#and as she gets harmed in battle the mage’s mana increases

[so-very-small]

“is g/t like a horny thing or a fluff thing for you?” buddy my latest OCs are a mage and the living battery for their power who are locked in an unending cycle of killing and resurrecting one another. it’s about the psychological weight of holding someone you utterly loathe in the palm of your hand while also devoting your entire existence to protecting them. “horny or fluff” buddy we are way past that. there is a third secret option and that is “psychologically fucking up my OCs via size dynamics” get on my LEVEL

[angelica-ainsworth]

It was time, for Angelica to take to the stage...

@aecorus

The Ainsworth Doll had prepared in a number of ways for the Grand Servant’s Gala, from social cues, party tricks, learning to dance, her attire for the evening Ball, everything including, a display of choreography... 

“Ladies & Gentlemen, Servants & Human's, Spirit & Beast alike, I am Angelica Ainsworth, the eldest daughter & Doll of the Ainsworth Mage Clan,” She introduced herself with a loud enough voice to make her presence felt, Ainsworths were at heart performers after all... 

“Gather, you honoured & distinguished guests, and this humble Doll shall weave yee a tale, a tale about Fae & Fang, of Fire & Life, a tale of the Dragon, of Avalon.” Angelica announced as she was presently performing a few cards tricks & shuffles with the deck of Nameless Class Cards she always had on her person, and by the time her introductions were finished she had the card she sought “Install, Archer Class Card, Gate of Babylon.” She commanded as soon she was draped in the familiar attire of Gilgamesh altered to tailor fit her physique & form.

“All gates, open & fire.” With that one command dozens of golden portals of distortion opened up around her and Angelica actually fired the Noble Phantasms of each one at the audience! Yet just as the first of them was to hit the bystanders, a different kind of portal opens up, in the shape of a huge flat diamond on its side like a distorted pane of glass it catches every one of the projectiles before they can cause any of the guests harm, Displacement Magic, the Ainsworth’s signature Magecraft, and for a few moments nothing happened...

Then, a whizzing noise caught the guest’s attention, then another as one of the Noble Phantasms whizzed by in the air above their heads between two smaller Displacement portals, giving the Noble Phantasms the appearance of fireworks zipping around in short bursts as the number increased, more & more portals were briefly opened in patterns to ferry the projectiles in controlled directions, making them look as though they were dancing in the air, not so much fireworks as Faeries... (cue the music)

The aerial dance intensified with the addition from a sudden clash of two Noble Phantasms creating an explosion of sparks right above the audience, making a sound similar to cymbals being clashed together as pairs would collide periodically from then on, the scene finishing with long spears rising to stand upright from the Gate of Babylon’s portals running down in lines of the aisles between rows of seats at regular intervals of distance, and Noble Phantasms colliding just above their tips fired diagonally from the ground at the far sides of the room, positioned just right that the resulting explosions gave the appearance of tall tree-sized flowers of mystical energies and gently cascading sparks like pollen or gold glowing snowflakes.

After a few more moments of silence before Angelica opened up a dozen portals of the Gate lined up neatly in front of her from one end of the stage to the other, and did the same with portals hovering roughly 6ft above them facing down. From here Angelica stretched out her hands as though she were about to play a piano, and started from the furthest portals where the Gates of Babylon of either side began pouring out Noble Phantasm projectiles in columns that fired upward directly into the awaiting portals above. Aside from their aesthetic to the audience they also produced a delightful and peculiar sound like that of violins, steel drums, and glass harps.

Angelica fires off the portals in a timed pattern so that they led toward the middle, then began to mix up the patterns of when they fired and for how long, giving the appearance that the performing Doll were playing a large musical instrument perfectly in tune to the music that was actually playing, and at its peak Angelica opened all the Gates in the row from the floor at once like a wall of fence posts of Noble Phantasms pouring upward now into a wide radius Displacement portal that both drew them in and caught them all just as it had at the beginning of her display.

Then, came the next act of her performance, the music started anew to a different vibe, a different theme, a different setting. Angelica began the next scene by opening a row of Displacement portals on the floor in front of the stage before her in the same position the Gates had been in the last scene, the lighting changed to a blue thanks to the ones of the theatre being dimmed allowing only the light of the portals to light up the stage itself. From here she shot up individual projectiles with a low force & loose momentum that sent them a few meters into the air before they arced over and fell back down and into the portal, like a shooting geyser of a fountain making for a beautiful display of light & movement.

Above her Angelica had to pairs of several Displacement portals positioned to make two circles, dividing the Noble Phantasms she shot through them to create spinning sparkler wheels of fireworks to complement the display of her ‘fountain’ before the stage. Suddenly she added a network of Displacement portals that formed as the projectiles beelined away from the stage out into the space above the audience, making it seem as though the Noble Phantasms or ‘Faeries’ were scattering before they all disappeared.

“Ig-Alima...” The Doll ordered as a large Gate opened up behind her bringing forth an enormous sword that looked like it had been crafted by Giants for Titans, and using several large Displacement portals once more Angelica divided the Mountain Cleaving Sword into small sections as it slowly exited the Gate of Babylon, making it appear as though it were a long body of some creature that was diving, disappearing before the front row of the audience.

Next she followed up on this concept by setting up a great number of Displacement portals along the floor right under the guest’s feet positioned at various pairs of angles so that when she sent the huge sword through only the wide edge of the blade gently lifted the seats of the audience as it passed under them like a huge circling shark beneath the water.

“Enkidu, Vimana.” With her next command came the centerpiece of Angelica’s performance, the King of Heroes’ Airship made up the body and wings, the Chains of Heaven Enkidu wrapped round on themselves and the overall structure to hold it all together, amassing at the front & beneath to form a great maw & limbs with Noble Phantasms of various swords used to create huge teeth horns & claws, and finally Ig-Alima the huge greatsword was once more divided by the spacial Displacement portals to section it off in an arc forming a long think neck. Complete with Vimana’s lasers powered up to provide a glow from within the maw & eyes of the skull made from Enkidu’s chains the entire makeshift structure finished to reveal a giant mechanical Dragon!

By manipulating both the Chains intertwined throughout the structure making up the limbs head & tail and the Displacement portals that made up the neck spine & ran down to the tail of the mechanical monster, Angelica could make the whole body move freely like the strings of a puppet, even using Vimana’s engines to simulate a roaring noise as the dragon looked over the crowd of the audience below, turning its long neck so its head hovered over as many of them as possible.

The piece de resistance of the Mechanical Dragon however was when Angelica used a great deal of focus needing to utilise bodily movements like that of a water bender in order to make it fly in a spectacular aerial display as it crossed the theatre in the space above the guests. The Ainsworth Doll had practiced for days tirelessly working on her Displacement magic and with the Gate of Babylon, but getting the portals to move in synchronisation mobilisation like she did, that was difficult...

Now came the tricky part, with that done Angelica set up a new separate network of Displacement portals in circles & in circuits over the audience in the space of the theatre to begin anew the ‘Dance of Faeries’ all around the theatre. The ‘Faes’ looked as though they were mocking the Mechanical Dragon that breathed a low yield burst of mana ‘fire’ from its great glowing maw in different directions, and they appeared to be ‘losing’ the battle.

Now sweating slightly from the effort that she kept stoically silent from as to not interrupt her own performance, Angelica opened one larger Gate portal and had the remaining ‘Faes’ flee into it... The portal closed and for a moment the play appeared to be over, after a few drawn out seconds however a Displacement portal of equal size opened up in the same position as the Gate had been, and from it came a new construct made entirely from various blades & swords making up a stick figure type body bound together by a small Gate portal at every joint, even wielding a long spear the ‘Fairy’ was as just a little shorter than an adult Human.

The Sword Fairy & the Mechanical Dragon danced in the air as they fought and with the Audience’s attention on the ‘battle’ no one could see the genuine concentration and strain Angelica was going through in order to keep up the highly strung display of light and movement. The Fairy appeared to be wielding a sword & shield now as it defended against the huge Dragon’s ‘flames’ but was still losing as the Faes had been doing so before, suddenly the tables tilted once more further into the Dragon’s favour as the Fairy was disarmed by the great beast’s tail, now floating defenceless across the theatre seemingly staring up at its impending doom.

Then, with another portal, the Fairy would be granted one last hope, Enuma Elish! the Sword of Rupture, EA! As the Dragon’s flames cascaded toward the Fae of Swords it powered up EA, the guests of the audience would feel their various smaller possessions floating in the air for a second before falling back to their original positions as the Fairy struck forth, the spiralling power of EA dispersing through the flames and blowing encompassing to entire Dragon’s body in light like a giant spiralling laser. When it was over the Dragon appeared to not have a scratch on it, however when it opened its jaws once more to unleash another torrent of ‘fire’ it abruptly exploded into a light show of colourful fireworks as the Fairy disbanded into individual swords or ‘Faeries’ once more, dancing in delight throughout the air before each one scattered into golden Gate portals waiting to receive them from different directions.

As the performance came to a close and the audience began an uproar of applause Angelica was once more lit up by the lights of the theatre as she took a bow, and summoning all the various weapons she’d used, making up the Mechanical Dragon and the Fae of Swords again as they took a second bow with her before disappearing for a final time as Angelica walked off stage with her head held high, and collapsing from exhaustion elsewhere...

[iria-daerienne-blog]

[ ❢ ] my muse discovers yours all bloodied and bruised.

As soon as Iria had entered the library for the day, she never would’ve expected what was to come.  She was in the Lounge, preparing the daily scones as she usually did, and beginning to brew the tea.  It had been a fairly quiet morning, uneventful in its own right and blissfully so.  Alaris had finally become hers.  It was as if her deepest dreams were finally turned into a reality and the smile upon her face was absolutely radiant with the rampant thoughts of him running through her mind.

Today she was receiving new students who were looking to increase their education with magic knowledge, and she wasn’t going to be unprepared today.  Eager minds always needed something in their belly to help them focus and be at their peak readiness to learn.  With readying her classroom the night before with Alaris’ help, she was more than prepared and even had some time to herself before her students started filing in.  The most important aspect, in her own mind, for their ability to learn magic was the history from which it was derived.  Not that the historical lesson would prove useful in a battle, but she felt it was important because there was a history to everything, and with the newly discovered Broken Isles, she was able to utilize her knowledge to gain more.  She took roll and began her lesson.  

However, her day was suddenly turned upside down as there was a turmoil of loud noise that had happened just outside of the library’s doors within the Spire.  It was then that Belillina had banged on the door loudly.  “IRIA!  Iria, if you’re in there, please let me in!”  The lesson was immediately paused, “Excuse me one moment, little ones. Please stay in your seats.”  She rushed to the door, immediately ushering her friend in.  “Oh my stars, what’s going on outside!?”  She bolted the door from within and placed an arcane ward upon the floor right beneath the door to protect all within the Library.  Luckily Draenis and Aleanissa hadn’t arrived just yet, as she feared the situation just outside the massively locked doors was declining rapidly.  

Neither one of them was very privy at what had begun to transpire outside of the library, but with the rumble outside the doors growing into a chaotic roar, she hollered for Scarlet so she could send word to both Alaris and her family.  So it was in an act of desperation that she had penned a crude letter in haste to Alaris.  She scrambled quickly to find parchment and quill, letting him know that she wasn’t too sure what the situation was, but it seemed like there was a breach at the Spire and she and Bells and the children were holed up behind the large library doors.

My darling,

It seems we may be under siege.  I’m sending Scarlet to you so you’re aware of the situation.  My students and I are in the library and tucked away safely, but it seems we’ve been invaded.  Please remain safe where you are, and do not come into the city for any reason.  I will send word once more when we’ve been relocated.

Yours always,

She ushered the children in a very organized line and quickly into the cellar vaults where the Dark Arts room was heavily guarded by iron doors and a magic lock that only accepted her mana signature, as well as the ones of her bloodline.  One by one the children filed their way down the dark steps into the room, Iria sending an arcane source of light to guide them so the ambiance of the room was less frightening for them.  “My little ones, please stay here where I know you’ll be safe.  Do not come anywhere near this door unless you hear my voice or that of Miss Belillina’s.  Do NOT touch ANYTHING in here, especially the books.  They could hurt you.  If you’ll just stay seated in your circle, I’ll be back soon.  For now, you can entertain yourselves with this,” she smiled as she produced a ball of arcane magic for them to toss back and forth amongst themselves.  She hoped it would lessen their fears.

She closed the door, adding more light to the room before doing so, only to lock it up so the children would remain out of harm’s way.  She placed an extra few wards upon it so anyone approaching would think twice before advancing.  Belillina looked to Iria.  “Listen, I want you to stay here right outside in case they need anything.  While I’m the only one who can unlock that door currently, keep an ear out in case something happens.  I’ve got to get back to the main foyer.  It seems like the ruckus is increasing and I won’t be putting these children or you in a position to where you don’t feel safe here.  Just stay put, I’ll be right back.”

No sooner had she reached the foyer, there was a large blast that shattered the iron and wood doors of the library, the afterforce of it sending her body flying across the room and into the first shelf.  Bells would’ve been able to hear it clear as day, along with the scream that followed.  Iria’s spine had taken a major hit, but it didn’t hinder her from standing.  Shambling across the room weakly, she placed an arcane barrier at the door as Alliance soldiers were trying to break their way into the room.

“I don’t think so…” she murmured with her eyes narrowing as she focused and concentrated her mana into keeping the soldiers out.  She would not have blood spilled in her haven.  One hand kept energies focused on the door, while the other traced a fire rune in the air as it materialized on the floor.  Battle mages came at their beck and call, but none could break the little librarian’s hold upon barrier.  She bit her lip into her teeth as she knew she would soon grow tired and lose her ability, but she called upon the energy of a few of the fel crystals that lit some of the hallways in order to help keep her strength up.  Her saving grace was an ability to tap into her mana essence herself and replenish it as an ever-flowing presence.

Still, she carried on until, almost an hour later, her magic weakened enough for them to get inside.  What cantrips she could put in their way with what little mana essence she had until she could rest was thrown in full force in their direction.  She was tackled to the floor by a large suit of armor, only to have been backhanded and subdued by being battered to the back of the head with the hilt of a polearm.

She fell to the floor unconscious.  

She wasn’t aware of the time she had been out, but she woke up with her head in Bell’s lap, her body broken, bruised, and with several cuts and scrapes, a bloody nose, and what looked to be a stab wound in her side.  She looked up at Belillina lazily as the other Magistrix looked down on her with flooded eyes.

“The…children…are they…safe?” she wheezed out as it was becoming very difficult to breathe.

Bells nodded, taking a hankerchief and wiping down Iria’s face until there were no traces of blood.  “They’re fine, but the floor is torched because those that attacked you were burned.  They didn’t have the fortitude against my fire spells, so they won’t be a hindrance any longer.  Our soldiers still holding back Alliance forces at the Spire, but there’s no telling how long.  For now, anyone that comes across that threshold that isn’t Sin’dorei will burn.  I’ll make sure the library isn’t consumed in flames, however.”

She nodded, her eyesight drifting in and out from blackness to fog.  “This is bad, Bells…promise me something.”

The other redheaded Magistrix nodded as she leaned close.  Iria’s voice was just above a whisper and it took all of her energy to speak.

“Tell…Alaris that my…my last thoughts are of..him…and that I w-wo…would’ve loved…him until the end of my…days.”

The little librarian fell to darkness in her friend’s arms, still and quiet and barely breathing.  

@belillinafireseeker; @sunspell-wra; @draenis; @aleanissa