Mana Academy: Beyond Borders IC

[Luminesa]

Shaun Calhoun

While listening to the meek and nimble response of Soleil's explanation, Shaun continued to stare out into the lake. He knew that looking at Sol would just create a weakness in him; like scolding a puppy. And he couldn't just forgive and forget that easily. It hasn't even been half a day yet. Although hearing that Allistor was going to be find did make him feel at ease a lot more. And in response he silently exhaled a deep feeling of relief. But then came the apology.
This time, Shaun turned his attention to Sol and closely listened to the words he said. His tired eyes observing his body language. Soon a small frown came across his face and then shook his head before speaking.

"No...As much as it was...abrupt and awkward and unexpected...I still appreciate you coming to me and saying what's on your mind instead of bottling it all up. Although I will be honest, if this were to be someone else that you would propose such feelings to...I don't know what type of outcome might happen. It probably could've ended a lot worst than it did now." Sighing for a bit, Shaun turned his attention back to the lake; the fog slightly clearing up and the silent crashing of the waves quieting down now. Perhaps they too were interested in what was going to happen next and anxiously waited for an answer to this conflict.
"And yeah...I am confused and just...awkward about the whole thing. Maybe a little vexed, but not angry. And let's be honest. I can't be happy all the time. Regardless of who I'm around and what I do. Things happen and sometimes that feeling of happiness just goes away. But...I can't really complain. Its just the way life works."

And without missing a beat, Shaun placed hand on Soleil's shoulder and gently rubbed it with a slight grip as a form a reassurance before speaking once more. "I love you. I really do. But, that love is just...different from what type of love you have for me. I'm not mad that you feel this way. In fact, I should apologize if I did anything to lead you on or make you feel this way. It was never my plan and I hope you can understand. I don't want things to become awkward and uncomfortable between us to the point where we should just avoid talking. So if there's anyway to fix things, I would like to talk about them with you. So we could prevent something far worst from happening."

Shaun slowly exhaled the tension sitting in his chest, and he turned to look at Soleil as he spoke about his own feelings. He was still angry about his and Allistor’s fight, but he also showed signs of relief as the boy explained that Allistor was recovering well. He only wanted for his dear companion to be safe, and since he had not mortally wounded himself, Shaun had reason to let go of some of his anger and frustration. But then Soleil gave the stuttered apology, and all became quiet again. The boy could feel the icy spray of the water misting his cheek, and he shuddered. His heart beat fast in his chest.

Once again, Shaun took his time trying to console his friend. He was glad Soleil had not bottled his feelings, though in reality the younger Mage had felt he had been bottling these feelings for weeks. He could never put words or a face to them, but now he could...partially. Maybe a word in some other language would describe the rush of emotions Soleil felt during his nightmares, the warm serenity he felt hugging Shaun close in the lavender fields, or the stinging grief in his heart when he saw Shaun’s bloodied body in the fields. All at once.

He gave a crumpled smile at first, trying to show that he was not disappointed that Shaun did not love him that way. He wondered why he wished for one of these two friends to like him, anyway. It had to be envy...I’ve been angry and saddened for so long...I just wanted to feel...anything...that might feel like true happiness again. But...friendship is happiness, isn’t it? So...why have I become this way? he pondered. Shaun had nothing for which he needed to apologize, but Soleil wondered...what really he could apologize for doing. “...I...I guess I’ve just been so lonely...I...I guess I started to...unconsciously wonder, um...what it’s like to have someone hug you at night...instead of feeling all lonely. Or...what it’s like to have...someone who...sees the stars when they look at you...”

Soon, his crumpled smile smoothed and became a genuine smile. His eyes twinkled, and his heart warmed as he looked at his best friend. He knew that if he had confessed to someone more dense or unforgiving, he would be considered a creep. Luckily, Shaun knew he was not a creep, just a lost lamb looking for someone to love and guide him. “...But...you’re my best friend, and...I love you too!...We can still love each other...as friends. I...I just wish I knew why I was having these dreams...There’s a castle in them, too...and I think...someone else was there. But I don’t know who. Maybe...um...Have you ever had dreams that...made you question who you were?” he inquired. He leaned closer to his friend, hoping Shaun would still be okay with the younger boy leaning on him for comfort.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

Shaun's smile quickly disappeared once he heard the reality of the situation that Soleil was feeling.
That feeling of loneliness; of envy and frustration swelling up inside of you as you watch someone have something that you wanted, but knew you couldn't have. He knew that feeling all too well until recently. He's still trying to understand and control that feeling. That comfort and security all still feels too new and worrisome to him. As though there was a sense of disaster waiting to happen sometime. Someway.

Shaking his head, Shaun sighed and nodded his head. "I see. I...I'm sorry that you feel that way." He started off saying before trailing off before continuing. He almost mentioned Kasumi, but decided to keep quiet about it. That name felt foreign to him after the events that unfolded a while back. Although looking back, it was a sense of irony that fell upon them. Before, Shaun was the one that felt jealous and envious of their relationship and feelings. But now it seemed like the tables were turned. Thinking about how embarrassing it felt Shaun soon felt his cheeks becoming a little bit warm yet cool as the sudden river of blood rushed to his cheeks. Although he did not attempt to hide his flustered state from Soleil; instead quietly chuckling in a sense of disappointment in himself. Waiting a bit more, he spoke once again.

"I know that feeling of loneliness. Even though I am with Allistor, I still feel as though...I'm lonely. Like I shouldn't be with him. That he's too good for me. We're two very different people with very different problems and emotions. Like I can't really talk to him like I would...someone who's not...Of high status. I'm still not use to all of this and I don't really know how to deal with it. So, I understand." Sighing heavily once more, Shaun closed his eyes and listened to the water's soothing crashing for a bit before hearing Soleil's question about his dreams. His last question quickly made him open his eyes and look down at him. Furrowing his eyebrows, Shaun raised one of his hands and rubbed his chin in an inquisitive thought and nodded again.

"Well...It was a while ago, but I can vividly remember it. To make a long story short, it was a dream about me as a child with my favorite teddy bear. Wandering the foggy and deserted streets of a city; cobwebs and spiders surrounded everything. Before being covered with spiders. Trying to get them off of me, a large black figure stood over me. Caressing and wiping away my tears before laughing." Shaun said in a stoic and monotone voice. Soleil could feel a slight tremble as Shaun began to shake a bit before continuing. "I still wonder...what did it all mean? Why spiders? Why was I young? Why did it have my favorite teddy? And who was that figure and what did it want with me? It's just questions that I can't answer and it makes me more uneasy not knowing why I had a dream about it all."

[Luminesa]

Shaun Calhoun

Shaun's smile quickly disappeared once he heard the reality of the situation that Soleil was feeling.
That feeling of loneliness; of envy and frustration swelling up inside of you as you watch someone have something that you wanted, but knew you couldn't have. He knew that feeling all too well until recently. He's still trying to understand and control that feeling. That comfort and security all still feels too new and worrisome to him. As though there was a sense of disaster waiting to happen sometime. Someway.

Shaking his head, Shaun sighed and nodded his head. "I see. I...I'm sorry that you feel that way." He started off saying before trailing off before continuing. He almost mentioned Kasumi, but decided to keep quiet about it. That name felt foreign to him after the events that unfolded a while back. Although looking back, it was a sense of irony that fell upon them. Before, Shaun was the one that felt jealous and envious of their relationship and feelings. But now it seemed like the tables were turned. Thinking about how embarrassing it felt Shaun soon felt his cheeks becoming a little bit warm yet cool as the sudden river of blood rushed to his cheeks. Although he did not attempt to hide his flustered state from Soleil; instead quietly chuckling in a sense of disappointment in himself. Waiting a bit more, he spoke once again.

"I know that feeling of loneliness. Even though I am with Allistor, I still feel as though...I'm lonely. Like I shouldn't be with him. That he's too good for me. We're two very different people with very different problems and emotions. Like I can't really talk to him like I would...someone who's not...Of high status. I'm still not use to all of this and I don't really know how to deal with it. So, I understand." Sighing heavily once more, Shaun closed his eyes and listened to the water's soothing crashing for a bit before hearing Soleil's question about his dreams. His last question quickly made him open his eyes and look down at him. Furrowing his eyebrows, Shaun raised one of his hands and rubbed his chin in an inquisitive thought and nodded again.

"Well...It was a while ago, but I can vividly remember it. To make a long story short, it was a dream about me as a child with my favorite teddy bear. Wandering the foggy and deserted streets of a city; cobwebs and spiders surrounded everything. Before being covered with spiders. Trying to get them off of me, a large black figure stood over me. Caressing and wiping away my tears before laughing." Shaun said in a stoic and monotone voice. Soleil could feel a slight tremble as Shaun began to shake a bit before continuing. "I still wonder...what did it all mean? Why spiders? Why was I young? Why did it have my favorite teddy? And who was that figure and what did it want with me? It's just questions that I can't answer and it makes me more uneasy not knowing why I had a dream about it all."

"N-No, don't apologize! Please! I...I don't understand these feelings...I just...I wanted to tell you, because I trust you. And...maybe they'll go away in time, and everything will be normal again! Maybe I won't feel so scared all the time, and maybe...maybe I won't make you feel uncomfortable..." He gazed over at his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. The person who gave him the most comfort and consolation, now was the one receiving comfort and consolation. Shaun's own story made him feel slightly better, not because his friend felt scared of his own love, but because neither of them knew how to confront their complicated feelings. Both of them felt lonely, even when they were surrounded by people who loved and cared for them. And neither of them knew whether or not those feelings were somehow criminal, or wrong to have.

"...Allistor...doesn't see you as someone...who is beneath him...He was so excited to see you, when he got home...His eyes...they...they were dead...and then h-he looked and saw you. I...I dragged you out of your room...because I knew he would...be excited..." He recalled the hysterical confusion at which Shaun had run out of his room wearing Soleil's hoodie, since the younger boy would not let him slow down to get dressed. "...I-It's me he sees as...the smaller one...I'm...I don't inspire him the way you do..." He brushed some of the snow off Shaun's shoulder, as a small flurry began to fall once again from the sky. He chuckled. "...But you and me...I-I guess we're both scared about...whether or not the friends and companions we've found...whether any of it might last...Wh-When we fought in Paris...I thought I would lose you as a friend...I-I couldn't...bear the thought of it. You helped me to...not be scared of going home...That's why I love you."

He meant the words to affirm his friendship for Shaun, but he wondered if he would hear them that way. He wished he knew how to stifle the flood of other words and declarations he wanted to release. For now, all he could do was squeeze his heart shut and lock it all with a key. The crushing feeling felt like a heart attack, but he knew that keeping those thoughts hidden and sealed was the only way to protect his friendship. He could always find a lover, even if it took forever, but his friends were his family. Thus, he let Shaun's story about his dream occupy his mind. The dream was an odd mishmash of innocent images and sharp, primal terror. Soleil felt his heart warm at the idea of tiny Shaun clutching a teddy bear. He recalled when he was that sort of scared, curious child, not too long ago. When he would wander the cold, stony halls of his castle, looking for his mother while hugging his Winnie the Pooh teddy. The black figure he mentioned, however, struck an odd chord of understanding in Soleil. "...All of my nightmares...have had some sort of shadowy figure, too. I think...I think it lives in the castle..." He hugged Shaun close, as he felt him tremble, knowing their combined warmth would protect them from the cold.

"...In the nightmares, there's always this big castle, at the...at the end of the lavender fields...It's in a corner, all alone...big...made of stone...and covered in blooming lavender plants...but they're like...vines..." he explained, trying to picture the castle as he described it, his mind working like a mental Etch-a-Sketch. "...And when I entered it...I heard footsteps...A tall, dark figure was coming...but I never saw him. But...I felt I knew him. I wonder if...if our dreams are connected?" He looked at his best friend with trepidation, as he wondered whether or not more people were being followed or watched by similar, shadowy figures. "...I don't know...if the person in the castle is...good...or evil. Was yours good or evil?"

[Serah]

Ambrosia and Oliver

The horse outside the window did not make much of a response to Ambrosia’s threats or Oliver’s words. Accidentally burning his room would not solve any of the current problems facing the duo either, and so Ambrosia put-out the flames. She walked to the door, and then walked outside. Her feet crunched in the snow as she crept, taking a mighty risk in approaching this mysterious being. “...Easy...easy...Please don’t bite...Please don’t bite...or stomp on me...”

As she reached the horse she stopped, as though she needed another moment to examine it. She could not understand how a horse could become so skinny and frail. She took a hand and placed it on the thin, leathery hide of the black horse’s back, and she stroked its back. She stroked it again. And again. The strange steed never fought or neighed, and the girl turned from the creature to Oliver standing inside his room, his window still open. “...Hey, come outside and pet it! It’s actually kind of nice!...It’s not even trying to bite me! Do you think it’ll like some food from the fridge?” she called.

"Correction, it's not trying to bite you. I'm still a viable bite candidate and I'd rather not piss off the horse, or whoever sent it." Olivier answered, leaning out the window, looking mildly concerned.
"That said I doubt it'll like anything from my fridge, I don't have carrots or sugar cubes. Potatoes at best." He continued, looking the horse up and down, wondering what he was supposed to feel about this horse.

"We still have no idea why it's here though. That's what's bothering me about this situation. Why would an undead horse come to get you?" Nevertheless, he still reached into his fridge to get a potato. Of course, those weren't the only things he had in there, onions and a few chicken breasts were in there. Although he didn't eat much, he very much liked eating the same thing every day.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

The sudden touch of Soleil's hand on his shoulder made him tense up his body as a reflex before soon calming down and relaxing his body. It was a warm, welcoming feeling that had an indescribable aura to it. Shaun's chest and torso rose and quickly collapsed as he sighed heavily through his nose while listening to Soleil speak about Allistor. Hearing how he was the cause of Allistor's own happiness made him frown slightly. The idea that he had the potential give someone such energy and emotion from the sheer presence of his own self made him even more anxious and worried. Vexed even. But for now he swallowed his own amounts of worries and questions about him and focused it onto Soleil.

Hearing him speak about their time in Paris- a mess of emotions and events that he wished he could get out of his head, yet will stick with him for as long as he lives- and the impact of their argument, Shaun grunted in an amused tone and looked at Soleil. "Well...I hope you know that I'm not the only one that made you feel that way. It was yourself too. And everyone around you. As cliche as it might sound." He chuckled before continuing with his statement. "But know that you weren't the only one that feels that way. You helped me feel better about who I am, what I went through. There are things that I can tell you. Things that I already told you, that I just can imaging telling anyone else. Especially Allistor. You helped me be more open, more vulnerable to others. For once in a while...I feel like a person. A...and I don't really know how to express these feelings or words correctly at the moment, but I know that I can and will in due time with your help. T-thank you...for being here with me and understanding. Even if it may seem like a lot to understand."
It felt like a wave of relief overcame him as he sighed heavily to catch his breath. And almost as an instinct, he turned to Soleil and hugged him. Shaun gripped onto him as if he was scared of letting him go. His eyes slowly swelling up as he fought the urge to let his tears fall. Luckily the wind from the cold air helped get rid of his tears-or at the very least blame the wind in his face for causing him to tear up.

Letting go, Shaun put his face in his hands and dragged his palms from the top of it to the bottom in an attempt to compose himself. The sharp sudden coolness of the winter weather in his gloves forcing him awake. "My bad." He laughed weakly with his face growing red from the embarrassment as well as his body trying to warm him up.
But now it was time to get even more serious. After discussing his own nightmares, it was now Soleil's turn to discuss his nightmares and terrors that plagued him during his restless nights. With a stoic look on his face, Shaun listened to what the former had to say about his dreams. The sudden hug back was a surprising, yet welcoming one. He listened to Soleil describe his own nightmare. An image that sounded more mystique and almost beautiful with a sinister reason behind it.
But it was when he heard Soleil question whether their dreams were related or not that made him sit up and look at him. His furrowed face pondering the question of his shadowy figure being good or evil. He stood there in silence for a moment before finally answering him. "To be honest...I don't know either...But, there was something...dark and unnerving about it that haunts me. Like it knew who I was, what I was afraid of, and knew how to fix everything."

[Luminesa]

Ambrosia

"...Well...I dunno if it would bite you, if you're my friend. It seems to like me, so...it should be okay with you?...Unless it senses you don't like animals, but you do have a puppy," she reasoned. She leaned in the window to see Oliver dig through his fridge, and he seemed to not have much. "Well...maybe we can get it some carrots from the kitchen. I'll have to explain to the cook why I suddenly have a...zombie horse...but I think considering the fact that he knows I'm a vampire, he won't be all that surprised. I hope." She gulped. She was already a magnet for disaster, so the story seemed, and bringing this creepy horse around campus could come across as some sort of bad omen.

Then she still did not know why this horse had come to her. If she got on its back, maybe it would ride away to some forbidden place and bring her to the truth. Of course, she was not sure that she wanted this result, so she decided to just pet it and walk it to the kitchen. Hurrying back inside, she grabbed her coat and scarf and smiled at Oliver. "...Hey, I'll be right back! I'm gonna go get some food for it...and maybe some stuff to put in the fridge, so you don't starve yourself," she explained, giving the suggestion as she began to motion for the horse to follow her to the kitchen. Oh no, I already sound like a wife... she pondered, with a blush, as she and the horse walked away. In the meantime, as she watched the otherworldly steed walking next to her, she wondered what to name it. It had such a dark, creepy countenance, but a docile personality from what she could tell. At the very least, it would listen to her.

She got it some carrots from the kitchen, along with some apples, after she managed to explain what had happened-or what she could guess had happened. She then began to walk back to Oliver's dorm, hoping to spend some time with him despite the strange events that had unfolded. She walked back with her horse, periodically feeding it carrots as they stepped through the snow. "Black Beauty?...No, that's been taken...Black Ice?...No, but you're not cold...not really...Black Lace?...Pretty, but...too abstract...You need a nice name, one that will let people know you're not scary..." she told the horse, as she brainstormed ideas. As she arrived at the dorm, however, she got an idea. She stood in the doorway, and grinned at Oliver.

"Oliver, I want you to say hi to...Penelope!"

The Current Day

Ambrosia did not want her horse to get fat, but she could not help but bring it a big basket of carrots and a big bucket of water. She watched the horse eat, and looked around for a brush. "I wish this thing had come with grooming supplies...How do I take care of it?...Does it even need baths if it's a Magical horse?" She grabbed one of her own hair brushes, and carefully stroked Penelope's mane after she ate. Ambrosia then looked around her room. "...I need something to keep you warm, too...I need to ask if this school has any available stables for you...I know we have unicorns for our Magical Animals class..." she murmured, as she dug for things in her room. She wanted to go visit Oliver, and bring him back more food. "I'm going to make him take care of himself, if I have to learn how to knit a sweater!" she grumbled. She then walked with Penelope to the kitchen, got a basket of food, and walked to Oliver's room.

When Oliver saw the two of them, he would notice two things different. Ambrosia had forgotten the food yesterday, in her wondering over her horse's name, but this time she had returned with all sorts of foods. Fresh bread, bags of pretzels, fruit, some veggies, milk, and a few bottles of water. She had also brought cake, which she had packed away in a safe container in the paper bag. Ambrosia wore a huge smile, which was not unusual, but what was unusual was the sight next to her. The fearsome, skinny-looking horse was now decorated with a pink silk scarf, and a mane with a soft side-braid that also had a pink bow. "I remembered the food this time! How are you? Can I come in?" she inquired, with a big grin.

[Luminesa]

Shaun Calhoun

The sudden touch of Soleil's hand on his shoulder made him tense up his body as a reflex before soon calming down and relaxing his body. It was a warm, welcoming feeling that had an indescribable aura to it. Shaun's chest and torso rose and quickly collapsed as he sighed heavily through his nose while listening to Soleil speak about Allistor. Hearing how he was the cause of Allistor's own happiness made him frown slightly. The idea that he had the potential give someone such energy and emotion from the sheer presence of his own self made him even more anxious and worried. Vexed even. But for now he swallowed his own amounts of worries and questions about him and focused it onto Soleil.

Hearing him speak about their time in Paris- a mess of emotions and events that he wished he could get out of his head, yet will stick with him for as long as he lives- and the impact of their argument, Shaun grunted in an amused tone and looked at Soleil. "Well...I hope you know that I'm not the only one that made you feel that way. It was yourself too. And everyone around you. As cliche as it might sound." He chuckled before continuing with his statement. "But know that you weren't the only one that feels that way. You helped me feel better about who I am, what I went through. There are things that I can tell you. Things that I already told you, that I just can imaging telling anyone else. Especially Allistor. You helped me be more open, more vulnerable to others. For once in a while...I feel like a person. A...and I don't really know how to express these feelings or words correctly at the moment, but I know that I can and will in due time with your help. T-thank you...for being here with me and understanding. Even if it may seem like a lot to understand."
It felt like a wave of relief overcame him as he sighed heavily to catch his breath. And almost as an instinct, he turned to Soleil and hugged him. Shaun gripped onto him as if he was scared of letting him go. His eyes slowly swelling up as he fought the urge to let his tears fall. Luckily the wind from the cold air helped get rid of his tears-or at the very least blame the wind in his face for causing him to tear up.

Letting go, Shaun put his face in his hands and dragged his palms from the top of it to the bottom in an attempt to compose himself. The sharp sudden coolness of the winter weather in his gloves forcing him awake. "My bad." He laughed weakly with his face growing red from the embarrassment as well as his body trying to warm him up.
But now it was time to get even more serious. After discussing his own nightmares, it was now Soleil's turn to discuss his nightmares and terrors that plagued him during his restless nights. With a stoic look on his face, Shaun listened to what the former had to say about his dreams. The sudden hug back was a surprising, yet welcoming one. He listened to Soleil describe his own nightmare. An image that sounded more mystique and almost beautiful with a sinister reason behind it.
But it was when he heard Soleil question whether their dreams were related or not that made him sit up and look at him. His furrowed face pondering the question of his shadowy figure being good or evil. He stood there in silence for a moment before finally answering him. "To be honest...I don't know either...But, there was something...dark and unnerving about it that haunts me. Like it knew who I was, what I was afraid of, and knew how to fix everything."

The words of gratitude and the tight, almost-possessive hug flowed like an anesthetic into Soleil’s veins. Shaun wanted Soleil to know that he had changed him for the better, and had even become his confidante. His words worked like a clasp to a locket, clicking and making them almost as one. Feeling his breath, sharing warmth despite the chill of the now-icy beach, cuddling so that he fit into the space between himself and Shaun...Soleil felt the sort of home that he had wanted for so long. He could almost feel the blush on the older Mage’s face, as he pressed his cheek against his. The warmth of a fireplace fell over his body, and he did not want to move. Shaun’s speech did not have to be perfect or succinct, as the embrace they shared spoke more than enough. Something brushed off and burned the Earth Mage’s cheek, like a tear, but it flew away in the bristling wind.

Suddenly the clasp broke, and in came the cold between the two boys, just for a moment. The Wind Mage felt a shiver, as the chilly breeze brushed his face and hands. “...H-Hey...don’t cry...” Soleil murmured, as Shaun pulled himself away and put his face in his hands. Strong emotions had struck the latter boy, and had caused for him to feel overwhelmed. He needed a moment to collect himself, and the Wind Mage put a hand back on his shoulder. “...I’m...I’m so glad you’re my friend...I don’t want you...to cry...” Soleil consoled him, looking into his eyes for some sort of understanding of his best friend’s hidden feelings.

As the emotions settled, Shaun sat and thought about Soleil’s dream, as the latter Mage traces his fingers in the soft, chilling sand. “...Do you know...what the person in your dream wanted to fix?...What...what did you learn, when you woke-up?...Maybe...we saw the same kind of person...But I don’t know...I never saw my person...Maybe I will see him soon...” he pondered.

[Saleon]

Eliza Hartford
The House Sanguine Hell Dimension

---

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine responded to Michel's look in kind, easily matching the cold of his glare.

"Let's hold on that thought for a second, assume you can kill me here. That's a hell of a leap but we'll assume it for this little thought experiment."

The room grew darker around them. A chill with out a breeze.

"Have you ever seen the movie Dr. Strangelove? It's always been one of my favorites, since I was old enough to understand it. So I'll take a note from it. A doomsday weapon is of no use if you don't tell anyone. So I'll tell you. That apocalypse that Rabbit mentioned around this place is very real. My death would cause it. First of all, this place would smash into the earth at what ever speed we're moving now. Millions would die from the impact. But, that would be the start. Erebus is bound to the sanguine blood, my blood at this moment, and nothing else. You kill me, and his chains drop away. We would become one being. An aspect of the primordial void, a hungry nothing. We would start to fulfill our new nature. I would eat the world. Maybe there would be a way to stop that, but what ever happened it would match and exceed Rabbit's most dire warnings about what this place contained. Now, if you threaten me again in my home, I will kill you. And if I fail, then I will kill everyone."

"Now, Miss Eliza, you should speak."

"Dr. Strangelove was a classic maybe...oh, I dunno, 20 years before you were born? That's like asking me if I knew who Elvis was, of course I know who Elvis was. Died like 3 weeks after I was born, but my mother had his records and everything. Though...that's beside the point, I suppose. So relax, I'm not actually going to kill you, given you're not actually connected to Mrs. Satan. And given your situation is a lot worse than I initially figured, I'm not enough of an imbecile to bring about the end of the world," Michel answered, rolling his eyes as Catherine finished her warning. He did not disbelieve her explanation, as he knew the Magic that dwelt in this castle was unlike anything he could possibly imagine. He did roll his eyes, however, as he found her counter-threat of being able to kill him annoying, but while he wanted to add more, he knew well enough to let that strain of the conversation settle before it exploded. He turned and looked over at Rabbit, who had completely stopped eating as he heard Catherine reveal what the castle was capable of causing.

Rabbit had heard enough legends of the Obsidian Towers, as he knew enough esoteric stories and myths to be a library, but had not considered that Erebus, Catherine, and the Towers were all one force, intrinsically and inseparably connected. The grave revelation of her hidden ability to destroy the world had caused a screaming silence to fill the Dark Mana Being's ears, and he blinked as he stared into nothing, his mind running away from him. Her death, much like Artosh's or Aria's, would cause a sort of destruction which would break any barriers between the Magical and Mundane worlds. No innocents would be able to prepare themselves for the innumerable murders, the inexplicable withering of life on earth, the rivers of blood...Stop. You need to stop. Nobody is going to die here. Nobody is going to harm anyone. The fighting is over here. All we're doing now is just...conversing. Yes, just conversing. About what could have possibly been the ruination of all that we know exists and does not exist...Stop! Stop! Stop thinking about it. Just...try to be calm...try to act normal...Don't scare your student...You promised you would protect her...

Eliza looked on as the lights flickered, the room turned dark, and a heavy chill filled the air. Eliza attempted to eat in silence, carefully moving her fork and knife to cut into the meat in front of her. She adjusted her glasses, moved her silver hair out of her way. Her ears adjusted a bit to their surroundings and her tail swished a bit while eating. She moved her delicate hands across and then moved an intricate piece of food into her mouth.

All the while, Catherine described the desolate and apocalyptic destruction at her fingertips thanks to the Dark Towers. Or more, what happens if everything around Catherine comes crumbling and her life ends, the final member of House Sanguine gone so as to remove all magic powering the towers.

She carefully finished much of her food. Rene, still battered and wounded, coughed a bit before slumping over a chair and beginning to eat his food. He seemingly had the same care and concern when eating. Seemingly a side effect of being the familiar of a former noble.

Eliza then looked up as Catherine turned her gaze towards her. She gulped the rest of her food and cleared her throat.

“Ahem. What is there to know. Eliza Hartford. Former House Hartford. I spent much of my childhood near the forests. Our family, while relatively wealthy, was more the hermits of the noble aristocracy. They spent most of their time in a small chateau near the border between Ireland and Scotland. Heavily connected to the fae,” Eliza used a fork to gesture to her ears, “they spent much of their time researching the relationship between humans and the fae. Along with the magics produced by that relationship.”

“They attempted to stay neutral in magical affairs, but were starkly opposed to the use of dark magic, as the Rise did. They sided with the Alermici-Gramonts. Though mostly as protection if something had happened. Unfortunately and seemingly under the shadows, Lady Blanchefleur Rise was erasing her adversaries. Nobody noticed. Not even me. Until our family was wiped out, snuffed like a small fire on a candle.”

She cleared her throat before continuing:

“One night the whole house was burnt in flames. Me and Rene escaped. I cried almost every day after that. Nightmares. But the nightmares never helped me survive. It was just me and Rene. I scrounged for food, did missions and collected bounties. I’ve traveled long and far. I’ve also tried to protect and negotiate the boundaries of the fae and humans.”

“I came here after hearing some chatter about,” Eliza moved her knife to point towards Rabbit, “a dark mana being connected to the current magical wars entering into Romania. Numerous fae have worked to hide from the conflict. Refugees, essentially. So hearing a potential soldier in said war entering Romania was enough to curry my concern. So… that’s how I got here. What else do you want to know? I merely came here following their own concerns.”

Rene then put down his fork and knives, looking to Catherine, “and I’ve been with her for years. Ever since she was a stubborn girl who wanted a familiar like myself. Show her pride over the other children. Not many would seek to claim an Unseelie. She’s grown my respect. Since then I’ve followed and protected her.”

[Luminesa]

Eliza Hartford
The House Sanguine Hell Dimension

---

"Dr. Strangelove was a classic maybe...oh, I dunno, 20 years before you were born? That's like asking me if I knew who Elvis was, of course I know who Elvis was. Died like 3 weeks after I was born, but my mother had his records and everything. Though...that's beside the point, I suppose. So relax, I'm not actually going to kill you, given you're not actually connected to Mrs. Satan. And given your situation is a lot worse than I initially figured, I'm not enough of an imbecile to bring about the end of the world," Michel answered, rolling his eyes as Catherine finished her warning. He did not disbelieve her explanation, as he knew the Magic that dwelt in this castle was unlike anything he could possibly imagine. He did roll his eyes, however, as he found her counter-threat of being able to kill him annoying, but while he wanted to add more, he knew well enough to let that strain of the conversation settle before it exploded. He turned and looked over at Rabbit, who had completely stopped eating as he heard Catherine reveal what the castle was capable of causing.

Rabbit had heard enough legends of the Obsidian Towers, as he knew enough esoteric stories and myths to be a library, but had not considered that Erebus, Catherine, and the Towers were all one force, intrinsically and inseparably connected. The grave revelation of her hidden ability to destroy the world had caused a screaming silence to fill the Dark Mana Being's ears, and he blinked as he stared into nothing, his mind running away from him. Her death, much like Artosh's or Aria's, would cause a sort of destruction which would break any barriers between the Magical and Mundane worlds. No innocents would be able to prepare themselves for the innumerable murders, the inexplicable withering of life on earth, the rivers of blood...Stop. You need to stop. Nobody is going to die here. Nobody is going to harm anyone. The fighting is over here. All we're doing now is just...conversing. Yes, just conversing. About what could have possibly been the ruination of all that we know exists and does not exist...Stop! Stop! Stop thinking about it. Just...try to be calm...try to act normal...Don't scare your student...You promised you would protect her...

Eliza looked on as the lights flickered, the room turned dark, and a heavy chill filled the air. Eliza attempted to eat in silence, carefully moving her fork and knife to cut into the meat in front of her. She adjusted her glasses, moved her silver hair out of her way. Her ears adjusted a bit to their surroundings and her tail swished a bit while eating. She moved her delicate hands across and then moved an intricate piece of food into her mouth.

All the while, Catherine described the desolate and apocalyptic destruction at her fingertips thanks to the Dark Towers. Or more, what happens if everything around Catherine comes crumbling and her life ends, the final member of House Sanguine gone so as to remove all magic powering the towers.

She carefully finished much of her food. Rene, still battered and wounded, coughed a bit before slumping over a chair and beginning to eat his food. He seemingly had the same care and concern when eating. Seemingly a side effect of being the familiar of a former noble.

Eliza then looked up as Catherine turned her gaze towards her. She gulped the rest of her food and cleared her throat.

“Ahem. What is there to know. Eliza Hartford. Former House Hartford. I spent much of my childhood near the forests. Our family, while relatively wealthy, was more the hermits of the noble aristocracy. They spent most of their time in a small chateau near the border between Ireland and Scotland. Heavily connected to the fae,” Eliza used a fork to gesture to her ears, “they spent much of their time researching the relationship between humans and the fae. Along with the magics produced by that relationship.”

“They attempted to stay neutral in magical affairs, but were starkly opposed to the use of dark magic, as the Rise did. They sided with the Alermici-Gramonts. Though mostly as protection if something had happened. Unfortunately and seemingly under the shadows, Lady Blanchefleur Rise was erasing her adversaries. Nobody noticed. Not even me. Until our family was wiped out, snuffed like a small fire on a candle.”

She cleared her throat before continuing:

“One night the whole house was burnt in flames. Me and Rene escaped. I cried almost every day after that. Nightmares. But the nightmares never helped me survive. It was just me and Rene. I scrounged for food, did missions and collected bounties. I’ve traveled long and far. I’ve also tried to protect and negotiate the boundaries of the fae and humans.”

“I came here after hearing some chatter about,” Eliza moved her knife to point towards Rabbit, “a dark mana being connected to the current magical wars entering into Romania. Numerous fae have worked to hide from the conflict. Refugees, essentially. So hearing a potential soldier in said war entering Romania was enough to curry my concern. So… that’s how I got here. What else do you want to know? I merely came here following their own concerns.”

Rene then put down his fork and knives, looking to Catherine, “and I’ve been with her for years. Ever since she was a stubborn girl who wanted a familiar like myself. Show her pride over the other children. Not many would seek to claim an Unseelie. She’s grown my respect. Since then I’ve followed and protected her.”

Rabbit

Rabbit noticed Eliza and Rene's reactions to Catherine's foreboding speech. Eliza tried to continue eating, despite the new influx of doom and gloom in the room, and Rene struggled to eat. Even as he had been healed somewhat, he was still sore, and he moved slowly and gingerly to cut-up his food. Rabbit finished his cabbage rolls, and then listened to Eliza as she talked about her past. He had already heard some of the story, so he did not make any comments. He put a hand under his chin as he listened, wondering if she would add any details to her story. She did mention her family were allies of Aleramici-Gramont, but otherwise her explanation was consistent with what she had mentioned to him about her past. She paused to catch herself, before she cried, and he twitched with sympathy for her. He wanted to reach and put a hand on her shoulder, but she held herself together and completed her story. She did include that Rabbit was a part of the reason she had come to Romania, which confirmed that he was her concern. Rene then talked a little about himself, and the duo's introduction was finished.

So now the Dark Mana Being was the only person who had not spoken abut himself. He sat in cautious silence for a moment, until Michel nodded to him to talk about himself. What details to give, what details to hide. He sighed and looked to the people around him. "...I go by Rabbit. Technically Professor Rabbit, though I don't have a Ph.D. However, I am not picky about what people call me. I am indeed a Dark Mana Being, and one much older than most. I have lived in over six countries in my life, and I speak several languages fluently, but I did not know how to read until I was roughly a teenager. I have been a dancer, a servant, a hermit, a Jaegar-in-training, and I trained and received my certification as a teacher in the United States." The information he gave was mostly trivia, but he did not wish to give the darker details of his life to two strangers. He turned to Eliza and added one more tidbit. "We only came here looking for my student, and now that we have found her...I suppose now is the time to return to the States."

He gave a sigh, hoping that his introduction was enough. He had no more food, and looked down at his empty platter. All this stress...There has to be a bottle of wine somewhere in this expansive place... he thought, his hands still shaking under the table. Since everyone had now spoken at least something, perhaps Catherine would move forward with giving the news she had heard from one of her soldiers. He looked down the table at her, feeling anxious despite still being an authority over her. In the meantime, he wondered how fast and in what direction the Towers were moving. He could not walk to the windows and see if they were visible to anyone, either. He just sat back and waited, wanting a glass of wine and some sleep.

[Luminesa]

John - All is Too Quiet

“...Hey, Cecily, can you watch my station for a little while?” John rose from his workplace, as he had been charting some of the patients who had received treatment. He stretched, and walked to grab his winter coat off the door. Before she could ask, he turned to her and said. “Artosh isn’t here, and it’s almost 9. I need to go find him and figure what’s happened to him. Hopefully he’s not dead or something,” he explained. He felt he was maybe being too grim or anxious, but with his co-worker’s condition getting worse, one could not be sure. He threw on his coat, and as Cecily nodded to him and looked back down at her work, he was out the door.

In Artosh’s room, the dream had ended. Yet a shadow stood over his bedside for a few moments, not in the shape of any figure with whom he might be familiar. A tall shadow, subtly powerful and awe-striking, dressed in some sort of armor. The sliver of a cape fluttered behind its shoulders, and it touched Artosh’s shoulder. The Mage would feel powerful soothing Magic moving through him, nothing he had quite felt in this world. The scent of lavender filled Artosh’s room, and unusual flowers began to bloom in the corners. Lavender, but not lavender. The being stood at his bedside for a few moments, speaking in some sort of otherworldly language, before a knock came to the door. As the door creaked open, the shadow vanished.

“Artosh? Hey, Artosh! It’s John! You’re alive, aren’t you? You better be, I’m getting you some treatment,” John greeted the other teacher, as he stepped into the room. He did not see the flowers, but he immediately felt the calming Magic falling around him, and he was puzzled. Arcane Magic did not cause this sort of wholesome effect, so he wondered if Artosh had been practicing with some other Magic. “...Are you trying to wean off Arcane or something? It’d be good if you did, might help your body recover,” he suggested. He sat on the edge of the bed, and looked down at his fellow nurse and teacher. “...We’re gonna find a Mana Disease specialist online. Ever used the almighty power of Google to search for a doctor?” he inquired.

[Finsternia]

John - All is Too Quiet

“...Hey, Cecily, can you watch my station for a little while?” John rose from his workplace, as he had been charting some of the patients who had received treatment. He stretched, and walked to grab his winter coat off the door. Before she could ask, he turned to her and said. “Artosh isn’t here, and it’s almost 9. I need to go find him and figure what’s happened to him. Hopefully he’s not dead or something,” he explained. He felt he was maybe being too grim or anxious, but with his co-worker’s condition getting worse, one could not be sure. He threw on his coat, and as Cecily nodded to him and looked back down at her work, he was out the door.

In Artosh’s room, the dream had ended. Yet a shadow stood over his bedside for a few moments, not in the shape of any figure with whom he might be familiar. A tall shadow, subtly powerful and awe-striking, dressed in some sort of armor. The sliver of a cape fluttered behind its shoulders, and it touched Artosh’s shoulder. The Mage would feel powerful soothing Magic moving through him, nothing he had quite felt in this world. The scent of lavender filled Artosh’s room, and unusual flowers began to bloom in the corners. Lavender, but not lavender. The being stood at his bedside for a few moments, speaking in some sort of otherworldly language, before a knock came to the door. As the door creaked open, the shadow vanished.

“Artosh? Hey, Artosh! It’s John! You’re alive, aren’t you? You better be, I’m getting you some treatment,” John greeted the other teacher, as he stepped into the room. He did not see the flowers, but he immediately felt the calming Magic falling around him, and he was puzzled. Arcane Magic did not cause this sort of wholesome effect, so he wondered if Artosh had been practicing with some other Magic. “...Are you trying to wean off Arcane or something? It’d be good if you did, might help your body recover,” he suggested. He sat on the edge of the bed, and looked down at his fellow nurse and teacher. “...We’re gonna find a Mana Disease specialist online. Ever used the almighty power of Google to search for a doctor?” he inquired.

Artosh Luxenia

John would find Artosh is already awake, facing away from him with his back to him and his face to the windows. Sunlight is already peeking through the clear glass, showing Artosh's frail and haggard body. His current situation is far flung from what he was before. Before he was a teacher, and before when he just started teaching. He was energetic, athletic even, but such was the price for his magic and the price for his folly. His white buttoned up shirt seems to be too big for his frame now, sagging by the shoulders and wrists. His hair is now far too brittle and it has gone from snowy locks to almost translucent white. It doesn't seem like the other nurse can hear John's ramblings and jokes, until he faced him.

Dark eyebags hang from his eyes and his face seems to be too gaunt. His eating habits have gone whack alongside his sleep. His once vibrant azure eyes are now losing light within as he looks from John and down to his blankets. "I had a dream where... I was walking alone in a snowstorm... and someone is calling me..." His lips curl into a smile. "Someone came just now also... It wasn't me who casted that spell... One of the Fair Folk from the forest maybe..." He holds his hands together as his fingers tremble ever so slightly. "...John. I don't have much time left."

[Luminesa]

John - All is Too Quiet

“...Hey, Cecily, can you watch my station for a little while?” John rose from his workplace, as he had been charting some of the patients who had received treatment. He stretched, and walked to grab his winter coat off the door. Before she could ask, he turned to her and said. “Artosh isn’t here, and it’s almost 9. I need to go find him and figure what’s happened to him. Hopefully he’s not dead or something,” he explained. He felt he was maybe being too grim or anxious, but with his co-worker’s condition getting worse, one could not be sure. He threw on his coat, and as Cecily nodded to him and looked back down at her work, he was out the door.

In Artosh’s room, the dream had ended. Yet a shadow stood over his bedside for a few moments, not in the shape of any figure with whom he might be familiar. A tall shadow, subtly powerful and awe-striking, dressed in some sort of armor. The sliver of a cape fluttered behind its shoulders, and it touched Artosh’s shoulder. The Mage would feel powerful soothing Magic moving through him, nothing he had quite felt in this world. The scent of lavender filled Artosh’s room, and unusual flowers began to bloom in the corners. Lavender, but not lavender. The being stood at his bedside for a few moments, speaking in some sort of otherworldly language, before a knock came to the door. As the door creaked open, the shadow vanished.

“Artosh? Hey, Artosh! It’s John! You’re alive, aren’t you? You better be, I’m getting you some treatment,” John greeted the other teacher, as he stepped into the room. He did not see the flowers, but he immediately felt the calming Magic falling around him, and he was puzzled. Arcane Magic did not cause this sort of wholesome effect, so he wondered if Artosh had been practicing with some other Magic. “...Are you trying to wean off Arcane or something? It’d be good if you did, might help your body recover,” he suggested. He sat on the edge of the bed, and looked down at his fellow nurse and teacher. “...We’re gonna find a Mana Disease specialist online. Ever used the almighty power of Google to search for a doctor?” he inquired.

Artosh Luxenia

John would find Artosh is already awake, facing away from him with his back to him and his face to the windows. Sunlight is already peeking through the clear glass, showing Artosh's frail and haggard body. His current situation is far flung from what he was before. Before he was a teacher, and before when he just started teaching. He was energetic, athletic even, but such was the price for his magic and the price for his folly. His white buttoned up shirt seems to be too big for his frame now, sagging by the shoulders and wrists. His hair is now far too brittle and it has gone from snowy locks to almost translucent white. It doesn't seem like the other nurse can hear John's ramblings and jokes, until he faced him.

Dark eyebags hang from his eyes and his face seems to be too gaunt. His eating habits have gone whack alongside his sleep. His once vibrant azure eyes are now losing light within as he looks from John and down to his blankets. "I had a dream where... I was walking alone in a snowstorm... and someone is calling me..." His lips curl into a smile. "Someone came just now also... It wasn't me who casted that spell... One of the Fair Folk from the forest maybe..." He holds his hands together as his fingers tremble ever so slightly. "...John. I don't have much time left."

John - In Over His Head, As Usual

Artosh looked horrible, and John couldn’t hide the wince on his face as his co-worker sat upright in his bed. He appeared to be a ghost of the teacher he had met near the beginning of the year. Hearing that he was having dreams about the Fair Folk was also alarming. Just yesterday he was working, now he could not get out of bed. He took out his phone, and he stared down at it with a sigh.

“...Look. You’re not walking into that bright light when you’re the same age as me. We’re going to the mainland and we’re gonna get you to an ER. And once we’ve gotten you stabilized, we’re taking you to a Magic specialist. I’ll text Cecily and let her know we’re going.” He texted her and looked back at her phone for her affirmation, and he picked up Artosh. “...Come on, we’re getting a boat.”

ER - Ascension Eagle River Hospital, 2 hours later

John called for a helicopter to bring himself and Artosh to the nearest hospital, and he sat next to Artosh as he was given fluids and medicine to stabilize his deteriorating condition. His vitals were fine, but he was disoriented, and he looked awful. John knew none of the doctors would understand quite what was wrong with him, but in case his vitals dipped, he would be better in more professional company. “...Hang in there, Art...You gotta be well for when Rabbit gets home, huh?” he joked.

After the doctor came and introduced himself, and some tests were started, John sat at Artosh’s bedside and began to look for Magical specialists. “...Hmmm...Google has to have answers about someone who can do some sort of...secret Magic...” he mumbled.

In the meantime, a man’s shadow moved and stood in the hallway, holding a clipboard. He appeared to be a doctor, but not the doctor who was treating Artosh. The man had something on his back, something not much like a coat. Wings. The shadow turned in the direction of Artosh’s room, and while John grumbled through the results on his phone, the patient would hear more of that strange Fae language. Soft but firm, steady, and deliberate. A deep voice that echoed and faded.

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia

"John this is absurd... You called in a helicopter and you brought me to a mundane hospital..." The white haired teacher might have sounded reprimanding but there is a sweet smile to his face. It's been awhile since he has left the island but it is rather bittersweet that the reason for it is that his health his failing. His doctors, magical doctors that is, could only prescribe medicine that could calm down the ravages of Arcane, dilute his bloodstream of unnecessary elemental particles, and nourish the amount of water mana inside him. But now those pills and tablets wouldn't work as Rabbit's Black Blood is now circulating in his system, and his Arcane Mana has consumed it and integrated Rabbit's Dark Mana.

He looks up to John and gives his phone a glance. "...We Mages use a different version of the Internet encrypted by Technomancers... Here, use this domain and inject mana into your phone and..." He helps his co-worker through the ropes of modern Magotechnology and the website loads up a list of specialists. One of the leading authorities on Magical Pharmaceuticals is Earl Viktor Steiner von Abendroth, a member of a family branch of Allistor's family. As Allistor's own House specializes in the production of magical arms and magical potions, Earl Viktor leads the noble family's alchemical breakthroughs as a rare Spiritualist, a rare type of healer who is graced by spirits and faeries and with potent healing magical capabilities. "However... He is like... across the globe and... Europe is entangled in a shadow war..." Artosh leans back on his seat and sighs before shooting up, looking towards the far corridor. "...That feeling... We were followed by that person who... made the flowers in my room..."

[Luminesa]

Artosh Luxenia

"John this is absurd... You called in a helicopter and you brought me to a mundane hospital..." The white haired teacher might have sounded reprimanding but there is a sweet smile to his face. It's been awhile since he has left the island but it is rather bittersweet that the reason for it is that his health his failing. His doctors, magical doctors that is, could only prescribe medicine that could calm down the ravages of Arcane, dilute his bloodstream of unnecessary elemental particles, and nourish the amount of water mana inside him. But now those pills and tablets wouldn't work as Rabbit's Black Blood is now circulating in his system, and his Arcane Mana has consumed it and integrated Rabbit's Dark Mana.

He looks up to John and gives his phone a glance. "...We Mages use a different version of the Internet encrypted by Technomancers... Here, use this domain and inject mana into your phone and..." He helps his co-worker through the ropes of modern Magotechnology and the website loads up a list of specialists. One of the leading authorities on Magical Pharmaceuticals is Earl Viktor Steiner von Abendroth, a member of a family branch of Allistor's family. As Allistor's own House specializes in the production of magical arms and magical potions, Earl Viktor leads the noble family's alchemical breakthroughs as a rare Spiritualist, a rare type of healer who is graced by spirits and faeries and with potent healing magical capabilities. "However... He is like... across the globe and... Europe is entangled in a shadow war..." Artosh leans back on his seat and sighs before shooting up, looking towards the far corridor. "...That feeling... We were followed by that person who... made the flowers in my room..."

“...Hey, not all your symptoms are Magic-related...And we’ve gotta do something to keep you from turning into a pile of ash by tomorrow morning,” John explained. He grinned back at him, knowing that any smile from the sickly nurse was a good sign. He still had some life in his body, in his soul. The mundane doctors and nurses were baffled by some of Artosh’s symptoms, but they could not do much beside trying to treat them. John, in the meantime, talked to the doctors as much as he could, though Artosh was awake and could speak for himself.

Meanwhile, Artosh helped John to navigate the Magical Web, an application which was quite foreign to him. Encrypted by Magic, it looked like Google, but was nothing like Google. Arcane knowledge appeared before him, and he could not help but blink a few times. As he searched, he found the name of one of Allistor’s relatives, and he chuckled. “...He really does have a busy family, doesn’t he?...Well, then...If he knows English, we’re gonna look for him,” he decided. As he began to look for his number on his website, he heard Artosh talk about something with flowers. He had not noticed the flowers in his co-worker’s room, but more due to his own focus on Artosh’s health.

“Huh? Flowers? Person? What?” He looked out to the hallway, and saw no shadow. John shook his head and sighed. “...I’m gonna call this Viktor and see if we can get him here in a day or two. Before that, though, I’m going to the bathroom. Haven’t gone since we got on the helicopter...” He stood and walked out the room, giving a grin back to Artosh as he walked out the room. When he examined the hallway, he still saw no shadows. No signs of any strange auras or individuals. Nobody with flowers. “...They need to hurry with that MRI scan...” he muttered, as he moved down the hall to the restroom.

In the meantime, silence passed through Artosh’s room. A doctor entered the room, but not Artosh’s appointed physician. He was unquestionably handsome, with a pale, chiseled face and wise, violet eyes. He smoothed his gelled, honey-blonde hair, and stood tall over Artosh’s bedside. He would have simply been a concerned doctor, if the time had not stopped when he sat next to him. The door was closed, though nothing had closed it, and sound fell into a vacuum outside the room. “...Artosh Luxenia?” He spoke with the same deep, calming voice, and held Artosh’s face in his hand as he looked over him. “My name is Dr. Cesare Benoit. I am a hematologist, and I am here to help you today. You are ill with blood poisoning, are you not?...”

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia

"John this is absurd... You called in a helicopter and you brought me to a mundane hospital..." The white haired teacher might have sounded reprimanding but there is a sweet smile to his face. It's been awhile since he has left the island but it is rather bittersweet that the reason for it is that his health his failing. His doctors, magical doctors that is, could only prescribe medicine that could calm down the ravages of Arcane, dilute his bloodstream of unnecessary elemental particles, and nourish the amount of water mana inside him. But now those pills and tablets wouldn't work as Rabbit's Black Blood is now circulating in his system, and his Arcane Mana has consumed it and integrated Rabbit's Dark Mana.

He looks up to John and gives his phone a glance. "...We Mages use a different version of the Internet encrypted by Technomancers... Here, use this domain and inject mana into your phone and..." He helps his co-worker through the ropes of modern Magotechnology and the website loads up a list of specialists. One of the leading authorities on Magical Pharmaceuticals is Earl Viktor Steiner von Abendroth, a member of a family branch of Allistor's family. As Allistor's own House specializes in the production of magical arms and magical potions, Earl Viktor leads the noble family's alchemical breakthroughs as a rare Spiritualist, a rare type of healer who is graced by spirits and faeries and with potent healing magical capabilities. "However... He is like... across the globe and... Europe is entangled in a shadow war..." Artosh leans back on his seat and sighs before shooting up, looking towards the far corridor. "...That feeling... We were followed by that person who... made the flowers in my room..."

“...Hey, not all your symptoms are Magic-related...And we’ve gotta do something to keep you from turning into a pile of ash by tomorrow morning,” John explained. He grinned back at him, knowing that any smile from the sickly nurse was a good sign. He still had some life in his body, in his soul. The mundane doctors and nurses were baffled by some of Artosh’s symptoms, but they could not do much beside trying to treat them. John, in the meantime, talked to the doctors as much as he could, though Artosh was awake and could speak for himself.

Meanwhile, Artosh helped John to navigate the Magical Web, an application which was quite foreign to him. Encrypted by Magic, it looked like Google, but was nothing like Google. Arcane knowledge appeared before him, and he could not help but blink a few times. As he searched, he found the name of one of Allistor’s relatives, and he chuckled. “...He really does have a busy family, doesn’t he?...Well, then...If he knows English, we’re gonna look for him,” he decided. As he began to look for his number on his website, he heard Artosh talk about something with flowers. He had not noticed the flowers in his co-worker’s room, but more due to his own focus on Artosh’s health.

“Huh? Flowers? Person? What?” He looked out to the hallway, and saw no shadow. John shook his head and sighed. “...I’m gonna call this Viktor and see if we can get him here in a day or two. Before that, though, I’m going to the bathroom. Haven’t gone since we got on the helicopter...” He stood and walked out the room, giving a grin back to Artosh as he walked out the room. When he examined the hallway, he still saw no shadows. No signs of any strange auras or individuals. Nobody with flowers. “...They need to hurry with that MRI scan...” he muttered, as he moved down the hall to the restroom.

In the meantime, silence passed through Artosh’s room. A doctor entered the room, but not Artosh’s appointed physician. He was unquestionably handsome, with a pale, chiseled face and wise, violet eyes. He smoothed his gelled, honey-blonde hair, and stood tall over Artosh’s bedside. He would have simply been a concerned doctor, if the time had not stopped when he sat next to him. The door was closed, though nothing had closed it, and sound fell into a vacuum outside the room. “...Artosh Luxenia?” He spoke with the same deep, calming voice, and held Artosh’s face in his hand as he looked over him. “My name is Dr. Cesare Benoit. I am a hematologist, and I am here to help you today. You are ill with blood poisoning, are you not?...”

Artosh leans back on the bed and smiles at the doctor. It seems that the handsome doctor is one of the roving residents in the hospital and would be here to check on him. However, Artosh noticed the odd way the door has closed. The door wasn't heavy in any rate for it to close on its own, and there isn't any wind outside by the hallways. His blue eyes linger just for a moment at the door frame before smiling at the doctor. "Good morning doctor. I noticed your little trick. Are you a Mage as well?"

[Luminesa]

“...Hey, not all your symptoms are Magic-related...And we’ve gotta do something to keep you from turning into a pile of ash by tomorrow morning,” John explained. He grinned back at him, knowing that any smile from the sickly nurse was a good sign. He still had some life in his body, in his soul. The mundane doctors and nurses were baffled by some of Artosh’s symptoms, but they could not do much beside trying to treat them. John, in the meantime, talked to the doctors as much as he could, though Artosh was awake and could speak for himself.

Meanwhile, Artosh helped John to navigate the Magical Web, an application which was quite foreign to him. Encrypted by Magic, it looked like Google, but was nothing like Google. Arcane knowledge appeared before him, and he could not help but blink a few times. As he searched, he found the name of one of Allistor’s relatives, and he chuckled. “...He really does have a busy family, doesn’t he?...Well, then...If he knows English, we’re gonna look for him,” he decided. As he began to look for his number on his website, he heard Artosh talk about something with flowers. He had not noticed the flowers in his co-worker’s room, but more due to his own focus on Artosh’s health.

“Huh? Flowers? Person? What?” He looked out to the hallway, and saw no shadow. John shook his head and sighed. “...I’m gonna call this Viktor and see if we can get him here in a day or two. Before that, though, I’m going to the bathroom. Haven’t gone since we got on the helicopter...” He stood and walked out the room, giving a grin back to Artosh as he walked out the room. When he examined the hallway, he still saw no shadows. No signs of any strange auras or individuals. Nobody with flowers. “...They need to hurry with that MRI scan...” he muttered, as he moved down the hall to the restroom.

In the meantime, silence passed through Artosh’s room. A doctor entered the room, but not Artosh’s appointed physician. He was unquestionably handsome, with a pale, chiseled face and wise, violet eyes. He smoothed his gelled, honey-blonde hair, and stood tall over Artosh’s bedside. He would have simply been a concerned doctor, if the time had not stopped when he sat next to him. The door was closed, though nothing had closed it, and sound fell into a vacuum outside the room. “...Artosh Luxenia?” He spoke with the same deep, calming voice, and held Artosh’s face in his hand as he looked over him. “My name is Dr. Cesare Benoit. I am a hematologist, and I am here to help you today. You are ill with blood poisoning, are you not?...”

Artosh leans back on the bed and smiles at the doctor. It seems that the handsome doctor is one of the roving residents in the hospital and would be here to check on him. However, Artosh noticed the odd way the door has closed. The door wasn't heavy in any rate for it to close on its own, and there isn't any wind outside by the hallways. His blue eyes linger just for a moment at the door frame before smiling at the doctor. "Good morning doctor. I noticed your little trick. Are you a Mage as well?"

Dr. Cesare did not answer Artosh’s question with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. He examined the teacher’s face further a couple of times, and moved his face just a little too close. His violet eyes twinkled with Magic, but his aura did not identify him as a normal Mage. The doctor moved back to write something on his clipboard, and if Artosh looked closely, the language was like nothing he had ever seen written. Even so, the doctor took care to write as many details as possible, glancing back at his patient every few moments as he flipped a page.

“...Your body has been invaded by Dark Mana, due to relations of some sort to a person containing this Mana. Now your body is fighting the disease that comes with your Arcane Magic interacting with the darkness. Sounds rather...wicked, does it not?...” Dr. Cesare’s eyes rested on his patient now, and he asked his question with a quiet curiosity. He did not seem worried or afraid of the diagnosis he was giving, and he turned his entire body toward his direction as he continued. “...Or perhaps you were under a spell of your own for some time. Cupid found you, and when you would not cower before him, he violently cast you into holding feelings for a being whose Mana was not compatible with yours...”

The conversation moved quickly from Artosh’s blood, but the doctor was not absentminded. He never blinked as he spoke to Artosh, as he questioned him. What made him almost a little frightening was that he was no longer speaking English, but the unearthly language Artosh had heard in the hallway. And yet he could understand Dr. Cesare’s cryptic words, now, as if they had been intended for him alone. As if Artosh had known this unknown language all his life. “Your dreams and your body are always related in one way or another. Looking at your blood is an easy way to tell...And I can see that your mind is focused toward death, as we speak, yes? Your mortal body has only ten years to live. More or less. And yet...you wish to be well, Artosh Luxenia?”

[Serah]

Ambrosia

"...Well...I dunno if it would bite you, if you're my friend. It seems to like me, so...it should be okay with you?...Unless it senses you don't like animals, but you do have a puppy," she reasoned. She leaned in the window to see Oliver dig through his fridge, and he seemed to not have much. "Well...maybe we can get it some carrots from the kitchen. I'll have to explain to the cook why I suddenly have a...zombie horse...but I think considering the fact that he knows I'm a vampire, he won't be all that surprised. I hope." She gulped. She was already a magnet for disaster, so the story seemed, and bringing this creepy horse around campus could come across as some sort of bad omen.

Then she still did not know why this horse had come to her. If she got on its back, maybe it would ride away to some forbidden place and bring her to the truth. Of course, she was not sure that she wanted this result, so she decided to just pet it and walk it to the kitchen. Hurrying back inside, she grabbed her coat and scarf and smiled at Oliver. "...Hey, I'll be right back! I'm gonna go get some food for it...and maybe some stuff to put in the fridge, so you don't starve yourself," she explained, giving the suggestion as she began to motion for the horse to follow her to the kitchen. Oh no, I already sound like a wife... she pondered, with a blush, as she and the horse walked away. In the meantime, as she watched the otherworldly steed walking next to her, she wondered what to name it. It had such a dark, creepy countenance, but a docile personality from what she could tell. At the very least, it would listen to her.

She got it some carrots from the kitchen, along with some apples, after she managed to explain what had happened-or what she could guess had happened. She then began to walk back to Oliver's dorm, hoping to spend some time with him despite the strange events that had unfolded. She walked back with her horse, periodically feeding it carrots as they stepped through the snow. "Black Beauty?...No, that's been taken...Black Ice?...No, but you're not cold...not really...Black Lace?...Pretty, but...too abstract...You need a nice name, one that will let people know you're not scary..." she told the horse, as she brainstormed ideas. As she arrived at the dorm, however, she got an idea. She stood in the doorway, and grinned at Oliver.

"Oliver, I want you to say hi to...Penelope!"

The Current Day

Ambrosia did not want her horse to get fat, but she could not help but bring it a big basket of carrots and a big bucket of water. She watched the horse eat, and looked around for a brush. "I wish this thing had come with grooming supplies...How do I take care of it?...Does it even need baths if it's a Magical horse?" She grabbed one of her own hair brushes, and carefully stroked Penelope's mane after she ate. Ambrosia then looked around her room. "...I need something to keep you warm, too...I need to ask if this school has any available stables for you...I know we have unicorns for our Magical Animals class..." she murmured, as she dug for things in her room. She wanted to go visit Oliver, and bring him back more food. "I'm going to make him take care of himself, if I have to learn how to knit a sweater!" she grumbled. She then walked with Penelope to the kitchen, got a basket of food, and walked to Oliver's room.

When Oliver saw the two of them, he would notice two things different. Ambrosia had forgotten the food yesterday, in her wondering over her horse's name, but this time she had returned with all sorts of foods. Fresh bread, bags of pretzels, fruit, some veggies, milk, and a few bottles of water. She had also brought cake, which she had packed away in a safe container in the paper bag. Ambrosia wore a huge smile, which was not unusual, but what was unusual was the sight next to her. The fearsome, skinny-looking horse was now decorated with a pink silk scarf, and a mane with a soft side-braid that also had a pink bow. "I remembered the food this time! How are you? Can I come in?" she inquired, with a big grin.

Unfortunately, Ambrosia seemed to have noticed his fridge looking dreadfully empty and decided to help him out with that. Sighing at the idea, he simply shrugged and saw her off as she took the horse away to check where she could have it sleep. Soon after, she came back, with no food but with a new name for the horse.

Oliver raised an eyebrow at the name.
"That's... a somewhat old name. Haven't heard that in years." Repressing a smile, he enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with her.

Current day

Ambrosia initially arrived at a closed door. Oliver wasn't yet back, as he was coming back from the rather tiring fight and training he had been undergoing since the early morning.

Olivier arrived some minutes after Ambrosia knocked on his door, his clothes looked like they had been through hell, although his face did not betray any traces of that.
Coming up behind her, he tapped her shoulder, trying to open his door.

"Hello there. I wasn't expecting you today. Did you need something, or did you just want to see me?"

[Luminesa]

Ambrosia

"...Well...I dunno if it would bite you, if you're my friend. It seems to like me, so...it should be okay with you?...Unless it senses you don't like animals, but you do have a puppy," she reasoned. She leaned in the window to see Oliver dig through his fridge, and he seemed to not have much. "Well...maybe we can get it some carrots from the kitchen. I'll have to explain to the cook why I suddenly have a...zombie horse...but I think considering the fact that he knows I'm a vampire, he won't be all that surprised. I hope." She gulped. She was already a magnet for disaster, so the story seemed, and bringing this creepy horse around campus could come across as some sort of bad omen.

Then she still did not know why this horse had come to her. If she got on its back, maybe it would ride away to some forbidden place and bring her to the truth. Of course, she was not sure that she wanted this result, so she decided to just pet it and walk it to the kitchen. Hurrying back inside, she grabbed her coat and scarf and smiled at Oliver. "...Hey, I'll be right back! I'm gonna go get some food for it...and maybe some stuff to put in the fridge, so you don't starve yourself," she explained, giving the suggestion as she began to motion for the horse to follow her to the kitchen. Oh no, I already sound like a wife... she pondered, with a blush, as she and the horse walked away. In the meantime, as she watched the otherworldly steed walking next to her, she wondered what to name it. It had such a dark, creepy countenance, but a docile personality from what she could tell. At the very least, it would listen to her.

She got it some carrots from the kitchen, along with some apples, after she managed to explain what had happened-or what she could guess had happened. She then began to walk back to Oliver's dorm, hoping to spend some time with him despite the strange events that had unfolded. She walked back with her horse, periodically feeding it carrots as they stepped through the snow. "Black Beauty?...No, that's been taken...Black Ice?...No, but you're not cold...not really...Black Lace?...Pretty, but...too abstract...You need a nice name, one that will let people know you're not scary..." she told the horse, as she brainstormed ideas. As she arrived at the dorm, however, she got an idea. She stood in the doorway, and grinned at Oliver.

"Oliver, I want you to say hi to...Penelope!"

The Current Day

Ambrosia did not want her horse to get fat, but she could not help but bring it a big basket of carrots and a big bucket of water. She watched the horse eat, and looked around for a brush. "I wish this thing had come with grooming supplies...How do I take care of it?...Does it even need baths if it's a Magical horse?" She grabbed one of her own hair brushes, and carefully stroked Penelope's mane after she ate. Ambrosia then looked around her room. "...I need something to keep you warm, too...I need to ask if this school has any available stables for you...I know we have unicorns for our Magical Animals class..." she murmured, as she dug for things in her room. She wanted to go visit Oliver, and bring him back more food. "I'm going to make him take care of himself, if I have to learn how to knit a sweater!" she grumbled. She then walked with Penelope to the kitchen, got a basket of food, and walked to Oliver's room.

When Oliver saw the two of them, he would notice two things different. Ambrosia had forgotten the food yesterday, in her wondering over her horse's name, but this time she had returned with all sorts of foods. Fresh bread, bags of pretzels, fruit, some veggies, milk, and a few bottles of water. She had also brought cake, which she had packed away in a safe container in the paper bag. Ambrosia wore a huge smile, which was not unusual, but what was unusual was the sight next to her. The fearsome, skinny-looking horse was now decorated with a pink silk scarf, and a mane with a soft side-braid that also had a pink bow. "I remembered the food this time! How are you? Can I come in?" she inquired, with a big grin.

Unfortunately, Ambrosia seemed to have noticed his fridge looking dreadfully empty and decided to help him out with that. Sighing at the idea, he simply shrugged and saw her off as she took the horse away to check where she could have it sleep. Soon after, she came back, with no food but with a new name for the horse.

Oliver raised an eyebrow at the name.
"That's... a somewhat old name. Haven't heard that in years." Repressing a smile, he enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with her.

Current day

Ambrosia initially arrived at a closed door. Oliver wasn't yet back, as he was coming back from the rather tiring fight and training he had been undergoing since the early morning.

Olivier arrived some minutes after Ambrosia knocked on his door, his clothes looked like they had been through hell, although his face did not betray any traces of that.
Coming up behind her, he tapped her shoulder, trying to open his door.

"Hello there. I wasn't expecting you today. Did you need something, or did you just want to see me?"

Ambrosia did not realize Oliver had been out training, and when she arrived she was met with silence. A little embarrassed, she had knocked twice to be sure, but then as she understood he was not there she got red in the face. “...Oh...he...he must not be awake yet...” she pondered aloud. She turned back to Penelope, and she shrugged. The cold made her shrug into a shiver, and she clung to Penelope’s long neck. “Yee!...W-Well, Penelope...m-maybe we need to just...go back to the dorm? We can just...wait there?” she suggested.

“No, no, no, he’s not gonna come to my dorm, just because I’m not there!...We’re not...that close...” The words she mumbled stabbed her in the throat, as she realized that despite the time she was spending with Oliver, they were still not best friends yet. ...It must be because he’s so depressed...It’s...hard to make friends when you’re sad all the time, probably... she thought. She kicked a little of the snow off her boot, and gave Penelope another carrot. About ten minutes passed, and she heard more boots crunching through the snow, and felt a tap on her shoulder. “...Uh?!” A prick of shock wriggled through her back, and she turned to see who had approached.

As she whirled around, Oliver’s visage met her eyes, draped in beaten and ragged-looking clothes. He looked exhausted, as if he had been in an awful fight. “O-Oliver! I-I...I just came to...to um...see you?” Her face got red, and she tried to hide it behind her scarf. She failed, and as she moved out the way of the door, she added, “What happened?! You look awful! Are you hurt?” She did not know any Healing Magic, but she would be glad to help him however she could. She turned to Penelope with a worried gaze, as if to ask for the horse’s help, and then she looked back to her friend.

[Serah]

Unfortunately, Ambrosia seemed to have noticed his fridge looking dreadfully empty and decided to help him out with that. Sighing at the idea, he simply shrugged and saw her off as she took the horse away to check where she could have it sleep. Soon after, she came back, with no food but with a new name for the horse.

Oliver raised an eyebrow at the name.
"That's... a somewhat old name. Haven't heard that in years." Repressing a smile, he enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with her.

Current day

Ambrosia initially arrived at a closed door. Oliver wasn't yet back, as he was coming back from the rather tiring fight and training he had been undergoing since the early morning.

Olivier arrived some minutes after Ambrosia knocked on his door, his clothes looked like they had been through hell, although his face did not betray any traces of that.
Coming up behind her, he tapped her shoulder, trying to open his door.

"Hello there. I wasn't expecting you today. Did you need something, or did you just want to see me?"

Ambrosia did not realize Oliver had been out training, and when she arrived she was met with silence. A little embarrassed, she had knocked twice to be sure, but then as she understood he was not there she got red in the face. “...Oh...he...he must not be awake yet...” she pondered aloud. She turned back to Penelope, and she shrugged. The cold made her shrug into a shiver, and she clung to Penelope’s long neck. “Yee!...W-Well, Penelope...m-maybe we need to just...go back to the dorm? We can just...wait there?” she suggested.

“No, no, no, he’s not gonna come to my dorm, just because I’m not there!...We’re not...that close...” The words she mumbled stabbed her in the throat, as she realized that despite the time she was spending with Oliver, they were still not best friends yet. ...It must be because he’s so depressed...It’s...hard to make friends when you’re sad all the time, probably... she thought. She kicked a little of the snow off her boot, and gave Penelope another carrot. About ten minutes passed, and she heard more boots crunching through the snow, and felt a tap on her shoulder. “...Uh?!” A prick of shock wriggled through her back, and she turned to see who had approached.

As she whirled around, Oliver’s visage met her eyes, draped in beaten and ragged-looking clothes. He looked exhausted, as if he had been in an awful fight. “O-Oliver! I-I...I just came to...to um...see you?” Her face got red, and she tried to hide it behind her scarf. She failed, and as she moved out the way of the door, she added, “What happened?! You look awful! Are you hurt?” She did not know any Healing Magic, but she would be glad to help him however she could. She turned to Penelope with a worried gaze, as if to ask for the horse’s help, and then she looked back to her friend.

A quiet chuckle could be heard from Oliver as Ambrosia fumbled around her own explanation, though as she started to worry, he simply smiled in response. Whether it was out of reflex or genuine, he wasn't sure himself.

"Physically it's nothing I can't deal with. Bruises from landing in trees or having things blowing up in my hands all morning, the usual, so to speak. The other sort of damage is harder to deal with." Although Oliver still wore a sort of smile on his face, the look in his eyes betrayed any misunderstanding as to what he was referring to. That said, the thought that Ambrosia still thought of keeping him company comforted him into the idea of building a somewhat lasting relationship. Friendly or otherwise.

"I'm glad you came to see me, still. Even if I'll say I'm not quite used to the horse." He continued, opening his door by sliding the key inside the lock using magic, bypassing Ambrosia still standing in front. "Do you want to RP as a mongol fire flinging archer or something?"

Throwing what remained of his mostly tattered overshirt into the room, he looked into his room for a second and back at Ambrosia.

"Planning to come in or do you want to eat outside? What with the horse and all."

[Luminesa]

Ambrosia did not realize Oliver had been out training, and when she arrived she was met with silence. A little embarrassed, she had knocked twice to be sure, but then as she understood he was not there she got red in the face. “...Oh...he...he must not be awake yet...” she pondered aloud. She turned back to Penelope, and she shrugged. The cold made her shrug into a shiver, and she clung to Penelope’s long neck. “Yee!...W-Well, Penelope...m-maybe we need to just...go back to the dorm? We can just...wait there?” she suggested.

“No, no, no, he’s not gonna come to my dorm, just because I’m not there!...We’re not...that close...” The words she mumbled stabbed her in the throat, as she realized that despite the time she was spending with Oliver, they were still not best friends yet. ...It must be because he’s so depressed...It’s...hard to make friends when you’re sad all the time, probably... she thought. She kicked a little of the snow off her boot, and gave Penelope another carrot. About ten minutes passed, and she heard more boots crunching through the snow, and felt a tap on her shoulder. “...Uh?!” A prick of shock wriggled through her back, and she turned to see who had approached.

As she whirled around, Oliver’s visage met her eyes, draped in beaten and ragged-looking clothes. He looked exhausted, as if he had been in an awful fight. “O-Oliver! I-I...I just came to...to um...see you?” Her face got red, and she tried to hide it behind her scarf. She failed, and as she moved out the way of the door, she added, “What happened?! You look awful! Are you hurt?” She did not know any Healing Magic, but she would be glad to help him however she could. She turned to Penelope with a worried gaze, as if to ask for the horse’s help, and then she looked back to her friend.

A quiet chuckle could be heard from Oliver as Ambrosia fumbled around her own explanation, though as she started to worry, he simply smiled in response. Whether it was out of reflex or genuine, he wasn't sure himself.

"Physically it's nothing I can't deal with. Bruises from landing in trees or having things blowing up in my hands all morning, the usual, so to speak. The other sort of damage is harder to deal with." Although Oliver still wore a sort of smile on his face, the look in his eyes betrayed any misunderstanding as to what he was referring to. That said, the thought that Ambrosia still thought of keeping him company comforted him into the idea of building a somewhat lasting relationship. Friendly or otherwise.

"I'm glad you came to see me, still. Even if I'll say I'm not quite used to the horse." He continued, opening his door by sliding the key inside the lock using magic, bypassing Ambrosia still standing in front. "Do you want to RP as a mongol fire flinging archer or something?"

Throwing what remained of his mostly tattered overshirt into the room, he looked into his room for a second and back at Ambrosia.

"Planning to come in or do you want to eat outside? What with the horse and all."

Oliver's smile melted Ambrosia's anxiety, and she gave a frazzled grin as she moved some of her hair away from her scarf. He never seemed to mind her klutzy mannerisms, something for which she was thankful. Maybe he was just lonely enough that he did not want to tell her off, or maybe he really did appreciate her. Ambrosia felt he leaned toward the latter, even when her esteem told her the truth was the first. She hoped her esteem was wrong. She listened to him describe his injuries, and she looked over him. He definitely had plenty of physical bruises, and he had some tears and blood on his clothes. She felt something different when she looked up and gazed at his eyes.

A deeper pain revealed itself as she looked at his eyes, and her expression changed from gratefulness to intimate concern. She stepped a little closer and peered into his eyes, trying to decipher the reason for his depression. "...Other damage?...Um...you know...You can..." She stepped aside as he entered the room, and then she walked inside after him. "...You can tell me, even if it's...upsetting. Um...I-I won't tell anyone..." She answered his question by sitting on his bed, checking on Penelope standing outside the room before turning back to Oliver again. "...Unless you don't...wanna talk about it. Uhhhh...I've never done...'RP'. Are you talking about...some video game?"

She looked to his pile of video games, and wondered if he wanted to play something to take his mind off the pain. "...Fire Emblem? Is that it?...We can play that, maybe it'll make you feel better, if you...um...if you don't mind me being here?" She knew she was being more intrusive than necessary, but she wanted to help him feel better somehow. She did not even mind the fact that he took off his shirt, though seeing him shirtless did make her blush for a moment. "...W-Want me to find you another shirt, too? Uhhh...I dunno..."

[Chrome Legion]

Hailey Winters


Hailey wandered aimlessly around the campus, sipping a morning coffee. Eventually she found herself back in the forest. Hailey's keen hearing pulled her to a familiar noise. Heavy foot falls, metal on metal grinding and clashing. Hailey heard the image of her old friend training. She was scared to move any closer. Annice had to have heard what she did by now. She would be hurt. Annice might be angry. Hailey could understand that. That's why Hailey had been avoiding her. But now she was here. Hailey walked out into the clearing, unsure on her feet. Scared of how Annice would react. To Annice, she would be tainted now. There was no way they could have the same relationship as before. But Hailey had to know, had to face Annice and what ever she would say.

The Armor was massive. Hailey had forgotten just how big Annice was in it. But still... Even with all of that, she couldn't help Katelyn. She hadn't been able to stop the misery then. Maybe Hailey could explain why she did what she had. Why she had sought out teaching that Annice had lost so much to try to destroy.

Annice came over to her. Towered above her. Anger colored her voice red. "How could you work with something like that? You stupid little bitch!"

"Annice... I don't know what to say. You saw what I saw, and you've seen more. I needed to learn more. I need to be useful. I can't let that kind of thing happen again while I'm just sitting uselessly on the sidelines. You couldn't even do anything... with out this kind of knowledge, how could I ever hope to be anything."

"You don't need to be anything. I know you feel, I know you failed Katelyn. But that wasn't just your fault, none of us saw what was coming. You couldn't do anything now either... And now you've corrupted yourself. I know what those things do. They'll hurt you, and they'll use you to hurt other people. They don't feel like we do."

Hailey felt her voice starting to rise to match Annice's. "Yes, I know they're different. I know they've hurt people. But you people have been hunting them for what they are. Krol didn't even choose to be a lich! Now you brand him as a monster for trying to survive and keep his family alive. That's not a crime!.

"Of course it is! They're abominations, what ever that thing choose to be, he could still choose to not be. It could end its abhorrent existence and let God judge its sin."

Hailey, in spite of herself, laughed in Annice's face. Or chest rather, given the height difference. "You think if there was a God he would even let Krol and his family exist? That's delusional. This world is free of any Gods. You've made one up because you need to know there was a reason for what you did. For what you had to go through. You need it to be part of a struggle between true good and evil. But it's not. Me, you, Krol, we're all dealing with the hand we have. The world we were born into. No God in heaven to watch or direct us. There is no Right or Wrong; and that idea terrifies you."

Annice stood still, eerily silent even to Hailey. "Fine then. Show me what you got from your world. If it's like you say, then only power matters. Prove yourself to me."

Hailey stepped back scared. She wished she could take back her words. Or that she had never came here. "No that's not..." Hailey had to scamper away as a steel fist swung towards her. She was on the ground, on her back as Annice came at her again. Hailey screamed, putting as much mana as she could muster into it. Even with Annice trying to nullify it, Hailey's scream was terrifyingly loud. What birds had stayed for the winter flew from their nests, trying to escape the sound. A few in near by trees fell to the ground, disoriented or killed by the sound. Annice wretched back, as if taking a massive physical blow. Hailey took the chance, standing and trying to get further away. But Annice recovered quickly. And the armor made her fast. If Hailey could make it back to to trees then maybe she could slow Annice down. Hailey heard Annice launch the slug just before she felt it. Maybe if she had a song going, she could have used the spirits to stop it, but she couldn't. She couldn't turn fast enough to avoid it either.

A chunk of metal the size of a baseball smashed into the side of Hailey's head as she turned. The world went white for a moment, and Hailey found herself turned around and slumped against a tree as Annice bore down on her. She couldn't make her legs move. Just as Annice closed, Hailey prepared to scream again. But Annice was ready. The sound didn't have the concussion or impact of before. Then Annice stopped the scream all together. Hailey was lifted off the ground and felt her lungs collapse as Annice drove the air from them with a punch to the stomach. Hailey saw another flash of light and a burst of heat on the right side of her face, then felt the world spin, before feeling the cold snow scrape into her skin. Hailey couldn't think, all she felt was heat and pain from the side of her head, and she coughed and convulsed, trying to get air back in her lungs.

[Luminesa]

A scream sounded from the forest. Cecily had walked outside the infirmary just for a moment, to get some fresh air and maybe a bite to eat. After all, the day had decided to lull onward without John or Artosh around the facility. She hoped they were well, after that helicopter had come to take them to the mainland. She had placed her coat over her shoulders and had watched the snow fall, and then the jolt of noise came from the forest. A student, this time a girl.

“...Another one?!” Without another word, however, she rushed toward the woods, snow flying around her boots as she ran. She was careful not to trip with the heels of her boots, and as she came to the woods she stepped carefully through the knots beneath the snow. As she came closer to the scene of the beating, she could feel the Mana of two students. One was Hailey, whose pink hair she caught a glimpse of when she reached the site of the battle. The other she knew when she saw her bearing down over Hailey’s crumpled, bleeding body. “...ANNICE! STOP! STOP THIS INSTANT!”

Cecily knew immediately that this was not a mere spar. Those blows were not an accident. She saw the unbridled rage in Annice’s eyes, and she rushed to Hailey’s side, using Healing Magic to try and stop some of the bleeding. She would definitely need the infirmary, however, and Cecily’s eyes knit with horror. “...Hailey...Hailey, can you hear me?...Can you look up at me?...Do you recognize me?” She knew that such blunt-force-trauma could have done anything to the poor girl. She could not move her without help, given the instability of her head injury, so she tried to halt that damage first. She put the pressure of her Magic against her bleeding temple, making gloves out of Water Magic before proceeding.

As the wound seemed to heal, Cecily then turned to Annice and glared up at her. The fight had been seemingly random, from her perspective, and she knew the bigger girl was capable of far more damage when angry. Deep down, of course, Cecily felt protective, as she sensed Dark Magic inside of Hailey. After all, she had to keep from coughing her own blood, as she used a sudden flood of Dark Magic. Luckily, as a trained, licensed Magical nurse, and not just as a Mage who knew Healing, she was not afraid and knew how to control her body’s reflexes. “...What happened here? Explain yourself!” she demanded.

[Serah]

A quiet chuckle could be heard from Oliver as Ambrosia fumbled around her own explanation, though as she started to worry, he simply smiled in response. Whether it was out of reflex or genuine, he wasn't sure himself.

"Physically it's nothing I can't deal with. Bruises from landing in trees or having things blowing up in my hands all morning, the usual, so to speak. The other sort of damage is harder to deal with." Although Oliver still wore a sort of smile on his face, the look in his eyes betrayed any misunderstanding as to what he was referring to. That said, the thought that Ambrosia still thought of keeping him company comforted him into the idea of building a somewhat lasting relationship. Friendly or otherwise.

"I'm glad you came to see me, still. Even if I'll say I'm not quite used to the horse." He continued, opening his door by sliding the key inside the lock using magic, bypassing Ambrosia still standing in front. "Do you want to RP as a mongol fire flinging archer or something?"

Throwing what remained of his mostly tattered overshirt into the room, he looked into his room for a second and back at Ambrosia.

"Planning to come in or do you want to eat outside? What with the horse and all."

Oliver's smile melted Ambrosia's anxiety, and she gave a frazzled grin as she moved some of her hair away from her scarf. He never seemed to mind her klutzy mannerisms, something for which she was thankful. Maybe he was just lonely enough that he did not want to tell her off, or maybe he really did appreciate her. Ambrosia felt he leaned toward the latter, even when her esteem told her the truth was the first. She hoped her esteem was wrong. She listened to him describe his injuries, and she looked over him. He definitely had plenty of physical bruises, and he had some tears and blood on his clothes. She felt something different when she looked up and gazed at his eyes.

A deeper pain revealed itself as she looked at his eyes, and her expression changed from gratefulness to intimate concern. She stepped a little closer and peered into his eyes, trying to decipher the reason for his depression. "...Other damage?...Um...you know...You can..." She stepped aside as he entered the room, and then she walked inside after him. "...You can tell me, even if it's...upsetting. Um...I-I won't tell anyone..." She answered his question by sitting on his bed, checking on Penelope standing outside the room before turning back to Oliver again. "...Unless you don't...wanna talk about it. Uhhhh...I've never done...'RP'. Are you talking about...some video game?"

She looked to his pile of video games, and wondered if he wanted to play something to take his mind off the pain. "...Fire Emblem? Is that it?...We can play that, maybe it'll make you feel better, if you...um...if you don't mind me being here?" She knew she was being more intrusive than necessary, but she wanted to help him feel better somehow. She did not even mind the fact that he took off his shirt, though seeing him shirtless did make her blush for a moment. "...W-Want me to find you another shirt, too? Uhhh...I dunno..."

"Maybe RP wasn't the word. I was thinking you wanted to become a mongolian fire archer or something. Could fit you, I could definitely see you ride the steppes of Canada or Ukraine defending your small village." He laughed for a second, though he soon realized that dodging the subject of his depression wasn't an option anymore, Ambrosia seemed to have noticed.

As Oliver noticed the concern in her eyes, he shrugged. He figured it wouldn't hurt to talk to someone about it, though he still felt a bit iffy about the idea.

"Normally, I wouldn't tell you, to avoid unnecessary issues, we've gotten more than our fair share of it." He entered his room, squatting near his drawers to get a new shirt, one that didn't really look like it was pierced and burned. "But since you've basically figured it out by yourself, just like a lot of others I imagine, I shouldn't keep you in the dark." As he found one, He turned around and put it on.

"I won't lie to you, I don't think I want to drown myself in video games. It won't help today. A certain someone reached a little bit too far into my mind."

"It's depression, mostly caused by the death of my dad, about a year or two ago. Then I was expected to take control of my noble house in europe when my grandfather died." Putting a finger up as if he wasn't finished, he closed the door, and continued.
"Now you add to this that I've been trained since basically childhood as a cold blooded monster hunter that had to defend his throne by killing other more aggressive pretenders. With that trauma, you get me in my current situation. Not doing badly, yet still thinking that I shouldn't live due to the things I've done and the things I'm expected to do." Taking a seat on his desk chair, he looked at Ambrosia straight in the eyes.

"And now you know. my issues in a nutshell and the reason I'm not particularly expressive with most people. There's a few nuances that you'll eventually see if you decide to stick around though." Stopping for a second, he sighed.
"And no, I don't mind you being here. Unless you changed your mind after this."

[Kingdom of Irhk]

A scream sounded from the forest. Cecily had walked outside the infirmary just for a moment, to get some fresh air and maybe a bite to eat. After all, the day had decided to lull onward without John or Artosh around the facility. She hoped they were well, after that helicopter had come to take them to the mainland. She had placed her coat over her shoulders and had watched the snow fall, and then the jolt of noise came from the forest. A student, this time a girl.

“...Another one?!” Without another word, however, she rushed toward the woods, snow flying around her boots as she ran. She was careful not to trip with the heels of her boots, and as she came to the woods she stepped carefully through the knots beneath the snow. As she came closer to the scene of the beating, she could feel the Mana of two students. One was Hailey, whose pink hair she caught a glimpse of when she reached the site of the battle. The other she knew when she saw her bearing down over Hailey’s crumpled, bleeding body. “...ANNICE! STOP! STOP THIS INSTANT!”

Cecily knew immediately that this was not a mere spar. Those blows were not an accident. She saw the unbridled rage in Annice’s eyes, and she rushed to Hailey’s side, using Healing Magic to try and stop some of the bleeding. She would definitely need the infirmary, however, and Cecily’s eyes knit with horror. “...Hailey...Hailey, can you hear me?...Can you look up at me?...Do you recognize me?” She knew that such blunt-force-trauma could have done anything to the poor girl. She could not move her without help, given the instability of her head injury, so she tried to halt that damage first. She put the pressure of her Magic against her bleeding temple, making gloves out of Water Magic before proceeding.

As the wound seemed to heal, Cecily then turned to Annice and glared up at her. The fight had been seemingly random, from her perspective, and she knew the bigger girl was capable of far more damage when angry. Deep down, of course, Cecily felt protective, as she sensed Dark Magic inside of Hailey. After all, she had to keep from coughing her own blood, as she used a sudden flood of Dark Magic. Luckily, as a trained, licensed Magical nurse, and not just as a Mage who knew Healing, she was not afraid and knew how to control her body’s reflexes. “...What happened here? Explain yourself!” she demanded.

Basil Smith

As Cecily ran to what seemed to be a spar and eventually ended in a beat-up session, strong gusts of wind blew around the teacher and the students, as the form of the somewhat extravagant and certainly bald teacher formed between them. As he examined the scene, he could clearly see what happened. By Annice's eyes, who stared at her near unconscious "foe", he could deduce that it wasn't a simple argument. There was something in Hailey that deeply angered Annice, to the point where her aggression carried a determination.

"Ms. Annice, I strongly advise you to leave the premises immediately after you explain yourself to Ms. Cecily. If you were the aggressor of Ms. Winters, which evidence leads me to believe that you were the one to hit her with such... bluntness, I'd say, we'll discuss a correction of your conduct later. However, your presence here could contribute to the stress that Ms. Winters is currently suffering, and we don't want that, do we?"

Henry von Kressel

Hours passed in Salzburg, until Henry woke up with the rumble of pans accompanied by the loud French words that Eglantine blared through the kitchen. Even at a distance, Henry could comprehend a few words: "he" "eat" "more" were the most prominent of them. Slowly, he dragged himself out of bed, feeling the pain with every step he took towards the bathroom.

As he stopped in front of the mirror, he could finally see that he looked a little bit more miserable than the usual. Some facial hair could be seen growing on his face, and his overall posture seemed to finally feel the weight of his journey around Europe. And the most obvious addition, the bandage over his eye.

Carefully, he took it off following the doctor's orders, until he revealed the stitched eye. It seemed to have a nice recovery, as the stitches held the superficial cut together, and the herb stash that Mercillia gave him certainly had powerful healing capabilities, given that Lady Abendroth was known for her 'harmacist' talents. Slowly, he cleaned the stitches before applying the herb paste over it, and bandaging it over again. After taking care of his wound, he decided to drop the robes and enter the tub, letting himself relax in his last days in Europe, letting his thoughts flow back to Mana...

[Luminesa]

A scream sounded from the forest. Cecily had walked outside the infirmary just for a moment, to get some fresh air and maybe a bite to eat. After all, the day had decided to lull onward without John or Artosh around the facility. She hoped they were well, after that helicopter had come to take them to the mainland. She had placed her coat over her shoulders and had watched the snow fall, and then the jolt of noise came from the forest. A student, this time a girl.

“...Another one?!” Without another word, however, she rushed toward the woods, snow flying around her boots as she ran. She was careful not to trip with the heels of her boots, and as she came to the woods she stepped carefully through the knots beneath the snow. As she came closer to the scene of the beating, she could feel the Mana of two students. One was Hailey, whose pink hair she caught a glimpse of when she reached the site of the battle. The other she knew when she saw her bearing down over Hailey’s crumpled, bleeding body. “...ANNICE! STOP! STOP THIS INSTANT!”

Cecily knew immediately that this was not a mere spar. Those blows were not an accident. She saw the unbridled rage in Annice’s eyes, and she rushed to Hailey’s side, using Healing Magic to try and stop some of the bleeding. She would definitely need the infirmary, however, and Cecily’s eyes knit with horror. “...Hailey...Hailey, can you hear me?...Can you look up at me?...Do you recognize me?” She knew that such blunt-force-trauma could have done anything to the poor girl. She could not move her without help, given the instability of her head injury, so she tried to halt that damage first. She put the pressure of her Magic against her bleeding temple, making gloves out of Water Magic before proceeding.

As the wound seemed to heal, Cecily then turned to Annice and glared up at her. The fight had been seemingly random, from her perspective, and she knew the bigger girl was capable of far more damage when angry. Deep down, of course, Cecily felt protective, as she sensed Dark Magic inside of Hailey. After all, she had to keep from coughing her own blood, as she used a sudden flood of Dark Magic. Luckily, as a trained, licensed Magical nurse, and not just as a Mage who knew Healing, she was not afraid and knew how to control her body’s reflexes. “...What happened here? Explain yourself!” she demanded.

Basil Smith

As Cecily ran to what seemed to be a spar and eventually ended in a beat-up session, strong gusts of wind blew around the teacher and the students, as the form of the somewhat extravagant and certainly bald teacher formed between them. As he examined the scene, he could clearly see what happened. By Annice's eyes, who stared at her near unconscious "foe", he could deduce that it wasn't a simple argument. There was something in Hailey that deeply angered Annice, to the point where her aggression carried a determination.

"Ms. Annice, I strongly advise you to leave the premises immediately after you explain yourself to Ms. Cecily. If you were the aggressor of Ms. Winters, which evidence leads me to believe that you were the one to hit her with such... bluntness, I'd say, we'll discuss a correction of your conduct later. However, your presence here could contribute to the stress that Ms. Winters is currently suffering, and we don't want that, do we?"

Henry von Kressel

Hours passed in Salzburg, until Henry woke up with the rumble of pans accompanied by the loud French words that Eglantine blared through the kitchen. Even at a distance, Henry could comprehend a few words: "he" "eat" "more" were the most prominent of them. Slowly, he dragged himself out of bed, feeling the pain with every step he took towards the bathroom.

As he stopped in front of the mirror, he could finally see that he looked a little bit more miserable than the usual. Some facial hair could be seen growing on his face, and his overall posture seemed to finally feel the weight of his journey around Europe. And the most obvious addition, the bandage over his eye.

Carefully, he took it off following the doctor's orders, until he revealed the stitched eye. It seemed to have a nice recovery, as the stitches held the superficial cut together, and the herb stash that Mercillia gave him certainly had powerful healing capabilities, given that Lady Abendroth was known for her 'harmacist' talents. Slowly, he cleaned the stitches before applying the herb paste over it, and bandaging it over again. After taking care of his wound, he decided to drop the robes and enter the tub, letting himself relax in his last days in Europe, letting his thoughts flow back to Mana...

The previous day's frustrations were out of the way for Eglantine and Henry, though their aftertaste was still sharp in their throats. Hans and Joachim were now openly fighting the duo, and with Rabbit and Michel in Romania, the two teens and Sebastian were the adults in the house. Eglantine had not slept well after the event, not even when Chloe had managed to hop up to her bed and squirmed to get a place next to her. The puppy's presence did help her to relax a little, but she stayed awake worrying through the night. As a result, she awakened with heavy eyes and lead in her step. She threw on some clothes and went to the kitchen, hoping some coffee and breakfast would help her.

For all her own stresses, however, she could not imagine what Henry had been thinking. He had eaten in silence during the afternoon, and that night he had gone to bed without much of a fuss. Kaiser had followed, ever faithful, and Magnolia had hopped after both of them. Yet Henry wore the bulk of the burden about his family, and given that his support was still shaky, he could be alone in the fight at any moment. Thus when she awakened, she tried not to be too loud as she entered the kitchen. Given her exhaustion and lack of mindfulness, however, she clanged some pans on accident as she began trying to find things to cook. She decided to make crepes, deciding on caramel as the filling, and she began to whip the ingredients together for breakfast. Down the hall, Chloe came running to see her owner, yelping to signal the beginning of the morning and the imminent arrival of breakfast.

Soon the food was prepared, and she poured caramel and ice cream over the tops of the crepes. She then went to find Henry, pacing down the hallway in bare feet to see if he was still asleep. When she knocked on his door, she heard no snoring, and upon looking inside, she saw no traces of him. "...Huh..." Her muddled brain did not think through the other places in which Henry could be, so she decided to grab a bar of soap from storage and to go take a shower. With the food ready, and the coffee brewing, she had no reason to stand around half-awake, she decided. She murmured to herself as she walked to the bathroom, and went to open the door. Finding it unlocked, she entered...only to see Henry relaxing in the bathtub. "...OH!" The color rose to Eglantine's face as though she was a volcano, and as she left the soap on the counter, she slammed the door behind her and stood outside the bathroom. "...HENRY! LOCK THE DOOR NEXT TIME! BREAKFAST IS READY AND IT'S HOT. HURRY UP!" With her flustered shout, she then paced back to the kitchen to get started eating. Chloe continued to follow, until she managed to sneak into a crack in the doorway, and ran to see Henry. The tired Von Kressel would be awakened from his slumber by the tiny King Charles pup splashing in the water and crawling hurriedly up to his shoulders, clinging to him for dear life as she yelped and whined.