daisyspouflons

[daisyspouflons]

silas: comparing notes

“call me kavolsky,” the vespire said, her claws wrapped around a beaker and test tube while her tail shook another vial of mysterious liquid.

silas had heard about riddlelock’s eccentric potions professor, but meeting her was something entirely different. her lab coat was splattered with the results of what he could only imagine to be various potions gone awry, her eye goggles were perched precariously on her forehead (why were they not covering her eyes?), and she had somehow not stopped both talking and brewing since he’d arrived.

“amaryllis told me all about you. well, she actually wrote to me about you, but same difference. she told me all about your theory on slicing instead of crushing wishberries. quite clever of you, i must admit. when i was a young geode…” dr. kavolsky continued, prattling on as she set the beaker down and curled her tail around a spoon to begin stirring.

silas didn’t know how long he stood there as if glued to the spot. “come on now, silas, you won’t learn anything just by standing there,” she chastised. she launched a few berries in his direction, which he clumsily caught and shuffled onto a nearby cutting board.

dr. kavolsky shot an impatient look in silas’ direction. “i can start by showing you my notes…” silas offered. mixed feelings swirled within him: on one hand, the thought of refining his ideas with an expert eye was compelling, but he felt inexplicably possessive over his notes. sharing them with someone else felt too revealing and he shuddered at the thought of opening himself up to criticism; silas took every strike against his work as a personal offense - not because he was proud, but because he poured everything he had into his research.

things happened quickly - and chaotically - after that, as they always seemed to do when it came to the infamous dr. kavolsky. as they worked to complete ongoing potions in the lab, the pair pored over silas’ notes and went back and forth on his potions theories. hours later, silas left the professor’s lab feeling exhausted but also strangely optimistic. the professor, however odd, had a few good ideas that he was looking forward to investigating further. maybe he didn’t always have to research alone.

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silas: through fire & flames

by the time silas arrived on the scene, the fire had grown large.

ravenous, red flames licked the grass, the bushes, the trees. a smattering of pouflons had assembled in an attempt to put out the fire - a few knights, another mage trainee, and what looked to be like a good samaritan. while the knights did a good job of securing the perimeter and making sure the fire was kept away from the small houses that lay on the outskirts of chrysanthos city and the very beginnings of redwick forest, the fire was still raging on.

silas’ green eyes narrowed at the scene. if the emergency dragged on any longer, it would mean dire consequences for both the lons and the land.

he approached the fire, the others scattering as he neared, as if they could sense that silas was about to try something new, something that might work. the heat was hard to bear as he got closer, making his coat grow damp with sweat as he struggled to remain calm and concentrate.

silas focused on the flame: red hot, dancing and flickering in the wind. he closed his eyes and envisioned fat drops of rain that sizzled as they made contact with the dangerous heat. he felt his magic surging within him, procuring a dark cloud overhead. the shadow was enough to lower the temperature a few degrees, much to the delight of the small crowd.

soon, his coat was damp not with sweat but with the sudden downpour. it felt as though the sky had opened up right above them, releasing wells and wells of a torrential downpour that moved methodically in the direction of the fire until all that remained was a smoldering ash.

silas was exhausted, but at least everyone was safe - for now.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: pledge dive

silas was always looking for ways to earn more coins. while the scholarship that professor lavern had helped him secure covered most of his school expenses like books and housing, helping kit with gathering flora from redwick forest had a twofold benefit: he was able to earn some fun money and improve his skills as a mage as well. so when axel had arrived on campus, looking for a few volunteers to go on a treasure dive… well, it had been an easy decision.

it was remarkably less easy to stand on gillyvor cliff and hear the waves crashing beneath him.

“scared, silas?” the vespire raised an expectant brow in silas’ direction. clad in what appeared to be an expensive yet durable traveler’s cloak and shiny gold necklaces, axel looked every bit the reprobate treasure hunter that his reputation boasted.

silas decided not to dignify the question with a response, instead taking a deep breath before getting a running start and diving headfirst into the water.

while he’d imagined a cinematic, clean entrance into the sea, silas was not coordinated enough to manage that. instead, he landed at an awkward angle, the water hitting his body with a force that took his breath away.

from his vantage point on land, axel shook his head knowingly. “why do they always insist on pretending to be brave?” he asked himself. pollux, his lycore cub, growled in agreement.

thrashing, silas bobbed up and down at the surface, too frazzled to dive further. he gasped for breath until he realized that he was completely fine - his hind legs were treading the water, his lungs were full of air, and there was still treasure at the bottom of the sea with his name on it.

silas managed the bubble head spell with a bit of effort, encasing his head with a pocket of air that made it comfortable to breathe. after he tested it with a quick dunk underwater, he dove back in again towards the deepest parts of the trench.

the lon was efficient once he was comfortable with the whole breathing underwater thing. silas scooped up every shiny thing he could: coins, jewelry, and other trinkets galore.

after he’d thoroughly trawled the trench for treasure, silas kicked back up for shore.

“that wasn’t so bad, was it?” axel asked, playfully thwacking silas with his tail as the lon descended from flight. silas answered by shaking off his coat, throwing water everywhere - including on the vespire - before depositing his bounty between them.

axel gave a toothy grin before giving silas a (small) slice of the winnings. “a job well done! here’s a little something for all your trouble. i’ll be sure to let you know next time i need some help.”

silas simply smiled and nodded, turning away with a few extra coins tucked in his pack. what axel didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: get a brew

amaryllis used a hoof to waft the scent of the mint green tincture toward her nose. satisfied with the scent, she set it back down on the lab table, looking next from every angle if the color and consistency were correct. finally, she darted out her tongue to take a sip of the tincture.

“well done… silas,” amaryllis drawled, the words dripping from her mouth like honey. it seemed like everything the legendary potioneer said and did was slow. perhaps the only reason she was impressed with his work was not because he was exceptional at brewing a few simple healing potions, but because he had managed to do so without stopping for a nap every thirty minutes. instead of saying that, silas nodded.

“thank you,” he replied.

“but…” she continued. silas’ heart dropped. had he done something wrong? “why did you crush the wishberries instead of slicing them?” amaryllis tilted her head, and long tapestry ears, in confusion.

silas seemed nervous, but tried his best to answer with confidence.

“well… i discovered one day that crushing them extracted more juice from the berry. you can make more potions with less berries now… and it’s more efficient while brewing to crush than slice.”

amaryllis seemed to consider his words, the sound of her heavy breathing filling the lab, save for the noise of her many, many pippets just outside the door. she stood so still, for so long, that silas was almost afraid that she’d somehow fallen asleep whilst standing up.

“interesting… can you… look over… the others?” she said.

silas could hardly hide his elation. for the next several hours, the two pored over some of amaryllis’ recipes (most of which she had to tell him, because why would she write them down if they were already in her brain? that would mean less time for naps!) with his notebook full of ideas, silas promised to return back with new ideas.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: time to duel

vionnet pranced around the auditorium like she owned it. silas huffed with open derision.

she turned at the noise, her pretty bows and expensive cloak twirled with the speed. gold eyes stared him down as vionnet moved closer to him, her bell twinkling with every step.

“i think you’ll be my first opponent,” she declared, lifting her chin in challenge.

“certainly,” silas replied, rolling his back as he got on the duelling stage and faced her.

vionnet had arrived at riddlelock with much fanfare; as head of asterfall’s duelling club, and by far the most proficient dueler they had, she had been invited as a part of an intellectual exchange program, of sorts.

while silas had been intrigued by the idea at first, excited over the prospect of a new challenger, he found the lon’s presence grating once she arrived. she represented all the worst parts of riddelock’s rival school: just another rich, privileged youth who thought they were the best thing in bellacoste.

he would enjoy it all the more when he defeated her in practice.

as the pair bowed to one another, a hush fell over the classroom. for once, everyone was paying attention to the lesson at hand.

quick as lightning, silas struck first. he cast a water spell, dousing vionnet with cold water.

“eeeek!” she shrieked, loosing her footing. she shook off her hair with visible rage, which only served to make silas smile more.

another spell from silas made the water beneath her turn to ice, causing his opponent to slip and fall on her behind to a chorus of laughter. he made move to cast another offensive spell before vionnet came to her senses and cast a shield spell, throwing silas back from her with force.

the two pouflons snarled, charging back at one another with dangerous glints in their eyes when the professor intervened, encasing both duelists within protective bubbles.

“that’s enough! i expected better etiquette from you, silas.”

he glared at the teacher before running out of the class, embarassed from being scolded in front of his peers and letting his emotions get the better of him.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: some scant plants

as silas pawed through the brush in redwick forest, he muttered under his breath. this wasn’t exactly how he’d thought things would pan out once he enrolled at riddlelock.

it all began when silas had crossed paths with kit one night.

-

“one coffee, black,” silas mumbled to the cashier. the moon hung overhead the small, quaint campus. despite the hour, the town was buzzing. while silas had emerged from his rooms to seek further caffeinated sustenance, his classmates were blowing off steam from a long week of classes.

the cafe was lively, filled with the aroma of greasy foods and fizzy drinks.

silas had met kit a few weeks ago at this same cafe, when he’d forgotten to bring his coin pouch to pay for his coffee. kit, lute strapped to his back, had covered for him without a second thought.

“hey silas,” the easy-going lon greeted him.

“kit,” he said curtly. it wasn’t that he didn’t like kit, but silas was still embarrassed about not having money. he felt like everyone was judging him for being at riddlelock on a scholarship.

“you wouldn’t be free this weekend would you?” the spotted lon asked silas. before the dark pouflon could answer, kit continued his train of thought. “i need a few flowers from redwick forest before i leave town. but i’m too busy to get myself. i don’t suppose you could help a friend out? i’ll make it worth your while.”

silas’ eyes narrowed. he was a proud pouflon, and he was immediately suspicious that kit just pitied him for being poor. but he’d seen the coin that kit got on his weekend gig at the cafe. even a little bit of that could fuel a dozen coffee trips.

the bard simply smiled back at him.

“what exactly do you need?” silas asked.

-

kit hadn’t mentioned how tedious it was to look for the bell-shaped blooms beforehand. even with silas’ cursed pupkin trailing by his side, it had taken him hours and left him with sore hooves, but he did finally collect a bushel full of the potent flowers.

kit better pay me top coin for this… silas thought.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: ambitions

silas ambled to the rooftop without much effort. the sky was particularly smoggy that night; soot and fumes covered what little view he normally had of the stars. he thought rather moodily that the sky looked how he felt. folding his limbs beneath him, he sighed. his mum always said he was too young to be this tired. as his thoughts turned the lon that raised him, mixed feelings swirled in his chest. silas adored her like any son would. his mum had been the one to encourage him to seek an education, even as she spent her days working in the mines, rarely ever able to earn enough just to keep them comfortable. it seemed so unjust that while there was plenty of wealth in town, mostly mine owners and fine gemologists, most of the town was made up of working pouflons just trying to get by. while he’d done well in the local school for blooms… if he was honest, he’d outgrown the material a long time ago. his latest adventures with remiel and amaryllis had been eye-opening, to say the least. for a few moments, he’d felt a riotous glimmer of hope.

still, hope didn’t pay the bills. asterfall mage college tuition was still more than he could ever dream of. maybe one of the mines had an opening.

the next day, a letter appeared for him. the envelope was forest green, with a mint wax seal featuring a familiar emblem.

-

dear silas,

i trust this letter finds you well. have you done as i’ve instructed and reviewed the basics and history of magic?

i’m writing to you from riddlelock. the mage school, to be precise. surely you’ve heard of it? while it was just recently founded, i must say their approach to education and learning is novel… at first i was skeptical, but i must admit, the results are nothing short of phenomenal.

our students are studying forms of magic that have never been studied before. they are discovering things that have never been discovered before. when left to their own devices, students are creating their own curriculums and accomplishing far more for it.

with all that being said (or written), i would like to formally invite you to visit the campus and apply for the next school year. i think you’re the exact sort of student that would thrive on our grounds.

i look forward to your reply.

regards,

professor lavern

-

what happened next felt too good to be true. his mother, used to his solitary antics, had simply wished him a safe journey as he left for riddlelock. while it would have been faster to fly directly there, it was a long journey from obrille - covering vast amounts of water and even the ebony wreath.

instead, silas had traveled along known paths to chrysanthos and then citremery. from there, he trekked through the redwick forest and outermost parts of the marshgrave, careful to avoid the most dangerous parts since he had little on him aside from a patchy hat and heavy traveling pack.

he hid his sudden nervousness with a sneer as he met lavern. the teacher only offered him a bespectacled, twinkling smile. she showed him around the grounds, introduced him to teachers and students, and invited him to listen to an actual lecture. whatever self-doubt and worries silas had held inside of him before this visit, melted away as the day grew longer.

as he lay his head on his pillow for the night, silas knew had to pursue this path further.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: winterberry wonderland

thick blankets of snow were falling over snowhurst. silas had to squint in order to see anything, even as the wide brim of his hat shielded him from the worst of it. if it weren’t so bitterly cold, he might have enjoyed being here. he’d heard about the fantastic hot springs, not that he would be able to find them himself. he watched the sturdy pouflons going about their daily business despite the storm.

the mountaintop town was the furthest he’d ever been from obrille. where his hometown was perpetually grey and covered in soot, snowhurst was pure white. it was beautiful.

the trainee did not linger in the village for long, leaving the northern outskirts of snowhurst behind him as he headed towards the forest. silas wandered for hours before his bleary eyes finally spotted a fleck of color that wasn’t white or green.

after what felt like hours of collecting the red and white-tipped winterberries, dotting the bushes like ornaments on a tree, silas was spent. in hindsight, he realized he could have finished the task sooner, but he’d been too excited by the progress that he’d felt an immediate need to stop right there in the middle of the wintery forest to compile his notes on the various berries.

he’d hoped to collect some triocherries, or even a wishberry, but he was glad he found any at all. he could only imagine the potions that amaryllis would make with the berries packed safely away in his traveling pack.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: from the heart

there was something remarkable about the library in the royal palace. the walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, full to the brim and organized categorically by subject and author. royal courtiers and students alike shared the space, which meant one could escape the place without a tome whizzing past (magic! it never got old). silas felt out of place. he felt out of place the moment he stepped in chrysanthos, but being surrounded by such knowledge was intimidating in a way that couldn't be compared. he never would have been here in the first place if fiorel hadn't invited him back, apologizing for her poor behavior at her tea party and prompting him to explore the palace grounds if he agreed to come back for a tea party another time.

an pouflon a bit older than his age entered the library after him, stopping short at silas' side where he was frozen in place. a kind smile slowly stretched across her face.

"first time?" she asked.

silas turned, startled and embarrassed to be caught in the midst of a moment. spectacled eyes peered at out at him, crinkling at the corners with the warmth that silas wanted to trust.

"lavern," she said, introducing herself without waiting for him to reply. "i'm a professor at riddlelock school for magic. i'm also the palace physician." in silas' mind, she looked a bit young to be the palace physician, but trusted that queen nouvel wouldn't employ anyone but the utmost qualified.

he bowed low.

she laughed.

this time it wasn't a malicious or derisive laugh. it was a good humored laugh, the kind that friends shared. lavern shook her head. "there's no need for that. please. what sort of book are you looking for?" she asked.

in the back of his mind, silas had a nagging feeling that lavern had more important things to do with her time. the opportunist in him seized the moment, nonetheless.

"well, magic actually. all kinds of magic. i want to be a mage," he declared. it was the first time he'd said those words without feeling foolish. he had a feeling that lavern wouldn't think anything he said was foolish. she nodded knowingly. after thinking for a heartbeat, she tipped her chin in the direction of the library's east wing.

"start there. learn the basics. the history. the boring stuff. and maybe i'll see you again soon." there was something in her voice that said she knew she would see him again soon, even if he didn't. with that, she trotted off towards her own section of the library, leaving him to his own devices.

there was a wingback reading chair located in the east wing that became a second home to silas. he adored sitting in it for hours on end, poring over the texts, until his legs grew numb and the candles burned to the wick. it was in this safe space he felt the magic of possibility. he felt flickers of hope. he could better himself through knowledge that the pouflons back in obrille couldn't even begin to imagine.

he had no one to share it with, but god if he didn't love that library like if it was his own.

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silas: tea party of terror

"come on now," princess fiorel urged. there was a glint in her eye that belied the sweet, mischievous exterior. the gaggle of other courtly blooms and pouflons were blissfully oblivious to the doe-eyed tyrant that ordered them all about, sipping their teas and laughing without a care in the world. they weren't friends, silas sensed. they were just there for the entertainment. the only lon who seemed to truly care for the princess was the messenger beside her. it was a pity, really. despite the vast differences between them, perhaps silas and fiorel were more alike than either cared to admit.

silas' eyes narrowed as he looked at the scene before him. rich fabrics and jewels (no doubt from obrille, he thought) draped over their bodies like a second skin. it was natural for them to be surrounded by such luxury. silas had almost not made it to the ballroom. he'd been so shell-shocked at the grandeur of the palace entrance that he'd stopped in his tracks for quite some time.

he had the feeling that he'd made a grave mistake in showing up here. whatever talent he had to perform, it was secondary to the amusement he would provide as being the dunce for the day.

white hot embarrassment flashed through him.

"would anyone here like to see a magic trick?" he began, stalking the stage back and forth. the room grew quiet. tea cups clanked into their saucers. the guests looked at one another like they weren't quite sure if this entertainment would become more a liability than they anticipated.

"i'm about to disappear. the princess is about to realize that it's not very nice to treat others like a joke to do her every bidding. and you all -" he paused dramatically, arching a thick brow in the crowd's direction. "are not her real friends. stop pretending like you are."

and with that, he turned and walked right out of the palace.

[daisyspouflons]

silas: pippet pandemonium

everything in goldfair was so... green. the hills rolled across the landscape as a far as eye could see. windmills soared upwards towards the clear blue sky. the whole place was a sleepy county straight out of the storybooks. it was peaceful, serene and... crash! silas galloped towards amaryllis' thatched-roof cottage, alarmed that she might be hurt. "amaryllis!" he cried, worry etching his features. the pouflon in question was nowhere to be found. all that greeted him within the abode was mass chaos: pippets hanging from the ceiling, papers strewn about every surface, and half-full potions ingredients dotted the walls. there were some who would have simply turned around and left. no one could fault them for it. silas had only made his way here to perhaps learn a thing or two, not care for a menagerie of pippets that were just as hyperactive as their owner was lazy. "enough," he declared, stomping an angry hoof against the floor. the frustration he felt was palpable, curling around his neck like itchy cat. perhaps the pippets had sensed it in his voice or in his energy, but for a moment - they stilled. the toucana was the first to attempt to break the silence with a caw. a hoof reached out to muzzle the toucan before the sound ever left it's cursed beak. the green-feathered friend struggled, making only muffled sounds and flapping its wings incessantly before it too grew bored and tired. "that's what i thought." he briefly considered the basic needs of pippets, never having had one himself, and decided he would feed them first. there would be no special diets, no spoon-fed desserts. they would all eat what was in front of them, or may the universe have mercy on their souls. a particularly rebellious gnut refused, choosing instead to buzz in circles around silas. he flicked his tail and heard the gnut meet the business end of the appendage. the gnut had had enough and decided to leave, buzzing about angrily. well, it'll find it's way back eventually, silas thought. he wasn't too broken up about it. hours passed and the little devils were cared for to the best of silas' ability, which... meant they were still alive and they were lucky for it. he cleaned up amaryllis' home as best as he could with the help of a broom and cleaning spells that he'd never quite mastered. still no sign of legendary potioneer. silas was just about ready to pack it up and try again another day when the door swung open. he was nearly overrun by pippets once again as they all leaped towards the door, unable to wait to greet the mistress of the house. hair covered her eyes, but there was no mistaking her. "amaryllis!" silas exclaimed, equal parts frustrated and in awe. the wise pouflon turned to silas' direction slowly, as if just realizing he was there - nevermind that her home was in a much neater state than when she'd left it. "silas," she said slowly, her mouth turning up at the corners into a warm smile. as if she had been waiting for him and not the other way around. "i was just looking in the forest for berries... i don't suppose you could help me with that?"

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silas: stars in their eyes

there was nothing in obrille. everything of value was carted off to roseacre without a second thought, leaving only dusty skies and broken dreams. at least, that was how silas saw things.

he sat on the roof of his family's abode, sullen and resentful that he had the misfortune of being born here while not so distant cousins thrived closer to the center of... everything, like royal pouflons ought to by virtue of their birth.

even at night, one could still hear the clatter in the mines of metal on metal and hooves on dirt paths. so much for looking up at the same stars.

he scribbled down the notation of the stars above him, thoughtful in his depiction of the little specks of light he make out from beneath the haze. it was only in moments like this, deep in thought, that silas was able to dim the noise around him even just a little bit and feel as though he were somewhere else.

remiel had written from asterfall. of course, silas had read about the place, but reading and experiencing were two different things. he couldn't imagine a place full of stars and snow and beauty. more importantly, he couldn't imagine how his scrawled depiction of the stars above obrille could help in any sort of research at all. then again, remiel had been insistent in his missive. silas saw this as an opportunity and he wasn't going to let it slip through his hands. maybe one day he could visit remiel at asterfall himself... maybe even study there.

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philomena and summer: boardwalk carnival

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philomena: accordance

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philomena: mage mentorship pt 3

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philomena: bump in the night

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philomena: spell check