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    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 30th March 2022, 1:22 pm

    Job Details:

    War had broken out in Ishgar, which had many consequences. When nations resorted to bloodshed to achieve their objectives it ruined many lives, but also created many opportunities for others. The fate of millions lay in the balance, and how things would turn out was difficult to predict. Oftentimes, the bigger country with the stronger military would swallow the other, either partially or completely. However sometimes luck was on the side of the weak, or even if the bigger country won the war the aftermath would wreck them.

    Of course, the situation was made significantly worse by the fact this was not just two countries clashing. Almost the entirety of Ishgar had divided itself into two large alliances, ready to tear each other apart. The conflict between Bellum and Pergrande had made the two countries call onto their allies for aid, and most of them had answered. Old grudges had been brought to the forefront, and where before one could travel from any country to another with little inconvenience borders had been closed and armies were raised to answer the ancient call for blood. Only the smaller and more isolated countries had refused to join either side, and even they were cautious to accept visitors at this point, as they were afraid to draw the ire of one of the coalitions if they showed themselves too friendly with the other.

    And then there was Joya, of course. Close to the centre of the continent, first having accepted the role of acting as host for the attempts at resolving matters peacefully only to have a significant portion of their population wiped out in an act which signalled the start of the war. They certainly weren't getting involved in the war, at least not on either side, as they had solid cause to treat both sides with open hostility and distrust.

    But none of that was immediately relevant to Akemi. At least, it wasn't her highest priority. Her highest priority was a new job she had accepted and which she wanted to drag Nymara along to. It did have something to do with the war, but from another angle. The profit angle, actually.

    The raven-haired assassin read through the details of the mission. A wealthy and influential merchant was hosting a ball for nobility from Fiore, Ca-Elum, Desierto, and Bellum. The official reason given was that it was meant to strengthen bonds between the upper class of the members of the Luminous Covenant. After all, it was important for those who fought together to get along and trust each other. Distrust within the coalition could lead to weakness, and against an enemy as powerful as the Ironheart Pact such weakness could quickly spell their doom.

    The unofficial reason was that the merchant was hoping to quickly snatch some of the best weapons trading deals and get rich from the war. The guests from Ca-Elum were the primary targets, as that country was known both for its high-quality weapons and its lucrative trade deals. Bellum might also be able to produce some impressive magical products, but since they were at the forefront of the war they would most likely loathe moving any of their military materiel towards Fiore. As for Desierto... well, to be honest, they really didn't have anything to offer. Desierto was arguably the weakest part of the coalition both in military and economical matters, even if their forces were good at the kind of activities Akemi herself also excelled in.

    Where she came in was that the merchant was aware that such a gathering might also become the target of spies and saboteurs from the Ironheart Pact. This trade deal, while also beneficial for the merchant himself, could end up expediting the transfer of Ca-Elum weaponry into the hands of those who would wield it against Pergrande and its allies. When it came to a war of such a scale it wouldn't be unheard of for the ball, and everyone who attended it, to be destroyed in a freak accident. Obviously, that was unacceptable, and so the merchant had reached out to Fairy Tail to hire additional security. The reason why the merchant hadn't attempted to gain assistance from one of the legal guilds was that this trade deal wasn't necessarily in accordance with the will of the Council. That, and he wished for the mages who accepted the job to attend the ball undercover and be ready to dispatch any suspicious figures post-haste, something that the Rune Knights and the court of law might not be entirely in favour of.

    Akemi considered it fair game, however. Assassination was something she was very good at, as well as countering other assassins. The merchant might be using this opportunity to line his pockets, but the weapons would still end up being used against the Ironheart Pact, and business was business. The only concern she had was also an opportunity: the merchant, understandably, wished for any infiltrators to be dealt with quickly, conclusively, and in a matter which displayed both skill and control. Destroying the manor where the ball would be held would give the wrong impression entirely. Which meant that Nymara would have to be careful with how she used her fire.

    However, training Nymara to control her flames was exactly what Akemi had been working on all this time. When it came to raw firepower the redhead didn't need much training at the moment, so it was all about control and precision. It might not exactly be what the merchant wanted, but Akemi thought this was a good opportunity to see whether Nymara could finally keep the collateral damage to a minimum. Best case, there weren't any spies or saboteurs and they could just spend the evening keeping watch while the nobles did their thing.

    Walking through the halls of Fairy Tail's guild hall Akemi followed the familiar scent to wherever she might find Nymara. The fiery redhead could be found in multiple locations within the guild hall, the bar being one of them. While Akemi was a strict mentor who made sure to keep an eye on her apprentice she wasn't going to dictate everything Nymara did. If the woman wanted to drink herself into a stupor now and then that was her own choice, as long as she didn't complain when Akemi showed up and dragged her away from the bar for more important matters.

    Current Appearance:

    WC: 1,067
    PWC: 1,067/7,000
    TWC: 1,067/14,000

    @Nymara


    Last edited by Akeya on 18th April 2022, 2:11 pm; edited 1 time in total


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 6th April 2022, 12:54 pm

    So it finally reached this point. Someone lit the fuse and now the whole continent exploded into warfare. News of fighting raged all across Ishgar, and it was only just beginning. Nymara should have considered herself lucky, as she was in the capital of Joya with Akemi when everything that could've gone wrong did. Their lives were theirs, but unfortunately the same could not be said for many of the native Joyans that were present that day. Of course the resulting action was war when news of this event reached the ears of both sides. Pergrande saw it as an attempt on the life of their representative, and the Cardinal of Whispers from Bellum was found assassinated. Now after the quiet, the storm had arrived and it threatened to engulf the entire continent in war. Of course the only natural response to all of this for Nymara was the guild’s bar. These were certainly strange times they lived in, for Nymara couldn’t think of another instance where a conflict of this scale broke out during her lifetime. She wasn’t sure how much things would change, or how quickly. Naturally, the redhead was inclined to side with whoever the guild decided to join, though she didn’t really have a personal stake in this fight. She would do her duty to the guild if and when the time came, though she wasn’t exactly sure what form that would take. Of course Nym loved to fight, so going to the front sounded like a fun idea. However there was also the fact to consider that this was an actual war, and not just another job. If she got into combat with the Pact, it was bound to be some of the toughest fights she’d ever experience. She had heard the stories of the Empire’s unique abilities that act against magic, though to what extent she wasn’t certain. Not that it mattered much to her right now anyways, as she was far more concerned about the lightness of her mug.

    “Are you certain you should have another? The sun hasn’t even reached its peak yet.” Lucky asked cautiously as he stood on the bar next to Nym, arms crossed. “And who’re you? *hic* the ale ranger?” She replied somewhat groggily with a wide smile across her face, followed by a light snickering as Nym couldn’t help but giggle at her own terrible joke. Lucky on the other hand was obviously not finding it as amusing as her. “My point is you should remain sharp, there’s no telling if the guild should need you soon.” He replied sternly, which only elicited a cocked eyebrow from the girl. “Good! I fight better when I’m swimmin in ale. ANOTHER ROUND!” She called over the counter to the guild’s bartender. Lucky only sighed and shook his head before he turned to face the entrance and his eyes got wider.

    If Nymara wasn’t lost in her drinks she may have sensed the familiar presence of her mentor, but alas she managed to sneak up on her! Lucky straightened his posture slightly and bowed respectfully to the Twilight Dragon as she came to collect Nymara for what seemed like a job of some sort. The exceed could only theorize. Nymara on the other hand took a few moments to notice the odd change in behavior from her companion before her eyes got wide and she got the feeling someone important was standing behind her. Attempting to hold in another burp, Nym slowly turned around to face Akemi with a cocked grin. “Heyyyyy! Are you headin out?” She asked somewhat nervously just as the bartender placed another full mug of alcohol next to the redhead. “Lucky n’ I were just *hic* talkin about this new brew, wanna try?” She asked the Twilight Dragon, holding out the cup to her. Lucky just rolled his eyes, knowing Nymara’s habits extensively by this point. “Greetings Lady Akemi, Lady Nymara here was just… in her words… “preparing” for any possible scenario." Still under the influence, Nymara chimed in with a laugh. “Helps the stress.”
    “Oh I’m certain.” The cat responded with a sarcastic tone, placing his paws behind his back. “At any rate, the girl should learn to deal with the consequences of her actions. I hope you have a task for her.” He continued, looking back up at Akemi with a determined expression. “Who do I need to pummel today?” Nymara asked quite confidently before downing the rest of her drink in one go, as if to prove some point to the cat. Of course he just watched her with a blank expression before sighing once more. “How does one consume so much? I have tried the stuff you humans like so much and… Well I don’t think it was meant for cats.” Nymara slammed the cup on the counter once more after finishing it, and wiping her face with her sleeve. “Hehehe! It’s all in the spirit, kitten!” She laughed. Lucky made no effort to hide his confusion, but shrugged and didn’t press her for an answer.

    851/7000 Words


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 6th April 2022, 5:47 pm

    Well, it looked like her suspicion that Nymara was getting drunk was spot on. Perhaps that wasn't entirely unreasonable: while they hadn't known it at the time, they had narrowly avoided getting involved in the catastrophe that had wiped Felidae from the face of Ishgar. Whether the attack that had destroyed the city would have killed them as well was a matter of debate, as Akemi was pretty confident in her abilities to survive even under extreme circumstances, but it was still a reasonable response from Nymara to feel weighed down by the realization. Not to mention the fact that for the first time in ages the entirety of Ishgar was engaged in open warfare. Or at least, the majority of Ishgar. Those nations which claimed to be uninvolved might be successful at avoiding conflict in the end, but Akeya suspected their independence might end up being more temporary than they hoped.

    But even if that was the case, she needed Nymara sober for this mission. For one thing, they wouldn't be allowed to attend the ball if Nymara was already noticeably intoxicated upon arrival. For another, since this mission was also meant as an opportunity for the redhead to show off how much better she'd become at controlling her flames her being drunk would definitely get in the way. Even people who consistently had more restraint than Nymara could quickly become much more reckless and rough when they had significant amounts of alcohol running through their veins.

    At least Lucky had been trying to keep Nymara from going overboard, even if the attempts hadn't been too successful. Having the cat looking after her apprentice meant that Akemi had an assistant in curbing Nymara's more reckless behaviour. And if that failed, she had someone who could recount to her what had happened so she could decide what to do with Nymara.

    "We are heading out yes. We've got a new mission lined up." She wasn't going to let Nymara get out of this one, even if there was a good chance that her apprentice wouldn't find it very interesting or fun. "I understand your need to unwind, but I assure you that this mission should allow for that as well. However, you will have to sober up beforehand." She folded her arms to non-verbally refuse the offer of the drink. Not that it mattered much anyway, since the fiery redhead downed it herself not long after.

    "I'll brief you on the details of the job once your head is no longer swimming with alcohol. Come with me." She motioned for Nymara to follow as she walked out of the main hall and towards the library. Aside from finding that location more comfortable herself, she had something that would help with Nymara's condition that the redhead might already be familiar with. She glanced at Lucky, not explicitly telling him to come along but also not forbidding him from following. "Alcohol is a matter of practice, but you're better off not dedicating any effort to it. Beyond that, a common trait for all slayers is that their stomachs are significantly larger than their physique would imply."

    Thanks to modern technology, which combined mundane physics with arcane physics, buildings like the guild hall had free access to virtually limitless water through pipelines. As such, a barrel full of water was, for the most part, a thing of the past: why bother keeping still water around that could possibly become unhygienic if you could just get it straight from the tap? However, Akemi had a good reason for placing a barrel of cold water near the entrance to the library. She didn't want people to stumble into her trove of knowledge while chemically compromised since they'd often make a mess. As such, if needed she'd have them dunk their head in the water to help shake off the effects. Forcefully, if need be.

    "I trust you know what to do yourself." She pointed towards the barrel. "I need you clear-headed for this, so if you protest or hesitate I'll put your head in there myself." Her voice was as calm and serious as always, and the threat wasn't empty either. It had become clear to Akemi that Nymara was a person who wasn't a stranger to physicality or tough love, and as long as she gave the redhead a heads up so she didn't breathe in water she wouldn't have much cause to complain if Akemi grabbed her head and pushed it in.

    However, she'd much rather that Nymara showed enough presence of mind to take care of it herself. A barrel of cold water might not purge the alcohol entirely, but it would at least sober her up a little. The details of this mission were important, and Akemi didn't want Nymara to get the wrong idea and make a mess because her attention had been compromised by the toxins in her veins.

    Current Appearance:

    WC: 820
    PWC: 1,887/7,000
    TWC: 2,731/14,000

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 13th April 2022, 11:51 am

    As anyone could have guessed, Akemi was here to deliver another task upon the girl. Lucky was thankfully relieved at the realization, though the same could not be said for Nymara. Akemi was a fantastic mentor, though that didn’t make being taken away from her drinks hurt any less. Like most people, the ale was essentially a pick up for Nymara. Empowering her with the energy she needed to take down any opponent! Of course whether that proved to be actually true or not was anyone’s guess really, though to the red haired maiden every fight under the influence sure as hell felt like she was ten times more powerful! Granted not everyone exactly liked Nymara’s work when she was drunk, especially her mentor. Perhaps she had to thank Akemi for that, Lucky sure as hell would. Of course though this type of critical thinking was lost on the woman in her current state, so for now she would give in to Akemi’s request rather reluctantly.

    Trying to hold in a large burp as the Twilight Dragon continued, Nymara hopped off her stool and followed close behind, her armored cat companion walking parallel to the duo as they made their way towards the guild’s expansive library. What came next was the short lecture about her drinking habits which caused Nymara to shrug. “I don’t know, have you TRIED this stuff? It’s really good!” She responded with her usual smile, though it was clear by Lucky’s expression that it wasn’t worth smiling about. “You are lucky what Lady Akemi says holds true, if you were a regular person you likely would have destroyed your insides by now with how much you consume.” He stated rather bluntly, though there was truth to that statement. Ever since he had started to accompany Nymara he had seen the inside of many a tavern. It seemed every job or errand they went on they always needed to test the “local elixir of the gods” as she would put it. A thought that made him snort, thinking so highly of such a vile drink. He had seen what it had done to others and was quite thankful Nymara hadn’t gone that far. At least for the moment anyways.

    When they had finally arrived Nym took immediate notice of the water barrel, though she had little time to say anything before her mentor relayed her next set of very clear instructions. Lucky snickered, seeing Nym’s face drop at the realization. Like most people, Nym didn’t drink for the flavour, so purging it all from her system with this method was certainly a kick in the gut. Though Nymara knew it would likely feel a lot worse if Akemi had to carry out her threat. Sighing with irritation the redhead walked up to the barrel of cold water. “Aight then, *water* we dance!” She yelled rather aggressively before dunking her head into the barrel with one quick motion! Nym kept her head submerged for a moment, before the water began to steam and boil like a pot of stew with her head still under! It only lasted a few seconds, as Nym lifted her water soaked head out and shook it like a dog, spraying water all over Lucky and Akemi if she was unlucky enough to be standing nearby. She felt the cold sensation sting her entire nervous system! Like an icy hand that reached and grabbed hold of her spine. Would be hard to tell, with the remaining water in the barrel still steaming with heat. “AUUOOOHH! Okay! Alright! OOOH!” She called out, trying to distract herself from the assault on her senses. Akemi had some rather direct methods, though they proved to be exactly the type Nymara needed. Still trying to shake her brain freeze, Nymara finally gave another furious shake to her head, leaving her long red hair in a dripping mess.

    Finally looking back over to her mentor, Nymara coughed slightly before tilting her head. "Sober enough for ya?"

    667 Words | PWC: 1518/7000




    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 18th April 2022, 1:38 pm

    As she could have predicted, Nymara immediately protested against Akemi's advice for Lucky to leave the alcohol be. Like a proper drunkard, the redhead had to make it clear she thought alcohol was great. Akemi, for her part, just shook her head. "I've tasted those drinks before, and while some of them might not taste bad they're not worth the loss of cognizance." The assassin prized her ability to remain clear-headed and practical, along with all the knowledge she'd accumulated over the years, and if there was a drink in this world which was worth turning into a drooling dullard she had yet to come across it. And she had no interest in finding it.

    More importantly, Nymara did as she was told and dunked her head into the water barrel. The redhead's ever-present head caused the water to erupt into steam, which made Akemi frown and step back as she waited for Nymara to finish the process. She'd probably have to refill the barrel once her apprentice was done, and make sure the steam didn't enter the library either. Moist air was bad for paper, although that did make her wonder if maybe she should look into some of that new technology people used these days where data could be stored inside magical devices. It would cut down on maintenance a lot, but...

    Her thoughts were interrupted as Nymara pulled her head out of the water and shook it, sending hot droplets everywhere. The droplets that had been heading towards Akemi halted in mid-air as she took hold of their shadows to arrest their movement, then dropped to the ground. Akemi herself didn't outwardly acknowledge them as her gaze was on Nymara instead. "It's a start. You'll have to take a shower for this mission anyway, so that might help sober you the rest of the way up." She imagined that this would cause Nymara to have questions: not many missions would have you take a shower beforehand.

    With another motion for Nymara to follow her, Akemi led Nymara away from the library. In fact, they'd be making their way out of the guild hall entirely and towards the large dormitories that were located directly opposite of the guild hall, across the street. Since the guild hall itself was more meant for business and a gathering location, members who didn't have their own home would have to make do with Fairy Hills. Akemi herself had a room here, although mostly for convenience: her actual home was far removed from here, and not a place easily accessed by anyone other than herself.

    Of course, she could explain the details as they walked. "As you're aware, after we left Felidae City the Symposium, meant to de-escalate the hostilities between Bellum and Pergrande, was attacked and the city was reduced to ashes. As a result, Bellum and Pergrande are openly at war, and Fiore has allied itself with Bellum." This was all background information, but Akemi wanted to make sure that Nymara was up to date before she got to the details of the mission. "For many people, the primary consequence of war is that many people will lose their lives. However, for some war is an opportunity, even an economical windfall. Can you imagine why?"

    The truth was, she wanted to keep the more sensitive information for once they were inside her dorm, where she could be certain that they wouldn't be overheard. It might have been easier to go to her office instead, as that was warded against eavesdroppers as well, but unless Nymara had been stashing away clothes in the guild hall they'd need to go to the dorms anyway. That, and she was interested in hearing Nymara's answer to the question: she wanted her apprentice to use her brain more often, which meant that she sometimes had to actually ask questions and then leave it up to the redhead to try and find the answer.

    Current Appearance:

    WC: 657
    PWC: 2,544/7,000
    TWC: 4,055/14,000

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 24th April 2022, 11:25 pm

    A shower? Now why would she need that? Didn't she just dunk her head into a barrel of water? The more Akemi spoke about this upcoming mission, the stranger it sounded to the young dragon slayer. Normally the people she beat up on jobs didn't care how clean she was, so something began to stir in the back of Nymara's mind. She wasn't exactly sure if she was going to like where this was going. "You think my stench will give away our location?" She mused aloud, only to trigger a response from Lucky. "More than likely. You don't need to have the senses of a feline to smell the drink on you." He smirked. Nymara raised an eyebrow before sniffing the air slightly and shrugging. "If my natural musk offends, they can have a flaming fist to the jaw!" She grinned mischievously.

    Nymara's attention was diverted however when she noticed her raven haired mentor making her way out of the library. Getting used to the routine by this point, the dragonslayer sighed and kept pace behind. She was surprised though when she led her out of the hall and towards the guild's popular living quarters for the members that could afford the price. The building looked shiny... Too shiny for Nymara's tastes. Lucky followed close behind, crossing his arms and staring at the large dormitories with a look of admiration. "Not a bad place. Now why do we live under a bridge?" He asked, twitching his ear slightly as he turned to face Nymara. She returned his gaze with a nervous chuckle. "Hehe.. These places are pricey, y'know?" She said. Of course Fairy Hills was meant specifically for the guild's members, so naturally most could sacrifice the cost. Unfortunately Nym had a bad spending problem. Not that her living situation really mattered much to her to start. Ever since joining the guild, Nymara made herself a spot underneath an old ruined stone bridge within the neighboring forest. It wasn't much, but she and Lucky didn't need a lot. And it was free. Well, if you were willing to fight off the local vulcan or two every once in a while anyways.

    Being led inside, Nymara found her curiosity peaked when she realized Akemi was taking them to her room. Before this point Nym had no idea where exactly Akemi spent most of her alone time aside from the guild's library, so to get a glimpse of her mentor's space was a rarity. She almost felt honoured that Akemi would let her enter, as silly as that sounded. The twilight dragon was just so private about most aspects of her life that seeing anything, even if it was just her pad in Fairy Hills, felt like she had some small amount of trust in the fire slayer.

    Nymara looked at Akemi as she began to speak about the spark that started the war. Nymara tensed up slightly thinking back to that day, knowing just what the stakes where that day. Everything that could have gone wrong did, and now everyone was scrambling to deal with the consequences. When her mentor presented the dragon slayer with a question she was silent for a moment, blinking slightly unevenly as her mind still tried to filter out the last traces of the ale in her blood. Shaking her head finally Nym coughed and Lucky sighed. "Economics? Like money and stuff? Yeah! War is full of weapons and people like to buy that stuff." She said, responding rather confidently. Thankfully Nymara didn't always have the intelligence of a rock. She had been on a few jobs before involving arms dealing, though normally she was the one crashing the party. The thought put a smirk on her face. "Ohohoho I see! We gonna ruin some noble's tea party by taking out his explosive merchandise?" Nymara chuckled with excitement, becoming giddy at the thought of letting loose around a bunch of fire inducing weaponry.

    662 Words | PWC: 2180/7000


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 25th April 2022, 12:41 am

    Akemi glanced sideways at her apprentice when Nymara guessed that the shower was needed to hide her scent. While it wasn't the correct answer for this particular instance it was not a bad assumption. "Usually that would be the correct answer, but this time around we're doing something a little bit different. But I would keep that in mind for other missions." She knew Nymara wasn't really suited for stealth, in either skillset or personality, but even the most straightforward brawler could benefit from being able to remain hidden when the situation called for it. "You can't always rely on brute force to get what you want. Sometimes you have to use more finesse than a fist."

    The following argument between Nymara and Lucky about their living conditions made Akemi frown. "If I find out that you're sleeping under a bridge because you keep wasting all your jewels on booze I'll be staging an intervention. It's one thing to enjoy alcohol, it's another to drink yourself into poverty." With how young Nymara was, Akemi wasn't even entirely certain it was a good idea to let the fire dragon drink as much as she did. Then again, it was clear that Nymara's constitution was good enough for it, so it was unlikely that the alcohol would harm her as it would have harmed anyone else. Still, one could get addicted to alcohol, and even if her apprentice wasn't as vulnerable as most others she clearly wasn't immune to the effect alcohol had on the brain. "Especially since, as a certified adventurer, you should be making more jewels than most people would even be able to spend on drinks alone." Being an adventurer was a risky job, often involving life-threatening scenarios. However, for those who had the talent for it, the rewards were plentiful.

    But now was not the time to get into a big argument about Nymara's drinking habits. Especially since part of her money most likely also went to wasting her surroundings and then having to pay for the repairs. Akemi was quite certain that the fire dragon had managed to escape having to pay for the repairs more than once, but now that she was the assassin's apprentice she wasn't going to get off that easily if she went overboard and lost control of her flame.

    Akemi's room was sparse, for the most part. She hadn't changed much to the standard layout or furniture, although she'd covered every single wall with shelves which were filled with books, scrolls, and tomes. She'd also covered the lights with pieces of thin, translucent cloth and closed the shutters on the windows, so the entire room was cast in dim light. The observant eye would notice that the cloths were of various shades of blue and orange, which evoked an atmosphere similar to twilight. For someone with enhanced senses, such as Akemi and Nymara, such light wouldn't be an issue, but for the average person the room would most likely contain too many shadows to be easy to navigate in.

    Coming to a halt in the middle of the room, Akemi turned around to face Nymara and folded her arms. She raised an eyebrow as her apprentice suggested that they were going to steal weaponry, the corner of her mouth twitching before she answered. "Not quite, although you were very close." She motioned with one hand. "There's a rich merchant from Fiore who wishes to establish favourable relationships with the high society from the members of the Luminous Covenant for purposes of trade. That means Fiore itself, Ca-Elum, Bellum, and Desierto. Ca-Elum in particular is receiving a lot of attention, as they're one of the biggest producers of high quality weapons in Ishgar." The corner of her mouth twitched again, amused at the thought of Nymara approaching the question from the wrong side. "For this he's organized a ball, which will be attended by nobles and the like. Rather than disrupting the ball, however, we've been hired as security. Our job is to keep an eye out and get rid of anyone who might wish to cause trouble." Her eyes sharpened a bit. "You've been making progress with your training, which is why I think you can handle this, but I want to emphasize that our client will be very upset if we do too much damage to his mansion. More importantly, I won't be happy either if you end up losing control."

    "Now, as for why you need to shower... Obviously it wouldn't do for security detail to smell like a pub, but the stakes are a little higher than that. The merchant is paying extra for not scaring the guests, and surrounding the mansion with security would remind them that they might be targeted. As such, we'll be taking the part of the ball as guests ourselves."

    She pointed towards the bathroom with her thumb. "Not every job is about finding something to set on fire, and this will be a good opportunity for you. Since you've just admitted to living under a bridge you can use my shower, and unless you've got an outfit stashed away somewhere which would be appropriate for a ball I'll find a dress which fits you. Any questions?"

    Current Appearance:

    WC: 873
    PWC: 3,417/7,000
    TWC: 5,585/14,000

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 2nd May 2022, 1:32 pm

    Nymara glanced at Lucky with a blank expression after Akemi's comment about her answer, though the exceed simply gave her a shrug and moved on, leaving the rapidly drying red-head to trail behind. "Hehehe, I haven't met a problem a *flaming* fist couldn't handle!" The dragonslayer mused aloud for a moment with a groggy grin, before Lucky shot her another cold glare which reminded her what Akemi was trying to do. "Uhh, but y- you're probably right.. Being sneaky probably has its perks too!" Nymara somewhat blundered, trying to recover the point she had already failed to catch. Truthfully Nymara wasn't sure what the twilight dragon was planning, though whatever it was it certainly seemed to be outside the norm... For the firebrand at least.

    When Lucky outed their living situation to her mentor, Nymara didn't think much of it at first. That was of course until Akemi picked up on the obvious implications and began to throw them in her face. Even threatening to intervene. The thought chilled the fire slayer to her core! Something that became quite apparent by the expression on her face. "Well I gotta p- pay for food too! That stuff isn't cheap!" She protested, trying to defend herself. "Well when you order the whole menu, it does tend to add up." Lucky chimed in with a smirk, Nymara shooting daggers at him with her eyes. As usual though, Akemi was right. No matter how much Nym tried to sugar coat it, her drinking problem contributed much to her financial instability. She was a full fledged wizard now, and was regularly taking on well paying jobs for the guild. Of course many of those jobs ended in Nymara paying for unintentional damages, yet the redhead didn't waste too much time when thinking about where to allocate all her resources. Something her mentor seemed determined to change.

    The overwhelming smell of paper wafted into the girl's nose, similarly to how it did every time Nymara entered the library to bother her mentor. Though this space was much more confined. Even to Nymara, it was clear that the twilight dragon had turned what was meant to be a living space into her own private arcanium. The girl wasn't much for dusty old scrolls or tomes, though she had known about her mentor's interests for a while. She wondered what criteria Akemi used to determine which books were special enough to add to her collection, or leave in the library.  "Ah, now this is much easier on the eyes." Lucky said as he observed Akemi's dim room. Thanks to his feline nature, the exceed had acute night vision, which allowed him to see clearly in the darkness. Nymara had a similar feature, though it was based on a more reptilian nature. She couldn't help but admire her mentor's decorative choices, even if there wasn't a lot. Normally Akemi was known for being very straightforward and serious, though instances like these when Nymara noticed her personal touch on the cloth covered windows felt like small glimpses into her personality. Perhaps Nymara would have to take Akemi's advice and be more observant, who knows what she could learn about her teacher if she did.

    Nymara's excitement quickly cooled when Akemi dismissed her first guess, and began to explain the parameters of the job. Sure enough, it was something completely unexpected! Nymara tried to soak in everything her mentor was saying while Lucky stood next to her with crossed arms, taking a great interest in the coming mission. The same could not be said for the redhead though, as Akemi continued it all started to make more and more sense to Nymara. The war had kickstarted many deals, and one of which happened to be extremely favourable to the kingdom if it could be pulled off. That is apparently where Nymara, Lucky, and Akemi enter the scene. Nym's eye twitched slightly after Akemi had finished explaining the job before opening her mouth. "So you just want me to play bodyguard? W- Without disrupting the ball?" She repeated what her mentor had told her, just to make sure she had heard it correctly. At this point Nymara wasn't sure if this was just a mission or another test! Though at she should have expected as much from the twilight dragon, as she seemed to be a fan of combining the two. There was no question at all about Nymara's lack of subtlety, so to accomplish this job within her mentor's parameters seemed foolhardy! Sure she could protect people fine, but to do it without anyone seeing? Nymara crossed her arms and tilted her head, a look of confusion on her face. "Well how much trouble are we expecting? Also I don't know these kinds of people! I can't be expected to interact with them!" She said, though Lucky simply raised a paw. "Fear not, my lady! I happen to have experience in these types of events believe it or not, so I can perhaps be your humble guide." He said with confidence, though Nymara wasn't exactly reassured.

    Knowing she likely wasn't going to squirm her way out of this one, Nymara sighed and looked towards the back where Akemi had pointed. "A dress? Hehe, no never needed one. Things are too hard to fight in.." Nym responded, reminiscing on some old escapades. She much preferred her white coat and vest to anything else, though it was clear the situation would call for a wardrobe change. Well... It's better than the river at least." Nymara grumbled as she entered the bathroom and began preparing herself. Lucky for the most part would bow his head. "I shall leave you two ladies to your privacy, I will await outside." He said in a respectful tone to the twilight dragon before exiting her room.

    971 Words | PWC: 3151/7000


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 7th May 2022, 2:20 pm

    Akemi pointedly ignored Nymara's blank look towards Lucky. For an assassin covering your scent so you didn't get discovered was, in fact, quite important, and even if Nymara wasn't planning to focus as much on stealth and subtlety as her master Akemi was still going to at least teach her the basics. After all, even if you didn't want to be an assassin, you might still have to be able to catch your own food someday.

    "Being stealthy has the advantage that you can get the first hit in before the target has the opportunity to react or defend themselves. Given that you need prompting to remember this I might make it the focus of our next training session." Some more emphasis on tactics and strategy might be a good idea anyway. She could reconfigure the training room into something like a mountainous region, have Nymara try to catch her while Akemi herself tried to tap the redhead from somewhere unseen. Done properly it might even be fun for the fire slayer, which should keep her from complaining or getting frustrated.

    Lucky's hint that Nymara not only drank a lot, but also ate a lot, had Akemi sighing. "Well, at least eating a lot means you've got a lot of energy to burn, which can be useful. Still, it'd be a good idea to cut back a little so you can keep some jewels tucked away in case you need them. Some things are most easily obtained by paying for them." In Akemi's case it was mostly scrolls and the like, something that she imagined Nymara wouldn't necessarily be interested in. But everybody could benefit from having some spending money, in case something struck their fancy or unexpected circumstances forced them to change priorities on what was important.

    It seemed that both Nymara and Lucky appreciated Akemi's choice to dim the lights in her room, resulting in the assassin giving a quick nod in response to Lucky's comment. She herself found this a lot more comfortable, even if she had become used to the brightness of the outdoors. If Nymara and Lucky studied the scrolls, tomes, and books that lined the walls they'd find that it was mostly a mixture of historical records from all over Ishgar and magical theory. So far as Akemi was concerned knowing as much about how magic worked was a non-optional requirement for developing one's own magic. She couldn't deny that there were plenty of entities who managed to achieve great heights without such intense study, but she was hoping to achieve equal or even greater height while being a lot more efficient and effective.

    "Playing would imply that you're not actually acting as a bodyguard. Although to be more precise, you're protecting everyone at the ball, not just the host." She wanted to clear that up before Nymara got the idea that she only had to look after the merchant. If the redhead ignored threats directed at the guests it could actually become a bit of a problem. "And yes, we will have to keep collateral damage to a minimum. If the mansion does get attacked you won't be blamed for the disruption of the ball, but if you do damage the mansion in the process of fending off the attackers our client will file complaints and the reparations will come out of your pocket." She smirked slightly at that. "Another reason to not drink and eat all your jewels away. That said, since we'll be attending this ball as guests ourselves you'll be allowed to eat from the buffet, as long as you don't clear the table by yourself."

    She tapped her cheek at Nymara's reasonable question about wishing to know how likely it was that the ball would be attacked. "The client didn't say anything about attacks that he's certain will happen. It's more likely that we're hired as insurance. If you're lucky the ball will end without any incidents and you don't have to worry about controlling yourself." That would probably be the most fortunate outcome for the merchant and the guests. Akemi would rather have some nuisances show up so Nymara was forced to improve her self-control, but the dark claw mage was not looking forward to hearing the merchant kick up a fuss if part of the mansion got destroyed.

    Lucky then chimed in with a suggestion that was actually quite welcome. Akemi shifted her attention towards the cat and nodded. "That's not a bad idea. On the way to the ball Lucky can instruct you on the basics, and guide you through the more complex encounters if necessary. That said, you're young and beautiful, so you can get away with some abnormal behaviour without the other guests getting too upset about it." If people found you attractive they were a lot more forgiving when judging your words and actions. "If you don't have a dress I'll find one that suits you, but since I'll have to take care of some things afterwards the two of you will be travelling to the mansion without me. I'll meet you there instead."

    While attending the ball was well and good, to truly be prepared for trouble Akemi wanted to scout the surrounding area and perhaps set some traps which would serve her well in defending the place. Her magic was for the most part meant to be used in the moment, but as she developed her skills she also picked up new tricks, including some which she still found rather baffling herself.

    With Lucky having left the apartment to give the two women their privacy Akemi followed Nymara into the bathroom. No sense in wasting time waiting for the redhead to finish before showering herself, and she'd probably be done before Nymara anyway so she'd have time to find a good dress for her apprentice.


    After Akemi had finished her shower quickly she had remained true to her word and procured a dress for Nymara. The measurements were correct, and the dark design should make her look both stunning and intimidating. The fire slayer did have a point that she wasn't used to mingling with high society, so it wouldn't hurt to discourage the guests from approaching her on a mere whim.

    Of course, there would probably be those who'd approach her because they didn't know who she was and they were smitten with her, but Akemi figured they'd handle those as they came. She did already have an idea of how to handle it as well, but it'd be funnier if she didn't tell Nymara in advance.

    Leaving Nymara to finish her shower, get dressed, and receive some education on etiquette from Lucky on the way to the mansion, Akemi cut down her own travel time to less than a minute by finding a convenient shadow, stepping into it, and stepping out of the mansion's shadow and immediately turning invisible. By shifting between shadows she managed to quickly cover the entire estate. The estate itself seemed to be fine, properly prepared for the ball that would take place that evening, but the surrounding town... Akemi frowned. In a place like this, troublemakers could easily slip in from any direction. Shirotsume was a fairly lawless place, with powerful individuals relying on retainers and hired muscle to enforce their own rule within their territory. The merchant who acted as their client was certainly wealthy, and had managed to seize a fairly large territory, but the other big players of Shirotsume might find that reason to interfere with this ball as well.

    As evening fell and the ball was soon to begin Akemi shifted back to her room and got dressed as well. Once she was as prepared as she could be she shifted back to Shirotsume, waiting some ways outside of the town so she could wait for Nymara and Lucky to arrive so the three of them could enter the merchant's estate proper.

    Appearance:

    WC: 1,322
    PWC: 4,739/7,000
    TWC: 7,875/14,000

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 10th May 2022, 7:59 pm

    Of course no matter how many different ways Akemi explained it to the girl, Nymara was convinced she was going to learn to hate this mission. She had known for quite some time that Akemi was trying to teach her how to be more controlling of her magic and to show more restraint. All well and good, though attaching the stakes of a rich guy's big house proved to be quite worrisome. Something that seemed painfully obvious to both Lucky and her raven haired mentor. If the situation called for it, she would not hesitate to defend the ball's guests from harm, though could she really do so in a fashion that warranted no attention? As she thought about that question it became more clear to the girl that the twilight dragon was more than likely toying with her! Based on the little Nymara had seen from Akemi's powers, she knew her mentor was a beast! Not only that, but she specialized in stealth and trickery, which was exactly what this type of mission needed. Nymara was sure that Akemi would have no trouble pulling something like this off herself, so why bring her and Lucky along? Simple! It had to be another test but unlike all the others Nymara had the awkwardness of other people to deal with. And like Akemi just finished explaining, she'd be responsible for all of their safety. "D- Does the guy even know my magic?" She asked, wondering if Akemi had conveniently left that part out when she took on the job. "My dear lady, you are worrying to much." Lucky interjected when he noticed the room temperature rise in the room filled with paper along with Nymara's nervousness. "I'm sure when you put your mind to it, you can control your flames just fine! Remember that exam?" The exceed continued, trying his best to assure her of her own ability. He was right though, while difficult it wasn't impossible for Nymara to keep her flames in better check. She just had problems keeping them that way. Her previous exam was proof of that theory.

    The dragonslayer's face lit up when Akemi mentioned that she could partake in the food, though she knew she probably wouldn't have too much time to spend with it. Akemi seemed unsure of the chance that an attack would take place, though the fact that the two of them were hired at all probably meant there was certainly some risk involved with this whole affair. The war was in full swing now, after all. Who knew what shady backroom deals were being made behind the frontlines. Test or not though, Nymara was determined to get this job done without disappointing her mentor. For earning Akemi's ire produced no greater sinking feeling in one's stomach. Despite how nervous the redhead may have seemed, it wasn't like she didn't trust the twilight dragon. Nymara would need to remember that no matter how difficult the task may have seemed, her mentor wasn't unfair. A pleasant change from Vulcanis. If Akemi believed Nymara was ready for this type of job, than the girl would just have to hold her head high and do the same. Not that there would be many options in the first place.

    "Oh quite! I'll be with her every step of the way to make sure she doesn't make a fool of herself." The armored cat said with a confident expression, crossing his arms. "Though admittedly it could yet prove to be a fool's errand." He continued, shooting another smirk at the dragon slayer. Rolling her eyes Nymara didn't say another thing to Lucky before she turned her attention back to her mentor. "Abnormal behaviour? Why I can be completely normal if I want too!" She said, clearly latching on to the unimportant tidbits of Akemi's information. "Mhm, a wonder then none of us have seen it yet." Lucky jabbed once more, clearly enjoying irritating the redhead. "Can it cat before I singe your fur!"

    After a rather hot shower Akemi seemed to be true to her word. Seeing the dress laid out on the bed she tilted her head slightly with a frown. Lucky had his arms behind his back as he stood near the entrance to Fairy Hills. His ears flicked suddenly when he heard the familiar grunting of his companion and he curiously look over at the door just as Nymara clumsily stumbled out of it. Now in a complete dress. Akemi had chosen extremely well, as the outfit complimented Nymara to the letter! The black was an excellent pick, and the dress' measurements seemed to match the girl's unique physique almost perfectly! Even in the chest area, how suspicious. Though as stunning as Nymara now looked garbed for a noble ball, her face reflected the exact opposite. It was obvious she was struggling to feel comfortable in such an outfit, and the bonuses it did for her appearance were the last thing on her mind. Lucky on the other hand raised an eyebrow. "The mansion is several towns away, my lady. Do you really intend to wear that all the way there? Especially on the train?" He asked Nym as her muscles tensed up. He was right, the mansion was quite far wasn't it. Shirotsume wasn't exactly Magnolia's neighbour, which meant if the two of them intended to meet Akemi at the specified time they'd need to get on the railway. Her stomach turned just thinking about it, but Nymara nodded.

    "At least you didn't get any vomit on the nice dress Lady Akemi got you, she may want it back." Lucky said with a cheery tone, walking next to a much more miserable looking Nymara. The train ride had been quite the ordeal, but Nymara was just thankful that it was over. If the constant stomach problems weren't bad enough, listening to Lucky's lectures on how to talk to nobles made it worse. She was just happy that the meeting spot was coming into view, and it seemed like they were going to be right on time.

    "Augh.. We finally made it!" Nymara tried to say with enthusiasm, though it was obvious she was still dealing with the after effects of the motion sickness. If she had known she would be traveling tonight, the dragonslayer may not have consumed as much beer. It certainly didn't help her on the tracks. Though when Nymara's eyes had a chance to sharpen a bit more she was almost instantly brought out of her groggy state! Akemi was there, in the spot they agreed upon, though she looked different! In what seemed like a second Nymara forgot her pain and was absolutely entranced by the new look of her mentor. Why? She wasn't sure! Nymara had never seen Akemi spruce up her looks for a special event before, so seeing it now she was woefully unprepared. "Your dress! I- It's new!" Nym fumbled with her words a bit, causing Lucky to arch an eyebrow up at her. Though when he saw the redness on her cheeks it didn't take long for the exceed to connect the dots. "I h- haven't seen you in it before..." She trailed off slightly, clearly confused about her own feelings at the moment. Nymara wasn't sure why she was so surprised, as the twilight dragon did mention before they would be dressing up for this venture. Yet seeing her in person like this caused some sort of fire to start in Nym, and she wasn't sure why. Lucky just hoped it rained recently, or their surroundings might get lit aflame. Thankfully the whole purpose of this job was to restrain from such actions.

    1282 Words | PWC: 4433/7000

    Nymara's Current Appearance :


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 14th May 2022, 9:47 am

    It looked like Nymara and Lucky actually managed to arrive on time. Akemi wasn't too surprised, as she'd made sure to inform Nymara of the task they'd be undergoing with plenty of leeway, but it was still good to see that the fire slayer and the cat managed not to delay themselves. A part of her had been worried that Nymara, clearly not very comfortable with the upcoming mission, might try to calm her nerves with some alcohol and then forget what she was supposed to be doing. It wasn't that she distrusted Nymara as she was aware that the redhead could be a bit careless at times.

    However, that was purely a hypothetical possibility that, as it turned out, had failed to be true. Instead, Akemi could straighten up and raise a hand to announce her presence to the other two, waiting for them to reach her so... apparently Nymara could be absolutely flabbergasted by Akemi's appearance. It was true that usually, Akemi dressed like she didn't care too much about what others thought of her, as her clothes served their purpose of covering up her important parts and otherwise were rather messy. As such, she couldn't exactly blame Nymara for being surprised, although she was definitely amused by it.

    "This isn't actually the first time I've worn this dress, but it's true that it's the first time you've seen it." She answered smoothly, looking Nymara over as well. Being in the shower with Nymara had given her the opportunity she needed to get a good idea of the firebrand's physique, and from the looks of it she'd managed to pick the right dress to suit that body. "You look beautiful as well, so I think we're all set for the task at hand." The corner of her mouth curled upwards into a slight smile. "Well, aside from the fact that you seem to be ready to combust. Try to take deep breaths and turn down the heat." They could hardly arrive at the ball if Nymara was turning all the water around her into steam.

    Akemi was pleased by Nymara's reaction, so she wasn't quite as stern as usual. So far every compliment she'd thrown her apprentice's way had flown right over that red-haired head, which made her wonder if Nymara was just that oblivious. So instead she'd dressed up in a manner which, as long as Nymara had a libido which was capable of reacting to the female physique, should definitely provoke a response. And it had, so at the very least Akemi had received confirmation that her apprentice's sexual orientation was one which included her mentor. And at the same time, she'd been able to find a mission which would give her the opportunity to make Nymara put on a nice dress as well, so Akemi herself also had something nice to look at while on the job.

    "Black does look really good on you."

    Appearance:

    WC: 489
    PWC: 5,228/7,000
    TWC: 9,661/14,000

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 21st May 2022, 2:18 am

    It was such a strange feeling, the dragon slayer couldn’t quite place it. It seemed like she had viewed Akemi completely differently before they met but now that they were here the girl was overcome by an odd sense of attraction to her mentor’s appearance. Was the dress really that powerful? Did it unlock something Nymara didn’t know she had? The worst part about this situation was the fact that Nymara wasn’t exactly sure what to say, for she had never encountered anything like this before. “Ah, r- right! Thanks!” She blurted following Akemi’s compliment about her own looks, though quickly cursing herself soon after for how stupid it sounded. A feeling that was only reinforced by the look Lucky had given her at the same time. It was clear he knew exactly what was going on, but he wasn’t going to hold her hand through it either. Some battles needed to be fought alone.

    Though Lucky didn’t remain silent for long. “She’s right, you might light the grass at this rate.” He informed her, ignoring the fact that he was sweating inside his armor. Nymara had temporarily snapped out of her distracted state and turned to look down at her feline companion. “Ooh! Eheh, sorry.” She stumbled. Trying to take her mentor’s advice, Nymara managed to calm her heightened senses. Thankfully it didn’t take much for Nymara to bring her aura down to a more reasonable level. One that didn’t radiate heat at the very least anyways. “I uhh..” Nymara would begin to say in response to Akemi’s comment about the color she was wearing. Nym opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself for a moment. After a moment of reconsideration she internally sighed and simply gave her mentor a soft but rather genuine smile. “Thanks.. It does so on you as well.”

    Nymara wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it, but she desperately hoped Akemi wasn’t offended by her obvious ineptitude in this field. Like many things, this was certainly not something Vulcanis had prepared the girl for. She had briefly considered bringing it up to Lucky, though she would never dare do such a thing in Akemi’s presence. For now she just had to try and keep her head on straight. They still had a job to do after all, and Nymara doubted Akemi would take her scatterbrain as a valid excuse for failure.

    Hopping off the rock Lucy had been sitting on, the exceed looked positively giddy. “Ah, the dresses you both wear bring back so many memories. The grand balls of the royal city were flooded with so many different tastes.” He said in a cheery tone, walking past both of them. “Of course one can expect no less from events such as these. I am intrigued to see how the others will look as well.” He mused, looking at the town. Lucky had not elaborated, though he found a simple pleasure in some high society practices.

    499 Words | PWC: 4932/7000 Words




    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 22nd May 2022, 1:28 pm

    Watching Nymara do her best despite having been forced into a scenario she had zero experience with was pretty endearing. Usually, Akemi would find the stuttering and the stumbling tedious, and a sign that Nymara needed more training in remaining in control of herself, but given that her current lack of composure was a direct result of her being dumbstruck by Akemi's own beauty, and by extension Nymara's attraction towards the assassin, it actually was quite pleasant this time around. Of course, she would have to get Nymara to regain enough control to not blow her cover as a guest at the ball before they arrived, but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little bit of fun before then.

    "Good." She simply commented after Nymara managed to keep herself from igniting her surroundings through sheer heat. "The weather is already warm enough that we won't be needing your aura to keep us warm. Of course, we will still be sticking close together for the duration of this mission."

    It was rather surprising to watch Nymara actually drop her bravado for a bit. That soft smile wasn't something the redhead would usually wear, but it looked nice on her. Akemi smiled back before motioning for both the fire slayer and the cat knight to follow her as they headed towards where the mansion was located. The sky was already growing dark, but there was enough lighting that even if they didn't have night vision they wouldn't have had any trouble making their way through the streets. They did, however, have to ignore some stares on the way: these streets weren't terribly crowded, but the few people that were present couldn't help but look at the two gorgeous women walking past, as well as curiosity for the exceed that accompanied them.

    "Most likely their appearance won't differ much from Nymara and I, although not as beautiful of course." Akemi might be a rather cold and withdrawn person, but that didn't mean she didn't have a high opinion of her own looks. "This isn't meant to be a costumed ball, so everyone will be looking to impress without going overboard." She glanced down at herself quickly. "In fact, I might actually be a bit underdressed." She wasn't exactly embarrassed, but it couldn't be denied that this dress was very provocative, accentuating her curves even more than if she were simply naked. No doubt part of the reason why Nymara was only now realizing her own attraction towards her mentor despite having shared a shower with her before.

    "I'm not very interested in such events myself, but we'll still have to blend in for a while. I don't expect you to engage in conversation unless someone talks to you first, but we can keep each other busy in the meantime while I keep an eye on things. My abilities are more suited for spying and scouting than yours, so you just concern yourself with keeping your temperature under control." The corners of Akemi's mouth twitched again as she was curious whether Nymara would be able to retain control after the dark claw mage's next words.

    "With both of us looking the way we do we'll no doubt attract those who have a more physical interest in us. To avoid them being too pushy with us we'll have to act like we're a couple to dissuade them." She looked at Nymara. "Since these people belong to high society merely telling them you're not interested won't convince them: they're used to getting what they want as long as they keep trying. However, if you're already in a relationship with someone they can't intimidate they should back off." The idea that anyone at the ball would be able to intimidate Akemi was, of course, preposterous.

    Appearance:

    WC: 629
    PWC: 5,857/7,000
    TWC: 10,787/14,000

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 31st May 2022, 10:42 pm

    At the very least the twilight dragon didn't seem bothered by Nymara's struggle, and that was all she could really hope for at present. Still, that wasn't going to make the upcoming mission easy exactly. Though at least with with the firebrand's stress slowly receding she needn't worry about accidentally causing some noble's fancy curtains to catch ablaze. That was the hope anyways, for the night was still young and Nymara had no idea just how much this would end up effecting her. The first hint of this uncertainty coming shortly after Akemi's comment about their need to stick together for this job. No matter how it ended, the fire slayer knew this night wasn't likely to be something she was going to forget. For good reasons or not. "Oh right, well.." She started, not knowing entirely what to say in response that wouldn't make her look like an even bigger fool than she was already acting like. At least with Akemi's proximity she may not need to worry about missing their targets. Not that Nymara had expected Akemi to do most of the work for this job, but she figured someone of her skill and experience would have a much easier time navigating these types of events for their marks. "I'll try to keep my senses alert for any signals you give me." She continued, trying her best to clear her head a bit more. Though it only lasted a short time, as Nymara couldn't help but find herself blushing from Akemi's smile, even if she didn't realize.

    "Oh of course, how could I forget! This is after all just a cover for an arms deal, so I doubt it would end up as extravagant as I'm imagining." Lucky replied to Akemi's remark about what they may see on the others within the ball. It had been quite some time since he had attended one of these before, so the expectations were a bit hazy. This was not the floating kingdom he was used to after all, so the customs could be quite different as well. Of course unlike Nymara Lucky was quite confident in himself, if the nobles can get over his appearance anyways. "Well luckily *-ngh!* we're not tryin' to get anyone's approval, right?" Nymara stated after Akemi's opinion on her outfit, grunting as she tried to readjust her own dress a bit. Despite it being a perfect match for the girl, she still couldn't get used to wearing one of these things. "Oh! Uh, aside from the client that is!" She quickly corrected herself. "You could find it useful regardless." Lucky responded with a slight eyeroll.

    With the gates of the mansion slowly coming into view Akemi had stopped Nymara to give her the run down on their plan. As Nymara had theorized earlier, Akemi's powers were going to come in handy for this job. They were uniquely suited for this type of engagement as Akemi stated, pointing out that Nymara's were quite the opposite. The only thing Akemi was asking for right now was Nymara's control, and she would do her best to give it! "R- Right! Lucky was trying to teach me some stuff about the stuffed up noble's speech too! So I'll try to keep things sounding uh.. normal!" She stated, sounding a bit unsure about herself though brave enough to try. It was just some fancy party at the end of the day, how hard could it be to not cause a scene?

    However the next words that left her mentor's mouth put all the fire slayer's built up confidence into question and nearly froze her to the core. Of course, that was until a nearby wild flower suddenly burst into flame! They had to pretend to be together??? Akemi was quick to explain her reasoning for the strategy, though in all honesty Nymara wasn't hearing much of what she said after her initial statement. It was evident enough when Nymara's cheeks flushed slightly at the notion before the fire slayer began to speak. "A- Ah! Oh okay.. uh.." She stammered as the heat in the air began to make a quick return, though Lucky was quick to speak as well. "Not a bad idea! Those who are already spoken for rarely get pestered much at these gatherings, trust me!" He agreed. Not just because the twilight dragon's logic was sound, but also he was curious to see how Nymara would fair under these circumstances. It wasn't like she was keeping her interest in Akemi a secret anyways. At least not very well. For good or ill, the exceed was confident the outcome would be entertaining nonetheless. "Right then! If you think this'll make things easier, y-yeah?" Nymara finally said, being convinced to try it by both of them. Not that Nymara currently needed much encouragement though. It was certainly nerve-racking enough to make Nymara nearly switch personalities, though she couldn't deny her own sudden attraction to the twilight dragon. That and Akemi's plan pretty much guaranteed Nymara wouldn't be thrust into any awkward conversations with drunk nobles harping on her looks. "We'll be g- great in there! Just fine! We're fine!" She would begin to say again with a quickened heartbeat.

    871 Words | PWC: 5803/7000


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 6th June 2022, 8:16 am

    Well, it looked like Akemi's plan had succeeded: Nymara looked like she was about to burst into flames from sheer awkwardness and embarrassment. Her speech patterns were completely different from how they usually were as she tried to keep herself under control. The dark claw mage smirked as her redheaded apprentice assured her that she'd do her best to stay alert. "Excellent. While I'll be taking care of surveillance I'll be expecting you to take care of any intruders that we do encounter, given that it's a good opportunity for you to learn some more control over your flames." Admittedly it was unlikely that anyone would be sending an assassin towards this party that Akemi wouldn't be able to handle, but there would be little point to attending this event if Nymara didn't learn something from it. Or two things, since the firebrand was clearly being forced to learn something about herself that she hadn't been aware of before.

    "It's both a cover and an attempt for the host to impress the guests, but you're correct that it wouldn't compare to the kind of balls held for royal gatherings." Akemi briefly rolled her eyes at that. She really didn't have a high opinion of the whole royalty thing, and the fact that their festivities tended to be some of the most absurd occasions both in execution and expenses was one of the reasons why. "If we were attending a royal ball we'd either have to wear such extravagant outfits that you could barely see us underneath all the bells and whistles or we'd be competing to see who could wear the least while still remaining legally decent, depending on the mood of society's upper crust." Decadence always manifested itself in one of two ways: showing off your wealth and status as much as possible, or coming as close to violating laws and ethics as possible without getting arrested.

    Admittedly it wasn't like it was inevitable that gatherings of aristocracy turned into displays of decadence, but Akemi's cynical worldview made her speak of it as such anyway. Although the point was moot since there wasn't any reason to believe either she or Nymara would be attending a royal ball soon.

    "Try to keep your adjustments to a minimum once we're inside. As for gaining anyone's approval..." Akemi shrugged. "It all depends on what your goals are. If your main concern is wealth and fame gaining the support of those who already are wealthy and famous is one of the easiest methods to achieve your goals." She looked over her shoulder at Nymara and Lucky. "That said, I don't think any of us are interested in that, so as long as we don't antagonize anyone I'd consider it a successful mission." The wealthy and famous could be quite petty when they felt slighted, so even if Akemi had no interest in stroking their egos she'd still avoid earning their ire. Few things were as annoying as some proud and self-absorbed noble doing their best to make life difficult for you.

    "I'm not sure I'd call the way that nobles speak normal, but I'm curious to see how you'll fare if one approaches you." Akemi's attention was pulled away when a nearby flower spontaneously combusted. With a quick swipe of her hand, the flames were smothered by shadows, although the flower had already sustained extensive damage. The raven-haired assassin kept her face calm as she watched Nymara try to keep herself from igniting, but the corners of her mouth kept twitching upwards. Really, getting Nymara hot and bothered was too amusing. "Well, I'm glad you're seeing the sense of it. Just keep an eye on your breathing and your temperature. Now come on, we don't want to be late."

    Reaching out Akemi grabbed Nymara by the hand, motioning for her apprentice to walk next to her as they passed through the gates and walked down the path leading to the entrance to the mansion proper. Most of the mansion's windows were already alight with activity, sounds of people talking and moving around drifting out into the evening sky with music permeating the air. As they reached the door it opened before they could even knock, a servant dressed in sharp black standing before them. He looked at all three of them, his expression neutral although his eyes did light up a bit seeing Lucky. "Good evening, ladies, sir. May I know your names?"

    Given that Akemi was the one who had accepted the job she took the lead. "I am Akemi, and this is my partner Nymara and our companion, Sir Lucky. We were invited by Master Carleson." From her understanding the merchant didn't want to deal with the hassle of guests having lost their invitation, so instead he'd chosen the far more unreasonable option of having his servants memorize the full list of guests.

    Fortunately, this servant appeared to have done so correctly, as he nodded and stepped to the side with a bow. "Welcome, Lady Akemi, Lady Nymara, Sir Lucky. Master Carleson wishes me to remind you that everyone should keep from the third floor: it's not meant to be part of the festivities."

    Akemi nodded. "Understood. We'll make sure to stay clear of the third floor." She'd lead the way into the mansion now that the servant was no longer blocking the way, following the sound of activity from the hallway to a large room which served as the heart of the evening. As one would expect from a merchant who was trying to impress the high society, the mansion was quite luxuriously decorated. Clearly, this building had been designed for the purpose of displaying the wealth of the owner, even if it still didn't compare to the palaces of royalty.

    Appearance:

    WC: 961
    PWC: 6,818/7,000
    TWC: 12,601/14,000

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 21st June 2022, 3:26 pm

    The difficulty of this job seemed to increase as the night progressed, though Nymara had little time to think about that while the gates of the mansion were sitting within view range and Akemi kept speaking about their strategy. Focusing on the mission details while also keeping herself cooled might be a bit of a challenge, though she wasn't interested in backing down now. Nymara had no idea what Akemi thought of her nervous stuttering, but she didn't want to give the twilight dragon any more reasons to feel put off by setting the mansion on fire once they got inside. Still, the fact that Akemi hadn't given her any deathly stares or sharp words by this point was a good sign! Akemi may have been pretty mysterious overall, but spend enough time with the twilight dragon and you can pick up a few things about her habits. For instance, it was usually obvious when she was displeased or angry with the redhead, since Nymara could always see the familiar stone cold gaze boring into her soul whenever she did something that miffed her raven haired mentor. Thankfully, that didn't appear to be the current case. There was still a lot about the woman that Nymara didn't know yet however, so who could really know for sure what she was feeling behind those golden eyes.

    "Ah how true that is! I remember seeing, or rather 'not' seeing so many interesting guests at such balls." Lucky chuckled as Akemi spoke more about the event. Some of the more wealthy nobles certainly took such parties as the perfect opportunity to flaunt their horde of gold by coming up with the most over the top and rather ridiculous looking attire in an effort to stand out from one another. Beyond that action though, the exceed had a difficult time finding other uses for such outfits. "Eh, I ain't really interested in makin friends with these 'high society' folk, they sound like a real headache to talk to." Nymara responded, still fidgeting slightly and trying to get used to her dress when Akemi wasn't paying attention. The fire dragon slayer had yet to even really meet any noble or wealthy merchant of any notable standing, but based off the lecture Lucky was trying to give her on the train she could already tell they didn't act like most of the people she hung out with. Aside from the armoured exceed at least. Wealth and fame were both things Nymara planned to get herself through working for a guild, she didn't need some fancy talking puffed up noble's assistance to get ahead.

    Her magic betrayed her feelings upon the twilight dragon's plan, and Akemi was forced to snuff out the small fire that taken hold of the flower, at which point Nymara simply blinked a few times and quickly turned to see the source of the noise, not even registering her actions initially. Still, even with that display Akemi seemed to have faith in her. "Y- Yeah! *ahem* I'll keep it contained!" Nymara would respond with the same nervous undertone, though it was clear she was trying to take it seriously. The last thing she wanted was her mentor to lose confidence in her just because of some untapped feelings. "It may be imperative that you do! These events tend to normally have lots of flammable material present, so you must be careful." Lucky would interject just to remind Nymara once more. Even to him it was obvious that the night had taken an unexpected turn for Nymara so he wanted to do his best to make sure she could adapt. "Might I suggest finding a cooling refreshment once you've entered, it may help." Lucky would continue, before he realized something and spoke up once more. "Oh! And by that I mean water or juice... It may be unwise to consume any of the alcaholic beverages."

    When Akemi reached for her hand Nymara was taken a bit by surprise and got even more red, though it quickly subsided once they began moving towards the gates of the mansion. Now her focus was just keeping herself normal until they got inside. Once the servant opened the door Nymara internally cheered as Akemi took the stand and did the talking. She had to admit being called Akemi's partner instead of student or mentee felt different, though it certainly wasn't a bad feeling. Luckily the servant seemed to already be familiar with their names and waved their entry through the gates and into the massive interior of the mansion. Nymara slightly squeezed Akemi's had tighter when they entered the main room and they were met with a sea of people! Each and every one of them dressed up in fancy suits or dresses while carrying their drinks and talking with funny words. The overwhelming scents though were the first thing that Nymara noticed. Her nose scrunched up almost instinctively as her dragon slayer senses picked up the drowning fragrance of dozens of different perfume or cologne smells that flooded the ballroom. Obviously nobody else seemed to mind, but judging by the expression on Nymara's face she wasn't a fan of these new scents. "Oh and do remember to smile." Lucky would whisper near Nymara's leg as he noticed the current look of disgust on her expression. Snapping out of her trance she would take Lucky's advice and attempt to put on a rather forced grin just as a couple of nobles walked passed the trio and greeted them with respectful nods, though they were clearly taken slightly back by the awkwardness in Nymara's face. "Ah, despite everything this sure is nostalgic." Lucky would continue, gazing at the room with a satisfied smile clearly enjoying himself. Nymara seemed to be the opposite as Akemi would feel from holding Nymara's hand. "So then.."  
    Nymara would finally say. "What exactly are we on the lookout for?" She asked in a hushed tone that only Akemi and Lucky were meant to hear. The dragonslayer hoped by focusing on the mission she could get by everything else. How successful she would be remained to be seen, as being with her mentor in these circumstances definitely tested her in ways she wasn't expecting. "First off, we should blend in more! I believe a table of beverages is nearby." He would hint, looking up at Nymara.

    1063 Words | PWC: 6866/7000


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 30th June 2022, 11:12 am

    "You're not wrong about them difficult to deal with. Most of them were raised from birth to believe that they're above the rest of society, and that the rules don't apply to them in the way they apply to others as long as they know how to wield their political and economical power." Akemi ignored the fact that dragons were much the same for the sake of personal convenience, although if pressured she would have been able to provide some arguments for the vital differences between nobility and dragons.

    "The ones who managed to reach this position through hard work can be more reasonable, although often they're so focused on gaining more power and holding onto what power they have that they're not very cooperative." It was easy for these individuals to completely forget about how they reached their current position: humans and their kin were social creatures whose achievements were built on cooperation. A dragon might be able to achieve great heights on its own, but humans couldn't say the same.

    "If you wish to reach your goals through your own efforts there's not much point to striking any deals with the people we'll be meeting today, but I'd still advise you to not anger them. If you offend them they might even try to get in your way, and while we would be able to handle that it's more of a pain in the ass than it's worth dealing with." Akemi didn't bother to try hiding the distaste in her voice, her golden eyes narrow as she spoke of the crust of society. They were similar to dragons in some way, but the differences made her detest them where dragons were much more tolerable. Possibly because dragons might have a high opinion of themselves, but they also tended to stick to their own territory. Nobles, however, were constantly validating their importance by bossing others around. And it wasn't like Akemi had a high opinion of dragons who liked to do that either.

    She nodded as Lucky suggested that Nymara find something to drink once they had entered the mansion. "If you're having trouble regulating your temperature it'd be a good idea to cool yourself down with a drink. Try not to drink too much alcohol though: you already have enough trouble controlling yourself when you aren't intoxicated." A bit blunt, but accurate in Akemi's eyes. With the servant having permitted the both of them entrance she could lead the way to the main ballroom where most of the guests would be, noting that Nymara was gripping her hand rather tightly. Well, that wasn't really a problem: if it helped the firebrand from igniting Akemi had no complaints.

    Akemi's face remained neutral as they entered the ballroom, and while she would have advised Nymara to not look so disturbed by the scene before her Lucky was already on it. The cat knight really was useful for these kinds of situations.

    "I will be on the lookout for anyone who tries to remain unnoticed, or who sneaks into the mansion without being invited. If you wish to help out, you can try to see if anyone is behaving oddly: while all guests were memorized by the servants, it's not impossible for a skilled enough infiltrant to get around that obstacle." Replace the actual person with a convincing look-alike, manipulate the host so they send an invitation to the wrong person... When it came to tricky stuff like assassination and subterfuge there were no certainties, only questions of how many resources the enemy had at their disposal and how willing they were to use those resources for the task.

    She'd guide the three of them towards the table with the drinks after returning the nod of the nobles that had passed them by. As one might expect, nearly all of the drinks were alcoholic, but there was some glacial water as well, in case someone wanted to drink something more refreshing without risking intoxication. Given that Nymara was having trouble with cooling down Akemi would fill a glass with the water and hand it to her companion, while refraining from taking a drink herself. Her attention was mostly on the mansion as a whole now, perceiving the other rooms through the twisted web of dark and light that permeated reality.

    "There doesn't appear to be any dancing planned, so you don't have to worry about that." She pointed this out to Nymara casually, although she honestly didn't know whether the redhead had every tried dancing before. Although even if she had, Akemi would have been able to guarantee that it wouldn't fit into this scene.

    As for the other guests, none of them had approached the three of them yet, although they had received some glances upon entering the room. Two beautiful ladies, accompanied by a cat who seemed to be the most comfortable of the three. While Akemi spoke poorly of them these people did have some skills, and being able to read others was one of them. Akemi's stance and attitude came across as distant and reserved, not looking for any interaction with others, while Nymara looked like she really didn't know what she was doing here. From the perspective of the nobles, Akemi was most likely the one who'd been given the invitation, with Nymara being the companion.

    Unless the one who had been invited personally was Lucky, since he seemed to be in his element here. Fiore was a progressive country, so it wasn't impossible...


    Appearance:

    WC: 918
    PWC: 7,736/7,000 (Completed)
    TWC: 14,582/14,000 (Completed)

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 19th July 2022, 4:33 pm

    "Unfortunately you're very correct in your assessment. They certainly do hold themselves in very high regard. It can be quite exhausting." Lucky would remark with an experienced sigh after Akemi finished her comment about the common behaviour among upper class nobles. Not that it surprised Nymara much, despite not having a ton of experience interacting with their kind. The few times she did were only after a job when she had to endure their yelling for accidentally burning their property. Deserved for the most part, but that didn't stop them from leaving a sour impression on the red-head. Something that seemed common if Akemi and Lucky's words of wisdom were anything to go off of. "I'll try not to say anything uh..." Nymara trailed off for a moment, looking down at Lucky before he caught what she was trying to say. "Provocative or offensive, my lady." He'd finish her sentence. "Yeah! What he said!" She'd exclaim cheerfully in response to her mentor's advice on trying not to piss off the guests with her words. Despite the smile on her face though Nymara wasn't too sure if she believed in her own words. Even after Lucky tried his best to explain the basic etiquette of high society to her, Nymara was worried she could still easily fall prey to their fancy word games and expressions. Also the fact that Nymara was hanging out the train window trying not to puke the whole time Lucky had been speaking to her didn't exactly help things either. However if Akemi planned on sticking close by maybe Nymara could be spared from the worst of it. She wasn't sure how experienced Akemi was with these types of people either, but judging on how she spoke about them Nymara could surmise that the twilight dragon had certainly crossed paths with their kind, and apparently didn't like it one bit.

    Above the music, sounds of conversation, and the constant movement of guests and servants Nymara initially had trouble keeping focus once they had stepped into the threshold of the main room. The overbearing (at least for a dragonslayer) smell of food also wafted above the crowd, nearly instantly drawing Nymara's attention to whatever direction it was coming from. Though her hungry thoughts wouldn't last long as both Lucky and Akemi agreed they should move over to the drink table. Akemi raised a good point to Nymara about her drinking problem, and even the firebrand understood now was probably not the best place to get drunk, even without Akemi's warning. Was going to be annoying though, having that much free alcohol lying around only for her to ignore! They had a job to do though, so Nymara was just going to have to resist. At least until they got back to the guild anyways. "Pffft! Like a few drinks will be enough!" Nymara would reply with a smirk. "Actually they just might. I saw the label on one of the bottles they were pouring. Exotic, old, and apparently packs quite a punch!" Lucky would say truthfully, crossing his arms as he looked back up to his companions. "Clearly the Lord of this hall intends to give his guests a night to remember! Or well, I guess it'd be more accurate to say a night they *won't* remember." Lucky would finish with a chuckle. This revelation on the alcohol only made Nymara more curious about trying it, though she understood the wisdom in Akemi and Lucky's warnings enough to refrain from acting on her impulses. "Maaaaan. The best booze are always in the most expensive places.." Nymara grumbled somewhat irritably as she eyed the walls and roof of the room they were in, silently wondering how long they would last if she was given free reign over her terrible habits.

    The dragon slayer understandably straightened up a bit more when Akemi answered her question, doing her best to cut out the distracting sounds of the ballroom to focus on her mentor's plan. She gave Nymara a quick run down of her own intentions before giving the firebrand her own suggestions on how she could assist. Akemi noted that Nymara should be on the lookout for anyone acting odd, though if she was going to be perfectly honest with herself everyone here acted odd! Nymara wasn't sure if she would be able to distinguish any abnormal behaviour from the others, as these nobles all seemed very strange to her. Still, Nymara didn't want Akemi to lose any confidence in her mentee, so she stopped herself from saying anything that might suggest she wasn't ready. "Hnmm.. Maybe I'll get lucky and smell their poison knife." Nymara said half jokingly. She had never done a mission quite like this, so it was certainly a learning experience for her. Though she couldn't have a better partner with her for a job like this! Nymara still didn't know a lot about Akemi, but if there was one thing that she did know it was impossible to run or hide from the twilight dragon. Her shadow magic made it extremely difficult for anyone to stay hidden from her, let alone get away. If there was a task that fit her category, Nymara had to guess this was it! "If you'd like I could provide overwatch." Lucky said, looking up at some of the rafters near the roof. "I can sneak up there when nobody's watching and let you know if I see anything out of the ordinary." He continued. "Doesn't sound like a terrible plan, you'd be in the perfect position to divebomb any idiot that makes a move!" Nymara responded excitedly, though Lucky only sighed and shook his head. "I'd be in the perfect position to warn either you or Lady Akemi of the potential threat, not cause a major disruption in the middle of the event." He was quick to correct Nymara, who just remembered the original rule.

    As they made their way to the table of drinks Nymara reluctantly accepted the glass of pure water and began to nurse it back. The redhead found herself unintentionally letting her eyes wander over her mentor's physique a few times when Akemi wasn't watching her, though she was quick to stop herself as soon as she realized she may have been staring. Probably not unusual behaviour to most, as Akemi was certainly dressed to impress, even if the twilight dragon cared little for how others viewed her. Still, it was hard for Nym to keep her focus while these strange human feelings were being evoked by her dragon mentor's beauty. Her trance was only broken when Akemi spoke up once more. "D- Dancing? Oh! I guess that's what people do at these things sometimes..." She spoke somewhat softly, as if trying to hide her own voice. An oddity for the dragon slayer for sure, though it wouldn't take an expert to understand why. Her heart was beating quite quickly, even though she wasn't even fighting anyone! This was so strange, Nymara was having trouble keeping her head on straight balancing the goals of their job and keeping her own body regulated! As if feeling she was about to overheat, Nymara would quickly grab another full glass of icy water and down it in a single go! "Keep up the trend! Water is healthy after all." Lucky would say with a hint of snarkiness, fully aware of Nymara's nervousness by this point. She would only have time to narrow her eyes at the exceed before he spoke up once more "I'll take the distraction you lovely ladies will provide and make myself scarce. I'll come find one you immediately if I notice anything suspicious." Lucky would say in a quieter tone. Taking advantage of his smaller size the cat would proceed to fade between the legs of people, wandering off as if he was just a normal guest. He certainly didn't lack for confidence, that was for sure.

    1324 Words | PWC: 8190/7000


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 23rd July 2022, 4:13 pm

    "That depends on what you consider high-quality alcohol, but you're correct if your main focus is on the alcohol content." Akemi didn't have any interest in getting drunk, but that didn't mean she'd never read up on how the production process worked. "Up to a certain point it's possible to produce beverages using the correct ingredients and methods, but beyond that point, you have to use an extra process to concentrate the alcohol. That makes them more expensive, so the strongest drinks are almost always in the hands of the rich. Furthermore, with many beverages such as wine, it's believed that letting it age under favourable conditions improves the quality, with the ageing process lasting decades or in the rarest of cases even centuries. Since that means these older drinks are of a limited edition the prices go up even more. As a result, the "uppermost crust of our society" likes to compare the size of their wine cellars and the age of their collection as part of their complicated pecking order."

    Akemi was talking quite a bit about a topic she didn't care for that much (beyond it allowing her to understand the behaviour of influential, if annoying, individuals), but there was a purpose to this: blending in. The topic was a bit unorthodox, and she probably would have received some glares if the aristocrats present at this party overheard her, but as long as she and Nymara looked like they were in a conversation just like everyone else they would fit in better than if it was just Akemi looking around while Nymara tried to keep herself occupied with the food.

    Whether Nymara would be able to avoid offending anyone was not a mystery that Akemi would be able to resolve, since it highly depended on who approached the redhead and how her apprentice would act now that she was completely out of her element. Rather than wasting time worrying about the possibility Akemi would push her attention further outwards, beyond the walls of the mansion and onto the surrounding grounds. So far she hadn't sensed any suspicious activity, which either meant that there weren't any infiltrators yet or they were good enough to not be easily caught.

    A short hum escaped her lips as Lucky suggested that he find the opportunity to move to the rafters so he could overlook the situation from above, which might provide clues that weren't as visible from the ground level. Since they were looking for subterfuge it would be good to have someone looking at things from a different angle, as Lucky might be able to spot someone behaving in a manner that might appear normal from down below but betrayed ulterior motives for him. "That's a good suggestion. Find an opportunity to go up, then stay hidden until you see anything suspicious. I'll be able to see you from the shadows, so you don't have to reveal yourself to the people below to alert me." It would be a one-way form of communication, but Akemi doubted that she'd really need to inform Lucky of anything. Unlike Nymara he was quick on the uptake and didn't need anything explained to him as long as he had sufficient information to figure out the answer himself.

    She couldn't help but smirk slightly as she noticed that Nymara was having a hard time looking away from her. Akemi wasn't wasting the opportunity to get an eyeful of her beautiful apprentice as well, but since she was trained for this kind of thing she was being a lot less clumsy about it, either looking at Nymara from the corner of her vision or glancing around as if she was merely observing the rest of the party. "As interesting as it might have been to see you dance, that it's not part of this event means that it'll be easier for us to remain inconspicuous." She gave a quick nod towards Lucky as he announced that it was time for his departure.

    "As for the two of us, let's go grab something to eat for now. There's no telling how long it'll take one of these aristocrats to approach us, and it'd be better if we've gained at least some benefit from attending this party before then." Akemi was pretty confident that having to put up with the nobility was going to sour their mood, and she knew that Nymara would appreciate the opportunity to enjoy herself through her stomach. Keeping one hand interwoven with Nymara's she led the way towards the buffet, although as she arrived there she blinked at the sensation of... something. It wasn't in the room, not yet, but something had stirred somewhere in the mansion. Ever so slightly... maybe just a rat? No, that would be too optimistic a thought. "Don't eat too fast, but don't dally too long either. We might have to do our job soon." She uttered these words in a low voice, low enough that Nymara's enhanced hearing would be required to catch it. Her outwards demeanour remained the same, if perhaps a bit more alert than before, but internally she was trying to sharpen her sensory abilities. Hearing every conversation that was going on in this huge room was going to give her a headache in the long run, but she needed to be on guard.

    Appearance:

    WC: 890
    PWC: 8,626/7,000 (Completed)
    TWC: 16,796/14,000 (Completed)

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 2nd August 2022, 12:26 pm

    The trio seemed to have little issue blending into the crowd as Akemi began to explain the intricacies of the procurement and selling of alcohol. Most of it seemed to be a little too technical for the firebrand's understanding, though she would listen for the sake of her interest in the subject. Silent plans began to form in the back of Nymara's mind, the girl wondering how difficult it could be for her to make her own drinks! Akemi seemed to have some knowledge of the subject, so maybe it could be worth asking for her help sometime! A slight grin formed on Nymara's lips as she continued thinking about her hypothetical future plans and the redhead wasn't going to stay silent on it! "We should make our own fancy booze then! And drink it for free, that'll make the rich annoyed I bet!" Nymara would snicker, completely forgetting about their mission for a moment as her ability to blend in seemed to falter. "In my experience, they likely wouldn't care unless it negatively affected themselves." Lucky would respond with a slight eye-roll at the fire dragon's "amazing" idea. "I also would not make a habit of discussing topics like this with anyone else here." He'd warn, looking back slightly at the girl. "They may not find your competitive spirit as 'charming' as we do." The exceed would say, sincerely hoping Nymara didn't accidentally convince any nobles she was going to become their economic competitor. As unlikely as that scenario was, Nymara still looked like any other noble there (better than most), so the members of high society may find difficulty figuring out when the girl was being serious or not. It was hard enough for him sometimes.

    Bowing his head slightly at Akemi after she gave a helpful suggestion, Lucky would look up to her. "Ah yes, that shadow magic will certainly come in handy here then." The armored cat replied. "As odd as it may feel, I will relay any useful information to the shaded parts of the roof." Lucky would finish with a slight chuckle, before fading into the crowd of people, leaving Akemi and Nymara alone. Nymara felt a slight relief when Akemi mentioned that the lack of dancing would make it easier for themselves to blend in, though that was likely a two-way street for anyone looking to cause trouble. Nymara knew she'd need to rely heavily on her senses for this job if she hoped to spot anything useful before it was too late, though with Akemi directly at her side she felt a little more confident in their chances. "How does someone even dance in something like this?"  
    Nymara grunted somewhat rhetorically, still fidgeting with her dress slightly. At this point, Nymara was worried about what she might do to the nice dress Akemi gave her if things got heated. It was after all no battle wear. If they were lucky though that wouldn't be necessary.

    Nymara's eyes lit up slightly when Akemi mentioned that they should make their way over to the large banquet being held near the center of the room. Though quickly catching herself from overreacting, the firebrand managed to calm her excitement before any noticeable temperature changes could be felt. "Y- Yes! I think we'd benefit greatly." She'd respond awkwardly, trying her best to agree without breaking character. Though Nymara's cheeks would redden slightly as Akemi continued to lead her through the ball by the hand. Nearly forgetting about the food, the girl just tried to act normal as they walked. Giving a few polite nods and smiles to anyone who made eye contact, though she was careful to not speak. Eventually, they arrived and the girl was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer variety of the feast! Nymara was nearly entranced by the mountain of food before Akemi spoke up once more, warning the girl not to go overboard with her gluttony. "Yeah, I'll be ready!" She'd respond somewhat more loudly than intended, though Nymara didn't seem to notice as she already began filling her plate!

    Up near the roof, the exceed had managed to find himself a rather good perch overlooking most of the party. Thankfully it didn't appear as if anyone noticed him come here so he was confident he could provide overlook with little interference. As if hiding himself even more the exceed lowered his helmet's face plate, blocking his visage behind the barred slot, and began to aggressively scan people at random. He was sure to keep a close tab on Akemi and Nymara as well, just in case anything suspicious happened to them. However, his gaze narrowed slightly when he noticed a rather tall, well-groomed gentleman making his way straight toward his companions. Nothing immediately odd about that, as Lucky figured it was only a matter of time before Akemi and Nymara gained the attention of somebody here. Still, he wasn't ready to throw caution to the wind just yet and kept a careful eye on the new arrival as he got closer to the two girls. "Somebody's interested." He'd whisper slightly to the shadows around him, trying to warn Akemi of the man.

    "Well, I suppose this party isn't a complete bore after all." A slick, cool, and unfamiliar voice sounded directly behind the two women as Nymara was in the middle of stuffing her face. Approaching them was a slightly taller man with long dark hair and blood-red eyes. He wore a bright red jacket that was dashed with accents of black and gold to contrast the dark clothes underneath. He carried himself well as he made his way to the edge of the table. "I figured I had already met everyone at these gatherings, but it is always inspiring when new faces appear." He'd continue with the same smile. Nymara only turned her attention away from the food slightly to arch an eyebrow at the noble, though she was currently too preoccupied to say anything. "Of course, my face is still new to you as well I'd imagine." The man would continue before bowing his head slightly. "Lord Harringoth."
    "Nym!" The firebrand would introduce herself almost instantly afterward between bites, much to the noble's surprise. "Hehehe, well Lady Nym you certainly seem to be enjoying you-" Harringoth stopped slightly as he raised his head from the bow and his eyes made contact with the red pendant around Nymara's neck. Blink and you would miss it, though the man seemed to lose all train of thought for a moment when he noticed the necklace. Harringoth's eyes would widen only for a moment before his warm smile returned and he looked back at Nymara and Akemi. "We certainly don't meet many people like you." Harringoth continued, though his tone had changed noticeably from before. Softer, almost somber, yet the smile never left his face. "Eheheh.. Well, we figured we'd uh... Stop in!" Nymara would retort nervously. The oddity of her response didn't seem lost on her though, as Nymara was cursing herself for saying something that sounded so dumb. Though being so close to Akemi while being questioned by a noble seemed to work up her stress, the girl just nervously stuffed more food in her mouth to prevent herself from speaking more. "Well, you certainly seem like a lively one! Who is your dark and beautiful friend?" The noble would continue, bowing his head again to Akemi as a sign of respect.  


    Lord Harringoth:


    1241 Words | PWC: 9431/7000


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 8th August 2022, 5:02 am

    Akemi motioned for Nymara to quiet down when the firebrand began to speak loudly about brewing her own drinks. She'd known in advance that getting the girl to not blow her cover would take some effort, but she was determined to keep trying. If it taught Nymara a thing or two about not getting too excited about things that would also be beneficial in the future. "I'm sure we could find someone who could help you try to brew something for yourself, but personally I've got no interest. As for whether the aristocrats would care..." She idly looked around, taking in the behaviour of all the other people in the room. While the three of them still got some occasionally stares most people had returned to their own business. "Sir Lucky has the correct idea here. They wouldn't care unless you started selling your drinks." There was also the chance that Nymara accidentally made something so delicious that some nobles would want it for themselves, but those odds were practically non-existent.

    She rolled her eyes as Lucky commented on how strange it would feel to talk to a shadow. "You'll get used to it." She replied dryly before the cat disappeared into the crowd, no doubt finding himself a good spot from which to ascend and reach the rafters. Given how seriously he was taking this job she didn't need to worry about him, so she'd instead turn her attention to Nymara, who was wondering how one was even supposed to dance while wearing such clothes. "The kind of dancing performed at these gatherings isn't as lively as what you're probably familiar with. That said, it's hardly like these clothes are constrictive." She'd gone for a rather minimalistic design for both herself and Nymara, relying on the quality of the fabric and the way it revealed their skin rather than sheer opulence. If they did have to deal with intruders it wouldn't be the first time that Akemi had to fight in such an outfit. "Try not to pull on your dress so much. Once we're done here I'll help you take it off."

    There was something endearing about Nymara's attempts to remain in character, although inwardly Akemi winced at the awkwardness the redhead displayed. It was a good thing that they hadn't been approached by some of the actual aristocrats yet, but the way things were going it would only be a matter of time before Nymara began to draw unwanted attention. Unlike Nymara, Akemi paid little attention to the people they passed by, only acknowledging their gaze with her own golden eyes before moving on. She had little interest in socializing with the aristocracy, and it wasn't out of character for someone like her to behave in a rather reserved manner.

    "Don't move with so much greed." She softly pointed out as Nymara got to work filling her plate. "The kind of food served at these parties is meant to be enjoyed for the taste rather than the amount, so if you just eat as quickly as possible you'll look out of place." As she talked she tried her best to keep an eye on their surroundings, as well as the presence she'd sensed before that was moving about inside the mansion. Its movements were slow and deliberate as if it definitely didn't want to be noticed. As she focused on the room it was in she couldn't see it, which meant it was relying on an advanced concealment technique. It also slipped into the next room within the blink of an eye. Had it noticed that she was paying attention? She doubted it: there was nothing to give away her focus, unless it had some ability that allowed it to detect thoughts and intentions.

    While Akemi was investigating this presence Nymara had been approached by a noble, forcing the raven-haired assassin to divert her attention toward the man. He was certainly handsome, although his smile and his mannerisms made him suspicious in her eyes. Well, more suspicious than usual. He also seemed to be taking Nymara's awkward responses in stride, except...

    Akemi's eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed how the man paused. He was looking at Nymara... what did he see? That reaction wasn't suitable for him merely realizing that she wasn't a noble. The assassin kept her face neutral as she tracked the presence which was moving about through the mansion while at the same time figuring out what this Lord Harrington was thinking. She could feel his surprise and confusion, but that was replaced by... an intense curiosity. Something about Nymara had really caught his attention.

    The presence upstairs was now nearly directly above the ballroom, albeit on the third floor where the guests weren't allowed to come. If it tried anything Akemi might have to quickly ditch all this pretence and jump into action... Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly warn Nymara about this when she was being addressed by the nobleman.

    Making some slight motions with one hand she shaped some shadows into words next to Lucky to respond to his earlier warning.

    "New arrival too interested in Nymara. Presence above the ballroom on third floor. Trouble might begin soon."

    Lucky wasn't a combatant, but it would still be good to have him be aware of the situation. Lord Harrington, meanwhile, had decided to acquire after Akemi herself, forcing the assassin to turn her attention completely to him. She studied him with her golden eyes, his smile failing to impress her.

    "I'm Lady Akemi. It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Harrington." Her words matched her face, calm and politely neutral. She answered his bow with a small nod. "Master Carleson was so kind to extend an invitation to us due to his friendship with my father." It really was a hassle to have to come up with these kinds of cover stories, although Akemi had gotten used to it. "As one should expect, our host has made sure to make an impression. Although I would imagine that for one such as you gatherings of this scale and quality are unremarkable." The man carried himself with an air of confidence, which was to be expected of a noble. What was worrisome was that, despite his young age, he already claimed to be familiar with everyone who attended these parties. If he was influential even amongst the aristocracy getting his attention was a problem.

    Appearance:

    WC: 1,068
    PWC: 9,694/7,000 (Completed)
    TWC: 19,105/14,000 (Completed)

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 14th August 2022, 11:44 am

    Well, the last thing Nymara had expected was for Akemi to show any kind of encouragement for her drink-making ideas, even if she had already opted to step out of the potential business venture herself. A look of intense thinking flashed across Nymara's face as she thought about the possibilities, though the twilight dragon was quick to agree with their exceed companion on the matter of what the nobles would think. Truthfully Nymara didn't care much for what others thought of her or anyone else, to begin with, though the idea of gaining the knowledge to create her brew was exciting. She was certainly going to bother the twilight dragon later about her idea of "finding someone" to help the firebrand make her own drinks! Who knows how far she could go with that sort of knowledge at her disposal! She could open her own bar or CHAIN of bars all across the world! The sky was the limit! "Well maybe if they found out how amazing my drinks will be, they'd all want it for themselves!" The girl snickered, clearly enjoying the fantasies in her head as she daydreamed about possible scenarios in the future. Lucky was sure to give her a concerned look, if only because the exceed started to imagine the chaos that could unfold if Nymara had always been allowed to act on her impulses. It was a good thing both Akemi and him were nearly always present to help curb her tendencies.

    Nymara watched Lucky fade into the crowd before her attention was again diverted back to Akemi, which honestly wasn't surprising. For most of the night so far, it had seemed that Nymara had been juggling the mission and her attention span. The latter always being shattered by the overwhelming amount of food at the banquet table or Akemi's intense appearance every time Nymara saw her again. An outsider may assume Nymara had never met Akemi before tonight with the way the firebrand stared unknowingly at the twilight dragon when she thought she wasn't paying attention. Watching, studying, almost entranced by the woman's every movement. When Akemi continued to speak about the dancing Nymara briefly focused back to reality for a moment, trying to remember what her mentor had just said to her. "Huh? Oh! I guess their fancy shoes don't let them do as much with their dance skills." She chuckled in response to Akemi's comment. When the twilight dragon urged Nymara to calm her fidgeting once again and informed her that she'd help her take it off once their mission was complete Nymara only looked up with a smile. "Thanks! Maybe I can help you as well if it's too challenging!" She would say in a cheery reply, clearly missing the underlying tones Akemi may have been set. though evidently not for long as a look of intense thinking appeared on her face shortly after finishing that sentence.

    As they continued making their way through the large crowds of nobles Nymara carefully watched Akemi more, both for the sake of her own learning and some unknown feeling she had yet to come to terms with exactly. It was a very odd sensation, to say the least. Nymara told herself she needed to study and learn Akemi's every move so that she could better herself in these types of situations, yet she couldn't lie to herself and say that had been the only reason for the fire dragon's intense focus all night. It was no secret the girl already had deep admiration and respect for her mentor, both for her magical prowess and her willingness to take Nymara in as her student. Yet for some reason tonight something else was thrown into Nymara's emotional hurricane when she saw Akemi in that dress, and the fire dragon had started to feel hotter than usual.

    The fire dragon halted temporarily when her mentor gently reminded her of the purpose of the food here. A strange reason to be sure, she had no idea why the nobles would leave so much food out if they had no intention of actually eating most of it. What did they do with all the leftovers? "But there's so much!" Nym blurted after Akemi's warning, though she soon remembered to act in character and straightened her back once more to fix her posture. Still, Nymara trusted that Akemi knew what she was talking about so the girl reluctantly put the massive chicken leg down on her plate slowly after taking a large bite out of it. It would definitely be hard for her to finish her massive plate if she was expected to eat at a snail's pace though, and the thought began to torment the woman from the inside! Though not for very long it would seem, as somebody new seemed to be approaching.

    "Positively charmed." Lord Harringoth would continue in his usual smile and tone as Akemi introduced herself to the lord. The man would place his hands behind his back and patiently listen to the twilight dragon's words, never failing to break posture or leave room for doubt in his standing. While his focus was on Akemi however Nymara went back to enjoying her food in what looked like blissful ignorance, barely listening to what the noble and her mentor were speaking about while taking advantage of Akemi's currently distracted state to sneak in a few extra bites that may have seemed ignoble by noble standards. "Oh I could imagine, lord Carleson is quite the social butterfly." Harringoth would reply with a short chuckle. "He loves to get as many bodies as he can in his parties, though most of us know why." The noble would continue, looking off into the crowd as if to prove his point. "Quite the impression I'm sure! One could almost wonder if he went through this much effort to secure this deal, or guarantee future ones." He would continue the same smile that never broke from his expression. "Hehe, you may be right. My business rarely takes me to Fiore anymore these days, though I always cherish the chance to return home." Harringoth would say as he poured himself and Akemi a glass of red wine, politely offering her the cup. "Yet enough talk of me, however, I'm much more interested in learning more about you two beautiful ladies." He'd continue with a look of genuine intrigue, especially when his eyes lingered on Nymara. "You must indulge me Lady Akemi, who is your father? Perhaps I've met the man." Harringoth would push, clearly having his own interest in the conversation though the motives for which could have been anything.

    Near the roof of the room, the exceed sat in perfect silence as he observed the event with staunch focus, determined to pick out anything suspicious about the man who had approached his companions though he couldn't immediately see anything out of place. However, it wasn't long after their conversation began that Lucky started to notice the shadows around him shift and move in ways he'd never seen before! His eyes would widen underneath the metal faceplate, though he soon realized this must've been Akemi's doing when the shadows began to form the shapes of words. It appeared to be some sort of warning! Apparently, the man was too focused on Nymara and Akemi had sensed some sort of presence above them. This was troubling, though the exceed was relieved that the shadow dragon was able to detect something he couldn't. However from the wording of Akemi's message it seemed clear to Lucky that even she wasn't fully aware of what exactly the threat was, so the exceed took it upon himself to find out! "Copy that. I'll sneak around the windows outside and see if I can spot anything." Lucky would whisper in response, hoping Akemi could hear him while also conversing with the party guest at the same time. Without hesitation, the exceed would extend his pair of wings and silently glide towards the nearest wall of the room. A massive set of windows lined the room and Lucky had noticed the top of them were open ever so slightly to allow smooth airflow. Wasting no time the armored cat would squeeze through the gap and into the outside air without anyone noticing! Trying to move as quickly as possible Lucky instantly shot upwards as he made it outside, perching himself on the stone balcony of a room on the third floor. Judging by where he was he guessed this room must've been directly over the main gathering hall, though to Lucky's irritation the door seemed securely locked. Curtains also covered the inside of the closed windows, making it particularly difficult to notice anything inside. "Everything seems fine on the outside... Give me a few to find a way in." Lucky would continue to mumble, hoping the few shadows that hid from the moonlight were enough to reach Akemi. What the exceed did not notice however was the faint glow in the stone gargoyle's eyes directly behind him...

    1509 Words | 10940/7000



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 22nd August 2022, 5:07 am

    Akemi wondered if it was a good idea to encourage Nymara's dreams of making her own drinks, especially since it might only cause the redhead's alcoholism to deepen, but at the same time, it'd at least given Nymara something to do that wasn't either breaking things or going broke eating absurd amounts of food. "If you somehow managed to produce some truly good beverages they might be interested, but that's unlikely to happen any time soon. Creating good drinks is a lot more work than you might think, and it's a very precise art." Not that she was an expert on the subject, but she knew that much at least. A small change in the recipe could have a drastic influence on the outcome, so most likely Nymara's first attempts would suffer from her enthusiasm. "But let's keep further discussion on that topic for another time." She wasn't even sure Nymara would remember the idea after today, but she didn't want to spend the entire evening talking about brewing beverages.

    While she appreciated the interest Nymara was showing in her appearance Akemi was getting worried that the redhead may be a bit too obvious about it. Clearly, she'd never had to confront this part of herself, and now she was behaving almost starstruck. The people attending this ball might be arrogant and self-absorbed, but the majority of them would be good enough at reading others that some of them must have noticed that Nymara's behaviour was peculiar. If she kept behaving like this they might start thinking that Akemi and Nymara had never met before, which would lead to a lot of speculation. Not a huge issue, but Akemi would rather not have their cover blown if she could avoid it. "That's part of it, yes." She simply replied to Nymara's suggestion regarding shoes.

    When the redhead not only didn't question Akemi's words about removing her dress after the ball but even suggested that she'd return the favour the raven-haired assassin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Was Nymara really that oblivious, or was she just not paying attention? She didn't comment on it, however, as it seemed Nymara's thoughts had turned somewhere else. Better to leave the firebrand be if she was busy working on something internally. Especially since it also meant that they had a grace period in which Nymara's intense introspection kept her from acting in a manner that the nobles would find suspicious. Of course, she could try to educate Nymara on not letting her thoughts show too openly on her face, but she'd rather have Nymara come across as young and inexperienced than make a note of everything the girl could do better. Beyond a certain point such corrections stopped being helpful and would instead cause Nymara to become unfocused.

    A quick shake of her head was the only response she had to Nymara's complaint regarding the warning to not overeat. She might explain the fine details at a later date, but right now she'd be satisfied as the redhead took her words to heart and slowed down the speed at which she ate, even if it wasn't a big difference.

    More importantly, she now had to navigate her way through a conversation with someone who was clearly well-versed in the arts of conversation. What a hassle.

    She inclined her head to acknowledge Lord Harringoth's words, then replied smoothly even as her thoughts raced behind her eyes. How much information to provide, how much to hold back... If she blurted out every part of her cover story at the slightest inquiry it'd be suspicious, but if she was too defensive it'd also raise alarms. The important thing was to act natural, but what would be natural for her character...

    "His desire to befriend those who share his interests is no secret, true. My father has told me more than once that Master Carleson has vigour and drive that others would have a hard time matching." She followed Harringoth's example as she looked at the crowds of people who were supposed to be very important, but whom Akemi really couldn't care much about. Even if she didn't show it on her face. "I imagine he would wish to do both if events allow for it. Commerce is in his blood, after all." Carleson wasn't old nobility, but an example of a man who managed to rise in the social hierarchy through the accumulation of wealth. Akemi wouldn't comment on whether this accumulation was entirely ethical, but it was clear that unlike the old nobility Carleson would take every opportunity he got to improve his position.

    "I'm glad to hear you still cherish our homeland. There are those who, after leaving for foreign lands, return only to find that their place of birth has lost importance. A sad thing, I'd argue." She shook her head before quirking an eyebrow at Lord Harringoth. Was he truly curious, or was he fishing for holes in their cover? He was sharp enough that he might have seen through them already, in which case he was just maintaining the facade because it was beneficial for him to not immediately expose them. There was no way to tell, however, so she'd have to forge onwards.

    "My father?" She looked at the crowds of nobles and closed her eyes briefly. "I would be surprised if more than a handful of those gathered here had ever met him in person. It's been years since Lord Ravensworth attended any events himself. Time has not been kind to my father, I'm afraid." The name wasn't the most creative lie she'd ever made up, but at the very least it was a suitable name for a noble family. Now she just had to keep Lord Harringoth from digging too deeply. Feed him some crumbs of information to keep things rolling, but don't expose that she and Carleson were pulling the wool over everyone's eyes.

    And she had to do this while her attention was also diverted to what was happening up above. Lucky was taking her warning seriously, which meant that she at least didn't have to use all her attention to figure out what was happening upstairs. The exceed had found a way out of the ballroom and up to the third floor without any issue, but it seemed like he would need some assistance when it came to actually entering the third floor. While Akemi kept most of her attention on Lord Harringoth she'd also twitch some of the fingers on her right hand, taking control of the shadows inside the lock of the door Lucky was facing. Lockpicking was fairly easy, although having to do it without revealing that she was multitasking meant that it'd take a bit longer...

    She blinked involuntarily as she felt a surge of magic close to Lucky. It came directly from behind the cat, and as she abandoned the lockpicking attempt for the moment she instead turned her attention to the gargoyle. Another twitch of her fingers and Lucky would see words form very quickly in front of him.

    "Gargoyle. Dodge left."

    Appearance:

    WC: 1,183
    PWC: 10,877/7,000 (Completed)
    TWC: 21,197/14,000 (Completed)

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic
    Nymara
    Nymara

    Player 
    Lineage : Prodigy of Nyx
    Position : None
    Posts : 164
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Akeya
    Experience : 21,875

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Fire Dragon Slayer Magic
    Second Skill:
    Third Skill:

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Nymara 27th August 2022, 11:51 pm

    "Ahhhh...! They have everything here! Even food I haven't seen before!" Nymara excitedly mused aloud to nobody in particular as she continued to admire the massive feast laid out before them. It was certainly a struggle for the firebrand to keep herself contained, as admittedly before coming on this job she had little idea what she would actually encounter. Yet the mission seemed like it might become difficult for a reason Nymara hadn't even thought of, and that was her own willingness to get distracted by trivial things like what was at the table. Of course, that didn't mean Nymara was completely oblivious to what was going on around her, as the nosey nobleman was still nearby and it looked like he was chatting up a storm with her mentor! She could overhear Akemi lying in a fashion that seemed effortless, which just made the girl happy Akemi was the one doing all the talking. If any of these people cornered Nym for the conversation she was deathly afraid of blowing their cover. In this case, she didn't mind Akemi taking some of the heat, though the redhead attempted to keep her senses aware of anyone else that might approach them.

    Harringoth continued to study Akemi as she spoke, though he did so without breaking eye contact. He was certainly interested in getting something with this interaction, though what he had hoped to achieve out of it could have been anyone's guess. "Hehe, how right you are my lady." The noble would respond with a nod to the twilight dragon's first statement about their host. "He certainly has had quite the climb, some of us were wondering just how far he'd continue." Harringoth would laugh while taking a broad look around the estate. "I can only hope for his continued good fortune, else I'll have one less reason to return to Fiore." Harringoth would finish before turning back to the twilight dragon. Meanwhile, Nymara was enjoying the time Harringoth was taking from them as she parked herself near the edge of the table, doing her best to appear in character whilst others were looking.

    Harringoth would tilt his head slightly at Akemi's comments about his love for his country. His smile never broke as he would continue to speak. "Of course, I could not have said it better myself. After all, I've always held the firm belief that home is just as important as blood! Even more so in troubling times like these. After all..." The lord trailed off slightly as his eyes settled on Nymara for a moment. The redhead was too distracted to notice his lingering stare. "It's always important to remember where you came from." He'd finish in a somewhat more serious tone, though it didn't last long as his eyes almost immediately went back to meet Akemi's.

    Lord Ravensworth? Ravensworth..." Harringoth would say aloud, his expression turning to one of intense thinking as it was obvious he was trying to place a face to the name. Nymara could overhear this part of the conversation and silently twinge in fear as her worry about them being exposed slowly began to climb. However, her anxiety seemed to be unfounded, as Lord Harringoth didn't remain silent for much longer after that. "I must apologize, my fair lady, his name sounds familiar though I don't believe we've had the pleasure of crossing paths." The lord would say with the same polite smile. "Though I must admit he seems like a fine gentleman to sire a dark flower like yourself. If Carleson wasn't afraid of his own feet I would have asked your hand in a dance! Though unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case tonight." He'd say with a light sigh. "Still, that shouldn't stop us from enjoying ourselves! I'm intrigued by your young friend Lady Nym, have you known each other long?" Harringoth would ask, taking another sip of his wine. It was clear the question was directed to both of them as Nymara had heard her name mentioned and turned to face the source. Swallowing what food was in her mouth the redhead began to speak. "Yeah, we've been friends for a bit!" She'd say rather proudly if a little unladylike. Though it didn't seem like the lord minded. "Ah, friendly companions are you?" He'd say with a slight snicker, eluding to a possible relationship between the two but the lord could only guess. "I'm curious as to how you two met then, are your father's friends?" He probed, determined to find out as much as the two women were willing to tell. At this question, Nymara cringed slightly, clearly not having an immediate answer for the noble and it was showing. "Uhh.. Yes! Yes, they are friends. Quite good friends in fact! They've known each other for a looooong time!" Nymara would ramble slightly before soon realizing the longer she spoke the worse things started to sound. To shut herself up the woman simply took another big swig from her cup of glacial water. Harringoth however seemed unbothered by Nymara's mannerisms and only chuckled in response. "I'm sure they have with how close you two seem."

    "One must be especially paranoid to go to such lengths..." The soft grumble of the exceed could be heard near the balcony of the third floor. Lucky was currently pressed against the windows, trying his best to catch a glimpse of the inside between the curtains. However, the longer he looked the more hopeless things seemed to be as it appeared every square inch of this floor was draped in curtains. He had remembered the servant at the door telling them to avoid coming up here, but now Lucky was more curious than anything as to why such secrecy was being taken in regards to this floor. Still, he had a job to do and it seemed like things were only going to get more challenging from here. The first thing Lucky noticed was a quick movement in the corner of his eye, the shadows around him beginning to twist and form into more words. At first Lucky's face lit up, knowing this was likely Akemi's magic and she was trying to lend him a hand! However, when the words finished forming the exceed was left more confused than before. That was until his ears flicked slightly and he picked up the movement of something heavy behind him! The cat only had a second to react to the twilight dragon's warning, instantly diving to the left just as a mass of stone zipped past him! Grunting as he hit the floor of the balcony the exceed quickly scrambled to his feet with quick breathing only to see a massive stone statue flying in the sky above him! "What matter of sorcery is this?!" The cat would question, though it didn't seem like he had much time to offer as the magic gargoyle extended its rocky wings, arching around for a dive! Gritting his teeth Lucky only had enough time to summon his own pair and take flight just as the stone construct whipped past him! The exceed had little time to think as the gargoyle was in hot pursuit, able to keep up with the winged cat despite its much larger size and weight. *What is with this thing? Is it some mere magical defense set in place by the lord of this house? Or is something more sinister at work here?* Lucky thought hastily to himself while twisting and turning in the air above the mansion. The statue wouldn't let up, seemingly unaffected by the constraints of a living being while it gained and the exceed was wondering how long he could keep this up! With a loud snap, the gargoyle nearly bit Lucky's tail clean off! Signaling the exceed that the statue was too close! Grunting the cat would put all his strength into a sudden dive, careening towards the gilded roof of the mansion! The gargoyle responded in kind, pursuing the feline with determination! Just as Lucky neared the roof he extended his wings once more, narrowly missing a tower before twisting them with as much might as he could to steer him back towards the balcony in a singular arch! The much larger statue was quick, though it was clear it wasn't as maneuverable as the feline as its heavy frame chipped against the roof when it attempted to follow Lucky's flying! Immune to the pain of any kind the magic statue continued its assault despite taking some damage, closing in on Lucky once more when he had reached the balcony! In that split second he had an idea! Without warning the cat would fly straight towards the locked doorway that barred his entrance earlier, grunting slightly as he heard the flapping of stone wings right behind him! Just as it looked like the exceed might face plant into the glass pane doors he angled his wings and arched towards the sky, shooting straight into the air at a speed the gargoyle couldn't compete with! As before the statue tried to follow the cat, though its heavy body turned too slowly and crashed straight into the glass doors! With the impact of the crash, the already weakened gargoyle completely crumbled into several smaller chunks! Sliding in every direction as the faint glow it its broken eyes now faded into darkness.

    Through ragged breath Lucky slowly landed on the railing of the balcony, observing the now broken doorway into the third floor. It was still rather dark and hard to see from this distance so the exceed knew what he needed to do. "S- Sorry for the wait... Hazard has been dealt with.. exploring the third floor now." The feline would whisper into the shadows in hopes that Akemi was still listening. He just hoped that he was far enough away from the party that nobody would have heard his little bout with the gargoyle. Now the exceed just needed to figure out what he was looking for. It was entirely possible the gargoyle could have been part of whatever it was Akemi had sensed up here, but it was also equally likely that it could have just been a magical defense set in place by the lord to guard his property. Both seemed just as plausible to the exceed, so he figured he needed to get to the bottom of it. "By my honor, I won't let you down!" Lucky would whisper before entering the darkness of the third floor...

    1759 Words | PWC: 12699/7000


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) 2ohu3XJ

    Akeya
    Akeya

    Twilight Dragon


    Twilight Dragon

    Dragon VIP Status- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Dragon Slayer- Rich- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Novice [250]- Player 
    Lineage : Hic Sunt Dracones
    Position : None
    Faction : The Luminous Covenant
    Posts : 1385
    Guild : Fairy Tail (Ace)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Whedalsin
    Experience : 1,269,023

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Second Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic
    Third Skill: Twilight Dragon Magic

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Empty Re: [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

    Post by Akeya 23rd October 2022, 8:43 pm

    Having Nymara focus on the food at least meant that she wouldn't accidentally put her foot in her mouth while speaking, although it also meant that she might stop thinking about maintaining the act as her stomach assumed command. For the moment there was little Akemi could do but accept that Nymara would do whatever it is she was going to do, and the best the assassin could do was try to keep the situation from getting out of hand.

    Which was made difficult by Harringoth's continued interest. It was becoming increasingly evident that to the man this was more than just casual small talk: he was getting something from talking to the two of them.

    "My father and I wish him nothing but good fortune, as it would seem only fate itself would be able to halt the advance of someone so ambitious and resourceful." Possibly exaggerating a little bit here, but if there was one thing that the nobility liked it was showering each other with praise even if a poisoned dagger was slid in between the words.

    They also liked to insist on the importance of their lineage, although having to put up with nobility putting on airs was the least of Akemi's worries right now. That was the second time that Lord Harringoth had shown Nymara an unusual amount of interest. He was so composed and socially adept that for him to show even this much attention towards the firebrand meant he either was signalling that she interested him, or whatever it was that was drawing his attention was so significant that it interfered with his otherwise smooth demeanour. "To forget one's origins is a foolish thing, indeed." Whatever it was that made Harringoth so interested in Nymara, Akemi doubted that it was mere suspicion. She also didn't think it was anything good.

    The man in question then made a show of trying to remember Lord Ravensworth, only to conclude that he wasn't able to recall. That didn't surprise Akemi in the least: to the best of her knowledge, right now there was no such thing as a House Ravensworth. Instead, she nodded as if accepting his apology. "I'm sure my father would have appreciated the opportunity to meet you, but I don't think his health would allow for it."

    She tilted her head to the side slightly as he showered her with compliments. As smooth as his words were, she was pretty sure he was merely going through the motions. By this point, Lord Harringoth had already made it clear what truly interested him, and even if he recognised Akemi's beauty it wasn't her. "I've been told he was quite the handsome man when he was young. But yes, it does seem like we won't be able to enjoy a dance together this evening." Not that she found the kind of dances performed at these kinds of balls enjoyable.

    But now he had turned his focus on Nymara, which meant that Akemi had to hope that her apprentice could maintain the minimum amount of decorum necessary to not blow her cover completely. Fortunately, she was in a position where if Nymara slipped up she could try to perform some damage control.

    Of course, the fact that he was now directly addressing Nymara meant that Lord Harringoth most likely was trying to get information from a more vulnerable source.

    "Our fathers share a passion for hunting, even if their last trip together was quite some time ago." Akemi shifted her gaze to Nymara, who now wisely was occupying her mouth with a drink so she had an excuse not to talk. Akemi decided to show a small smile, to indicate that her partner at least elicited a positive response from her even if she was stoic towards everyone else. "We have known each other for close to a year now, although this is the first time that we have attended a party together. Nym's father has always given her a lot of freedom: I would have come here alone if my father hadn't insisted on the importance of letting Nym experience such events for herself while she's still young."

    Not the best cover story, but at least it explained why Nymara's behaviour was a lot less stiff than everyone else here. A daughter who'd been left to her own devices.

    She was still keeping a close eye on what was happening outside even as she kept the conversation with Lord Harringoth going. Lucky would have to fend for himself against the gargoyle beyond the warning Akemi had given him: if she used enough energy to help take down the statuesque defender of the manor the more sensitive people in the building would notice, and even if they didn't manage to trace the magic back to her it'd still lead to trouble. Instead, she tried to observe the presence on the third floor up until the point where the exceed tricked the gargoyle into bypassing the lock entirely by flying straight into the building, suppressing a small wince as her sharpened senses allowed her to pick up on the noise the entity's entrance made. She could also tell that several other people in the room paused and frowned for a moment, but fortunately, they seemed willing to dismiss the thought and return to their conversations.

    "Understood. Try to avoid more destruction."

    A singular incident might be dismissed by the party attendants, but if Lucky encountered more trouble they'd either have to provide a more intrusive distraction in the ballroom or drop their cover entirely.

    The presence that had been moving around above the ballroom had fled once the gargoyle had broken into the building, leaving Lucky alone. It looked like he was in some kind of office or library, with shelves covering most of the walls filled with leather-bound books. The gargoyle had barrelled right through a desk, wood splinters strewn out across the floor along with various papers and files which were in bad shape as well. If their client didn't manage to make a killing from this event he'd most likely be unhappy about the damage done by the gargoyle. And the destroyed gargoyle.

    The feline knight wouldn't have much time to study his surroundings, however: the presence which had fled the room upon the arrival of the stone guardian now returned by simply stepping through the wall as if it didn't exist. It was barely visible at all, little more than a light haze in the air which was almost entirely hidden by the shadows of the evening. It paused briefly to assess the situation, seeing that the gargoyle was destroyed and only Lucky was left, before approaching him swift as an arrow, a soft swishing sound indicating that the concealed presence was cutting the air with an edged weapon, most likely intended to silence Lucky before he could alert the guests below.

    Appearance:

    WC: 1,149
    PWC: 12,026/7,000 (Completed)
    TWC: 24,105/14,000 (Completed)

    @Nymara


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    [Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara) Akeya2
    Between the Sun and the Moon, where it is neither Day nor Night, the Dragon of Twilight sleeps.

    Character|Magic

      Current date/time is 14th October 2024, 7:16 pm