everything stays

eliot thanien | mage disclaimer: not affiliated with ji changmin, the boyz, or ist entertainment

[ufeliot]

finnuf​:

it’s dangerous to walk alone in gleerium these days; former etlia territory, anyway. for whatever reason, the monsters that appeared during the lotus festival run more rampant in this area than anywhere else. that’s the biggest reason why finn returned to his homeland, or what remained of it. would gleerium protect the civilians they ruled over now, even if they once called etlia home? he didn’t trust them to.

 it’s not like finn is the best person to look after anyone. he has a history of massive failure in that area, actually, but he figures…it’s better than being a complete coward. he owes it to his…former people, to try to defend them. he knows many of them must hate him now, either for losing the war or for abandoning them in its aftermath, but still. maybe part of it is just him wanting to make up for all his failures, as if it’s even possible.

he somehow both feels like he’s supposed to be here and like he made a mistake in returning. the grief of being back weighs on his chest constantly, but he deserves to suffer for it; for everything he’s done, and everything he didn’t when they needed him to.

so maybe that’s why he walks alone now; some self-destructive tendency, seeking danger. this isn’t podakko, where he can find anyone to fight just about anywhere. this is the land of the civilized, as he’s sure gleerium would say. fine, then. he just has to look a little harder, and maybe in doing so, he can do some sort of good for the people here.

he hears someone yelling, then, and he instinctively places a hand on the hilt of his sword. if he’s asking for fighters, there must be danger up ahead, and if there’s anything finn is, it’s a fighter.

and a runner, but that doesn’t matter for now.

or maybe it does, because he starts running toward the voice, and he arrives just in time to see the body of whom he assumes was calling for help hit a tree. he only briefly registers that he recognizes that face, before he turns his attention to the masked assailant and draws his sword. 

his new enemy’s face is mostly obscured by a mask worn over his mouth and nose, only his eyes visible. “what do you want?” finn demands.

he doesn’t receive an answer, and instead, the dark figure attempts to attack him. thankfully, finn’s reflexes save him, and he blocks the blow. he narrows his eyes, still trying to make sense of the situation.

an assassin from omaduun, maybe? they could be from anywhere, really, but the garb is reminiscent of what he’s seen from the country of darkness, and who else would need a mask? finn blocks another attack. “what do you want?” he repeats, but still receives no answer, so he charges forward himself, swords clanging together as they fight. 

“if you don’t explain yourself i’ll kill you,” finn threatens, with full intent to see it through. in the back of his mind, he’s still vaguely aware of the original victim of the masked figure’s attack. maybe he’ll recover and be able to help soon; not that finn thinks he needs any assistance.

there’s about a million things currently running through eliot’s head and yet none of them he can grasp on. the tuft of hair at the back of his head feels damp and it could be tree sap or the evidence of his current position. 

he’s able to push himself up from the ground once the assailant’s attention is off of him. he’ll make offers to whoever he needs to once it’s over that the new fighter headed his call, that the wind carried his voice. 

it would be stupid of him to try and use his magic right now, when he’s already on his last dregs, injured. he might accidently catch his ally in the process. it also might distract him so he focuses on assessing the field and getting upright. 

there’s no mistaking the familiar face, one he’d seen overall not too long ago. it was a coincidence that may as well have saved his life. there was no telling how long the other would able to go in a fight, and that’s assuming eliot would have been able to steady himself for a proper battle. he hated sneak attacks and, of course, that was primarily what he found himself in the middle of.

“he came out of nowhere,” he offers, loud enough for the other to hear him and when it’s obvious they’d receive no reply.

“where did you come from?” he adds to the interrogation. “what did you want from me?” the figure cocks his head and quickly throws something small and sharp at him. eliot’s not the fastest but he manages to duck to the side in time just to miss whatever it was. “coward,” he mutters to himself.

“did someone send you here?”

[ufeliot]

the scent of love | solo

the metal pieces wouldn't go back together. no matter how hard he tried to will it, no matter  the cuts that were forming as the too sharp edges pushed into the calloused skin of his fingers, there was nothing he could do for it right now. he would have to section it away in a pouch and hope the next village would offer the opportunity for him to have it professionally fixed.

eliot remembered the day he'd given it to lavender, whose name was given to her for the sprawling fields of the beautiful flowers her parents had settled their marriage home in. his own mother had teased him relentlessly about his puppy crush yet had still helped him press the mall lavender pieces he'd collected and twine around some of the fluffy wool from their own farm. he’d presented it to her when they were both still tiny little kids and she’d accepted it and held his hand all day before they split ways to go home for the night. she’d been his first love and last.

tw: mention of character death, animal attack

tragedy was a familiar thing for him and it didn’t lessen the pain every subsequent time he experienced it’s thorny embrace.

she’d been too young, out in the fields alone as her mother cooked dinner and her father not yet returned from his daily work. they hadn’t heard her scream and only found out what happened when she didn’t come at her mother’s beckoning for dinner to start. the wolves, or whatever beast had found her, hadn’t stuck around. the pain did.

he was returned the locket sometime after; it had remained something he wouldn’t touch for years following the incident. once he’d grown up a bit more and dealt with his grief surrounding her memory, and realizing he would continue to lose people in his life as her grew older, he recognized the comfort it brought him to wear it as a sort of token. he still would remember the sorrow he felt, but it was just as easy now to remember the laughter.

it hurt to see it in pieces; the chain had broken in two places and the locket itself was in pieces. he’d salvaged as much as he could of the tiny pressed flowers, which was the most important part. if the next town couldn’t help him, he’d just have to keep looking.

[ufeliot]

running to the sun | @finnuf

at least eliot could say he was back in gleerium, not that that meant much when it was the largest country. realistically, he was still way too far from his family to be comfortable, but there was some sense of ease in knowing he was there. despite being back in gleerium, he wasn't en route home. the past leg of his wandering trip was full of violence, all the incidents happening seemingly happening one by one and never stopping. it definitely was a steep learning curve in his abilities and limits with his magic and stamina. eliot had thought after the first encounters with monsters plaguing the town roads, there would be a light at the end of the tunnel, but it hadn't seemed to stop and they just kept getting worse- and bigger. it kept him on his toes and his reflexes sharp.

this had all just meant that he hadn't been back home in an uncomfortable amount of time. how could he go home when he could be helping- as inexperienced as he seemed compared to some of the others doing the same. he'd helped quite a few people in the early stages of infestation and attack, had seen how that had affected the towns he'd passed through and how his skills had gotten better and decided this would be a temporary path for him. while his end goal stayed in sight, as always, eliot knew now this was something that had to be dealt with.

but he was tired, and missed the apron his mother would wear in their kitchen- no matter how hard he'd scrub it in the water or how long they let it air in the gentle breezes under the sun, it always smelt like a mix of honey, milk, and gardenias. he'd never complain over it like his mother's tripes; the comfort it brought him far outweighed any sort of annoyances. he missed the smell of his mother, his father's warm hands, and the sounds of his siblings' laughter. he'd been gone too long but the letters he exchanged with his home relieved him of any worry and brought him the slightest comfort. at least their area was okay so far. and at the first mention of trouble brewing, he'd be at the first warp back. those letters allowed him to stay resolute on his current path of stepping in where he could. he wasn't the strongest but he could assist in some ways.

making way through a long stretch of forest had taken the better part of his day. the trees were swaying serenely in the current weather which painted a beautiful picture he could only hope to recreate, a shame he had none of his paint on him, but they stretched wide and far and eliot only made it to the new roads when the horizon was already darkening into oranges and purples. he'd learned to be much more careful in the past months, so when the silence turned from calming to unsettling, his guard built right up. the stretch ahead of him was empty and nothing seemed amiss from the portion of forest he'd just walked through, which meant he wasn't expecting the strike to his back. a gasp barely made it past his lips when the air seemed to knock completely out of him at the ground's impact.

he's quick to roll over, a kneeling stance taken in the damp grass below him. "show your face!" it's his own mistake for not directing his vision upwards, not noticing the shadows over his head. his enemy exudes a strength that eliot's not quite sure he can match, especially not after the trek he'd made on only berries and nuts- expecting to have found a tavern to grab a filling dinner at. "damn it," he curses under his breath and backs up, careful not to jostle his smarting shoulder too much. "are there any fighters out here?" he calls out loudly, pulling from his stomach to boost his voice. there's strength in numbers, he'd learned that the hard way before.

eliot's not given any time to call out again, immediately having to block another hit and another and another and- it's hard to even turn to the offence, constantly having to block as it hits him again and again and he's sent flying into a tree, vision melting slightly at the edges at the shock of it. "bastard luck today, huh?"

[ufeliot]

his mother’s hands are soft as they cup his face. the warmth settles something in his chest, what had been rattling around unknown and unheard by eliot. he had felt something off since he’d left home but it wasn’t something he was fully concious of until he returned. he could always count on the woman who raised him to solve problems for him that he didn’t even realize existed. 

eliot’s childhood wasn’t entirely care free, but being a child came with a certain level of ignorance and naivety; his mother always had his back regardless. he loved her

he missed the smell the fields carried, rolling grass hills and the fresh scent of flowers. the animals around made sure it was never a silent peace, but a calming one regardless of the background noise they provided. if he cleared his mind fully, he could spend hours laying on their lands.

“do you think deyuis will ever be peaceful again mother?”

“honey, it never truly was.”

[ufeliot]

it seemed like just eliot’s luck that the celebration he chose to attend would dissolve into madness. chaos was running through the crowd at every point he turned to. most of the attendees had run to grab their weapons, the group that stayed to initially fight the mogalls were obviously mages because no one in their right mind would fight empty handed.

there wasn’t much he could do when faced with the attack- he knew somewhat of them, had learned in his schooling, but faced with them and knowing the light mages had an advantage he somewhat regretted his natural affinity to wind. he wanted to be of more use, more capable in the face of danger. the most he could do was fend off the physical fighters from a vantage point.

as time went on and the battle continued, he could see that he was at least protecting the few in his immediate circle- despite the onslaught of mogalls.

“your back! there’s two coming up your back!” he called out to one of those just at the edge of his reach. “duck!”

[ufeliot]

ufvivian​:

     her expression freezes when he says that he’s from gleerium, and it feels like ice has just swept through her. she should have guessed. it always seems like the happiest people are from gleerium, unaware of the wars that their country had waged, the lives that they had stolen and disrupted. maybe it’s not fair of her to be angry at all the people of gleerium, but a mage…? surely he must hail from nobility, and in that case, she thinks she has ample right to be angry. the nobles are complicit. 

     “gleerium,” she repeats in a suddenly flat tone, quite a visible (or audible) indicator that something has gone wrong in their conversation. she’s not from noyillai, simply studies there, but to hell with it if anyone in deyuis thinks she’s going to tell someone from gleerium that she’s from etlia. 

     “i see.” her expression is so shuttered, her expression so blank now, that it would be impossible for eliot to not realize something is wrong. it’s suddenly as though she’s carved out of ice, such a contrast to the fire she wields. 

it's obvious there's something wrong but it takes eliot a moment to notice it. he frowns instinctively despite knowing it would probably be rude of him. nothing has come up on the street ahead of them, he looks to check behind them and there's nothing there either. he's confused at the sudden turn of conversation. one moment he thinks he has a new friend and now she's looking at him like he's the dirt under her shoes. it's not something he's entirely unused to- he's had his share of the same look at omaduun, when he was studying. it's fine, he reasons on basis that it's nothing new, but it's uncomfortable because he's not sure what he's done wrong. and it must be something he's done wrong, he can't find any other factor to the turn of atmosphere.

he kicks lightly at a pebble and sighs. "i'm sorry if i've said something that upset you." he grabs at his side satchel for something to keep his hands busy. "my father always jokes that being raised in a barn makes me forget my manners." perhaps it was his asking of where she was from- maybe it was a sore spot and he didn't pick up on the hints that that would be rude of him- to be fair she had only asked where he was going, not where he'd been.

"if you let me know what i did wrong... i promise not to do it again--" it was just his luck that he'd find another mage that was pretty, nice, and could fight and ruin it within the same nightfall.

[finnuf]

backup

ufeliot​:

“finn, i’m grateful!” eliot knows not to question the oddness of the other only giving one name. in the small amount of traveling he did for studies and then more recently, he’d met quite a few people with only one given name. plus, finn had introduced himself as a mercenary and perhaps had something to hide as a result- not that eliot could judge, he’d been secretive over the reason he was on his journey as well. he’s sure there’s others out on the same search he’s on but with more nefarious intents. technically they’d be on the perceived right side but eliot knew better, hence his long-winding travel.

“i’m glad he made it okay.” he had felt pretty guilty brushing the kid off so quickly and not making sure he made it to safety. the main danger was the bandits so he felt a little justified, yet still felt a bit bad about it. most kids knew better, to run and find someone older when in trouble and have them handle it. eliot knew some kids faced the presence of danger head on, if the boy he’d encountered had been one of those he’d likely have been dead by the time eliot ran into the group. maybe he had some good self-preservation instincts, or was just a coward- eliot was silently happy regardless.

“ah, what a lifesaver then. i’ll have to thank him too.” he chuckles and moves to stand, groaning at the slight stiffness he felt from the position had subjected his body to. “which way did he go?” he points the way the boy was originally running and waits for finn’s confirmation before moving. “glad he listened to you. not sure what i would’ve done if i was a kid in his position- whether i would have split immediately or tried to defend myself with tiny fists or a play sword.” his innate curiosity probably would have screwed him over in the end and had him fighting, just like the knights in his childhood stories. “so what has you over this area, your mercenary work?”

eliot is so…chipper. maybe that’s not the word, but he’s quite friendly and enthusiastic, despite taking a rather hefty blow mere moments ago. you’d think such an injury would be a little sobering, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for eliot. he reminds him a bit of a friendly dog. there are lots of strays in podakko, some friendly and some not, but eliot certainly seems like the type to bound right over happily, no matter who you may be. or maybe he’s just warmed up to finn quickly because he might’ve saved his life? either way, it’s almost a little amusing, and finn’s lips quirk up into the smallest smile.

part of finn wonders if it’s a little too soon to say the kid made it out okay. what if there were more bandits apart from the ones they just defeated that found him? no, he’s probably fine; finn told him to scream if he ran into trouble, after all, but it’s probably best not to waste time just in case, too. “i had him hide behind a pretty tall stack of firewood near one of the houses closer to the edge of the village. hopefully he’s still there.” finn probably wouldn’t have been able to stay still for that long at that age, truthfully, but finn also probably wouldn’t have been smart enough to find help instead of trying to win an uneven fight himself. (he hasn’t changed much in that regard, to be fair.)

“this way,” finn says, and begins to lead them toward where he had the child wait. he nods as eliot considers what he would’ve done at that age, too. “it’s probably a good thing we were never in this situation regardless,” and he hopes this event won’t traumatize the child too much. it’s certainly a frightening event…

eliot breaks him out of his thoughts with his question. what has him in the area? eliot asks him about his mercenary work, and finn chuckles, because for once, that isn’t why he’s out here. “i was visiting a friend and decided i would take the scenic route back home. i suppose it’s a good thing i did.”

[ufeliot]

“ah,” meeting a friend; it sounds nice enough. eliot had few friends growing up and almost all of them resided a stone skip away. a lot of kids found him too outgoing at time, weird at others. he couldn’t afford to travel anywhere further than his immediate area anyways, having to stay somewhat close in case there were things to be done at home. now that he was older, it was a little more feasible as long as he got what he needed done first- but now what stopped him was his self-directed mission.

“well we’re all lucky you did; not sure this is the ‘scenic’ you imagined!” he’s laughing along with his words, shallow enough not to put any more strain on his body. he’d need a nice long night’s rest after this.

the grass along the path they head along is grown out and browning- perhaps a result of the oncoming weather but definitely a haven for unseen attacks from bandits and the like. they’d be lucky to make it back without running into any more.

“I’m just passing through this area to warp— you heading much further after this?” eliot can see the houses coming along and doesn’t notice any strange activity along the edges, the kid was most likely safe and taken in by someone living there. “there’s always something interrupting my travels these days- i hope it dies down before there’s any snow in these parts. it’s hard enough to handle when i’m not freezing to the bone and have to wade through the elements.”

[ufeliot]

CONGRATULATIONS! you have LEVELED UP!

ELIOT has received a 1 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 even though you were on the unlucky end of the rng and only earned one stat point this time, you must add that point to one of the three strengths listed on your application. (MAGIC, RESISTANCE and DEXTERITY.)

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, and here's hoping for better luck next time!

[ufeliot]

ufvivian​:

     she can’t help but grimace, both of them on their guard and wary of whether or not the bandit will be getting back up. “if we have to,” she agrees, her hands held out in front of her as she takes a few careful steps backwards. it seems like eliot has the same thoughts as her as he suggests clearing out of the area. tightening her bag on her shoulder, vivian gives a sharp nod, her eyes still warily watching out for the bandit even as she backs away from the camp, gesturing for eliot to follow her. 

     once they’re safely away enough that they’ll hear the bandit coming, she finally relaxes, her expression curious as she glances up at the mage next to her. “i’m heading back to noyillai. what about you?” she hesitates for a moment before she continues, a little reluctantly if only because she doesn’t like to rely on others, “would you like to continue to the nearest warp pad together?”

turning his back on the bandit causes the hairs on the back of his neck to stand at ends. if he learned one thing from being a kid involved in one or two scuffles, and then more with his mischievous little siblings, it's that he shouldn't turn his back on the unknown. he's tensed until he notices vivian relax out of the corner of his vision. she turns to him and eliot is quick to meet her gaze, smiling widely as his own body relaxes at the perceived safety. the road ahead of them are safe for now, but he'll bet his last gold piece that he'll encounter some other form of trouble before the end of the night.

"i'm heading out west, hopefully." he's not so obviously that he sighs in relief at their shared thoughts, but his smile shines a little brighter at her suggestion. "i think that's the best option." they're both tired and the last thing eliot needs to spend more energy clearing a path for himself and then finding himself ravenous the next time he has a moment to sit down for a meal; at this rate he's going to wear a whole in his coinpurse. "are you from noyillai?" it was an area he'd been through quite a few times recently, but he wasn't entirely familiar with the mountain range. "i hail from gleerium!" he didn't expect to make friends on his search, but vivian looked like someone he could befriend easily.

[inbloomgfx]

paint on spring

@ufeliot

to say yura is clumsy would be a complete understatement. despite trying her best to come across as put together as she’d like – yura is quite honestly, the furthest thing from that. she trips on her own two feet, and has time and time again, bumped into a tree without warning. it doesn’t exactly seem like the kind of thing that would suit someone like yura, but it just is. 

this time though, she’s not too sure how, but her clumsiness has gotten a complete hold of her and has exceeded to the … next level. she’s pretty sure that she’s far away from anyone, and that she’s mostly alone, isolated, as she practices her aim with her bow and arrow. when she loses her focus for a split second, and her arrow pierces through a canvas not too far away from her.

she’s not sure how, because she hadn’t even been aiming there! but it does. and she thinks that she’s now destroyed a poor boy’s creation. immediately, she drops everything, and runs to the innocent painter. 

“oh no!” she gasps, completely worried that she’d destroyed his painting beyond salvage. or even worse, hurt him. “i’m so sorry about that! i - i have no idea how that happened!” she begins to apologize, and on instinct, grabs his hand to make sure that she hadn’t ruined a painter’s livelihood ( she’s not even sure if this guy is a painter, she’s just assuming ). it’s then when she finally lifts her head and their eyes meet.

oh shoot. this was even worse than she expected. he was cute!! and she’d just made a fool out of herself! “a-are you alright?” yura manages to ask.

[ufeliot]

it's a breezy day and eliot is thriving. the sky is a clear blue and the clouds are white and the fluffiest they've ever been. on days like this he usually takes his siblings out to the fields with the sheep to spin them round and round until they don't know top from bottom and have them guess whether they're seeing clouds or the grazing sheep. it always has them giggling when either of them guess wrong and each right answer is rewarded with a small candy to add to their stashes, tucked under their beds to hide from the other. it's something to keep them busy and happy but eliot knows soon enough they'll be too old for their older brother's silly games.

today they're off with the neighbour's children to do something or the other. it's a short walk down the main road so he doesn't worry too much; their parents had given them the day off from the smaller chores since it was a nice day. eliot had still taken care of some of the smaller things as his siblings had dressed up to leave, not wanting to fall behind and it wouldn't take too long. not long after he'd grabbed his art supplies, carefully wrapped in cloth to protect them, and headed out to the fields to capture the lovely skyline the sun had set for him.

the trees were swaying with the breeze, just like his hair was as it continuously got in his eyes.  the trim he'd recently given himself left it slightly too short to tie back so he'd grabbed a barrette of his sister's collection to hold back his bangs, although some stragglers kept escaping.

at first the thwap didn't register to him. he'd thought perhaps he'd knocked a paint brush off the easel when his hair had fought his face again but when he cleared his face to see clearly, the culprit was right in front of him. in reality the sound was from the guilty arrow through the canvas of his still wet painting, not yet finished. eliot could only gape, the arrow interrupting the whites of the clouds ahead of him.

there was suddenly a young woman beside him apologizing for, presumably, her stray arrow. eliot can't stop her before she's grabbing his hand. he winces a little, knowing his hands had been mismatched with different paints that most likely had already transferred over to her own. when she makes eye contact he flushes a little, stuttering in surprise. "no, no, it was an accident right?" he tilts his head and shakes it. "i'm fine, no harm no foul." his parents had instilled patience in him from a young age and only added to the trait with two added children he had to look after.

it's a split moment before he remembers the drying paint, wincing once more. the cloth and dish of luke-warm water sits next to him on the table he'd set up so he grabs it with his other hand. "here, before it dries all up--" he takes care to wipe the mix of blues and whites, splash of green, from her hands, taking care not to be too rough with the rag cloth.

"you didn't hurt yourself by shooting right?" he offers her the other seat beside him, one he'd set out lest his mother come join him for a short break.

[ufeliot]

not again…

ufasher​:

he has no idea what in the world happened, but asher seems to be cursed with some sort of bad luck. he doesn’t know how he was dumb enough to run into some bandits, but now he’s outnumbered, definitely outclassed, and a little bit genuinely concerned for his life if he can’t turn tail and run fast enough to lose these bullies. he doesn’t even know why they’re after him of all people; he doesn’t have any money or luxuries worth stealing.

still, asher stands his ground. at least, he tries to. some part of him had hoped that just posturing would be enough, standing there confidently with his sword drawn and a glare in his eyes like he knew what he was doing, to prove to these people that it’s not worth messing with him. he doesn’t know why, but they don’t seem to believe him. they trade a few blows and asher’s arm is already aching from the brute force behind the way their blades slam against his. there’s no way he can keep this up. they’ll have his head before the sun has finished setting.

but then there’s a voice from behind him, and asher has backup. he doesn’t know the guy, definitely has never seen him before in his life, but boy is he glad to see him now. he’s a little out of breath and not quite up to a greeting, but he acknowledges him with a nodded sort of salute and watches as he approaches. he doesn’t seem to be carrying any weapons— a mage, maybe?

his question is answered soon enough by a blast of wind from the stranger, knocking one of the bandits back enough that asher has a chance to recover a bit and swing at the other, no longer hindered by trying to defend and attack at the same time at the two-on-one thing that was going on before. the fight feels a lot more even now, and maybe the bandits notice, because they seem to have lost a lot of interest in harassing asher. finally, he thinks, maybe his luck is changing.

“you can say that again,” asher grumbles to the stranger, still a little out of breath. “but i’m feeling pretty lucky right now that you came along when you did. whew, i thought i was a goner for a minute.” he still might be, but at least the odds look better now.

the non-bandit guy looks a bit winded. it's probably a good thing eliot made it there when he did. he'd found himself in many similar scenarios and was lucky enough to have backup when it seemed like he wouldn't win the fight, now it was his turn to return the favour. he hoped whatever luck he had would let him find an inn with some warm stew tonight, something hearty to make up for whatever energy he was gonna use against these nuisances.

the guy has his sword out and on the ready, nodding to him in greeting. eliot returns the gesture once he's made his own attack. the man's quick work with his sword has the bandits hesitating now and eliot wonders if maybe it'll just take a few more attacks and they'll turn tail and run off.

"the only gone i want us to be is gone for supper." he really is tired despite not doing much during the day. he'd been up way too early and the last thing either of them probably needed was a block in their way. "think we can intimidate them a bit more?" he readies himself for another spell and attacks the one still standing closest to them, blasting him back past his friend.

"y'know, you all are a real pain!" he boosts up his usually gentle voice to make himself look more durable than he is. "you keep looting and harassing and you'll just find yourselves in big trouble." if he'd heard someone else monologuing at bandits he'd probably think them cool and powerful but he knows he probably looks like a kid aiming for way higher than his ability. at least he had someone to fight beside, it would be embarrassing to make the claims he did and have his ass totally handed to him.

[ufeliot]

ufazura​:

whispers in the wind

“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.” 

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.

[ufeliot]

finnuf​:

backup

{ ⚔️ }  

“it worked out then,” finn says, and he is grateful he showed up in time, otherwise he’d be plagued by the new guilt of this mage– eliot, he learns –succumbing to his injuries when he had the means to heal him. thankfully, this time, they were lucky, and finn tries to count these moments as blessings.

eliot requests his name, and holds out his hand to shake. who is he now; kim finnian? does he want this guy to know that? he gave him his full name, but, “finn,” is all he answers with. “as i said, i’m a mercenary. don’t worry, though you’ve already thanked me plenty.” if eliot ever finds out who he really was, would he consider him a liar? he hopes not. this is his true identity now. nothing of his nobility remains.

right, the kid! “yes!” finn replies. “i told him to hide. he’s the one that told me to come help, actually. we should go find him. he’s probably still terrified.”

"finn, i'm grateful!" eliot knows not to question the oddness of the other only giving one name. in the small amount of traveling he did for studies and then more recently, he'd met quite a few people with only one given name. plus, finn had introduced himself as a mercenary and perhaps had something to hide as a result- not that eliot could judge, he'd been secretive over the reason he was on his journey as well. he's sure there's others out on the same search he's on but with more nefarious intents. technically they'd be on the perceived right side but eliot knew better, hence his long-winding travel.

"i'm glad he made it okay." he had felt pretty guilty brushing the kid off so quickly and not making sure he made it to safety. the main danger was the bandits so he felt a little justified, yet still felt a bit bad about it. most kids knew better, to run and find someone older when in trouble and have them handle it. eliot knew some kids faced the presence of danger head on, if the boy he'd encountered had been one of those he'd likely have been dead by the time eliot ran into the group. maybe he had some good self-preservation instincts, or was just a coward- eliot was silently happy regardless.

"ah, what a lifesaver then. i'll have to thank him too." he chuckles and moves to stand, groaning at the slight stiffness he felt from the position had subjected his body to. "which way did he go?" he points the way the boy was originally running and waits for finn's confirmation before moving. "glad he listened to you. not sure what i would've done if i was a kid in his position- whether i would have split immediately or tried to defend myself with tiny fists or a play sword." his innate curiosity probably would have screwed him over in the end and had him fighting, just like the knights in his childhood stories. "so what has you over this area, your mercenary work?"

[ufeliot]

CONGRATULATIONS! you have LEVELED UP!

ELIOT has received a 7 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 seven different stats. this means you will add one stat point to all stats but two. you must add two of those stat points to two of the strong skills listed on your application (MAGIC, RESISTANCE and DEXTERITY.) 

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!

[ufeliot]

finnuf​:

the bandit is just lashing out at him when the mage’s wind spell makes contact, and it’s enough of a distraction to make his attack clumsy, and for finn to dodge it. that should be enough to down him, at least with finn’s previous attack too, but somehow he’s still standing.

“it’s okay,” finn replies, eyes still trained on the bandit, not looking to the mage. finn takes the opportunity to stab the bandit through the stomach while he’s weak, and he finally falls to the ground, dead. (finn assumes so, anyway. he’ll have to check on that in a bit.)

he turns to thank his new ally, and the mage’s injury looks worse now that he’s standing. “shit, okay,” finn says, but at least he could still fight, which means it’s not fatal. “thank you for the assistance, first of all,” he says, though he figures the mage should be thanking him instead, since he technically came to his rescue. still, a two on one fight isn’t one finn would want to take, so he’s glad he didn’t have to.

“second of all,” he reaches into one of his pockets, pulling out a vulnerary. “sit down,” he instructs him, albeit gently. “i’m not a priest or anything, but i’m a mercenary, so i have a lot of experience with healing items.” he opens the flask, and eyeballs about the amount he thinks is necessary to heal up the wound. he pours it over it, and watches as it slowly closes up. “i probably should’ve asked if you wanted to do it yourself. sorry. force of habit.” he doesn’t know how much experience this mage has out on the battlefield, or with injuries himself. hopefully he didn’t mind finn taking charge.

eliot's still a bit awed at watching the other man fight, he just looks very cool despite the gore of it all making him a little sick to his stomach- that could just be his injury speaking though. the sword's gone through the bandit and eliot tilts his vision so he doesn't turn green. he's a little grateful that his saviour had been able to wrap up the fight, he hadn't been lying when he admitted that he probably wouldn't be able to do much more, not sure if walking was still a good idea for him.

he waves the hand that's not stained red with his own blood. "no, no i should be thanking you, really. you took them down efficiently." he's listing to the side to favour his injured side, instincts kicking in finally when the other tells him to sit. he's quick to abide, his body essentially making the choice for him. it's quick work with whatever's in the stranger's flask and he's relieved when the wound is no longer weeping out his life.

"no again, i'm very grateful-- i was low on supplies since i wasn't expecting to need them until tomorrow." eliot shakes his head and leans back against where he's propped up. "could i know your name though? i think i'd like to thank you properly." he reaches out his clean hand to shake. "i'm eliot thanien, mage- but i guess you could've guessed that yourself!" he's able to laugh with little pain, maybe he'll be able to make it to the inn without falling apart physically.

"did you see a kid run your way?" he internally curses himself for almost forgetting the one he'd ushered to get to safety. "he was... yay high, cute and very terrified?"

[ufeliot]

ufazura​:

whispers in the wind

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?” 

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."

[ufeliot]

whispers in the wind

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?”

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.