Hi everyone! I've been eyeing this RP for the years I've seen it running now and since it just restarted, I wonder if there's any space to join? I see it's listed as full so just peeking in if there's some flexibility. No worries if not, let me know :)
Pink Khione Member
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The feeling of her metal weapon scraping against the Void’s inky flesh was a pleasant one. The momentum of her swing slowed as it sunk into its form, and alongside it, time, as if graciously giving Astrelle a moment to relish in the satisfaction of wounding her enemy. It wouldn’t even be a second later that Astrelle would find herself its hostage, soaring through the air in its clutches.
Though this particular situation was a much ruder awakening of imminent death than the airship had been, Astrelle’s panic was quickly replaced with resignation. The typical cycle of anxieties had already run through her mind, but she came to accept that her arms were tied, both figuratively and literally, and there was little she could do aside from wait for rescue. Her screams of terror quieted upon this realization, and the barking of her teammates below had faded into murmurs in the distance. She felt strangely calm, maybe as a symptom of her own powerlessness.
Confronted with death, she couldn’t help thinking how flying through the air with the spring wind in her hair would have almost been romantic in another circumstance. Maybe she wouldn't have hated this situation so much if the Void wasn't such an ugly bastard. She did have one regret if anything, that she couldn’t be the one to take the Void down with her if she were to die today.
“Nicole?!”
Astrelle’s bleak train of thought had been disrupted with the sudden appearance of her roommate’s sparkling form. She cleaved through the Void’s wretched grasp, freeing Astrelle to plummet into the cityscape below. Her arms frantically searched for Nicole’s, her only viable safety net in mid-air, only to see the shrinking form of the Void fling her roommate off to the distance.
“NICOLE!”
Before her mind found a new pool of emotion to submerge into, her body collided into Dana’s arms, into safety. The collision knocked the breath out of her lungs, but she was grateful she managed to escape the whole predicament. “Thanks,” Astrelle managed to say weakly, before Dana rushed back into action. She followed the direction Dana ran off too, relieved to see that Penny had performed a similar rescue for Nicole.
Dana continued her attack, firing a huge beam of light at the Void. A firework display of black ooze erupted from where the light hit, propelled with the momentum of Nicole’s sharp gust. Astrelle's boisterous laughter filled the air in reaction to the macabre spectacle—it was the best thing she had seen all week, and seeing the Void pieces dissipate into the air right after was rather disappointing. She would've preferred seeing the fleshy ooze splatter on some concrete.
Astrelle approached the others in slow steps, still sore from Void’s tight grasp. “This certainly beats those dumb cartoons,” Astrelle rolled her eyes, though followed it up with a slight smile, “but I’ll give them credit for fueling your creativity.”
Penny’s bout with the Voids went as smoothly as the other girls’ turns; with time, each of her opponents were equally melted into black goo. However, the loud thud of Penny’s body smashing against a wall snapped Astrelle out of her momentary calm while she was observing from the battleground’s perch. She hardly had time to notice a much more menacing Void take form in the arena, and before long, the many staff on duty had already begun shouting orders like they had done on the airship days ago.
Astrelle could feel the warmth and color drain from her face as her eyes laid upon the beastly monster that inched closer to her fellow Ars Magi. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands so tightly her nails left imprints on her palms. Despite her frustration of being pulled back to fight once again, she didn’t hesitate to transform a second time. It would be her best chance of survival anyway. The wisps of shadows enveloped her body, and appeared to pull her into the shadows with how eagerly Astrelle activated her ability to hide within them.
For the next little while, she observed the actions of her colleagues—they had a pattern of being quick on their feet, as expected. Penny made a swift recovery and subsequent counterattack despite having been catapulted by the Void’s swing, and was quickly followed by Dana. Nicole’s entrance was as flashy as ever, but it seemed to do the trick of catching the Void’s attention, which was all Astrelle needed. As Nicole swung at the neck of the monster, Astrelle seized the opportunity to jump from the Void’s own shadow and slashed her scythe at its torso.
Astrelle let the hum of conversation fade in and out of her mind. It was more babbling about those TV shows Penny and Dana liked so much, so there wasn’t much for her to contribute. Not like she was allowed to watch a lot of TV as a kid either. At some point, Penny acknowledged her arrival, to which Astrelle merely responded with a subtle nod.
There was a morbid familiarity with being half bedridden for a few days after the procedure, and in a way, it was the most comfortable that Astrelle had felt since her arrival at the school. She could find peace in the comforts of her bedding, something that had always provided her solace in her past. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped at its softness in the bouts of pain that radiated from the foreign lump in her chest. Despite the pain, nausea, and dizziness, it had some success in taking the edge off of the recently acquired airship trauma, and gave her time to adjust to the new environment. As much as she hated to admit it, she had the most difficulty adapting to Nova Lux compared to the other starry-eyed girls—she had been discarded here, not by choice. All these events left Astrelle simmering in a sense of powerlessness, a feeling she hated with the entirety of her being. Though, after some time and rest, it became easier to accept.
Astrelle was thankful Nicole was quiet for most of their recovery—not that she was in good shape to talk much either. There was almost some kind of camaraderie between them as they took turns hovering over the toilet, just in case, in their nauseous delirium. Nicole’s presence with their shared misery was not all that bad.
Astrelle couldn’t quite grasp her emotions on the day of their first exercise as Ars Magi. She could feel something tremor within her, a cocktail of anticipation, nervousness, and excitement. In general, it was obvious that her mood had improved since the last time the girls had seen Astrelle, her usual half-smile painted on her lips. She was finally starting to act as she had before, which might have come to a surprise to others who have only seen her moodier days. Nevertheless, Astrelle was eager to ride the high of gaining more power once transformed.
A few girls took their turns before her. The materialization of the Void monster held less of an impact the second time, and Astrelle was relieved that she responded alright to its image. There was some lingering fear, but the greater part of herself itched to plunge a blade in the monster’s inky form, as if it would kill previous humiliation. As she watched her companions destroy Void after Void before her, the more her anticipation grew. Her limbs tingled with the built up adrenaline.
Then, it was Astrelle’s turn in the pit. The announcements trickled in.
“Now lowering diffusion level. Nox levels rising.”
Her hand pressed against the jewel in her chest.
“Nox levels still rising.”
The black mist rolled into the street from the alleys, gathering in a single spot a few meters in front of Astrelle. The fog thickened and rose, becoming more opaque and viscous, like honey.
Astrelle’s vision was pinned onto those hazy, shifting forms. Her static-filled brain could focus on little else. But slowly, the wisps of smoke and dripping ooze melted together into humanoid shapes, and suddenly, everything was clear. The static was replaced by a second of calm. In that fleeting moment, a strength coursed through Astrelle’s body, radiating from the center of her chest. Ribbons of shadow emerged from the gem, wrapping Astrelle in a sticky darkness not unlike that which formed the Voids. The way her new uniform hugged her body felt as if she had been born with it, and the weapon that materialized in her grasp, extending in a long arked blade above her head, felt as natural to her as a second dominant hand. The black metal glowed with some kind of ambiance, with smoky tendrils of darkness that trailed behind the movement of the blade. The uncanny familiarity of her gladius was jarring, but the incoming Voids didn’t allow Astrelle to be lost in her thoughts for long.
One, two.
She leaped back reactively, and sunk into the shadows on the second step. It was a blessing her spectators could not see the grin that stretched from ear to ear on Astrelle’s face, drunk on the eruption of vitality that ignited her veins. This time, things were going to be different. She had power. A weapon. No, she was going to ensure that it would be different this time. Her grip tightened around her scythe, Oblivion, and she eradicated what fear still remained in her bones.
A soft, manic laughter echoed from the shadows as Astrelle maneuvered within, around the inky enemies. They followed the sound of her voice, changing directions as Astrelle shifted from one shadow to another. After she had enough fun confusing the beasts, Astrelle propelled herself from the shadow, right at the feet of one of the Voids, her blade raised above her head. The momentum that lifted Astrelle and Oblivion from the abyss cleaved the being right up the middle.
“One down. Two to go.”
The remaining Voids rushed at Astrelle, now that she had emerged from her hiding place. Astrelle hoisted the bar of her scythe above her head to block their downward swings. The weight of their arms hit the rod with a thud, forcing a pressure that made Astrelle’s arms buckle underneath.
“FUCK!” Fear crept back into her heart, but she didn’t let it paralyze her. She mustered up the strength to twist her body and swing their attacks to the side, before sinking back into the shadows, into safety.
She took a deep breath. She could do this. She was sure.
Once the Voids had their backs turned on her, Astrelle resurfaced from the cobblestone with the silence of a summer wind. She ejected herself into the night, and readied her scythe. With a strong spin of her arms and torso, Oblivion’s blade sheared through the Voids’ forms, and their bodies disintegrated into the atmosphere in sandy wisps.
Like a puppet with cut strings, Astrelle’s body slumped onto the stone path. It’s done.
Once Nicole was finished with her shower, it felt like it took a monumental effort to lift her spent body from the bed it laid on, despite its uncomfortable, rigid composition. Astrelle swiftly proceeded to the bathroom without exchanging more meaningless small talk with her new roommate. At the very least, Astrelle paid attention to Nicole’s warning and very carefully fiddled with the cold faucet.
---
There were a handful of hours of peace before the blaring trumpets of Nova Lux sounded to callously steal them away. Astrelle clinged on to the fleeing remnants of sleep, slow to rise from her fluffy grey duvet. The sunlight that streamed into the room from a window between the girls lifted the drowsy weight on her eyelids, and with a brief passing of time, Astrelle found herself regrettably wide awake. If she had a choice in the matter, she’d sleep for as long as possible to avoid what was to come.
The uniforms that the school provided were the same blue and gold as all of their furniture. With it on, Astrelle felt like another piece of decor in the room. She put on a pair of sheer black tights underneath the uniform’s skirt to add some degree of familiarity. It felt more comfortable to have something black on; the blue and gold of Imperium’s brand were far too loud for Astrelle’s tastes. After putting on a light layer of makeup, Astrelle followed the directions from the staff and proceeded towards the auditorium behind everyone else.
For the most part, Astrelle dissociated from the day’s events. The morning assembly was nothing unexpected, a typical address to the students by staff. As the staff rambled on, Astrelle preoccupied her mind with something or other, thinking frequently about her life in Valentia. It was hard not to feel disappointment with her current situation. Her normal luxuries were out of reach, even if she was thrown in here with a sizable amount of funds. Her future was uncertain, and that left Astrelle with an uneasy feeling. Shock from yesterday’s events lingered and it still seemed likely that she could die at any point. If that were the case, Astrelle figured breaking more rules would be the fun way to go.
The clinical examinations and tests were by far the least pleasant parts of the day. It wasn’t something Astrelle would have consented to if it were not part of the Ars Magi process. Her anger built, directed towards her parents for putting her here in the first place. They likely wouldn’t contact her unless necessary, so her anger didn’t have anywhere to go, it simply muddied her mood. Even the slight smile that Astrelle usually donned was wiped by dinner time, replaced by a cold scowl.
Penny brought up an interesting hypothetical situation. Astrelle’s opinion on the matter differed from the others’, of course, she would love to find that she couldn’t be an Ars Magi after all, but she wasn’t too keen on returning to her parents’ home, disappointing them once again. Her mouth remained shut, however. She wasn’t in much of a mood to talk, and focused on stabbing the leaves on her plate with her fork.
Finn’s mention of New York piqued Vivian’s interest. Back when she was still working and living in hostels, Vivian wouldn’t have imagined making enough money to travel around the country to various cities. As a kid she mostly moved from military town to military town. But after a few pool tourney wins and savings from her bartending job, she managed to move up to NYC for a short while. The tips there were certainly nice, but she didn’t like the cold so much.
“Who would’ve thought a New Yorker would find their way in a small town like this. I loved New York though, good tips, great nightlife.”
The advantages of working in a small town were laid out clearly as Eli explained Finn’s terms of employment. It was apparent there was more leeway when it came to laws and regulations, and that worked out better in Vivian’s favour too. The issue was wrapped up in a jiffy, and before Vivian put in another word, Finn was set to start working the next day.
“Welcome to the team Finn Cooper!” Vivian addressed her new co-worker with a smile. “Beat up some assholes for me-” she paused, “-and hopefully no more furniture as collateral damage.”
Vivian’s eyes glanced at the row of drink orders that have been rolling in, left in a line on the ticket rack by Jimmy, the new server. It seemed like there wouldn’t be much more time for chit-chat, which was unfortunate with this lively bunch.
“I’m glad you enjoyed the drinks,” Vivian replied with a grin as she reached out to accept Ylva’s payment. She made a few quick taps on their POS machine and calculated the appropriate change for the Scandinavian patron. “Let me know if you want me to start a tab too.”
Begrudgingly, Vivian then turned her attention to the piling line of drink orders. She grabbed a tall glass and a bottle of vodka to get started with the first order, a screwdriver. In mid-pour of orange juice, she turned towards Elias with a sly smile. “I’m going to try to get through as many of these orders before my break in ten minutes, then it’s all yours.”
Pfft.
The sound of laughter stopped midway through Vivian’s throat in response to the newest customer’s joke, the classy woman who was seated by Ylva. Her jab at Finn’s expense was entertaining, but Vivian remained somewhat aware of her position as a server and tried to not make her amusement obvious to the potential customer. Regardless, she had a point—door issue aside, Vivian wasn’t sure whether or not Finn fell a bit short of the age requirement for the job. She found the image of him in bright yellow rubber gloves and a toilet plunger more amusing anyway.
Elias’ quick thinking—despite taking several shots earlier—helped to resolve the issue faster than Vivian would have. He already found someone to fix the door with the foresight to see that leaving the building door-less would be a problem through the night.
“Aren’t you reliable? Thanks for dealing with it Eli,” Vivian grinned and gave her colleague a friendly punch in the shoulder. She was surprised to hear that Finn was at the art exhibit as well, though she was still wrestling with the belief that it had happened at all. It didn’t seem like something that would happen in a small town, but it was more of an unbelievable coincidence that three people from the same traumatic event had gathered in some hole-in-the-wall pub. In addition to the lucky billiards job she got that morning, the chain of coincidences felt uncanny.
“If you’re vouching for him then it should be fine. Say, how old did you have to be to work as a bouncer again?”
The remainder of the airship ride passed by in a blur. Since Victoria left, Astrelle stayed silent; most of the girls were asleep anyway. The crash that followed the waves of adrenaline and fear had finally caught up to Astrelle, and she had no more energy for protests or snarky remarks. She didn’t even complain as medical staff poked and prodded her body for testing, a procedure she found completely demeaning. The exhaustion also gave Astrelle some time for self-reflection, though having so much time to think was rather unpleasant. A feeling of regret lingered in the aftermath of the battle. She couldn’t avoid fixating on her disgraceful display of emotion when she had practiced composure so diligently for years. She resolved that it would never happen again.
The walk to the girls’ dorms was somber at best. The darkness concealed much of the surrounding landscape of the new home, and Astrelle had no desire to use her abilities to witness it. The dreary atmosphere spoke loudly enough for what Palmyra might’ve looked like. Her eyes focused ahead instead, at the back of the faculty member that led them through the campus, or on the damp cobblestone they walked on.
The faculty member’s tour and explanations were curt, which Astrelle appreciated at so late an hour. She was less than pleased to learn that she’d be sharing a room with someone, but given that it was mandatory, Nicole seemed more tolerable than the others. Unfortunately, bringing dates back home was not a possibility with this arrangement. The room was more spacious than Astrelle expected—she expected something akin to a small closet—equipped with a kitchenette and bathroom too, though it looked like spending was frugal on the furniture itself. Everything was, of course, painted in patriotic blues and golds, a color combo that Astrelle was surely going to tire of quickly.
In her exhaustion, Astrelle wasted no effort in throwing her bags on a side of the room she chose haphazardly, and fell into the springy mattress—she thought softness would cushion her fall, but her back hit the cushion more roughly than she imagined. Unlike Astrelle, Nicole had been examining the amenities and her comment about the showers almost made her laugh.
A weak half-smile tugged slightly at Astrelle’s lips. “It better have hot water too. Do you want to find out first or should I?”
When the fight ended and the airship made its way through the dense clouds, the skies revealed the embers of sunset. Victoria stood alone on the damaged deck, her opponent no longer anywhere to be seen. Astrelle focused on her weapon—a large cross that seemed to fit Victoria’s image perfectly. The commotion around Astrelle and Dana continued as the ship’s personnel swarmed about, cleaning up the mess that was left in the wake of the attack, and Astrelle merely watched everything go by. As though a valve had been opened within her, the tension of stress seemed to flood away once everything ended, in what felt like a miniscule moment. Her legs gave, and she found herself slumped against a wall in the control room.
Before long, Victoria had gathered up the new recruits to address the issue. She spoke as she usually did, in an informative way, but to Astrelle it sounded callously indifferent. She was sure that to the seasoned combatant, this was just another day’s work, but she couldn’t avoid feeling frustrated by the lack of concern or accountability on Victoria’s part.
With a clearer mind, Astrelle took a minute to take in her surroundings. The girls had managed to defeat the Void, much to her utter shock. It appeared that her colleagues were much more skilled than she assumed. At the very least, it occurred to her that staying with them might not be too terrible of an idea, if it means they’d be helpful in prolonging her life. Out of everyone in the room, Astrelle was by far the least worn down in appearance. Penny and Vanna definitely had a number done on them, and Victoria was no less battered from her fight.
The other girls began piping up about the issue Astrelle was most concerned about—the enemy Ars Magi. Victoria’s response was less than satisfactory, and Astrelle could feel the heat of anger rising in her heart.
“You’ve got to be kidding me-” Astrelle’s voice was quieter than normal, but her frustration was clearly enunciated through her words. “It wasn’t something that looked like an Ars Magi, it was an Ars Magi. Another female soldier, swinging a sword. It looked like she even had an Elementum—electricity ran through her blade.”
Astrelle laughed softly. She looked over to Nicole, “Aren’t you obedient?"
She almost rolled her eyes. "But no, we don’t know what we’ve signed up for because it’s clear that there are things they don’t want to tell us. At least, for now. I understand we haven’t formally started our lessons, but given that we almost died I feel that at a bare minimum, we could be given some transparency.”
She met Victoria’s eyes with a smile, but a bitter glare shone through her gaze. “If you plan to silence us about this incident anyway, what’s one more secret?”
Just as she thought someone picked up on the other end of the line, Vivian’s words were followed up by the all too familiar automated message: “The person you’re trying to call is unavailable at this moment…” She tried a couple more times afterwards but to no avail, so she settled on leaving a message explaining the situation. Even if she couldn’t reach the person on the other end of the number, Vivian felt reassured that Finn wouldn’t dash out with Ylva looking over him, and they appeared to be getting along well with their spirited conversation.
Vivian sighed and hooked the phone back into its slot on the landline, just as Elias returned from his seemingly long break. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders the second she saw him step through the now-damaged entryway. He returned to his duties with haste, and was already looking through the influx of orders that have been left unattended amidst the debacle. It was slightly disappointing how quickly he went for the orders; Vivian was hoping to dump the bothersome door problem onto him, but her plans were foiled while she was being held up on the phone.
“Oi, I don’t think it’s a great idea for both of us to be inebriated while working,” Vivian chimed with a playful smile, watching Elias down several shots, which she had already done at the start of her shift. “Celebrating something too? Or rough day?”
Returning her attention to Finn, who was in the middle of a conversation with the two other guests, Vivian folded her arms and leaned towards the group over the bar. “No one’s answering, so it looks like we’ll have to wait for a call back, or do it the old school way—how does janitor or dishwasher sound to you?”
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