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Post by raventhefree on May 6, 2018 1:57:07 GMT
It was a beautiful day on the eastern shores of Varien. The spring had set in, beating back the teeth of this year's winter. The snow had melted two weeks prior, and the grounds of the Academy of Thaleen were blooming. Summoners studying botany hurried around the grounds, herding Ivysaurs and Sunfloras through the grounds as they ushered the new season in. One of the more dedicated trainers was teaching his Chimchar how to plant bulbs, a process which was mainly marked by seared mulch and a patch of dead grass from an encounter with the little monkey’s tail.
The students are apprehensive about their upcoming vacation. Some of them return home, especially those in the northern countries, while others see the summer as an opportunity to hone their skills as a summoner, taking contracts and getting apprenticeships with older summoners in the field. More dedicated students take summer classes and enjoy the sea and beautiful beaches in Thaleen.
On the morning of this day, three students receive a note. It had been left on their door, fixed with a simple sticking spell.
Good morning.
Please come to my classroom at 3PM this afternoon. I have a job request that should be able to be undertaken by a group of students, and I have chosen you as one of the potential members. Since the records show that you still not completed your graduation requirements for applied learning and groupwork, the Academy has assigned you a group. We hope that this is suitable.
Best,
Professor Olleon
--Your work will be rewarded when you return to the school, of course. We don’t expect you to work for free.
Despite the beautiful weather, what the note suggests is true: being behind on graduation requirements is a serious problem. And, given the hand-scrawled bit at the bottom, which it appears that Olleon scribbled onto what looked like an otherwise official-looking document, maybe you could get more out of this than the normal group project assigned to academy Summoners.
Olleon is sitting in his classroom when you arrive, speaking to his Banette, Ira. The grey Pokemon’s legs are crossed as she hovers in front of a tall bookshelf, where the highest shelves are otherwise far beyond the professor’s reach. “Yes, Etoph’s Fourth History. Is it there?” he asks, causing the long trail behind Ira’s head to flutter thoughtfully as it moved closer to the shelf. After a little looking, she pulled a huge book off the shelf and floated back to Olleon. When she sees the three of you, she smiles, her golden teeth shining as she grins.
“Oh!” Olleon says when he realizes what Ira is looking at. He quickly stands, setting the book onto his desk before walking around in front of it. “Sorry about that. I was a little absorbed. I’m looking-” he starts, then pauses, perching himself on the edge of his desk and running a hand through his chestnut-colored hair. “Well, I won’t bore you with the details.”
When Mina enters
Mina often got the impression that the Professors weren’t sure how to treat her, but Olleon never made her feel that way, even when he first met her while she was getting her history requirement out of the way. He had a welcoming smile and a warm voice. “Mina, good to see you. Were you out tending to the flowers this morning? The grounds are sure a sight for sore eyes right now.”
When Veles enters
Veles knew Professor Olleon through a Social Anthropology class that Olleon was teaching. It seemed relevant to take a class on knowing how to blend in--that is, after all, what Veles was specializing in. “Want to go back to Hemme, Veles?” Olleon asked. “That’s where you’ll be headed, after all.”
When Alduin enters
Professor Olleon had been assigned to Alduin’s group when they arrived at the Academy in an attempt to ease the transition from the southern deserts to their new home in the north. “It’s good to see you again, Alduin,” Olleon says when the younger man enters. “The winter did not treat you too harshly, I hope?”
When all of them had arrived, Olleon clasped his hands and bounced on his toes. “Excellent. Exceptional! Take a seat, take a seat. I will collect my things while the three of you introduce yourselves. It’ll take but a minute.”
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Post by carnackiArdent on May 6, 2018 3:50:52 GMT
Mina essayed a little smile at Ira before the Professor turned to spot her. Banette had a bad reputation sometimes, being sinister-looking Ghost-types and all, but Mina had always found Ira as welcoming as her summoner. Speaking of which, she had a small smile for him as well, and she inclined her head respectfully, lacing her gloved fingers together.
"It's good to see you as well, Professor." She chuckled modestly when he talked about the grounds. "For a little while, yes. I certainly can't claim all the credit, though. I think everyone in the Academy who has anything at all to do with plants is out there today."
She'd fall silent briefly if either of the others spoke up, glancing at them nervously. The two of them were both older than she was, not to mention significantly taller. It was hardly surprising if she found them a little intimidating, especially not knowing whether they'd heard any of the gossip going around right now about her among some of the younger students.
But it was hard to be frightened for long with Professor Olleon there, especially when he was so obviously excited. She found a seat - perhaps a little removed from the others - and arranged her skirts carefully, though it needed a deep breath before she worked up the nerve to introduce herself. She lifted her head and gave the two of them a cautious smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Giacomina Belladonna, but please, call me Mina."
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Apr 22, 2019 22:15:31 GMT
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Post by eltrou on May 6, 2018 5:59:28 GMT
Alduin frowned at the letter when he got it. He knew that he was still missing graduation requirements, but he didn't think it could come up so quick. But then again, he did spend a good portion of winter with his fellows inside at almost all times trying not to die of frostbite or the winter chill sinking into their very bones. It turned out that 'winter' and 'snow' were terribly cold, colder than even the coldest of desert nights and their bodies had reacted adversely for enough time that they had gotten behind their workload.
Granted, he didn't see anyone complaining about a possible delay. He'd had suspicions for a while that there was at least one person who didn't want to come back to the tribes once all was said and done. It wasn't quite his business to pry yet and he would rather put those thoughts off for as long as possible.
However, the school's forced his hand on the subject -probably because he wasn't dying inside now from a cold beyond cold- so he decided to just go with this and see where this brought him. His gut was... cautiously optimistic about all this, all things considered. And that was good enough of a sign for him.
With the letter of summons in hand, he made his way to the professor's office while wearing a thick fur coat and gloves. While it was warmer now, it was still a bit too cold to be comfortable with. It was like constantly being in the desert at night, where even the sun can't quite heat him up enough.
Even so, he was still in a good mood as he strode in and grinned at the professor and the other occupants of the room. "Good to see ya too, professor! The winter's been a bitch, but I made do with it - these coats are lifesavers." He admitted with a shrug. "Maybe one day I'll feel the right proper kiss of the sun again, but today's not that day it seems, ha!"
He then went over to the nearest free seat he could find and plopped onto it lazily, watching the others with curiosity. He grinned over at the girl when she then introduced herself with some fancy name, and gave them a lazy salute. "The name's Alduin Gunnarsen ar Bahaghari! Just call me Alduin, since that's a mouthful. Nice to see ya both 'round here, new group mates!"
He then looked over at the professor and the last person to see if they'd speak up.
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Post by haybalebarn on May 6, 2018 9:24:54 GMT
When Veles first found the note on his door, he took it down without looking at it, setting it on his desk before lying down on his bed for some light reading. He was always getting notes of some kind or another, younger students asking for help, friends (or followers, depending on who you asked) leaving fake love notes as pranks, and the like.
Eventually, he decided to actually take a glance at it, and as soon as he was done reading it, he had crumpled it up and threw it into a corner with a perturbed sigh. Yes, he knew that he hadn't achieved this requirement, it was something he was putting off, since he still had another year or two before it was absolutely necessary for him to complete it. He knew the majority of the students in the academy, and that was why he wasn't particularly thrilled about the idea of group work: he knew the majority of the students. The prospect of working with most of them, especially the ones that constantly hung around him, didn't fill him with much enthusiasm. But, it seemed this had been decided for him. Ah, whatever, no use worrying about it now.
As he wandered into Olleon's classroom, he couldn't help but smile lightly at the professor. Olleon's class had been one of the classes he had been particularly fond of taking at the academy, and there was something about the atmosphere of his classroom that was relaxing, academic. Ria entered the room a few steps behind Veles, the houndour looking around the room with a critical eye, wandering around and sniffing points of interest.
Veles meandered up to the desk, returning Ira's teethy smile before focusing his attention onto the prof. "Hmm, we're supposed to be going to Hemme? Well, it'll be nice to go back, I suppose, but I never really traveled much when I was younger, so I don't actually know much of Hemme beyond the city I grew up in."
Then, he took a seat, Ria soon returning from her investigation around the room, curling up underneath his chair. He turned his attention tot he other two as they introduced themselves. First up was the girl, Mina. That name was familiar... oh right, some of the younger students that hung around him kept spreading rumors about a girl with a killer touch or some nonsense. He had to keep telling them to shut up about it after they exhausted the topic a few too many times, but you know what they say about simple minds; they're far too easily entertained. She seemed nice enough, if shy, which was probably what made her such a good target.
The other was Alduin, another of the names he had picked up on campus, if never officially met. He'd heard about Alduin from Mayari, one of the Ozari that came with Alduin. She was actually smart, seemed to be taking to the culture and climate here, and she spoke highly of Alduin. Would be interesting to finally get to know him.
"I'm Veles, good to meet you both, even if it is so sudden of a meeting." He flashes a smile at the other two before looking at Olleon expectantly, his pointed phrase still hanging in the air.
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Post by raventhefree on May 6, 2018 13:44:27 GMT
"Good, good," Olleon muttered to himself as he heard their three names get tossed out in awkward greeting. Ah, to be a student again, he thought, shooting an amused look at Ira, whose tail wiggled at his expression of amusement. Popping up from behind his desk with a short hop, Olleon walked around to the front of the desk and leaned against it. The professor himself was mostly legs, long and lithe--though some might have called him gangly. He handed off a folded piece of paper to Ira, who folded it and unfolded it idly a few times as Olleon began to speak. In Ollleon's other hand was a bundle of letters bound with red twine.
"I'm sure you all are wondering why I'm calling you here so late in the term. Unfortunately, it seems a Summoner's work is never done. We got a report from a group of farmers in southern Hemme that their fields were being terrorized by some beast. We brushed it off at first, thinking that one of the local summoners was going to take care of it, but..." Olleon trailed off, scratching his left temple and looking towards the window for a moment. "Well, let's just say that there is a reason that the education here at this Academy is the most renowned on the continent, regardless of your political alignment."
As he finishes his controversial statement, Ira opens the paper in her hands, which reveals a yellowed, but exceptionally detailed map of the continent. There are small pinholes in it from where Olleon was tracking down historical documents, and a few water stains indicate that this map is well-loved. "This issue is in the farming town of Noston. It's located here, just south of Breksworth" he says, pointing at the map in a southern part of Hemme that appears to be just north of the marshland. "Since crops are being destroyed, this is a time-sensitive issue, hence why I sent for you today."
Untying the twine, Olleon gestured at the set of envelopes before leafing through them. "Another problem is that we can't get a straight report about the damn beast. One farmer says he belches fire all over his field, another just says it wilts whatever plants it touches, no fire involved. One common theme, though, is that it's some sort of scarecrow, but based on its physical descriptions, we actually can't determine what type of beast it is." A confused and troubled look falls across his face. "It is unusual," he mutters to himself, and he rubs his chin thoughtfully as if he's momentarily forgotten that you're there.
When he looks up and realizes you're still there, he smiles. "Ah, I've gotten sidetracked. I was put in charge of assigning students to take care of this, and the three of your seemed like perfect candidates. I may only be a history teacher, but I'm savvy enough about the hallway gossip to know that the three of you are quite competent Summoners. Not only that," he says with a sly smile, "but it looks like none of you are totally finished with your groupwork requirements. That's not to say that you don't have time. I know if I was a student, I would have put it off until weeks before graduation. Which is to say that I did put it off until weeks before my graduation." He grins sheepishly.
"You're welcome to decline. But," he says, leaning in and lowering his voice. "I remember what it was like to be a student. They pay you a quarter as much as they would pay a full Summoner for the same work, so how about I toss in one of my personal Tomes of Magic*, too, eh? You can make copies so each of you can have one."
Ira closes the map carefully, folding it along the lines as Olleon talks. "I don't expect you to decide right away. Here are the letters, so you can make a decision," he says, handing them to Mina. "But if you could let me know if you're going to take the job by tomorrow morning, that would be wonderful. We do have to go take care of this promptly--the townsfolk are halfway to hysteria."
*tome of magic... tm... get it... okay I'm not funny
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Post by carnackiArdent on May 7, 2018 5:08:45 GMT
Mina raises her eyebrows in surprise. Granted, the Beastrealm has pretty much an endless variety of beasts, but it still surprises her a little to hear of one that the Academy's resources can't place at least by analogy. Though the inconsistent stories might account for that...
Apparently they're going to get a look at those stories firsthand. Mina takes the bundle of letters, with a small smile at Olleon's generosity regarding payment. "That's very kind of you, Professor."
After a moment's hesitation, she gets up and moves closer to the others. "We should certainly take a look at these letters. Unless you two would rather find somewhere else to look over them?" She gives the two young men an uncertain smile. If they take the task on, they're going to be working together, so she can't completely retreat into her shell around them, right? She's had four years to get used to working with new acquaintances for the Academy... it'd be a shame to lose all that progress at once.
Personally, she's quite happy to help these people out (even if she suspects that being a Varien native won't endear her to a tiny farming town in Hemme), but she supposes she'd need to find more help if her fellow invitees declined. This sounds like it isn't a one-person job.
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Post by haybalebarn on May 8, 2018 7:12:20 GMT
Veles listens patiently as Olleon talks, not having much to comment on in the conversation. Weird, unidentifiable beast? Interesting, at least. Maybe the group work wouldn't be completely boring after all. When Olleon mentions the opportunity for a free transcription, Veles perks up, giving a half-cocked smile. "Olleon, you really should have mentioned the free tome first, I would have been far less annoyed by this sudden meeting. I don't need to wait until tomorrow, I'm in."
With that, he looks to Mina and Alduin. "Looking over the letters sounds like a good place to start, maybe we can sort through and find the relevant details? Maybe we could find a place outside to look over them? No need to waste a nice day if we don't have to."
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Post by eltrou on May 9, 2018 3:34:16 GMT
That was definitely a brag, but considering how good the methods were on here and how his tribe had sent him and his fellows all the way up here, it was a deserved brag. And hey, they were getting to go and save some town from a scarecrow beast that breathed fire, rot, or something else entirely that the scouts couldn't figure out for one reason or another.
Honestly, given how valuable food was in his mind along with his own curiosity he didn't really need much in the way of motivation or bribery to take on the job. However, the deal was pretty much sealed when the man offered to let them copy a TM. Score! Those things were expensive as fuck and he could always appreciate a copy of those!
"You got me at the tome too, professor!" Alduin admitted with a sheepish laugh as he took the letter from the professor. "But that earlier speech was also convincing!"
He then looked over at the others and grinned at then. "I don't mind looking at these letters outside. Weather's good today and the outdoors always has better lighting, eh?"
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Post by carnackiArdent on May 9, 2018 18:30:16 GMT
"I'm always happy to help, Professor." The tome certainly didn't hurt, but really, Mina wasn't in this for the money. "So I suppose coming back to agree is mostly a formality. Shall we, then?"Mina would happily lead the way outside. Unsurprisingly considering some of her specialties, she tended to spend as much time out on the grounds as possible. She'd felt a bit of agoraphobia when she first left home, but she'd overcome that quickly enough, especially once she got properly involved in helping maintain the grounds with the other botanical students... even if some of them questioned how she could stand it when the weather got warmer, considering her preference for covering up. She found a nice shady spot among the trees where they were leafing out and settled herself on the grass delicately. "Let's see if we can't find out a little more about this Beast..." She split the letters into three more or less even stacks and passed one to each of the other students... though if they were observant, they might notice her watching from behind her eyelashes to see how they reacted to her handing the sheaves of letters over. Then she started to read over the first letter in her own pile, trying to spot details that might tell them more about the threat they would be facing. Pokémon Education roll: saKYgndA3d6 3d6
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Post by eltrou on May 13, 2018 16:29:08 GMT
"Sure!"Alduin followed after Mina idly, his hands in his pockets as he took a subtle deep inhale before heading out into the cold of northern spring. It was really more like the desert nights now than some sort of weird ice hell, but the chill still made him uncomfortable. Still, it didn't stop him from preferring the outdoors over indoors most days, and the anxiety and discomfort from the chill was easily countered by the fresh air and the gorgeous skies today. When they stopped over at a nice tree, he plopped himself down and took one of the stacks of letters, not quite noticing the look he was being given. "Thanks! Now let's see if I can figure anything about this weird Northern Beastie, eh?" He chuckled as he put them beside him and took out the first one to begin reading. | Alduin Gunnarsen made a Intuition Check! | | htvI5Vd34d6 |
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Post by haybalebarn on May 18, 2018 8:43:45 GMT
Veles quietly follows after Mina happy to let someone else lead the way, smiling and nodding at people he passes along the way, which ends up being the majority of those the group pass in the halls. Ria dutifully followed at his heel, mildly disappointed that she didn't get more of a nap earlier. As they step outside into the light of the day, Veles stops following for a moment, keeping an eye on where Mina and Alduin are going as he approaches a small group of younger students, most of them his admirers in one fashion or another. He smiled and waved at Marivus, a younger boy who was always slightly too eager to hang around Veles, but thankfully enough had a tolerable enough personality. "Hey Mari, I'm dealing with a forced group project right now, but if you see Mayari around, would you let her know I'm looking for her? I've got a question or two I want to bother her with." He waited long enough for Mari to say a few words, then gave a dismissive wave and walked back towards his group. After he caught back up, he took the letters from Mina without any fuss or notice of her hands and began quietly rifling through the letters, lying back in the grass as he read.
Veles intuits details from the letters! Spending an AP cause I doubt there will be too many battles in the rest of the day. ECl2lBLa4d6+1
4d6+1 |
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Post by raventhefree on May 20, 2018 15:22:00 GMT
The grounds are still swarming with students when you arrive there. The sounds of faint pokemon cries and people enjoying the outdoors fills the area, leaving your new group of three a distinctly normal sight among the rest of the crowds. The mid-afternoon sunlight filtered through the above trees, casting bright-triangular patterns across all of you as the leaves rustled gently. With your intense focus on the letters, though, you pay little attention to the students meandering through the courtyard.
When Veles approaches Marivus's group, Mari visibly puffs up as if hanging out with an upperclassman really sets him up an entire social tier. He gives a grin that he's trying to play off as easy but seems (to Veles at least) entirely forced. "Veles!" Marivus says as Veles approaches. "What's going on?"
When he hears about the group project, he rolls his eyes. "Yuck. Stuck with a bunch of boneheads, as usual?" He laughs, and the gaggle around him laughs too, chiming in groans about their own experiences with groupwork. "Sure, I'll track her down for you. I'll send her up to the common area near your dorm? I'm a little busy here right now." Seeing Veles's dismissive wave, Mari shrugs and returns to talking to his group.
Your group stays in the courtyard reading over the letters until the sun begins to dip over the horizon. The previously-yellow light cast through the leaves turns into a pleasant-pinkish orange. The groups of people hanging around here have dissolved and reformed as people went about their day. Beasts meander lazily through the area, finding comfortable patches of sun in which they can curl up for the evening.
Just like the professor said, poring over the letters reveals that they are mostly random. It seems like a mixture of poor literacy and fear has caused these letters to be a disorganized mess with disagreements and contradictions all over the place. Fortunately, you are mainly able to intuit what is nonsense and what information might be of some use to you. It seems like your research has been fruitful, and you feel better prepared for what's ahead.
Collectively, you decide that whatever you're going to fight is not actually a fire-type, despite some of the descriptions. More importantly, this beast is truly not anything you've heard about before. It seems like it has the qualities of a variety of different beasts, but whether that's poor information from the townsfolk or an actual lead is unclear. Besides, their inability to scientifically describe it leaves you a little lost. However, from all the letters, one thing is consistent: the monster is romping around a field that grows gourds and pumpkins, and it wears a pumpkin on its head. It also seems to be generally bipedal and humanoid. Given all of this, it seems obvious why the townsfolk are calling this monster the Scarecrow.
With your research as complete as it's going to be before you make it to Noston, it seems like it's up to you to make travel plans and leave.
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Post by carnackiArdent on May 23, 2018 0:20:13 GMT
Mina is still mildly gratified that neither of the others seemed to flinch when she handed them the letters. In the meantime, she sits almost unnervingly still as she reads over the letters. Mina, it seems, is very much not a fidgeter. The opposite, if anything.
She can't exactly blame the poor villagers for not knowing as much about beasts as they do. After all, they aren't living at a Summoner academy. She could wish their descriptions - and handwriting - were clearer, she supposes, but she can't blame them for being afraid, either. Her knowledge of beasts helps her sort out what's obviously ridiculous, at least - being raised by an ex-professor is good for something, despite her... issues with her father. And everybody else's issues too.
When they finally decide they've worked out everything they can before they reach the scene, she sits back with a sigh. "I have to admit, I'm... not very experienced with making travel arrangements, especially for groups. How do you two suggest we go about it?" She's only gone on a long trip once, and as far as arrangements went, she... didn't really make them at that time, so much as pack a bag and leave before she lost her nerve. "I can identify plants and I can navigate, but I don't know the route. I suppose we'll have to stop in Breksworth."
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Post by eltrou on May 27, 2018 16:40:33 GMT
When all they could really gather from the letters was that the writers were clearly panicked and afraid and that they knew that what they were dealing with wasn't a pokemon they knew, but wasn't a fire-type either. What they did know was that it definitely looked like a scarecrow in their eyes with its fruity pumpkin head and that it seemed to like pumpkins and gourds. Maybe a grass or a ground type? He didn't really know - the letters were that confusing and he wasn't really the encyclopedic nerd type. Not exactly helpful, but it was a start. The elders did say that journeys always started with a single step.
Once all that was said and done, Alduin then glanced over at the girl asked about how to make... travel arrangements for groups of all things. You'd think a Northerner would know how to go about it in the north, but that didn't seem to be the case here. Hmm... maybe the other guy knew a thing or two about that, but he did have his own input on the idea.
"Well, we can probably get us some funds, a map and some camping gear on our way there. Maybe even horses if it's that urgent for the academy and we can sweet talk 'em into lending us some of their horses for a quicker journey. We'll be able to get a rough estimate of how long it'll take us to hustle on there and figure out the best route on there without driving ourselves into the ground in the process once we get the map and some advice on the good routes, at least. Whaddya think, you two? Not quite sure how you Notherners would go about these." Alduin replied as he glanced over at the both of them.
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Post by haybalebarn on Jun 11, 2018 8:31:49 GMT
Veles reads over the letters with mild interest, but he quickly grows bored the longer he reads into them. It was about what he expected from village peasants, scattered and far from useful. If they were going to bother sending in the information, you would think they would at least attempt to gather enough information to be useful. If he had to take a guess, it was probably some sort of ghost type. Scaring people tended to be right up their alley, and people always forgot the amount of ghosts with fiery appearances. Still, it was all just conjecture. It was interesting though, perhaps interesting enough for him to want to capture himself.
He appears to be mostly tuned out for the travel discussion, gazing into the distance, but he speaks up when addressed, although still obviously not very invested in the conversation. "Stopping by Breksworth would be natural, with how the roads go. I'm not sure the horses are necessary, but I suppose I wouldn't mind them either, if you want to try to sweet talk your way into them," he looks at Alduin and shrugs. "Go ahead. You could probably get Olleon to help with that if you wanted to."
He stands up, looking down at the other two sitting in the grass. He whistles to Ria, and the Houndour immediately perks up and stands at his side. "Anything else? Cause as riveting as this travel discussion is, at the end of the day you pick a place, start walking, and eventually end up getting there. Since our destination is already chosen, this conversation is beginning to feel like a waste, and I have books to study and people to talk to before we leave. Why couldn't Olleon have given a little warning, I have to cancel so many plans..."
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jun 17, 2018 2:46:07 GMT
Mina sighs a little at her apparent new partner's impatience. "I suppose you're right, Veles. Someone should go back to the professor and make sure he knows we're taking the mission. I can do it if you want to go ahead with making your own arrangements." There's a hint of reproach in her tone, but she knows there are arrangements to be made. She's going to have to take care of her own once she gets a chance. Get her things together, clothes and such, books, Beatrice and Foxglove's grimoires... make sure her other professors know she's going to be gone...
"I'll, ah, get in touch if there's anything we need to discuss before it's time to go." She shakes her head, making the petals of the flower in her hair rustle very softly, and rises to her feet in a graceful movement to go back to Professor Olleon.
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Post by raventhefree on Jul 5, 2018 14:35:33 GMT
Later that evening...
As promised, Mayari was waiting for Veles in one of the commons near the dorm. As usual, she was sprawled on one of the couches, picking at a loose thread with one hand lazily while she idly hovered a book in front of her with her air magic, flipping pages every so often with a vaguely bored look. Mayari was a popular student, as beautiful as she was arrogant, with bronze skin and light hair that seemed to turn a shade or two lighter every time she walked out in the sun. From Veles's memory, he can recall that she was a member of one of the other tribes before moving to Cagayan de Plata to gain some more information about the civilized world. When the opportunity to go to school presented itself, she leaped on it quickly--though she found herself drawn to the tribesman she had traveled with, perhaps attracted to the familiarity of her childhood.
When Veles enters, she glances up, picks a royal blue bookmark from the arm of the couch, and sticks it in her book. "Mari told me you were looking for me," she said. "What is it that you need?"
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Post by haybalebarn on Jul 6, 2018 8:50:24 GMT
Veles walked into the commons with a very slight smile on his face, in a surprisingly good mood for all the hassle he had to go through to cancel his "appointments," as he liked to think of them. Most of the people he had canceled plans with weren't the most interesting of people, and any day he could figure out a legitimate reason to get out of spending time with Mari not just once, but on three separate occasions in a few day span was cause for celebration.
His smile grew ever so slightly wider as he spotted Mayari. "Mari actually remembered to do something I asked him to do for once, the day just keeps getting better..." He plops down on the couch beside her and closes his eyes for a moment, taking the opportunity to relax in good company. And speaking of the company, perhaps it was unwise to ask Mayari's opinion on something in order to avoid inflating her ego even further, but... well that was part of what made her interesting, wasn't it.
"Nothing too major. I got assigned a group project over the break out of the blue with Alduin and... another girl, her name was Mina if I'm not mistaken... But anyways, I don't know Alduin that well, you know him a bit better than I but not enough to be completely head over heels for him like most of the Ozari tribesmen around, and you have an opinion that I actually value, so I'm mainly just curious, what's he like? I want to know what I'm getting into, since my life might be depending on him in a few days. Do you like him, dislike him, strengths, weaknesses, buttons I can press if you'd like to share..." He waves his hand in the air vaguely and gives Mayari a catlike grin. "All that good stuff. "
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Post by raventhefree on Jul 6, 2018 13:44:44 GMT
When Veles made it clear that he was planning on sitting on the couch Mayari was on, she shifted deftly, swinging her legs off of the couch and scooting towards the arm. She looked him over, her brown eyes scanning him as she took in his appearance. Satisfied with whatever conclusion she had come to, she gave him a half-smile as a pleasantry and allowed him to settle next to her, giving some brief complaint about Mari as he did so.
"You shouldn't be so hard on Mari," Mayari suggested before allowing Veles to launch into his questions. "He's twice as excitable as your Houndour, but he means well. It's always convenient to have lackeys to fetch people," she half-joked with a genuine smile this time, gesturing as if to present herself to Veles.
Mayari listened intently to Veles as he explained his project, looking off thoughtfully from time to time before focusing back on him. "Mina and Alduin, hmm?" She tapped the tip of her nose with a long finger. "Well, it sounds like you're well off on this group project, then. There's lots of gossip about Mina, but generally, people become more xenophobic when they're afraid or uncomfortable. I surmise she must be very good at whatever it is she does."
Pausing for a moment to choose her words more carefully, Mayari turned her attention to Alduin. "I'm fond of Alduin," she answered honestly. "Though, to be fair, my opinion might be stained because it is him that allowed me to travel northwards here. From what I can tell, he was the one who got some of his tribesman sent northwards... if it wasn't for him, it might have been years before Plata sent people north again. He found a grimoire and managed to learn how to summon out of it without any formal training. If nothing else, then, he must be a talented summoner.
"Alduin is very magically talented in general, actually," Mayari continues. "The people from his tribe call him a skinwalker or a warg, but it's not got all the negative connotations people lump in with that sort. As a result, though, I fear he's a little... vulnerable?... physically. Not only that, but being a tribesman and all, I wouldn't expect him to have any great knowledge of northern life. Then again, neither do I," Mayari claimed, her voice dripping with false modesty.
Veles's suggestion that she might provide him with buttons to push elicited a click of the tongue and a curt shake of her head. "I may like you, Veles, but I try not to sell other people out," she purred. "You, of all people, should value that." She said the last line with a smile, but even then it was difficult to tell if it was meant as a pointed comment or gentle ribbing. "Anything else you want to know?"
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Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT
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Post by haybalebarn on Jul 8, 2018 9:23:52 GMT
Veles chuckles as she suggest he go easy on Mari. "Oh, but you see, that's exactly why I can't be easy on him, the second he gets comfortable with being my lackey, the second he stops being useful. Better to keep him doubting his position with me a little, keep the fire burning, keep him thinking he's useful to me, but never letting him know that he is." There's a flash of a conspiratorial smile on his face. "I trust you can keep that a secret from him, of course."
He purses his lips in amusement as Mayari presses on the tip of her nose in thought before talking about Mina, fully aware that she was probably doing it in equal parts habit and as a subtle way to encourage attention. He refrains from commenting on Mina until Mayari finished her thoughts on that particular one, saying, "We've got about the same read on her, then. I'll let you know if I find out anything particularly interesting."
Veles listens attentively as Mayari describes Alduin, using the time to learn more both about him and her through what she said about him. It was interesting that Aldin was the one who had enabled the cohort of tribesmen to travel here, he hadn't been aware of that fact, and it changed his perspective on Alduin a bit. He had always known Alduin was charismatic, but for Mayari to speak this highly of him... "I'm glad I asked for your insight here, because I'm afraid I must admit I was rather off the mark on my read of Alduin. I wasn't expecting him to be so competent, but I can see I was mistaken. I always underestimate people like him with lively, loud personalities." He shakes his head a little in disappointment at himself. "I really need to fix that, but I'm so used to least a veil of subtlety that it can be had to take such bold personalities seriously.
At Mayari's false modesty about her adjustment to the north, Veles let's out a sharp laugh. "I'm surprised you can say that without blushing, Mayari! You're more of a natural here than at least half of those born here."
At her reproach, a sly grin slides it's way onto Veles' face, akin to a cat who has been caught pushing a full glass of milk off of the counter and feels to remorse in the slightest. "Can't blame me for trying, can you? Besides, a good way to see if someone will sell you out is to see if they'll sell someone else out. I'm glad you didn't give me the easy way out, I always prefer it when things are a little bit difficult."
He sits there for a few more moments considering if he has anything else to add, tilting his head from side to side. "I think that satisfies my curiosity, or at least sates if for a time. And as much as I would prefer to enjoy the present company..." he pauses for a moment, scanning her in a similar way as she looked him over at the start of the conversation, "I unfortunately have packing to do, so I suppose that will have to wait until I return, assuming I can find the time of course, you know how it is."
He flashes her one last smile accompanied with perhaps a flicker of a wink, then stands up from the couch. As he walks towards his room, he waves a hand and gives her a small wave, not even bothering to turn and look at her. "Until then."
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