another hopeful tomorrow

kim azura. and perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.

[ufazura]

ugly mobile post sorry I just wanted to let everyone know I am still here, just had to go on hiatus unfortunately as irl got busy x_x and while I've had to extend it I am slowly trying to get back to all ims and hopefully some replies!! sorry for the very long wait

[ufazura]

CONGRATULATIONS! you have LEVELED UP!

AZURA has received a 3 STAT level up and is now LEVEL 8.

you will gain levels by being active throughout the roleplay and meeting certain requirements. these requirements are a secret, but consider every ic post as something that gains you experience and puts you one step closer to your next level up.

remember, the stats you can add have been randomized, and you must now distribute one point each across three different stats. you must add two of those stat points to two of the strong skills listed on your application (SPEED, DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.) 

please record this level up on the “stat tracker” page of your status page, and link this post under the “link” heading as proof of your level up. well done!

[ufazura]

— mistaken identities ,

ufvivian​:

     vivian’s eyes narrow at the bartender a little suspiciously, her lips curved down into a natural pout, which probably does not help her claim that she’s a full adult at all. but thankfully, the bartender seems to give in, whether because she genuinely believes that vivian is an adult, or just because she can’t be bothered to care more — vivian isn’t sure, but she’s grateful either way. she really has heard this far too much to want to put up with it anymore. 

     “like you wouldn’t believe,” vivian replies, softening her tone slightly to take away some of the annoyance that might have seeped through otherwise. “but i guess you were just doing your job. you must see a lot of minors who try to get in.” 

     here is where vivian becomes a little bit sheepish, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “well… i’m not actually here to drink. so maybe a lemonade? i’m just looking for my brother and i know he frequents this tavern,” she confesses to the bartender, seeing as how they’ve seemingly started over.

“a few,” azura confirms with a nod. “while it’s not super common, it does happen. it’s mostly young students from the academy.” she looks over the girl again. she had said she was nineteen, which was well within the age to still be a student. “you a student there yourself?” 

“your brother, huh?” azura immediately starts racking her brain for a regular who looks similar to the girl in front of her, but can’t think of who it might be. perhaps they’re just siblings who don’t look particularly alike? it also doesn’t help that she has no idea how old this brother might be. 

her curiosity is too big for her to leave the topic alone. “who is your brother, if i might ask?” she questions as she picks up the jug of lemonade from the counter behind her, pouring out a glass before placing it in front of the customer. “if he’s a regular here, i probably know him. might be able to tell you if he’s been here recently or not.” she offers the girl a smile, her usual relaxed demeanor replacing her spout of suspicion. “oh, and enjoy your lemonade. freshly made just a few hours ago.” 

[ufazura]

whispers in the wind

ufeliot:

eliot tries not to look sheepish as he rubs the back of his head, rucking out the fluffiness of his hair. “in my defense, i’m also still a growing young man!” he’s also just a very hungry boy. he felt a little bad for his parents having to support two hungry little boys and one girl, even hungrier now at their current ages. his sister eats enough to put his brother to shame, and he loves her for it.

“magic!” eliot wiggles his fingers from where he’d set the cup down finally. “you’re not prying, it’s no worry.” he’s proud of magic, as much as he still needs to train to become stronger and get better control and power- he’s proud of his progress and what he can do at the moment. “i’m an anima mage, hence why i’m traveling mostly empty handed.” eventually he’d like to be able to train with a sword, but he knows his focus should really be on getting elwind before anything like that. maybe in the near future, once he finds his brother aleksi could give him a bit of training. his hope of them returning home to a nice and quiet life full of fun adventures was a long stretch and probably entirely impossible but a boy could dream.

“now that is something i need to work on!” he pretends to avoid jabs, with his hands up in front of his face. “sometimes its like my body can’t physically catch up with my brain’s decisions unless it’s magic-based.” he probably shouldn’t be admitting his weaknesses in the middle of a tavern to someone he doesn’t know that well; something about azura feels trustworthy.

eliot sobers up from the fun he was having before when azura begins talking about the things she’d heard along her travels. he shakes his head for her to continue, he’ll take anything she has regardless of where she heard it– at this point aleksi could have travelled anywhere.

“anything is, thank you.” he ponders the new information for a couple of moments, taking a sip of his lemonade and trying not to furrow his brows too far while lost in his thoughts, his mother had told him he’d screw his face if he did it for too long. “do you know if they were heading to any of the shorelines?” it was a hard press, but his brother had loved- loved, still present tense, the coast and its rolling waves. eliot could still remember the description of the water aleksi had written in his letters. it was something he looked forward to when having to deal with the stress of studies and going home to do more work. it was a little gift he could treasure and use to fuel his imagination.

“anything about where they or the other person were heading?” it was a long shot but eliot would take anything and go with it even if it ended up a loss. right now he was wandering free with no set course, this could be something he could follow.

“magic!” she echoes, a look of delight on her face. azura has always admired magic users, the way they’re able to effortlessly conjure and bend the elements to their will, using their power for either destruction or regeneration. it’s never been her thing, unfortunately, though not due to lack of trying. no, she spent years begging any mage she came by to try to teach her something, but she’s simply hopeless. she supposes part of it is due to her heritage — raven laguz are not particularly known for being attuned to magic. on the contrary, wind magic is a weakness for them, which might explain azura’s lack of talent in the area.

“that’s very admirable. i used to wish i could learn magic when i was younger. never really showed any promise for it, though. some of us are just more physically inclined, i suppose.” azura shrugs. in the past, this fact would have made her slightly upset, but she’s long past being over it. “i’m sure that’s something you could master, if you work hard enough for it. i’ve heard of mages that are deadly accurate, and fast enough to dodge most attacks. they’re very powerful, of course, but it certainly is possible.” 

azura ponders eliot’s next question for a moment. pleasant conversation though it may be, this guy sure has a lot of questions. well, he was looking for someone, but the shorelines? that seems oddly specific. 

“i don’t... remember? don’t know?” she mumbles, combing through the memory in her head. initially something she hadn’t thought of as anything of importance, it was about ready to be discarded, and took some time digging up. 

“what i do remember now is that i heard it in xakar,” she eventually declares. “yeah, that sounds right. but i don’t remember if anyone mentioned anything about shorelines. but seeing as xakar is situated by the sea, that could certainly be a possibility, right?” though she’s unsure why anyone would want to travel there if they’re on the run — it’s impossible to know what lies beyond the sea. sounds a bit too risky, she thinks. 

“there was also something about these guys meeting the hooded person along the road. some kind of forested area, it seemed like. they mentioned it being dark, cold and foggy.” she squints again, as if trying to remember more, but comes up empty. “that’s about all i can force myself to remember. probably would have been easier if i had been involved in the conversation myself.” 

[ufazura]

everything has changed.

ufziyu:

podakko is not a place that ziyu confesses that she’s familiar with. it is full of strange uncouth sights that she never expects to see in ganggyn–where the code of honour for most is far more important than that of fighting.

here, things are different. ziyu is almost positive that fighting is such a norm here that it wouldn’t be abnormal to see someone suddenly whipping out their weapons every now and then, yelling on top of their voices and charging at their opponents, whether big or small. 

so when she sees a group of individuals (four, possibly) fighting a lady in the middle, the first instinct she has is to click her tongue and frown…but move on.

good things never came out of caring too much for one’s own good.

that was–until the lady called out towards her, drawing everyone’s attention–including that of the bandits.

damn it. her hand went to the pommel of her sword instinctively. if only the lady hadn’t spoken aloud and called for her help.

well, what was done had already been done. there was no way of getting out of this save for fighting.

and in fighting, the upper hand usually lay with those who struck hard, fast and true.

the sword flashes in a quick draw from her waist–and the blade practically sung as it swung through the air, ripping past in a flash of blue steel as it detached the first bandit’s head from it’s neck, the lightest crackle of thunder in the blue skies the only signal of the flash of lightning that struck down next, searing the ground as it haphazardly struck down towards the second.

it takes a moment for ziyu to register the familiarity of the girl’s face that she had just saved, a sudden wrench in her gut as the familiar laugh of her fiance’s voice tittered in memory as azura’s face swam into view.

the sword in her hand nearly clattered to the ground, if not for the third bandit swinging his axe right at her with a loud scream. 

ziyu frowned, eyes flickering as she noted the bleeding cut upon azura’s calf, a hand flashing out to shove her friend aside as she took the brunt of the attack with her shoulder, twisting just enough to hopefully avoid any serious injury. the axe grazed in a diagonal arc towards her left shoulder as she twisted herself quickly, sinking about three inches into flesh before her sword finds its purchase in the bandit’s gut, the flesh of her shoulder tearing slightly as the swing of her sword caused her body to lean right viciously. 

ziyu watched impassively as the third bandit paled, collapsing to the ground as he tried to gather his guts back into his body, the slice of her sword across his stomach biting deep enough to wound fatally.

a sharp pang of pain swells in her left shoulder as ziyu flinched, a light hiss escaping from her lips as she noted the ugly wound with a mild frown.

she’ll get a healer to tend to her wounds later–the tight purse of her lips told of her thoughts as she eyed azura next to her lightly, the second bandit that had been dazed and barely grazed by her lightning attack finally getting to his feet and gripping his sword. 

“two left. one for you and one for me?” blood dripped down the left side of her shoulder as ziyu straightened, as though oblivious to the wound upon her shoulder. “or has that wound made things so bad for you that you’ve gone rusty?” 

with the arrival of ziyu, the bandits had thankfully shifted their attention to her, looked scared even. which was a godsend for azura, as she was momentarily too stunned to move upon seeing her old friend, after so many years. her legs take her backwards, a few shaky steps as she watches in awe as the swordmaster slaughters to of the bandits. azura had always known ziyu was strong, far stronger than she could ever dream to be, but there’s a difference between knowing and seeing it in action. besides, ziyu has clearly grown far stronger since the last time azura had seen her fight. 

which was to be expected, honestly. considering the things azura had heard about her, about what had happened to ziyun... the mere thought of it makes her chest feel heavy, almost making her want to cry. but, there is no time to dwell on this now, she thinks, shaking her head to force herself out of her own head. 

her eyes focuses on the bandit just now getting back on his feet, tightly gripping her own sword in anticipation of the fight. “i can still fight,” she confirms with a nod. had it been the good old days, back when they were friends, and azura felt as if she actually knew the younger, there would be a cheeky remark following, about how ziyu might be better off worrying about herself, with her own injury. but this isn’t the old days, and azura doesn’t know ziyu — not anymore. 

“let’s end them.” she rushes towards the dazed bandit, attempting to ignore her own injured calf. the pain is noticeable, but the wound thankfully isn’t deep enough for it to be unbearable. the bandit, seemingly still quite confused following the lightning attack, isn’t anywhere near quick enough to dodge azura’s blade. she manages to strike his shoulder, hard enough to make him stagger backwards, allowing her to land another blow, this time to his side. neither blow are enough to kill, but he’s far more wounded than her now, and seems to still be somewhat confused as he moves to strike back, but is wildly inaccurate, making it easy for azura to dodge his attack. 

the bandit leaves an opening for azura to strike lethally, which she’s quick to react to, impaling him through the chest with her sword. he slumps to the ground as she pulls it out, and she takes the opportunity to dry off her bloody sword on his shirt before sheathing it. 

azura turns to face ziyu, who she has no doubt dealt with her bandit far quicker and more gracefully. 

“thank you for the help.” she doesn’t know what else to say. she’s curious, of course, about what actually happened between her and ziyun, why things ended the way they did. but she knows it’s none of her business, and she doesn’t want to pry. 

what she does want, is to escape from this situation as soon as possible, to avoid any further discomfort. but as she opens her mouth, it’s as if her own brain betrays her, because instead of making an excuse for a quick escape, her words do quite the opposite. 

“i’m headed into town. do you want to come with? well, i mean, uh... you probably already were going, since you were headed in this direction, but... we could look for a healer together. i think we both need to take care of our wounds.”

[ufazura]

ufenemies​:

the BANDIT braces himself for AZURA’S attack, but is unable to block it or dodge. her attack HITS for 8 DAMAGE, bringing the BANDIT’s HP down to 12.

he stumbles backwards, trying to gain his bearings after AZURA’s attack. in this period of time, AZURA is able to attack a SECOND TIME for another 8 DAMAGE. this brings the BANDIT’s HP down to 4. 

although severely wounded, the BANDIT is also very angry. he charges forward, axe raised, and HITS AZURA for 11 DAMAGE, bringing her down to 9 HP.

what will she do next?

azura’s attack hits, but she already knew before her sword made contact with the bandit that it wouldn’t be enough to lethally wound him. that’s always been one of her flaws — she might be accurate enough to land hits, and fast enough to hit multiple times, but her strength has always left something to be desired. she has spent years training her strength, and would now say she’s fairly decently strong, if not even stronger than the average person, but... that doesn’t always help her much in battle, as she so rarely ever faces an “average” person. 

luckily, her attack hit strongly enough to make the bandit stumble, giving her an opening to strike again, though she’s fairly sure not even this strike was lethal. the bandit looks severely wounded, though — he can’t have much fight left in him. 

as she stands there considering the situation, trying to gauge how much strength the bandit has left, he catches her off guard as he charges towards her. while she’s much faster than him, she didn’t react fast enough to dodge him, and his axe slices into her side. 

shit. she’s bleeding, and she doesn’t think she has enough strength in her to take another hit. though she might be quick enough to dodge him, she thinks, as she forces herself to stay alert despite the pain. 

if she valued her own life more, she would have made a run for it already, but azura is nothing if not dedicated to the things she starts. and there is no way she’s gonna let this bandit off easy. so she bites her lip through the pain, and raises her sword again as she charges towards the bandit, this time aiming to fully end him.

[ufazura]

taste test.

ufastrea​:

it isn’t entirely astrea’s fault that she can’t cook. it was simply a curse from her upbringing. now, of course, omaduun has food. delicious food. cuisine, if you will. the country’s reputation of lawless mysterious doesn’t detract from the culture’s ability to make some good dishes. however, by the time astrea would’ve been old enough to step into a kitchen and actually help, she was pawned off to the clan. and they had no interest in teaching her the skills of a housewife. 

that being said, she probably could’ve picked up on a few things since she ran away. but astrea is, honestly, simply, cursed. she can read a potion recipe just fine, and yet the moment there’s food going in a pan, she’s doomed. vegetables? soggy. meat? burnt. flavor? somehow absorbed through the pan and into the abyss of whatever lays below the earth’s surface.

thankfully, she has her beloved server to feed her tonight. and the moment azura comes walking through those doors, it’s heaven.

“oh my.” astrea has to grip the edges of the bar to stop herself from falling backwards when the tremendous waft of deliciousness hits her. “that smells so good!”

she tries to both focus on not drooling and pay attention to azura’s words as she’s explaining the meal, but astrea’s quickly increasing hunger is already turning her brain haywire. “of course. honesty is the best policy.” she sends her friend a grin, grabs her spoon, and starts to dig in.

the first spoonful has a little of everything, though she admittedly aims more for the fish and potato. and the moment it hits her mouth, astrea can’t help the delightful (perhaps dirty, to other ears) noise that escapes her. 

“how do you do this?!” once the mouthful is done, it’s only the remaining braincell that work to remind astrea she has to give feedback. “it’s delicious! i’m in love! please marry me and cook for me every single day for forever.” 

astrea takes another spoonful of pure stew, taking another thoughtful sip. “mm… the spice is nice, too. i could handle more, but if it’s for the average person i think it’s just right.” 

azura looks at astrea in anticipation as the younger grabs her spoon. she had already said the food smells good, which is admittedly a more than decent start, but it still doesn’t mean it will taste good. it might be passable, but azura wants it to be good, delicious, out of this world. and so she anxiously watches her taste tester, eyes following her every movement as the spoon moves closer and closer to her mouth.

with how focused she had been on watching the spoon, the noise astrea makes catches azura off guard, causing her to jump back slightly in surprise. does that mean she likes it? the sound sure sounded pleasant, enough to cause a slight redness in azura’s cheeks. 

“so, you like it?” she decides to ask, still slightly nervous. the nervousness does not last, however, as astrea is quick to start nearly singing her praises. “oh!” blood keeps rushing to her face, causing her skin to flush an even darker red. “it’s not really that difficult, i suppose... i just followed the recipe i was given. not really anything that deserves much praise.” 

now that she’s sure she’s at least managed to follow the recipe without majorly screwing it up, azura dares take a proper bite for herself, and oh my god. astrea was right — this really is good. “mmm, yeah, you’re right,” she mumbles in between bites. “it is delicious. i’m gonna have to tell the academy chef thank you once again.” 

she keeps digging in, nodding in agreement with azura. “that’s true. i’d probably put in more spice if making it just for myself, or for the two of us.” she raises a questioning eyebrow at astrea, an unspoken question between them about a possible dinner “date” in the near future. “but this spice level might be best for serving it at the tavern. i wouldn’t want the customers to run screaming because their tongues are on fire.” she chuckles. “though that might mean more business for you.” 

[ufazura]

CONGRATULATIONS! you have LEVELED UP!

AZURA has received a 4 STAT level up and is now LEVEL 4.

you will gain levels by being active throughout the roleplay and meeting certain requirements. these requirements are a secret, but consider every ic post as something that gains you experience and puts you one step closer to your next level up.

remember, the stats you can add have been randomized, and you must now distribute one point each across four different stats. you must add two of those stat points to two of the strong skills listed on your application (SPEED, DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.) 

please record this level up on the “stat tracker” page of your status page, and link this post under the “link” heading as proof of your level up. well done!

[ufazura]

see you again.

an awaited reunion with @odetteuf

azura carefully pulls her hood back over her head as she exits her old house. the only person who can see her at the moment should technically only be her dad’s old friend, but she can never be too careful around kesthe. she’s definitely had that problem before, many many years ago, where she would still have a few residents recognize her. 

she sighs as she starts climbing down the ladder going up to the house. it never really stopped annoying her how this city was built. sure, like 99% of its residents were, y’know... birds, but still. it had made it extremely annoying for her to live there, and it’s an annoyance she has to relive every time she comes back to visit. 

the last few steps are skipped, and azura drops down on the ground with a soft thud. as she continues walking, she strokes her palms together, an attempt to get rid of the dirt lingering from the ladder. it’s quiet, the only audible sounds being the singing of birds from somewhere far away. there’s never much life in this part of town, it being mostly on the outskirts. but she fears she won’t have as much luck where she’s going next. part of her just wants to go home, already slightly exhausted at the thought of entering the heart of the bird laguz’ residence, but... she’s been getting into the habits of only doing quick visits lately, which means she hadn’t seen odette in a while. and while azura distrusts most laguz, she adores odette. the girl is almost like a little sister to her, and she does feel slightly bad that it’s been a while since she’d stopped by. 

azura keeps her head down as she walks through the more populated areas of kesthe, careful to mind her own business, while not seeming suspicious in any way. which is surprisingly a thin line to walk, but she manages to get through the streets and the people that filled them, and arrives safely at her destination: the heron azazel’s residence. 

a quick tap on the door, and she is let inside, the servant who opened the door letting her know where odette could be found. while azura has been here plenty of times, enough to not get lost in the hallways, she can never quite seem to get used to just how big this place is. well, big is relative, she supposes. there certainly are nobles and royalty who have much larger residences than this, but it’s far bigger than anything azura has ever lived in, and that includes the one noble family she served years ago. 

still, she easily finds the young heron, a grin breaking out on her face as she spots her. “odette!” she calls out, approaching the younger for a hug. “i’m sorry i haven’t been around in a while. buuut! i’m here the rest of the day, so you can have me all to yourself. how does that sound?” 

[ufazura]

ufenemies:

the day is nothing out of the ordinary. in fact, it’s nice: sun shining overhead, sky clear. the perfect day for a walk, maybe?

there’s a small town up ahead, known, unfortunately, to suffer from frequent bandit attacks. it just doesn’t have the same defenses a larger town might.

as you approach, you see a lone suspicious man wielding an axe on the outskirts of the village. when he spots you, he walks toward you, then immediately falls into a defensive stance. he raises his axe, an attempt to look threatening.

“what are you doing here? you better mind your business, or i’ll make you regret it.”

AZURA has encountered a BANDIT. he has 20 HP, and is equipped with an IRON AXE. what will she do?

azura enjoys going for the occasional walk on her days off, sometimes even warping elsewhere to check out different farming villages. there’s something about the produce they offer there, usually fresher and overall better quality than what she can find in bigger cities. and if there’s one thing she has learned is a great “secret” ingredient in her cooking, it’s fresh ingredients, bought directly from farming villages or towns such as the one she’s currently approaching. 

she’s been here before a few times, but today, something seems off. as she walks towards the city gates, she spots someone lurking around the road, weapon already drawn. she’s quick to note the axe, and assumes this is one of the bandits that have been attacking the area recently.

her first instinct is to hide, then wait to see what the bandit will do, but that plan falls apart as soon as he clearly sees her and comes towards her. shit. well, she likely has no choice but to fight, she thinks, as her hand instinctively rests on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw her weapon if necessary. as the bandit’s demeanor becomes more and more threatening, her grip of the hilt tightens, and her stance changes to an evasive one, ready to dodge any possible attacks. 

“i’m just here to check out the village markets,” she tells the bandit. she considers her options — she could completely back off, but… that would leave the bandit to keep roaming around the village, which would inevitably lead to him attacking innocents. no, she has to fight — there’s no other sensible choice. 

“i don’t want any trouble, but you already brought trouble along yourself, lurking around a defenseless village like this.” azura begins drawing her sword. “so i guess i have no choice but to get rid of you,” she declares as she draws the sword completely, and rushes towards the bandit, ready to attack.

[ufazura]

slow it down.

finnuf​:

she keeps asking him questions. god. finn’s head already hurts, but he tries his best to focus and recall what she asks of him, even for as little as he wants to think. if he was a touch more sober, he would have a conscious thought where he considers thanking her for accompanying him, and for her patience, but in reality he is too far gone and having far too much trouble answering a yes or no question. where is the inn? feels far. he doesn’t really remember where, just that it’s far. “yeah,” he replies. azura is the one that lives here, isn’t she? shouldn’t she know better than him where the inn is?

regardless, he trudges along beside azura, even as picking up each foot for step after step feels like a huge chore. “can i just sleep here?” he asks her, because he’s so tired suddenly, and he doesn’t want to walk that far. he wouldn’t mind sleeping in the dirt, especially not right now. he’s sure people less drunk than him have passed out somewhere worse. somehow he doubts azura will allow it though.

she says something about how being able to think is good. finn still disagrees, but at least right now, he doesn’t feel too bad. maybe focusing on walking in a straight line is a good enough distraction from whatever was bothering him before, which he also can’t remember right now. mission accomplished, maybe? tomorrow…ugh. he definitely doesn’t want to think about that. if he feels bad tomorrow he’ll just sleep all day. he can do that, right? he hopes so.

soup. that sounds nice. “okay,” he answers easily, though tomorrow’s finn may not want visitors if he’s too hungover. then again, any finn turning down free food isn’t realistic, and it’s not like he isn’t used to hangovers at this point. it’ll probably be fine.

“tired,” he mumbles. why did he pick an inn so far from the tavern if he wanted to get so drunk he couldn’t think? stupid.

“no,” she tells him, shaking her head as she keeps dragging him alone. “sleeping here wouldn’t be very comfortable. you’re better off getting to a bed, so you can properly rest your body. you’ll feel much better than if you just pass out here, i promise.” it might not be something she has experienced herself, as she’s never been one for drinking enough alcohol to get lost in it, but she’s had experienced with her fair share of drunk people over the years. she knows what will help alleviate a hangover. 

they keep walking, both of them silent for a while after finn agrees to her offer of bringing him soup. her mind wanders elsewhere as she keeps pulling him along, their steps slow but steady, and she tries to remember if she has all the ingredients she needs for her soup. she knows she has cheese, for sure, but she’s unsure if she has any onions left. the rest should be essentials she always keeps in her kitchen. ah, well. judging from the state of finn, she doubts he’ll wake up too early, which will give her enough time to stop by the market for some onions in the morning. 

another word from the younger pulls her out of her thoughts, and she slows down a bit, shifting her attention over to him. “i know you’re tired,” she says, sympathetically as she too is getting quite tired, but she’s too determined to get him back to the inn safely to just leave him here. “that’s why we have to get back to the inn, remember? so you can—” she abruptly goes quiet, pulling finn with her behind a building as an axe flies by them. 

shit. but also, what the fuck? that had to be bandits. at least that seems to be the most likely outcome, because why on earth would anyone else be out in noyillai throwing axes in the middle of the night. those fucking bastards. they must be getting cocky if they’re entering the city now.

“uh, okay, new plan,” she whispers to finn. “we have to either fight or run. i think there’s bandits in the city, the goddess knows why, and the bad news is they just threw an axe after us.” whether he’s sober enough to understand what she’s telling him, she’s not sure, but she’s not above slapping some sense into him if she has to. 

“finn.” she looks him into the eyes, but is careful not to let her guard down — she can still see the corner of the building they’re hiding behind in the corner of her eye. “are you with me?” 

[ufazura]

whispers in the wind

ufeliot​:

at the mention of bandits, eliot is already shaking his head in exhaustion. “yeah, it’s been horrible. i mean, i’m all for getting stronger but they’re really a pain to deal with.” he winces at the sounds his knuckles make when he cracks them, shaking to dispel the uncomfortable tension they hold. “sometimes i just want to get to my destination with no detours, and everything in tact.

eliot is the first to know that looks can be deceiving and he thinks the other is one of those people. if she’s held her own against bandits she’s probably really strong or at least good with a weapon. "i’m getting by, but it’s a learning curve for sure. all this fighting’s got me eating enough for two to catch up.” he doesn’t mention the few times he’s cut it close with the luck of a passerby. “i’m guessing you do too? you look the strong type!” he offers her another smile to avoid miscommunication– the last thing he needs is for someone to think he’s being insulting and getting into a tavern brawl.

“thank you, azura.” he raises he topped-up glass in salute before downing a bit more. “i have a feeling part of it is the bandit situation, i’ve come across quite a few farmers and such caught in the crossfire and there’s not much help on empty travel routes.” eliot’s had to jump in too many times to count, which isn’t many he just hates math; it’s rough seeing it play out in real time and not being able to do much more than help in the moment.

“a friend,” he bites his lip and wonders just how much he should offer in hopes of getting accurate information back. “i have no ill intentions, just trying to find them.” he may not know azura well since they’d just met, but it was best to be honest just in case she had good morals as well. eliot knew if someone had come around asking the same thing of him and he perceived them to be looking for trouble, he’d probably lead them down a different direction. “he’s missing, i want to bring him home to his family and i have no idea where he’s headed.” he taps the side of his glass in dejection, feeling the hopelessness take hold. “there’s a lot of land to cover– these bandits aren’t making it much easier i’ll have to admit.”

“i’m glad to hear. though you ought to get better at staying out of trouble, if you’re fighting enough to warrant eating for two.” azura gives him a stern look, though there’s a hint of a smile playing on her lips, making her seem more playful than serious. “how do you prefer to fight, if i may ask?” another glance over the bar counter confirms she still can’t spot a proper weapon on him. “sorry for prying. just didn’t see you carry a weapon, so naturally i’m curious.” 

“hah.” she lets out a chuckle. “i don’t know about strong. i guess i’m strong enough, but that has taken years of practice.” many more years than this young man could imagine. “i’m more of the speedy type. y’know, they can’t hit me if i’m so fast that i manage to move away from their axe.” 

at his salute, she breaks out into a grin, nodding back to him. it’s a bit strange, really, but this stranger’s appreciation of her lemonade has all but made her day. perhaps it’s the lack of many other customers — she can’t exactly say her day has been eventful. this is probably the most engaging conversation she’s had all day, if she’s being honest. 

“hmm, yeah. it’s a pity for the farmers. they don’t normally have much to defend themselves with. except for maybe pitchforks, but i don’t know how effective that would be against axes. you’d think people living here, in the city, shouldn’t be too worried, though. at least i haven’t heard about any bandit attacks in the middle of any cities?” it’s more of a question than a statement — despite working at a tavern, and coming across her fair share of information and gossip, azura doesn’t know everything. 

she nods, still trying to think of any possibly useful information she’s heard. she trusts him when he says he has no ill intentions — he’s given her no reason to be suspicious of him in any way. “you know, i might have heard something. well, overheard it.” she pauses, taking a moment to think. “though i can’t remember where i heard it. you see, i was in xakar last week, and i can’t remember if i heard it here or while i was there. so i’m sorry if that makes the info less useful for you.” 

“anyway, so the thing i heard... some men, they looked to be quite strong, were talking about some hooded figure they had run into. from what i understood, they’d tried to talk to this person, but they had been overly secretive. refusing to answer any questions, that kinda thing. don’t know why they’d been so insistent to talk to them, though.” she shrugs. “i don’t know if that’s helpful to you in any way? sorry if it’s not.” 

[ufazura]

whispers in the wind

ufeliot​:

the lady manning the bar must be a deity or some sort of saviour. the glass of lemonade, freshly made she supplies, looks so cool and inviting eliot feels his mouth instantly water at just the thought of downing it all in one go. he won’t– he has better manners than that despite how tired and in need of hydration he is. the temptation is sweet though.

“no, no, this is perfectly alright.” he offers a wide smile, hoping she understands how grateful he is. he doesn’t want to weigh himself down with ale tonight, he knows he’ll get halfway through and with how tired he already is he’ll most likely pass out before finishing.

eliot’s already a quarter way through in one go when she offers him a question. “not too much more than usual, y'know with all the instances of people causing trouble on the roads recently.” and it is exhausting, but it’s easy to recognize the training it’s giving his magic at the same time; the property damage they cause is an unfortunate side effect.

“quiet night?” he offers in return, twisting his body to give the tavern another once over, recognizing the same faces as when he first came in. he takes a moment to consider his options before turning back to her. “my name is eliot, by the way, nice to meet you.” after a moment he sets the glass down and leans in slightly, “you haven’t had anyone cloaked and a little suspicious come passing through here recently, have you?” he knows it’s probably a naive question to ask, a lot of people leaning towards protecting their privacy during these times- but it doesn’t hurt to take a chance.

azura can’t help but smile at the reaction her lemonade gets out of the guy. it’s clear she was right in assuming he must have been very thirsty. that, or her lemonade is just that good (which, honestly, it is. she might not have the proficiency with magic to be able to cool it down properly, but thankfully the tavern owner has got that bit covered.) — but she suspects it’s a bit of both. 

“mhm,” she hums, nodding as he talks about the troubling roads on the way here. he’s not the first that’s ran into issues lately, that’s for sure. “you run into any of those bandits on the way here?” she asks. “i’ve heard about these bandits attacks becoming more frequent lately. hell, i even ran into some of ‘em myself, too, the other week. they can be brutal, for sure.” what she doesn’t mention, is that the bandits were hardly the most brutal part of her encounter with them. 

“i trust you know how to handle yourself with them, though, right?” she gives the guy a once over, as if checking that he’s got all limbs intact. “since you’re here in one piece and all.” the man isn’t carrying a weapon, at least not that she can take note of, but he seems uninjured, at the very least. 

“it’s a bit quieter than usual, yeah. dunno if there’s something else going on that’s taking up people’s time. or maybe they’re just too afraid of bandits to leave their houses in the evening.” there’s a shrug, signaling that she’s not that bothered about the lack of customers. it can be refreshing to get somewhat of a break, once in a while. about as refreshing as that glass of lemonade had been for this guy, she imagines. 

“azura,” she nods in response to his introduction, “and the pleasure’s all mine.” once the glass is put back down on the bar, she takes her opportunity to refill it. “free of charge,” she promises. might as well offer the remainder of the lemonade to someone who’ll enjoy it — not like they’re likely to have many more customers that night, anyway. at least not any that are likely to ask for any non-alcoholic drinks, that is. 

his question immediately catches her attention. not necessarily because she’s heard anything, but because it’s clear he must be looking for someone. someone who might not want to be found. “cloaked and suspicious, you say?” she hums thoughtfully, squinting her eyes as she rummages through her head for any helpful information. “haven’t had anyone fitting both those requirements pass through here lately, no. you looking for someone?” 

[ufazura]

CONGRATULATIONS! you have LEVELED UP!

AZURA has received a 2 STAT level up and is now LEVEL 3.

you will gain levels by being active throughout the roleplay and meeting certain requirements. these requirements are a secret, but consider every ic post as something that gains you experience and puts you one step closer to your next level up.

remember, the stats you can add have been randomized, and you must now distribute one point each across two different stats. since you only earned two stat points, you must add both to two of the strong skills listed on your application (SPEED, DEXTERITY and STRENGTH.)

please record this level up on the “stat tracker” page of your status page, and link this post under the “link” heading as proof of your level up. well done!

[ufazura]

slow it down.

finnuf:

“nuh uh,” finn argues weakly, because he really is not drunk enough as far as he’s concerned. maybe it won’t be so bad getting out of here, though. sleeping will also accomplish his desired goal of not having to think, so it might work. azura seems awfully determined to make sure he leaves, so he might as well go along with it. he is a little tired.

still, in the back of his mind, is all of the people he abandoned, and all of the people he let die, and all of the suffering he is responsible for. “i can still think,” he laments, like it’s some grave disappointment and comes as a major shock.

still, he shuffles along as azura half drags him out the door and into the night. the fresh air is a little sobering, much to finn’s disappointment, but he really is so inebriated that it barely matters. she lets go of him just a little and he teeters there, but gains his balance soon enough, at least with azura’s hand still on his arm. “i can do it,” he assures her with incredibly misplaced confidence and a nod. yes, he can stand, at least for now. he thinks he can walk too, but finn thinking so does not mean it’s true, especially when he’s drunk.

“same inn…” he repeats her words, eyebrows furrowing together in thought. where is he staying? kind of far away…he remembers that much, and then he remembers how many times he’s traveled the path to it. not the name, though, at least not yet. hopefully azura can help him out on that front. “yes, same inn,” he confirms with another nod.

“okay.” azura nods back at him, confirming she’s heard him. “if i remember correctly, that inn was on the other side of town, right?” she asks, though she’s not sure if he’s going to be able to form a coherent enough answer, judging from the shape he’s in. if he evens remember where the inn is himself, that is. she’ll bare careful not to put too much faith in him, she thinks. 

“let’s go, then. i’ll be with you all the way back,” she declares, and slowly starts steering them towards the right direction. at least what she’s pretty sure is the right direction, if finn is right about which inn he’s staying at. her hand is still loosely gripping his arm, as she’s not willing to gamble that he’s able to walk properly on his own, no matter how well he seems to be doing. just because he’s able to stand, doesn’t mean he’s able to walk the entire distance back without falling on his face in the process.

as they slowly make their way up the street, azura’s thoughts are stuck on something finn had said a few minutes prior. he had told her he could still think, which is good in and of itself, but the way he had said it made it seem like he thinks otherwise. so maybe there’s a reason behind his getting so drunk he can’t walk straight? 

“you know,” she begins, softly, glancing over at him as they walk. “it’s good that you can still think. means you’re not too far gone. might help you feel better tomorrow, right?” she doesn’t ask about his tone, or if there was any hidden meaning behind his words. she doesn’t want to pry, after all. azura cares about finn, sees him as something of a friend even, after the times he’s stopped by the tavern and the conversations they’ve had. but they’re nowhere near close enough for her to start prying into his private matters. she knows she wouldn’t feel comfortable if he did the same to her, either. instead, she offers him words she hopes will bring a sense of comfort to the man.

“if you’d like, i can come by with some freshly made soup tomorrow. my cheesy onion soup is known to have cured its fair share of hangovers.” 

[ufeliot]

whispers in the wind | @ufazura

the sun is setting and eliot is exhausted. he’d been travelling almost non-stop all day and the only breaks he had was when he ran into bandits or someone asked him for directions. the roads were winding and long and although eliot could find a warp pad, it wouldn’t really help him scout out the areas in between. he didn’t even have a set path to follow in his search for aleksi.

as soon as eliot had seen his brother vanish in front of his eyes, set up for execution and then suddenly gone, he’d searched for him. there were no clues in the square, nothing to point to where he’d disappeared to so his immediate next stop had been home. running after him impulsively would get him nowhere. his parents were probably wondering where he was and he had to set up his daily chores with his siblings. he’d need some supplies for the road– he at least knew that. if he was going to find his older brother, he would need to be prepared; aleksi wouldn’t be out in plain sight so eliot would have to work even harder than whatever trouble would be following him.

he’d found a tavern just as night was beginning to fall and eliot was relieved to have a nice drink and the possibility of any gossip. noyillai wasn’t an area he was hoping to collect much information from but it was a necessary stop on his way to the water.

sitting down finally, eliot let out a soft puff of a sigh. it wasn’t too busy of a night which killed his hopes of gathering much information on a runaway wanted man, but it was nice to finally have a break.

“excuse me, can i get something nice and cold– whatever you have?”

[ufazura]

the tavern is relatively quiet that night, as far as end-of-the-week nights go. there were a few regulars around, as always, as well as a few lesser-seen faces along with some brand new ones. azura isn’t sure why there are less people here today than usual, but for all she knows there could be some other happening in town that’s attracting people instead — she’ll admit she’s not the most attentive when it comes to that sort of thing. still, she doesn’t mind it. it’s nice to feel like she actually has the time to talk to everyone properly when manning the bar. 

though some conversations she would rather be without. she’s been listening to a customer’s drunken complaints about his wife for a bit too long, when a new face walks in, giving her the perfect excuse to politely excuse herself. with a smile, she approaches the newly-arrived man, asking “how may i help you?” as he sits down. it doesn’t take her long to take note of the fact that he looks exhausted, as if he just came from a long hike. strange, considering the existence of warp pads, but she doesn’t comment on it, for now. 

she nods at his request, filling a cup with some fresh, sweet lemonade before setting it in front of him. “that’s lemonade, freshly made. though if you’d like something a bit heavier, we do have some cold ale as well. but you looked like you could use something refreshing.” she smiles, studying him for another moment. 

“rough night?”

[ufazura]

taste test.

ufastrea​:

it’s been a long day. a long, emotionally draining, day. and it had started relatively quiet, too, which astrea knows is a curse because the moment you let yourself relish in the quiet, something unexpected comes bounding through the door. in today’s case, it was an older man with a very unwell looking child. and heavens, it’s always immediately worse when it’s a child. astrea worked her hardest and the child is fine and resting now, but it took many hours out of her day and likely a couple years off of her lifespan. 

after closing shop her instinct was to dwell in the dark and maybe ponder the state of the world. this was immediately halted, however, when the healer noticed she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. fantastic. with time to be hungry, no energy to whip up something herself, and the common sense to know that dwelling in the dark really is never the answer, astrea found the strength to tidy herself up and go outside. 

mind cleared already with the fresh air, this was how astrea found herself walking into the tavern. almost immediately, she’s greeted by her favourite server, carrying a mountain of dishes and her smile lifts into a smile. “azura! let me help–” before astrea can finish her offer, the other woman has disappeared with the nonexistent wind. she laughs lightly, and moves towards the bar. 

“oh, thank you.” she takes her usual spot at the bar, her heart already feeling lighter than it was only moments ago. 

astrea watches azura’s attempt to convince her with amusement, as if it’s even a question that the healer would want to help her out. even so, astrea plays into it, tapping a finger to her chin and looking contemplative. 

“i don’t know… free food? cooked by a pretty lady like you? hmmm…” 

but there’s still an upward curve to her lips, and astrea can only act it out for so long. “of course, i’d be honoured to be your taste tester, silly. i can even give you a rating, with my very professional qualifications.” 

azura supposes her attempt at convincing the healer to taste her new dish had been a tad bit overkill. after all, the younger didn’t seem hesitant when agreeing to the taste test. (except that she did. but azura knows that was meant as a joke. she hopes.) nevertheless, astrea had agreed, earning herself another grin from the server. 

“okay! i’ll go get you a bowl.” she’s gone just as fast again, eager to get her friend a serving and — most importantly — getting the long-awaited feedback she’s been wanting. grabbing a wooden bowl from one of the cupboards, she fills it with a generous serving of the stew, before sticking a spoon in it as a finishing touch. the food is warm, having been cooked on the low heat for hours, and smells — quite frankly — delicious. this might actually turn out to be a success. 

just as she’s about to turn to leave, the grumbling of her own stomach stops her. right. while she might have put a lot of work into this dish today, that and, y’know, doing her actual job has distracted her from looking after her own needs. it’s almost funny, in a way, that she can work around food most of the day, and yet fail to realize her own hunger for it. she fills up yet another bowl before leaving, heading back into the tavern with two bowls in her hands — one for astrea, and one for herself. 

“so this is a spicy fish and turnip stew,” she tells astrea as she puts the bowls down, making sure to offer the fuller one to her friend. “i got the recipe from one of the cooks over at lotus academy. there’s fish, obviously, and some vegetables. turnips, potatoes, onions and peppers, for the most part. though i’m not sure if it’s too spicy or not.” she glances down at her own bowl, slightly stirring it with the spoon. it does look delicious, at least. she just hopes it tastes as good as it looks. she briefly considers digging in, but no — she’s too nervous for astrea’s judgement to focus on her own food. 

looking back up at the healer, she gives her an expectant look. “tell me what you think, yeah? and you can be brutally honest, if you’d like. actually, i’d prefer it if you were.” though she doubts astrea would lie to her, but better safe than sorry.