#s:linhardt

[delicatevalentine]

winged wiles » hilda & linhardt

For reasons unknown to anyone else, a mother wyvern has rejected her newborn wyvern and refuses to care for it. The task is now up to some brave volunteers to acquire a friend for life… or the scars. [Grants Flying +1]

Eyes sweeping over the mission board, Hilda began to ponder. On the one hand, it would be pretty convenient to have a flying friend to carry her and her axe around -- that thing was heavy. On the other hand, taming a wyvern sounded like it wouldn’t just difficult, but dangerous. Supporting from the back was much more her style. There was only one thing for it: she needed to enlist somebody else to do the dirty work. 

Most people were in training at this hour, but Hilda had pulled off a pretty convincing twisted ankle and managed to get the period off to rest. Even now, she limped slightly, just in case anybody was watching. However, the scarcity of students made finding somebody to work her wiles on a difficult task. But she was conscious that, if she waited, there would soon be a queue out of the stable doors of those willing to try their hand at taming a baby wyvern. 

Just as she was thinking she might have to tackle the mission alone after all, she spotted a student lying on the grass. Despite the slight chill in the air, his eyes were half-closed as he dozed as if it was a glorious sunny day. 

“Linhardt!” She recognised him from the Black Eagles house, despite never having officially met. “Come with me! It’s an emergency.” 

She began tugging at his sleeve, hoping her urgency would prevent him from asking any further questions.

@pridelessdaydreamer

[lalamines]

a street with no name

Over a decade has passed, yet Enbarr’s high street has barely changed at all. Even the crowds are as overwhelming as they are familiar. It takes her back in time, when she’d cling to Mother and Emile’s hands on their shopping trips. Mercedes feels an uneasy chill run down her neck. The urge to look over her shoulder.

There is nothing to fear. House Bartels fell years ago.

She recognises the bookshop, her old favourite, immediately at a brings a fond smile to her face. The clothing boutique next to it still stands too and the jewellers across. The food vendors are different but still stand in almost the same spots. The only glaring difference is a curio shop, decorated with bright posters reading ‘SALE’. It looks out of place in a way she can’t quite explain. As if she’s looking at it through a mirror. 

The smell of baked goods grabs her attention though. Her stomach makes a whine of protest and Mercedes realises that none of them have eaten since arriving. They couldn’t possibly start their investigations on empty stomachs! She pulls out her coin purse and clutches it in one hand, extending the other to her companions.

“We should probably hold hands so we don’t get lost in the crowd.” Even stood to the side they were bumped and jostled by passers by. It would be terrible if they were to be split apart and lost in such busy crowds, especially as only Linhardt was really familiar with these streets. “Let’s head over the street for some snacks first, my treat. We can discuss where to go and what to do once we’re filled up and energised!”

@frauleindermorgen @nappingscholar @ulircursed

[constanzea]

the burden of curiosity

How much one remembers from the past year seems to vary among the villagers. Some may not remember a thing while their brothers, their mothers, their friends remain haunted by their past traumas. Reason magic bears the blunt of the blame for what transpired here. Your mages undergo a fair bit of scrutiny, but it’s one of their own that becomes a target of their paranoia. A young mage, normally considering a blessing in a small village like this, has been arrested for practicing dark magic. The terrified child insists that it’s the only kind of magic he is capable of casting. Find out his story and judge whether or not he’s telling the truth about his innocence… you have until his “exorcism” to do so. [Grants Reason +1]

Their trek to the village was, thankfully, overcast but Constance idly twirled the parasol in her left hand. It was always a risk, venturing outside before sunset in the summer months. Alas, she had little choice in the matter, being called out to accompany one of the Black Eagles students on an important mission. At least the details were fascinating.

The ability of some to “magically” forget their trauma? Whatever complex, nuanced magic was behind that (if it was magic of course, assumptions could be such folly!) could be groundbreaking. Could solve her little... problem, although with a high price. It was certainly worth looking into though, even if it all came to naught the mental rigor and exercises should be useful in the future. The thought of a small child being behind such intricate and arduous magic sounded utterly preposterous. All a makeshift exorcism could do was harm the poor child and the church clearly wanted them to put a stop to it.

If they even got there in time. Linhardt was just as idle and lethargic as she remembered. It must be nice, being so carefree. The heir to House Hevring has everything on a silver platter. What need did he have for steadfast determination, or ambition? Not like her, at least.

From what she heard though, his curiosity had become even more stubborn. Perhaps she could leverage that to get things moving. The village was, finally, in sight.

“Linhardt, sally forth! If we don’t get there soon,” an innocent child will be harmed, “there’ll be precious little to investigate. Are you not intrigued by the magic at play here? The time for repose is not now!”

@nappingscholar​

[delicatevalentine]

Upon arriving at the medical tent, Linhardt immediately passed out. (There was a brief moment where he awoke for a juice box, but he swiftly fell back asleep right after.)

So his eyes hadn't been on the battlefield or the others who trailed in after the conclusion of their fights. It meant he hadn't realized who else was there until it was time to pack up and go home (the second worst part of BOEL, right after the fighting and before the walk to).

Still, he never fashioned himself the dependable type, so rather than helping out and exerting himself, he wanders about until he finds a friend of his here, unsurprisingly in the same spot.

"Afternoon, Hilda— It's still afternoon, right?" He shakes his head. "Anyways, how are you doing? I don't imagine you got beat up as bad as I did."

Nobody had been more surprised than Hilda when she made it past the first round. Evidently, pure unadulterated panic and a heavy axe could make quick work of an opponent. But the universe righted itself in the next round when she had been half-carried into the medical tent after meeting a blast of magic head-on. She had rather enjoyed her time on the sidelines: with no lasting injuries and a free juicebox, she cheered on the Golden Deer with all her might.

"Good afternoon!" she said cheerfully, her spirits high. "Oh, you know me... Such a weakling. My House will be doing better without me burdening them, I'm sure."

She turned to face her friend properly and winced. "Ooh." She offered her own juicebox. "You look like you need this more than I do."

[lalamines]

reading between the lines

After waving Andrei and Micaiah off, the two priests headed across the road to Bergstrom’s Books. Mercedes had fond memories of pressing her own face against the window as a child, longing to raid the shelves and drink in the stories on every page. The thought gave her a small chuckle as her hand settled upon the handle of the door.

“Shall we then?” Mercedes kept her voice low and quiet as she held the door open. Upon the threshold she decided to ask something that had been ruminating in the back of her mind. “Have you ever heard of these Agarthans? I don’t know much about them but could they be linked to that magical eye?” Maybe it was a long shot but Mercedes had precious little to go off other than a desire to be useful. To help her friends and the church she held so dear

The store is surprisingly sparsely populated, considering the crowds just outside. That was preferable of course, it was easier to peruse titles stacked on shelves without being jostled around or crushed against others. It felt more as though she really was just shopping for books and she found herself browsing the books thoughtfully. Most of them were slim novels rather than giant tomes, romantic tales - some perhaps a touch bawdy, rather than technical volumes. A pair catch her eye, ‘The Starlight Maiden’ and ‘Court of Clerics’. Mercedes takes them carefully from the shelf and tucks them under her arm.

The counter is empty, with no one to check out her purchase. It struck her as a little strange, the doors were open and whilst not crowded the store was occupied by customers. Yet there was precious little sign of any staff working here.

She’d simply have to wait a while to pay though, no worries.

Beyond the shelves she had been browsing, the store extended further than she had initially realised.. Around the back of the store there were no windows and the candlelight illuminating the romance shelves dimmed considerably. It appeared as though the section was less well frequented, it’s shelves lined haphazardly from what she could see. 

“I wonder what they have over there.” Mercedes points to the back of the store, cast in shadow. From just a glance it look more mysterious than the rest of the store. Her mind spun with ideas, painted with images of secret, ancient tomes or dazzling pages. The truth was probably far more mundane but it couldn’t really hurt their investigations to take a look.

@nappingscholar

[delicatevalentine]

@pridelessdaydreamer:

"Hm?"

It takes him a moment to realize what's happening—oh, Hilda. (And she just said...)

"Oh. Yes, I remember," he nods. After Lin had returned to his dorm, he had put his dress away and then promptly took a nap. Doing all that shopping had been incredibly tiring, but... Well, it wasn't entirely devoid of fun, to say the least.

What he didn't remember from that day were the massive (or rather, tiny) wings attached to Hilda's back. They were elegant additions to her outfit, but they seemed suspiciously... well, real. Glancing up at the open rooftop and the five elementals staring down at the ballroom, Linhardt gets the sense that maybe the wings actually were.

"They look nice," Linhardt compliments, before accepting the wings offered to him. They seemed simple enough to don, and once they're attached, he tries a few times to make them work. Sure enough, they do.

"Hm. Interesting." Offering the hand marked with Earth to Hilda then, he asks, "Care to fly?"

When Hilda had selected the pearlescent wings from the boutique, it had been for purely aesthetic purposes, serving to heighten the ethereal impression of her outfit. To find that they were functional was an unexpected but welcome surprise. 

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked up at the hovering Linhardt. She placed her branded hand in his and felt the conflicting powers of air and earth combine, one urging her to take to the skies and the other threatening to keep her grounded. But, with a firm rebuff on the latter, she mirrored the movements her companion had made and ascended. For a flash, she was reminded of their first meeting, when she had tried and failed to tame a winged companion. It felt cyclical, somehow. 

"I thought you'd never ask." 

[delicatevalentine]

It was far too late at night.

Still, it was either that or he'd wait until morning, at which point he would be undeniably a day behind. At least at this hour, he could argue that he lost track of time. (There was that and also the fact that he thought the day was another month away. What a surprise it had been to read the bulletin that morning.)

In his hands, Lin carries a small white box tied up with pink ribbons, along with an attached note. He places the box carefully so that Hilda wouldn't have trouble finding it, but any thief in the night wouldn't spot it very easily. (He'd be rather upset if the past few hours proved to be a waste.)

Twice he knocks at the door, and then, with a yawn, he turns to leave.

(Inside the box is a white cloth bracelet with a pink rose attached. The clasp is one of gold, and the flower itself is cloth as well — likely to avoid it rotting or the like.)

(The attached note reads as follows:)

Happy birthday, Hilda! Hope you don't mind me dropping by to give this to you. At the time of writing this, the time is still reasonable, but seeing how progress is going, this might arrive to you quite late.

Anyhow, I figured in response to your gift, a bracelet in return would apt, right? I don't have the same humor to attach a wyvern to it, but I figure you'll like this anyway.

That's about all I have to say, so, happy birthday again.

— Lin

hilda’s birthday 2023 — accepting!

The light knock at the door startled her out of her concentration, the thread in her hand falling slack. It was late, and she certainly hadn't been expecting visitors. Normally, she would be asleep at this hour, but it had been a busy day of birthday celebrations and she was just now beginning the process of winding down for the night.

Shaking herself out of her inertia, she clambered out of bed and crossed the room to open the door. Whoever had been there a moment ago, they were nowhere to be seen now. She was about to shut the door when she spotted the beautifully wrapped gift semi-hidden behind a potted plant. All thoughts of sleep dissipated as she excitedly grabbed the present and hurried back into her room to investigate.

Unbound by the pressures of social niceties in the privacy of her room, she went for the present first. She untied the ribbon -- setting it to the side to reuse in her crafts at a later date -- and opened the box. A gorgeous floral bracelet, matching the colour scheme of the wrappings, sat prettily inside. Without a moment's delay, she eagerly clasped it onto her wrist and admired the design and craftsmanship for a few moments. Then, she recalled the card.

Ah... Linhardt! She had left him a gift on his own birthday but hadn't anticipated receiving anything in return... Well, she'd wanted something, but the scholar was often so lost in his daydreams that she'd lowered her expectations. That would teach her to make assumptions!

She settled back down onto her bed, regarding her new accessory, and made a mental note to find the Black Eagle in the morning to thank him.

[luneirika]

the wisdom of birds

Exploring the dense, forested land surrounding the town leads you to the yawning mouth of a cave, one that you don’t recognize from the villagers’ explanations of their territory. Carved stone steps invite you into a manmade bunker, an underground web of hallways and rooms that are too well-maintained to be abandoned. Eventually your group manages to stumble their way into a treasure trove of information, a library stocked with books on a variety of magical topics from taming spirits to exorcising them. You read a book on barriers intended to block out wayward spirits from corrupting the mind, learning how the writer’s people would build labyrinthine strongholds underground to trap them in for the rest of their days. An underground maze… hallways that twist and turn… “no way home”? This may be time to trace your steps before this place becomes your grave. [Grants Any Skill +1]

It’s a long, tiresome hike through the forest and up towards the cave. Made even more wearisome by the grumbling and groaning of her companion. Eirika sets her jaw, swallowing down anything unkind she might be tempted to say. She does not know Linhardt well enough to pass judgement about him and any irritation really stems from her own exhaustion too. As they get closer, stone steps are carved into the gaping mouth of the cave. Eirika stands at the bottom in awe as Linhardt catches up, face red from exhaustion.

She takes pity on him, offering a soft smile.

“I’ll head up and look inside. Take a break to catch your breath,” one foot on the steps, she looks back at Linhardt. “I’ll call for you if I need back up, okay?”

The sun beats down on her relentlessly as she makes her way up. It’s brutal, especially with the stitch already forming at her side. But she’s been through far worse before. Trekked through Jehanna’s deserts, so empty of  the sparks of life. Of birdsong and verdure, to offer shade and respite. With that in mind she endures, walks faster and taller until she reaches the apex of her journey. 

Eirika’s jaw drops. What she expected to find, she is unsure. It is certainly not this. Grand hallways, carved into stone as if by the hands of giants. Each wall lined with heavy tomes stretching as far as she could see. Some of them were clearly ancient, their spines written in spindly, flowing letters that were completely unrecognisable. Others appeared newer - not recent but written in legible text at least. Magical tomes, compendiums, records perhaps of civilisations long since passed. A treasure trove of arcane knowledge.

She is no expert in magic. Knows the basics, thanks to her dear friend. Can feel it prickling in the air as she steps forward. Knows enough to honestly say she’s out of her depth. Eirika returns to the cave’s maw.

“Linhardt! Sorry to cut your break short but... you might be interested in this. I think we’ve stumbled on some ancient library,” should be enough to stoke his interest. Still, there’s more to it and more to entice her companion with. “It feels enchanted too. I’m certain there’s plenty of interest to uncover here but I won’t get far alone I’m afraid.”

@pridelessdaydreamer​