#ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧��∗ ❛⠀ 、 𝒊𝒄. ੈ‧₊୭ watch me go !

[sorcerese]

Sleep offers little respite against the pains of the waking world. You drift off, and always you feel as though you are being scrutinized, but when you drift back into consciousness, the feeling fades, not unlike the coming and going of the tide.

One restless night, you are at last approached by The Watcher.

"You have a decision to make."

A feast materializes before you. You can smell it, can nearly taste it, you can feel the warmth and care put into every bite.

You already know, whatever the decision ahead, you can only choose one.

You taste ash on your tongue.

There is something you can't do without.

Will you starve, or will you succumb to a life devoid of the world's many little gifts? Will you go on, knowing all paths lead to the same, bland end?

yesterday’s dust falls out of the sky as silver on her eyelids : blink it away or don’t/undo the silence or don’t/hold your breath. blink once. no, twice. " what? " a raspy yawn draws out her voice. her vision blurred by the feathering ends of her lashes. what a sick joke. " are you serious? what kind of dung-filled choice is that? " she spits out a scoff as her other arm slings over her head, stretching herself out.

what else would you expect ? would she really let them fill her life with saltwater dreams and a sink full of lemons? ... not that she never understood those kinds of phrases in the first place — it felt like she speaking in only abstract. a foreign concept of sorts. ashes. it's unfamiliar to her ears / was this some sort of roundabout threat? she smirks.

it whispered back in her rosé - stuffed ears ; a lack of words formed and collapsed. " hah... " a laugh that dried up like desert rose. surely, it's not literal. even if it was did it even matter anymore. it pissed her off enough that one would unjustly pin a sort of conviction to her throat without a decent trial. if praying for an ambitious and fruitful life was a sin then so be it, she'll become one with the flames that she once wielded.

" who are you to say where my paths lead? i can step off the beaten paths that you'd think i'd take. or what if i never took them in the first place... " she clicks her tongue as her tone shifted with bitterness pressing against her tongue. " as a matter of fact, that's what i've always done. i'll do as i please, however i please. i don't have to follow anything or anyone. nor do i plan on EVER changing that. " she declares, clearly caught between two of the seven cardinal sins. wrath and pride vied for attention and it took a moment to remember which she needed more. the bites of scarlet deepening her already torn and dry lips. becomes too unbearable to dismiss. the emotions spread wider through her lungs growing from her ribs and coiling around her heart.

" you aren't in a position to tell me what i can and can't do, after all, you're not god. hells, even if you say you are, i don't have to believe it. you have no say in what my life will bring. if my dead gods couldn't influence me with all their power then neither can you. " the mage sticks out her tongue and pulls her eyelids down. " so, even if this was real and not a figment of my super duper tired imagination, i would rather starve than listen to whatever bullplop you're tainting my ears with, so kindly go away before i beat the living daylight out of you myself. " the mage sticks out her tongue and pulls her eyelids downwards before walking off with little to no care left in her.

[sorcerese]

" are you okay? i didn't get a good look at it myself either... everything happened so quickly. " delthea softly pats lianna's back as they both try to calm down as quickly as possible.

delthea watches as lianna scrambles to gather their things and she quickly follows in suit. picking up her things and nods while staring at the surface of the water again. " mhm, i agree let's get out here. i don't think i can stand being here for another minute. " she's dying to get out of here as well, much to aphaea's dismay.

" aww, but i still wanted to play…. " the mage shakes her head and crosses her fingers into an x-shape. " nope! sorry, kid. iiiiiiiiiiii reaaaaaaaaaaallly don't care we are not playing around this time aphaea, pack it up girly. we're going home. " with a sigh, they walk back to the rest of the group. hopefully, this would be enough....

THREAD END.

Watering Down the Task || Team Pi

[sorcerese]

28. A memory that strains a relationship

              petals cast aloft . "  will you "  ━━━  when i'm gone ━━━  " remember me  ? "      spring ended with those words, or at least how she knew it to be true. their spring that bloomed into their bloodstained hands, their unseen scars under layers of flesh like seeds of harvest, flames of war that set the pastures of their minds and hearts ablaze; that was their spring. it was broken and smelted into coals; a fuel to strive for a better life. he caressed her chestnut locks that seemed matted with gore and splitting at the ends, its been a long couple of months.

he frowns. adjusting her ribbon for her, brushing off the dust and ashes. he breaks as she sees her rather blank expression. then suddenly, she felt soft and warm as he held her in his arms. her heart sank in that embrace.  to him she was fragile. as if he already knew she was broken, hateful, and over it all. not that she fully believed that herself. but, delthea knew what he's thinking as he held her in his arms. 'oh, he should've just taken her home after rescuing her and how he should've denied her from joining' and all the other crap he can't stop whining about. her lungs chokes on air as if it were bitter herbs to swallow; saltwater tears threaten her. she chokes it back. a slight jump as luthier sighs next to her. his voice is closer than she's used to, she grips onto the sides of his cape; almost scared to touch him.

 “   i worry about you, delthea. i'm not sure how you'll hold up after this.  ”     he says, patting her head once again this time more gentle than the last. she freezes as he consoles her. but... she can't take it anymore it hurts her heart, she didn't need this kind of treatment and decides to push herself away from his embrace. with furrowed eyebrows and a worried smile carve its marks upon her expressions and caresses the side of his cheeks.  the hold on his face became more violent as she pulled on his cheeks. he sucks his teeth in pain.  a stifled chuckle breaks the rhythm of her teary stacatto breathing  /  concern washed over her palms but a sense of understanding stung their hearts like static electricity. they have survived too much to not indulge themselves in this :   him ,   saying things she knew were not the complete truth but instead pretty falsities   /   her ,   willing  to  believe  because  it  is  better ��than  denying .   how    heartfelt   /    heartless .  she released the grip on his cheeks as he whined about the sudden tug. 

  “   you're so annoying.  ”   a calm steady sigh shakes her ribs, as her eyes roll back.  they had their insecurities.  she  knew  of  those streaks of inferiority he had  /  striking  down  at  the  oddest  moments  of  changes .  whether  it  was  good  or  bad  results .  the  feeling of not being worth it .  not being worthy of anything .  but  nothing  can  ever  fix  that :   she  knew  it .  she  chose  to  paint  it  over  with  white  ink  instead  of  black.  despite feeling no real need to keep her own innocence towards that matter but for luthier?   she  has  to  keep  it .  she wouldn’t be the same any other way.  she crosses her arms over her chest and puffs out in anger.     “   geez, can't you quit worrying about me and worry about yourself for once.  ”    or at the very least  pretend , she still had it.

she frowns and then attempts to smile but its not her usual one. &. he knows it. he grabs her shoulders and stares into her eyes as if trying to see the truth.   “   you know that's not what i meant, delthea.  ”    she slaps his hands off. maybe her lost innocence is harder to keep under wraps than she thought.  he visibly looks distraught at her actions, but she can't look away.

 “   then what do you mean luthier?  do you plan on just wasting your life, just to take care of me?!  what more can you do for me? ”   it's bitter, so damn bitter. his face contorted in regret and worry. she forces herself to look away hands up to her forehead. the girl laughs and shakes her head.    “   hah, is this guilt?   ”    

he pleaded. he was mournful, like holding onto the lingering of someone's presence.     “   delthea, please... please just calm down... can you listen to me?   ”    he says, reaching out but not daring to touch her. head or heart : which was prone to collapse first ? it weighs on her eyelids , his voice all too irritating to bear .

    “   NO... i don't want to. do you realize all you do is repeat yourself like something's broken inside of you. all you do is say the same things over and over again. it pisses me off,  why can't you just do what you want, luthier? you always sacrifice what you want for me... and what you don't seem to understand is that i'll be fine.  can you please just forget about mom and that crappy promise you made, i'll be fine on my own. i'm strong enough for you not to worry.   ”    

she lowers her head no longer having the confidence to look at him.    “   i think i rather be alone, anyway.   ”      ━━━  what a filthy lie you just said, delthea. 

 he nods and turns his back on her, she shrinks into her arms, withdrawn at last.     “   its not just that... ah but, fine.   ”    he notes whilst letting out a heavy exhale.      “   have it your way delthea, i'll leave. i'll do what i want. i pray you'll forgive me when i return.   ”    she scoffs, but its not as strong, her voice shakes and he refuses to turn around. praying he couldn't tell, but it was pointless they knew exactly how each other felt. she laughed but it was broken up by hiccups her throat threatening to cry.

   “   suureee, you'll chicken out anyway. i'll see you at home in a few months, lu.   ”    if only she knew. she would've never said that. “  then, goodbye, delthea. i'll see you one day.  ”   oh, lu you're such a liar.

thus, summer was forgotten. &. all that was left was nothing but the death of autumn.

[sorcerese]

31. Writer’s choice

   ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 # 17 ;  memory of someone who is deceased .

    " THAT'S ENOUGH, DELTHEA. "   he yelled as his fist slamed the shabby desk,      it rattles under his fist like a old wooden coffin with nothing in it but dust and old memories, not a single thing has been moved on that desk for as long as she could remember. that was until she had moved something... and it had broke. but, to her... his reaction made no sense. the only thing he told her about that desk was that it belonged to the person who loved them more than anyone in the world and she was the kindest person he's ever seen. she could assume who it was but why did he never say more than that to her. he treated it like a sacred promise; as if to protect her from feeling the pain he did. her brother lowers his head even further as his hand was placed over the broken frame. she reaches out to his hand as he just put his hand on the shattered glass, not even flinching from the pain, his blood spills all over the shards and desk. she attempts to grab his hand only to be shaken off, the girl bites her lip in annoyance. what a pain.  he closes his eyes and speaks once more.  " ...not that i'd expect you to remember. "  

she furrowed her eyebrows at him, what the hell did that mean? maybe if he'd quit hiding things from her it would've never come to this. if it was so precious then why did he leave the desk to rot? why...? ...why was he angry at her? the girl just thought he'd be happy for her. she just wanted to help clean for once, albeit it was by mistake but she did break something. his stature shook underneath his arms; slowly one arm lifts to his face hands against palm, he shakes like lamb taking hold of the picture within broken frame, scared and fragile. she doesn't say a word, just stares at the man who's collapsing in front of her. the girl gently grabs his arm, his hand bloodied and bruised, it was the only thing that kept him steady; her touch made him fall to his knees. she falls down with him to the wooden floor and tears run down his face.

her lips part slightly at the sight it was unfamiliar, he's never cried in front of her much less yell at her in this manner. she leans forward and buries her face in his chest and lets herself cry into him as he gripped her like she'd fade away if he didn't. her brother sobbed out apologies and whispered their mother's name as he held her tightly in his arms staining her hair with his blood. she didn't have the heart to tell him to stop, only managing to whimper out a few sets of tear-mangled words.   " .... lu,  i'm sorrry... i-i can't... i didn't know… i don’t...hck- remember her voice. "    she curls into him further as they both cry next to the legs of the old desk, it is an intricate thing, to imagine — how their lives used to burn, impossibly bright and immense, once, they were. now, they are carelessly tangible. compressed within their bones. extinguished, they survived. they separated their pain from their spine and learn to love the solitude they so desperately had to become.   " ... m-mom... i'm sorry i-i can't remember... "  the child said as she cries into a distant memory.

[sorcerese]

13! :0)

   ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 # 13 ; memory of a friend  ?

      “ i’m not so good at the  ‘ words ’   thing, ”    says the boy who didn't like small talk or energetic people. his voice breaks their silence.  she scoffs and breaks her cookie in half and hands him the other half.     “ i know . ”    says the girl who loves words and conversation more than anyone, to the boy. but, that was his lie.  it’s not what he meant. to him, words are easy, woven syllables in a inked tapestry. what he meant that the truth is not as easy. neither were emotions are not as easy.  but he'd never admit it, and what did she know? to him, she was just some overly hyper kid. to everyone, she can't be perceptive at her age but of course. what would she know?  not like it mattered, she doesn't bother trying to intervene.

the girl who loved words, idly thought as she raises her book up to the sun. inked cursives now turning impossible to comprehend by the afternoon's phosphene. she closes her eyes as she slowly tosses herself into the grassy terrain eyes closes and book over her chest.  “ i'm not your friend because i want you to talk to me, if i wanted someone to talk to me i'd talk to alm, clair, or lu... ”  the other mage nods, he's acknowledging where she's going with this. sometimes, she just likes the silence or the one off comment, it's easier for her to concentrate on the task at hand.    “ i need someone other than my brother to talk about battle stuff with and you're my only other option here other than silque but she uses white magicks... which honestly bores me to use. oh and she scares me for some reason. ”  he snorts at her side comments before flipping the page of his tome, not even sparing a glance at her.  “ so, does that mean i'm your last choice? you know that's quite rude of you, delthea. ”  the girl rolls her eyes and nudges him with her elbow, not returning a glance either.   

“ don't be stupid, kliff. i just said you're the fourth to last, clive is obviously my first priority. ”  says the girl once more who loved the comfort of empty words that placed her wishes on the down-soft wings of dandelion seeds. she hand out her wishes and watch them fly away to lands she may never see. how ironic to wish for any kind of permanence on something so fleeting. how strange to whisper our secrets to things we will never see again. truly something so insignificant, that only a kid would do it.  

“  you should be honored to hold that position, i'm like the goddess of victory in this freaking makeshift army.  ”  the boy who avoided anything having to do with other's emotions finally looked at her with clear concern and sighs as he puts his book down.   “ you shouldn't be proud of that. ”   says the boy who didn't take part in emotional conversations says to the girl with a rather scolding tone. she flinches for a second before dragging the book to her face hiding her pained expression she shift to the side not wanting him to see her.   “  i know.  ”    says the girl who was so scared of herself that she found comfort in the lies.   “ ... trust me, i know.  ” 

[sorcerese]

yeah no, this was just creepy... whoever liked playing treasure hunt with dead people's things seriously needs to go to church or something for crying out loud, that's just really gross!! get a new hobby!! if they're gutsy enough to pillage near the monastery and playing with maggots and dirt, she's got a real nutcase to deal with this time around.

aside from the task being quite lackluster for her taste... she wasn't super scared... eh, maybe a wee bit spooked. a stale breeze passes by as the mage pulls her cape to the front embracing the fabric as if it'd save her from a harrowing specter. normally, she wouldn't be scared of unholy or undead things... after all, she knew how to cast seraphim but that was back home where magic felt more natural and different than here in fódlan and nor did she have even have access to that one... yet... god maybe she really should consider her options before full booking into black magic or whatever they called it here. but that's hardly the important part of all this. like seriously who would EVER willingly would hang out at a graveyard??? definitely not her that's for sure.

fingers claw further into the cape's threading, her steps were cautious— or for lack of better words; eyes glued to the ground. carefully. not wanting to step on rotting bouquets or old tombstone rubble as she murmured prayers to her withered & dead god. something she picked up from a certain priestess. a simple plea that she didn't have to run into any zombies or rats. her teeth clench as she hisses curses under her breath when the gale grows ever stronger.

" ihatethisihatethisihatethis.... I HATE THIS. oh, sweet lady mila, i know i haven't been your best follower but please please PLEASE... if you can spare me some sort of holy blessing i'd really appreciate it right abouttt noww—— EEK! "

a loud bang rings in her ears as delthea slaps her hand over her mouth catching the scream that shriveled up her spine. the girl flips the cape over her head and drops to her knees. that was totally a rat wasn't it...? it had to be there was no one here except for her! oh ignorance is bliss indeed. a whine quivers on her lips as she forces back tears. " ... man, this sucks so bad, i wanna go home... "

graverobber? i hardly know 'er!

[sorcerese]

29. A memory they can’t let themselves forget

' isn't she the one lord tatarrah...? the mage you've been seeking ? '        a voice whispered behind her, she turned. no one was behind her. was she imagining it? maybe. she continues her walk down the rolling hills to meet up with her brother. every step she took felt heavy and sluggish her legs collapsed under her like a newborn fawn. she struggled to breath like she was under marsh; bogged down by the mud and murky water, amber hues lift their gaze towards the bottom of the hill where her brother's surprisingly broad back was turn to her; she choked on her own breath and stretched out towards him every vocal cord wanting to scream ' brother, help! '  but they never made a sound like a broken harp it was hollow and empty. she wheeze out a pained dream as she fell into what seemed like a deep slumber, a narrative waste of dark and gloom.

                                        ' DELTHEA !! '       she clutches her head  ... b-brother.... god, why the hell is he soooo loud this time, she already did chores what more does he want... quit yelling my name, geez!  she groans as fleshy curtains finally draw open from her forced slumber, she blinks slowly as the faces of her battle-worn brother and his newfound allies come into view. she blinks her eyes shut again, wincing in pain. her head was still pounding so loudly. she finally opened her eyes up still shaky in vision and what felt like the taste of regret a poison on the roof of her mouth. the thoughts filled her head like honey-doused poison. she began to look around and regret after seeing the field ablaze; the broken lattice of magic circles that she only known to be hers. the child nearly begins to cry. did she do that? was this her so called talent? and what for she never asked for this. she realized that she had always been an awkward combination of ' why did i say that? '  -   '  why didn't i listen to brother? ' -   'why didn’t i say something?'  -  'i'm bored.' but never said anything like ' i’m too scared to properly learn how to live.'   so this is what brother was scared of. the girl understood now after so many years. she grew so tired of hiding, of saying no to any new opportunity because they were afraid of where it will take her.

to think something like this unknown torture; to her that this so-called 'slumber' would fear set her on a road and anxiety ensured that she’d never have to experience that again. they explained the situation much to her dismay. she gritted her teeth in annoyance. she didn't want to hear it. saltwater tears stings behind her eyes, she didn't wish to remember. she rather suffer the memory loss, she couldn't stand it. she stuck out her tongue and rubbed her hands against her arms, pretending to brush off goosebumps. " ugh, EWWW ! are you serious what a creep...! " delthea says with annoyance and disgust; attempting to play it off like she wasn't too affected by it. the mage dug her nails into her palm as she spoke, taking everything in her to not break down in front of everyone. ' that would be too damn embarrassing they won't take me with them if they just think i'm a whiny child who cries at anything. i'm too scared to be on my own anymore... ' is what she thought in the moment where she saw the priest tending to the wounded. she decided to lie to herself. to lie to everyone else as well. to lie to her own brother. that was the only conclusion she had in order to have the strength to change course and since then she's following that bastardisation of true north ever since. so, she took the future king's hand with one foot forward and a smile so bright that it melted those awful thoughts. she turns to lu and grins ear to ear after bubbling up into a giggle.   "  i'm sorry i worried you, lu... good thing you had help from the deliverance, right?  thanks for helping us, so if lu is sticking with you guys, i get to come too, right? trust me, i'll give your all enemies a run for their money! " 

[sorcerese]

4. A memory of a sibling

    early mornings and warm breakfast on the old wooden table ,       a brother who was always pulled the sheets off her legs every morning, despite her complaints and yelling. his voice echoed & repeated itself like a rooster every morning for her to wake up, she would toss into the corner of her bed and just yell  ' can you SHUT UP ?! '  from across the small house. they called this typical sibling affections. affection and love was something she didn't understand. as delthea doesn't never what love is; or at least no one can give her a consistent definition.

every time she asked it was always something different. one morning when she asked her brother, he didn't say anything for a moment, his usual reply was   '  you're too young to even think about it, young lady '   now that one usually made her angry and toss a flurry of kicks and punches at his back and legs.  sometimes, he'd reply with a crestfallen expression and slightly different inhale and strength of the exhale. he'll stare at the empty desk down the hall that was collecting dust and say  ' love is when you worry for someone so much with every breath they take that when they're gone you'll feel hollow and alone, like something is missing.'  just before patting her on the head and retiring to his room. then, again one morning when she asked again. but this time he rolled his eyes at her and bluntly said  ‘ love is the reason i haven't killed you yet for leaving dirty socks on the floor every day, delthea.’  while brushing the knots out of her unruly bedhead hair gently and putting up into her usual ponytail for her, she laughed while saying ' awww, c'mon lu! cut me some slack, my training is rough ya know oW— OOOWWW! LU THAT HURT!! ' she cries out raising her fists in the air as he angrily tightened the ribbon before putting his hands on her shoulders and sighing out her name in annoyance and telling her he's done fixing her hair.

now, that was her usual lu... she touches her ribbon and opens her eyes. her reveries come to an end as she sees her own reflection sitting in her dorm room. the young girl tightens it herself. it wasn't nearly as neat or proper as how luthier would do it... but, for now it'll do, she says as she smiles at her reflection once more before taking her leave. maybe she'll find him today, she silently hopes to herself touching the beaded bracelet on her wrist.

[sorcerese]

  ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 hopeful curiosity !   (  + one ,  any skill !  )

              these mice had more chivalry than she ever  will ,         but aiding them in their honorable pursuit of defending their home was something she could support. although, still a bit baffled by her new super small stature, as if she wasn't short enough as it is... but oh well, free food was too good to not deny. she'll never go back to eating flour.  never . ever .  again .  one could believe that she had developed some sort of sitariphobia over the years. well, times were rough but raw flour was too cruel of a fate for a sweet young girl like her, one could sob if she ever brought up the stories... but she'll save alm some face, this time.  speaking of royals, she turns her gaze over her shoulder to stare at the royal next to her. was she a princess? she looked fancy, nice, and pretty enough to be one... eh         “    eirika, was it? crazy question but  do you think mice can learn magick?   ”   she murmurs as she examines the stick in her hand, visually frustrated at how it seemed too big for it to be usable.     “  if my brother is capable of magick then i'm pretty sure they can do it... but hmm that would take too long and too dangerous...  ”    delthea laughs at the thought of magick flinging mice running around the schoolyard as she grabs another twig in front of her. she nods upon examining the twig. this certainly was a fine twig, perfect for wacking a mice or two. she takes a step back and takes a brief stance and swinging the stick once or twice before giggling to herself once again, maybe the priestess training did pull through in moments like this.    “   i'm okaaaaaay with a blade but nothing to write home about... plus, this is a stick so i don't think it'd work out well for me... maybe you can teach them better than i can.  ”    she points at the tiny-fied sword in her scabbard and frowning a bit at the mere thought of accidently killing a enemy mice.   “   i don't reccommend using that though, just scaring the other mice should be enough, i don't wanna see mice commiting bloodshed.  ”  

ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 starter for @ladyoflunes !

[sorcerese]

" uhmmm... i think so! " she brushes off the dust that tickled her nose. " aCHOO! " ah yes, to no avail, she sneezes off to the side barely avoiding an unsanitary situation. after winding down from the sneeze she quickly whines and jabs into his side with her elbow. " hey! don't brush it off so quickly... you're kicking up all the dust. " she grabs her cape and flips it over her mouth.

" huh??? noble ladies baking? nah, i don't think that'd be up their alley. don't they do like embroidery or whatever? " delthea cuts in, not really noticing the way he was indulging his reveries. fingers looking through the various compartments and drawers. how curious, everything seemed well-used for the most part or at least it looked like it was... well, she doesn't even know what half of these things do. better to bring that up now rather than later. " oh. fair warning , my brother did all the cooking back home... i helped him out here and there but it didn't look too hard. "

roll , 1d10 ! -> result : 1 success ... +1 !

" what about these? i like peaches. " a grin paired with her hands holding up the velvety soft skin of the fruit to the knight. " oooh, maybe we should get apples too!! apples are good. " the mage nods happily as she pushes it onto the countertop. " what do you think, chef ? "

✢⁎. a far cry from flour

Roll 1d10 for every post after your starter. Starting with your third post (including your starter), with every other post, add +1 to your d10 +1 counter resets after +5 1-8: +1 food (your choice of plant, insect, fish, or otherwise) 9-10+: ping key

[sorcerese]

   ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 sunshower !

              her vision hazes under the phosphene of  rain  &  sunlight ,         what a stupidly nonsensical weather pattern. a super dumb and weird meteorological phenomenon that was far too unlikely to be common. the mage draws out a long winded sigh. someone else matches her sigh at nearly the exact time, she jumps in mid-step, slightly startled. she starts looking down the corridor seeing she isn't the only one fooled by the weather as just a few steps away there was a swordsman arms crossed over his chest; clearly not liking the weather.  delthea tilts her head and squints as she sticks her hand to see if her eyes weren't just playing tricks on her.       “   uuuuggggghhh ew, it really is raining.   ”   she murmurs to herself before shifting her gaze to the sellsword still looking at the blazing sun between the heavy rain.     “    doesn't the sparring hall have an open rooftop or something like that? that's gotta suck for you.   ”    delthea frowns and unconsciously matches the other's stance; arms crossed over her chest.    “   mmmm well now that i think about it..... it sucks for me too honestly. fire magicks in the rain feel so much weaker.  ”    a sharp exhale rattles once again in her lungs, looking over at her companion in suffering. she noticed he looked rather familiar but the sorceress couldn't pinpoint it... well it wouldn't hurt to ask, right?   “   oh, i'm delthea, by the way!  sorry if this sounds odd but im not good with names, but i do know faces. have i met you somewhere before ?  ”  

ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 starter for @valenties!

[sorcerese]

  ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 let me close my eyes in peace...

              in deafening silence, nose-deep in serifs, inks, chalk dust, and aged parchments...        she stares at the loose pages in front of her; squinting ever so harshly at the questions and back at the tome before her the words became blurry after the intense showdown.  the mental warfare of lecture after lecture from five in the morning to almost five in the evening,  like a grueling work life of a farmer except she would rather die than work this hard.  there she sat completely lost at whatever the hell in mila's and duma's name the words on the paper were supposed to say anymore. words turned to mush under her half-lidded eyes and drowsiness as her head drastically slumps. the youth clutches her head fingers filled with hazels and sepia locks as her finger ruin her neat ponytail and roughly massaging her temples. she stops and jolts out of her seat staring down the professor who was quietly reading next to the chalkboard.

                “   hey, um professor—  ”   she whispers rather loudly as she waves him over.     “  what if i told you that this assignment was really pointless for my career choice, and much simpler if you'd let me use magic to do this for me...  ”    delthea grumbles as she waves the paper in her hand and smacking it against her nails, with a dead look in her eyes. she was completely serious, its not like using magic was cheating... maybe?  “   then you deem it unworthy of my time and just simply let me never do homework for your class again and i don't have to wake up at ungodly hours just to attend anymore lectures. so, reason being that i can utlimately take a nap.  ”    she smiles at the instructor with utmost confidence that he would totally take her advice. who are you kidding?!  that's totally not happening this professor seems annoyingly strict with his regimen but a girl can dream! yeah.... she sure can dream... speaking of dream, is she currently dreaming or is she seriously saying all this to her professor. her dorm's bedding sounds like the closest thing to heaven she'll ever touch, and she smacked a crazy remants of a god before, oh yeah... rest in peace to him, i guess?  man, rest sounds really nice right now.     “  — or crazy idea, we can boycott early morning lectures and i'll promise you that my sanity— i mean my productive value would increase by tenfolds.  thus, making your classes later and not having to wake up until mid to early afternoons. sounds like bliss, honestly.  ”    the mage struggles to keep her delusional smirk under wraps as she wagers an even more outrageous bargain. the only sane thought in her mind was how fast she'd be kicked into the detention hall after she's done talking, because in the middle of all this talking she accidently smacked the paper against her hand and yep, thats a paper cut... and yes, she is bleeding. so unfortunately for the prodigy mage, she's completely awake.

ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 starter for @goldoanheart !

[sorcerese]

   ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 ennui !

              it's all so mundane... when did she get tired of it  ?      when did she actually complain about quiet sunny days. she can't remember, but she knows the reason— it's not a good reason but one that was good enough to be one. she flops on the ground and closes her eyes against the spotty shade of the old oak tree, placing her arm over her face. she's still but only for a moment as her lips curl into each other and begins pouting.  the girl kicks her feet in the air like a silent tantrum, one arm reaches out as if to catch the light, then it flops back to her side. obviously failing; she throws her head back and letting out a frustrated groan into the gentle wind.   “   argh....... i'm boooooooooooooreddddddddddddd !!   ”   complaints finally vocalized, making her tantrum very audible. eyes shut once more both of palms slamming against her eyes and dragging them down to her cheeks. she never thought she's say it but weekends were so boring here, it's not like she can go visit home for a day or two. delthea rocks back and forth on the ground using her shoulders as it's balance. 

  “   this sucks !  i'm waaay too bored. there's no one to prank, no one to annoy without potentially getting my head chopped off or worse! like being chewed out by the knights or professors.... again...  ”   she sighs rather dramatically. the mage pauses and thinks about the worst that could happen. she gets mild chills upon thought then came to a conclusion. if it does hit rock-bottom, it wouldn't be awful if her head gets lobbed off. at best, she doesn't have to get lectured for 4 hours in a detention hall... or maybe, she should cut back on the troublemaking... but then that wouldn't fun now would it? mhm, yeah, no way.

ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 starter for @astrasword !

[sorcerese]

anything is better than raw flour. literally anything. delthea would do anything that isn't subjected to consuming flour of all things, it honestly traumatized her for years. when it came down to practical life skills, she didn't mind hunting, fishing, or foraging, as a matter of fact it was something rather common for her and luthier back in her village.

normally people would assume that just because they came from a bloodline has value in the arcane that it'd be backed by some kind of coin or heirloom or whatever but no, it was complete bullplop. her ancestors just hid their cool awesome powers like total idiots leaving them nothing short of poverty and a bunch of stupid tomes that had no real use anymore. but oh well, whatever that's a whole other history book she rather not think about right now.

she follows behind him not too far or close, she looks at the mouth of the cave. another damn cave. man, this is getting so old, very quickly. with his warning heard she nods and begins to watch their steps.

" gotcha. " she grins, giving out a half-hearted salute. she turns to the other one and lets him step between them, silently nodding back. " i'll watch your back this time around, misters. "

roll , 1d10 ! -> result : 8 success ... +1 insect !

" oh, hey look! hey, hey, phorycs, soren ! do you think this one is edible? " delthea grins, showing an insect she pulled off the wall. honestly it looked kinda strange and morally felt wrong to think about eating it but as long as it wasn't flour, it'd be fine.

A Bad Solution to a Worse Problem [Delthea & Soren]

[sorcerese]

   ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 insufferably lethargic !

              “   hmm maybe if this did.... no, or maybe? mhm.. argh, yeah nope this won't do either.   ”    she loudly pops her words before smacking her face into the tome, instantaneously whincing in pain at the impact being a lot more painful than she expected. she lets out a soft whimper before sinking further into her chair. as usual she's complaining. she gently rubs her face as pain pricks her nerves whilst a pained growl strangled behind tightly gritted teeth and curls up into the palms of her hands, it was soooooooooo tedious. the work, the lectures, the exams. everything but the practical exams were just flat out a pain to deal with, don't get things twisted though. delthea likes the academy but sometimes it was just annoying when everyone instantly treats her like a kid ( which isn't entirely true )  during anything combat or sparring related. she knew she was good at what she does. she was decently good with a sword, extremely skilled at magic, good reflexes & agile to boot as well so why did they stress things that aren't as important when her skill makes up for her age. adults are so dumb. honestly, she was convinced that they give her more work  ( also isn't true )  in order to keep her off the field. not that she can blame them, all she does it whine and complain like someone her age...but isn't that ok? she's allowed that much at least.

amber hues lower onto the page, pen that was casted aside on the table was finally picked up idly drawing on the corners of the loose page. a little angry cat was drawn, poorly drawn but still cute.    “   screw it, i just won't do it.    ”   the girl loudly groaned in annoyance as she slaps the book closed and casting aside the fountain pen once again, completely forgetting she was in the library. the mage's eyes fixated on the hardcover and sighs, running her hands down her face, sinking into her seat simultaneously.    “   honestly, just do i look like a potential government official to these people??  why do they give me twice the amount of work than my other classmates do?!? i'm not even sixteen for crying out loud!!  ”    she hisses under her breath the words still louder and more strained than she anticipated. she dips herself even further until her feet collides with another's leg. she jumps back up properly into her chair. she smiles but it's forced. the prodigy definitely wasn't equipped to deal with nobles today.   “   oh sorry i didn't see you there... as you can see... i'm just a liiiittle bit pissed off.  i hope you can forgive me for accidently kicking your leg, i just don't understand all this bullplop about political affairs and whatever.   ”  

ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、 starter for @solarsbrace !

[sorcerese]

“   as long as we’re living and breathing, there’s more we can do.  we just have to be strong enough.   ”

  ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、    the  expanse  prompts. 

              the air was rather suffocating, for delthea, that is...         she didn't like dealing with big shots, not for any particular reason. she just didn't know how to talk to them for royals she was always told to act carefully; one wrong word and it’s either a maid for life or threatened at the gallows or whatever the villagers told her. she only really met the princess-queen once and it was in a battlefield which needless to say its not the best situation, but the girl has never spoken to her all that much aside from a general introduction. although she didn't know much about celica. her talent in magicks was interesting to sum it up but, what in the world is she trying to get at?  was delthea's effort not enough? didn't she already throw her life on the line for this peace they have now? didn't they survive and raised the flag of victory? what more does she have left to endure? how much more did life want to take from them? it was exhausting. she thought. no human can live this annoyingly on edge. when there is rest, one must rest... but celica seemed to not know how to pull the reins her life.  it's heartbreaking to watch, the mage's head began to ache as if she didn't want part of this anymore.     “  you say that but there's a limit to everything,   ”   she locks eyes with her fellow mage before leaning against her knuckles and lazily flipping through the plethora of scripts against parchment; like a idle distraction from her more unfiltered thoughts. 

   “  we can't just keep stubbornly hit our heads against the gates of the garrison's for one small victory, that's like asking for a quick grave and i'm not stupid enough to keep run myself ragged for things out of my reach.  ”      the youth smiles at her rather somberly and flips the page of the anthology. praying mentally that she got some kind of message across but the second that the words 'strong enough'  fell off her lips. delthea bit her lip; knuckles turning bone white as her palms turned red. ' what a stubborn queen our land has '  she thought as she flips another page with more strength than the last. 

     “  i am... no...  WE  are far too young for the things we did. yeah, of course!  there is merit, justice, and.... honor.... and destiny or whatever other bullplop our beloved corrupted gods laid on our laps and called it our fate.  ”   her voice grew a bit quieter; laced with pity and anger; as her hands grip around the books spine as it tightens enough to shut it closed rather violently, delthea turns away from the royal. she's thought about it, many times. to discard the use of magic, to discard memories, trauma, pain. but, if she did all that she'd lose more than she's already have.   “  tsk... honestly, do you even hear yourself, you also shouldn't have to keep pushing this stupidly hard. it's so stupid ...  being 'strong enough'  never helps anyone  OR  anything. we've lost more things than gained. ok sure, we saved people in the long run, but... think about it... my village, alm's village.... every village, fields, soldiers, royals, priest, people... and i'm just a KID, my lady.  i just wanted to cherish my moments with my family, play around, have crushes on cute guys, have a fun time but i can't anymore. so here we are, lady celica.  ”    

the prodigy raises from her seat, pushing the book away from her. she begins walking towards the door. her steps come to a halt as her hand lightly brushes against the handle. she lets it go and turns back for a moment.      “  so please, don't encourage me to do more when i've done ENOUGH.... enough for my age, celica, so have you. we're done with our troubles, let it rest... just like mila's teaching. you were in the clergy right? 'let all those on this soil, return to the earth mother.' or so it goes, so let it die ━━ your majesty.  ”