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    To A New Year

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

    Developer/GFX Artist- Main Account- Gain An Artifact- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Of Ishgar- Ten Wizard Saint Member- Guild Master- Custom Slayer- God Slayer- Z-Rank- Y-Rank- X-Rank- H-Rank- S-Rank- A-Rank- Wanderer- So Extra- EXP Grinder- Job Creator- Working Together- Forever Solo- Christian Minecraft Server- Teaming Up!- Limited Edition- Hired Help- Unknown Powerhouse- Unknown Legend- Helper- Guild Creator- Achiever- Expert Achiever- Over Achiever- Buddy Buddy- Obligatory Beach Episode- Shipped- Dank Memer- Taskmaster- Richie Rich- Rich- Veteran Level 2- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Obtain A Secondary Magic!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Tertiary Magic- Senior [500]- Novice [250]- 1st Place Event/Contest Winner- X-Mas Event Participant- Motor City Rush- Best GFX Artist Award- Player 
    Lineage : Scion of the Void King
    Position : Goddess of Conviction
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 1424
    Guild : Guildless
    Cosmic Coins : 155
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 12,421,054

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    To A New Year Empty To A New Year

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 25th December 2022, 11:10 am

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.
    Things had not gotten much easier in the days since their meeting with Ozorith. The discovery that Branwen had been Shepard in disguise for who knew how long was beyond rattling. Serilda had been at a complete and total loss of how to comfort Mythal, how to be there for him and keep him from drowning in a spiral of hatred and anger, but it was difficult when his feelings – and the intensity of them – were entirely valid. The voidwalker was angry as well, and struggling with trying to stay out of her head when it came to Aster, and to Colin.

    Thankfully, not long after returning home from Frostbane, they were distracted by Gren and Vriko suddenly arriving at Serilda and Mythal’s home in Era. Though the knowledge that Shepard had been making an attempt on the lives of both Mythal’s father and sister while the two Rune Knights had been in another realm added to the terror and rage of the situation, it had been accompanied by the relief of knowing that the disaster had been averted thanks to a timely intervention by none other than Oblivion – Or Ryori, as she had introduced herself to Gren. There was much mystery enshrouding the final of Ozorith’s Omens, whom Gren and Vriko both said had not given off any kind of demonic aura… but she had protected the two all the same, potentially at the cost of keeping tabs on Shepard.

    With the pair unable to stay in the remote village where they had been living before, it was agreed that Gren and Vriko would both move in with Serilda and Mythal for the time being. Thankfully, the Rune Knights had plenty of room in the home to house their growing number of long term guests. It would certainly be an adjustment for Mythal and Vriko to be near each other so constantly, but despite Vriko’s more abrasive mannerisms, Serilda was happier for it. If the two siblings were going to find any kind of relationship with one another, it would likely have to be by forcing them together like cats until they worked things out.

    Christmas had come and gone, and now the new year was upon them. As always, Themesycia had put together a large social gathering at New Rhaegar and sent invitations to them. Unlike with Christmas, however, they had actually managed to talk Vriko into joining them this time around. It was an unbelievably huge step for the woman, who had declined the Christmas festivities only a week prior, but New Years was a lot less pressure than Christmas, since there were no gifts to worry about. It was just a late night gathering with drinking and being social. Pretty much the only thing Mythal’s sister would need to worry about was dressing up. The noblewoman herself had gone for something a little different for this event, since it was more of an upscale party rather than a formal gala. She’d selected a tight fitting white dress with a short skirt and a modest V-neck. It had long, sheer, billowy sleeves, and a pair of strappy white heels completed the ensemble along with some simple but elegant jewelry.

    Patricia and Hosrius had already made their way over to the island some time earlier, so it was only the four of them that had agreed to head over together. As Serilda waited for Mythal, Vriko, and Gren to be ready, she finished bustling around the kitchen and great room, making sure everything was in place for their house staff to be able to celebrate on their own while they babysat the two youngest girls. New Year’s Eve was a rather late night event, and Alexia and Naomi were a bit too young join them. Julian and the other small handful of retainers that lived with them were more than happy to watch the girls, but Serilda wanted them to be able to enjoy the holiday as well, so she’d make sure to get plenty of drinks, food, and fireworks to leave with them.

    The sound of giggling and the pattering of little feet caused Serilda to smile and shut the fridge, turning to see the two younger girls running around and playing with each other. When they saw their mother, they shrieked in delight and ran off again, both a little unsteady on their feet but getting better every day. Serilda chased after them with a grin. “I’m gonna get cha!” And indeed she did, easily catching up to them both and scooping each up in an arm, tickling them both mercilessly.

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

    Knight VIP Status- Regular VIP Status- VIP- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Slayer- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Player 
    Lineage : Heir to Darkness
    Position : God of Sedulity
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 1057
    Guild : Guildless
    Cosmic Coins : 50
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Age : 36
    Mentor : Nessa Cordelia Lux (Former)
    Experience : 11,070,431

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 26th December 2022, 7:27 pm

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    Mythal still wasn’t okay by any sense of the word. The revelation that Branwen had been Shepard, had been one of Faera’s lackeys, for who-knows-how-long, was a constantly burning ember in the back of his mind. Branwen, who they hadn’t managed to get to come over and meet Alexia and Naomi due to how busy he was. Branwen, who had tried so hard to connect with him and balance him out only a few years ago… and then attempted to murder Gren and Vriko with a cowardly attack. It burned deep within him and while he knew better than to go on any kind of active hunt for the bastard, he sorely wanted to. Hell, even Vriko was ready to leap back into the fray, if only to cut his head off.

    But sounder minds had calmed them down, to a point. So while he wasn’t happy, he had to accept that whatever confrontation with Branwen was coming would have to arrive in its own time. Though he held no love for any of Ozorith’s court, he was thankful for the one that had saved his sister and adoptive father. Ryori had cut off her tracking of Branwen to intervene and prohibit the sneak attack from coming to fruition. Whether it was some tactic to try and garner favor -- or, more realistically, favors -- didn’t matter at the moment. She had done what she had done and even the Darkness Slayer had to give her due appreciation, even if he hadn’t met the woman. Now with nowhere else to go, Gren and Vriko had been taken into their home. The raven haired woman had been a bit sore about the idea, as seemed to be her constant nature, but when provided the other options, she understood that Seri and Mythal’s place was the best bet. For the time, Gren would stay nearby, if only to keep her company. But she was beginning to grow into her own woman, who had surprisingly made a friend in Vandrad’s student Saffron.

    But tonight wasn’t about all that, as much as Mythal wanted to ruminate on it. Christmas had been a nice distraction as well, allowing them the opportunity to spend time with the du Wolffs and the Sinclairs like two years prior. Everance had even pulled a neat trick and brought back the spirit that had been trapped in Vandrad’s head; the one that called himself Father Christmas. Mercury had, understandably, been very excited, even more so when Ever told them that she could extend his stay until New Year’s so they could have a full celebration with him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what that meant was that good ol’ Saint Nick probably had himself a small harem of women wanting a piece of him for the time he was there. Vandrad had been grumpy about it but no more than he usually was; simply scoffing and rolling his eyes but not really showing much care. Vriko had opted not to join them that evening, finding no interest in partaking in a celebration that didn’t mean anything to her.

    And truthfully, New Year’s was on the same level. But something had changed her mind, though she didn’t seem inclined to share what. They had idly put forth the offer and she had thought about it for a moment. But right about the time they expected her to shut it down, she agreed, lamenting that while the ‘whore’ would be there, she was genuinely curious to what these kinds of parties were. It helped that Seri and Mythal had explained that while the du Wolffs were a rowdy and… affectionate bunch, they were also respectful, especially of boundaries. So long as Vriko put her foot down, she wouldn’t have a problem… at least with Vandrad’s family. Mercury was always a wild card.

    Mythal headed down the stairs, hearing the sounds of Alexia and Naomi giggling along with the sounds of Serilda chasing after them. Heading down the hallway, he found his fiance standing there with their daughters in each arm, tickling them and laughing herself. Despite the general displeasure of his demeanor lately, he still smiled genuinely at the sight of them, finding true happiness in his family in spite of the bullshit that was circling.

    “Looks like the mommy monster got ya,” he spoke up as he walked over to them, leaning over the two wiggling kids to kiss Serilda gently. Then he turned his attention down to his daughters, smirking slightly. “And she’s holdin’ ya hostage for the daddy monster!” With that exclamation, he reached in and began to tickle the twins as well, causing them to erupt in manic laughter.

    Steps from the hallway drew Mythal to turn and look and find Gren standing in the doorway, adjusting his tie. “Looks like gramps knows how to clean up,” he remarked to Serilda and the twins.

    “Well, since I’ll be arm’n’arm with the host, I figured I should be at my best,” Gren said with a chuckle. “Plus I want to look all fancy for my adorable little rugrats,” he said as he walked up and kissed both Alexia and Naomi on the head.

    “Ahem.”

    The clearing of the throat would draw the attention of everyone to Vriko who had followed behind Gren but then paused at the doorway. Vriko had, surprisingly, made the effort to go out and pick out a dress herself. Despite having a very limited exposure to style, she and Serilda had spoken for a short time, with the Voidwalker offering her jewel and advice should she need it. Reluctantly she accepted the money but insisted that she go and pick out the dress, though she thanked Serilda for both offers equally. Since her arrival, her hostility towards the Field Marshall had been nonexistent, the raven-haired woman not always the most pleasant but nowhere near disrespectful. Having once more followed the fashion sense that came from idolizing Agatha in her own secret way, Vriko had scoured through several articles online and in magazines to find something fanciful. Once she had found it, she had gone out and found a cheaper knockoff, not wanting to spend exorbitant amounts of jewel that wasn’t her’s, despite the fact that Serilda and Mythal would not have minded. With the dress picked out, she had even gone to a salon and asked that they give her a rundown of how to apply make up.

    Apparently the salon owners and employees had practically adopted her, much to her chagrin. They had given her a tutorial but insisted that she come in and let them gussy her up for the evening. So the Vriko that stood in the doorway was the result of that; a woman in a tight-fitting red dress that provided a squared off window of her bosom and a run that allowed her left leg to show far up on her thigh. She wore silver earrings and was painted with a dark purple lipstick and slight blush and eyeliner to make her crimson eyes pop. Her hair had even been straightened and teased to get a bit more body.

    She stood there, with her hand on her hip, looking at the faces of everyone in the room. “So… it looks stupid, right?”

    “Uh… no, not at all,” Mythal was the first to speak up. “You actually look… gorgeousl, Vriko.”

    She frowned at him, her eyes narrowing. But despite the presence of blush make up, there was no hiding the slight tinge of color that applied itself to her cheeks. “Shut up. We’re not having a moment,” she insisted, glancing away briefly to collect herself before she looked over at Gren. “You getting married or something?”

    “Not tonight,” Gren said with a grin.

    “Of course not, too busy having so many whooo---” Vriko was about to, once again, lambaste the former Knight for his choices in his love life, but as she sounded out the ever-so-pleasant name, her eyes fell on the twins. Without much insistence from Mythal or Serilda, she had taken to trying to stop herself from using words around the toddlers that was probably inappropriate. Deciding to move forward rather than replace the word, she looked at Serilda. “You look… nice, Serilda. I don’t know much about fashion but uh… that… dress color really makes you… glow.”

    “Well that’s about the nicest thing she’s ever said to anyone,” Mythal replied teasingly. “Look at her, gettin’ all soft.”

    “Such a sweetheart,” Gren piled on.

    Vriko rolled her eyes. “I’m already regretting this. Alright, let’s get this ridiculous mess done with before I change my mind.”



    STATISTICS
    HP: x/y
    MP: x/y
    Spells Used: list them here
    Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
    Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
    Monsters Killed: list here
    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 689
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,124,425

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 27th December 2022, 5:02 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Mercury was all too ready for this New Year’s Eve celebration. The Xocili had been hard at work for longer than she cared to stop and think trying to work on everything with Maker, keeping long hours with Blade and the mysterious – and frustratingly oblivious – Cillian as the three of them worked hard to see what answers they could drum up about the strange powers that Blade’s brother had gotten his hands on. On top of that, while her clone was the one actively acting in her stead in Maker’s presence, Mercury still needed to monitor the interactions constantly to keep an eye on things and make sure everything was going smoothly. It was exhausting work, and frankly she was ready for an excuse to sit back and not think about anything for a few hours.

    Themesycia had put together quite the extravaganza, in her usual fashion, yet another thing that Mercury was ever grateful for these days. Given that she was supposed to be dead, she could almost never go outside without some kind of disguise these days. New Rhaegar was one of the few exceptions, since Maker didn’t know about it – not that he hadn’t tried to pry the information from her clone’s head. Thankfully it had been easy enough to simply expunge that information from her clone’s databases without leaving any kind of digital trail to follow, meaning everyone on the island was safe for the time being, including herself.

    For this party, she elected to forgo any kind of dress for a tailored suit. It was mostly white, with one black leg, a black half sleeve cropped jacket that was trimmed in gold, and a low neckline. There were two belts, one holding her pants in place and another cinched fashionably around her ribs just under her chest. A simple but elegant pair of closed toed heels completed the look along with a couple simple gold earrings. Since the party was happening on the island where they lived, she had been going around for most of the evening already, socializing and checking in on everyone, Rhaegarian and Xocili alike. It was the first New Year celebration for both groups, so much like her future mother-in-law, Mercury wanted to make sure it was a special night for them all.

    Currently, she was walking down the streets with her father, who was dressed in a traditional black and white suit. They each had a glass of champagne in one hand, drinking casually and enjoying one another’s company as they moved through the city. It wasn’t until she caught sight of a familiar portal opening down the way that they changed course to meet up with the other arrivals. “Hey guys,” Mercury said with a grin as they approached the Rune Knight couple, who were accompanied by Gren and Vriko. She gave them both a familiar hug before giving Gren a rather open once-over, her smirk deepening a bit. “Looking good, big daddy. Themmy better keep her eyes on you if she doesn’t want you to mysteriously go missing.” Pleased with herself, she gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek – as far as she was aware, Serilda and Mythal weren’t in the know that she’d been sleeping around with the man, a decision she’d left up to Gren to reveal when he felt ready to, so in the meantime she played things off more innocent, though still as flirty as they were used to her being.

    Then, her emerald gaze fell on Vriko, taking in the sight of her without hiding her appreciation. “Damn girl, you look fine as fuck. Glad you decided to join us. It’s good to see you again.” She didn’t offer a hug or even a handshake, knowing neither would fly. Mercury was more than well aware that Vriko didn’t like her, a fact that tickled the Silver Wolf mage endlessly, and while she was more than happy to tease and prod the woman from time to time, she was still respectful of Vriko’s boundaries.

    Zemenar saw Gren most days on the island, so it hadn’t been all that long since they’d last seen one another, but it had been some time since he’d seen Serilda or Mythal. He gave both a warm smile and a handshake. “Pleasure to see you both, again.” Then, he turned to Vriko and offered her a hand as well. “You must be Vriko? My name is Zemenar, Mercury’s father.” He had much of a similar air of peace and soft kindness as Gren did, the two men similar in a lot of ways.

    “Who wants something to drink? It’s mostly champagne going around, but you know Themmy – whatever you’re feeling, I’m sure we can find some relatively within reach.”

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 791
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,079,192

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 27th December 2022, 8:01 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    To A New Year RJtajUnz_o


    "Out of the question.”

    Vandrad never understood the need to celebrate the end of a year and the birth of a new one. The Christmas holiday was one thing; that was a set and practiced tradition that had been globally passed down for generations. But New Year’s didn’t have any kind of religious or social roots. It was just started because some people, at some point, thought it was a good excuse to party. If they were so desperate to party, they could just do so and not have to make a big deal out of it. Unfortunately it had caught on like a plague and soon enough, the entire continent made a big deal about the last day of the year, calling forth for people to come together and celebrate, either the ending of one or the arrival of the other. It was utterly mindless.

    But that was hardly what was bothering him at the moment, as he strolled down the street towards where he assumed Mythal and the rest of them would arrive. One of the many things he liked about Serilda was her commitment to efficiency and so long as she was the one creating the portal to take them to New Rhaegar, it was always in the same place. Yet that was the issue at the moment; New Rhaegar. After his curt dismissal, he turned his attention to look at his mother. Themesycia had also forsworn swearing a glittering gown for the evening and opted for something more masculine in appearance. A white collared shirt hung loosely around her torso, buttons down enough that it essentially formed a V neck. Black suspenders rose over her shoulders, attached to the waistline of her black suit pants. A black fedora with a white silk strap adorned her head and a pair of glittering black heels, enchanted to blink with magical starlight, clacked loudly as they walked over the pavement. Even he had to admit that his mother seemed capable of pulling off each and every outfit she ever put on.

    That was not the issue still. No, it had been on the topic of New Rhaegar’s position. It had been over a year since the destruction of their Bellum property and their swift dismissal from the higher courts of the Bellian government. Though several of the du Wolff’s friends and allies had demanded proof of their treachery, the government had brushed it under the rug, easily finding the excuse of the war as more pertinent. That had resulted in several of the more important families of Bellum to seek Themesycia and kin out, offering support, with even a few asking to find sanctuary in their new home so that they could provide direct aid. Former dignitaries, priests and people of office had flocked to their budding island and mixed in with the Rhaegarians and Xocili seamlessly, despite the immediate first shock. They were at the point where it had become a serious conversation about establishing a ruling government so that the island could begin to form itself as a nation in and of itself. That way they could open up trade routes and foreign exchange to bring in jewel. Despite how rich the du Wolff vault had been, there was a limit to their spending and they were reaching levels where it was concerning for the first time in decades.

    Themesycia was for the idea, if only to keep providing comfort, protection and aid to the people. Most of the figures that were quickly becoming a court had suggested that the former Ashen Dread take up the reign as monarch over the island, establishing her as a queen. But she had come up with a different idea… “The entire point of this island was for my retirement, Vandrad. I hardly think it fair that I have to play ruler on what should be my lazy, later years.”

    "You’re immortal, mother; there are no ‘later’ years,” Vandrad said with a scoff.

    “The point is that you have always been groomed to take control of the du Wolff estate after I decided to step down. While that may have been unfair, I knew that you were a leader and these people, this island, will need someone like you to guide them as we establish ourselves in this world. Once we’re declared, there will be no hiding from our enemies; we will be announcing our continued existence, even if we do keep the location of our home a secret,” Themesycia spoke to him casually, taking time to wave at people as they passed. “You and Mercury are the best of two worlds. Together, you can truly unite them as one.”

    "And what did she have to say about this matter?” Vandrad shot back.

    “I have not broached it with her yet. I wanted to run it by you first informally before I formally brought it before the two of you together.” She reached out and placed a hand on his arm, stopping him and turning him gently towards her. “My son, the future creeps ever closer and no matter what, we cannot slow the passage of time, no matter what your uncle insists. We cannot remain here as refugees indefinitely; unless we wish to turn to crime to refill our spent coffers, we must find a means to provide for us all.” Breathing a soft sigh, she reached up and brushed her hand across his cheek. “You’re stronger than you’ve ever been before, Vandrad. I don’t mean in your magic or your physical strength; your spirit is the finest I’ve ever seen it been. You are ready for this. You and Mercury.”

    He steadied his gaze upon her for a long few seconds, processing her words and considering them. After that span of time that must have felt like hours, he scoffed. "Fine. I am not agreeing to the position. But I am agreeing that you can present it to Mercury and I together.”

    She smiled. “Thank you, Vandrad. I’m very proud of you.”

    He snorted. "Please. You just want the freedom to sleep around without the responsibilities of ruling.”

    She chuckled and playfully smacked his shoulder. “I happened to do very well in both cases when I was a duchess, I’ll have you know. Though I must admit there are far more interesting characters appearing around you nowadays. I’m quite pleased Ever was able to keep our dear Father Christmas around; that man nearly gave Gren a run for his money. Plus Mercury and I haven’t shared a man since Simon; granted there was Ever as well…”

    "Where is that fat bastard anyways?” Vandrad asked, glancing around briefly.

    “I believe he is still at the manor. A few fans of his wished to ‘sit on his lap and ask for presents for next year’ I believe is how he put it,” she chuckled as she slipped her arm through his. “Since I know you’re not a fan of hearing about your mother and fiance’s conquests, either together or separate, here’s some interesting news that might surprise you. Ophelia says that Solomon has been out looking for rings.”

    Vandrad arched his brow. "Really?”

    “Oh yes. He’s asked of her help in finding one. Apparently the poor boy was all nervous about asking Simon for permission and he practically crushed him with a bear hug. I think your uncle is more excited than anyone else. I’m not sure when he’s planning on proposing but it could be soon.”

    Vandrad nodded softly. "That’s… good to hear. Cecilia deserves a good man and Solomon seems the sort. They make a good pair.”

    “Well that is some high praise, coming from you,” Themesycia teased him as they rounded a street corner and came onto one of the main roads. There they could see that Mythal and company had arrived and Mercury and Zemenar had already come up to greet them. “Mmm your father is looking quite strapping tonight. Would you be opposed to me stealing him and Mercury before midnight for a little fun?”

    "As you are the one that forced me to dress up for this charade, yes,” Vandrad said, shutting down any ideas that his mother might have had. Vandrad came up to the group, wearing a regal-looking gray suit jacket. He had a matching vest and pants, along with a pair of light gray gloves. A gold tie was tied elegantly in a scale knot, giving it extra panache. "Glad you could make it, if only to save me from suffering with the rest of these people. Zemanar is the only sane one here.”

    “On that we agree,” Themmy said with a chuckle as she walked up to Gren and got up on her toes to kiss him deeply. Once she had greeted him properly, she offered hugs to Mythal and Serilda. “Wonderful to see you two. And this… must be Vriko. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard such wonderful things.”






    Words: 1491 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault @Mythal Ragnos @Serilda Sinclair  | © marzia at shine & gs.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

    Developer/GFX Artist- Main Account- Gain An Artifact- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Of Ishgar- Ten Wizard Saint Member- Guild Master- Custom Slayer- God Slayer- Z-Rank- Y-Rank- X-Rank- H-Rank- S-Rank- A-Rank- Wanderer- So Extra- EXP Grinder- Job Creator- Working Together- Forever Solo- Christian Minecraft Server- Teaming Up!- Limited Edition- Hired Help- Unknown Powerhouse- Unknown Legend- Helper- Guild Creator- Achiever- Expert Achiever- Over Achiever- Buddy Buddy- Obligatory Beach Episode- Shipped- Dank Memer- Taskmaster- Richie Rich- Rich- Veteran Level 2- Veteran Level 1- Character History!- Magic Application Approved!- Obtain A Secondary Magic!- Get A Pet!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Tertiary Magic- Senior [500]- Novice [250]- 1st Place Event/Contest Winner- X-Mas Event Participant- Motor City Rush- Best GFX Artist Award- Player 
    Lineage : Scion of the Void King
    Position : Goddess of Conviction
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 1424
    Guild : Guildless
    Cosmic Coins : 155
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 12,421,054

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 30th December 2022, 7:51 pm

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.
    Serilda smiled at Gren, who truly had cleaned up well, though it was hardly the first time. While the Voidwalker could never ever flirt and make playful sexual advances at him like Mercury did, she could appreciate how attractive he was from a purely objective viewpoint. He came over to kiss the girls on the head before the clearing of a throat brought all their attentions around to Vriko.

    She looked absolutely stunning. Serilda was starting to see why Mercury hadn’t been able to stop talking about the woman after everything at the casino. The three of them were entirely taken back, rocked to silence until Vriko commented at how stupid she probably looked. Mythal was the first to speak, assuring her she looked gorgeous, a compliment that earned him a mild glare and an overly defensive brush off. She switched topics instantly, looking at Gren and asking if he was getting married. His response very nearly triggered a rather crass comment from her before she glanced at the girls and managed to cut herself off – a habit she’d picked up on her own ever since moving in with them. Serilda only smirked in genuine humor at where she knew Vriko was at least attempting to go with the comment, the noblewoman not all that bothered by her rough edges.

    That was when Vriko finally looked at Serilda herself, haltingly complimenting her, her words uncertain but her effort genuine. The marshal wouldn’t have a chance to reply before Mythal and Gren began to tease her about going soft and being a sweetheart, earning them both an irritated remark from the object of their prodding. “Oh, stop! You two be nice to her.” She smirked as she said it, appreciating the humor but still coming to Vriko’s defense. Turning back to Vriko, Serilda offered her a smile. “Thank you, Vriko. That gown looks utterly radiant on you. You did a phenomenal job.” Complimenting someone’s attempt at shopping likely would have sounded weird to just about anyone else, but Serilda understood how big of a step and decision it was for Vriko not just to do that kind of shopping, but to choose to do it on her own. The marshal sincerely hoped that the woman was proud of herself.

    She gave the girls two big smooches. “Alright, you two be good for Julian. Say goodnight to daddy and grandpa..!” The girls did just that, Serilda passing them off to the two men even as the head steward came in to take charge of the girls. Once everything was settled, a portal was opened and they were stepping foot in New Rhaegar. Unsurprisingly, the gathering was already in full swing, the Rhaegarians and Xocili more than adept at cutting loose, particularly after how long all of them had spent in destitution. It didn’t take long for Mercury and Zemenar to find them. “I love this suit,” Serilda commented as she gave the smaller woman a hug. She didn’t quite know Mercury’s father well enough to hug him at that point, but she did offer him a kind smile of acknowledgement, which he returned with a polite greeting before introducing himself to Vriko.

    “Champagne sounds lovely, actually.” At the mention of it from Mercury, Serilda was already glancing around to see where she could get some. There were trays floating about that had been enchanted to carry glassware already filled with the stuff. Serilda used her magic to pull one toward them, the platter having more than enough flutes for the four of them if the rest of them wanted some. Selecting a glass, she took a small sip even as Vandrad approached with Themmy. “Happy new year,” Serilda remarked as she gave Vandrad a hug, followed by Themmy. The former prince looked downright dapper in his gray suit, and even Serilda felt her stomach flip a little over it though she masked it perfectly. From there, she was content to sit back and wait patiently for everyone to make their acquaintance with Vriko, who would surely find a way to make a few comments to turn the interaction on its head…

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

    Knight VIP Status- Regular VIP Status- VIP- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Slayer- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Player 
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 30th December 2022, 8:47 pm

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    Vriko understood she was going to be teased by Mythal and Gren. Mostly because she hadn’t really gone out of her way to pay Serilda compliments. Sure, she was nice enough to the woman, if only out of respect. She didn’t really intend on getting buddy-buddy with anyone but the Field Marshall and the Director both seemed to have their own opinions on that matter, reacting and treating her all friendly like. So rather than be an utter bitch to the only people that she knew she would be comfortable around that evening, she decided to take a chance and say something nice for once. Serilda came to her defense, playfully chastising the boys for teaming up on her and then thanking her before also complimenting the gown, saying that she did a ‘phenomenal job’. Mythal’s sister could do nothing against the blush that touched her cheeks, the raven-haired woman looking away and rubbing her arm. “Sure, thanks,” she practically mumbled, having been complimented not once but twice. She wasn’t used to anyone saying nice things about her, save for Gren every so often. At least she had found a way to put up a brave front and rebuff him most times.

    But she was proud of herself and frankly, she… appreciated the recognition. She had gone out of her way to take a chance on something she knew nothing about and had apparently kicked its ass. Granted the posse at the salon had told her that as well but stranger’s opinions meant so much less than someone who was, frankly, as regal as Serilda was. With farewells given to the girls by way of kisses from the other three, they were stepping through a portal and arriving on New Rhaegar. Vriko was, honestly, a bit surprised at the design of the island city. A lot of thought and care had been put into the set up, especially in terms of how to decorate for an extravaganza. The raven-haired woman took a few moments to look around, taking in her surroundings and, naturally, noting all of the important, tactical advantage points along the buildings.

    By the time she had turned right around, she was face to face with Mercury and her father. She greeted the other two first before turning her gaze to the narrowed, hateful eyes of Vriko, raining flirtatious compliments down on her for her look and stating that it was good to see her again. “I’m sure it is,” she replied coolly, reining herself in, if only for the sake of not causing a scene. Her gaze flicked to Zemanar as he approached her, offering his hand. Glancing between the extended limb and his face, she listened as he introduced himself properly as Mercury’s father. “Her father?” she confirmed, chancing a look at Mercury briefly before finally reaching out and shaking his hand politely. “Vriko. Ragnos, according to official records, apparently.”

    “Ah, you’re really not gonna let me live that down, are’ya?” Gren asked with a chuckle, laughing a bit more when she glanced at him. “Champagne sounds good but I gotta greet the host first,” he said, nodding to the approaching Vandrad and Themesycia. “Heya,” he cooed at the former duchess, returning her kiss in kind. Once she had finished greeting Serilda and Mythal, Themesycia turned to Vriko to introduce herself.

    The first thing Vriko noticed was the pressure the woman gave off. She wasn’t using any magic but there was something about her presence that demanded respect, despite her rather casual demeanor. As Serilda summoned the tray of champagne to them, Vriko gave Themesycia a once over before finally settling her gaze evenly against Themmy’s. “Yes, Vriko. And I’ve heard… a lot of things,” Vriko replied, glancing at Gren. “I’ve heard you’re quite strong. Seeing you now, I can tell that is doing you a disservice. Out of respect, I wish to thank you for hosting us and inviting me. Normally I would have declined but I’ve put off meeting you for some time, if only because the whole threeway sex pact you have with Gren and the wh- Mercury utterly disgusts me.”

    “Wait what..?” Mythal started to ask, having only gotten his flute of champagne.

    “But since everyone else seems to be fine with it, I suppose I shouldn’t cast stones. I may not like it or even find it sanitary but it’s your lives. And since Gren is now my guardian, I should stop acting like a child and show you the respect of meeting you.”

    “I’m sorry, did you say ‘threeway sex pact’?” Mythal asked.

    Vriko glanced at him and then at Gren. “Does… he not know?”

    Gren let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah uh… wasn’t… exactly sure how to bring that up… or anythin’...”

    “Are you kidding me?!”
    “Are you kidding me?!” Both Mythal and Vriko asked at the same time.

    “That’s maybe the kind of thing ya let us know about, in case it, ya know, comes up,” Mythal insisted.

    “You didn’t tell him? Or Serilda?” Vriko shook her head. “Did you think I would not bring it up? It is literally my main sticking point with her,” she said, gesturing to Mercury.

    “I think we all need to just calm down and uh… have some more to drink, yeah? And maybe find another time to talk about this, possibly.”



    STATISTICS
    HP: x/y
    MP: x/y
    Spells Used: list them here
    Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
    Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
    Monsters Killed: list here
    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 31st December 2022, 2:10 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Ah, how Mercury had missed Vriko. The dark haired woman’s laser locked glare wasn’t lost on the Xocili, who took it as she always took such things: with excitement. Vriko managed to keep herself composed otherwise, more or less brushing her off without returning any sentiments, which only made Mercury’s grin deepen. But she didn’t press anything for the moment, more than happy to step aside and let her father introduce himself. Mercury had, of course, forewarned the man that Vriko wasn’t exactly Mercury’s biggest fan. She’d heard some of how Vriko spoke of her around Gren, Serilda, and Mythal, and while she knew everyone else wouldn’t be put off by it she had figured it was best to make sure Zemenar wasn’t caught off guard by it.

    The man didn’t entirely know how to take it, but if he’d learned anything during his time on Earthland so far, it was that Mercury was an imp and a prankster that enjoyed teasing people and getting under their skins, and the more irritable of an individual they were the more fun she had. So in truth, it hadn’t been too much of a surprise. He was just glad that she had grown into a strong, confident woman whose spirit hadn’t been completely broken by her harsh upbringing. So he chose to just take Mercury at her word and not take any comments Vriko made too much to heart, though frankly she seemed to be much better behaved than his daughter had led him to believe she would be. With only a glance, she took his hand and returned the shake, calling herself by her new full name and giving Gren grief in the same sentence.

    “Oh yeah! I heard about that. Congrats, sunshine.” Despite the nickname that Vriko surely despised, Mercury’s remark was genuine. But by then Themmy and Vandrad had walked up to join them, Gren wandering off to greet the older woman. Vandrad did the same with everyone else, stating that he was glad for their presence if only because it would give Zemenar reprieve from being the only normal person around for the former prince to chat with. Mercury’s father chuckled even as the Silver Wolf mage smirked and approached her fiance, leaning up against him and straightening his tie. “Please, you enjoy the chaos. And if you don’t then you might want to reconsider the whole marrying me thing, cause I’m sure not gonna get any easier to live with over the next thousand years.”

    With a grin, she leaned forward and gave him a kiss before turning to watch as Themmy also made Vriko’s acquaintance. Mercury was all too curious to see how this was going to go, considering Vriko was highly protective of Gren and didn’t seem to have a high opinion of the fact that he was seeing two women at once. She was surprisingly more… cordial and polite than expected. She complimented the strength that she could sense from the former duchess and thanked her for the invitation. It all seemed to be going rather well up until Vriko kept going and started talking about…

    “Oop.” Mercury assumed that Serilda and Mythal already knew, if only because Mercury had warned Gren that if he didn’t tell them soon it was going to come up when he wasn’t ready for it. From the stuttering look of shock on Mythal’s face to the way that Serilda choked on her champagne, it was clear that he had not, in fact, done that. And on Vriko went, continuing to drive the train without realizing what hell she was unleashing before Mythal finally got a word in edgewise to ask what his sister was talking about. Mercury started cackling outright, completely and utterly amused at the entire situation without any reservation as Gren did his best to deflect. “Oh no, big boy, I highly doubt that’s happening. The cat’s out of the bag now, and I’m pretty sure I owe you the biggest ‘I told you so’ ever.” Oh how she grinned up at Gren. glad that cat was finally out of the bag. She’d never had a problem making the situation public knowledge. It had always been Gren that had wanted to keep it close to the chest, and now he was probably about to be interrogated by his other son and daughter-in-law that had been left in the dark.

    “Wait, you…”

    Oh. Right. Mercury’s eyes went big and flicked over to her own father, who was just a beat behind everyone else in realizing what was happening. He looked more than a little dumbfounded as he looked between Gren and Mercury. It hadn’t taken him long to understand that his daughter got around, mostly because she wasn’t shy about it. It had been… an odd revelation to have, and certain an uncomfortable one, but that would have been true of any parent about their daughter. She’d seemed happy and he certainly couldn’t tell her how to live her life, especially after all this time and what she’d gone through, but he’d had zero idea that she’d slept with any of Vandrad’s family, especially her own fiance’s father.

    There was a long, awkward silence before Mercury reached out and humorously patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t uh… Don’t think about it too hard, dad. Just have some more champagne.”

    Mercury reached out and took another flute, offering it to her father who accepted it with the look of a man that was having an out of body experience. “Yeah, that’s… that’s probably… a good idea…”

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

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    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 1st January 2023, 5:36 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    To A New Year RJtajUnz_o


    Vandrad, frantically, hadn’t had much of an opinion when it came to Gren deciding to put himself as Vriko’s guardian. The former Knight had put in effort and work to help rehabilitate the woman after the trauma she had been born into. And if he felt right about making himself as her legal guardian, the former prince saw no issue with it. It was a bit odd that he hadn’t thought of a better stand-in name other than his own family one but then again, Gren had already been wondering about officially adopting her. That bit of knowledge he’d gone out of his way to ask Mythal and Vandrad about, knowing that doing so was essentially making her one with the family officially. Unsurprisingly, neither seemed to care; the Darkness Slayer believed that the former Knight was a good presence in Vriko’s life and having a genuine father-figure would only serve to help rather than hurt. Vandrad’s opinion didn’t really sway one way or the other and found no personal attachment in the last name anyways.

    He was just glad to have Mythal and, more importantly, Serilda there. Mythal was nice to have around but he’d begun to lean into Mercury’s schemes and demeanor, being quite the imp himself. He obviously didn’t personally mind it but it really only left Serilda there as a baseline of class and integrity. He remarked that having them would help raise the sanity level a bit, having only had Zemenar there to help establish it. Mercury, in her infinite ability to turn any situation, walked up to him and leaned against him, chastising him for his lack of admittance and advising him that if he didn’t truly like the chaos she brought, he should rethink his marriage to her. "Yes well, our marriage will not be standard or normal by any sense of the word, that much is guaranteed,” he said with a brief snort, kissing her back briefly as Themescyia introduced herself to Vriko. It was a fairly contained exchange, considering all the things they had heard about Vriko’s usual antics, up until she began voicing her thoughts on Themesycia’s three-way relationship with Gren and Mercury.

    The reaction was immediate, with Serilda damn near choking on her drink and Mythal’s widened gaze. Vandrad looked at the two of them and knew instantly that Gren had not done his due diligence and sat them down to let them know. Themmy also noticed it out of the corner of her eye, continuing to meet Vriko’s gaze evenly until Mythal was able to interrupt and demand clarification. Gren, looking as bashful as a guilty child, tried to explain that he hadn’t found a proper time, with Mythal and Vriko giving him grief and Mercury laughing at his misery before having to turn and address her equally as a shocked father. Vandrad walked over and punched Gren in the arm. "You didn’t tell them? You had one job, old man.”

    “Now, now,” Themmy spoke up, holding her champagne flute up and pulling the attention to her, always playing the intermediary. “While I agree that this is a topic that should have been broached before this,” she explained, glancing at Gren briefly before continuing. “It is out now and it is best to settle it here and now rather than let it bring us down or haunt us for the rest of the evening. To your point, Vriko, what we have is not quite a sex pact but more of a casual connection. Gren and I are, I suppose the word is, dating at the moment. He also occasionally likes to sleep with Mercury and I have a few dalliances myself. You see, my people, the Rhaegarians, were born with extremely high libidos and a liberal sense of how relationships work. Marriages are common but almost always involve other partners, sometimes even multiple people in one marriage. It’s something that the du Wolffs practice to this day but we aren’t ones to force anyone into our lifestyle and we try to be respectful of boundaries. Admittedly, I wasn’t the best when it came to Mercury but I’m also a bit of a sucker for a strong, independent woman that knows what she wants and goes for it. A type I share with Gren here. But it is not something either one of us would have ever considered if we felt Vandrad would be offended or have issues with.”

    Vandrad snorted. "I don’t give a damn who she beds. She will be my wife, not my property, meaning she is my partner. I recognize that sometimes she will find other partners to fool around with, even if it is my own family. So long as she cleans herself up and continues to support me as I do her, then it’s her business.”

    “We understand it’s strange and not conventional by most standards. All that’s important is that we’re all happy and consenting.” Themescyia wrapped up her thoughts, tucking her arm in Gren’s.

    "Great, so let’s move on. Kiss the damn man because I know you’re probably vibrating in excitement to finally do it publicly,” Vandrad remarked to Mercury as he took a champagne flute as well. "There’s lots to do and see and I’m sure most of the family wishes to see you two and meet Vriko. If I’m going to sacrifice time away from training, let’s make it useful.”






    Words: 901/2392 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault @Mythal Ragnos @Serilda Sinclair  | © marzia at shine & gs.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

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    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 1st January 2023, 7:35 pm

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.
    Serilda had honestly expected that it wouldn’t take long for there to be some kind of scene. Vriko had been doing very well at behaving herself as of late, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still rough around the edges or afraid of speaking her mind, particularly when it came to Mercury. But she hadn't expected the woman to open by spilling some big secret that apparently wasn’t much of a secret pretty much right out the gate. Vriko addressed Themmy, being surprisingly cordial, before touching on the fact that Gren was apparently sleeping with both Themmy and Mercury.

    The Voidwalker had been in the process of taking a drink from her champagne when she gasped in shock, only to breathe in the golden liquid by accident. She had to turn around to cough as quietly into her hand as she could in order to clear her airways, this despite the fact that she didn’t technically need to breathe thanks to her magic. In the meantime, Mythal and Vriko were confronting the man, even as Mercury laughed outright, thoroughly bemused by the situation. Her father was about as stunned as Serilda was, the Xocili clearly trying to come to grips with the realization. And to make things even more shocking, Vandrad himself spoke up, questioning the fact that Gren hadn’t told them yet and revealing that Vandrad himself had apparently been aware of it for some time.

    Thankfully, it was Themmy who brought some order to the meeting, drawing the attention back to herself and using the moment to educate Vriko a bit on the du Wolffs and Rhaegarians. Obviously, their lifestyle was old news to Serilda, who had not just the du Wolffs but also Ruzatz and Agatha in her life to have desensitized her to such things long before now. What wasn’t old news, however, was the fact that Themmy had also slept with Mercury, meaning that the woman had slept with both of her future in laws. Serilda just… didn’t even know where to begin with processing all that.

    It was Vandrad himself that finally spoke up after his mother’s explanation, informing Vriko that he didn’t care who Mercury was physically intimate with, claiming that she was going to be his wife but that didn’t make her his property. What mattered more to him was simply that she was there when he needed her – and that she cleaned herself up when she was done playing with his family. It was something that Themmy admitted was odd and took most people time to adjust to, but at the end of the day everyone was consenting and happy with the arrangement.

    The former prince insisted it was time to change the subject, if only because he had more important things to take up his time, practically demanding that Mercury give Gren a kiss just to get it out of her system. And with a trademark playful quip, Mercury did just that. Serilda found herself shaking her head with a wry smirk. “I don’t know why I’m so surprised. You’ve been calling him your boyfriend for over two years at this point. But yes, let’s go say hello to everyone else. I believe my brother is already here with Cecilia somewhere, too.”

    Solomon was, in fact, with his girlfriend, enjoying a drink and helping some of the Xocili and Rhaegarian refugees learn how to light off some smaller fireworks, of which he had brought a ton. It had been a number of months since she’d seen her brother and she was a bit shocked by how different he looked. He’d grown out his hair a bit, and was really coming into his own place of manhood with his early twenties. He was also head over heels in love with Cecilia, which was obvious to pretty much anyone who saw him with her. Vriko was swiftly introduced to him, as well as the rest of the du Wolffs, and before long Serilda found herself with a drink in one hand and a sparkler in the other.

    Once the sparkler had run out she dumped it into a nearby basin that had some water in it. Then, she started looking through the boxes to see what all her brother had brought with him. Her eyes set on one and she drew it out with a smirk. “Where in the world did you get your hands on these?” she asked him with teasing accusation.

    He just grinned at her. “Hey, Boscan Candles aren’t illegal everywhere, Lady Field Marshal... just most places.” Then, after a beat, “Just uh.. Maybe don’t tell mom and dad.”

    Serilda shook her head. “Fine, but I’m taking this one.” Setting her empty champagne glass down, she beckoned to Vriko. “Normally I’d have to fine people for possessing these, but seeing as how I’m not currently in my jurisdiction… Want to give it a try?” The noblewoman had a rare look of eager rebelliousness about her. It had been years since she’d lit off a Boscan Candle, and since she wasn’t sure that Vriko had ever seen or played with fireworks before, she figured it might be worth exposing her to the experience.

    Assuming Vriko decided to join her, Serilda would lead her to a spot a couple meters off from the rest of the group, where they had plenty of room. She peeled off the plastic and held the unit up for Vriko to look at. “Alright, the wick is here. Technically the correct way to do this is to set it down on a flat surface, light it, and run like hell just in case it misfires… but the more fun way to do it is to keep holding it. Just make sure the bottom of it isn’t angled toward your body. Keep it pointed straight up to the sky.” With a grin, Serilda handed the device to her, as well as the lighter.

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

    Knight VIP Status- Regular VIP Status- VIP- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Slayer- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Player 
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    Age : 36
    Mentor : Nessa Cordelia Lux (Former)
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 1st January 2023, 8:41 pm

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    Apparently she had unraveled a mystery that really shouldn’t have been a mystery.

    Was it just easier to tell Vriko in comparison to Mythal and Serilda? She doubted that; she was judgemental and was quick to make snide remarks, example being her ‘pet’ name for Mercury. No, it was probably just having what he would probably consider a ‘safe’ outlet rather than having to own up to his bullshit with his adoptive son and soon to be daughter in law. For all the courage that Gren showed on a near daily basis, he could be a bit of a coward when it came to his family, it seemed. The former Knight tried to dismiss the entire conversation but Mercury reminded him that this was his fault for lacking to inform anyone. Her father looked just as shocked and she did her best to placate that by telling him to not think about it.

    It was Themesycia that drew the attention back so that she could offer up an explanation, of sorts. It seemed that it wasn’t some kind of sex-fueled harem but rather a more solid, if still casual, relationship between the three. Her and Gren were dating and Mercury was occasionally a side piece for either one of them that came calling. She explained deeper that her people were genetically predisposed to more liberal sex practices both in and out of marriages. Her family continued to practice it, along with the rest of the Rhaegarians on the island, but they weren’t pressuring anyone into partaking and they did their best not to draw too much attention, if only to keep people from becoming uncomfortable. It was odd but all of them participated with the knowledge and consent of Vandrad, who spoke up enough to say that he didn’t really care who she slept with. He didn’t view his relationship with her as ownership but a partnership and the only thing he was meticulous on was her being clean. He truly didn’t seem bothered at all, far more focused on important things.

    It was an odd first impression of the man, especially for someone that Saffron regarded with such high respect. He was strong as well; she could sense the magical strength brimming off of him. It seemed he was unbothered by his fiance’s and family’s interests; a separate force that went about his own business, which usually involved improving himself and his abilities. For the first time since Gren had opened his mouth and told her about having two women, Vriko… felt oddly at ease with it all. She still thought it was a bit gross but it seemed a lot deeper than just putrid, carnal deviancy. Plus it was hard to find something to hate in Themesycia, as much as she wanted to. And while she usually would have found colorful words to call Vandrad for essentially making himself a cuckold, he didn’t seem to resonate with that energy. Honestly, knowing that he didn’t view Mercury as property was strangely satisfying on a certain level.

    With the explanation cleared out, Vandrad insisted they move on, demanding Mercury kiss Gren like she clearly wanted to and allow them to go about the island. Serilda was… amused, in a way. It seemed that Mercury hadn’t exactly been coy about how she felt about Gren; they just hadn’t taken it seriously. But rather than linger, the Voidwalker insisted they go forth and find her brother and another woman named Cecilia.

    “Jeez, ya die for a couple of years and now yer beddin’ women left and right,” Mythal remarked at Gren as they began their walk over.

    Vriko’s eyes widened a bit. She had forgotten that he’d been murdered by Faera and brought back. The kind of punishment he had gone through in Kingdom Darkness lacked definition but the raven-haired woman certainly had imagination enough to wonder. She looked away slightly, now a bit embarrassed. She’d been harassing him, forgetting that he had suffered at Faera’s hands as well, and giving him a hard time when he was probably just trying to readjust to living again. Worse yet is she actually felt bad about it -- a new sensation she hadn’t quite gotten used to.

    “Hah… sorry ‘bout that, Mythal. Wasn’t exactly how I was hopin’ to break the news…”

    “It’s fine,” the Darkness Slayer waved him off. “Really, as long as yer happy, that’s all that matters. Just makin’ up for lost time, right?” he said with a wry smirk, elbowing the former Knight in the ribs teasingly.

    Now humbled by… everyone’s words, Vriko was rather silent as they approached Solomon and Cecilia, playing with some of the smaller fireworks that the Rhaegarians and Xocili had been gifted. “Solomon is Seri’s younger brother,” Mythal leaned over to Vriko, explaining a bit more. “He’s datin’ Cecilia, which is Vandrad’s cousin.” She was introduced to them one after the other, Vriko cordial enough and reserved. She was shaking a lot of hands as the du Wolffs came by one after the other, each one taking the time to provide their name and speak kindly to her. It was… rather overwhelming. The only one that hadn’t come out to introduce herself was Ophelia but that was because she had, apparently, taken to a room with a Xocili that she’d been talking to.

    Vriko stood around as the others took up sparklers and played around, really only attended to by Vandrad, who had a sparkler but saw no reason to prance around. Once Serilda’s had run out, she rummaged through the boxes and found a specific firework that caught her interest. Solomon cheekily explained that they weren’t illegal across the board and asked that she not tell their parents. Finding more amusement than anything else, she insisted she was taking the one she had pulled out and then waved to Vriko. The raven-haired woman looked surprised but, after a moment of consideration, placed her sparkler in the crease of Vandrad’s arm and walked over to her as she walked to a fairly open spot. Serilda explained that in most circumstances, she would have to fine people for the firework but as they weren’t within her realm of policing, she wanted to know if she wanted to try it out.

    “Uh…” Vriko fumbled for words for a moment. “Sure?” It seemed rude to turn it down. With that confirmation out of the way, she waited until it had been freed from its plastic covering and then took it when it was offered. Serilda showed her where the wick was and then gave her a rundown of what one should normally do with the explosive device and then what was far more fun. Now with the firework and the lighter in hand, Vriko glanced at Serilda once more and then took up what she felt was the best position. Angling it away from her and towards the sky, she flicked the lighter so that the flame popped out onto the wick. Sparks began to immediately fly and cascade down all around her feet, much to her wide-eyed surprise. She considered putting it down and taking the safe way but held out, squeezing the firework tight until the sparks disappeared inside the tube. The firework exploded out from the top, a shrill screech ripping through the air repeatedly as it released its colorful, sparkling payload into the sky above. It was a pain in the ears but… it was pretty damn pretty, she had to admit.

    She waited until it was spent and then carefully put the smoking tube on the ground. “That was… fun,” she said softly. “That and seeing a Rune Knight break a law.”

    “Someone say something about breaking laws?” Another feminine voice pulled Vriko’s attention to it. A woman with black and turquoise hair was walking towards them, dressed in a loose, flowy halter top and a skirt that had glowing lights wrapped around her hips. “Seri, always great to see you. That dress looks gorg on you. And this is Vriko, right? Damn if you ain’t good looking. No surprise there. I’m Ophelia, Cecilia’s sister.”

    “Nice to meet you. You… look nothing like Cecilia,” Vriko observed.

    “Well I did before I colored my hair. Hey Uncle Gren!” she said, waving to the former Knight.

    “I see you’ve met Ophelia. Finally decided to come over?” Mythal spoke up as he approached, offering Serilda and Vriko new, filled glasses of champagne.

    “Well I’d bring the boy toy over but I think he’s still trying to catch his breath,” Ophelia said with a smirk. “How about you and Serilda for round two?”

    “Gonna… have to pass on that, thanks though,” Mythal replied with a short laugh.

    “I’ll wear you down someday, handsome. If only to say I bagged you and Seri before Mercury. I’m going to go say hi to Aunty Themmy.” And off she went to join Themescyia and Gren.

    “Rhaegarians, huh?” Mythal asked with a small laugh.



    STATISTICS
    HP: x/y
    MP: x/y
    Spells Used: list them here
    Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
    Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
    Monsters Killed: list here
    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
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    Cosmic Coins : 0
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    Experience : 7,124,425

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 14th January 2023, 11:31 am

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    This was just too great. Poor Gren, as much as she loved him, had well and truly done this to himself, and she did earnestly feel bad that something like this came up in such a public fashion, but at the same time it was just so funny. Even Vandrad stepped forward to give his father shit for not mentioning it to the others sooner. It was Themmy that brought everything back down to earth, giving Vriko a more classy and thought out explanation of the situation. Vandrad added his own commentary, stating outright that he didn’t care who Mercury slept with provided she continued to do her part in their mutually supportive relationship.

    She grinned at him, lounging against his shoulder as she was often wont to do. “Careful, honey. That sounds awfully close to sentiment.” Taking a sip from her glass, Mercury continued to listen as Themmy wrapped the conversation up, ending with the important note that all involved were happy and consenting. With that out of the way, Vandrad proposed that they move things along, insisting that Mercury kiss Gren so the rest of them could move along to more interesting things. “You say that like I don’t already kiss him in public. But if you insist… Dad, look at that interesting and convenient distraction behind you.” Removing herself from Vandrad, she stepped back up to Gren and gave him another kiss, this one on the lips and noticeably more passionate – though not so much that it would be uncomfortable for the others to watch.

    While he had smirked in amusement at her comment, Zemenar elected not to turn his back. The knowledge would surely take some getting used to, but after so long of living alongside the Rhaegarians… well, it was an easier pill to swallow than it might have been several months ago. Themmy’s explanation, though aimed toward Vriko, had been taken to heart by the older Xocili as well. As long as Mercury was happy and no one else was upset, he saw no reason to make a big deal out of it.

    Pleased with herself, Mercury listened as Serilda remarked about the Silver Wolf’s referral to Gren as her boyfriend all this time. As the group made their way toward Solomon and Cecilia, Mythal teased Gren about becoming a slut after coming back to life, earning him a bashful apology from the man, which Mythal playfully waved off. Mercury chuckled. “I never had a problem with anyone knowing, and to a point neither did Gren. He was just going through a lot at the time and wanted to keep it close to the chest for a while until everything settled down. Unfortunately, things never really did quite manage to settle, did they?”

    Solomon and Cecilia were busy introducing the island citizens to fireworks. Mercury knew there was a bigger show planned to start shortly before midnight, but the smaller ones gave the Rhaegarians and Xocili something new, exciting, and interactive to play with in the meantime. As Mercury happily accepted a sparkler, idly twirling it around in her fingertips as she sipped her champagne and chatted with the people around her, the rest of the du Wolffs and Solomon introduced themselves to Vriko. All save for Ophelia, who had snuck away with a Xocili earlier. As Vandrad and Vriko stood casually by with their own sparklers, and Serilda was chatting with her brother, Mercury grinned up at Mythal.

    “So? How is my handsome ghost lover doing? I assume he’s floating around nearby somewhere. I started working on a project that will hopefully let me see him again without needing any enchanted potions, but unfortunately I’ve had to put it on the back burner until I get all this shit with Maker dealt with.” She was all too eager to get the chance to actually see and speak with Quentin directly again, but given the threat that Maker posed and the time table that Grubar had put them on, Mercury didn’t have much in the way of spare time these days.

    She watched as Serilda coaxed Vriko a little ways away, introducing the sheltered woman to a firework that was designed to launch up into the sky. Mercury nodded toward the women. “They look like they’re getting along pretty well. I heard Saff kicked her way into Vriko’s good graces, too. Glad to see she’s starting to step out of her shell a little. You two adjusting to one another well enough?” Mercury had gotten some details from Gren here and there, of course, but she was curious to hear Mythal’s thoughts on the matter.

    Once Mythal picked up a couple fresh glasses of champagne to bring to his fiance and sister, Mercury mosied her way over to Vandrad. With a little smirk, she slipped an arm around his waist and held herself gently up against him. “I know I’ve said this before, but I will never get tired of seeing you in a suit.” Her sensitive ears picked up the conversation that Serilda, Mythal, and Vriko were having with Ophelia, who had finally joined the rest of the group. Without pulling away from Vandrad, Mercury called over to them. “Hey, hey, hey! There’s a line for the unicorn attraction, and I’m first in it.”

    Serilda rebutted with a tease about Mercury having to contest with Ruzatz and Agatha for first dibs. Mercury scoffed playful. “I can take them,” she replied with all the false and humorous bravado of someone who knew that Ruzatz – and possibly Agatha – could both probably smack her around a battlefield with little effort. Turning her face back toward Vandrad, her grin renewed into a wide, cheshire expression. With the snap of a finger, a stereo set with a large speaker system materialized nearby, filling the area with upbeat jazzy music. “It’s time to dance with your fiance, your highness,” she informed him, not really giving him much choice in the matter as she tugged him into a slightly more open space.

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
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    Posts : 791
    Guild : Fairy Tail
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    Experience : 8,079,192

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 14th January 2023, 1:48 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    To A New Year RJtajUnz_o


    All this wasted time on what people did in secret. Well, semi-secret.

    As the one that seemed to be more the kickstand to the odd threeway bicycle that was now being unveiled to the greater world, most would think Vandrad would have an issue. After all, what normal person would be unbothered by the fact that his parents were actively sleeping with his fiance and often too. Truth was, Vandrad truly did not care. Mercury had always been a bit loose with her morals, granted most of that came from her upbringing, but her mischievous nature had only been compounded on by the introduction to the du Wolffs. They’d taken hold of her, quite literally it seemed, and helped expand upon her more excitable traits. And those were members of his family that he had grown up with. Gren was his biological father but he had long outgrown the need for a second parent in his life. The former Knight had supplied half of his genetic material, nothing more. He still felt a connection to Gren and treated him with the respect that came from his position in his life; they had bonded through trials and crafted a friendship, not unlike his to Mythal. And considering what he had gone through in Kingdom Darkness, he deserved to have a little fun.

    Vandrad understood quite early that his relationship with Mercury, depending on how it evolved, would be open. Sure, they were connected and bonded by an unbreakable chain but there was room for others to join in, at least physically. And even he couldn’t outright claim it was one sided; he’d broken his one woman physicality pact with himself by sleeping with Agatha. He was at peace with it but that didn’t mean others didn’t stop and pause at whatever new information that was suddenly sprouted out. It was hardly Vriko’s fault that she had spoken so bluntly; Gren knew very well what the woman was about.

    Themesycia took the time to carefully explain their positions, showing just how well mannered she was despite whatever outward news was being explained. After all, she’d had to explain worse affairs when she was a duchess. Vandrad was quick to add his own thoughts, dismissing any unspoken notion that he was harboring ill will and demanding that Mercury get on with kissing Gren like he knew she wanted to. She playfully asked Zemanar to look away before planting a kiss on Gren, their semi-secret relationship now as open as it would ever be. With that out of the way, they could go and make their way over to Solomon and Cecilia, trudging through the streets past others in equally celebratory moods. Mythal teased Gren a bit but he seemed settled with the matter, genuinely happy that Gren had found some peace and enjoyment in the world.

    Once they reached his cousin and her soon-to-be-betrothed, the group was handed sparklers to play with. Vandrad took his and continued to stand in place, his arms crossed and the twinkling sparkler stuck out from between his arms. While the group chatted with one another, Vriko stood near him, seemingly happy to have someone who didn’t feel the need to get over excited at the prospect of sparkling lights. He glanced at her idly out of his peripheral vision. She’d recently met Saffron and, upon meeting her, had found something common in her. She’d declared that Saffron was her training partner and that seemed to be a final decision. That was fine with him; a partner was hardly an issue. It was when other’s tried to impose their teachings upon Saffron, especially those that lacked an understanding of her magical ability. Gren was acceptable and at some point he would send Saffron to train with his mother. Scourge, despite his ingenuity in their shared magic, had already stolen Saffron away and since then, there had been a… tension between them. Nothing hostile but there was something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

    Serilda summoned Vriko over after discussing a specific firework with her brother. After taking Mythal’s sister a short distance, the former prince took the initiative to approach Serilda’s younger brother. "Solomon,” he said as he stopped in front of the man. He glanced over his shoulder to check and see where Cecilia was, quite taken with entertaining the children of the island at the moment. He reached out and placed a hand on Solomon’s shoulder and then gave him a quick nod. That was all he said or did but the look on his face was understanding and… approval. It wouldn’t take too much for Solomon to understand what exactly Vandrad was alluring to.

    Right about then, Mercury sauntered over to him and slid herself up against him, stating plainly that she  enjoyed seeing him in a suit. He smirked ever so slightly. "Good thing I made it a rarity then. I have to find some way to keep your attention,” he teased quietly, earnestly amused and, frankly, genuinely flirting with her.It was rare for him, at least in public, but that didn’t keep him from occasionally showing that he was, in fact, his parent’s son. It seemed that Ophelia, who had made her way over to Mythal, Vriko and Serilda, had been discussing a ‘unicorn’ which Vandrad could only assume was in relation to Mercury’s continued insistence that she could sleep with both of the Rune Knights. Ophelia was just as determined to make it happen, the two of them creating a pseud-rivalry over the matter. Vandrad rolled his eyes. "Keep dreaming. Serilda and Mythal are as stalwart as any that I’ve met.” Despite constantly being around those that ignored the line of monogamy, both the Rune Knights had held strong in their commitment.

    Then Mercury turned to look at him again, a wicked visage overtaking her face. "What are you…?” he began to ask before she snapped and the sudden inclusion of jazzy music filled the area. She told him quite plainly that it was time to dance, tugging him towards the more open area so that he could fulfill her request. He sighed but didn’t put up much fight, dragged along until they found an open spot. With a roll of his eyes, he took up a dancing pose, his form impeccable as he took her around the waist and hand and took the lead, as was natural. "So long as it’s something like this, I have no qualms. I have no desire to grind and bump, as the younger generation calls it.”

    Mythal had pulled Serilda over to join them and it looked like Themesycia was about to join with Gren as well. But there was an equally playful look on her face as she moved closer to Vandrad and Mercury. "Why do you look so smug?” Vandrad asked his mother.

    “Oh, it just amazes me how similar Mercury and I think. Though I was thinking something more… live.” That didn’t really illuminate much. But after a moment it would become clear; the music, while playing interrupted, seemed to be playing in stereo. It was almost like the song was being played over itself through something else… It was also getting louder. Vandrad’s eyes widened slightly as he turned his head slowly to look around, first discovering the source of the additional layer of music.

    A roving group of musicians, equipped with several instruments that could be played in addition to the recorded music. And leading the pack, swaying with a saxophone in hand, was none other than his former military ally, Faren Laenar. Even with the mouthpiece of the sax in his mouth, the short man looked as smug as his mother.

    Vandrad’s head whipped around to Themesycia. "How?”

    She chuckled. “My love, do you think anything gets past me? Your darling friend decided to send word to me after your meeting, wanting to reconnect. It sounds like your bar date inspired him to reach out to his family and, as he put it, ‘give them what for’. Elizabeth and Meridan are most likely already here. But Faren wanted to surprise you by emerging with some of his fellow bards. Seems like they excel at picking up on already playing music.”







    Words: 1374/3766 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault @Mythal Ragnos @Serilda Sinclair  | © marzia at shine & gs.
    `1


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

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    Lineage : Scion of the Void King
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 16th January 2023, 3:08 pm

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.

    While the two women were off doing their own thing, Solomon looked up at the sound of his name. “Oh, hey Vandrad!” The youngest Sinclair smiled, a subtle but bright expression. “What’s up?” With a quick glance around to make sure they were alone, the former prince merely reached out and put a hand on the younger man’s shoulder, earning himself a look of surprise. It was no secret to anyone that knew him that Vandrad wasn’t exactly the most physical of individuals. At least, not when it came to emotional exchanges. Pretty much the only person that ever touched him consistently was Mercury. Yet as their eyes met, the look that Vandrad gave was enough for Solomon to understand that word had gotten through the grapevine, and the small nod of approval he received from the Fairy Tail mage sent a ripple of joy and appreciation through him.

    “Thanks,” he said softly, keeping his voice down to make sure no one would hear. Then, with a quick glance around of his own, Solomon opened the lining of his coat just enough for Vandrad to see inside where there was a box shaped impression against an interior pocket. While the youngest Sinclair had indeed gotten permission from Simon and had worked with Ophelia about a ring, he hadn’t actually told anyone when he planned on proposing – though surely those who knew about it would likely assume that it would happen at an affair such as this. With a small grin and a wink, he let the lapel of his coat fall back against his chest, hiding the surprise once more. Then, as Mercury approached, he went back to helping with some of the fireworks.

    “I wouldn’t call it breaking a law – New Rhaegar isn’t a Fioren territory, so they’re not illegal here. So really it’s more like taking advantage of a legal loophole.”

    Serilda smirked ever so slightly, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Vriko had seemed to enjoy the display, her gaze having been glued to the fireworks as they shot off into the sky with an ear splitting shriek before exploding into a display of colorful light in the sky, drawing delighted reactions from the other Xocili and Rhaegarians nearby. It was reassuring to hear that she had enjoyed using the firework. Serilda honestly hadn’t been sure if Vriko would like it or find it stupid and pointless, but there was no mistaking that the woman was at least trying to let down her walls – even with the field marshal, who had been the primary focus of her ire and biting sarcasm for quite some time.

    A familiar voice called over to them, playfully inquiring about law breaking, and Serilda turned to see Ophelia approaching them. She smiled at the younger woman. “Thank you. I love your skirt.” Serilda gave Ophelia a hug before stepping aside to let her introduce herself to Vriko, immediately hitting on Mythal’s sister like many people apparently did. If it bothered Vriko she didn’t show it, instead choosing to be polite and offering a comment about how little the twins shared in common as far as looks went. After explaining about her recent change in hair color and calling over to say hello to Gren, Mythal approached with new glasses of champagne for his fiance and sister. “Thanks, babe.”

    She took a sip as Ophelia and Mythal addressed one another, and Ophelia teased that she would have brought the guy she’d been with to say hello but apparently he was still recovering from their little romp. Serilda chuckled as she and Mythal were invited to partake in a second round. Vandrad’s cousin had been pretty forward from the start about how attracted she was to Mythal, which neither of them had ever taken offense to. Between Ruzatz and Agatha, and the du Wolffs, they were more than accustomed to being flirted with and propositioned, though it was only recently that Ophelia had started including Serilda in her efforts. Serilda had always assumed Ophelia was straight, and it was possible the younger woman was just being flirty, but honestly it was hard to tell.

    Mythal politely declined the offer with an appreciative laugh, which did little to dissuade Ophelia, who seemed hell bent on wearing them down before Mercury could get the chance. Even as she walked off to see Themmy, Mercury spoke up from across the way, having heard the comment, to remind Ophelia that there was a line, one that Mercury seemed to think she was at the front of. Serilda laughed outright. “I’m fairly certain you’ll have to fight Ruzatz and Agatha for that.” Mercury replied by stating she was sure she could take the prime sin and his wife, though her confidence was false at best on the matter. Serilda shook her head, giving Mythal a smirk with his comment about Rhaegarians. “Indeed. It’s been around… what, four years or so? And I still can’t figure out how we wound up being constantly surrounded by friends and family members with such high libidos. My younger self would have had a panic attack at the very thought.”

    Only a moment later did music fill the area. Movement caught her attention and Serilda glanced over to see Mercury pulling on Vandrad with her shit eating grin, having summoned speakers with some music and conned her fiance into dancing with her. A few others followed suit, including Gren and Themmy, as well as Solomon and Cecilia. When Mythal indicated they were going to do the same, Serilda smiled. It wasn’t often that Mythal wanted to dance, though he was starting to get used to it as he adjusted to the life of nobility. Serilda glanced down at the drink in her hand, which he had only just given her. “Well, this is going to be extremely unlady-like.” With a sigh, she put the glass to her lips and meticulously downed the whole drink in one go. Shaking her head slightly from the rush of a buzz that washed over her brain, she gave Vriko one last playful smirk before allowing herself to be led to the impromptu dance floor.

    Vriko would not be left alone for long. Zemenar approached, his demeanor as soft and quiet as it always had been. “Would you like to dance, Miss Ragnos? I am a little rusty, but if you can forgive an old man his age I’d be happy to escort you.” Unlike probably most others on the island that would have asked, there wouldn’t appear to be any ulterior motives or intent behind the gesture. Mercury’s father wasn’t hitting on her or attempting to be romantic in any way, merely offering himself as a dance partner so Vriko wouldn’t have to feel left out of the festivities. If she said no, he wouldn’t push it. However, if she accepted, then, he would politely offer his arm and guide her out with the others, leading her in the movements with respectful and gentlemanly space between them.

    After a couple minutes the sound of the music seemed to grow louder, and eventually everyone around realized that it was coming from a different area entirely as a full band approached, having picked up the song that was playing on the speakers and joining in. Serilda glanced curiously at the group, which was being lead by an extremely short and robust man playing on a saxophone. “Oh, Themmy hired a band,” Serilda commented idly, only for her attention to be pulled back to Vandrad as his head turned on a swivel to snap to his mother, demanding an answer to a vague question. The duchess laughed and spoke about a friend of Vandrad’s having reached out to her after the two men had reconnected. It seemed there were other guests on the island that Vandrad knew, and one named Faren had wanted to surprise Vandrad with a bit of a grand entrance.

    Serilda tilted her head a bit, the names familiar to her. “The Laenars?” she inquired after a moment of thought. It was a bit of a surprise that Themmy would have invited another noble family from Bellum to the island, given the status of the du Wolffs with their former home country. She’d never met them herself, but she did know that there was a connection between their son and Agatha, who had talked several times in the past about tours she had done, including one with Faren Laenar. The Voidwalker hadn’t known that Faren and his family were acquainted with one another, however, nor that Faren was apparently friends with Vandrad.

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

    Knight VIP Status- Regular VIP Status- VIP- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Slayer- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Player 
    Lineage : Heir to Darkness
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    Posts : 1057
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    Age : 36
    Mentor : Nessa Cordelia Lux (Former)
    Experience : 11,070,431

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 17th January 2023, 12:45 pm

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    Of course Mercury was quick, once she had come over to Mythal, to ask about Quentin, calling him her ghost lover. She apparently was working on something so that she could see him without any kind of enchantments but it had been put on hold until everything with Maker was dealt with. “Ah, he’s around,” the Director stated, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder.  He cocked his head slightly as if he was listening before shaking it. “I’m not going to tell her that. He said he… greatly looks forward to gettin’ a chance to talk wit’ ya at some point. You can use your imagination to guess what other colorful things he said.”

    As Vriko was led over to view the fireworks, the Silver Wolf mage brought up Seri and Vriko’s semi-neutral relationship and Saffron managing to earn some kind of friendly feeling from his sister. “Yeah, she’s been less hostile with Seri lately. I think after everythin’, she’s just satisfied to have a stable foundation. Not sure if I would call Saffron a stable foundation, as she is a firecracker, but she really took to her. As for me and her… well, she’s less hostile. And a bit reined in, if only for the twin’s sake. But she does talk to me, at least enough to pass the time. I dunno, it’s somethin’. So long as she feels comfortable, I guess that’s all that matters to me. I ain’t gonna ask for anythin’ more.”

    Whether it was breaking the law or not, there was no denying that it was amusing to see the normally rigid Field Marshal of the Rune Knights be willing to bend the rules a little, even if it wasn’t strictly illegal. Vriko shot her a look, spotting the mischievous glimmer in the Voidwalker’s gaze and snorted softly in her own amusement, barely suppressing a small smirk to match the white-haired woman’s. A moment later, a new voice joined the fray and a woman wandered over, introducing herself as Ophelia, the vastly different sister of Cecilia, to which Vriko observed out loud. Mythal wandered over a moment later, passing glasses of champagne to Serilda and Vriko to make up for the absence of their empty ones.

    Ophelia was about as bold as Mercury was, asking both Serilda and Mythal if they wanted to take up the place of the man that she had just spent a decent amount of time with. Mythal turned down the offer and Ophelia insisted that she would find a way to break down their walls, if only to say that she beat Mercury. The whore heard her name and the suggestion of the younger woman and spoke up, insisting that she was at the front of the line, to which Serilda reminded her that Agatha and Ruzatz were definitely ahead of her. She remarked about being able to take them, though it seemed she wasn’t that confident in that and Mythal, almost defeatedly, commented on the race and their… provocations. Serilda agreed, admitting that she hadn’t quite figured out how, in a span of four years, they had made friends that were far more open and rigorously sexual than they were. Her younger self, it seemed, would have been mortified. “It’s outrageous,” Vriko commented with a small scoff. “I met Agatha and Ruzatz during that ridiculous heist. The man is a lot but she was…” she drifted off slightly, her gaze staring off into the distance before she refocused. “For one so kind and gentle, it’s surprising to see her connection to him. It was a bit humbling. All of it was. But her most of all.”

    That’s all she seemed inclined to share about it. “But from Gren has told me, it seems Rhaegarians are born like this, highly sexual and deviant. Yet it doesn’t seem to impact their ability to prosper and advance. It’s honestly a bit… impressive. Though I do wonder why he seems separate from the rest,” Vriko pointed out Vandrad with a nod of her head.

    “Vandrad is part human. It’s possible his human genes overwrote some of Rhaegarian ones,” Mythal said with a shrug.

    “Doubtful, else he wouldn’t be willing to put up with her,” Vriko commented as she flicked her gaze to Mercury. Already the whore was pulling her fiance over to an open space, having summoned forth some kind of speaker and playing a lively jig.

    “I know ya ain’t a fan of her, Vriko, but she does mean well. She’s been through a lot. Ya might  be surprised if ya just ask her,” Mythal told his sister, his tone soft and endearing. “Plus it’s not all her fault. Her nature was expanded upon by the du Wolffs. It’s remarkable any of us have resisted.” With a small snort, he turned his attention fully to Vriko. “Ya made a big move tonight. Not a lotta people are always willin’ to step out of their comfort zone like you did. And speaking of steppin’ out of comfort zones, I should probably do the same. Alright, Seri, let’s get movin’,” Mythal said, offering his hand to Serilda. It was not often that Mythal went out of his way to do such things, especially when it came to dancing, but it seemed he was feeling… confident. Maybe it was just wanting to do something outrageous to counter all the negativity that had been surrounding him but whatever the case, he was ready to go out and make a fool of himself.

    Serilda downed the entirety of her flute like a pro, impressing even Vriko. Then she allowed herself to be led over to join the others dancing. Vriko shook her head softly, amused in her own way as she watched the pairs forming. She was quite aware of Zemenar’s approach, turning her crimson gaze to meet him as he came before her. She imagined he was coming over to say something or ask something concerning the… tumultuous relationship between herself and Mercury. Imagine her surprise when he offered to dance with her, admitting he was a bit rusty but more than willing, maybe even genuinely pleased, to partner with her. It was… odd. In any other case, for any other person, she may have shot them down immediately and told them to screw off. There was a sort of… forlorn kindness to the older Xocili, his intent meant well and without any kind of motive behind it. Vriko knew just enough to understand that the Xocili had been oppressed and abused, a treatment she understood very well. Yet here he was, lacking bitterness.

    Perhaps she really was too hard on others. Damn Gren and his empathy; a disease she neither wanted or needed. But it was far too late. She was infected and it seemed it had already begun to spread. “Hell, why not,” she said with a shrug. And then taking after her future sister-in-law, she downed the entire flute of champagne. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I’m in worse shape than you; I don’t even know how to dance,” she commented as she placed her flute down and then took his offered arm.

    Zemenar was, unsurprisingly, a perfect gentleman. He held her appropriately and even guided her in how to move. Luckily, the training of an assassin proved to be an expansive education, as it taught her body how to move in perfect coordination. After only a half a minute of observing his instructions and the others around them, she was able to adjust and find a rhythm, showcasing a moderate understanding but better than most would be in such little time. Whatever was happening with the inclusion of new music didn’t seem to interest Vriko, who settled her gaze on Zemenar curiously. “Zemenar,” she started, her gaze flicking away momentarily before resetting. “I… don’t know much about your people’s struggles. Gren has told me a bit but…” She paused, wondering how she should approach the topic. Normally she would just blurt out her questions and comments without thought but even she understood that she was treading on careful ground. “Could you… tell me about the Xocili? I would like to know more.”

    While that was happening, Mythal was watching the scene unfold as a band arrived to take part in Mercury’s music. From the look of it, Mercury and Vandrad didn’t know they were coming and soon enough Themesycia was explaining what she had arranged. She name-dropped a man, Faren Laenar and Serilda spoke up, surprised. “I’m gonna guess that’s some kind of Bellum noble family? Musta been friends with Vandrad and them…”



    STATISTICS
    HP: x/y
    MP: x/y
    Spells Used: list them here
    Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
    Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
    Monsters Killed: list here
    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



    Last edited by Mythal Ragnos on 19th January 2023, 8:12 am; edited 1 time in total


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 689
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,124,425

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 17th January 2023, 7:11 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Mercury was all too pleased for Vandrad to flirt back with her. It wasn’t that he never did. Vandrad wasn’t as boisterous as she was, but he had his own way of flirting with her that she easily recognized and appreciated. However, he didn’t do it in public too often – though moreso now than he used to. Despite everything that was going on in the world, despite the loss of his childhood home and the attacks they’d suffered, and the bullshit they’d lived through, both of them were still riding somewhat of a high from being reunited and liberating their peoples. One of the results was that they weren’t always as private with their gestures of affection, though they still weren’t overly drawn to public displays of affection either.

    She exchanged a brief teasing conversation with Ophelia and Serilda, Vandrad rolling his eyes and telling her it was a pipe dream. Mercury only grinned at him. “So were you, when we first met. I wore you down, eventually.” As if to remind him exactly how much she had broken down his barriers, the Xocili conjured up a few speakers with some music, pulling him out into an open space and informing him that he was going to dance with her. The former prince let out a resigned sound but rather than stop her he sank into form with her and started leading, claiming that as long as it wasn’t the more chaotic and sexual type of dancing he was fine with it. “I don’t know. I bet I could talk you into a little bumping and grinding,” she replied, her voice low and suggestive.

    They danced for several minutes, with many other couples joining in with them. Even Vriko agreed to dance with Mercury’s father, who appeared to have offered her a polite invitation. Vandrad caught a look on his mother’s face that made him suspicious, inquiring as to why the woman looked so pleased with herself even as he moved his fiance around on the makeshift dance floor. Themmy replied with a cool remark about how on the level her and Mercury were, as though the Xocili had read her mind to some degree. Mercury merely raised a curious brow, just as in the dark as Vandrad was, and intrigued by whatever surprise it was that her future mother-in-law had planned.

    It wouldn’t take long for them to have the answer. The music continued to play, but the sound changed. Or rather, it started getting louder, originating from a different direction where a group of live performers were approaching. They were clearly highly skilled, since they had picked up the song that Mercury had randomly thrown on, playing it to perfection, and led by a saxophonist so short that he made Vandrad look tall. It was all she was able to observe from a cursory glance before her attention returned to Vandrad as his head whipped around onto his mother, demanding answers.

    As the duchess explained the situation, Mercury’s eyes got wider and more charged with excitement and curiosity. She looked back at Vandrad. “Wait wait, you have a friend? That’s not me?” Never once had he ever mentioned anyone by the name of Faren before, nor did she recall any kind of bar date or meeting. He’d kept it a secret, and she could only imagine the reason for that was because he didn’t want her to meet this mysterious man for a myriad of reasons that Mercury could probably guess with exceeding accuracy. A large, eager smile grew on her face that Vandrad would be all too familiar with, one that promised his immediate future was about to be more eventful than he preferred it to be, and she quickly slipped right out of their dance.

    Moving with some haste, though not running, Mercury hurried down a little ways to meet the approaching band part of the way. Her emerald gaze settled right on the stout man that was leading the pack, unable to contain her glee. She had thought she had met everyone from Vandrad’s past. She was wrong. Oh, so wrong – and Mercury had never been more delighted to be so. This was tantamount to meeting his family unannounced all over again. Mercury knew nothing about this Faren person, and for once in her life she was refraining from doing any research right then and there so she could soak in the surprise for as long as possible, but it didn’t take more than a single look, a single shared glance with the newcomer, to know that Vandrad was going to loathe how much she and Faren were going to get along. She said not a word, only stood and waited with visible anticipation as the group approached.

    Back on the dance floor, Zemenar had been pleased that Vriko was willing to accept his invitation, the dark haired woman knocking back her drink, much like Serilda, and throwing caution to the wind. He chuckled at her remark about her own dancing shape as she claimed to have never danced before. “Well, truthfully I’m not too far ahead of you in that regard. At least, not with these Earthland style dances. I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time.”

    And that she did. Granted it wasn’t a particularly complex pattern, but even then it didn’t even take Vriko a full minute of study and guidance before she had more or less gotten the gist of the movements, and soon the two were fully joined with the other couples. His attention was pulled briefly by the commotion of a live band approaching, one that seemed to have shocked Vandrad and elated Mercury. His gaze watched his daughter as she rushed off to greet the newcomers, shaking his head lightly with a smirk.

    But then Vriko spoke his name, prompting him to face her once more. She seemed a bit shy or uncertain, her eyes flicking away briefly before she started speaking of his people, the Xocili. Admitting that she didn’t really know much about their history, only hearing a little from Gren, she asked if he would tell her about the Xocili, wanting to know more. Vriko was noticeably nervous through her inquiry, and for someone who had been alive as long as Zemenar had, it was pretty easy for him to understand why. He knew very little of Vriko herself, though the broader information was there. Enough for him to know that she had experienced plenty of struggles of her own in the not too distant past. Surely striking up a conversation like this was a big step for her, particularly when she knew the topic she brought up wasn’t entirely pleasant.

    Yet despite the nature of the question, a gentle smile tugged softly on his lips and he gave a soft hum of acknowledgement even as he continued to dance with her without breaking stride. “Well, I’m sure it’s safe to assume you know that we are extraterrestrials, not native to the planet of Earthland. We are a people who are both wholly organic and wholly synthetic – the only such race to ever exist in the known universe. We once lived on a beautiful planet known as Xocil. Ours was a peaceful and prosperous society filled with technological advancement and wonders far beyond what could be found most anywhere else. We had long since outgrown concepts of war and greed, living as a community focused culture with a trade and skill based economy.”

    “Our planet was destroyed by another race that called themselves the Nazru. They despised technology and anything synthetic, viewing it as an affront to nature. To put it in Earthlander terms, I suppose you could think of them as… religious fanatics. They were an invasive and hostile force that sought to ‘purify’ the universe of everything that wasn’t organic, committing numerous acts of genocide in pursuit of their goal.” There was a tenderness to him as he told the story, somehow able to speak about the matter clearly without succumbing to distress, despite how painful the memories clearly were for him.

    Zemenar continued. “When they discovered Xocil, however, it caused some strife among them. Our people were more technologically advanced than any they had ever encountered before, and we ourselves were synthetic as a people. It was heresy to the highest degree… but at the same time, we were wholly and purely organic. They had never fathomed a people like us ever existing, and it caused some discord among them. They waged war on us, and we were able to hold them off for close to ten years, but… it was a battle we were slowly losing. For all our advancements, we weren’t fighters. We had a military and such like any other civilization, but it had been so long since we’d truly needed such things that we simply weren’t prepared for an invasion of such ferocity.”

    “Eventually we were forced to flee the planet, which was ultimately blown apart, and the survivors were hunted without let up. The Nazru were notorious for never leaving anyone alive, and our people in particular were the height of abomination in their eyes. However… a small, but powerful and influential sect of the Nazru decided to spare those of us that were left, and forced what remained of the Xocili into slavery. We were sorted into a caste system, used as tools and weapons to empower themselves. The sect was not popular with the rest of the Nazru, who wanted to kill us off completely, but they saw an opportunity with us and decided to… experiment with us, if you will. After all, they could always just finish the job and kill the rest of us off later if they decided we weren’t worth keeping around.”

    “By that time, it was just myself and my son that was left of my family. My wife, Scylla, had been sent away on a ship with other women and children before the planet’s destruction, hoping to get them to safety before it was too late. She was pregnant with Mercury at the time. Khelben and I had already been enslaved for several months by the time I learned of Scylla’s death. I never found out if Mercury had survived or not, but I assumed the worst. I wouldn’t find out for several more years that they had taken what was left of our young, isolating them and training them to be obedient spies and assassins – of which Mercury was one.”

    Zemenar didn’t plan on going into too many details of Mercury’s own past, knowing it wasn’t his place to share it. However, with the story of their liberation being integral to Mercury’s own journey, there were some parts about his daughter’s personal life that he wouldn’t be able to leave out. “She came to this planet to scout it for invasion, and formed attachments she’d never had before, particularly with Vandrad. She chose to rebel, and for that she was collected against her will during a period of time when Vandrad was missing, brought back to the flotilla where she was tortured… at my hands.”

    His expression was sober and sorrowful, the guilt and shame evident on his face. Yet despite the pain that he was still struggling with from the memory, there was peace to him as he carried on, a willingness to acknowledge his traumatic memories without being controlled by them. “Once I realized who she was, I released her, and if it weren’t for many of the people here, the Xocili would have gone extinct that day. Vandrad, Serilda, Mythal… Gren and Themmy, Saffron… Grubar and Hosrius… even Ophelia, Cecilia and Bartrand… All of them somehow, against all odds, managed to track Mercury down across an entire universe and catch up to her before it was too late, storming the flotilla to save her, as well as getting the rest of us safely here to Earthland. The Nazru were wiped out almost single handedly by Vandrad and Serilda in a display of power unlike anything I had ever witnessed in over eight hundred years. If I’m being honest, I still don’t think I’ve fully come to grips with most of it.”

    The Xocili chuckled softly. Despite the fact that being a slave had taken up such a tiny sliver of his life, the impact of that trauma had been so profound that he almost couldn’t remember what life had been like before the bondage of his people. However, his gratitude toward their saviors far outweighed everything else, and as such Zemenar was able to give Vriko a genuine, if bittersweet, smile. “I hope I haven’t put you off. It’s not exactly the happiest tale… but I do appreciate your interest. It’s very kind of you to give an old soldier like me a listening ear. Thank you for asking, Miss Ragnos.”

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Vandrad Ragnos
    Vandrad Ragnos

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Traveller of the Multiverse
    Position : None
    Posts : 791
    Guild : Fairy Tail
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 8,079,192

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Energy Monarch
    Second Skill: Ark of the Dread Masters
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Vandrad Ragnos 21st January 2023, 2:13 pm

    There’s no fair or unfair in battle.
    ( There is only victory or in your case, defeat. )
    To A New Year RJtajUnz_o


    Son of a bitch.

    Honestly, he probably should have known better, as he always should. Every time he expected that things would follow along a natural path that he could understand and estimate, the situation took a dramatic turn onto new territory that he knew all too well but never fully took into consideration. He’d reached out to Faren of his own accord, believing he could just have a sit down, catch up and get the information that he wanted. He’d expected Faren to have… matured in his later years, especially given how well connected he had become in the underbelly of society. But it seemed that the infamous bard was not quite put off by the idea of continuing to screw with the former prince.

    Themescyia was quite pleased to hear from Faren, especially considering that Vandrad had kept their meeting a secret. The heir of house Laenar had given his parents a stern talking to due to their ambivalent stance with the du Wolffs’ expulsion and had turned them around so that they were willing to reconnect. That, of course, gave Faren ample opportunity to also reconnect, with the former duchess all too happy to invite him to their celebration. A plan had been hatched and soon enough the night had come, with Themesycia playing coy and quiet the entire time, to quite literally everyone. It would be a universal surprise, but more so for Vandrad and most likely Mercury. After all, Faren embodied all the qualities that the du Wolffs, and the Silver Wolf mage, appreciated.

    Once he had arrived, he’d sent her notice through one of the island’s citizens, a gentleman that could easily pass information to the former duchess without alerting attention. Gren had, unsurprisingly, been a bit suspicious but she had simply smiled at him and continued on her merry way without remark. It wasn’t until Mercury brought forth her own music that Themmy broke, enough to chuckle and shake her head in amusement. It was honestly almost too perfect. So knowing full well that Faren was already making his way over with his bandmates, she decided to reveal her plans, watching as the pieces of the puzzle took form and placement within Vandrad’s mind. It was already too late for him to stop it; now he would have to suffer the consequences.

    Despite it being a relatively cold night, as well as New Year’s and not Christmas, Faren had come dressed like Father Christmas. It was remarkable close to what the actual Father Christmas had worn the first time he had materialized; a heavy red coat, lined with white fur and a hat adorning his head. A pair of green suspenders were tied to his belt, curling over his bare shoulders and settling against his bare chest and stomach. A pair of matching red pants and black boots covered his bottom half, completing the ensemble. There was, of course, the saxophone in his hands, which he played with expert ability. Somehow he managed to wear a smug grin despite the mouth piece he was playing through.

    Mercury, of course, demanded to know details, Vandrad still reeling with shock enough that he couldn’t quite answer. “Well he never quite described Faren as his friend. It was more Faren that insisted he was Vandrad’s best friend, despite my son’s continued denial,” Themesycia explained, filling in the gaps for the Silver Wolf mage.

    Now more than a little excited, Mercury slipped out of Vandrad’s hands and took off to meet the approaching band. Vandrad made a half-hearted attempt to stop her and then dropped his arms to his sides, sighing. "It seems I can’t keep any secrets, can I?” he asked.

    “Of course you can, my love. You just need to learn to keep them better,” Themesycia advised him with a wry smirk. “Come now, let’s not leave him waiting, lest he play well enough to get Mercury sliding out of her clothes.”

    With that he, Themesycia and Gren made their way over to meet up with Mercury, just as Faren was finishing up the current song with a jazzy saxophone solo that went above and beyond the call of the song. As the last note left his instrument, he pulled the instrument from his mouth and gently handed it back to one of his band mates. “Well, there is absolutely no mistaking who you must be,” he said with a playful glimmer in his eye as he looked up at Mercury. He took a step forward, offering his hand out to her and once she offered his, he would smoothly turn it over so that he could bend down and kiss the top of it. “Faren Laenar, happy and honored to make your acquaintance. And let me say I am truly thrilled to be in the presence of the woman that managed to tame the grumpy prince.” He flashed her a quick and playful wink. “But he did not give your beauty due credit. You are absolutely stunning.”

    "Keep it in your pants, Faren,” Vandrad remarked idly.

    “Always try, my friend, but it’s a bit hard to hide,” he quipped back, never breaking his gaze with Mercury. “He can be such a sourpuss, can’t he?”

    “In all fairness, Faren, he has never been a fan of surprises,” Themesycia spoke up with a chuckle.

    Finally Faren pulled his gaze away to look at Themesycia, his mouth morphing into a wicked grin. “But that’s half the fun, isn’t it? Seeing how twisted he gets? But from what I hear, he’s expanded his boundaries quite a lot since I last saw him. Yet somehow, in those ten years, all you’ve done is get more beautiful, my dear duchess.”

    Former duchess, my dear Faren. I’m happily retired at the moment.”

    “Well maybe I can finally talk you into my bed without it becoming a political scandal,” Faren was quick to jump on her comment, taking a moment to look her over before his eyes turned to Gren. “I don’t think I’ve heard the pleasure! You must be Gren Ragnos, Vandrad’s father right? Themesycia has told me wonderful things.”

    “I wish I could say the same but Themmy kept ya quite the secret,” the former Knight replied.

    “Themmy does like her surprises. By Arcanos you are a mountain of a man though. Props to you, Themesycia and apparently Mercury, for snagging such a daddy.” Despite being quite heterosexual, it seemed Faren’s charm had no issues throwing compliments across all genders and types. He turned his attention to Vandrad. “Van the man, how have you been? I bet you thought you weren’t going to see me for a long time.”

    Vandrad snorted. "Not at all. I didn’t expect this short of time but I knew once I opened that door, it wouldn’t close so easily.”

    Faren laughed. “You’re getting wise in your old age, my friend. Oh! I’m so incredibly rude; these are some singers, musicians and dancers that I have played with a lot of the last couple of years. Incredibly talented artists and luckily all willing to play a special showcase tonight,” Faren said, turning back and gesturing to the members of the roving band. Mercury would most likely be quite surprised to spot a familiar face; a younger, very pretty man with dark skin. He had been part of the dance troupe that had visited Ever and Dudley when Mercury had gone to see them. Dressed in a white cowboy hat and a white leather jacket, it seemed he had more talents than what he had showcased that night, currently plucking at a guitar gently. His gaze was focused on her, a small amused smirk on his face.

    “Now that we’re all introduced, I believe Mercury and I have a lot to talk about. After all, I have so many questions about Vandrad now and I’m sure she wants to know the wonderful, thrilling story of mine and Vandrad’s origins. Especially since most of what I write about him is generally played up.”

    Vandrad reacted slightly, realizing he hadn’t even taken into consideration Faren’s books. He sighed once more, even as Themesycia chuckled. The bard picked up on Vandrad’s reaction, his smile growing a bit. “Now Vandrad, you did tell her that you were the inspiration for my best selling series the Warrior Prince, right?”

    Son of a bitch.







    Words: 1391/5157 | Tag: @Mercury Arseneault @Mythal Ragnos @Serilda Sinclair  | © marzia at shine & gs.
    `1


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

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    Lineage : Scion of the Void King
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 22nd January 2023, 6:32 pm

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.

    Gren had made Mythal and Serilda somewhat aware of Vriko’s quiet obsession with Agatha. There wasn’t really a lot to tell aside from Vriko having found some connection to the Hand’s music. And even then, Serilda could notice some of Agatha’s indirect influence, namely in the way that Vriko dressed. It wasn’t something either of them had ever brought up, seeing as how it would only fluster Mythal’s sister, but the knowledge was there. So when Vriko hopped on the conversation about the Rhaegarian and Lusty Titan owners, there was no surprise that she had a moment of pause and softness when describing Agatha. Serilda only nodded with a small smile. “Yes, Agatha is a one of a kind woman. I can think of few others that are as… genuine and full of life as she is.”

    Rather than stick to the topic, it shifted back to the Rhaegarians with Vriko reiterating some of what Gren had educated her about. Despite her misgivings about their more sexual natures, she was impressed with their ability to thrive, though she was curious how Vandrad turned out so much more different than the rest of his kin. Mythal remarked that it had something to do with only being half Rhaegarian. Serilda hummed thoughtfully as Vriko expressed her doubts about that reasoning, if only due to Mercury’s place in his life. “I’m thinking it more likely has to do with his experiences growing up. He’s never talked to us about it in detail, but one of the first things he told us when we met him was that he had a fairly troublesome past. It’s not unreasonable to assume he endured some amount of trauma that made him more closed off than the rest of his family.”

    It was a guess, one that Serilda would be willing to bet on, but he’d never offered to talk about it and she’d never attempted to pry. Mythal took the time to focus on Mercury for a moment, encouraging his sister to give her a chance. Likewise, he commended her for the steps she’d taken that night to breach her comfort zone. Serilda had little to add to that, sharing her fiance’s thoughts entirely, and only offered Vriko a kind and proud smile. Then, Mythal was pulling her toward the dance floor.

    After only a couple minutes of dancing the sounds of a live band approached, causing nearly everyone to turn to observe. Serilda and Mythal kept dancing, as did Vriko and Zemenar, Solomon and Cecilia, and many others. Mercury practically lit up like a Christmas tree with excitement as Themmy explained about Faren, much to Vandrad’s chagrin, and before the former prince could do much of anything about it he’d already lost hold of his fiance, who’d run off to go make her own introduction. Serilda was chuckling merrily. Knowing that introductions would be made in due time, Serilda continued to spend time with Mythal and the others until such a time as the group conjoined back into one.

    It wouldn’t take long for midnight to draw ever closer, and soon they were on the verge of the count down. The Earthland natives were sure to cue the Rhaegarians and Xocili in when it was time for the tradition of counting with the clock to zero, and the moment it hit the new year there were a round of cheers and celebration, with a number of couples sharing a kiss to start the year off with good luck. Serilda did much the same with Mythal, turning to give him a loving smile and a soft kiss. While Zemenar didn’t make any indication of doing the same with Vriko, he did still offer his company by staying near her, his gaze transfixed on the massive display of fireworks that had gone off as soon as the new year hit – part of Solomon’s contribution to the party. It was a full show, the sky lighting up like daylight with colorful displays of fire even larger than the Boscan candle that Vriko had lit off, drawing gasps and cries of excitement from those present that had never witnessed such a thing before.

    Yet the sound of a different commotion caught her attention, Serilda’s gaze panning to find the source. When she found it, the noble woman audibly gasped. Just before midnight, when Cecilia would have turned to share a kiss with Solomon, she would have instead found her beau beside her, down on one knee, with a box in his hands. Within the box was a ring made of rose gold. In the center was a large diamond shaped alexandrite. Small diamonds wrapped around the ring in a twisting pattern, and the bottom half of the main stone was framed with smaller alexandrites along each edge, and a slightly larger diamond at the tip. Included in the box was a second smaller ring – the eventual wedding band – that mirrored the additional alexandrites and diamond  so that the central gem would be fully encompassed once the wedding band was adorned.

    “New Years is a time for growth and happiness… to look forward to the future with hope. And when I look at the future, the only thing I see, the only thing I want, is us. I refuse to step into another year without knowing that you feel the same way. You are my best friend, my confidant, the love of my life, and ever since the day we met I have happily worshiped the very ground you walk on. Nothing would make me happier than to continue to do so, day in and out, for the rest of our lives. So… Cecilia du Wolff.. Will you marry me?”

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 22nd January 2023, 8:28 pm

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    “That’s right, I do remember that,” Mythal said with a small nod. Vandrad had been quite upfront about his trauma when they met all those years ago.

    At least it made more sense, even to Vriko. If he had truly gone through a troublesome upbringing, it would explain why he seemed so drastically different from the rest of his family. But that begged the question; what had he suffered and at whose hands? The raven haired woman changed a glance over at Vandrad curiously. There didn’t seem to be anyone in particular that he was outspoken against. In fact, he seemed quite close to his family. So there the mystery continued to grow and remain unsolved.

    Eventually she found herself dancing with Zemenar, having found his genuine empathy honest enough to allow herself to go with him. And while she had him there, a standing point of information about Mercury and her people, the raven-haired woman took the chance to ask him, wanting to learn a bit more. While one might find that confusing, especially given her disdain for the Silver Wolf mage, she believed it would, perhaps, help her understand the woman more. Zemenar thought for a moment before speaking up, starting with the obvious assumption that she was aware of their extraterrestrial origin, to which she nodded. He continued, explaining that they were a miracle of nature; somehow both synthetic and organic all at the same time. They had evolved past war and strife and all lived in peace and prosperity, advancing their own explorations and discoveries to new heights.

    But all good things come to an end and the Nazru, a fanatical group of aliens on par with religious zealots, discovered them. Worshiping natural evolution and despising technology, they found themselves at odds with one another over the existence of the Xocili. They invaded the planet, slowly wearing down the local military for nearly a decade before the Xocili were forced to flee, leaving their planet to be annihilated. The survivors were tracked down by the determined Nazru but before they could be wiped out completely, a group of Nazru ordered them captured and enslaved, seeking to use the Xocili as tools of their fanatical campaign. It would help them make their own discoveries over their existence and how they can better destroy the synthetic creations of the universe. Zemenar was one of the survivors, along with his wife and son. His wife was sent away on a different ship, separating the family while the mother was pregnant with Mercury. During their time separated, Scylla had died and it had been assumed that Mercury had perished as well. But instead, she had been taken in among other children to be trained as spies and assassins, sent out to other worlds to scout it for weaknesses so that the Nazru could begin proper invasion plans.

    But upon coming to Earthland, she had grown attached to Vandrad and others on the world. Rather than obey, she went against her orders and was taken in for punishment, specifically at the hands of her unknowing father. But once he had realized who she was, he had freed her and soon enough, many of the people that were attending the party had tracked down the location and helped save them all from certain destruction. And in a powerful and destructive display of magic, Serilda and Vandrad had wiped the Nazru from existence. He chuckled softly and admitted that it wasn’t a happy tale and hoped it hadn’t brought her down any but it seemed he genuinely appreciated the interest.

    Vriko, for her own sake, was… quite shaken, though she did her best to hide it. It was a lot to take in and somehow oddly reflective to what she had experienced, at a grander scale. An entire people enslaved and treated as tools, trained as thoughtless weapons; it was something she knew so well, it almost made her sick. And through it all, somehow, Mercury had come out the other side with a fiance, friends and family that loved and cared for her and a life she had taken back for herself. It was an odd feeling, the mixture of respect and hate that she had for the Silver Wolf mage. For all of the freedom she afforded now, it had almost all been given to her. That wasn’t to say that she wasn’t thankful to Gren and even to Mythal and Serilda. But her and Mercury had grown up in similar situations and when the point had come to break, they had gone off in different directions.

    And worse yet was the fact that Vriko, herself, had chosen the worser path. It made her feel ungodly levels of embarrassment and shame. “N-No, it’s fine. I’m… glad to know more,” she managed to get out. “Can you… excuse me for a moment? I just need a minute.” She did her best to politely excuse herself, gently removing herself from his hold and walking away from the rest of the group. Once she was out of eyesight, she fell backfirst against the wall, staring up at the sky and taking in deep breaths. All of the the panic and shame was ripping through her veins all at once, causing her heart and head to pound. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes and finding the center within herself. She was no longer a weapon. She was her own person. She had made mistakes. All she could do was move forward. Learn from where you fall, that’s what Serathar used to say.

    Despite a small pang of sadness that ran through her at the memory of her fallen benefactor, she had regained some solid ground emotionally. Clearing her throat, she came back around from the wall and rejoined the group, still as stoic as ever. She even went out of her way to ask Zemenar to pick up where they left off, not wanting to dismiss him so rudely because of such a mild thing as a panic attack. While Mercury ran off to meet the approaching live band, Vriko’s gaze flicked to her momentarily before she shook off any other notions.

    Soon enough, midnight had approached. Several couples all around them celebrated with a kiss. While she was not at all comfortable with making out with Mercury’s father, she could already hear the comments, she did lean up to give him a kiss on the cheek and thank him for keeping her company while the ‘frivolous lovers’ swapped spit. The sky was alight with colorful magic, the fireworks filling the dark sky with vibrant displays of celebratory hues. Yet even over all of that, there was a new sound of excitement that drew the attention of nearly everyone around. Just as midnight had struck, Cecilia had, naturally, turned to kiss Solomon but found him not standing there but rather down on one knee. Though lacking eyesight, she still could ‘see’ him through her magic nearly as well as real vision and she inhaled sharply as she ‘looked over’ the ring that was now being presented to her.

    She covered her mouth gently with her hands as he spoke of what he saw for his, their, future. She was everything to him and he refused to let another year go by without solidifying how much he cared for her. As he asked her to marry him, she sputtered out a laugh, the twin practically glowing with excitement. “Yes! Of course!” she barely waited for him to finish before giving him her answer. She’d hold out her hand for him to put the ring on and then all but drag him to his feet so that she could kiss him deeply. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight to her even as she pulled her mouth from his. “I know we’re waiting but you’re in for a very good night, buster,” she teased him gently.

    As Cecilia turned to everyone gathered around and began showing off the ring and heightening the excitement, Vriko stood watching nearby. She’d listened in as Solomon had spoken on what New Years meant, watched as a literal cornucopia of people had immersed themselves in the celebratory aftermath of the proposal. It was oddly… satisfying. And the way he had spoken about the day and the glory of what the turning of the year meant… Given everything she had learned, heard and partaken in that night, Vriko was feeling whimsical, at least as much as she was capable. Glancing over at Gren and Themesycia, who were letting the rest of the family congratulate the engaged couple first before moving in, Vriko snorted softly and then approached. “Fine,” she said as she stopped before him.

    “Fine?” Gren repeated, blinking at her in confusion.

    “You’re already my damn guardian, which is all but a father without the bullshit. So fine; let’s just make the damn thing official. I’ll sign those adoption papers when we get back and we can just… be done with this.”

    Shock could not begin to describe the look on Gren and Themesycia’s faces. “Wait… really?” he asked.

    Vriko scoffed. “I know you’re old but I didn’t think you were hard of hearing. Yes, I’ll be your stupid adopted daughter or whatever. Might as well; I’m guilty by association with that one anyways,” she said, nodding to Mythal. After a moment she sighed and looked back up at him. “You’ve gone through a lot for me. And I have not made it easy to deal with. You’ve been kind, gentle and caring, more of a father to me than the bastard that sired me and in a fraction of the time. And if people can turn their lives around, even after so much trouble…” she remarked, glancing at Mercury before resettling her gaze. “Then I can too.”

    Gren was already pretty excited over Cecilia and Solomon but this was getting too much. The former Knight was on the verge of tears, his emotions worn on his sleeve and making his eyes all misty. “Vriko…” he started, his voice rife with emotion.

    “No. No emotional display. I don’t want to… I don’t know, stomp all over their celebration or whatever. So just keep a leash on it, old man. And don’t even think about hug--” But unfortunately she wouldn’t be able to stop him, even if she had gotten the words out. Gren had moved forward and had pulled her into a tight hug almost instantly, lifting her from the ground and embracing her to him. For a quick moment, anger flashed across her face, if only because he’d done exactly what she was trying to tell him not to. But after a moment, and with a disgusted sigh, she just let him get it out, patting him on his shoulders with both hands.

    Ah well, it wasn’t the worst thing, right?




    STATISTICS
    HP: x/y
    MP: x/y
    Spells Used: list them here
    Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
    Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
    Monsters Killed: list here
    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 23rd January 2023, 3:31 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Mercury was completely transfixed on Faren, speechless with her excitement over the unfolding events. All this time Vandrad had kept the existence of his other friend a secret, and honestly all Mercury truly was was impressed. But now the cat was out of the bag, and she had every intention of making the most of the opportunity, practically wiggling on her toes like Christmas had come a second time that year – an apt analogy, considering the man’s current attire.

    She was all too happy to listen with eager patience as he finished up his sax solo before passing the instrument off to someone else and finally address her. It seemed Vandrad had already made Faren aware of her existence, as he recognized her from the start, and Mercury didn’t hesitate at all to take his offered hand, the grin on her face utterly elated. “Mercury. And I don’t know that tame is the right description. I think Stockholm Syndrome might be a little more accurate.” Oh and he had charm up the wazoo, smoothly commenting at how Vandrad had failed to properly describe her beauty, to which the prince, having finally arrived, instructed his friend to keep his erection in check; something Faren professed he wasn’t always great at. Mercury gave him a faux piteous nod. “Almost constantly. He never lets me have any fun. I suffer through constant abuse. But thankfully, I have you here now to ease my misery…”

    Her new favorite playmate’s attention shifted momentarily toward Themmy and Gren, reconnecting with the former duchess as well as introducing himself to Vandrad’s father, with a compliment toward both ladies for their conquest of the older man. It seemed Vandrad had spared very few details in catching up with his shorter friend, which was just as well – by this point, he was more than aware that if he didn’t take the time to reveal things on his own terms, Mercury would do it on hers. Finally he addressed Vandrad, asking if the former prince was surprised to see him again so soon. To his credit, Vandrad said that while he had expected at least a little more time, he was fully aware that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later now that they had seemingly patched things up. It was an admittance that Faren found wholly entertaining, teasing Vandrad about his new found wisdom.

    It was only once Faren broadly introduced the bandmates he’d brought along with him that Mercury finally looked up at the rest of them with a smile – one that only grew into a deep, mischievous, somewhat sultry grin at the sight of a familiar face that was plucking away at his guitar. “Justin, my dear, if you were looking for an excuse to see me again all you had to do was call.” Stepping over to him, she leaned over and gave him a friendly, if sensual, kiss on the cheek, leaning over the instrument so he wouldn’t have to stop playing. “I’m surprised you’re not at Lusty Titan. I heard Agatha and Ruzatz were throwing quite a party. If you haven’t said hello to Ever and Dudley yet, I’m sure they’d be thrilled to see you again.”

    While it had been a number of weeks, or even a couple months since Mercury had seen the erotic dancer – and apparent guitarist – she certainly ran into him fairly regularly at the Hosenka guild. As such, she wouldn’t linger with him too long, particularly when Faren suggested that he and Mercury share in a bit of gossiping at her fiance’s request. He must have seen the curious expression on her face when he mentioned that he had exaggerated a bit of what he’d written about Vandrad. With a grin he turned to the former prince to verify if Mercury was aware of the novel series he’d based on Vandrad known as the Warrior Prince.

    “What?!” Mercury’s head swiveled toward Vandrad, her expression a mixture of unbridled excitement and being utterly aghast that she’d never been informed of the series before. Then, her attention was back on Faren, the Silver Wolf mage already searching for copies in her head. “Are there digital copies? Nevermind, I already found them. Oh my stars, they’re romance novels? Where have you been all my life? Give me like twenty minutes.” If Faren had means of receiving notifications whenever one or more of his books were purchased, he’d find a fresh receipt as evidence that she had indeed purchased the entire digital collection of what was published so far, despite the fact that she hadn’t been holding a phone or tablet or any kind of electronic device. Eventually, when it was appropriate to do so, Mercury would indeed slip her arm into Faren’s and happily lead him off some place to get to know each other – some place that was still in sight of the rest of the group, as Vandrad knew damn well that she was liable to lose her clothing all too quickly in Faren’s presence if given enough privacy.

    Meanwhile, Zemenar had been very understanding and unquestioning of Vriko’s request for needing a moment to compose herself. It wouldn’t take magic to sense that his harrowing tale had an effect on the younger woman, as was to be expected of most people hearing the story. He merely waited patiently for her to return, happy to pass the time with another drink and chatting with some of the others nearby until she came back and offered to keep dancing with him. When midnight struck, he was pleasantly surprised by her kiss on the cheek, and her gratitude for his company. “It was my pleasure, Miss Ragnos.” There was, perhaps, the slightest tinge of pink on his cheeks, yet he continued to prove himself a respectful gentleman that certainly had not read anything into the gesture, understanding that Vriko was simply being kind and not trying to give him any impressions.

    By the time midnight came around, the two had surely swapped plenty of stories at the prince’s expense… and, at least on Mercury’s end, several complementary and heartfelt stories as well. But as the timer ticked down for the last couple minutes of the year, they both elected to rejoin the main group, with Mercury snuggling up against Vandrad with a very self pleased grin. “Faren is delightful, and I’m keeping him.” She didn’t even bother informing him that she was going to sleep with the shorter man eventually, because at this point even Vandrad would be more than well aware that it would only be a matter of time.

    The clock hit midnight, and Mercury gave Vandrad a soft, intimate, and somewhat lingering kiss. For all her playfulness and teasing she always took time to remind him in little ways of how much he meant to her, singling out a moment just for him. But very quickly their attention was drawn to a small commotion as they turned to see Solomon down on a knee, asking for Cecilia’s hand in marriage. “Oh fuck..!” Mercury murmured in pleasant surprise, a small but genuine smile on her face for the newly affianced couple. She respectfully waited her turn alongside Vandrad to congratulate them, the Silver Wolf mage all too happy to swoon over the engagement ring with Cecilia. She was far too distracted to overhear any of the conversation with Vriko and Gren, though she did catch in her peripheral vision when Gren scooped Vriko up in a tight hug, much to the woman’s chagrin and eventual resignation. Mercury would be sure to ask about it later, but for now she was content to focus on the mini celebration.

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 23rd January 2023, 4:36 pm

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    It had been quite an exciting night. Cecilia and Solomon had gotten engaged, officially linking two of the more influential families in Ishgar. Vriko had apparently agreed to go through with the adoption, making herself Gren’s second child and first adopted daughter. And they had even met one of Vandrad’s oldest, if not the oldest, friends, Faren, who was a ball of charm and entertainment. Though he spent most of the evening huddled with Mercury and swapping stories, he did come over and officially present himself to everyone present, wanting to make sure he met everyone he could. He was quite delighted to meet Serilda, having heard plenty of wonderful things about the Sinclairs and offering up colorful compliments about her that even made Mythal feel a little charmed. The rest of the evening was winding down, with Faren insisting that he and Mercury had arranged a real first date so they could get to know one another, stating that he had thought to steal her for the rest of the evening but graciously wanted the engaged couple to celebrate the new year appropriately. Both of them happily gave Vandrad a look that spelled trouble. With most of the festivities all settled, it was about time that Mythal, Serilda and Vriko head back home. Gren elected to stay with Themesycia, leaving the three of them to venture home through one of Serilda’s portals.

    Vriko was, honestly, pretty beat. The evening had presented the most interaction with several people perhaps in her entire life. She was pretty drained and tired but still in a relatively good mood. It hadn’t been the worst thing; no one had tried to talk her into anything disgusting and she had learned a bit about herself and the who-... Mercury. It didn’t seem right to simply title her as a whore anymore. While she certainly was still a slut, whore just felt… wrong. The Silver Wolf mage had gone through a lot, evolved past traumas and horrible upbringings and was simply enjoying her life as she saw fit. Though Vriko would never sink to that level, she… understood it to a point. Mercury had earned a little respect, most likely without knowing. Vriko wasn’t inclined to go out of her way to say anything to the Xocili woman but she would, at least, not immediately dismiss her out of conversation or interaction. She’d just shut her down if she tried to insinuate anything or try to seduce her or anything gross.

    Not that Mercury wasn’t pretty; Vriko was observant enough of that. But strangely, and perhaps this was a side effect of being around so many new people, the raven-haired woman had begun to see people in new lights. She was quick to blame Agatha and Ruzatz, the pair having opened her closed off heart and other body parts enough that the infection of curiosity had slipped in. She’d never considered sex before, on any level. She seemed to see men and women the same but she didn’t really know much about them. Her education had been… minimal, at best. Maybe it would help if she educated herself? Something to ponder over. She certainly wasn’t ready to ask anyone about it, though Serilda may be a good sounding board at some point. Saffron too, though Vriko was still only getting to know the blonde bombshell.

    As they arrived back at Serilda and Mythal’s home, it seemed that Vriko had a lot to think on, despite how tired she was. “Well, that wasn’t the worst,” she commented idly as she continued walking towards the main hall. “Night,” she gave the other two a dismissive half-wave.

    “Hey, one sec Vriko,” Mythal spoke up, catching her off guard and bringing her to a halt. “We uh… have somethin’ for ya.”

    “Oh come on, you’re not gonna give me a ‘sister-adoption’ paper too, are you?” she asked, scoffing slightly.

    Mythal chuckled. “Nah, nothin’ like that. It’s somethin’ we’ve wanted to give ya for some time but couldn’t really… find the time for it,” Mythal said, looking at Serilda briefly before back at Vriko. “C’mon, we keep it in the office.”

    She stared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes. “Alright, let’s get this over with then. I’m tired and need to get some sleep if I’m going to get any training done tomorrow.”




    STATISTICS
    HP: x/y
    MP: x/y
    Spells Used: list them here
    Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
    Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
    Monsters Killed: list here
    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Serilda Sinclair
    Serilda Sinclair

    Ice Queen


    Ice Queen

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    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Voidwalking
    Second Skill: Sword of Wrath
    Third Skill: Cruorthurgy

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Serilda Sinclair 23rd January 2023, 5:40 pm

    Seri Banner
    Conviction never shames nor condemns us.
    It calls us back to who we truly are.

    It was certainly a late, late night. Though Faren had spent most of the remainder of the evening chatting up Mercury, he was sure to rejoin the party eventually, intent on meeting everyone else. Serilda was more than pleased to make his acquaintance, putting a face to a noble name that she’d heard of in the past but never crossed paths with. Not for the first time in recent years, the noblewoman found herself grateful for the exposure to Agatha, Ruzatz, and the du Wolffs. She’d met plenty of charming individuals over the course of her life, but even she would be hard pressed to think of any more adept at the skill than the Bellum noble. For the first time in a while, she felt herself getting a little flustered by the suave compliments he paid her way, much to the delight of not just him but Mythal as well, who certainly never had any problems with people hitting on his fiance. Then midnight came and went with Solomon and Cecilia becoming officially engaged themselves, and Serilda was quick to congratulate them, giving her brother a gentle, but lingering hug and a bright proud smile.

    Unsurprisingly, Gren elected to stay on the island with Themmy for the night, meaning that Mythal, Vriko, and Serilda would be heading home without him. It was far past her bedtime, so as they stepped through her portal and back into the house, she greeted the familiar walls with a covered yawn. The home was quiet, though a couple of the house staff were still awake and on the tail end of cleaning up after their own celebration. They merely waved to the small group and carried on with their work, even as Serilda and Vriko started dreaming about their pillows. Mythal, however, had other plans for them all. Brief plans, but plans nonetheless. As he gently cut Vriko off from going to bed just yet, Serilda gave him as curious of a glance as her future sister-in-law did. Did this have something to do with Vriko’s agreement to let Gren adopt her? The news had been surprising but Serilda was thrilled to hear that the woman was willing to take that step, one that was indicative of just how far along she’d come. She’d always hoped that Vriko would find a way to build some real, healthy familial relationships, and despite the woman’s insistence otherwise she was electing to steer into the curve, as it were.

    Being as tired as she was, it took until Mythal explained that the item they had for Vriko was not related to the adoption, but rather something that the two Rune Knight leaders had been hoping to give her for a while, and hadn’t only due to not finding the right time. It was then that enlightenment dawned upon her and she gave her fiance an understanding nod. Vriko relented, asking that they make it quick so she could sleep, and the three of them made their way to the office.

    Once inside, Serilda walked over to the wall where there was a small fireplace with a mantle above it. Several items adorned the mantle, including framed photographs and other trinkets. Vriko had seen the space more than enough times, so there was likely nothing in the room that would have immediately stuck out to her. The voidwalker reached up and carefully took down a simple but finely crafted ceramic vase, of sorts – or as Vriko would soon come to understand, an urn. There was an ornate S carved delicately into the face of the item, which could have easily been mistaken as an homage to the Sinclair name up until this point. Wrapped around the thin neck of the urn was a small, tube shaped glass pendant that hung from a small silver chain and appeared to have a bit of dust or sand in it.

    The noblewoman brought it over to the other two and, with a small smile exchanged with Mythal, turned her attention to Vriko. “It’s been a while since the last time we discussed Serethar with you. The last time the subject came up, I know we tried to offer you some means of… closure… in putting together some kind of burial service or giving you some options to put him to rest. We know you had told us at the time that you didn’t care what we did with him, but… it didn’t feel right to simply dispose of him. Though we had no reason to think that you would ever open up to us or change your mind, we still decided to prepare this for you, just in case you ever one day came to regret the decision.”

    There was no telling for sure if Vriko did regret brushing off an attempt to hold some kind of funeral for Serethar, though Serilda and Mythal had always felt like she would eventually, once she’d had enough time to learn to let go of her anger and pain. But Mythal had decided the time was right to reveal what they had done, and Serilda was all too happy to go along with him. Gently, she held the urn out to Vriko. “These are his ashes. What you decide to do with them is entirely up to you. Many people keep the ashes in the urn and set them out somewhere as a sort of… memorial, if you will. A reminder of their lost loved one. Many others choose to bury them, or spread their ashes out in meaningful places, returning them to the earth. You don’t need to make any decisions on it any time soon. Either way, we also placed a few of his ashes in this necklace here,” she indicated to the pendant, “So that you could always carry a piece of him with you, if you want.”

    “I also spoke with my father some time ago, not long after Gren tracked you down. Whether you feel that way or not, the fact remains that you are Mythal’s sister, and that makes you family to us. Not just to Mythal and I, and Gren of course, but also to my family – and at this point, knowing them, I’m sure the du Wolffs feel the same way. As such, if it’s something you’d like, we are prepared to have a tombstone crafted in his memory and placed inside the Sinclair family cemetery on my parents’ property in Clover Town. Again, nothing you need to make any decisions on now. I don’t wish to overwhelm you… but the option is there, if you ever decide to take it.”

    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mythal Ragnos
    Mythal Ragnos

    Knight VIP Status- Regular VIP Status- VIP- Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- God Slayer- Magic Application Approved!- Character Application Approved!- Complete Your First Job!- Obtain A Lineage!- Join A Faction!- Player 
    Lineage : Heir to Darkness
    Position : God of Sedulity
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 1057
    Guild : Guildless
    Cosmic Coins : 50
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    Age : 36
    Mentor : Nessa Cordelia Lux (Former)
    Experience : 11,070,431

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Kami No Ken Sutairu O Taosu
    Second Skill: Kingdom Darkness Embodiment
    Third Skill: Soul Stone/Trickster's Illusions

    To A New Year Empty Re: To A New Year

    Post by Mythal Ragnos 24th January 2023, 1:22 pm

    LIGHT
    &
    DARK

    Vriko wasn’t really sure what to expect. As far as she knew, New Year’s wasn’t the time to provide gifts, merely a hapless celebration. She followed the two Rune Knights curiously, her face etched in suspicious interest. They walked into the office space and Serilda continued forward towards where the fireplace was. There were a fair number of items on the mantelpiece above the fire setting, things that she had seen and noted plenty of times with general disinterest. But now Serilda approached it and picked up a vase that had sat upon the shelf for some time. An ‘S’ had been carved into it and a small pendant hung down from the neck of the piece.

    Vriko glanced over at Mythal as Serilda came back over and then refocused on Serilda. Immediately her world came to a standstill when she heard the name Serethar and, suddenly, it all made sense. When they had asked about him when she was still in prison, Vriko had been belligerently dismissive of any kind of physical memoriam for him. But it seemed that both Serilda and Mythal had felt it wouldn’t be right to just dismiss the remains without some kind of honor, an inelegant disposal seeming wrong. Without any forethought to where they were now, they had prepared an urn for what little remained of Serethar. Vriko could only stare at the former mantelpiece in silence, eyes wide as plates and her ruby gaze as dilated as they could physically be. As Serilda offered the urn to her, she found herself hesitant, her body instinctively trying to repel her backwards in denial. She even took a small step backwards but that was all. Somehow, something kept her from fully retreating. That damn infection again, it seemed.

    Standing in place for a long moment, she finally pushed herself back to where she had been before and finally reached out to take the urn in her hands. She continued to stare at it, even as Serilda explained that it held Serethar’s ashes and that what happened to them was up to her. She seemed lost in a haze as Serilda spoke of the many different things people did with ashes, or at least normal people did. They also put a few of his ashes within the necklace that was around the urn so that she could have a piece of him with her, if she wanted to wear it. She had even gone a step further, having spoken to her father and agreed that they could craft and place a tombstone within her family’s property in Clover Town. It wasn’t anything she needed to decide upon immediately but Serilda was simply giving her options.

    Vriko was silent for a long, long while. How many minutes would be hard to tell. Finally, after a decent chunk of silence, she let out a noise that sounded like a mixture of a scoff and a laugh. “I’ve never… thought about what happens to people or things or whatever after they’re gone. It wasn’t my job or place to think about it. End their life and move on. Serethar himself was one of the loudest voices when it came to that lesson. For a long time, I thought it was because he wanted me to be the best weapon I could be. But…” she trailed off softly, simply staring at the urn. “When he came to save me, it made no sense. He was under orders from Faera to follow whatever Archimedes chose. And while that prick’s choices only wound up in his dying, Serethar would have seen it through. I was… I didn’t get it. Swooping in to grab me and flee. And he never gave me a real answer, you know?” She finally looked up, glancing between Serilda and Mythal. “I just… ignored it. Embraced my survival and made plans to rid myself of my enemies, including you two.”

    “It never occurred to me that maybe he saw me as more than a weapon. Compared to everyone else, he was the only one that spoke to me as if I was a person, if only in brief moments. Maybe he was trying to keep me from realizing what I was doing. But even then, he was willing to kill you two just to protect me. And then he was gone.”

    Slowly her arms wrapped around the urn, hugging it close to her chest. “I never fully understood the idea of friendship. Now that I’ve been exposed to it, I guess he really was my first and only friend for a long time. I didn’t know how to deal with his death so I just pushed it down, tried to bury it in places where I didn’t have to face it. Honestly this is a really shitty gift, making me have to realize what he was and how I’ve acted.” It wasn’t the most pleasant thing to say but it would be her tone that betrayed the sharpness of her words. It was rife with sadness and guilt, a woman coming to grips with the mistakes she had made. She could feel the tears trying to rise to the surface and while she tried to push it down, her defenses were faltering at every turn. “I wish you hadn’t kept them. Then at least I could keep pretending that I don’t care that he’s dead.”

    And then the levies gave. She had done everything in her power to avoid acknowledging his death, let alone saying it out loud. All of a sudden she felt like she was standing back at that ridiculous entertainment hall, listening to Agatha swing her solemn, soulful song that had struck a deep chord within her. Tears fell hard and fast and Vriko slid down onto her knees, still holding the urn against her body, as she wept in full. She felt ridiculous for the second time that evening, having an emotional episode that she usually could keep under control. Worse yet was that she was having it in front of people. But she had no footing to stop herself, no ability to put a stop to the tears.

    She felt a hand on her shoulder and just barely out of her peripheral, she could see Mythal, kneeling down beside her. Somehow he could sense that hugging her would be far too much but leaving her to cry without action was equally as intolerable. It made her sob worse, the raven-haired woman burying her face downward practically into the urn as she wept openly. Things had been so much easier when they were all enemies, trying to kill one another…

    But it wasn’t better. As much as she hated to admit it, only to herself, this was better. Because this is what it was like to have family.




    STATISTICS
    HP: x/y
    MP: x/y
    Spells Used: list them here
    Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
    Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
    Monsters Killed: list here
    Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much
    IVYLEAF33



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      Current date/time is 9th October 2024, 8:39 am