#sp:any

[amitieos]

lieutenant lanton’s loopy lotto for louts

The Academy is always hard at work inventing new and extraordinary methods of helping its pupils find their true potential. One day, an announcement appears on the board, inviting all those interested in discovering something new about themselves to Lieutenant Lanton’s Loose Lottery. The idea is simple: Lieutenant Lanton hands you a weapon and puts you in front of another participant for you to spar with. The catch? You receive the first item he happened to grab and have to work with it, no matter what it is. No second chances! [Grants Any Skill +1]

Anything to improve oneself.

That had been Elincia’s reasoning, at least, for signing up to this circus. A chance to either improve an existing skill or to diversify her arsenal. It would also provide a great opportunity to see how her students were progressing in pursuit of their own goals. That had, at least, been the plan. Reality had a funny way of being far more unsual than her imagination.

Lieutenant Lanton hands her a child’s peashooter. Elincia wonders if she’s missing the punchline of this joke. Or if she is the punchline.

“Excuse me, sir? I think there’s been a mista--” “Don’t question me. Get back to work!”

Evidently, there was going to be no reasoning with this man. Elincia sighs, letting her shoulders slump as she reaches up to massage her temples. She’d be lucky to escape the day without an overbearing migraine at this rate. Look on the bright side, she tries to tell herself, searching in vain for a silver lining. What use would a toy be, either in sparring or on the battlefield? What situation would she find herself firing dried seeds at her foes? Certainly none that would require any practice or finesse.

Maybe it would help focus her aim? She really did feel as if she was grasping at straws with that one. Still, a cursory glance around her reveals that she isn’t the only one handling something that clearly is not intended to be used as a weapon. 

Truthfully, she’s almost thankful she isn’t brandishing a daikon radish at least.

“Oh, Andrei! It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Elincia greets the stern archer, relieved to see a familiar face at least. “I’m not quite sure how to spar with this, but would you care to be my partner?”

@ulircursed

[constanzea]

let the caged bird sing

A sharp bump in the road jolts you awake from your slumber–immediately, you can tell that something isn’t right. When you fell asleep, it was on solid ground, under white tents of the Church of Seiros. But now you find yourself sitting in some kind of wooden cage, rocking back and forth as you travel on an ill-maintained road. You hear horses nickering, people speaking in a strange language, the steady creaking of wheels beneath the floor… and the rattling of the chains that bind your feet to the person next to you, a fellow abductee. If you want any chance of escaping from here, you better hope it’s someone you like! [ Grants Any Skill +1]

Constance awakens with a sharp jolt, metal cuffs digging into her ankles. It takes a moment for her to make sense of her surroundings. She’s sat in a wooden cage that appears to have a thick blanket draped over it. A little sunlight trickles in, just enough for her to see but the cage is mostly cast in dark shadows. Worst of all, she’s chained to someone.

Had she been alone, her magical prowess would allow her to simply destroy her restraints and make an escape. Preferably draped in that thick blanket. At such close quarters though, she would have to be careful not to injure the other person fool enough to end up in this situation with her.

At least, Constance thinks, they may be able to assist her once they’re both thrown into the midday sun.

Using her free leg, she nudges the figure next to her. Purple haired. Scrawny. Likely a student of the magical arts as she is. Obviously her inferior - no one was as talented and conscientious a mage as Constance von Nuvelle, after all. Still, perhaps her companions talents would prove useful. Would serve to augment her own.

The student (she wears the uniform of the Officer’s Academy) does not stir.

“Wake up, this instant! I must insist upon it,” Constance hisses, trying not to let her irritation show too much. Surely the other party will be as eager to leave, once she wakes from her slumber. Eyes flutter open and Constance allows herself a short sigh of relief. She smiles amicably at her companion - hopefully her escape partner. “It appears we’ve been kidnapped. Luckily for you, you are in the presence of the scion of House Nuvelle - Fodlan’s premier and most exalted house of mages. I assure you, we shall be free of our binds most swifly!”

She cannot hold back a grimace.

“I fear I do have one tiny weakness. Sunlight. That’s where you come in, I must beg you aid in encouraging me to leave with you once we are both free. Such a generous offer is one you simply cannot turn down.”

@prodigyofrenais

[amitieos]

your paths safe and floors unbroken

closed starter for @hresvelged

No matter how overcast the weather, the sight of Edelgard is always a pleasure. Elincia waves, beaming as she crosses the distance between them. Right into a pitfall.

Initially, she thinks she’s just tripped in her own excitement. It would hardly be the first or the last time. Instead though she falls further, faster and harder than expected. Surely, her knees will be bruised, but she picks herself up all the same. Elincia grins sheepishly as her cheeks suddenly turn rouge. It was just her luck but...

“Is the Battle of the Eagle and Lion always this cutthroat?” She poses her question to the ivory-haired princess, assuming of course that was the cause. It was mere weeks away and it wasn’t impossible that the sudden appearance of all the traps was unrelated. Yet she’s sure the celebration of pranks and mischief comes next moon. “I fear some of our classmates may have gotten a little carried away. Please assure me you’re unharmed!”

Elincia stands on her tiptoes, taking cautious steps, like a ballerina on stage. Her eyes remain trained on the ground, so much so that she almost walks right into Edelgard. It’s a mess out here, truly.

“I suppose this makes for good training, if a little unorthodox! Tell me, have you been keeping well since our mission last month?”

[amitieos]

chained up

A sharp bump in the road jolts you awake from your slumber–immediately, you can tell that something isn’t right. When you fell asleep, it was on solid ground, under white tents of the Church of Seiros. But now you find yourself sitting in some kind of wooden cage, rocking back and forth as you travel on an ill-maintained road. You hear horses nickering, people speaking in a strange language, the steady creaking of wheels beneath the floor… and the rattling of the chains that bind your feet to the person next to you, a fellow abductee. If you want any chance of escaping from here, you better hope it’s someone you like! [ Grants Any Skill +1]

A low groan creaks past Elincia’s lips as her eyes flutter open. Her mouth is bone dry and her head still drowsy, swimming through a painted dreamland. There’s something strange about this situation, Elincia thinks to herself as she tries to sit upright, feeling disorientated. This... this isn’t the tent she’d fallen asleep in. Her breath hitches as she notices the chains around her feet and icy panic floods her veins. She’s caged again - just like she had been during that incident in Leicester. Shaking off slumber’s grasp, Elincia instinctively pulls against her binds in a futile attempt to free herself. The rattling of the chains bring her attention to another.

Sea foam green curls and a petite form. Wearing the same uniform as she herself wore. WAs this better or worse than being alone?

“Flayn?” Elincia whispers to the other who does not yet stir awake. Extending a hand and gently placing it on the young lady’s shoulder, she gives her a slight shake. Then another, slightly stronger. “Flayn? Are you alright?” Aside from their obvious predicament, of course.

Her shoulders slump as she lets out a relieved sigh when pale green eyes open. They meet with her own, sepia irises. Good, she’s awake at least. Elincia can’t quite bring herself to smile at a time like this but she hopes her expression is at least a little reassuring.

“Do you know how we got here? I remember falling asleep in our tents, did something happen?”

@lilyfonded​

[amitieos]

new tricks

All at the Academy, students, Knights and Professors, are to broaden their horizons and never stop searching for their hidden potential. And so one day, in response to a call for volunteers, a group of curious souls gathers at the training grounds for an interesting experiment. The goal? Find a partner or partners, exchange mounts, weapons and equipment, and try them out on each other. Who knows - perhaps you have a gift for magic, swordfighting or wyvern riding you never knew about! [Grants Any Skill +1]

“Hana?” Elincia gives Chrysaor a gentle scratch behind the ears as he adjusts to having someone else in the saddle. He’s calm and behaves like a gentleman, beating his wings just above the ground as her friend gets used to the feeling of flying. She wouldn’t fall right now unless she threw herself off his back but even if panic did get the better of pegasus and rider, the worst that would happen is a light bruise. “Are you comfortable on his back? Chrysaor’s really gentle and he won’t take you too far up today. So don’t worry!”

She picked up her Wo Dao to demonstrate - it wouldn’t hurt to get some pointers from Hana about fighting on her own two feet either. The techniques used in swordfighting were very different if one was mounted, flying or on had both feet planted on terra firma. As such, she hoped to show Hana a few moves of her own, once she felt confident enough riding Chrysaor at least.

“Oh, if you like I could show you a little faith magic too? We’ll see how far we get!”

Swapping the sword to her left hand, Elincia takes a Training Axe in her right - she’s sure she’s going to need the extra strength and control. Despite merely being a wooden weapon it’s heavy and doesn’t at all balance the way she’s used to. It feels.... clumsy in her grip but surprisingly powerful for a mere training weapon.

“Oh, am I holding this correctly?” Elincia asked Hana, trying to give the thing a swing. She almost stumbled forwards. “It’s very different to what I expected!”

@sheerloyalty​

[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​

[hezulion]

um oh ah yeah

It’s that time of year once again! The Battle of the Eagle and Lion rears its head on the horizon, and you know what that means: it’s time to booby-trap scope out the playing field ahead of time and see if you can’t give your chosen house a leg up on the competition. Trouble is, it looks like someone’s beaten you to the punch! And these aren’t any old traps either - some of these look downright deadly. Escape the gauntlet in one piece as best as you can! [ Any Skill +1 ]

continued from here (we’re also saving kitties today pals.)

Sakura isn’t hurt, at least not physically. That’s something at least, Ares thinks as he wonders what to do or say next. His hands hang heavily by his sides, awkward whilst unoccupied with a weapon. It’s obvious she won’t look him in the eyes and he isn’t sure if that’s better or worse than her getting angry or upset with him for bumping into her.

“Um... so you’re definitely okay?” Ares asks again to be certain. It crosses his mind that she might simply have said that to get away from him. She didn’t fall to the ground though and whilst her gaze is turned away from him her posture seems a touch more relaxed than it did five minutes prior. “As long as you’re sure. I’ll be more careful in future.”

He turns away, ready to give her the space to carry about her day when something freezes him in place. A high pitched scream. Something zips past the pair of them, faster than a lightning strike.

A child charges past his legs, eyes filled with tears. His heart stops for a moment.

The ground around them is littered with traps and pitfalls. Chestnut brown pigtails bounce as the girl sobs, running wildly into the field with no sense of danger. Just a desperate desire to cling on, to not be alone.

Instinct takes over. Ares leaps after her, picking the crying child up around the waist before she can hurt herself. His leg however, is not so lucky. Jammed between the ferocious metal teeth of a bear trap, blood drips down his chin as he bites down on his lip. A flurry of angry curses are stopped behind clenched teeth. Rarely does he bother holding his tongue but between Sakura’s anxious behaviour and a small child staring up at him wide-eyed, he keeps quiet. Mother taught him better than that.

Gods, it feels like his leg is about to split in two though.

[primabsoluta]

step by step

closed starter for @prhyst

The monastery is abuzz with excitement, the students eagerly preparing for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Manuela has already ordered in extra bandages, potions and juice boxes for the inevitable scrapes and bruises that come along with it. Precautions are always taken of course to keep all injuries minimal - it’s a mock battle not a duel to the death. Usually she enjoys the enthusiasm, the looks of glee on her students faces and doesn’t mind patching them up after. It’s what she’s here for, after all.

“Oh for crying out loud!”

She takes two steps outside and ends up with her leg stuck in a hole, dug by an over enthusiastic student. Hopefully. She really can’t imagine Seteth taking the time to booby trap the entire academy, not unless Flayn was in grave danger. Then no stone would be unturned.

It seems as though she’s grabbed the attention of a familiar redhaired man, a fact which brings a flush to her cheeks. He didn’t hear that, did he?

Manuela tries to yank herself free whilst avoiding placing her hands on the ground. The students seem to have outdone themselves this year, much to her chagrin. Goddess, there were bear traps strewn about! Someone ought to clean this up before the infirmary was filled up a fortnight early. Digging her foot into the soil, she leans back to pull herself free.

Unceremoniously, she lands on her backside. What Rhys must think of her by now is something she can’t bear to think on right now. Instead she focuses her attentions elsewhere - as flighty as she is, she truly does care about the students here. Wants to keep them safe, healthy and whole.

“This is going to be a nightmare to clear up, isn’t it?” Her shoulders sag as she sighs. This is not how she anticipated spending her weekend but walking away is not an option. If someone was seriously hurt, it would be on her conscience.