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Graded [Aslan City] ☆ φαίνω ♡ The Anemone's Sparkling Debutante ☆






Cleo Rom
"Blue Quill Merchant"





Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed


{ F }
{ D }
{ A }
{ E }
{ F }


D










Active Titles:
Human | Trader | Merchant | Stouthearted | Closer



-The Grand Duchy-
Aslan, Modauy Street


Code by: Shatter Shard



Cleo chuckled at Deliverance's response. "For quite some, you would be correct." He admitted. "However, I do not run just a store. I run a company." He specified with great emphasis. "I do not only sell cheap materials and hand-me-downs. I wouldn't be where I am if I were so cheap with what I sell." He informed. "I sell what I know people would come for. I do not need to pray when I have exactly what people need." He proudly declared. "It took a while, but I've managed to make enough to live comfortably."

Cleo held his chin thought as Deliverance declared his rate. "Five huh?" He mumbled, deliberately omitting the unit of money used. "Ten it is then." He declared, nodding. Since he was only a temporary hire, Cleo thought that it would be better to leave off a good impression after his hours are done. Cleo then nodded his head to the lady. "I need nothing more. Thank you." The story about the merchant was intriguing enough that he wanted to ask about him, but Deliverance had beaten him to the punch. He decided to just listen in instead. With that, he moved on to the shelf holding "Arcane Sphere" and picked it out.

However, as Deliverance and the lady talked, something clicked inside Cleo's head. He remembered the small magic trick the lady had used to stick the poster, as well as Deliverance's goal.
"Magic?" He muttered. He took out the bread that was with him from earlier, remembering all those little mithril bits sprinkled on some Duchy food. "Ah." A small voice leaked out from him as a figurative light bulb appeared on his head. He focused his gaze on the book "Arcane Sphere" on his other hand, then he turned to look at Deliverance. A scheme had already formed inside his head. He waited for Deliverance and the lady to end their conversation before stepping in.

"That research you are making..." He began to speak. "Is it too much trouble to ask how much progress you've had?" Cleo wanted to confirm something. "It'll be quite a time before Ophenia and TMK joins us. Until then, I would like to hear the thoughts of a researcher regarding their field." Regardless of what Deliverance might find, newfound info of the unknown is bound to be valuable, and not just any monetary way. Even if Deliverance decided against sharing, it was already enough that he was working tirelessly towards a goal. He was driven, and Cleo knows exactly what this man needs to keep that fire burning.







 
Deliverance
UbuwlVM.jpg
Mentions: Cleo Shatter Shard Shatter Shard

He instinctively tilted his head a little, taking in Cleo's reply and bringing his hand to his chin. “That seems like an interesting approach, even though it only makes me wonder more... how do you know what people would come for? Is it akin to providing whatever there's a shortage of in an area? Or do you perhaps have a manner of making people want whatever you're selling instead?” Despite it not being his area of expertise, he was genuinely trying to comprehend the business model this man had going on. Perhaps as the result of being in such a great mood.

That mood rose even further upon hearing his wage doubled, yet fell again when he realised the possible implication. Considering they didn't mention a currency... it'd be safest to assume it was ten of the lowest denomination, so... coppers? Still, that should get him a cheap meal. Getting a cheap meal per hour was a good enough deal. In fact, it meant any hour he spent with this man was pretty much another guaranteed meal. “Thank you sir, that is most generous.”

To his surprise, his freshly made employer wanted to know more about his research. That was something he was more than willing to talk about for free, even more so while on a payroll. “Not at all, although I must admit that it's a difficult thing to study. After all, it is in the very nature of the Ethereal to be difficult to grasp. Furthermore, as magic is given shape by people through their usage of mana, those with strong magic that utilise the Ethereal will shape it in the process, meaning the true, unrefined Ethereal, is likely not existent within these realms, at least not through manners summoned by people.”

He'd gotten fired-up, now that his favourite topic was at hand. “However, I am personally capable of bringing some aspect of it into these realms. Generally, mana used in magic takes the form of elements, but I managed to tie in aspects of the Ethereal. Sadly enough, it are the more volatile aspects of it, the ones that blight one's mind and body like a poison. Whilst it certainly looks dazzling, it is quite harmful to get into contact with. That, to me, shows the duality of the Ethereal. It is one of the most amazing things in existence, yet it is near impossible to grasp or comprehend and can become rather dangerous and volatile when attempting to do so. Still, I believe that the Ethereal, when in its own realms, would be far less dangerous, if not outright benevolent. I hope to find out how to bring those more primal, truer to nature aspects of it into our realms of existence.”
 
Time: 11:52
Weather: Clearly Skies, Sunny, Air is fresh and fragrant.
Location: The Grand Duchy, Aslan, Modauy Street


  • Mentions ✿ Deliverance ~ Elvario Elvario | Cleo ~ Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | TMK ~ Beetlebuggo Beetlebuggo

    Notice Me♡ (No Actually. Look.)
    • This RP will be going at a strict 3 Day Posting Frequency, with the countdown beginning after a new round's post.
      However, if everyone posts before the deadline, I shall try to grind out a post as early as possible.​
    • Please be nice to the graders and me, and put a link to your character sheet in at least your first post. ♡
    • The Goal of this RP is to enjoy yourself and conclude it with a concert.
    • Each round will advance [Time] by (2*[Amount of days before the start of the new round]) minutes. (Maximum of 8 Minutes.)
    • When the [Time] is 11:50, the RP will make its way to the conclusion.
    • And Remember, Have fun!! ♡♡

    Language Keys.
    Please the following keys when your character speaks in a different language. ^^
    • "Common"
    • ["Terran"]
    • ~"Wyndish"~
    • <"Beastial">


L'Belle♪

He snapped back out of it when he realised he had yet to reply to the woman's other statements. For one, about the witch. “It sounds like that witch, if truly existing, would be well worth investigating.” He concluded from her story. “The emotional aspects, irrational or not, only interest me in as far as they are connected to the Ethereal. I do believe the Ethereal has the power to influence one's mental state, often for better, sometimes for worse.” He replied, reaching his own conclusions.

There was another thing he was slightly curious about. “This merchant you mentioned, with the books, could you tell me his name? I hope to one day travel to see the birthplace of my ancestors and to study the Ethereal there, which is why I'm hoping to learn the language. If he travels into the See often, he might be able to tell me how to get there on a budget.” He knew he'd already gotten a lot of kindness from this woman, so he almost felt guilty for asking for more, although this was just a name, so perhaps she'd give him the information without issue?

["Good, ain't nothin' good comin' outta eating less,"] She smiled, content that Deliverance accepted the book. The woman listened attentively, nodding as he finished his sentence. "That right, ay? Oft' the not, Ethereal may make ya' hysteric in a way. The witch's own emotions may be quite turbulent' ay--?" The woman crossed her arms, "Ethereal or not, folk are oft' the not a bit irrational at times. Magic or not, it ain't true that every action we make is completely rationally calculated, yeah?" The librarian woman gave a heart-filled laugh.

The woman was taken aback at Deliverance's ask, regarding the name of the man who delivered her books. "Uhh, hmm. Yeah, his name, ay?" The woman scratched below her muzzle. "Them folk from Chearon always have those long names... It was like--" The woman cleared her throat and said with somewhat of a struggle "Ceph'un'mals'na Veh'gon'graph'ur? Somethin' like that. Sorry, can't say I remember it all too well." The woman laughed nervously.

The woman watched the two talk absent-mindedly. It didn't concern her and it was mighty rude to eavesdrop. However, it was hard not to, due to her heightened sense of hearing. Her ears be her curse. She did her best not to listen in, and think of something else. She wondered how her daughter was fairing at her part-time job at the cafe? Maybe she should read something. What something should she read? Their conversation was a fair bit interesting... It didn't concern her, no way!

The woman looked at the clock on the wall. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. 11:50... Minutes are moving by. When did that concert begin again? At the twelfth hour... The same hour when Cendrillon's little glass slippers melt away and her silver dress turns back into rags... Wait a minute. It was now 11:51? The vixen had better start closing up the store!

"Aye, aye! You boys better be headed now, ay?" The woman smiled, "This lady gots to pack this lil' ol place up! I wouldn't wanna miss that concert, aight! You boys gonna' show too, yeah? C'mon and check out, time ain't gonna wait fer nobody!" The woman cheerfully spoke, as she clapped her hands and pulled out a small box with the words [Change] on it.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, the woman showed shock on her face and she quickly covered her ears with her paw-like hands. An echoing scream emanated from afar, despite being a fair sum of feet away, and with Deliverance and Cleo being indoors, the scream was still quite loud. Not ear-piercing, but the Book Lady would beg to differ. ["Aiyah! Was that a Yosei?"] She whined, quite roughly.

R7Concert3.png


Make like a rabbit and hippity-hoppity-skippity-skop!
Ophenia was quite taken aback. The flower of her fate? Zephyranthes...? What did that even mean? Ophenia barely had even a clue at first, until the odd fortune tell woman told her. A flower associated with the western winds? That was odd. From all that Ophenia knew, there was only but a single type of wind. The Winds. It was the first time she had heard of the winds being associated with the cardinal direction. "Zephyr..." Ophenia muttered, unsure of what to think.

The fortune also felt odd, she was happy. Excited even, to hear that there were big expectations for her future. Happiness and joy even awaited her. Or perhaps that symbolised what she intended to do in the future? What she didn't understand was a rebirth. Beginning anew. What did that have to do with her future? What scared her most however, was that apparently, someone out there would seemingly hate her. How could that happen?

How could anything feel hatred? And toward another? That seemed much too cruel, to be burdened by the unpleasant thoughts of another. It was uneasy to know. The Fortune Teller's offer was another thing that made her nervous. Peering into the future was wrong, and Ophenia would never want to give away what she cherished most...

What did she cherish most in the first place? Perhaps, it was her voice. It was the gift she was given, the gift she used to make others smile and laugh. However, even without that, she had other means to continue doing that very thing.

There had to be something more. Something irreplaceable. Something, that Ophenia would truly regret giving to another. Perhaps... There was such a thing..?

OpheniaNervous.pngOphenia stared blankly at the poster in her hand. "Wait a moment... What time is it?" Ophenia muttered, not asking anyone in particular. The woman perked up, casually laughing as she looked to her wrist, revealing a pristine and beautiful golden chain beaded with iridescent white pearls, which acted as a strap for a beautiful prism-reflecting jewel. The jewel reflected magical light which hovered slightly above it, seemingly showing very roman numerals and clock hands incessantly 'ticking' by. "Ohohoh, it seems that it is but only now 11 hours and 52 minutes. Do you have places to be young mi--" The woman was cut off as Ophenia screamed loudly, loud enough to be heard all the way from where she stood to even the flower shoppe, her face run over by nervousness.

"It is much too late--!" Ophenia cried as she placed the poster hurriedly on the fortune teller's table. "Please take a look at this, and stop by if you would be so kind! Thank you ever so kindly for the fortune, Miss Fortune Teller Lady! I must be duly on my way!" The sylph hurriedly spoke, and turned to TMK who stood complacently.

"Mister TMKdotLFEhyphenFRM, please regroup with Mister Eli and Mister Rom! I have to urgently be somewhere! Ahhh! I do not know whether I will be ready in time!" Ophenia suggested as she ran down the alley, took a right, and blitz down to the street to the park. Ophenia ran as quickly as she could, almost tripping over a few times. She had places to go to, lyrics to write and practice and clothes to change into!


R7Concert2.png


North of the Street, Modauy Park, Performance Area
R7Concert1.png

Wonder Rabbits♪

A few people are gathered around the park. A family, pulled here by an over-excited child who was enticed by the colours of the poster they saw as they passed by the bookstore. He was excited, he didn't know why he was there, but he knew that it was going to be fun. Probably. His father smiled complacently as the mother sighed. She was tired, but hopefully, this wouldn't be too energy intensive.

Off on another side, two young girls chat amongst themselves. They were convinced when two people suddenly ran up to them and started bombarding them with posters. The girl on the poster fancied their interest. They had nothing better to do, so they thought they may as well take a looksie and enjoy the scenery while they wait.

Near the stage, were the two fans. They had 'convinced' a few other folks to drop by, and were already standing in the front to have the best view. Though Ophenia was yet to step on stage, they were already beaming with excitement. The man was already waving his sign without hesitation. He was quite proud of it after all. Anticipation was reflected in their eyes.

The grass was green, with fragrant reddish or pinkish flowers. Trees aligned the area, and flower boxes hosted beautiful blue roses which lacked any thorns or leaves, which may point to them being created with magic rather than through the usual means of gardening. A flowing stream of shallow glistening water lay below the raised platform where the folks stood. The water was clean and clear, reflecting the sky as if it were a mirror.
 
Deliverance
UbuwlVM.jpg
Mentions: Cleo Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | TMK.EXE.CHR. Beetlebuggo Beetlebuggo

He'd gotten so into his talking that he nearly forgot where he was or what he was doing. It was only when the woman called for them to head out that he snapped back to the here and now. He'd tried to recall the name, but already wasn't sure of it any-more. Cephun... Vehgon...ur? That was about all he recalled. He should really work on his ability to instantly memorise such information, just in case it might end up vital to his research.

That said, for now. “Of course, of course, we'll be right on our way.” He replied, not wanting to keep her from the concert he suggested her to visit on his own. With his book at hand, he turned to Cleo again. “You wished to visit this girl's concert as well, am I correct?” He hoped he was, as he sort-off was interested in it and it'd be a waste if his latest job wouldn't allow him to go there. He'd make sure to pay for the dictionaries he'd need to start unravelling the book in Sylvan, glad to have some change left for a meal thanks to getting the main one for free and some more incoming from Cleo. It was still a great day today!

Sadly enough, Deliverance wasn't able to translate whatever a 'Yosei' was, despite speaking Terran. Perhaps it was some beast word instead? Either way, now wasn't the time to ponder about it. As he made his way to the concert area, he'd presumable spot TMK again as well. “Hello again, TMK.EXE.CHR. Was your visit to the Flower Shop successful?” He still had no clue what the construct had even been planning to do there, for that matter.

On the topic of 'here', it was rather silent. “For having at such a cult following, there isn't a big turn-up.” He commented, noticing the lack of individuals this short before the concert was starting. Was this a classic case of her simply being terrible at it and wasting everyone's times with hopeless optimism? That'd surely be a shame. After the amount of luck he'd fallen into after meeting her, he sure hoped there'd be a bit more to it. “What are the both of you expecting from this concert?” He'd ask Cleo and TMK.
 





Cleo Rom
"Blue Quill Merchant"





Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed


{ F }
{ D }
{ A }
{ E }
{ F }


D










Active Titles:
Human | Trader | Merchant | Stouthearted | Closer



-The Grand Duchy-
Aslan, Modauy Street


Code by: Shatter Shard



Cleo's expression momentarily stiffened as Deliverance began to talk. He didn't expect this much passion, but it was something he appreciated nonetheless. It meant the poor researcher was sincere in his ambition. Cleo was now pleased with his attitude regarding his research.

Suddenly a scream caused Cleo to jolt in confusion, looking at the source of the sound. He looked outside the shop, spotting Ophenia rush out in a hurry. Looking at his stopwatch, it seems like the concert was nearing its start. He hastily fixed his clothes and nodded his head at the lady, before heading out with Deliverance. He walked alongside him and presumably TMK, occasionally asking him for the translations of the words seen from signs and whatnot. Eventually, they arrived at the venue, but the few number of people were a little worrying. Deliverance's comment on the crowd was something Cleo agreed on.

Cleo scratched his chin as Deliverance asked his question. "Fun?" He replied, unsure. "I haven't been to a concert before, as I've only heard about them." Cleo nodded as he continued. "Though an event of music is bound to be merry, is it not? I am looking forward to it." There was a smile on his face as he faced forward, but it immediately trembled. "But, uhm... How do I say this..." He looked around. "I thought it would be more crowded."







 
Time: 11:60
Weather: Clear Skies, Sunny, Air is fresh and fragrant.
Location: The Grand Duchy, Aslan, North of Modauy Street, Modauy Park


  • Mentions ✿ Deliverance ~ Elvario Elvario | Cleo ~ Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | TMK ~ Beetlebuggo Beetlebuggo

    Notice Me♡ (No Actually. Look.)
    • This RP will be going at a strict 3 Day Posting Frequency, with the countdown beginning after a new round's post.
      However, if everyone posts before the deadline, I shall try to grind out a post as early as possible.​
    • Please be nice to the graders and me, and put a link to your character sheet in at least your first post. ♡
    • The Goal of this RP is to enjoy yourself and conclude it with a concert.
    • Each round will advance [Time] by (2*[Amount of days before the start of the new round]) minutes. (Maximum of 8 Minutes.)
    • When the [Time] is 11:50, the RP will make its way to the conclusion.
    • And Remember, Have fun!! ♡♡

    Language Keys.
    Please the following keys when your character speaks in a different language. ^^
    • "Common"
    • ["Terran"]
    • ~"Wyndish"~
    • <"Beastial">

Stepping Centre Stage.
"lalalai...lalalai~♪" Ophenia sang to herself, trying to practice last minute, as she stared into the heart-shaped mirror of her vanity. With a brush, with its tip brightly coloured in a pink pigment. Ophenia applied this pigment to her cheek underneath her left eye very carefully, doing her best to paint a very basic shape of a heart. "Perfect!" She exclaimed, placing the brush down to take a quick look in the standing mirror beside the closet.

Sparkling. The tiny synthetic crystals that studded her skirt and top glittered in the reflection she saw. Slowly, Ophenia tried adjusting the large ribbon around her waist. There were so many things she wanted to try adjusting, but there was not much time. Her hair was untidy in some places, but tidying down the strands means to take off the large ribbon and hairclip, along with the ribbons underneath which kept her hair in the two ponytails she tried so hard to get right.

Perhaps, it didn't really matter. After all, everything, as is, was perfect. As long as she could sing, as long as she could move, everything was perfect. "Whose is that fae I see... staring straight... back at me? Why is my reflection some sylph so... Beautiful? Ahaha~♪" Ophenia laughed, she suddenly felt so much more comfortable in how she looked currently. Even if her clothes did feel a bit too... Scanty.

What was the time?​


Once Deliverance, Cleo and (assumedly) TMK made it to the park's performance area, only a few minutes would pass by as suddenly more people began showing up.

A seemingly old woman, clad in all black, completed with a long dress and some sort of veil. She seemed as if she would be going to a funeral if it weren't for the outlandishly extravagant golden accents on her veil and skirt. To anyone who looked her way, she would flash a sinister smile. She didn't give off the aura of someone approachable.

After the suspicious lady, was the familiar woman who ran the bookstore. Along with her, she was dragging a young girl of the same species as her. The girl was wearing a maid uniform, similarly high quality to the rabbit-eared girl which offended TMK. However, the ribbons on her outfit were blue instead of red. She seemed to be complaining about something.

A few other people came about as well, however, the crowd that gathered was still fairly modest. People were all chatting amongst themselves in their own little bubbles. Young girls spoke of the flashy person they saw in the posters which intrigued them enough to come here. A daughter complained to her mother that she was still meant to be working. The two fan club members were beginning to excitedly chant their idol's name.

Song No.1 ~ Entrance: U♪

[Song Therapy] Suddenly, music began to play. It was odd, it filled the air with an odd warmth. Or well, that's what it would feel like to those who heard. An elven woman covered her ear with one hand, sighing ["Such a ruckus..."] she complained. Her husband looked at her and smiled nervously, as her child stared at the empty stage with excitement.

Step by step. Ophenia stepped on the stage. The resonator glittered like a disco ball, reflecting hues of pale green and yellow tinged with a serene tint. Ophenia's eyes glittered like glass marbles, and the light of the resonator shined down like a spotlight, only making the rhinestones on her clothing sparkle all the more brightly. She raised her hand and with a snap, [Holography] a bright flash enveloped the area for a moment.

Pheinos_Ophenia_7thRendition-SweetheartOutfit.png
♫"Lalalai, lalalai
When our heartbeats collide
I won't mind, in a place we've never been before
I'm reaching out for the moon and stars beyond it

Lalalai, lalalai
Is it you I will find?
Though I feel left behind sometimes when you close the door
I wanna know who you are, I wanna know it all
"♪

Her voice echoed throughout the area. Ophenia began to sing, a smile was plastered bright and genuine on her face. The shape of stars spun round beside her, sending out sparkling rays of green and yellow which danced along with Ophenia. As she twirled, ribbons, shimmering shear fabric and her hair whirled around her like blades of wind. At the apex of her twirl, they all gently fluttered down like a petal falling with the breeze.

At first, the elven mother was appalled by Ophenia's clothing, but somehow, the music soothed her. It was warm, like the warmth of a fluffy blanket in the cold midnight. As if all her grievances and all of her tiredness had suddenly melted away. She couldn't help but want to smile. She wanted to cheer. For all the time that she has lived, she had never wanted to do something so... primitive, as to cheer for someone.

Ophenia outstretched her arms toward the crowd. The colourful images of sparkling flowers blossomed around her. The two people who were already fans of the girl were roaring with excitement. Ophenia wanted to touch people's hearts with her song, she wanted to make it all sweet and warm. Whether it was just her singing, the way that Ophenia's movements made her seem like she was fluttering on the wind, or if it was some sort of magic, the crowd couldn't help but feel... Happy? It was an odd sort of feeling.

The sylph sang from her heart, the gleaming expression painted on her face only showed her most sincere of emotions as danced along to her song. The glitzing lights, sparkling coloured rays, and images of various things like hearts, stars and flowers overflowed. Decorating the stage with an illusion of things that weren't there. Despite just being images, they expressed what Ophenia felt in this exciting moment visually. Her heart pounded with the music, beating to the rhythm and singing out the lyrics.

Some may have been overwhelmed by the glitzing glittering glamour, while others were immediately filled with a sort of excitement. A rush of positivity came at them like a tornado in the mist. It was heart-throbbing. it was burning bold. It may have caused a sensory overload. Yet somehow, it was still fun. It was smile-inducing. Whether they wanted to, or not.

OPHENIASINGASLANCONCERT.jpg


R8Concert.png
 
Last edited:
Deliverance
UbuwlVM.jpg
Mentions: Cleo Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | Ophenia Faynorae Faynorae

Fun? What was that again? Deliverance had to think on it for a bit. “You intend to reach an Ethereal based state through viewing and listening to this concert? That is most peculiar.” Yes, of course, that was it. Fun was a state of enjoyment, the type of pleasure that the ethereal could bring forth. “This would be my first concert, so I am curious if your theory is correct.” He replied, happy to have been given a heads-up about the research potential of this endeavour. Deliverance nodded. “Although I'm happy for it, as I dislike large gatherings of people, I hope it won't affect the girl too much.” He replied, regarding crowd sizes.

On the topic of the Ethereal, there was one person he really wished to talk with. A woman dressed in black with golden accents, who gave off an aura that suggested she might be very knowledgeable in magic. Ah, alas, it was probably best not to approach her whilst working for mister Cleo and awaiting a concert to start. It was a real shame.

As the concert happened, he sort-off just froze. The outfit she was wearing looked ridiculous. The music was loud and obnoxious. Some of the words didn't even sound like words. What was a Lalalai? Why repeat that so often? Why was the text so odd in general? Heartbeats colliding sounded like an excruciatingly painful experience, yet it was sang like it was a good thing. That said, one line struck home. Reaching out for the moon and stars beyond it? Was this a song about looking for the Ethereal!?!

Now that the part caught his attention, something odd happened. He kind-off... What? What in the hell was this weird feeling? He only felt like this when he was making some new breakthrough-discovery researching the Ethereal or getting free books, but that was nothing compared to the extend he felt it now. People started crowding up around them, which would normally make him feel uncomfortable, but right now it... it didn't seem to matter all that much.

Okay, this was getting ridiculous. He was in a situation very uncomfortable, crowded, loud, flashy, unable to focus on research! How in the world wasn't he hating this? This was just too confusing. He looked more lost than a kid in a grocery store who's mother had fallen into the backrooms. Even so, his eyes were somehow being drawn to Ophenia again and again. This... had to be some sort of magic!
 





Cleo Rom
"Blue Quill Merchant"





Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed


{ F }
{ D }
{ A }
{ E }
{ F }


D










Active Titles:
Human | Trader | Merchant | Stouthearted | Closer



-The Grand Duchy-
Aslan, Modauy Street


Code by: Shatter Shard



Cleo chuckled at Deliverance. He was much too into the unnecessary things. "Don't worry too much about it." He spoke. His eyes began to swim around, looking at the ever growing crowd. "Joy can be researched upon, but to experience it..." He smiled at Deliverance. "Is an entirely different matter."

Just as he finished his sentence, the concert began with the start of a song. As if on cue, Cleo shut his mouth as his gaze focused over at the stage. There, Ophenia slowly walked her way into the center as she began to sing. Excitement welled up within Cleo as Ophenia's voice washed over the crowd, and through some kind of unknown means, she managed to pacify the hearts of all that heard her. Even Cleo was mesmerized, but then again, he wanted to be here. The flashes of colors, glitter, and wonderful display reflected on Cleo's eyes as he quietly adored Ophenia's sincere expression.

His gaze left Ophenia and looked back at Deliverance, who was quite visibly charmed with how hesitant he was to draw his eyes away from Ophenia. "Just this once, feel it for yourself." He spoke, the voice singing in the stage almost drowning his own. "After all, isn't it prudent for a researcher to experiment? See how you like this 'fun'." He then laughed as he looked back at Ophenia. There was no polite pretenses in his tone anymore. Instead, it was a voice of joy from the bottom of his heart. No politics, no businesses. Only the music was in his mind.







 
[TMK.CHR] —> Faynorae Faynorae || Elvario Elvario || Shatter Shard Shatter Shard

(Thinking)
[Common]
[[Terran]]

—————


Behind Ophenia in the middle of her fortune being told, TMK listened closely with their notebook open, jotting down detail after detail (alongside simplistic side notes should Ophenia request reminders of her fortune for later on) without pause until their turn had come around. The table itself seemed too high for the Construct, so reaching up had to suffice.

Internally, TMK relayed the fortune teller’s words, repeating them in glowing textual form to copy on their notes for optimal self fulfillment. On a deeper note, the codeforged was mildly intriged by this individual’s skill in determining past experiences.. They knew that many were unique in this existence, which was already given under notation ever since the events of those advanced ruins that were explored a long time ago. Speaking of such, their mind tapped into it that they did in fact, not know for certain of the fate of the other individuals present within its technologically daunting walls, nor the results garnered from the battle that which the construct had been pulled from. It was a superficial concern due to it being too far in the past to dwell on now, so in current tense, they mainly hoped for the best of them.

Back to the fortune, it was deemed that they would have to avoid water bodies of large size for an unpredictable amount of time, as mainly brought upon via the negative experience had with those Nerieids. The subject was understandable, as they were in fact mentally painful to deal with the traits of their narcissistic demeanor, obnoxious sounds, and even their blatant prejudice.

(Water… Avoid it.. And all things related..)

This line in particular struck something within TMK. Not for its instruction to stay away from anything originating of the Hydro element, but for a realization of a detail back in the Blind Desert. No signs of water for miles to come, scorching dryness and heat stretching the horizon in mixes of orange, beige and blue.

(The cauldrons Lie where life sits dry.)

Then came the mention of the Sunset color. At this, TMK’s cat ears twitched in curiosity while the fortune teller continued on. Staying positive, optimistic, and anticipating good will lead to their unidentified freedom of something unknown, while also obtaining a favoring glance by lady fortune.. Something to really keep note of in bold for sure. Additionally, something of dear status in Their eyes must be given up in order to fully know what comes, though that thing must be found first. TMK thought back to the desert.. and the Cauldrons.. could that thing lie within there?

[Self would like to thank you for this guidance, and wishes you positive results in your next endeavors.] TMK did a small thankful bow to the fortune teller, before eventually heading out of the alleyway.

A small spite of confusion for them however was Ophenia's sudden disappearance, whereas the passing by of Deliverance and Cleo eased it.

[Greetings, Deliverance. Unfortunately the traversing upon the bookstore was unsuccessful, yet was made up for via a set of clues and prerequisites towards my origins and future made apparent by a fortune teller from a bisecting passage between buildings.]

TMK replied to Deliverance's dialogue with a small grin stretched on their mouth, alongside a repeated twitch of their newfound cat ears.

The decision to follow along with the other two lead them to this wide area that grew in population, more so with residents of the surrounding settlements. To TMK, this was likely a cultural gathering, which made to light as their verbal reply to Deliverance's question.

[Self believes this gathering could potentially be oriented to the settlement's culture.]

The more moments that had passed, the more people gathered until the full capacity had came.. Then it all came to light.

TMK could see Ophenia come out onto the stage, and sets of dots and connecting lines were running around within their mental apparatus. Maybe Ophenia was part of this cultural thing, as it would justify her reason for being there.

Then, they were listening to it again.. More of that unique sound frequency that had lured TMK into the very forest met at the Glade, except this time it was understandable with words..

TMK stared on at the vibrant spectacle. Some might assume they were in amazement, awe, or any other mutual feeling that everyone else was experiencing. Only except.. TMK wasn't. The only thing in their mind that stood out, much to a painful ire from TMK themselves..

Was Confusion.

They could see the joy being brought upon others around them.. Why wasn't it giving them the same joy? Was it the offhand fact that they never knew what 'joy' meant deeply? Or was it another aspect of them that never came to light due to their own incompleteness?


(Cease Negative mental language. Remain 'optimistic' as per the fortune instruction. You will be complete soon..)

[I.. Do not understand..]


TMK absently put up a text box for either Deliverance or Cleo to see.

[I observe that all other individuals are experiencing the stimulation of joy from this.. But..]

[I feel nothing... Why?]

 
Time: 11:68
Weather: Clear Skies, Sunny, Air is fresh and fragrant.
Location: The Grand Duchy, Aslan, North of Modauy Street, Modauy Park


  • Mentions ✿ Deliverance ~ Elvario Elvario | Cleo ~ Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | TMK ~ Beetlebuggo Beetlebuggo

    Notice Me♡ (No Actually. Look.)
    • This RP will be going at a strict 3 Day Posting Frequency, with the countdown beginning after a new round's post.
      However, if everyone posts before the deadline, I shall try to grind out a post as early as possible.​
    • Please be nice to the graders and me, and put a link to your character sheet in at least your first post. ♡
    • The Goal of this RP is to enjoy yourself and conclude it with a concert.
    • Each round will advance [Time] by (2*[Amount of days before the start of the new round]) minutes. (Maximum of 8 Minutes.)
    • When the [Time] is 11:50, the RP will make its way to the conclusion.
    • And Remember, Have fun!! ♡♡

    Language Keys.
    Please the following keys when your character speaks in a different language. ^^
    • "Common"
    • ["Terran"]
    • ~"Wyndish"~
    • <"Beastial">

Encore
♪"Maybe it's a dream, I don't wanna wake
Even if a light goes up, I don't wanna know reality

We didn't waste our time here
It's now or never!
"♫

The song had ended. Ophenia opened her arms out wide as if meaning to let someone into an embrace. An exuberant expression marked her pale face, which along with everything else on stage, sparkled and shimmered. Glistering like the surface of the water as the sun begins to set. Perhaps it was the few droplets of sweat trickling down her face? It was odd, but it was exciting.

Singing and moving along the melody, made Ophenia's heart pound with anticipation. Excitement. Joy. Ophenia was probably the one who felt the most stoked during this. If you're already happy and suddenly all worries and anxiety melt away with the beat of a song and your racing heart, it becomes overflowing. It was hard to express. It was hard to explain. A feeling that made your heart flutter like the wind. It was like a dream. Ophenia felt light as if her body wasn't here.

The sparkling stage began to dial down. The spinning stars began to slowly stop spinning. Blooming hearts and shining flowers began to fade. This burning flutter, it's warmth had to be cherished for its moment. The sylph's own heart began to stop skipping beats.

Song No.2 ~ Gales of Song (Concert Ver.)♪

She looked at the crowd.

Their faces... They were awful of her. Some were smiling. Some were agape. Ophenia was too, she could understand the confusion. When suddenly you couldn't help but feel nought but positivity... Others shared the excitement Ophenia felt. however... A single person wasn't sharing the same experience. Just one person was unaffected. Ophenia knew that would usually make her feel down, but... It wasn't there. The heaviness that usually ached. It was good. She could focus on the task at hand.

Ophenia smiled and clasped her hands on her chest. Even if she couldn't touch people's hearts through magic... Euthalia was perhaps correct, it was dishonest. However, it soothed people, didn't it? It helped them. She needed it. Ophenia bowed, and she rose up again with a warmer less ecstatic smile. It was more gentle. She wanted to warm the hearts of every person.

"Thank you everyone for attending my concert today! Honestly, I did not think it would be very successful... However, with the help of you, everything seemed to be okay--" Ophenia tilted her head a slight bit, closing her smiling eyes. "I am so gladdened by the result~♡" Ophenia exclaimed singingly.

"I hope you enjoyed the first song! Up next, something more sombre! Please listen well, and enjoy"
Ophenia smiled, as the music started to pick up. She turned around as it played out its course. She was preparing to get into mood.

The next song was something that was stuck in Ophenia's mind for a long time. She wanted to sing it out, let the words fill the air and colour the winds. The shining rays became less erratic. The stars which spun excitedly slowly faded out, leaving behind a subtle sparkle, as they glittered out.

The woman in black stared with intrigue, her hand stroking her chin. She was smiling, there was something about it which didn't seem right. "Truly... The anemones are lovely. Huhuhu..." She murmured. Her voice was slight, hushed by the music. ["Ahh--! She's so pretty♡"] A girl in blue clothing spoke out loud. ["Pretty thin. Like, is it normal for folk to be that t-"] A girl wearing green clothing tried to speak, ["Stop it you two! It's about to start!"] A girl wearing red hushed the two, cutting off the one in green, a finger on her lips to signify them to shush.

Ophenia inhaled. She was very slightly trembling. This song was a bit more personal. She exhaled.


♪"La-la-la
La-la-la, la-la...

Gales of song, guide me through the storm
"♫

Ophenia turned around, her heart was beating fast. Not out of excitement. It was out a feeling she was meant to feel. Maybe it was the excitement? Excitement to finally be able to share this.
♫"On the wings of a small, simple melody
Words take flight and soar
They carry me, a world we'll see
Looking for a farewell, I pull the threads
A life without you I cannot accept
I can't tell that lie, I can't let go

But now that you're gone, I have to move on
Seems like everyone just smiles staring at the sun
But what about me?
Tell me how I will know, where I should go--?
Oh gales, you sing and guide me!
"♫

Ophenia's voice howled, as she turned around with suddenness. It was unsure. Her heart was light, as some sort of feeling welled up inside. This wasn't a song for her alone. This song... She wanted that person to hear it. Ophenia couldn't understand the feeling of losing someone precious. To her, everything was to be cherished. To be loved. To be mourned for. She put her heart into everything. She gave all her emotion to everything. But to pour your everything into only a single thing... Just how agonising was it when that thing was no more? That was a feeling Ophenia may never be able to feel.

Her stomach felt heavy. Perhaps this song was a bit too much? After her first song, would a song like this be a bit too contrasting? She felt vulnerable. As if a sigh could shatter her. Was this song too personal? Ophenia's dance was slow, the fluidity of it was rigid. Nervous. At times, it was whimsical, the movements weren't thought out. Like a lost child who didn't know where to go, wandering through a place unfamiliar to them.

The lights didn't shine, instead, they had a glow to them. Akin to the pale and lonely glow of the moon. The lights emitted from the resonator and Ophenia's illusions began to shift in colour, the serene yellow became sudden sparkles inside of the deep solemn blue, as the yellowish spring-coloured love light still brightly gleamed. Like Ophenia's song and mood, the lights began to wane.

The people in the crowd, contrasting with Ophenia's thoughts, didn't seem to dislike it. There was something about it that felt... alike. After all, everyone has been lost at one point in time. Some people are often feeling lost. And maybe even a few people in the crowd, at this very moment, didn't know where to go.

A cold wind blew. Singing along with the song. As if it were listening, the winds whirled. The feint blue petals of the roses in the flower boxes were picked along the gale. Making their way to the stage. The deep blue petals seemed to glow inside the fluorescent glitzing lights. The rustling of the leaves, the flowing of the water, the fluttering of the wind. It was as if the environment itself were part of the audience.


R9Concert.png
 
Deliverance
UbuwlVM.jpg
Mentions: Cleo Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | Ophenia Faynorae Faynorae | TMK.EXE.CHR. Beetlebuggo Beetlebuggo

Cleo's words were a bit confusing. “Then, how would I study experiencing it? Would it not cloud my judgement if I'm my own research material?” It felt a little off. Not very scientific. Still, considering Cleo insisted. “Alright, I shall attempt it.” He decided to give this fun an earnest attempt.

That's when someone pulled him into researcher mode instantly again, his attempt being forgotten once more. “That is most interesting indeed!” He couldn't contain some excitement at what TMK stated. “Perhaps she is targetting specific wavelengths of magic that your unique composition isn't viable to receiving! That might explain why, even though I can observe that I should hate this, I simply find myself unable to experience hate for it and instead end up liking it. It's a type of magic most of us are vulnerable too, yet you seem completely immune to it!” This was exciting. “I'd love to help figure out where such a resistance may stem from, so perhaps we could adjust some parameters...”

Of course! He knew one. “Perhaps your visibility isn't great enough? You should attempt moving further to the front to experience more of this. Or perhaps it's a subconscious effort to resist it? What if you consciously try to get drawn in by what's happening? I'm unconsciously drawn in, even though I consciously dislike it, so perhaps the reverse might work for you? What if you consciously try to like it? Pretend to like it and see if you actually do start liking it? Could you try these things out? It'd be great to immediately test some of these hypothesis! It wouldn't surprise me if she's channelling part of the Ethereal for this! Learning how it works might teach me more on the Ethereal as well!”

For Ophenia to openly admit she wasn't expecting much was odd. She'd seemed more confident first and well... it still wasn't much? He couldn't say the crowd here was all that big. They were very drawn-in though. That was good? Likely so. The next song came up. It was, yet again, odd. He didn't get any of the meaning behind it. Melodies didn't have wings. How could someone not accept a life without someone? That was pretty odd. Everyone could be missed. Most would be forgotten within a month. A year at most. Also, who'd smile staring at the sun? That thing was bright. Your eyes would get hurt and you'd be crying. Such unlogical things really confused him. Once more though, he couldn't hate this. He sort-off just fell silent again, as the song was going on. Unable to figure out what to say/think about it. It was kind-off sad, with all the dim lights and all, but like? A good kind? Nah. That was ridiculous. How could sad be good? This mind-influencing magic was getting to him, that must be it.
 





Cleo Rom
"Blue Quill Merchant"





Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed


{ F }
{ D }
{ A }
{ E }
{ F }


D










Active Titles:
Human | Trader | Merchant | Stouthearted | Closer



-The Grand Duchy-
Aslan, Modauy Street


Code by: Shatter Shard



Looking at the people around him, Cleo chuckled to himself. Many of the people liked the spectacle, and the concert himself. Deliverance was still sitting on the fence, while TMK... Cleo's expression softened as he gazed at TMK. He was all too familiar with feeling emptiness. Granted, it wasn't as great as TMK's, but he could share the sentiment. "I am not sure, TMK." He honestly responded. "I am no doctor. I cannot tell you the reason why." After all, even he was stumped with his own emptiness. "But a researcher's opinion could be of help to you." He suggested, indicating that TMK can follow Deliverance's suggestions.

Then the lights dimmed as Ophenia readied herself for the next song. She then sang, and just when he was about to cheer, Cleo stood still. His heart ached, almost as if the song had struck deep into a part of his soul he never knew existed. The longing for someone, and the pain of loss, those weighed heavily as the lyrics rang inside his head. And just for a moment... "My son... my pride and joy..." a voice lethargically echoed in his ears. "You are the proof that I succeeded... in my duty as your father..." Hearing that voice again, for just a moment, the void within his heart ceased to exist.

A single tear subconsciously flowed out of his eye, and he thoughtlessly clutched his heart as he listened to the song. "Huh?" Cleo couldn't understand. He heard a voice he swore he never heard before, but it felt nostalgic, and it felt heartbreaking. Cleo uncharacteristically wiped his tear with his sleeve, perplexed at the sudden rush of emotion. He looked back at Ophenia, and with his sharp eyes, he could tell she was nervous and unorganized. Yet this improvisation proved effective as Cleo stared quietly, gazing at the stage as the petals danced sheepishly along with her. This melancholy... was not as bad he thought it would be. He chuckled. "Mr. Deliverance, TMK." He spoke, his eyes not leaving Ophenia. "If I didn't know any better, I dare say this ability to touch hearts only through song would be magic." He then looked at TMK and Deliverance. "But I guess I'm just a bit too sentimental huh?" He spoke with a resigned smile. He was supposed to be better at controlling his emotions, yet somehow a fae girl with a dream managed to easily break his mask. That fact alone chipped a bit of his pride as his gaze went back to Ophenia.







 
Time: 12:16
Weather: Clear Skies, Sunny, Air is fresh and fragrant.
Location: The Grand Duchy, Aslan, North of Modauy Street, Modauy Park


  • Mentions ✿ Deliverance ~ Elvario Elvario | Cleo ~ Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | TMK ~ Beetlebuggo Beetlebuggo

    Notice Me♡ (No Actually. Look.)
    • This RP will be going at a strict 3 Day Posting Frequency, with the countdown beginning after a new round's post.
      However, if everyone posts before the deadline, I shall try to grind out a post as early as possible.​
    • Please be nice to the graders and me, and put a link to your character sheet in at least your first post. ♡
    • The Goal of this RP is to enjoy yourself and conclude it with a concert.
    • Each round will advance [Time] by (2*[Amount of days before the start of the new round]) minutes. (Maximum of 8 Minutes.)
    • When the [Time] is 11:50, the RP will make its way to the conclusion.
    • And Remember, Have fun!! ♡♡

    Language Keys.
    Please the following keys when your character speaks in a different language. ^^
    • "Common"
    • ["Terran"]
    • ~"Wyndish"~
    • <"Beastial">

Finale!
When the music finally stopped, Ophenia turned around to face the crowd and smiled. There was this beating in her chest. It was quick and nervous. Burning and throbbing. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. The music had stopped, and the sylph had ceased her dancing, but in her chest, her heart thumped relentlessly. She was uncertain. Or perhaps she was excited? The uncertainty of whether or not her song had reached people. The excitement of finally being able to sing something she's wanted to sing for so long. The resonator's pale blue shine began to dim. Waning into a soft yellow.

The cold wind that blew somewhat harshly before had died down. The trees began to still in the rustling of their leaves. The water beneath the platform still flowed. The fluttering petals glided through the calmed air to lay themselves upon another walkway, bridge or street, or to silently fade away and return to nothing as it once was. The sylph's trembling became less and less until she could look at the crowd with a straight smile.

Ophenia's time drew near, and yet she still had so much to do. So much more to sing. A las, it wasn't fair to be greedy, as there were still more performers who had booked their own timeslots. Events that are still yet to be held. The fae's glossy eyes sparkled from the lights reflected in them.

"Thank you so much for attending to my performance!" Ophenia exclaimed, a smile wide on her face as she bowed up and down multiple times. It was stiff, and awkward in its motion yet filled with some sort of joy. The crowd's silence worried Ophenia, but this was the finale, so it had to end well! "I realise that I had never properly introduced myself yet. That was terribly rude of me, it is most pleasant to meet you, my name is--☆" Ophenia snapped her fingers,

Song No.3 ~ Finale: ♡How to Love♡ by the Goddess of Love♡

Sparkly above her, popped out some sort of hologram-like magical image displaying her name. A large fading sparkling hot-pink heart with the bright and bold words "LOVE "Du Couer Pur" OPHENIA" plastered on it. It was gaudy, somewhat cute(?) and perhaps a bit over the top. Ophenia posed, "Du~☆ Couer~♡ Pur~! Ophenia♫ Guided by the whirling winds, the eternally full-bloom anemone, the sylph, the chanteuse and the agent of peace, love and happiness! Who shall warm your heart until it becomes all smiles and happiness with my songs and dance!" Ophenia winked at the crowd, "Please continue to support me, okay~? Remember♪ No matter where you are, no matter who you are, nothing shall ever get in the way of my love for you~♡" Ophenia loudly spoke with exuberant efflorescence.

This part confused the crowd. Except for the two who were already aware of Ophenia, who were cheering and roaring enthusiastically. The confusion was brief. Perhaps it was Ophenia's overwhelmingly bubbly introduction mixed with the cheery music. Perhaps it was Ophenia's dubious magic. The sparkling yellow rays shone sunny bright. Whatever it was, the crowd felt the need to cheer as well. Starting with the adolescent girls in the back. The lady in black laughed and cheered the best she could. The vixen mother and daughter did so heartily. The elven mother who would detest this normally did so passionately, coaxing her child and supposed husband into doing it so too.

Ophenia was glad for the positive feedback. "Ah!" She remembered something, "One more event is coming right up! If you want a special item or if you have any questions, feel free to step on stage and ask! I would love to answer any and all questions!♡" The sylph cheerily proclaimed, as she beckoned folk to come by and say hi.

A few long minutes later of various bombardments of questions, such as 'What is your favourite colour'; 'What do you enjoy eating?'; 'What is your birth flower?' et cetera, followed by varying answers and all while giving away her fan club pins, the show was officially over. Some people stayed behind, but most people left.

The vixen mother and daughter were talking about something. The mother was awfully jolly. The woman in black stood to the side by herself, looking at her magical clock bracelet attentively. The fans from earlier were gushing amongst themselves about the pins that they had gotten a bit ago. Two sisters were bickering amongst themselves but seemed overall in high spirits.

Ophenia stretched her arms. Frankly, she was drained. Who knew answering questions would ever feel tiring? While the music continued to play, Ophenia would feel herself get back into it. How could she feel so tired when she felt so happy? Ophenia began to step off stage, making her way to Cleo, Deliverance and TMK cheerfully. She felt so 'happy' that flowers were basically bouncing off her smiling face.

"Mis Rom~ Mister Dah... Mister- Yes, Mister Deleference, Mister TMKdotLFEhyphenFRM!" Ophenia called out for the group as she made her way toward them, "I am so glad to be able to talk to all three of you again in a full group!♪" She proclaimed, "Ah! How was my performance? Was it good? Excellent? Resplendently☆Reputable? Hehe~♫" Ophenia cheerfully clapped her hands. The resonator hovered beside her with its happy hue, still outputting music but at a more relaxed volume. "I am revelling! It makes me so happy to know that more people got to listen to my songs!" Ophenia said, her eyes bright and beaming. "So! What did all of you think?☆" She'd ask, with a cheerful smile.



R10Concert.png
 
Deliverance


Mentions: Cleo Shatter Shard Shatter Shard | Ophenia Faynorae Faynorae | TMK.EXE.CHR. Beetlebuggo Beetlebuggo

He looked at Cleo with a bit of a puzzled look on him. “Yes, that much seems fairly logical to me. If not for magic, how else could so many people be touched by this? I do not see how sentiment could affect you as much as magic, in particular, Ethereal magic. Thus, it must be magic, no?”

As for the closing of the concert, he was baffled yet again. The 'name' was long, bright and obnoxious. The posing made it worse. The promise of unconditional love felt extremely hallow and empty, making it worthless. So why in the hell did he still not dislike any of this? It was beyond incomprehensible! It was outright insane! Still, at least, he didn't join in with the cheering. He was too distracted by why the others were cheering. A touch from the Ethereal, that must be it, right? Definitely.

He just sighed as he heard what he assumed was meant to be his name. As for her question, he had his answer at the ready. “It was utmost peculiar. Despite it being far louder than I prefer, the lyrics making no sense at all and being outright frustrating to try make sense off, there being a fair few hallow and empty promises that would normally infuriate me, it being far too bright and flashy more often than not, the people here crowding around me far more than I'm comfortable with and the many movements on stage being tiring just to look at, I realised that I still ended up enjoying the experience, without any reasonable explanation for it. In particular that second song, nonsensical as it was, made me feel a very peculiar odd type of sad, but a good type of sad? It was truly magnificent to experience and I'd love to conduct more researcher into. So please, tell me, how did you manage to channel the Ethereal into this performance?”

Wait, he spotted some people leaving. That wasn't good. He needed to do more thorough experimenting! He'd quickly take out his [Academics] tools to write down answers to the question he came up with. “Apologies, I'll be right with the three of you again, I want to ask some others for their opinions on this performance.”

His first target was the woman who looked like she was about to leave, as she was watching at a clock. “Excuse me, ma'am? I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but would you be as kind as to humour me by answering some questions regarding the performance we just witnessed? You see, I am trying to find out how it was able to bring such joy to such a variety of people. Would you be willing to share with me your name, age, background and overall rating of this show? In particular, which of the elements made you experience happiness, or perhaps even the Ethereal?” He was dedicated to writing down any information she'd give him, having ink, pen and paper at the ready and staring at her with an intense focus.
 
Woman in Black
Elvario Elvario | Deliverance​
Just an old hag, fuhuhuhu~"Hm~?" The woman tucked her hand underneath her veil, taking the moment to stare at Deliverance from head to toe. An odd man wearing black with writing tools walks up to a woman in a veil and a black dress. Who was more suspicious in this situation? "Fuhuhu. An odd character you are, to walk up to a lady and ask for her age. Her name, and her basic biography." The woman snickered. "My name... Margarite. Margarite Gertrudis. It is kind to make your acquaintance young elf. Fuhuhuhu~" She smiled, her manner of speech was... odd. She spoke in an overbearing way. As if she knew so much more about you than you did yourself.

"It truly is of poorest taste to ask a lady her age, fledgling. Perhaps I am but a month old. Perhaps I am but 66 years old. Perhaps I've lived for 2 centuries. Whatever mine own age is, I can tell you one thing. I am always older than you." She replied with a slight giggle. "My background... Well, behind me there are blue roses. Those roses and I-" She smiled, "Fuhuhu~ We are much the same. Mysterious. Presently, however, I am but a mere teller of fortunes. Of futures." The hag laughed. Her demure attire swayed gently with the faint breeze.

"Hehehe~ Little elf, what you do not know is that I, unalike to you, can only feel a single thing. I feel ecstatic at all times. Perhaps it is unhealthy. A las, it is the curse that I bear. So with this demeanour, like the child who had performed now, I tell folk their fortunes. I must say, however, that one had made somewhat of a peculiar performance. I cannot say that I disliked it. Perhaps I am a fan of it. Perhaps I am not." The woman finally answered.

She then smiled and looked at Deliverance, she would be staring straight at him if not for the veil covering her eyes. "Perhaps... Do you want to know the story of that song? The story of the other one? Or perhaps a story of yourself? I have many tales to tell. Perhaps... You would like to gaze upon the flowering fortune of your future? Fuhuhuhu~"
 
Deliverance

Mentions: Margarite Gertrudis Faynorae Faynorae

Momentarily, it stood out that she instantly saw him as he was; an Elf, rather than as a Human. That didn't distract him fro long though, as he refocussed on his research. Still, she was being a tough customer regarding the age. “I meant no offence, it is merely an important step in sociological research to ensure you obtain the most basic data about the group of people you surveyed, so that they might be used more thoroughly in comparative research. I ensure that I have intentions beyond that. Although, to avoid unnecessary offence, would I at least be able to note you down as 'adult' in this scenario? So that I, at minimal, can separate between youth and adult people surveyed?”

Her background was confusing as well. However, it was also highly intriguing. “That is most excellent! Someone devoted to predicting the future might understand my desire to learn more on the Ethereal, or perhaps you might even grasp how this concert managed to wove experience of it into it?”

That thought was halted by her next confession. “A curse that makes you permanently ecstatic?” Just like that demon Sariel carries around! That was not something he knew existed. Was she touched by the Ethereal in a bad manner? He was snapped out of his pondering upon her question. “That is alright, ma'am, I'm merely interesting in my continued research into the Ethereal. Although, if those stories are related to it, I would gladly listen to them?” He said, more like a question than a phrase.
 
Margarite Gertrudis
Elvario Elvario | Deliverance​
Still Just an old hag, fuhuhuhu~"Fuhuhu. Perhaps... One could say that. Fuhuhuhu..," she answered. Her tone seemed a bit carefree and almost as if she wasn't taking this seriously. Truthfully, she wouldn't say she was an adult. But she was not a youth either. However, making this child's 'survey' easier would make her have to answer fewer questions as well. So for her, it seemed like a win-win situation.

"I do not truly understand your interest in such... fuhuhuhu~ Ignore that. Yes. Perhaps it is the way a sylph moves-" The woman revealed one of her arms under her, to cover her uncomforting smile, The clock on her bracelet ticked. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Despite being magical, it still made the same noise as any analogue clock would. "The sylphid are of air. The air... Is untouchable. Light. Delicate. Not something we can hold. The way they move is like swirling winds. However... It would then mean that any nymph would be ethereal as well. Water. Light. Air. Shadow. A flower. Those simple mundane things, all seemingly fit the definition of what is the ethereal. Fuhuhuhu~" The woman giggled.

"Are the stars not also considered Ethereal? The stars... Air... Fire... They are all quite similar." The woman laughed quietly. She then began to move her hand back underneath her veil. "I am sure there are things that are concretely ethereal. Something... Something like those of the highest order within Chearon, maybe? Or the high council of Archmages who hold power over all of this so-called 'Duchy'?" The woman stated. She meant nothing of it.

"Fuhuhuhu... Have you heard of the fairytale of "The paracosmic witch and the smiling demon"? It is a popular myth. Or is it really a myth? You must have heard of it somewhat, perhaps a bit recently. Have you ever seen the event of the "Dent De Lion"? It is quite a beautiful sight to see. Some might even call it... Ethereal. Once upon a time... There was a wee fairy who dared to take on a god of the forest. Some say that his strength was otherworldly. There is also the Court of Beauty in Carnation. The maidens there are all so beautiful that some say they are ethereal to gaze upon. However, the court of beauty is in a place... not very fair toward the fae at current times." The woman explained a small assortment of things she thought of which in her mind related to the Ethereal that this man sought. However, she could go on forever and ever if she liked.

"I cannot truly tell you much more without... Something in return. Something precious. The Silver of Gold. Gold extracted from a rose. Diamond pupils. The tears of the moon. The mirror of the sun. The petals of a bird. A dozen feathers of an angel. Hopes and wishes within a bottle. Something like that, and I shall share a portion of my knowledge with you young elf. Fuhuhuhu~" The woman leaned in a bit uncomfortably close to Deliverance. Her expression was... Unsettling.


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Deliverance

Mentions: Margarite Gertrudis | Sister NPC's Faynorae Faynorae

He noted down some things, namely regarding her opinion on dance, air and sylphid. Her 'opinions' on the Ethereal were less appreciated, as they were too random to be of scientific worth. “Expressions of the Ethereal, yes, but not the true essence of it on its own. I'm looking for the unrefined Ethereal. The truly and utterly otherworldly.”

The places, however, were of more interest to him. “I shall keep them in mind, thank you.” They might have a relation to the Ethereal, after all. As for the fairytales... “I believe the bookstore lady might've mentioned one of those... Yet I am not overly familiar with them myself.” 'Overly familiar' here meaning as much as 'not at all'.

He wasn't all that taken aback by her leaning in or looking unsettling. He'd worked for very unsettling masters before with very unsettling habits, so he was used to a lot. “I'm afraid I know of none of these, so for now, I must thank you for your cooperation and can only say I'll return should I come upon one such thing.” He politely replied, before stepping back enough to give her a bow. “Well then, if you'll excuse me.”

He didn't think much more from this riddle-speaking woman. So, his quest sent him to the next target. He figured the book-store owner might be waiting around a bit longer, as would Ophenia's more loyal fans, so the next logical target were the two sisters. “Excuse me, ladies, but might you perhaps be willing to answer some questions regarding the performance you witnessed just now? You see, I am trying to find out how it was able to bring such joy to such a variety of people. Would you be willing to share with me your name, age, background and overall rating of this show? In particular, which of the elements made you experience happiness, or perhaps even the Ethereal?”
 
Snow-Coloured Sisters
Elvario Elvario | Deliverance​
Hair black as an ebony framed painting.
The two sisters turned to look at Deliverance. The younger sister stared with confusion at first, she seemed a bit intimidated since Deliverance was much taller than she was. The elder one seemed a bit more arrogant, staring with her arms crossed. She leaned closer to her younger sister's ear to whisper, ["Is this person's clothing not a bit... Old fashion? Perhaps it is from last winter? And that hat... Is it not a bit too feminine with that robe?"] She criticised his outfit. The younger sister wave off her elder sister's remarks and smiled. Clasping her hands and resting them on her skirt as she curtsied.

Once she was done with her pleasantries, she looked up at him. She was very clearly a bit nervous. "Y- Yes. [You are kindly excused, Mister. My name is Blanche Schnee, and this is my elder sister."] It didn't seem like she knew much common speak. The elder sister stared at Deliverance, judgingly looking at him from his face to where his feet would be. ["My name is Grimhilde. Grimhilde Schnee. Perhaps my name is familiar to you? But I presume a pauper would not have the capability of even being able to afford my brand."] She spoke condescendingly, not staring directly at Deliverance, and instead choosing to check her dark green and royal purple nails.

The younger sister awkwardly laughed, "I- I apologise... [I ask for your forgiveness for my elder sister's impoliteness, I am but a decade and four years of age. My sister here is about... uh... Th- Thirty-Two--"] She meekly spoke, Grimhilde turned her head and aggressively stated, ["THIRTY. Blanche."] The younger sister looked back at Deliverance. Smiling as best she could, ["Grimhilde is a seamstress and designer of the brand 'Snow White.' I work merely as a model for her designs. A pair of brightly coloured folk convinced us to come around--"] She sighed, ["She's actually only my stepsister..."] Te younger girl murmured under her breath.

Blanche tensed up a little, fiddling with her fingers. ["Actually, I really enjoyed listening to the songs the lady sang. They made my heart all aflutter. As if I were truly caught within the lyrics. When she spoke of the moon and stars, I felt as if I could truly touch the stars, or as if I were truly walking on the moon's surface. Hehe~"] The girl admitted sheepishly, ["I apologise if that is not what you meant, but I think it wa--"] ["Enough with that Blanche. Your voice is so sickening to the ears."] The elder sister cut her off, stepping closer and forcing Blanche to move. Blanche sinked behind her sister.

["Blanche probably means that the song was good. I agree. It was a nice tune to get wormed in your head, but honestly... Those lyrics are very... Childish? Naive? Not very great messaging. Especially for young girls like Blanche. That fae's outfit was the only innovative thing of the performance. Rhinestones studded into the fabric. That could make for a great summer collection. I say it is quite inspiring. Nothing ethereal or whatever nonsense you were on about. Perhaps I could recruit her as one of my models... hmm."] The sister spoke with blatant conceit, she stared at Deliverance with scorn. Looking at him from head to toe, she took out something from her pocket, ["Here. Take this. You seem like you really need it."] She handed Deliverance a card of sorts. She put great emphasis on the 'really' part. It was a 35% Discount Coupon for the 'Snow White Boutique.'


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Deliverance

Mentions: Blanche & Grimhilde Schnee Faynorae Faynorae

He was almost taken aback by someone being intimidated by him. That was a rare occurrence. He was glad she eventually put up a smile though, after a talk with her sister that was too soft for him to hear. He wasn't exactly eager to go around scaring girls. Considering they talked in Terran, he figured he'd do the same. [“I believe I heard of such a name, yes. Fashion, is it not? Although you are correct to assume that such a thing would be far beyond my current financial means, it is interesting to see how people channel the beauty of the Ethereal into the clothes they adorn themselves with. An admirable form of art.”] He replied, casually sharing his findings on it.

The younger one made him go through some maths to figure out she was indeed a young one. Her sister being more than twice the age. They didn't look that much older or younger at first sight. Perhaps they also had some Fae blood? Either way, he noted it down, as well as the next parts. [“Brightly coloured folk... I see, peculiar.”] He said, figuring he'd note down as 'fans create more fans' in his notes for now. He'd have to interview them later as well.

He was surprised to learn the younger one liked the lyrics so much. Perhaps there was a direct correlation to the development stage of the brain and the susceptibility to the nonsensical nature of those lyrics? That was a likely case. Sadly enough, the other girl pushed her away before he could continue to try to evaluate his hypothesis.

[“The lyrics seemed rather non-sensible and beyond comprehension to me, so it is intriguing to learn that someone found meaning in them where I did not.”] He said, whether that be a compliment or insult was left in the open. [“I believe you might be onto something, as fame begets fame. A famous idol working with a famous fashionista should create some crossover between fans, thus creating a benefit for both parties.”] He remembered as much from a previous life.

He accepted the coupon, but wasn't sure what to say. [“Thank you ma'am, although I doubt I'll have the resources to spare on such things anything soon, even with discounts.”]

He tried to look past her. [“That said, I must ask, could I speak to the young miss Blanche just a bit more? I'm very intrigued as to how and why those lyrics seem to have touched her, even though we didn't seem to appreciate them at all. There must be some secret to it.”]
 
Grimhilde Schnee & Blanche Schnee
Elvario Elvario | Deliverance​
Lips as red as a bloodied rose.
Grimhilde was surprised with Deliverance. ["Fame... Fame begets fame? ...famous Idol?"] The lady looked over to where Ophenia was standing, squinting a bit. ["Her? A famous idol? If a performer were so famous as to be called an Idol, I would doubt they would be performing on such a public stage. I must be a criminal if I came here without a ticket, and how open she was to let such common folk come into her vicinity, ask her questions and worst of all... Touch them... Eugh. Truly, how could she be any form of famous? I would more presume she is merely but C-Rate Performer, less than a false god."] She scoffed, berating the girl's practices.

What surprised the elder sister more was that Deliverance was more interested in her younger, less talented and fair less fair sister, Blanche. The younger girl's eyes sparkled when Deliverance said he wanted to know more. ["I would be glad to illuminate!"] Blanche brightly stated, her head tilted. Grimhilde scowled at the girl's excitement, her voice was so sweet that it sickened her. ["I guess... The lyrics were so present. Uh... how can I explain it..."] Blanche looked at her feet, twirling strands of her hair which were out of place. Her voice was slightly nervous.

["Everyone's hearts were beating at the same time. We all felt similar feelings... thought similar thoughts. Some of our hearts may have raced like sticks colliding with drums. Some of our hearts were skipping beats, aflutter in awe. Is it not every dreamers' dream to reach out and touch the moon and stars? Or something beyond that... Something meant only for you? Sorry..."] She laughed awkwardly. ["The words she had sung seemed so personal. For someone as timid as I am... It seemed almost impossible... Maybe magical? It seemed almost magical to see someone express and share their feelings so outwardly. Maybe it was right what my elder sister said, I did feel some sort of inspir--"] ["Hush, Blanche. What are rambling on about to a complete stranger?!"]

Grimhilde cut off Blanche's words, grabbing the young girl by her arm. ["A suspicious man comes up to you, and you tell him nonsense like that? That's it, we'd better be off. The Lord of Time is not stopping for anyone, let alone us. We are much too late by now."] She spoke bitterly, as she dragged the young girl off. She looked back at Deliverance with a revolting glare, as she continued off. Her heels loudly clanked against the hard floor.


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Deliverance

Mentions: Blanche & Grimhilde Schnee | Vixen Faynorae Faynorae

[“Well... perhaps... not yet?”] He tried to interfere, but he didn't' really manage to put any words between Grimhilde's ranting. Luckily enough, Blanche's words were a lot more helpful. Sort-off. He was scribbling down what she was saying word-by-word with [Focus] and [Academia] to keep up. For now, he focussed on just copying the testimony. He'd try to make sense of it at a later date. It's why he was rather annoyed when Grimhilde suddenly stopped her. [“Ma'am, with all due respect, I'm merely... trying to...”] She was already dragging her sister off. “Conduct my research...” He finished in common, to nobody but himself. Standing there, staring directly ahead of him for a while and feeling rather... Odd. Being stood up like this was a fairly interesting experience. Rather anti-ethereal. Still, he didn't have time for it.

He sighed. Well, he wasn't one to get discouraged so easily. He figured an acquaintance might be more willing to aid his research, so he headed for the book-store lady. [“Hello again, ma'am. I hope you were able to enjoy this concert?”] He'd ask, a little more informal, as he was talking to someone that was more familiar, after all. That said, he still had his questions. [“You've already aided me tremendously today, but if I could ask for just a little bit more, I'd greatly appreciate it. You see, I am trying to find out how the concert was able to bring such joy to such a variety of people. Would you be willing to share with me your name, age, background and overall rating of this show? In particular, which of the elements made you experience happiness, or perhaps even the Ethereal?”]
 
Vixens
Elvario Elvario | Deliverance​
What does the fox say?
"Hm?" The fox lady turned to Deliverance. When she realised it was a familiar face, she brightly smiled. ["Hello again, glad tah see ya!"] The woman greeted Deliverance with a friendly wave. The girl behind the woman, who looked a lot alike her, peeked out from behind. ["Gotta say, them fae folk gots lotta stuffs up their sleeves, don't they? I'm impressed! Magic and music ar' pretty common 'ere but still mighty unreal in person. Nothin' like the performances back in Kuridan at all!"] The fox-woman praised.

The girl behind her seemed a bit confused. ["Ey, Ma... Who's this?"] She'd ask. ["Ah right! I didn't introduce mahself ever, ay?"] The fox woman realised, laughing a bit at herself for it. ["Name's Mikonjo, 'aight? Came 'ere from Kuridan, and been living in Aslan ever since for a few ought years. A lady's age is a secret, 'specially one old as me! Ohohoh!"] She'd heartily laugh about it. ["Only turnin 'bout 60 in a few more new moons. Ya should know I work as the owner of the book store, 'Angel Books,' aye?"] The woman then turned to her daughter and gestured for her to get beside her. ["Ah right, this cutie 'ere's my daughter, Tsutsu introduce yourself!"]

The girl bowed slightly. She seemed a tad bit embarrassed when it came to her mother's enthusiasm. She cleared her throat. ["My name's Kistuko! Age sixteen--!"] The girl twirled around and then did a curtsy-like motion. ["Currently workin' part-time at Castlette Cafe! My favourite colour is blue, I was born during a waning half-moon! My birthstone is pearl and I am very glad to be of service in helping you with your survey!"] The girl replied very autonomously. Her mother chuckled a bit at her daughter's introduction.

["Uh... The performance, right? I really liked it! Honestly... This was my first time being to a concert... However! There was this sort of fluttering in my chest! Excitement! Or is it joy? I can't explain it... But the girl performing was just so dainty! The music was really great to listen to as well... Ah. I'm sorry, I don't think my opinion is of great value."] The fox-like girl apologised with a small bow. Her mother, again, chuckled at her presumable silliness. ["That fae's dancing... It reminded me of the dancing children back in my hometown. Honest. Where I grew up, when the moon was full and glowed with its pearlescent sheen, us kids would don our most beautiful clothing and all dance underneath the glow of the moon. Like small butterflies gently fluttering around the rosey petals of a fragrant plum blossom. That fae danced like that. Made me nostalgic, and those jolly memories made me feel happy. Simple as that."] The fox woman answered, making gestures with her hands to match what she was explaining.


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Deliverance

Mentions: Mikonjo & Tsutsu Faynorae Faynorae

Instantly, Deliverance had some stuff to note down. Fae music is more Ethereal than Beast music? He wondered if he could find others to back that up or deny it. He also jotted down the other things she said and honestly... he'd kind-off just assumed she was an overly generous clerk, not the actual owner. Had she ever said she was the owner? He wasn't sure. Either way, he just nodded along.

The daughter was a little confusing. [“That is a very thorough and well-practiced introduction.”] That's what he ended up with for a reply, trying to figure out which parts were worth noting down. He shook his head when the girl apologised. [“That is incorrect. When taking research like this, everyone's opinions are valuable, including yours.”] He wasn't necessarily trying to make her feel better as much as he was just stating what he believed to be a simple fact.

What the older woman said next, however, intrigued him. [“So... Ophenia's performance managed to recreate Beast rituals in her dance? Do you believe this to have been intentional or accidental by nature?”] That was truly an intriguing find. Perhaps mixing elements of different cultures into her show, was what made it seem so Ethereal to such a large audience. Perhaps that's why he had liked it as well, due to subconsciously connecting to the elements that related to his own background. He might have found a breakthrough here!
 
Mikonjo and Kistuko
Elvario Elvario | Deliverance​
What does the fox say?
The young fox girl's eyes lit up when Deliverance seemingly complimented(?) her introduction. ["Thank you so much! I always do my best to make sure it gets better each time! Hehe~"] The girl giggled. She was happy to know that someone seemingly appreciated her introduction. She did her best to put all her first basis basic info into it. Perhaps they would get to be better frien- Wait no, this wasn't someone wanting to make friends! This someone was here to do their job. Important work! Ahh! It was embarrassing that she thought so childishly!

However, she was just as gladdened to hear Deliverance say that all opinions mattered. Even if it wasn't meant to be, it surely did make her cheer up about it. ["Ah yes! Right! Then I'll give it my all!"] Kitsuko stated, clearing her throat. ["That fae's performance... Ophenia, right? It was so... So pretty! I don't know what it really was, but.. uh.. It made my worries melt. It was this tingling flutteriness, the warming in my chest... I could imagine my eyes sparkling in awe. It's like all my bad thoughts went whoosh! And then gently like cotton balls, came in this... positive loveliness which just made me feel all oohbily and woohbily and... heheh. It was odd. But like... A nice odd."] She explained as best she could.

There was this unsureness on her face which conveyed a sort of embarrassment. In truth, she didn't know how to feel either. She just felt nice. The mother smiled at her daughter's explanation. She stared with some sort of proudness.

Mikonjo was caught off guard by Deliverance's words. She couldn't help but smile, and that smile turned into a burst of laughter. The younger vixen stared in confusion. ["Ah-boy, ya' just too funny! Beast ritual? Ain't nothin' of the sort, hohohoh!"] She corrected, with a warming smile. ["I believe it wasn't intentional. It was more of my own interpretation, y'know? Not everyone will feel the same, that's just my own meaning to it, ay?"] Mikonjo continued, ["Feenia, her name 'ay? Somethin' bout her reminds me of a lil' kid. Sweet and full of all sorts of dreams that I've long forgotten how to understand. Back then, we all danced because it was a time passer. Something fun to do, that kept us active. The light of the moon, we felt like it shine only for us since all the adults seemed to sleep before they could witness its lonely glow. We didn't want the moon to be shining for nothin'. So we danced to make it feel less lonely. Or well, that's what we believed."] The fox-faced woman said cheerfully. Her tone was genuine. ["Though, nowadays, I see how most may see that as nonsense, or as a ritual. Ohohoh!"] She'd laugh.


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