#;file. an ally | yuzu

[beholdenning]

"It was an honor to fight side-by-side with you today....Denning."

Yuzu hesitates in her approach, unable to make out the proper title for the comrade. Still, failing to recognize their efforts, particurally in the group's final round of combat, would be a greater diservice.

They are nearly on their way out of the illusionary arena. Yuzu has inserted her battle axe into the strange sack, though if events conspire as before, she will lose all of her inventory sooner than later. A great shame, but she hopes it is not long until she reunites with such strong equipment.

However, she wishes to do one more thing before the end...

Convoy activates! Yuzu obtains Jar of Honey!

"You do not look that scathed from the previous round," Yuzu explains as she brings the pack in front of her. Her voice is slghtly muffled as she sticks her nose in search of a proper gift. All she can find is a honey jar, but sweets never hurt. "But please take this as a token of our cooperation this day."

She smiles while readjusting the backpack and holding the jar out for Denning. "I hope to learn from your skills in the future."

"Iii—Yyuz-u," it addresses her upon approach, testing her name between its teeth, before dropping it, dissatisfied with its current shape, instead settling for a polite bow, a mimicry of her 'sentiment'. She had performed admirably enough for a student, possessed of human capriciousness and adaptability, proving particularly efficient in their final bout, unhampered by her cargo even as she stuck down their foes.

Knowing about the cargo, however, and seeing her pull a jar of honey out of it only to offer it to them are two wholly different things, and an observant eye may be able to catch its brow raising the barest of fractions. Not knowing how to refuse, the morph accepts the jar and holds it in cold hands, as if it is a foreign object, before adjusting its grip into something more natural, then tucking it under its arm for easier transport. Yuzu is then graced with another bow, their hands free to speak, even if she cannot understand: 'then i will be a good example.'

denning obtains a jar of honey!

(... As for how to use this: While 'decoration' without function is no longer entirely foreign to it, honey is food. Honey also keeps for an adequate amount of time, but Denning cannot consume it. Still, it would be a shame for it to go to waste. Perhaps a colleague that enjoys tea or some such would have more use for it...)

[beholdenning]

They notice the flow of magic too late to slow down, and Ewan trips over the gamblng paraphrenalia at their feet with an odd noise.

That is a student. Immediately, Denning beckons the wyvern into a turn to swoop down again, if only to make sure he is alright— But in doing so (the boy seems fine) it is approached once more by Céline.

She speaks, once again weaving golden light, and in tandem with it, a tale; One Denning had asked for, one the morph listens to raptly, unsure as to the reasons why itself. There is no room for rebuttal to mortal care, pragmatism stalled, for the moment, for this is part of the precious few seconds that pragmatism needs anyhow.

A classic hero, likable and capable. But: 'Their once upon a time was closer than they thought'. A subverted cliché— A prelude to the story most would deem worth telling. Still, it is told.

If it is told, Denning would listen. Unfortunately, the gambler begins to saunter up to them to see what has them so interested out of its periphery, and it would ill deign for the story to be interrupted. The morph snaps the wyvern into action, hurtling out of a standstill to catch the man off guard—

denning attacks maddest hatter with kaladanda! roll: 20 - 2. crit! nine of gods own motherfucking damage points! maddest hatter 0/25HP*. denning absorbs 1 luck!

If nothing else, he seems genuinely surprised. He crumples for a moment before the impact of the axe, staggering one, two steps back— But instead of screaming in pain or begging for his life, he begins to laugh, shaking his head and raising both his arms.

"Lucky you!" He congratulates, before snapping his fingers. "Let's go for a streak."

unbeaten activates! terrain changes to bacchanalia!

Lights flash. Fog pours out over the golden casino grounds, and the brassy music picks up in pace— Strobe lights and slot jingles and the outpouring sound of drink and coin threaten to overwhelm the senses. Two ten-sided dice fall from the heavens, landing on a 6 and 9, before two more roll out after, the four floating into the air to spin wildly, tantalisingly. It seems all of them were forced into this game with no recourse...

... Something burns acrid in the back of its throat. It's brow knits, imperceptibly, irritated with the insistent attempts to pull it into inanities. It has no use for games. Pushing past the dice, it swats at one aggressively when it tries to drift into Denning's face—

roll to beat is 9! denning rolls to hit: 9. barely hit! roll d10: 1.

It jumps with the impact, spins off its axis, then stops, briefly, to mock the morph with a one. A slow jingle in minor key follows in tandem. Denning is scarce given time to react before an entire shot glass is thrown at its head: Though the glass harmlessly bounces off the golden ward, the sight of the crumpled-up playing card that tumbles out as it shatters fills them with an inexplicable gravity: A single ace of broken hearts.

teatime's over is nullified by light rune. denning is inflicted with card suite: broken heart.

@arcstral help us mr fire emblem

two of a kind // team 6 silver round

[jeremystrele]

Local Wines, Craft Beers and Gift Packs At Blackhearts & Sparrows – With 10% Off!

Local Wines, Craft Beers and Gift Packs At Blackhearts & Sparrows – With 10% Off!

Christmas Countdown

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

Emerging as Melbourne’s go-to purveyor of interesting, hand-selected wines, craft beers and ciders, Blackhearts & Sparrows are now in 11 locations across Melbourne, Canberra and Tasmania! Not bad for an independent retailer which first opened in 2006 with just one small store.

We’ve learnt a LOT about great wine whilst perusing Blackhearts’ shelves to create our very own gift wishlist for you – our top picks include an awesome 3-pack of ‘pet-nat’ natural wines, a summer survival gin-mixer pack, a handful of extra special (yet, surprisingly affordable) individual wines, and a brilliant new non-alcoholic wine substitute too!

The Design Files’ Top Picks :

Pet-Nat Park 3-Pack

– 2019 Triple Trouble Bubble Pet-Nat Rose – 2019 Noisy Ritual Pet-Nat Chardonnay – NV Orsi San Vito Sui Lieviti Frizzante Pet Nat NV

‘Pet-Nat’ stands for ‘Pétillant-naturel’ – and refers to the cloudy, slightly fizzy natural wines we’ve been seeing more and more of in recent years. This 3-pack is perfect summer fare – best consumed outdoors, and horizontal on a picnic rug.

Summer Survival Gin Pack

– Gin 700ml – Campari 700ml – Maidenii Sweet Vermouth 375ml – 2 x Stranglelove Light Tonic Water 540ml

Blackhearts and Sparrows put this summer pack together to cater for every and any gin drinker – between the humble G&T (+ good quality tonic water of course!) and the classic Negroni, this summer pack has all bases covered.

Extra Special Spirits

– Lantana Gin 500ml – a handcrafted Australian gin characterised by local botanical flavours including lantana and native finger lime… but honestly, we can’t go past the packaging – this is the prettiest gin bottle we’ve ever seen.

– Starward x Blackhearts Project Whiskey 700ml – A special single cask, distinctly Australian whiskey, selected by and bottled exclusively for Blackhearts and Sparrows.

– Allies Cinq a Sept Vermouth 700ml – Another handcrafted Australian spirit, made on the Mornington Peninsula from a botanical infused barrel of fortified Pinot Noir.

Glassware & Hardware

– Gabriel Glasses StandArt 2 Pack – Gabriel Glasses StandArt 6 Pack – Cartailler-Deluc Wine Knife

The surprisingly affordable ‘StandArt’ Gabriel wineglasses are made from dishwasher-safe, lead-free crystal glass. An incredibly versatile wine glass, designed to accommodate all types of wine rather than just being mono-varietal… no matter what you’re drinking, these glasses just make wine taste better!

Non-Alcoholic

– NON 1 Salted Raspberry Chamomile Non-alcoholic Sparkling Beverage 750ml – NON 2 Caramelised Pear Kombu Non-alcoholic Sparkling Beverage 750ml – NON 3 Toasted Cinnamon Yuzu Non-alcoholic Beverage 750ml

This stunning non-alcoholic option will be appreciated by the designated drivers, the Mums-to-be, the new-years-resolutionists or anyone aiming for a little restraint over the festive period.

Craft Beers

– Wildflower Gold – ‘Wildheart’, A Boatrocker x Blackhearts Festive Collaboration

Wildflower Gold is a medium strength wild ale sour beer, delicately balanced with notes of meyer lemons, fresh limey hops and stone fruit.

Meanwhile, the Boatrocker ‘Wildheart’ festive beer is an exclusive blended beer created in close collaboration with the Blackhearts team. It’s lightly sparkling and delightfully sour – a complex blend that is far greater than the sum of its parts. DELISH!

Gentle Folk Discovery 3-Pack

– 2019 Rainbow Juice Rose – 2018 Scary Gully Chardonnay –  2018 Oakbank Shiraz

A mixed 3 pack of Gareth and Rainbo Belton’s current Gentle Folk releases made from organic fruit in South Australia.

Schmolzer & Brown Pack

– 2019 Pret-a-Blanc – 2019 Pret-a-Rouge – 2018 Thorley shiraz

Three stunning wines from husband and wife duo Tessa Brown & Jeremy Schmolzer, winemakers from North East Victoria.

Exceptionally Good Single Bottles

– 2018 Tolpuddle Chardonnay – An extra special chardonnay from Coal River Valley Tasmania, which according to those in the know is ‘as good as it currently gets, and fought over by wine stores and people who write wine lists…!’

– 2018 Lone Star Creek Pinot Noir – An exceptionally good value Pinot Noir, from the cool climate upper Yarra. Blackhearts confirm this one will definitely make you look ‘wine-clever’ in front of snobby wine friends.

– 2019 Valentine Greco – Another great value wine, this time from Heathcote, Victoria. A savoury tasting wine with notes of white stone and citrus, and a refreshing minerality.

The Christmas Countdown offer :

Receive 10% off the TDF’s Top Picks . The discount will be automatically applied at cart for The TDF Gift Edit Products, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer is available for online purchases only.

Shop Blackhearts & Sparrows Now!

[fireemblemtcg]

The Cipher Frontier! Issue 29: "Ni-Ni-Nine! Series 9 is Here!"

(“The Cipher Frontier! With Emma, Shade, Yuzu and Randal” is a regular column on the Fire Emblem Cipher website which summarises upcoming news concerning Cipher and other Fire Emblem materials. It is hosted by the four mascot characters. The following is a full translation of the 29th issue of the column, originally published on the 22nd of June, 2017.)

more fire emblem cipher series 9 translations!

Hello, everybody!!!!

Gosh, time flies... It's already June!

So it is. It really is the rainy season, isn't it?

Mm. Normally there are some who see this as a melancholic time of year, wouldn't you say?

But that's not how we see it, eh?

That's right! Because today, the 22nd of June, is....

The release day for Cipher Series 9!!!!

Furthermore!!

Series 9 is Cipher's second-anniversary set!!!!

Whooo! It's here! It's heeeeere!

Sniff.... These are... tears of joy!

My! It's the second anniversary!

I'm just so... So happy... So giddy...!

Oi, oi, Shade... Pick just one.

And what is that supposed to mean? I'm happy! I can't help it!

Heh heh! Nonetheless, today is a joyous day!

Huh? But... Series 1 came out on the 25th of June, 2015, so aren't we still three days away from the second anniversary?

W-what?!

H-hold on, Emma! It's fine. We're close enough to it. Close enough!

Eh? Is-is that right?!

Er, Emma... That's something just about any grownup should know.

Would you please stop with this absurd banter! With Series 9 we've certainly reached the second annversary, so today's release is still a day worth celebrating!

Er, indeed. You speak the truth!

And we could never have come to such a wondrous day without all who have supported Cipher.

We want to take a minute to thank everyone again! One, two...

Thank you, everybody!!!!

And with no further ado, shall we take a look at the contents of Series 9? First, the Land of the Gods starter deck!

Land of the Gods starter deck Featured titles: "Echoes: Shadows of Valentia" RRP: ¥1,300 (including tax) Contents: Pre-constructed deck of 50 cards, lord marker card, playmat, rulebook

This starter deck features the cast of the new game, "Echoes: Shadows of Valentia".

That's right! From what I hear, this time it's been structured to be easy to use whether you're new to the game or have always been with us.

Ohh! That's so great!

Oh, hey, doesn't it also come with a download code that can add four original items to "Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia" on Nintendo 3DS?

Mm. Here's what those four items look like.

So this is what they look like when you've got them equipped! It's so beautiful!

So even Sir Alm can don ribbons and accessories... Quite a sight.

Next, introducing the Thunderous Earth booster pack!

Thunderous Earth booster pack Featured titles: "Echoes: Shadows of Valentia", "The Binding Blade", "Champion's Sword", "Path of Radiance", "Radiant Dawn" RRP: 1 pack of 10 cards: ¥350 (including tax) 1 box of 16 packs: ¥5,600 (including tax)

With this series' featured characters, Alm and Celica from "Echoes", come the brand new, special "Hero Skills"! With these, you can change your lord right in the middle of a game!

A-are you certain?! How in the world would one put that to use in battle?

Only Alm and Celica have the ability to take the mantle of lord from somebody else. If your lord counts one of these two bearers of the skill among their allies, then you can completely turn the tides of the battle by passing on the lord mantle.

The ability to swap characters mid-game really captures the essence of "Echoes"!

Never seen a skill like this before! Bet a talented player could do all sorts of neat things with it.

Oh, and we can't forget that we're not only looking at "Echoes". Check out the neat skills that Al from "Champion's Sword" and Skrimir from "Radiant Dawn" have!

Roy and Ike are in this too, right? So exciting!

I'd certainly like to put Sir Kilmar to use!

Don't forget Caineghis and Dheginsea, the laguz with power above all others!

Nnnnnngh... I wanna open Thunderous Earth alreadyyyy!

But wait, there's more! Here are the booster box bonuses!

Oh? I suppose that these are the bonus Series 10 preview promotional cards?

Mm. It's Alfonse and Sharena from "Fire Emblem Heroes".

Huh... These cards don't have any symbols, like Blade of Light or Legendary Weapons, on 'em. I mean, can you still deploy with a card like this as a bond, even without a symbol?

I had a feeling you'd ask, Randal. That's right! Don't miss out on the "Heroes" cards, either!

We're getting signed cards and panorama cards too this time, right?

Of course! Here they are!

Ohhh! There's so many!

These have been signed by the voices of Alm, Celica, Gray, Clair, Saber and Berkut - Natsuki Hanae, Nao Toyama, Kisho Taniyama, Aya Endo, Takehito Koyasu and Tatsuhisa Suzuki - and by Hiroshi Izawa and Kotaro Yamada, the author and illustrator respectively of the official comic "Champion's Sword"!

Signatures from both voice actors and creators... That's certainly something.

Hold on. I see an unfamiliar card... Is that... Delthea?

Mm. It's Delthea's secret card, featuring the eerieness of her time as a mind-controlled antagonist! Signed by Delthea's actress, Eri Suzuki, it's a beautiful first rainbow holo printed card for Cipher!

If we are showcasing the secret, is it... no longer a secret?

That's a bit too much of a conundrum for me... But I really like Eri Suzuki, so I'm so excited!

Moving on, accompanying the release of Series 9, "It’s Summer! It’s Cipher! It’s a Campaign! Special Clear File Presents!" also begins today. Purchase eight booster packs and you will also receive one special-edition clear file!

That's a... really long name it's got.

I've difficulty commenting upon it, as you would expect.

Can't say I dislike it.

And to round out today's events... We have news about the Nintendo 3DS game "Echoes: Shadows of Valentia"!

The fifth downloadable content pack is available for download from today!

This downloadable content is a crossover with Cipher... Do you know what that means?

All four of us are joining the battle!!

Cipher Legends I RRP: ¥500 (JP), $3.99 (US), $5.69 (CA), €3.99 (EU), £3.59 (UK) An unfamiliar young face appears and claims her companion is in danger.

Cipher Legends II RRP: ¥500 (JP), $3.99 (US), $5.69 (CA), €3.99 (EU), £3.59 (UK) A dark shadow closes in on two women traveling across Valentia.

Sniff... I can't believe this day's finally come... This is all too much!

For this DLC, Sir Hidari graced us with illustrations. We look breathtaking for true!

Emma - VA: Eri Suzuki (JP); Unknown (EN)

Shade - VA: Hibiku Yamamura (JP); Unknown (EN)

Yuzu - VA: Juri Kimura (JP); Unknown (EN)

Randal - VA: Katsuyuki Konishi (JP); Unknown (EN)

Eeeeee! Mine is just the cutest!!

We are ever so grateful to have been rendered so superbly. Truly, Sir Hidari took great care.

No matter which way I look at it, it really is me! Mm... How delightful.

It's nice that we've been given voices, too. Mine's certainly pretty close to the real thing...

'Tis the first time I've heard myself... It truly is marvelous!

It's strange to be talking about our own voices, but... They really captured our essences!

Don't forget to download and play it, everybody!

As exciting as all of this Series 9 launch and downloadable content news is, it's time for some event news.

The "Go! Go! Summer Tour", an event celebrating Cipher's second anniversary, is on from July!

Yeah! It's finally here!

Mm. Be sure to check the official site for details!

Oh! How about we show you what you'll be working with in the Colouring-In Area?

I knew not that you were fond of colouring in, Sir Randal.

Hey, for adults it's a nice, relaxing little activity.

We'll have so much to do that there'll be something for everybody, even other Fire Emblem fans! I hope you drop on by, even if you've never played Cipher in your life.

I want to come and meet the illustrators for signings!

Ah, of course. At each venue, we will be visited by illustrators who have worked with Fire Emblem. I, too, seek to receive their autographs!

Oh, that reminds me, we've got some brand-new information, too... From what I've heard, the illustrators won't just be signing stuff. They're also attending to do something called "live painting".

Live... painting?

They're... They're not... They're not actually going to do an illustration live in front of us, are they?! Really?! Where did you hear this?!

I heard it from that old-timer, Kawade, on the last Niconico live broadcast. Didn't you lot know about that?

That's incredible! What gladdening news!

I'm going to have to go to all of the venues!

Why did only Randal know something so important?! B-but I want to go! I want to see a live painting!

Make sure you all come and play!

Now, I bet everyone'll be building all sorts of decks now that Series 9 is out...

Mm! I'd love to see how they employ new cards and new lords, and soon!

I want to put those new Hero Skills to use, so I'm gonna be running Alm and Celica as my lords!

For those of you who want to get a feel for what's going on, I've got an interesting little bit of data for you.

These are the rankings for the most commonly seen winning lords in shop battle events across Japan.

Eep... I still don't understand... Where do you even get these statistics?

You can chalk up the changes in popular lords to the fact that these stats are from around the time of Series 7 and 8. See?

Whoa! Chrom has really been center-stage lately, hasn't he!

From what I can tell, they added up all placings within the 1st to 10th range. This is less than 50% of the total number.

[TN: i'm already bad enough at maths in english, there's a 99% chance i've gotten this wrong]

What do you mean by that?

All up there are a lot of lords who've earned victories. Seems that there've been 100 or more lords who've led winning teams at shop tournaments during these periods.

Oho... How fascinating!

I'd love to see what changes the release of Series 9 will bring to these results.

May Cipher players nationwide press forward and never give in! May the research of these new cards begin with all due haste!

I'll be running around like mad to use this new cards, too!

Make sure you all Go! Go! to the shops, 'kay?

Don't forget this means that we're finally pressing on into Cipher's third year!

I hope that everybody can keep enjoying Cipher more and more...

The four of us will continue to do our best, more fired up than ever!

Whether it's cards or events, we'll still be bringing you all of the details from today on!

As we keep going on into the third year, all of us at Cipher'd like to say...

Thank you, everybody!!!!

[beholdenning]

Denning weathers the returning hail of fire without so much as flinching, and while the blade of a heavy axe draws gashes into their armor, they still swing their cannon into the simulacrum of Dimitri's jaw without remorse. The illusion of their fellow Knight is then soon felled by their allies, unable to fend for himself with magic meant only for sieges, and all that remains is the Leader of the Blue Lions himself—

Looking strange, hollow yet savage, so unlike the composed, charismatic boy they know.

Ultimately, they care not whether this is an illusion. They would not do anything different, either, if this were a fight in reality. Given their quarry, they will fulfill their objective, ever returning to their Master's hand.

(So why are they compelled to finish this quickly? Not just for the sake of those they guard, but also...)

One remains. Stay diligent. They are relying on your strength.

denning attacks protector with holy blast (range+)! roll: 6 + 4. autocrit! 5 damage! protector 0/10HP.

The magicked fuse flashes, brightens as they swing the muzzle of the cannon back into the other's gut, blue and gold meeting for the barest of seconds, before deafening cannon-fire rings out one last time—

A breath. A howl.

Light unending.

A charred body slips off the end of their muzzle when all is done.

And then they turn away. The morph does not have the capacity to have pride in their kills, but this one feels emptier even than the rest. Either way, it is meaningless, and something else must be seen to first, turning to their allies for this exercise in this illusory realm.

Their hands are freed of their armament, all to ask: 'is everyone alright?'

❛ 𝐈 𝐀𝐦 𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 ❜

TOA Summer Arena 2024, Team 6 — Gold Round

[beholdenning]

Thundering. Shouting. Artificial light filters through hazy particles in the air. The walls vibrate as Denning lifts its head from where it sits on the floor, curled-up, sensing conflict and following it like a hound on a scent. The reality of the arena remains in the forefront of their protocols, but again, it feels dizzyingly real— The haze is affecting it too, somehow.

The morph knows not what to make of it, but it is not the inescapable pressure of water, crushing from without, bloating from within.

There is giggling outside of the barricaded door, the chiming of bells, the scraping of knives. Hands and blades reach through the cracks to try and pry their way inwards. The metal cracks as one particularly small hand finds purchase, and with a great, thundering slam, it collapses inwards.

roll 3d5: 4, 5, 5. a naughty child and two hetero-sapiens appear.

Denning rolls to its feet to meet the intruders, the blade of an axe scraping along the steel floor in the arc it brings to bear, sparking as it goes—

death blow activates! denning attacks hetero-sapien b with killer axe (monster breaker)! roll: 13 + 2. crit! 8 damage. hetero-sapien b 0/8HP. agender win! hetero-sapien b has been defeated!

Cleaving like butter into a malformed skull with a sickening crunch and a gush of shimmering-black. There is a pause as the body crumples on the other end of the weapon. A small chitter leaves her throat as she pulls the axe back, failing to mirror the noise from the child that had slipped past her...

She turns, blank-faced as ever. Are the others here?

BUNKER UP: @arcstral @craneswings @firelles @optimismxmagicism

heteros? during MY pride month? // team 6 - bronze round

[beholdenning]

Their enemies prove both elusive and difficult to read, moving with cruelty one second, mania for two and patternlessly the next— Mortals fluctuate, mortals suddenly bolster and falter with the tides of battle, but this is entirely new. Golden eyes search for patterns, but they prove difficult to find, lack of direction proving more troublesome from the weight of an axe less wieldly against nimbler foes than a stationary, shadowy pillar of a being. A swung blade is dodged, a held one swerved around. Arrows fall ineffectively to the floor, one after another. The 'children' still draw breath.

Something like sparks click in the back of their throat. (Irritation.) Had they a bow, they would no doubt be able to eliminate even these elusive targets. No matter, it thinks, dragging the edge of it along the steel floor with a screech, trying to seize an opportunity— After all, thieving hands grasp for anything in reach, at any moment they can. Greed is exploitable. It must be their downfall.

But vigilant as they are, mere vigilance is not enough. Much like they had with the young boy, two approach at once, the other two dispersing towards two students. Their focus follows the latter: Precepts and duty overwrite self-preservation as they attempt to advance past the two shadows that nip at their heels, but perhaps that is precisely what their foes have anticipated—

Clockwork always turns the same, after all. Constructs are not so different.

naughty child a attacks denning with carving knife at range! roll: 5 + 2. hit! 1 damage. denning 9/10HP. denning cannot counterattack! roll d2: 2. no poison! roll d3: 1. carving knife bounces! naughty child a attacks ewan with carving knife! roll: 7 + 2. hit! 1 damage. ewan 7/10HP. roll d2: 2. no poison!

"Wanna see a magic trick?"

One of the two intercept their path by plunging its knife into the back of their hand— Promptly ripping it free and dancing away towards Ewan to threaten the boy, as well. Unfeeling and singleminded, the Knight follows, disregarding the loosening tendon in their injured hand to attempt to block the arc of the child's blade, when the other at Denning's flank takes that brief moment where they readjust their grip to pull their axe from their hands. The knife finds its mark. A small failure resounds like a tally with a scratch of chalk.

And so they are unarmed. Their voicebox clicks, ra-tta-tat, larynx bobs with the noise. (Irritation.) Without thinking, they seize the next option they have, a lamp from the wayside with their injured hand, swinging it by the chain at the child assaulting Céline— It scrambles away, leaving the lamp to swing at air, but the harm is already done.

denning uses a thurible and transfers 2HP to céline! denning 7/10HP. céline 8/10HP.

Black ichor drips down the chain into the lamp. The red haze takes on an inky tint. The smoke, miraculously, works all the same. They do not notice.

'ok?' They ask instead, with a quick ring formed with index and thumb of the other hand.

heteros? during MY pride month? // team 6 - bronze round

[beholdenning]

"Mmah," He echoes, "Yu."

A step back, surveying the slowly-decaying integrity of their surrounds.

"Ssae," Another carved-up name, "Ee..." and the ready blade of the morph's axe drops a fraction, only briefly.

"... Denning." He offers, because he is the only one of their number who has not yet offered a name. The four other names continue to be paged through in cycles, in circles, burning into memory. Yes. Marth, Yuzu, Céline, Ewan. All allies.

Their allies are sharp-witted enough to likewise parse the function of the thuribles strewn about the bunker. That is satisfactory. What is not is these small figures scattering like disturbed songbirds, impossibly small yet disconnected from step-to-step— The first wisely chooses to assault the woman it had disarmed, the other two dance around the mortal child to bereave him of his belongings as well.

It is the effective choice to reclaim what is their allies' and theirs.

denning attacks naughty child a with killer axe! roll: 4. miss! 0 damage. naughty child a 4.5/6HP. naughty child counters with carving knife! roll: 17 + 2. hit! 1 damage. denning 9/10HP. roll d2: 2

Misjudging the size and speed of what looks like a child but is not, a third savage swing goes wide, only grazing the shape of a delighted giggle. A knife lunges in from Denning's periphery, instead, and the morph does not bother to dodge its rusty blade, instead using the movement to bring its weapon back to at least bludgeon— But that attempt is handily ignored as the creature cartwheels out of the way to gloat of its spoils to the very one it had stolen them from.

roll d3: 1. carving knife bounces! naughty child a attacks céline with carving knife! roll: 20 - 2. crit! 2 - 1 damage. céline 1/10HP. roll d2: 1. céline is inflicted with minor poison!

(... How familiar.)

heteros? during MY pride month? // team 6 - bronze round

[beholdenning]

Though the firm, valiant voice of the lance-wielding boy does little for Denning, it goes lengths to keep their morale as a whole intact: This is something even they can acknowledge, and to some extent, appreciate, especially when saddled with this... Capricious creature.

The wyvern in question stabilises, then glides low, before alighting on the ground, tutting over its own wounds. Some of their allies (their charges) likewise look worse for wear— The best they can do for them here is attack the enemy, and yet even that, thus far, is beyond them.

There is a fleeting thought of disembarking from its back to continue the fight on foot. It remains fleeting, replaced instead by noting one of the two healers directing her attention onto him. There is that old compulsion to refuse healing, that it is a construct, that the spell will not take, but there is no gentle wash of repair. Instead, a spell of protection weaves itself from light, serving as armor, if briefly.

A tale of a strong warrior... They do not fully accept the connection she is making, but the open ending intrigues them. Lips part, a soft intake of breath.

No sound forms, but shape barely does— tell me.

Even if later. Even if this fight ends in bitter failure, because failure in this transient place is exactly that, transient, but failures nonetheless.

Thus, they will hold on. They are more perfect than human, but far from perfect in perfection. Still they will guard these students, as decreed, as best they can. They turn away, dig in their spurs, and their steed takes off once more.

Quick as lightning, the gambler's gaze follows the motion, and four coins richochet into the air in response: All of them ping ominously upon one being pointed at and three streak golden towards the morph—

maddest hatter attacks with winner takes all! three bounces! rolls: 19, 18, 4. crit, crit, miss! light rune nullifies all hits! denning 1.5/10HP.

Only for all to burst against the shimmering rune Céline had woven. Once again, rider and steed begin to circle, hoping to keep the gambler's attention as long as they can...

fucking kill this guy @craneswings

two of a kind // team 6 silver round

[beholdenning]

Healing washes over their surface, but more importantly, it cascades over the scales of their own, now personal fickle beast— Responding to the care its given, it calms down from its blind panic, now warily eyeing the not-human upon its back. Denning pauses, hesitantly removing a hand from the reins and laying it against the wyvern's neck.

It doesn't seem amused, or even remotely happy, but it accepts its lot and begins a more controlled glide. When coins and chips begin to cascade from the heavens, though, they aren't able to avoid the brunt of the damage:

maddest hatter attacks denning with raise the stakes! roll: 10. hit! 1.5 damage. denning 8.5/10HP. denning is inflicted with break! 1 damage. maddest hatter attacks with winner takes all! two bounces! rolls: 7, 9. miss, barely hit! 1 damage. denning 6.5/10HP. denning is inflicted with cornucopia!

That same strobe light from before threatens to bounce off their wrist and disarm, and it is all Denning can do to cling to their weapon with all their might. Even without direction, the wyvern manages to avoid another hit entirely, another merely grazing its flank— It beeps again in displeasure, beginning to circle again, as if seeking healing. Only when it comes from the little boy does it dive down to attack, the willful creature not even offering thanks nor seeking direction. The morph has no choice but to adapt.

denning recovers from cornucopia! denning attacks maddest hatter with kaladanda! roll: 12 - 2. barely hit! 1.5 damage. maddest hatter 17.5/25HP.

The axe is extended in time with the dive, aiming primarily to catch the gambler on their downward arc— But instead of dodging, the gambler simply stays still, even tilting his head, spreading his arms out as if inviting a hit. Denning resolutely readies her swing, ready to take his arm off for his foolishness. The wyvern, on the other hand, seems perturbed at the man's confidence and veers out of the way in the last moment, resulting in the blade of the axe only lightly nicking the figure's shoulder.

"Oh, is that all you've got?" The peacock laughs, lowering his arms. "And here I thought you were going all in!"

And with that remark, he turns away as if leaving, flipping up another coin behind his back towards the morph and its steed—

maddest hatter counters with raise the stakes! roll: 17. crit! 5 damage! denning 1.5/10HP.

Another flash of light, another shriek from the increasingly displeased wyvern, and the gambler catches the coin on its path back down, closing his fist around it, then revealing it on the back of his hand.

teahouse distribution activates! seal defense does not trigger!

"And that's heads in my favor." he chuckles.

two of a kind // team 6 silver round

[beholdenning]

For that brief moment, golden eyes take in the familiar flurry of combat, of mortals joining hands and struggling against the odds—Even when one has his quintessence sapped, even as the bow is stolen from the girl's hands, even when blood seeps into the air, haze clearing haze in acts of seeming carelessness. Still the call for unity rings clear and the child is full of cheer, and while it is not the order, the being they once knew, it is close enough that they know their place.

Just as well. Already too far from those glistening, ornate censers, they know not how their ichor will interact with its function in this place. But they are vital for success. They must be kept lit. And thus, blood must continue to flow in their allies. With this, an affirmative nod is given to the two archers of their number, and slotting into the opposite role once more, they bring their axe to bear with a savage cleave,

denning attacks hetero-sapien a with killer axe! roll: 6+2. hit! 3 damage! hetero-sapien a 0/8HP. hetero-sapien a is defeated!

And though the misshapen not-mortal lurches to the side to avoid, the morph follows and sends its head flying, same as the first. It impacts with a sickly slop against the wall behind it, before the body collapses. Still, the giggling, the scraping, the shaking, the distant thudding of an arrhythmic heart does not cease.

'caution', it signals, first three fingers extended towards the collapsed doorway. 'more incoming'.

BE READY: @arcstral @craneswings @firelles @optimismxmagicism

heteros? during MY pride month? // team 6 - bronze round

[beholdenning]

A den of opulence opens before them. Brassy music announces itself from all sides, bright and warm lights casting all of them aglow from the mountains of coins, chips and dice surrounding them. The peacock-poised figure revels in the glitz, gleefully rolling the die, playing at the gambler cleaning house.

Denning does not, has never understood the appeal of the game for its own sake— For the gambler, this seems to merely be the epitome of thrill, of intoxication on luck's favor with no point nor function. But unlike the children, he is still a gambler, someone who carefully watches the tide of the game and plays accordingly. More than a fickle beast.

More importantly: This is a target the morph can somewhat begin to anticipate. Another axe lays heavy in her hands, but that is less a problem than the new mount she finds herself saddled upon— A wyvern, Bernese, sinew powerful under scales. It and its rider circle above the arena, the beast nigh unaware of the weight upon its back, the rider unaware in turn of its unawareness. Denning watches, attentive, as their allies carve a path forwards as their target begins to toy with them, revealing cards, flipping coins and chips and striking with a jewel-topped cane.

Reins finally in hand, the morph attempts to pull the wyvern into a dive—

denning attacks maddest hatter with kaladanda! roll: 5 miss! 0 damage. maddest hatter 19/25HP.

But the beast instead beeps in alarm as it disobeys to swerve into a roll, abruptly made aware of the inhuman presence on its back. The morph flinches, just barely, and tucks itself and its weapon close to the beast's body to not be flung off— A bright laugh echoes around the arena in return to the spectacle of poor flightsmanship.

maddest hatter counters with raise the stakes! roll: 6. hit! 1.5 damage. denning 8.5/10HP.

"Bravo, bravo. A tip for the show!" He cheers, applauding, then produces a coin from thin air, flipping it expertly into their flight path. What happens next, they could never have anticipated: He raises a hand and points at it, a playful finger-crossbow.

Strobe light richochets off the token, scalding. The wyvern shrieks.

two of a kind // team 6 silver round

[beholdenning]

Opulence, smoke and noise gives way to open air, clear skies. The weight pinning them and their fellows to the floor disperses, their damages repaired, injuries healed. They are free, for a moment, before the flow of battle pulls them under again. Hunter's senses piercing through the fog, the faces on the other side are familiar in more ways than one.

How strange it is, to not have such a gaze colored in ichor. Of that dual thought, they count among their foes: The Leader of the Blue Lions, ever dedicated, and that plucky boy that always takes care to ask how the morph is through the bend of his fingers.

There is no hesitation, even before the familiar. They have their orders. Still, Denning now habitually looks to Marth for guidance, his charisma and level demeanor undeniable, even to one unaffected by the former— He is the figurehead to rally around for optimal cooperation. To defend their allies... Yes, this seems a suitable task.

He has their offenses well in hand, as well. To that end, Denning steps towards Ewan and Céline, standing at the ready to intercept any stray attacks that may come their way with the armor they have been granted and what they identify as a hand-cannon in their hands.

... Mm. This is familiar enough. They load their munition with a spark of magic, golden eyes following the shadow flying overhead— Velocity, arc, projectile speed are taken into account, before they aim, and—

BOOM.

denning attacks blade of justice with wyrm blast (range+)! roll: 12 + 4. autocrit! -5HP. blade of justice 5/10HP.

The bolt of magic soars, but flies true— Striking the shade of that plucky boy with a burst of thunder, lightning. Flight path shakes, spirals downwards, before recovering again.

seal mov activates! blade of justice is inflicted with taunt (denning). blade of justice cannot counterattack!

Even from the distance, lifeless grey eyes bore into golden ones with empty ire. Good. She has his attention.

❛ 𝐈 𝐀𝐦 𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 ❜

TOA Summer Arena 2024, Team 6 — Gold Round