#heartstringbound
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duskroine · 3 years ago
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no treats, only tricks! -- bronze round
     Such magic. Such skill! It’s incredible--the heroine can only envy the sight before her very eyes. Phantoms of light weave in movements alike her own. Well, not completely but that was a small inconvenience. While exploring the monastery on this fine day with those fine festivities and her fine classmates, Ophelia can’t tame the curiosity that tugs at her mind. An attention fully on the mere thought of fighting such phantoms. So, as she naturally would have, ventures off toward cloak and light.
     The challenge at hand seems entertaining enough--to be paired with others at the hand of random does sound exhilarating! Who might she get? A friend? ( She has many of those. ) A foe? ( Not too many of those? ) What of her father? Or Nina? Or--
     “Prince Leo!!” Ophelia shouts his name in alongside a delightful giggle, sticking to wildly waving at the man instead of embracing him. Nearby stands two other members of faculty: relaxed Setsuna and a charming Freyr. Yet she remains as the only student. Would that mean boundaries? Nah! She’ll be fine!
     “It’s an honor to fight alongside you all,” she speaks while grabbing the end of her cape and bowing. A short, respectful act that doesn’t last long because the air around them has thickened and they’re not alone anymore. “With that being said,” Ophelia twirls--with a bit of difficulty--the shock-stick in her hand, “I shall take the first attack. WIELDY WEAPON OF ZEALOUS ZAPS, ASCEND AND DESTROY! BAAAANG!”
     ophelia! roll 1d20 = 14, hit w/ shock-stick! ( 1 damage dealt )
     archer! hp = 5/6, good start!
     Magic curls around the end of the shock-stick before rocketing toward the archer, whose attempt to evade proves to help in the slightest. Ophelia laughs, a hand hovering over her mouth. The fact that she even remembered the weapon’s name... well, never mind. Of course, SHE would remember it. Not a name was to be forgotten, not a weapon to be broken. Even--
     archer! roll 1d20 = 17, hit! ( 1.5 damage dealt )
     ophelia! hp = 8.5, ouch!
     An arrow, encased without light or darkness, hits her in the shoulder as she’s turned around--clearly about to boast about her grand attack. “Hey,” she pouts, “I was just about to speak!”
@princepsumbra @heartstringbound @ljosalfylkir
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filthtouched · 4 years ago
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empty thoughts | niles & setsuna
At best, Setsuna... vexes him. Thoughtless, but not careless. Absent-minded, but not inept. He knows the hearts of men—has seen the best and worst of them, has seen every possible tell for a lie—but she escapes him in the way that dreams do, slipping through his fingers.
At worst, Setsuna pisses him off. (—no. Yes. The frustration is there, but so is the jealousy. The envy. The rotting, twisted desire to have even a modicum of her talents to simply not think, to have daydreams that can be pleasant. It makes him sick.)
"We’re in a completely new environment, and still you look like you haven’t a care in the world,” he notes. “Does nothing ever bother you?”
@heartstringbound
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thyrosus · 3 years ago
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SEALED FOREST; criss-cross.
UNLOCKED 2021 STARTER:  @arcstral; @heartstringbound; @saionofvalflame; @thiefs-vow.
—FIRST, FIRE, for what little good it does to fight back against the oppressively dreary surroundings.
There is no place for indecisiveness at the onset of what could very well be a war, enemy unseen. His classmates needed a steady presence, and he has a duty to fulfill it. He had almost missed the party, settling affairs as his peers prepared—in private, steeling himself, fingers tracing at the blasted mark—
No. They need a cool head, such as himself. Someone prepared to brandish spell and lance and stare down an unknown foe; and, failing that, someone with the wherewithal to see to their retreat.
He had almost missed this opportunity. He will not again, stepping up to decode the mystery of the door barring themselves from the heart of ancient, gnarled tree. Casted Fire matches the strange blue lights that dot the entryway, the orange flame natural, the sickly blue decidedly *not.*
The door. Focus.
Lorenz bends himself down as he scans each edge, only stopping once the first curiosity gives him pause:
A… slot? As though someone had forgotten to carve the keyhole properly.
“Come, look,” he speaks, to draw the attention of the small party under his care. “I… have not seen a keyhole so peculiar before.”
↳ @thiefs-vow!
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ljosalfylkir · 3 years ago
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~{ ruse or refresh | silver round
Stay focused.
The unfortunate loss of half of their team the previous round ensures that the next round will begin with only Setsuna and himself in the ring, and Freyr finds he is unwilling to see how difficult their new enemies are. It was fortunate that the last match ended when it did... though he would not call beginning the next match with only two members fortunate as well. However, both of them have healing implements, which is perhaps the biggest saving grace in the situation. As the old phantoms dissipate and new ones take their place, his Recover, Restore, and Meteor are left while Hrungnir is taken away, an axe and lance given to him in return. As he is unfamiliar with either weapon, this round should promise to be... interesting.
But first, he must ensure the survival of the members of his group.
Calling upon his Faith magic, Freyr casts a Recover spell upon his remaining teammate. The Hoshidan archer seems to be suffering from an ailment from one of the previous rounds, which makes the use of Restore necessary as well—but first he needs to make sure the woman has enough health should she engage with the enemy.
Roll Recover: 16! Health recovered: 6. Setsuna: 8.5/10 HP
Freyr takes 0.5 damage from Joyous Lantern! Freyr: 8/10 HP
The spell removes the majority of her injuries, and Freyr breathes a sigh of relief. That relief, however, is undercut by a sting in his side, apparently courtesy of the lantern she carries. He frowns in recollection, vague impressions of the other two being injured here and there by the light-giving implement throughout the previous round making their way to the forefront of his mind. ... Strange. Shaking his head, he focuses on their enemies with the hope that the both of them will survive—and that they will be able to draw their teammates back into the fray.
@heartstringbound, @sheereccentric, @princepsumbra​
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lalamines · 3 years ago
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fly me to the moon
There’s always rumors about new kinds of magic and spells, but this one seems to have spread far and wide. Some say that it’s within Reason magic to be able to levitate someone else with a new unofficial incantation making the rounds! Is the risk worth the reward? [Grants Reason +1]
Late spring bathes the world around her in honeyed hues and delicate warmth. Mercedes thinks the world is beautiful and sends a quiet prayer to the Goddess in thanks. Petals stream across the path she walks back into the monastery and she basks in the serenity of the moment.
It’s broken when she returns, though she remains calm regardless. Professor Setsuna, who is clearly injured seems just as relaxed - completely nonplussed about the blood pooling at the knees of her leggings. Mercedes dashes over and places a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder. 
“Oh dear, Professor. Did you fall in another trap?” Mercedes asks softly as she gently guides the wounded party to sit on a bench nearby. “No worries, I can be pretty clumsy too,” she giggles lightly, kneeling next to the archery professor. “Could you pull the fabric over your knee for me, please?” The request is gentle as she unlaces the older woman’s boots to get a better look at the injury. It’s clean and fairly shallow, nothing a little heal spell couldn’t cure in seconds. White light gathers in her hands and pulsates at her fingertips as Mercedes allows them to dance just millimetres above the broken skin. The wound knits together quickly, with no complications and she rises back to her feet and straightens her skirt.
“All better, professor!” Her voice chimes as she adjusts her shawl. No messy bandages required! It’s only now, that her attention isn’t fixated on easing pain and healing that she notices the chatter of a group of mages nearby. “Hmm, I wonder what’s got them so enthralled...” Mercedes muses mostly to herself.
@heartstringbound
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dragon-kiddos · 3 years ago
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Sick. She said he was sick.
There’s no thoughts anymore. No words either. Setsuna isn’t smart but even she can tell that this woman (whoever she was, she didn’t know her, but kana trusted her and that was enough for now) had something wrong with her. Setsuna didn’t know what and she got the feeling there was no time for explanations either.
She picks up her bow and moves as quick as she can on unsteady legs. Her hand falls on Kana’s shoulder. Both for support and to keep him in place as she moves to stand between him and the woman crying out.
Sick. He couldn’t be.
“You okay?” She asks. She doesn’t look at Kana. Her eyes don’t leave the woman. When her legs feel steady enough, the retainer’s hands leave his shoulder to reach preemptively for an arrow.
“Stay close, Kana. I’ve got you.”
R'wena drops to her knees and Kana's first instinct is to run to her side.
"Miss R'wena!"
But a strong grip on his shoulders stopped him before he could even take a step. Kana looks up, expecting to find Marth holding him in place yet again—but it's the wrong shade of blue. Setsuna stares calmly down at him, a seriousness in her expression that he only ever saw on the battlefield.
Grey eyes fill with tears, pouring over before he could even attempt to wipe them away. (His throat clenches painfully, but it wasn't from the sickness.)
"She's hurting," he whimpers, desperate for someone to understand. "Miss R'wena needs us, auntie. We have to help her!" But Kana knows, despite the desperation in his voice, that there was nothing they could do.
(Except, perhaps, give her a swift and painless death before things got worse.)
Gaze turns back to his friend writhing in pain. Within moments, the jacket he had lent to her, gifted to him by Niles (this will keep you safe), was shredded into pieces. A choked sob escapes him—only to be cut off by a violent fit of coughing. He steps back from Setsuna to avoid spreading the sickness to her, too.
Like it hadn't spread already.
"We have... She..."
Hiccups wrack his words. He sounds like a little boy crying out for his mother, like he had during the war.
"I don't want her to die."
(Like they had a choice.)
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avemaera · 3 years ago
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a little close to home ♚ arvis//setsuna
A new student brought in an illness that is quickly spreading across the monastery. The infirmary is overloaded with sickly students and faculty in need of care. Help out the infirmary staff by gathering supplies, setting up new infirmary beds, or dishing out medicine to those too worn down to help themselves—and avoid catching the plague yourself. [Grants +1 Faith]
@heartstringbound
He hardly wants to be the one to help the sickly and meek during this epidemic. Not that he is so unfeeling to their pain; quite the contrary. Their misery strickens his soul.
He can’t stand to watch, and fears after his own health. But all able-bodied residents were made to curb the spread, and Arvis’ skills in healing were indispensable.
He carries a water basin into one of the student lounges; many had turned into pop-up infirmaries, with naught but medical partitions making up rooms.
He had been assigned to this one with that girl. He recalls her vaguely from their mission in the Sealed Forest. He enters, with only quiet coughing and sneezing to welcome his presence.
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hezulion · 4 years ago
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you miss all the shots you don’t take
An arrow whirls past his head, singing through the air. Ares bristles instantly, searching for danger. He’s still on monastery ground and wonders who would dare open fire here. It would be naive to assume there were no foreign spies and scouts at Garreg Mach, but to attack so openly? Brazen - and a grave mistake that would not be repeated. Ares unsheathes his sword as he searches for whatever miscreant dared launch an attack upon him. 
There’s no one around, at least no one he’d consider a foe.
There is a woman laying in the grass, a bow in her hand. He squints furiously at her, surveying her features. A flash of recognition sparks in his mind. Se- Sets? Something like that. An archery professor.
“You missed your mark,” Ares folds his arms across his chest, observing her disdainfully, “next time fire at your foes, not your colleagues.”
@heartstringbound
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merrydiviner · 3 years ago
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lazy leaves
“Aha! I thought I’d find you out here, Setsuna,” Orochi called as she approached the archer. Was it Lady Setsuna now? Princess? Queen? Whatever, Orochi decided on the spot that she’d known Setsuna long enough for any slight breach of etiquette to go ignored. That or she’d likely not notice anyway. “I come offering my services today. A free cup of tea, too.”
It was breezy outdoors in the monastery grounds and peaceful. Picturesque too, oh she wished Kagero was here to paint the landscape. Alas, Orochi was left to find her own fun and games here in Fodlan, and find them she had.
“I was thinking we could enjoy a nice cup of tea, as old friends,” she said as she placed a blanket on the ground to sit on, next to the blue-haired archer. Hands folded in her lap, she gave Setsuna a placid smile. “I brought my cards along and I could read your tea leaves. You could have a go at mine, if you like.”
“Even if you can’t decipher them, it’s no different to finding shapes in the clouds above our heads. Except it’s tastier, of course.”
@heartstringbound 
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aurheatum · 3 years ago
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❰❰ HAND KISS ❱❱ sender kisses receiver on the hand or wrist
im finishing these up i swear | closed meme
The room where her cardinals are meant to meet has shifted throughout the last year and become more of a defacto briefing room for the many new Knights of Seiros, and when possible an all-purpose strategic meeting place of faculty. Rhea stands at the head of the table there now, still combing over the reports the few head scouts from the faculty of the Golden Deer had given her regarding the increased bandit activity in Magdred Way.
She was currently only kept company by the markwoman Setsuna who had graciously stayed with her to make sure the details on the updated map rolled out in front of them were correct. Their heads had been bent over it for some time and with a drawn out breath Rhea straightens herself.
“This has been enlightening, indeed. It is my hope that now that we have found their base the Church will no longer have to send our treasured faculty alongside the knights to protect the Farghan citizens there,” she smiles, noting Setsuna has lifted her head as well, “please let me keep you no longer from your students and myriad duties.”
Her hand brushes the other’s as she clears the table and Rhea does not at first register the prolonged contact. It is only when Setsuna seems to stumble that Rhea turns her attention back to the woman, but no, she should have known such a warrior would not telegraph such a blunder; Setsuna does not fall, merely does something not unlike a curtsy, her mouth lingering on the pulse point just there on Rhea’s right wrist.
(The traitorous beat rises for only a moment there.)
“Ah,” she says, a bit perplexed. “You… that is, no one told you this was expected conduct of someone working for the Church I hope?”
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princepsumbra · 3 years ago
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❰❰ PIN ❱❱ sender pins receiver during a fight/training
Soft asks ft. tomato prince
He'd fallen off Faustus during the battle. A stone golem had thrown a boulder that clipped Leo in the shoulder, sending him tumbling off his beloved horse. He pushes himself upright with gritted teeth. Shoulder feels dislocated; an easy enough injury to remedy---
---there's a bow at his neck before he can whistle for Faustus. Pressure increases, forcing him back into the dirt. "Queen Setsuna," he manages, keeping his breathing light. Her slight frame is deceptive; archers possess far more upper body strength than most give them credit for.
She pushes down a little harder. Leo wheezes a breath, trying to keep her attention on his face, not his hands. A basic Fire spell ignites. He flares his fingers, sending it arcing along her back. He pushes the Hoshidan queen off him.
"You fought the wrong Nohrian if you were looking for mercy."
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crestbound · 3 years ago
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a kiss on the top of the head.
ask meme | closed!
"Close one, huh?" he laughs, pulling away from the pitfall's edge. She stumbles forward and right into his arms; it's the perfect setup, and he has just about everything he needs. A cute girl in his arms. Danger narrowly avoided. And, of course, his winning smile. Her heart's probably pounding in her chest... even if she doesn't look like it is.
"I've got you," Sylvain says, hand splayed across her back. "Though, I might need a little catching with how easy it'll be to fall for someone as beautiful as you."
It's like clockwork—or, it should be. He says a sweet line, he invites her out for tea, and he tells her that he has to be the luckiest man in the world.
It's also not what happens at all.
First of all, she's unimpressed. Second of all, she refuses his offer for tea. And third of all, she nudges him down—and it is for a kiss, just pressed to the top of his head instead of his mouth.
"Thank you," she says, which is just about the only thing that goes right.
...This has to be a dream.
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basiliphis · 3 years ago
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❰❰ LEAN ❱❱ sender leans against receiver
𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌.
          The wooden chair shows its age and stableness as Raven shifts his weight in it. He had been called along with other faculty to attend this meeting. Something about going over standard procedures, reinforcing rules, and discussing future plans with faculty. They had to set an example, be a guiding key, or whatever words the head of the meeting liked to use. It was dreadfully dull. If he didn't know any better, he'd think this was some form of cruel and unusual punishment.
          He found himself restless in his chair until he feels a weight on his shoulder grounding him.
          "Oi, you—" He blinks. Was she even listening? He lets out a sigh as he redirects his attention to the front. He could easily push her off to some other sorry faculty or move slightly so she'd fall, but...
          Raven glances back at her content and comfortable enough leaning on his shoulder. She wasn't harming anything he supposed, so he'd allow it, just this once.
          However, he'd be less merciful once the meeting was over; after, it was just between her and gravity once he stood up.
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filthtouched · 3 years ago
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❰❰ DANCE ❱❱ sender invites receiver to slow dance
ask meme | receiving!
❰❰ DANCE ❱❱ sender invites receiver to slow dance.
"...Ugh."
He hates dancing. Sigurd had given him a lesson, and Azura had said he wasn't terrible—but it'd been with a giggle, and though he knows it to be one of delight, memory of it doesn't make him enjoy the activity any more than he had before.
Step, step, count to four. Remember the pacing. Try not to step on Setsuna's foot.
"Ouch."
—or, do step on Setsuna's foot.
"You sure know how to pick 'em, don't you?" Niles says wryly, eye shifting when they rotate closer to another pair. It isn't until they're well within his sight again that he lets his gaze fall back down onto Setsuna's face. "You're a queen, aren't you? Her Divine, Royal, Beloved Majesty. People will begin to talk if you they see you with a scoundrel like me."
And certainly not to say anything good. What would a queen of Hoshido want with him, of all people? He doubts Setsuna would care, but he'd also doubted Setsuna would ever marry into royalty. How lucky for her.
"...And you know I hate dancing. You'd be having more fun with a scarecrow." He's always hated it. He doesn't remember a single time, even in the celebrations that followed the end of the war, where he'd allowed himself to be anywhere than along the edge of the room, watching but never participating.
(Certainly, they had reason enough to celebrate... but it was winter. There were orphans starving out in the streets with neither scrap nor coin to their name to keep them warm. He always thinks of them whenever he finds himself having to attend these lavish parties.)
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dragon-kiddos · 3 years ago
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❰❰ LIFT ❱❱ sender carries receiver over their shoulder
An Extremely Self-Indulgent Meme || ❰❰ LIFT ❱❱ sender carries receiver over their shoulder
It was different.
There were people like Ophelia, who added a sort of pomp to when they lifted him. Little reminders that as strong as he was, he could never fight back against the power they held over him. But it was different, with Auntie Setsuna. 
She just... did it.
It was so quiet and matter-of-fact an action that he could barely respond. One second, Kana was smiling up at the approaching face of his favorite archer, and the next, he was over her shoulder and his gaze was turned towards the ground. She didn’t give him a reason or a warning, just... did it. 
Little dragon blinks. 
“Auntie? Why did you pick me up?”
“It’s your bedtime.”
“Oh, um... okay.” Better than getting scolded for staying up too late.
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thyrosus · 3 years ago
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❰❰ LEAN ❱❱ sender leans against receiver
“I WILL SEE TO HER CONTINUED SAFETY, THEN.
                                                                          It is the very least of my efforts.”
It must be midday, if Lorenz were able to make a generous estimation. The canopy overhead, now that they are in the true thick of the Sealed Forest, gives little room to speculate, other than the fact the speckled sunlight is a little more generous, if sparse.
They all take a moment to catch their breath, the larger party scattered into smaller clusters to chatter, one or two sequestered for a moment of respite. Lorenz’s eyes do not flutter closed—truth be told, he cannot comprehend how anyone could, despite the early time they’d set off—but he tries not to find fault in a moment of respite before stepping into what is, by all accounts, an unholy labyrinth.
Something—someone!—slumps against him, and Lorenz’s shoulders rise in turn. He had been sitting ahead of most, scanning the underbrush for signs of trouble with a hardened stare (and not blinking back, sleep, no, that would be a disgrace to his vigilance). No company, for the moment.
Company has found him, apparently; Lady Setsuna, unbothered, has found a place to rest her eyes.
“Ahem,” followed by a more purposeful clearing of his throat. A second Ahem, less subtle and more urgent hardly causes a stir.
Highly improper. His lance and his spell craft are at the ready for the safety of their travel party—and, on a personal promise, sworn on his good house name.
Lorenz doesn’t clear his throat a third time, but his head does tip back towards the sky and there’s a groan barely suppressed.
Well, then. One of them should find some respite, although he cannot imagine the sharp lines of his shoulder and the crisp fabric of his uniform make for a soft landing.
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