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 Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2024 1:09 pm
~
Once like a dream you looked at me
And everything felt new - time flicked away
The path seemed to fade, my hope restored by you ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Scarlot Tamiya-Satoru ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Before it's too late... this could all disappear
Before the doors close... and it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend, yeah, yeah
~
Together, Team Sun eliminated the demon pack. Micha'el stood up gracefully, looking over the demon remnants around them, burning away like embers. Lottie was still catching her breath as she whispered "thank you" to her weapon, pressing her forehead against it. Lottie did this after most battles, honouring the dead within her blade. It was a strange relationship she had with her weapon, one that she had spoken to her teammates before. Even she didn't completely understand it, but it was a family heirloom that she adored, even if it's side effects were concerning for Micha'el. Lottie looked up to notice Micha'el already staring at Tsuna, forlorn and quiet. He allowed her to begin explaining herself, but then as she quickly turned to tears and thanked them for saving her, he did the unexpected. Micha'el stepped forwards and then placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was stupid" he said, letting out a sigh, "but I should respect that you want to do what you feel is right... Just... do you ever stop to think of the emptiness you would leave behind if anything happened to you?"
"You're not a burden, Tsuna" Lottie said, standing beside Micha'el as she tilted her head. She was just a bit taller than his shoulder. Tsuna that little bit taller than her. "We wouldn't be Team Sun" she said, "we would just be Micha'el and Lottie. Always missing their best friend." She finished with a smile, reaching to squeeze Tsuna's hand. "And now my dry clothes are damp too" Micha'el added, starting serious, but finally giving Tsuna a smile. "Let me clear this up" he said, turning around and summoning his Aria. He began to quietly speak a chant, causing a delicate white light to spill from his open pages like water to the floor around him. The words were foreign and like velvet. As his incantation began, it seemed to merge with his voice, giving it a barely noticeable chime. It was as if angels themselves sung through him in the distance. Light emanated from the magical pool at his feet, dissolving the bodies of the demons until not a single trace of them was left behind. Micha'el closed his book, stepping away and towards his team. The grass behind him looking a bit healthier too. This was a habit he had started doing recently after fighting demons, which wasn't too often so he was eager to practise the spell. About 6 months ago he managed to learn it for the first time from the Aria, and ever since he had been delving deeper into it's enchantments.
Then, among the silence, something grumbled beside Tsuna. "Oh..." Lottie sighed, holding her belly, "can we go eat now? I'm starving."
"We should make a plan of where to go or who to speak to, too" Micha'el added.
"after eating all the delicious looking food Tsuna found. I can't possibly think until then"
~ Keep holding on 'Cause you know we'll make it through - We'll make it through Just stay strong... 'Cause you know I'm here for you - I'm here for you Now I can feel the fire burning deep within me
I'll be the hero and no one can stop me
~
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 5:16 pm
 Tsuna MikiLottie's relationship with her weapon was unique and after every battle she honored the dead within it. Tsuna wished she bonded with her weapon in a ceremonious way, but when she looked at it it just reminded her of her father. Instead of reprimanding Tsuna, Micha'el unexpectedly approached her and placed a soft hand on her shoulder. Although he found her actions reckless, her reasoning was justifiable, however, the fact that she could have died scared her teammates. She rarely stopped to think what would happen if she died and how they would feel. Lottie assured her that she wasn't a burden and that without her Team Sun wouldn't exist, just an unfathomable emptiness. Tsuna tears dried and a smile formed as Lottie gently cradled her hand. Micha'el doused the tender moment with a stern comment only to brush off his dilemma quickly and clear the area up. Turning around, he summoned his Aria and chanted as white light delicately flowed like water from the pages. A distant chime merged with his voice like an angelic choir harmonizing with each velvet word he spoke. A pool of light emanated from his feet and spread out dissolving what was left of the demon filth. The grass was even revived in the process as Micha'el closed the book and stepped back over to his team. Tsuna was impressed how advanced his enchantments had become and couldn't wait to see more in the future.
Lottie's stomach began to grumble and she couldn't help but laugh knowing she was just as hungry as he teammates. Micha'el did a make a point of making a plan of where to go and who to talk too. Tsuna agreed, but of course they had to stuff themselves first. "Let's back to the inn and figure out things from there." They had made it this far, there's no turning back now.
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TunaDishCosplayer Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2024 9:19 am
~
Once like a dream you looked at me
And everything felt new - time flicked away
The path seemed to fade, my hope restored by you ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Scarlot Tamiya-Satoru ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Before it's too late... this could all disappear
Before the doors close... and it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend, yeah, yeah
~
Team Sun arrived back at the inn in the early afternoon. Whilst Tsuna finally had a well-earned shower, Micha'el hung his coat by the fireplace opposite their three beds. Micha'el took the bed nearest the desk, which was against the wall near the window. He took comfort in being able to look out into the sky at night and watch the stars. He sometimes like to think that they watched back. Lottie had been firmly placed in front of the fire ever since Micha'el managed to get it burning, like a watchful puppy she stared into it's embers, soaking in as much warmth as she could. Once Tsuna was ready, Micha'el began to brainstorm onto a large piece of paper spread across the floor. At the centre of it he wrote "CURE FOR IVAN" with a bold line coming off it, into a circled "UNKNOWN BIG BAD". He simply shrugged and and grimaced at the girls after he wrote it. "Look, you said something bad was coming so someone's got to be the 'big bad', right?"
"I really hope it's not another Greater Demon" Lottie sighed, remembering how much damage Lucifial caused to the world. Flashes of darkness and famine came to her mind, then horrific images of demons of darkness. Hope Academy was a vital part of protecting Neutral City at the time. Micha'el made a note saying "GREATER DEMON?" beside his previous circle. "So, you said that Ivan's attackers were necromantic in nature? Raised birds?" Micha'el politely asked Tsuna, taking note on the paper as she answered. He nodded with her, adding how they had come to the Land of Crows to investigate necromancy, he couldn't help but draw a line and add "BLOODHOLME" and "NECROVALLEY NECROMANCERS" to the diagram. Lottie stirred from watching the fire, laying down and resting on her elbows to look at the parchment. "Do you know any contacts around here, Micha'el?" she asked, to which he shook his head. "As the Land of Crows has only been traversable for a few years... I hate to say my contact book doesn't extend here." His mind moved to his knowledge of the people he knew resided here, but honestly he could only think of distinct groups. "I would hazard a guess that Team Elixer has been here... considering they played a role in defeating Lucifial and the Conclave of Declasia was trying to stop him before anyone else was..." Micha'el trailed off, tapping his finger on the paper as he looked at Tsuna and Lottie for ideas. "The Conclave specialises in Shadowmancy, and they're known to protect secrets. They're not necromancers, but I have heard rumours that they understand it's magics, or that they can at least speak to the dead... it might not be true though. And the city is leagues away. We could investigate Southmarch, search for clues here?"
~ Keep holding on 'Cause you know we'll make it through - We'll make it through Just stay strong... 'Cause you know I'm here for you - I'm here for you Now I can feel the fire burning deep within me
I'll be the hero and no one can stop me
~
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Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2024 4:20 pm
Tsuna MikiTsuna finally hopped in the shower knowing she felt like wet dog throughout their walk back as the other two took confront in their own areas. Micha'el found solace looking out the window staring at the stars twinkling in the night sky. Lottie cozied up to the fireplace mesmerized by the embers enjoying its inviting warmth. Tsuna changed back into her suit in the restroom and tested out smelling fresh as she tied her red hair back in a ponytail revealing her human ears. It may have looked strange having two sets of ears, but her hearing was impeccable especially in a pinch. She sat down in front of Micha'el's rolled out chart looking at the title, 'CURE FOR IVAN, and a bubble leading to, 'UNKNOWN BIG BAD'. His thinking was sold and Tsuna assured him that this was the right move. "Someone's gotta be behind this whole thing, otherwise, everything that we've encountered thus far wouldn't have lined up." Lottie hoped it wasn't some Greater Demon like Lucifial whom reeked havoc across the academy and Neutral City not too long ago. Tsuna wished she could comfort her, but they couldn't leave any possibilities off the table as to who or what this entity could be. Micha'el confirmed with Tsuna that Ivan's injure is related to necromance and that's the only conclusion that she could come too. "It has to be because those creatures smell of rot...definitely not apart of this world."
He added to his diagram, 'BLOODHOLME' and 'NECROVALLEY NECROMANCERS', more notes will surely follow the more they unravel. Lottie eventually joined them from the fireplace and laid down by the parchment propping herself up on her elbows. She asked if he knew any contacts, aka leads, but sadly he had no one from here on. None of them did. However, he knew Team Exiler traversed this land once in their fight against Lucifial and before them a group called the Conclave of Declasia was already in battle with him. He tapped the paper in deep thought when Tsuna replied, "The Conclave of Declasia, reiterate further Micha'el." She was now stuck on this group and wanted more information hoping Micha'el had more to spare. According to him, their specialty is shadowmancy and protecting secrets. Rumors say that although they are not necromancers, they understand its magic and can supposedly converse with the dead. Downside is, their city is leagues away and everything Micha'el said could proven to be false so was their best bet to stay in Southmarch and search for clues there? Tsuna tilted her head place her hand on her chin in an indecisive manner. "I didn't say anything earlier, but...those demons we fought could mimic speak. They mimicked Ivan and Maverly's voices...It wasn't a mindless act either, its like...its like they knew I was connected to them otherwise they would have rattled off random voices instead selecting specific ones...." She trailed off and stood up. "It feels like we're being watched. Whatever the Big Bad is, its knows that we're onto them, search for them, for answers." She began to pace back and forth. "Both Southmarch and the Conclave of Declasia sound like dead ends..." She stopped at the front of the fireplace and turned to her team. "I don't care how far I have to go...I'll go to the ends of Occulas if I have too. I'm putting my bet in the Conclaves of Declasia, Micha'el, Lottie, what about you?" At this point she was determined enough to do anything, but would her team want to risk everything on the sake of a bet?
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TunaDishCosplayer Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 8:48 am
~
Once like a dream you looked at me
And everything felt new - time flicked away
The path seemed to fade, my hope restored by you ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Scarlot Tamiya-Satoru ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Before it's too late... this could all disappear
Before the doors close... and it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend, yeah, yeah
~
After some careful brainstorming, Tsuna revealed to them how her battle with the demonic birds began. Lottie let out a small gasp, narrowing her brows in solidarity with her teammate, understanding it must have been terrifying. Micha'el jotted down the demons, running another line towards the Greater Demons already on his diagram. He wondered if a demon could in fact be leading this charge, or whether these could be two coincidences. Without having seen Ivan's assailants first hand, he feared they may never know. Tsuna then stood, and her teammates looked up to follow her. Micha'el, cocking his head up, whilst Lottie rolled onto her back for an easier view as she mused. "Dead ends only because we're un-privileged with connections..." Micha'el quietly added, continuing to watching Tsuna as she stopped at the fireplace. "Well..." Micha'el began, looking back to his diagram, "The only logical culprits are Greater Demons... or their allied Necromancers. So that's where my bets are. Especially if you think their could be a connection between those demons and the attack on Ivan. Although they could have been feeding off your fears to create those sounds."
"What if its someone, or something completely unknown?" Lottie chimed in, rolling round to sit on her bottom, cross legged. "There is only one Greater Demon that hasn't been defeated in recent years, right? Dantézan?"
"Yeah" Micha'el said, looking to Tsuna, then back to Lottie, "The Lord of Ruin, old texts describe him as a tactician of war, doing anything and everything to level the earth into a wasteland. Lottie nodded thoughtfully, "exactly - it's unlikely to be him. And the Necromancers have never ventured further than southern Occulas before - Entei keeps them at bay, and the Sovereignty keeps a close watch on them, they don't easily cross the waters of the Warm Sea."
"Unless they used a portal" Micha'el suggested. But Lottie continued to be insightful. She tilted her head as she said "but they do not harness arcane ability, right?" she looked to Tsuna, "their magic comes from Hell? Have they ever made a portal to somewhere other than Hell before? Or the Underworld for that matter?"
"Well..." Micha'el paused for thought, but was unable to find any examples to suggest otherwise. "Then I agree with Tsuna" Lottie finally concluded, "we should go to the Concalve of Declasia and see what the Daywalkers know. They live longer than any of our people would, I heard that some of them were alive during the Jewel War!" Micha'el let out a cheap exhale at that, jokingly responding with "yeah... and apparently Declasia is as old as Magic Earth itself. I heard she's still a vampire and that's how she's stayed alive for so long." Micha'el paused again, looking over their diagram one last time before nodding to them. "I agree too, we stick to the original plan and head to the City of Crows. But... where do you suggest we go once we're there? A local library?" Micha'el joked, of course, but waited to see if Tsuna had any input.
It suddenly dawned on him that they really did leave without any real plan besides a hunch.
~ Keep holding on 'Cause you know we'll make it through - We'll make it through Just stay strong... 'Cause you know I'm here for you - I'm here for you Now I can feel the fire burning deep within me
I'll be the hero and no one can stop me
~
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Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2024 4:51 pm
Tsuna MikiLottie portrayed how Tsuna must have felt in the moment through facial expressions while Micha'el jotted down some more notes. They both hung on her every word as summarized her theories and voiced her choice to find the Conclave of Declasia. Micha'el reaffirmed that their lack of connections made staying a waste of time and the only logical answer to these enemies must be the simplest thought. However, Micha'el had been studying demons more heavily than her so his statement on them feeding off her fears was plausible. "Perhaps, you're are right Micha'el. I can't argue since you have actual knowledge on demon kind, meanwhile I'm just relying on hunches." Self doubt had been pledging her for some time now, and a lot of times she had to pull herself back to reality and examine the facts. Surprisingly, Lottie believed there was a greater forced and mentioned a Greater Demon that has yet to be defeated, Dantezan. Micha'el continued describing Dantezan as a Lord of Ruin and a tactician of war, however, his interest don't align with their predicament so he can be counted out. Also, Necromancers also don't journey past Southern Occulas because Entei keeps them at bay. The Sovereignty also watches them so they can't easily cross the waters of the Warm Sea.
Micha'el brought up the usage of a portals, but according to Lottie they don't possess arcane magic and any portal that was made would either lead to Hell or the Underworld. Regardless, getting off the topic, Micha'el agreed that they should seek the Daywalkers of the Conclave of Declasia. They're longevity is notable and rumor has it that some of them lived during the Jewel War. He even jokingly add that Declasia has lived so long that she could be some kind of vampire. Tsuna smirked and responded, "A vampire? I'd like to see that." Micha'el made some last notes before saying that they'd stick to their original plan and head to the Land of Crows, but where to go once they got there. Tsuna thought for a second and then blurted out, "The Black Palace." She paused looking at the two and continued, "If we want information quickly why not go to the main hierarchy? We did the same in Sunspire and met King Sol whom gave us all the information for our mission that we needed. Somewhere must know what is going on. Even if news hasn't reached them, as righteous students aren't we obligated to warn them of the danger?" She knew they could use their "student privileges" in a pinch, but whether it'll work in their favor will depend on who's running the place.
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TunaDishCosplayer Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2024 11:51 am
~
Once like a dream you looked at me
And everything felt new - time flicked away
The path seemed to fade, my hope restored by you ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Scarlot Tamiya-Satoru ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Before it's too late... this could all disappear
Before the doors close... and it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend, yeah, yeah
~
Micha'el could've choked on his own breath when Tsuna suggested they go straight to the Black Palace. What is she thinking?! He thought, raising one brow towards her. "That's not just the main heirarchy, Tsuna, that's a monarchy!" Micha'el said, standing up now as if that made him feel less disorientated. Lottie chimed in with "she's not wrong, Micha'el, we did get to King Sol without any trouble last time, and the Sun Elves are a difficult lot." Micha'el scowled down at her, then he pinched between his eyes and massaged that spot for a moment and let out a sigh. "That was just lucky" he said, eyeing them both, "we were lucky!" Micha'el looked between hoping for them to change their mind. "Queen Declasia isn't your usual queen, she's apparently immortal, has a personal squadron of highly trained shadowmancers - I'm certain she's busy running one of the biggest kingdoms on Magic Earth too - and you just want to... ask to speak with her?" Micha'el took a few steps back and sat down onto his bed, dropping without hope. "You two, honestly." He began, giving up with reason. "Okay, we will go to the City of Crows and try to gain an audience with the Queen, but if that fails we are not going to follow your next plan, Tsuna, which is to break into the Black Palace and steal Conclave secrets." Lottie raised her brows, lips parted as she turned to Tsuna and muttered "how did he guess that" to which Micha'el eyed her with a short, all-knowing glare. "She's already thought about it" he said, looking back to Tsuna again waiting for her to admit it.
~ Keep holding on 'Cause you know we'll make it through - We'll make it through Just stay strong... 'Cause you know I'm here for you - I'm here for you Now I can feel the fire burning deep within me
I'll be the hero and no one can stop me
~
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Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2024 3:10 pm
Tsuna MikiMicha'el overreacted to her suggestion as she suspected noting that she was way out of line this time. Lottie only supported her case giving King Sol as an example much to their teammates anguish. He assumed they were lucky with that meeting and tried to convince her that Declasia would be different. She's immortal, governs a personal squadron of highly trained shadowmancers, and runs the biggest kingdom in Magic Earth. They would be beyond presumptuous to ask her something of this magnitude and get away with it. He sat down flabbergasted by his teammates audacity, but gave in just a bit to make an attempt to meet her. However, he masterfully described Tsuna's next plan if it failed surprising Lottie on his new deduction skills. Tsuna smirked obsessively, proud of him thinking two steps ahead like she did. Sway her tail back and forth innocently, she walked over to Micha'el and plopped down next to him on the bed. She wrapped a arm around his shoulder shaking her playfully, "Micha'el, Micha'el Micha'el...You know me too well. Well enough, that I wouldn't put us in that much danger, " She paused giving him a big canine smile, "But now that you mention it, " Before he could respond, she shoved a pillow in his face knocking him over and standing up quickly, "Like you said, its just too risky...for you. That settles it! Me and Lottie will have to go on your behalf!" She skipped over to Lottie and placed her hand out pulling the girl off the floor. She wrapped a arm around her leading her to the door as she taunted Micha'el further. "Would be a shame if something did happen to us though! Oh well, don't worry Lottie I'll protect you!" She laughed hurting Micha'el's ego even more. He was the reasonable, protector of the group and she was poking fun at his standing on the team. She knew he'd follow out of obligation and to make her eat her words.
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TunaDishCosplayer Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2024 12:27 pm
~
Once like a dream you looked at me
And everything felt new - time flicked away
The path seemed to fade, my hope restored by you ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Scarlot Tamiya-Satoru ± : . : ± : . : ± : . : ± Before it's too late... this could all disappear
Before the doors close... and it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend, yeah, yeah
~
The moment Tsuna started saying his name he knew some kind of mockery was coming, he could sense it in her tone. The wag of her said it all. At the moment of danger, he immediately raised one brow at her, silently begging her to make him prove her wrong. But, before he had a chance to speak up he was being muffled by a pillow as she threw it at his face, knocking him back into the bed. He threw it aside, and saw Tsuna standing now, proclaiming that Lottie and Tsuna would go on this escapade without him, to keep him safe. Lottie's eyes glistened as she accepted Tsuna's hand and stood to join her. Tsuna joked about defending Lottie as the two crept closer to the door, Lottie letting out a giggle. Micha'el was allowing them this moment of fun, rolling his eyes, then attempting to force a smile at the mention of protecting Lottie. He was glad to know someone else could. He wondered, though... if....
Lottie them chimed in, saying "oh, don't worry! Willow Morta will keep us both safe! That big bad won't know what hit him!" Micha'el stared blankly for a split second as his chest puffed. But as quickly as it happened his eyes blinked and a smile took over. "Absolutely not" he said, standing, "I have the Aria, and I'm keeping both of you safe so neither of you need to do anything reckless." As the joking continued for some short time, the three enjoyed their time together alongside some food cooked up on the open fire. The Therian cuisine that Tsuna selected earlier was delightful, even Micha'el couldn't help but engorge himself on as much as possible. At one point, he even dared to ask how she afforded it. But as the words left his mouth he already knew the answer and had proclaimed that the bank of Malika Roze was going to be the end of them. Eventually, the afternoon turned to evening, and the evening was spent looking around the nearby streets of Southmarch to gather any signs similar to the undead they knew about and diseases causing blue glowing eyes. Unfortunately for them, nothing turned up. In fact, Southmarch had its own problems entirely. City Infrastructure was ancient, things were still being built to make the city sustain modern needs. Dangerous beasts, like the demon birds they discovered earlier that day, were rampant not far out from the city. Qualified adventurers were always needed. Lottie had suggested they carry out some missions, but Micha'el had to remind her they were already on one. One good thing however was that trade with the City of Crows was booming, having access to a southern port was extremely beneficial for the Therians, and their river from the north further benefited them. Eventually, it was agreed the team would accompany a trade caravan moving north towards the City of Crows. They would get free travel in return for protecting the caravan.
~ Keep holding on 'Cause you know we'll make it through - We'll make it through Just stay strong... 'Cause you know I'm here for you - I'm here for you Now I can feel the fire burning deep within me
I'll be the hero and no one can stop me
~
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