Closed - Leaving Just a Memory

[deathsought]

Who: Zeref, Mavis Vermillion, a brief cameo by Suigintou, and Mod-Controlled NPCs
When: April 20th; 12:07 AM
Where: The Silverleaf Institute of Magic, Fayren
What: Who are you, Taegen?

{ That interview was their best lead yet. Just as Mavis and Zeref had been telling themselves as they helped the starving mages out of that cave to ensure their Curses stayed inactive, they would provide invaluable intelligence against the Hands of Decay, and sure enough, they did. The name they dropped during the interview - 'Taegen' - was the key. He was described as being just a kid, so it wasn't hard to move through process of elimination to find a school that a young mage would attend. And the first on the list was Silverleaf Institute.

As soon as Zeref had shared his idea with Mavis, she agreed to come with him on the investigation. It would have been easy to accuse them of committing burglary; but to them, it was more like a spy mission, intelligence gathering. They weren't going to be taking anyuthing with them, after all. That said, they had no intentions of getting caught, and to that end, Zeref had brought a small pack of latex gloves he had acquired from the hospital to conceal fingerprints, and thankfully, he wouldn't even need to pick a single lock to get inside.

That's where Suigintou came in. While he had to bribe the little doll - who was utterly mortified with the security dolls flooding Fayren, and to add insult to injury, their creator's name was Alice - she ultimately agreed to use the N-Field to smuggle Zeref and Mavis into the locked building, opening a portal in the mirror located in one of the locker rooms. Though, if Suigintou kept asking for new dresses and headpieces every time he needed her help, he would soon need to build her an entirely new wardrobe to store them in.

From there, it was a short walk to the administrative offices. Without electricity in Fayren, he knew what they were looking for would be found in filing cabinets, or possibly even some kind of magical archive. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it; but just in case, Zeref made sure to ask Mavis to put a bobby pin in her hair, and he kept a miniature flat-head screwdriver in one of his boots, should the need to pick a lock arise. For this kind of mission, it was convenient that Mavis was barefoot. She was practically silent, and if worse came to worst, she was capable of conjuring illusions to cover any escape they'd need to make.

The mirror in the locker room began rippling, as if it were made of liquid. The N-Field was such a bizarre place; The Rozen Maidens could navigate this place like it were second nature, and Suigintou was no exception, but for anyone else, it was easy to get vertigo in there. Thankfully, they weren't in there for long. }

I'll send you a bit of my energy to let you know when we're ready to leave. { Zeref said to the Mercury Lamp, before climbing out of the mirror, and swinging his legs from the counter down onto the ground. He then turned back, and offered a hand to help Mavis down. } Or you can keep Meimei with Mavis and I. It's up to you.

{ He hadn't quite managed to convince Mavis that Meimei wasn't a fairy. When Mavis climbed out, he offered her his hand, and then helped her down onto the tiled floor beneath the counter. He then closed his eyes, and listened; ensuring they were indeed alone in the building, which he expected to be closed for the safety of the students, given the Hands of Decay's rampage. }

Thank you for coming with me, Mavis. { He would say with a smile, when he was sure they were alone. This was a mission, of course, but being able to do it with her was exciting. Just like anything in Alvarez, he was treating the chase of the Hands of Decay like a game. And with her, it was a game he did enjoy playing. }

{ OOC: Posted with permission from fairysoul, firstrose, and the mods. }

Comments

[fairysoul]

[Mavis took Zeref's hand as she went out of the mirror. The N-field truly was something unlike any portal Mavis had seen before. But she didn't feel too uncomfortable traveling through it. Besides, Zeref had convinced her it was the best way to get into the school. Picking locks would have been time consuming and they would have risked getting caught. They just wanted to give a look at a few files. They would leave everything the way they found it. And as soon they'd have found it - assuming they would find anything - they would go away.

Of course, had Yuri been there, he would probably have thought otherwise. The treasure hunter had always had a fondness for picking locks. Admittedly he was pretty good at it too. But for now, it was just Mavis, Zeref and the little Meimei. Mavis smiled at Zeref as he helped her down onto the floor and then at the little blue artificial spirit that was now floating next to her shoulder. Zeref had told her Meimei was not a fairy and she had no reason not to believe him... Still Meimei really looked just like how Mavis had imagined a fairy would look like.]

You don't need to thank me. [This mission was important and could lead to great results if they were to find any information about Taegen. But Mavis shared Zeref's sentiment: she was happy they were doing this together. It helped her gain more control over her curse and it also gave her the opportunity to be on the same side as Zeref, just like they had been so long ago in Magnolia's forest, just like she'd thought they'd never be anymore when he decided to invade Ishgar. This world truly was a second chance. She squeezes Zeref's hand in hers and smiled up at him.] Let's go, Zeref. Lead the way.

[genpcs]

The school was indeed empty. And it didn’t happen to be high on magical security. There hadn’t ever been too much need for something like that. It was going to change in the near future, though. The headmaster had already made plans to implement different wards and such just for the sake of protecting the students there.

Speaking of the head master, his office was where they would find files related to the students. A file cabinet with a basket key lock that kept it secured. And in it, the files, names and academic histories of every student that is currently enrolled here.

[deathsought]

{ Zeref couldn't resist smiling as he felt Mavis' hand squeeze his own. It felt good; there was a time not terribly long ago - at least, to an immortal - where he thought he'd never feel that again. He was glad to be wrong.

There was time to enjoy that thought later. Right now, they had a job to do. He was content to leave it at squeezing her hand back, as he followed the signs on the walls to the administrative office. From there, it wasn't difficult to find the Headmaster's Office. He slipped on some of the latex gloves, taking a moment to look at the name on the plaque on the wall, and made a mental note of it for later. He then turned to Mavis, as he found the student files. }

Do you still have that bobby pin?

{ He asked, pulling the miniature flathead screwdriver out of his boot. The two items together could make a makeshift lockpick; Jacob showed him how to do this, once, and these old-fashioned locks were all similar to one another. }

Taegen isn't a common name, at least not with that spelling. We're looking for a male student, ages fourteen to sixteen, possibly with a disciplinary record. { Says the guy who was about to be expelled from the Milidan Magical Academy for sacrilege. } It's my hypothesis that he was chosen for a reason. Out of all the young mages the Hands of Decay could have picked, many of whom were less capable of defending themselves, they chose Taegen. Why?

{ Zeref suspected either there was something special about his magic... or it was personal. }

[fairysoul]

[Mavis was very happy they got to be like this too. Holding hands, walking side by side. She glanced at him, noticing how happy he seemed to be as well. That was encouraging. He was relaxing around her, and maybe he was starting to accept the fact that this was their second chance. That they could, if they wanted to, pick up where they left off...

As they got to the headmaster's office, she put those thoughts aside, deciding to refocus on the mission itself. She put some latex gloves on as well and nodded at his question.]

Of course I do.

[She pulled it out of her hair and handed it to him. She did turn thoughtful, though, pondering what he said next.]

What if it was the opposite? What if he was a brilliant student?

[Sure Zeref might say the two things were not contradictory, but still.]

[genpcs]

When the lock is picked, they will have access to the files. Finding Taegen's, they will see he was indeed an excellent student. Favored by all of his teachers. He was quite adept at magic. His file mentions that the mages at the Ivory Tower inquired a lot about him. He was to join their ranks as a teacher as soon as he graduated, despite being so young.

He often worked as the teaching assistant to an Elf teacher named Aumanas, who like everyone else, had nothing but good things to say about him.

[deathsought]

{ Mavis was right again; Taegen had a sterling record, and if he was already being considered for a teaching position, there was no point in even trying to find a disciplinary record for him. No problem student would be, even with the best grades in the world. Zeref read through his files, and then handed them to Mavis. }

He's a star pupil. Every single teacher here loves him.

{ But what about other school staff? Or even other students? }

He had the potential to become a very powerful mage, according to these. { He had a bright future ahead of him. Now they just had to find out who didn't find that future so bright, and wanted to stop it from happening. } It wasn't any of the teachers who sold him out. Unless you have another idea - { Mavis was an absolute genius, credited with being the reason her side won during the Second Trade War, despite being outnumbered and outgunned. He trusted her judgment. It was why he asked her to come with him, instead of, say, Sayla or Suigintou. } - my guess is that the mole is another employee, such as a custodian. Someone who also has access to these files, or at least these offices. Most likely a non-mage.

{ The alternative - that it was a mage, perhaps even another student - was less likely to him, but it was also possible. He would just hope they would be rewarded as a traitor deserves, just like Crawford was when he sold out his fellow former Magic Councilors to Tartaros. }

[fairysoul]

[Mavis took the record and started reading it too. It looked like she'd guessed right indeed. To her, it did make more sense that Taegen would be a brilliant student. He was chosen for a reason. Because if you could defeat him, then it meant most of the other mages were at risk too. The students of course but also the teachers.

Targeting Taegan could have had another purpose: making sure that he wouldn't be able to find the weakness of the hands of decay himself and help the other mages defeat them. That was a very good reason to kidnap him.]

It is a possibility. But why do you think they needed the files? We're not part of this world, and so it's the first time we hear about him, but chances are the vast majority of people living in Fayren, mages or not, knew how gifted he was.

It is possible that someone who knew his schedule sold him out. But it's also possible that they were tricked into doing so. [She pondered this a moment.] Does it say somewhere if he was offering tutoring?

[Good students usually did. That's something Mavis had learnt from Zeira. The best students were usually not the wealthier ones. So the wealthier ones would pay for some help improving their grades. And if Taegen had the potential to become a teacher, it made sense he would do tutoring as training.]

Maybe someone pretended to hire him just to lure him to some deserted place where he could be abducted?

[genpcs]

His file does mention that he tutored three people, Tednas, Maglossa and Vildithas. All are friends of Taegen and all met at the off campus location of "The Dapper Vine", a small restaurant type place in Fayren for their study sessions with the permission of his teachers.

[deathsought]

The file did mention something about tutoring, yes. Why, do you think the students he was tutoring could have been involved?

{ He was familiar with the Dapper Vine; he had ordered carry-out from there a few times when he didn't feel like cooking or eating inn food... or when Suigintou demanded it. They had good coffee.

He began looking through the administrative files for references to Taegen. They now had a lead, but he wanted to make sure there was nothing else to see here before they called it quits; he didn't want to have to break into this place twice. Just because Taegen had a squeaky-clean record didn't mean someone out there didn't try to complain about him, and the school administrators either overruled them or just ignored it entirely. Any faculty member or fellow student who was worried about something Taegen was studying, or that he saw or heard something he shouldn't have and wanted to keep him quiet, or even someone who just flat-out didn't like him. }

Do you see anything on the other students he tutored? { He then blinked, pausing as he read through another set of files. } ... By any chance, do any of those three students come from non-magical parents?

{ It was rare, but it was entirely possible that non-magically-attuned parents could have a child who was. }

[fairysoul]

Involed or... used to get to Taegan? They might at the very least have witnessed something. For instance, if we go to that... [She read the name on the file ago.] Dapper Vine place, then we might find people who'll remember seeing Taegen to someone unusual? A new student maybe? Or leaving with them right before he was kidnapped?

[She thought about it for a bit longer.] What's the kind of magic Taegen is specialized in? [She asked about it in case Zeref would find it in the files faster than she would.] It could be meaningful. Something that the Hands of Decay would be most afraid of or would find most despicable?

[When Zeref asked about Taegen's parents, she started going through the records again.] Let me see... [She hadn't thought of that. Powerful mages were usually children of mages but who knew?]

[genpcs]

Taegen's magic is listed. It was classified as Painter's Magic. It was a rare, previously thought to be a myth type of magic. Using it, he could infuse the paintings he created with different properties. Paint a sad panting could cause the onlooker to feel sadness or depression, painting a happy painting could make the onlooker feel those sort of emotions as well.

He could also paint scenery. It's mentioned that once he painted a small pond on the floor and the person that stepped onto it actually fell into water. He'd still been practicing and testing the limits of his abilities. He was expected to grow into a strong mage before his life was snuffed out.

[deathsought]

Hmm... { He keeps reading. } Here. 'Painter's Magic.' Whatever he paints becomes reality.

{ At first, Zeref thought it sounded similar to Arc of Embodiment, a form of magic one of the Grimoire Heart mages could use. But as far as he could tell, Arc of Embodiment could only be used to create, not to change things that already exist, including human emotions. }

This kind of magic would be limited only by Taegen's artistic talent; given enough time, he could have changed the very fabric of Fayren. No wonder the Hands of Decay wanted to stop him. Even by my standards, that is impressive.

{ He's never even heard of this kind of magic before, and he's lived for four centuries. He set the files down, and turned back to Mavis. From what he can tell, none of the teachers raised any sort of objections to his magic; in fact, they seemed to want to help him master it. Taegen had a squeaky-clean record, no disciplinary issues, nobody even complaining about him.

Hopefully, Mavis would find something about those other students he tutored. Zeref wouldn't mind going back to the Dapper Vine - he liked their coffee - but he'd rather not go there on a wild goose chase, either. }

Anything on the students he tutored?

[fairysoul]

[Mavis opens her eyes in awe as she reads about Taegen's magic.] This boy had it in him to change the world. [Her words were filled with both amazement and no small amount of sadness.]

He could have stopped them. He could have painted the antidote to their poison. He could have painted barriers they couldn't cross. He could have painted them in jail.

...He was their weakness. Maybe he even knew who they were.

[She kept looking through the files, for more information about the students Taegen tutored and their parents.]

Let me see...

[genpcs]

There are of course files on the other students. Tednas specializes in Water magic, purifying, healing and the like. Maglossa specializes in illusionary magic, tricking the mind into thinking, feeling or seeing things that aren't there. Vildithas specialized in magical wards and seals. Who their parents are isn't listed, and other than the basic information, there is nothing else noteworthy in their files.

[deathsought]

Hmm... there's nothing particularly noteworthy about the students he tutored.

{ Zeref said, reading over Mavis' shoulder; usually, he never let himself get this close to anybody, except, maybe, for Sayla or Suigintou. Of course, Mavis was different. She had the same Curse as him, after all, and that meant she was perfectly safe from his own Curse. And, of course, she was special. She always had been, no matter how hard the Curse tried to convince him otherwise. }

One of them had magic similar to yours. But other than them needing tutoring, they all sound like normal students.

{ He sighed. }

It was nobody in the school. Our next lead is the Dapper Vine. Maybe somebody there knows something... they open early for breakfast. Would you like to go?

Time Skip: The Next Morning

[deathsought]

{ Zeref had always been a light sleeper. Oftentimes, he'd sleep outside, against a tree, or if he's particularly fortunate, in a cave. It was rare that he got to sleep in a bed, and most of the time, it was when he was back in Vistarion, enjoying the lavish luxury afforded only to the Emperor of the largest, wealthiest, most powerful nation in Earth-Land, and even then, it didn't really feel right, to him. As such, Zeref could function perfectly well on little sleep, and be no worse for wear.

Tonight was not one of those nights. Even after he and Mavis left the Silverleaf Academy, he didn't get much sleep. He'd gotten used to sleeping in a bed at the inn, and previously, in Tartaros' headquarters in Everglade, but that wasn't enough to set his mind at ease. He was wrong. He'd thought somebody at the Institute sold Taegen out, when in reality, every single teacher and almost all of the students adored him, seeing him as being one of the most promising students they'd had in decades, and was considered a shoe-in for the Ivory Tower once he graduated. His magic could have literally changed the world, had he been given enough time to fully master it. It could have done anything, and was only limited by Taegen's artistic talents. Zeref had no idea magic that powerful existed. Taegen could have surpassed him someday, before his life was tragically snuffed out. Hell, maybe he could have even been the key to breaking his and Mavis' Curses, if his magic would have been powerful enough to overcome the will of Ankhseram. At the very least, Zeref would have thought it was worth a try.

The Hands of Decay had every reason to target Taegen. His very existence posed an existential threat to everything they stood for. The only question now was how they found out about him.

Zeref entered the Dapper Vine with Mavis shortly after they opened. Zeref looked tired; he barely slept, his hair was a bit messy (well, messier than usual), and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. He'd be right as rain once he had some coffee, at least, and the Dapper Vine had good coffee. They were open early, since they serve breakfast. He would lead Mavis to a nearby seat; he trusted her to know what to say to get someone here to start talking about Taegen. If he was a regular customer, somebody here knew him. When the waitress would show up, Zeref would politely wait for Mavis to order, before speaking. }

Just some black coffee, for now.