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Entry tags:
[Video + Action]
[Video - Early Evening]
[A man glanced around and took shaky, shallow breaths, with eyes as wide as saucers. Behind him was some part of the forest in Fayren but, even in the coming evening gloom, it was apparent something had happened.
The trees were scorched, but there was no fire. They were drenched, but they weren't next to any apparent water. And, on top of that, something had ripped through some of them and torn a few in half.
Bracken was unscathed even if he looked alarmed. He clung to his staff like he needed it to live, and otherwise had some plain looking but clean robes. The only notable thing would be the necklace tied to his belt, rather than placed around his neck.]
H-Help! A, A little girl is after m-me!
[His voice was tense and manic with fear.]
[Action - Fayren]
[Bracken wasn't particularly hiding. Anyone could stumble up on him if they wanted.
They wouldn't find any little girls anywhere. She didn't exist. The damage done to that piece of the forest, however, was very real, and was only around the area that Bracken was standing.
Rather than introducing himself, he had managed to find an area that looked most familiar to him and wandered there. And there was no reason to stop him - he was quiet and wasn't causing any trouble. But after meandering into the forest for a while, well, somehow this had come about...]
[A man glanced around and took shaky, shallow breaths, with eyes as wide as saucers. Behind him was some part of the forest in Fayren but, even in the coming evening gloom, it was apparent something had happened.
The trees were scorched, but there was no fire. They were drenched, but they weren't next to any apparent water. And, on top of that, something had ripped through some of them and torn a few in half.
Bracken was unscathed even if he looked alarmed. He clung to his staff like he needed it to live, and otherwise had some plain looking but clean robes. The only notable thing would be the necklace tied to his belt, rather than placed around his neck.]
H-Help! A, A little girl is after m-me!
[His voice was tense and manic with fear.]
[Action - Fayren]
[Bracken wasn't particularly hiding. Anyone could stumble up on him if they wanted.
They wouldn't find any little girls anywhere. She didn't exist. The damage done to that piece of the forest, however, was very real, and was only around the area that Bracken was standing.
Rather than introducing himself, he had managed to find an area that looked most familiar to him and wandered there. And there was no reason to stop him - he was quiet and wasn't causing any trouble. But after meandering into the forest for a while, well, somehow this had come about...]
Re: [Action]
"Oh?" Well, he couldn't immediately dismiss the magicians. He knew a few that were, if not good, very useful. He wonders if he plays too fast and loose in blithely accepting every sorcerer as benign. Can't hurt to ask. "And what sort of spells are those?"
He grinned wryly at the response. It'd become pretty obvious that city held a special interest for him. "Mm. I'm afraid they have need of a light not of this earth. Yea, even the Father of Lights." And now he's getting mystical.
"Well, suffice to say it needs a great deal. Is this your very first day?"
[Action]
"M-mostly elemental spells. Fire, water..." he shrugged. "Th-Things like poison. Some minor buffs and h-healing."
Surprisingly powerful he was, but a bragger he wasn't. He didn't make any of it sound particularly special.
Ted's explanation of Everglade sort of made sense, though he felt he was missing information to truly understand. That wasn't abnormal for him, though, so he didn't complain.
"I-I got here earlier today. But... I miss my friends." He didn't do anything to try and protect his pride or act tough about it. His smile turned to a frown and his eyes dropped to the ground. It hadn't even been a full day yet, but he wanted to see them.
Re: [Action]
" 'Buffs'? And where does the power to do this come from?" He's really hoping to hear anything other than diabolism. Can't be too careful. What Bracken said next gave him pause. His first instinct was to comfort. But what could one say to that? There'd be no seeing them. Not really. He could assure him that new friends were just around the bend. It was the truth, yet he knew such things rarely gave much comfort.
But there was a way he could see, not them, but a facsimile of them. Should he tell him? He'd eventually learn anyway; he had to make sure he didn't make the same mistakes others did. It was a little severe for their first meeting on his first day, but none of the introductory materials would spell this out.
Ted stopped in his tracks, letting him know it was time for serious business. "Listen, Bracken. In this world, by giving up a cherished memory or something equally precious, one may open what's called a 'subarchway'. This, for all appearances, will resemble a piece of your world down to the letter. But, as you can probably guess, it's a lie. It looks exactly like what you remember, for it's based upon your memories. However, don't be fooled. It's a hollow facsimile. Some have been tempted into these, and have fallen in love with unreal copies of their past.
Please, promise me that no matter how bad things get or how deeply you grieve, you will never succumb to that temptation. I have seen too many make that mistake; none have yet recovered. Do you understand?"
Ted wasn't this serious 99% of the time. Only regret from failing to say this to people compelled him to do it this time.
[Action]
He didn't interrupt and followed his words, though not everything sunk in. It was a lot for him to take in at once, especially after having arrived in an entirely new place. And there were all of these cities to remember, and some sort of archway things, and his spells were doing some things he wasn't used to... And even basic things that he would have to get used to again after several years of not experiencing them, like sleeping.
He took some time, rolled it over in his mind, and tried to parse all of Ted's words to make sense of them. He only got the gist of it, as much as he fought. The only reason he hesitated to respond was because he felt sure other people would probably understand right away, and he wanted to be able to, too, without having to admit that he didn't.
But he wasn't a liar. Swallowing his pride, he meekly admitted, "I'm... I'm not sure. A... 'subarchway'? I-It would look like home, but... But it wouldn't be home?"
Re: [Action]
"Oh, is that the name? And to think Koishi and Levy never told me. They're both proficient at buffs." A normal person would elaborate on name-drops, but there were more pressing issues to attend to.
For the most part, he did understand, in broad strokes. Bracken didn't have as much foreboding as Ted wanted to impart, but it was a good start. "Yes. If this confuses--and I'm aware how much unbridled fantasy can confuse--I'll repeat it as many times as necessary. It would not be home, but merely a shallow image of it. You could get lost in a world of treacherous illusion. If you ask me, loving that is something near sacrilege. What an insult it must be to love something as though it were an original, when it's anything but! But I digress. So long as you never fall prey to that falsehood, you'll do much better than some."
[Action]
But, as much as Ted warned him, it didn't sound that enticing to Bracken to begin with.
"I... I like my home, but..." He shrugged a bit. "I don't, I don't mind living s-somewhere else. It's, it's just my friends I m-miss."
He wouldn't fight that hard to copy the place he lived. He wasn't too finicky about that. As nice as his house was, way up on the mountain... He'd likely live in a dumpster if it meant he could be with his friends, so re-creating some place wasn't that tempting.
"Do... Do you think I could bring my, my friends here?"
Re: [Action]
Ah, Ted hadn't emphasized the right points. Usually it was the desure to recreate the people one missed that made the subarches. So long as the ones they wanted were in the location they selected, a copy of them could be created. But it was a soulless copy; ghastly to think of once you knew. But Bracken didn't sound all that enticed regardless, so maybe he'd successfully got him off the idea.
"Sorry, I don't think so. But there's no reason to fret; I'm sure you'll see them eventually. In the meantime, there's plenty of potential friends here. Goodness, the people I could introduce you to! Speaking of which, do you enjoy reading or literature?" He suggested it out of some hazy association he saw between sorcerers and books.
[Action]
"I-I like reading the notes Th-Thistle gives me." That counted, right? His smile held some sadness as he thought of home. "S-Sometimes, we get together, and... and someone reads a book out loud."
That was basically the extent of the reading he did. He asked, somewhat anxiously, "D-Do you think people... Do you... Do you think they'd, w-want to be my friend?"
Re: [Action]
Ted meant that in the mystical way, being the sort of hopeless optimist who believes things must eventually go right, and what would right be if it didn't mean reunion?
Ted laughed and slapped him on the back. "Certainly! I've made plenty, and I'm as hopeless as it comes when it comes to that. All you've got to do is make yourself available and avail opportunities. Like the one I'm about to give you right now. How would you like to come to my friend Levy's book meeting? I think listening to others read aloud will comprise the majority of it. Levy's one of the few mages I trust, I'm sure you have that and other things in common."
[Action]
Ted must have had a million friends, in his opinion. He didn't see how he could possibly be hopeless - undoubtedly everyone liked him.
It didn't hurt or anything, but he let out a little "ulp" sound when he was slapped on the back. But, listening to people read? They didn't have television where he was from, so it was something they'd done to fill in the entertainment gap, and he'd always liked it. He was a slow reader himself, but he had no problems listening to someone else, especially when they were great at dictating.
Being in a room of strangers would be different, sure, but if he didn't have to do too much he thought he could handle it. He nodded.
"W-Will you be there, too?"
Re: [Action]
"Heh, I'm glad you think so. Not all agree, especially when it comes to convictions." It was nice to be nice, but sometimes he had to be law-abiding or strict or faithful to his ideals and then...well, things got complicated. "And of course! Books are her all-consuming hobby, and it's always fun see her so involved, if nothing else."
[Action]
Those seemed popular among his group. And Thistle liked the horror novels, even though he seemed to scare so easily. Bracken had grown fond of the types of stories they picked. He never could seem to put all the pieces together before the end of the novel, and was always surprised by the ending, but it was fun.
He shuffled just a little closer to Ted. He hadn't been too deep in the forest, so they were pretty close to being out, now. He didn't really know where to go after that.
Re: [Action]
"Maybe! It's everything to do with books, really. A writer's workshop, a discussion of literature, a place to share one's creative aspirations...wouldn't be surprised if an ink manufacturer made an appearance. There's hardly any telling. But it's sure to have something for everyone. And even if it doesn't, the company will be pleasurable, I guarantee."
The medieval town was appearing over the horizon, with blacksmiths clanking and horses clopping about the cobblestone streets. It was an interesting feeling, like the swords and sorcery and...oh crap. That's right; the Hands of Decay. That anti-mage terrorist group. Bracken was in serious danger by being here. Ted swallowed his alarm and elected to head towards the central archway into Genessia City next.
"It's probably best you don't remain here anymore, for the time being, unless you've got a bodyguard or something. Genessia City is much safer and more to everyone's liking, besides. Have you found anywhere to stay yet?"
[Action]
"O-Oh... I'll try." That made him more nervous. Listening he could do. Creating was a whole different monster.
'Medieval' was close to his preferred setting. Not exactly, but much more so than modern day cities. He didn't have much of an idea of what each city looked like yet, but he thought Genessia was supposed to be a more modern place. He could handle that, but... His eyes lingered on the town.
"I-Isn't there an inn I can stay at, here?" he asked hopefully, a small smile on his face. Maybe Ted was trying to be helpful and take him somewhere with more modern conveniences, but even if it was old-timey he preferred the town.
Re: [Action]
"Haha, well really only attendance is necessary. I, for one, don't plan to contribute a single thing. I'm far more interested to see what others have to say and write. No doubt you could join me in that." He took a calming breath. He liked Bracken so far, but he seemed a bit on the nervous side. Introducing him to the idea of an ongoing terrorist threat that had people like him in their sights felt unnerving. Then again, honesty is the best policy.
"You could. There's just one thing that worries me. The Hands of Decay. They're an anti-mage terrorist group who've done some grisly things in the past. They've been driven underground, thankfully, and haven't made any recent appearances. Still a cause for concern, however." But if he insisted, he might know of one place.
"Say, I do know a guild that works tirelessly to protect mages. We could try them. Then again, they've been pretty outspoken against them for a good while now; that might mark them for a bullseye. The HoD's leaders did name themselves after the guildmasters..." Ted's an out-loud thinker. Hopefully some of this was helping Bracken decide.
[Action]
Things like anti-mage guilds were difficult for him to comprehend. What would be the point in something like that? It wouldn't have made any sense at all where he was from. It would be like hunting down librarians or plumbers.
So, his mind tried to find some reasoning behind something that seemed unreasonable, and he edged a little towards Ted to whisper to him. "W-Would they be mad at me because... because I blew up some trees? I-I didn't mean to..."
At least he had enough sense to try and keep him between himself and Ted if there were people who hated mages around. The guild sounded promising, though. "Are... Are the people in the g-guild nice?"
Re: [Action]
"Heh, no it's rather more fundamental than that. Not what you do, but who you are. They believe magic is an oppressive tool of elitism, or something to that effect. Yes, the guild is nice. Rough and rowdy, but they would care for you like a brother." Bracken would find universal company in the thought that Ted talked too much. Ted felt there was so much worth saying.
[Action]
That just meant that Bracken had to put forth less effort trying to hold up his end of the conversation.
"B-But, I'm not better than anyone else..." That was pretty much the opposite of what he believed, and it was hard to imagine him being considered some sort of elite. Maybe they would learn better if someone showed them, but he'd have to find out more.
The guild, on the other hand, sounded really nice. "D-do you think I could... that I could meet them? I'm..." He paused, frowning. "I'm... I'm not very, good at meeting new people. B-But..."
He wanted to. He liked having other people around, even if he struggled to give a good impression.
Re: [Action]
"Certainly, if you like. As a matter of fact, I'll ring them up right now. Lucy & Natus; I've heard much about them. I'm sure they could lend you a hand. Lodging too, I think." While the device rang, he still kept talking. "Oh, and I'd say you meet new people just fine. I think our meeting went swimmingly, given the circumstances."
Moments later.
"Hello, Lucy? It's Ted. I've just found a young man in the woods who's taken a liking to Fayren, and needs a place to stay. Would you lend some assistance, please? We're in the city proper, near the town square." He gave Bracken a knowing, happy look. He was just leaving a message, but he was unreasonably confident they'd answer sooner than later.
[Action]
Digging into his left pocket, he pulled out the money he'd been given.
"I... I usually have a lot, b-but it's not here... But, I have this, that I could pay with." He showed him the small bit he'd been given upon entering. He had no sense of how much it was worth, and the fact that it was all he had was difficult to wrap his mind around. He was so used to having mountains of money that he didn't even have a use for.
[Action]
She meandered her way along the path before the boys had to wait TOO long (rather it was relatively quick from the time she received the message), calling ahead. "Ted?"
He's not a boy; he's a MAYUN
"Hah, something tells me she won't work you too hard for finances, if money vexes you. Do you have your heart set on this place? It has its charms, but also its dangers. I seem to recall a a few other places one might reside." Ted would take the intervening time to ramble about what he knew of Fayren's living spaces, and what he didn't know he was all to eager to fill in by accosting any passerby. The Dancing Donner, the closest thing to affordable housing, was full up, but the Oaken Gardens had room. And what luxurious rooms indeed! But luxury comes at a cost. Poo Bracken could barely afford a single month before he'd be dried almost completely.
"I've also got a half-finished house somewhere at the woods. Perhaps, if you're handy with construction, we might...ah, I see her now!" He waved and hailed Lucy, who wasn't quite as ravishingly blonde.
"Ah, no, I'm but an illusion of him cast by the devious and cunning sorcerer before you." He gestured to Bracken. "How are you? Rosy? How about roomy?"
no subject
It, It seems the most like home.
[A simple comfort, but when he didn't have his friends, his house, or anything else, he at least wanted to be around something that looked familiar. Though that didn't stop him from listening to Ted describe other places. Despite his necklace clearly having green and red emphasized, he just didn't feel like he belonged elsewhere.
And when Ted got around to talking about some sort of home in the woods, he did seem a little more eager to give input.]
I-I can help.
[He was used to gathering wood, materials, or doing other tedious tasks to help people.
But before they got to speak much more on it, another person was there. He instinctually fell a step behind Ted, looking to him for guidance, when Ted said something strange. As soon as he caught on to what he meant he was quick to furrow his brows, staring at Ted in confusion as he denied it.]
I-I don't have any illusion magic.
[Slightly wide-eyed, wondering how this misunderstanding happened, he glanced between the two. He didn't want her to think he was conjuring illusions!]
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