to school on time. After a fit of panic– and tons of ruckus as he stormed around his room to gather his belongings– he threw on his school uniform and bolted out his bedroom door. Junichiro wasn’t even careful enough to try not to wake up his father, who slept in his drunken stupor on the leather couch of their cramped living room, as he pelted down the creaky wooden stairwell and streaked out of their home.

With fair weather and light traffic, it took him a brief ten minutes to get to Izumi and an extra three to take a piss and rush for class. Both students and teachers probably thought he went crazy as he tore down the pristine white hallways and barreled past anyone who dared stand in his path. Once or twice, he heard one of them holler obscenities after him. This time, Junichiro didn’t care. He couldn’t be late, not this early in the semester. Late days were reserved for later on, when the days were hot and sweltering and he didn’t have to sweat his ass off on his commute. Then he could afford taking his sweet ass time on his trip to school.

Junichiro heaved for breath by the time he slumped down in his spot at the very back of class. Sweat poured down his face as he slammed his forehead down upon his desk. He had made it. He had actually made–

His stomach produced a large, trembling growl that sent a tremor through his bones. A yawning hole gaped at the very pit of his abdomen and loudly begged for food. The consequences of having no breakfast were steep.

Shit.

The curry-bun-daydreams washed over his mind like a storm of rain. Junichiro’s head didn’t move from its spot during the duration of the first few of his classes. He wasn’t sure if it was because his teachers felt for him or they simply had lost faith in him. Honestly, he couldn’t care less. All that mattered was sticking his teeth deep in the warm curry buns the school set during lunch time. And when Miss Yamada, his history teacher, finally stopped yapping, the lunch bell finally rang. In a sort of second wind, Junichiro launched himself from his desk and rushed out of the room.

It took him three minutes for Junichiro to return with a mouth half-brimming with sauce and bread and his hands carrying two more. He looked satisfied and almost proud of himself as he strode towards Kimiko’s seat. Manuevering a chair closer to where she sat with his right foot, he plopped down in front of her and stuffed his mouth full with the back portion of the warm bun.

”Can’t believe I was able to swindle that kid outta his curry buns– now I got two more,” Junichiro said, raising them both up as if they were a pair of trophies. ”Been thinkin’ ‘bout them the whole day, I was starvin’. Now they’re finally mine!”

He peeled away the wrapper on the second one and promptly took another sloppy bite as he looked at the girl expectantly.

”’Sup?”