#DIRYRJA

[ivalatona]

The Curse of Providence

Saint Seiros has come to town! Yep, you heard right. While Garreg Mach’s seen its fair share of impostors in the past, none so far have had the gall to impersonate the church’s founder herself. Whoever this lady is, she at the very least looks and sounds the part - she bears a striking beauty beyond words, and a commanding presence to go along with it. Is she here to stage a coup? Or maybe she’s just after the church-sanctioned taxes… Whatever the case, you need to land this broad and her impressively large following in jail like right this second. [Grants Faith +1]

“--which is exactly why this wretched hoax cannot be allowed to stand! It goes against the holy principals of justice and truth! As a princess of the light, I intend to do all I that I must to bring this sinner to the fate they deserve!” Starting in medias res, L’Arachel and Letizia are walking-and-talking on their way to face the false Saint Seiros. Although, to say Letizia has done much of the talking is a great overstatement. For nearly the entire trip, L’Arachel had been blabbing her mouth about all sorts of menial things: divine law, noble quests, saintly duties, the inescapable torture that heretics are bound for, and all manner of ego-boosting proclamations. 

For a woman like Letizia, it might’ve been a lot to listen to.

But alas! She doesn’t have much of a choice. The two had been paired together long before L’Arachel began ranting. 

The only silver lining here is that the Rausten girl is so fired up she manages to maintain a quickened pace. Her academy boots make fast clacks! against the pavement of the town, each step sounding angrier than the last. If that, and the snappy tone of her voice aren’t enough to get her mood across, then the fire in her eyes and sharp pull of her brow convey her feelings perfectly.

Names mean a lot to her, and identities even more. For someone to rob the character of another like it’s some cheap loaf of bread in a market is outrageous! L’Arachel Alba Amadeus plans to write her name into history in much the same way as Saint Seiros. If someone were to imitate her later on in life, she’d stop at nothing to have them purged--using the might of Rausten’s Sacred Twins if need be. So it only makes sense that she’d do the same here. By having a self-centered worldview, L’Arachel manages to show to some empathy and personally involve herself with the issues surrounding her school.

“Oh when I get my hands on her! I’ll give her a beatdown to remember.” Without warning, she retrieves the Recover staff from her hilt, swinging it wildly through the air to act out physically hitting this imposter, “Like this! and that! and that, and that, and that!” Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Each exaggerated syllable is another crack L’Arachel takes at her imaginary foe. She’s so invested in this little bout of live-action roleplaying that she doesn’t even realize they’ve reached the gathering of people.  

It’s only when she looks up from her healing instrument does she notice the flock of misguided sheep before them. The crowd is thick, from the looks of things, so it looks like they’ll have to do some pushing through to get to phony. 

“Ah, we’re here.” She finally turns to Letizia, twisting her grip on her staff like it’s a bat. “Letizia, was it? I hope you’re prepared to deliver this evildoer to justice! As one who has the pleasure of being paired with The Beautiful Princess of Peerless Beauty, you are not only working with me, but for me.” Her thumb sticks out at her own chest in delusional confidence, believing wholeheartedly that the other woman will simply bend the knee, “As such, you’ll follow my lead, and keep me safe should anything unruly come of this mission.”

With the way she so matter-of-factly states this message, it’s clear that L’Arachel is leaving no room for debate on that subject. In fact, if she were more familiar with Letizia, she would’ve already charged right into the fray--knowing and trusting that director would follow. 

@diryrja

[mockiatto]

❰❰ EMBRACE ❱❱ sender embraces receiver

She acts as if he is an old friend and they are reuniting after years apart with a smile that doesn't quite meet her eyes. Nails dig into his back, her embrace bordering on suffocating.

"You aren't supposed to be down here, you know."

He’d only stumbled upon the lower monastery level by accident. Rounding a corner with a broom and rather full dust pan in hand, he’d run into a woman who managed to make his life worse by the second.

Jakob grit his teeth and hissed. “I was only finding somewhere to put this trash, you hideous bat.”

Impulsively, perhaps not good for his longevity, he upturned the dust pan of loose dust, tiny rocks, and lint all down her back, tapping it on her upper back once for good measure.

“And now I’ll be on my way.”

[poweroverflowing]

“ I hate that Askran brat. Find out all you can. Go find out what Sharena is hiding. ”

"Understood! If you hate her, then she must be an opposition most unsavory. Rest assured, o splendiferous guide of mine, that her secrets shall be revealed! Like a thread passing effortlessly through the eye of a needle, these dark machinations shall be plucked from the guarded chamber in which they reside. Nothing gets past the Eye of Judgement possessed by Oberon Dark!"

"I am off! Should you require any more of me, you need not hesitate to ask."

[astraeden]

“ Aren’t you curious about that strange… dog-like man? Surely he has a wealth of secrets, he hardly speaks! Go find out what Volug is hiding. ”

WITH A CURIOUS NOD, lilith thinks back to the figure in question.  the man of little words yet a voice of founded confidence.  or, it is a virtue that lilith imagines.  she has yet to hear him talk.  letizia is correct, though.  volug is a hybrid... unless there is a different, more accurate term for it.  astral dragons wield the ability to speak without words, instead pushing their voice within the recipient’s mind.  it is an ability they utilize towards harmony with animals.  would it help her and volug interact properly?

even if not, godling wishes for the validation of someone else, someone outside of blood and valla’s honor   —   she nods to letizia’s command.  bowing her head slightly in respect, lilith ignores the feeling that twists in her chest at the familiarity of being under an order.   “   yes, ma’am.  i will try my best.   ”   and with that, she hovers out of the office, smoothing the front of her uniform with warm palms.

she cannot fail.  not again, not in a different continent.

[lalamines]

“ That haggard looking man… doesn’t he seem similar with some of the other Monastery residents? Go find out what Rajaion is hiding. ”

"Oh dear, haggard is a little mean, isn't it?" Mercedes says with a frown. She dearly hopes he is familiar with someone else here, as he stands he cuts a rather lonely looking figure.

"I'll go speak to him. A cup of warm tea and some sweet buns work wonders on anyone!"

[duskroine]

“ What an awful attitude! All that prickliness must conceal something. Go find out what Severa is hiding. ”

DETERMINATION PULLS AT the corners of his lips, pressing a bright smile into the bow of lips.  ophelia nods, hands behind his back as he leans forward in a slight bow.  intent on handing over whatever respect letizia ever so desires.   (   you cannot deny the powerful shift of atmosphere that occurred when your heels first led you into the office of silver and misfortune.  you are aware of her power but not of its lengths.   )

“   as you wish, o’ beloved sorceress!   ”   it is impossible to mistake the excitement in his tone as anything other than delight.   “   dusk is already familiar with the figure of secrecy you’ve presented, so this will be a wonderful task!  i refuse to disappoint you.   ”   and with that, ophelia turns on his heel and leaves the office   —   his cape swaying wildly as he passes through the doorway.

there are already inquiries that he holds for the woman in question; those of homeland aspects and flames branded into his arm.  this simply gives him the chance to approach these questions with flair!

[nohrslittleflower]

“ Such a youthful face, but his eyes are ancient. Go find out what Kurthnaga is hiding. ”

Kurthnaga? Elise frowns for a moment. Not out of anger or disappointment, but confusion. As far as she knows, she’s never met this person, so finding them may be hard. That’s probably the point of this game, though! Meeting new people is gonna be super fun, and she’s clearly great at this already. She’s already met one new friend, after all!

“Hmm… I don’t know who that is, but I’ll do my best! You can count on Elise! Hehe, this is gonna be fun!”

[odsfinest]

“ She certainly doesn’t know when to shut up. This will be an easy assignment, no? Perhaps you could get more than one secret out of her. Go find out what L’Arachel is hiding. ”

"Just because they talk more than others doesn't mean they'll easily let go of secrets," he reminds. "But I'll see what I can do."

Weaseling others out of their secrets wasn’t something that he often found necessary, there was a point to this little class. Being raised as a soldier often meant doing things that weren’t always pretty or noble, and lying to gain information was just one of those truths. 

It wasn’t what he found himself doing regularly, but perhaps learning would be a useful skill.

[radiantpriamos]

“ What a serious face! It might take some effort to get him to speak… but whatever you do, I do not want to know where he cuts his hair. Go find out what Andrei is hiding. ”

Priam thought it was a lance class.

But… he also wasn’t about to lose to anyone or quit.

“Andrei? Sure.” They’d been through some things together, and Priam had always wanted to touch base. Wouldn’t be that hard to go out for a spar or a drink. He already knew Andrei was an archer, so what more would anyone need about an enemy?

Eh, whatever. This instructor seemed pretty dramatic. He grinned and clapped her on the shoulder— she needed to loosen up.

“Leave it to me!”

[concealedbybreeze]

Liar Liar

Saint Seiros has come to town! Yep, you heard right. While Garreg Mach’s seen its fair share of impostors in the past, none so far have had the gall to impersonate the church’s founder herself. Whoever this lady is, she at the very least looks and sounds the part - she bears a striking beauty beyond words, and a commanding presence to go along with it. Is she here to stage a coup? Or maybe she’s just after the church-sanctioned taxes… Whatever the case, you need to land this broad and her impressively large following in jail like right this second. [Grants Faith +1]

Another day, another mission. Lewyn had looked upon this request like any other, but when he read its contents, he was left in disbelief. Another imposter causing trouble in a land he finds himself calling home... Could this be fate mocking him? Or perhaps Forseti found a way to plop this person right in front of his nose to watch how he’d react. It could be a test, too, to judge how he’d dispatch of a cheap knockoff of himself gathering a following. Joke’s on him if that last part is true--Lewyn’s known for a while now that another him has been giving him a reputation in Jugdral. He would use this knowledge to skew the results of any potential test, giving a divine peanut gallery what they want to see. This was all some questionably-sane speculation, but at the time he figured if he could the handle the situation without getting emotional, he’d at least prove to himself that he isn’t dangerous. 

That, and his service would be greatly appreciated by the academy. 

So he signed himself on, was provided a partner (a fellow Abyssian. Lucky!), and sent out alongside her. Together they walked into town. Not a word left his lips for most of the trek into town, for Lewyn was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to feel very social. At his core, he held a special grudge against those that would commit foul acts in another’s name. Would he be able to resist it flaring up in the heat of the moment, or would he be consumed by misplaced grief and rage? Only time can tell.

At present, they’re closing in on their target. It’s easy for Lewyn to tell, at least, due to the disturbing clamor their followers raise in their wake. The sound of his shoes treading across the cobbled street is drowned out entirely by their hollering. That’s annoying. His lips bunch up at one side in mild irritation. There are probably a good number of innocent villagers having their peaceful lives disrupted by this riot. Not to mention those foolish enough to actually believe this sham Seiros.

This has to end, now. The commonfolk shouldn’t have to suffer from whatever sick joke is being played on them. Fists ball up inside the pockets of a bard’s outfit, and Lewyn’s pace hastens. This sour attitude keeps up until they’re in earshot of the fake--whose preaching elicits a stop from Lewyn. He decides now that he’d at least introduce himself to his partner, and go over a bit of game plan,

“Hey, the name’s Lewyn. If you’re not too fond of silence, you’ve got my apologies for givin’ you the cold shoulder back there,” but with this riot, her ears can’t possibly be starved for noise, “Just wanna wrap this one up nice and quick.”

“On that note, got any ideas you feel like sharin’? I’d like to not have to resort to violence if that’s alright with you, but know that if push comes to shove, I can hold my own in a fight.” 

If not, he’s more than happy to do things his way. Any saint worth their salt ought to have an appropriate holy weapon or two. If he can point out any flaws in whatever false artifacts the imposter carries, that should be more than enough to strip them of their following and make apprehending them a trivial matter.

@diryrja

[amnesiac-pawn]

“ She looks like she has braved wars… perhaps she is haunted by something. Go find out what Ayra is hiding. ”

"Aren't we all haunted by something, at this point?" He gives a small click of his tongue. Nevertheless, an order is an order.

"Ayra, huh? Let's see what we can find out..."

[stealstaff]

“ Another one who speaks more than she should… you probably needn’t even try very hard. Go find out what Constance is hiding. ”

Oh. Tina had been expecting a more physical task when she'd seen larceny lessons advertised. She's not really sure about the very ambiguous 'find out what someone is hiding'. That could be anything!

But Letizia says it shouldn't be hard.

And she's at least asking.

"Yeah sure. Since ya bein' so polite about it!"

[mockiatto]

The Enemy of My Enemy Is Still Not My Friend [Letizia & Jakob]

+1 Mission Gauntlet starter for @diryrja

Those pursuing the investigation into this town’s “werewolf” have a nasty surprise on their hands—Two of them, in fact. One would be that you have accidentally (unfortunately) stumbled on exactly what you’re looking for: a half-man, half-wolf beast bent over its prey, tearing into its chest with gusto. When the monster catches sight of your group, it lunges towards you with gnashing teeth and tearing claws. A mage would surely make quick work of it… if it were not for the second nasty surprise, which comes at the cost of one of your allies’ life when a simple Fire spell fails to ignite. In fact, none of your magics work in this world, Black, Dark, White or otherwise. Without a physical weapon to your name, you’ll need to think fast if you want to make it out of here with all your limbs intact. [Grants Gauntlets +1]   

Every morning was a bad morning in Jakob’s view, especially the stretch of time between waking up and having coffee. However, it seemed this fairytale world had even nastier surprises for him planned.

A werewolf stared him down, eyes boring into his. Jakob glared back, missing the shurikens or knives he’d always used to have somewhere on his body. After watching the last mage try magic only to be killed on the spot, he gripped his Heal staff like it was nothing more than a mundane stick, brandishing it at the werewolf. He put every ounce of commanding snap into his tone. “BACK!” The wolf started, perhaps surprised that anyone was trying to actually drive it off. However, it didn’t flee.

His heart hammered, starting to run out of ideas.

A noise to his side drew his attention. It was some high pitched sound, like a cross between a whine, a sob, a gasp, and nails on a chalkboard. Perhaps it was an injured werewolf cub, or some other monster.

He turned his head.

Oh. Her.

So a monster, then.

Jakob scowled. “Look what mess you’ve gotten us into.” It felt good to blame someone else for this. Maybe he could trip her and make it out alive, although there were two werewolves, so that wouldn’t entirely solve his problem. “Any ideas?” he hissed, staff still raised as the wolf nearest them growled.

[freliana]

[SCARE] - sender disappears underwater to scare the receiver by grabbing their legs

Tana catches the beach ball sent flying her way, ready to parry it back to her opponent. The water on her skin glistens in the summer sunlight as she basks in the gentle ocean breeze. There’s no where else in the world she’d rather be than this little slice of paradise they found. Or so she thought.

Something grabs her legs from beneath the waves, pulling her under. A high pitched shriek escapes her throat before she’s caught underwater. Tana thrashes aimlessly until whatever, or more aptly whoever, decides to let her go. Thankfully, the woman does not try to actually drown her and soon she is coughing and spluttering, navy hair plastered across her face.

Letizia - Tana is sure that was her name, laughs derisively at her and she feels her blood boil. Her face burns red with indignation and her hands ball into fists but Tana wills herself to take a long, deep breath. Then she smiles and although it’s forced, she does her best to laugh as she untangles the seaweed caught around her ankles.

“Haha, good one Letizia! You really caught me there,” Tana wades over to the Emblian, careful not to break the act. She’s sure Letizia won’t appreciate it but Tana slings and arm around her shoulder, as if they’re old friends. “Would you like to join our little game?”

Then she shoves the seaweed down Letizia’s bathing suit, another thing the Emblian is unlikely to enjoy. Revenge is sweet though and Tana sprints away, cackling with laughter.

“No hard feelings, alright Lettie?”

[einjelique]

GIRLS PLANET 999.

diryrja​:

Letizia balks at Elincia’s challenge, and the Director has half a mind to retort before she catches Edelgard’s gaze staring up at something.

     A camera… she swears silently. Must every aspect of their lives be monitored? What sort of sick crowd draws enjoyment from these things? Regardless, Letizia’s stance loosens and a smile tugs at her lips, even if her eyes remain sharp and calculating.

    “You’re quite right, Ingrid!” she agrees, tone a bit too sickly sweet. “…oh, I? Well…” 

    A short laugh escapes her. “…I cannot say I am very musically inclined. I did not join in on the training for I feared I would merely impede you all! Though, if you insist, I’m more than happy to merely act as a figurehead for the group. …Well, I suppose I can try to sing —”

    Letizia clears her throat. Her ears already feel hot. Gods, of all the stories…! 

    “Faaaaa ~ !” 

    It is not… bad, but it is not anything impressive either. There will be plenty of time to practice, she hopes.

    “My dancing is only marginally better,” Letizia admits. “I turned my energies towards orating in my youth instead of the more traditional hobbies a princess is expected to take. Hmm, I do recall something called ‘ rapping ’ being similar to the act of spoken word…”

… @einjelique​ !

“Oh—“ Ingrid’s comment causes her to flush scarlet, looking down at the floor. She thinks of the ball and how she had made a fool of herself, barely even participating in the White Heron Cup due to her own clumsiness…as well as her partner’s injury. “I’m not sure I would consider myself any more graceful than the rest.”

For the most part she remained silent, allowing the others to practice their vocals and discuss who should play what role in their little group. Nanna had no preference, so long as she could help her team win! “Oh, you all sound wonderful! I’m worried I won’t match up at all…”

Her face remains warm as she steels herself, almost hoping that the other girls were too absorbed in their conversations to listen to her sing. It was silly! Nanna knew she could sing passably, and her group was— for the most part— supportive of one another! So there was no reason for her to be so nervous…

“Laaaaa…~♪” She sings a scale, her voice nearly as angelic as her appearance (her aesthetic, as she was told on to-witter). Once she’s done, she looks off to the side, terrified of whatever looks the other girls were giving her.

@amitieos