"Yes, his name is Crimson. Have you seen him? Is he okay?" Patil asks with wide eyed worry. He looks like he might cry any second.

Marsh (that I totally did not forget about) takes one last skeptical look at the potion in their hand before shrugging and then downing the whole bottle in one go. Seemingly unable to stay still, they ask, "So um, how long does it take to like do it's healing thingy?"

Crimson's breathing seems stable to Fang, be she knows that he is alive to a degree, which slightly relieves her.  Crimson's dull and pale gaze follows along the ceiling and slowly over to Fang.  His eyes speak for him where words cannot.  "Go." they simply say to Fang.  She grabs Crimson's hand and squeezes it lightly, silently praying for him to stay...alive at the least.  Her ears slightly twitch as the mention of Crimson's name and she looked around, trialing the source of the voice, eventually finding herself looking at Patil and the Whitecloak.  Fang looked confused and shifts slightly behind the Whitecloak, seemingly using him as a sort of wall.  Her hand unconsciously hovers onto her dagger on her right hip as she scans over Patil.  Whoever this man was, he wasn't Arithnian as she had hoped.  "What and why do you concern yourself with Cor?" she asked Patil. 

(I just forgot, where the heck has Basket been?  I just remembered Flare existed when I was thinking of how Fang should reply 💀)

Sure enough, just as the Whitecloak said, the pain in Marsh’s ankle disappears almost instantaneously. They roll their ankle experimentally, an expression of awe plastered across their face, “Oh wow, that’s like… magic, because that is magic, holy guacamole that’s magic? Why doesn’t everyone use it everywhere?? It’s so convenient! And quick! And painless! Usually healing hurts a bit but that didn’t hurt at all. There has to be a catch or something, is it temporary? My magic is temporary- oh wait I’m rambling. Uh, you have to understand my excitement, you see I come from the modern sect, strict parents, never really allowed to deal with-” they wave their hands around vaguely, “-y’know magic stuff. They said it was dangerous, like really really dangerous, and I’m easily scared so…”

wolffighting3768 wrote:

"What and why do you concern yourself with Cor?" she asked Patil. 

“You know him?” Patil asks, seemingly automatically before realizing he should probably respond, “Oh um, I wouldn’t say we’re close but he saved my life once, that’s why I couldn’t stand idly by when I realized he was hurt. I want, no I need to make sure he’s okay, I’m no medical expert but I’m sure I could make myself helpful.” He says with as much righteous paladin-like justice he could muster.

((Autocorrect keeps trying to correct patil to patio and I think it’s very funny))

The Whitecloak snickered, "Yeah whatever. Modern sect, doesn't know what magic is... it pretty amaznig, right?" He said, hiding his smirk, "While you can't believe how magic exists and works, I can't believe that you actually used 'holy guacamole' in a sentence. I mean, who does that?"

----

"B-but please!" Arcan blurted out suddenly. As if she was unsure about doing so, "We gotta see him! Or, uh, at least I do."

In a much more steady tone, she resumes, "There was a time that well, Crimson was gonna... how do I put this... well, frankly, he was gonna kill me. But then, he changed his mind! He showed mercy to me. He really didn't need to, but he decided to. It's been something that I've been thinking about ever sense and... I wanna pay it back."

All the while when Arcan was saying this, her thoughts here swimming around in her head. Pay it back? By Killing him? If I'm going to do that, he should have killed me right then and there. But what if he's dangerous? What if down the line, he decides not to be so gracious the last time? 

Last edited by Time (August 14, 2023 06:45:43)

Ozark hops into the conversation. “Yes, if he obtained this much injury from just the first round, the second round might be even more hazardous!”

"Understood." Patil replied with a curt nod, sounding almost bitter. "Well then, there's nothing left for us to do here." He turns to leave the building, not bothering to give a proper farewell.

(Gonna stop responding for now to let other people join in.  I won't be dead :D)

(Sounds good to me!)

Fang's heart tightened as she tried to find the right words to say.  She didn't really think of a reason as to why she denied the three entrance.  She just said what came to her mind, without a second thought.  Fang found it hard to answer the question posed to her.  "I do not know how to answer such a question.  However I said what I wanted and got the point across.  At that point does it matter to have a reason?" Fang replied to the question.  Whoever was around or behind her, if they had a rather decent attention to detail, could see Fang shaking slightly.  If it was fear, anger or something else, it's quite hard to say.  But whatever thoughts were going through her head, it clearly upset her somehow.  

"Hm. Looks like you'll have to look yourself in the mirror." The voice reveals it's owner as she walks past Fang, and eventually turns around to face her. A young woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and a kind smile.

"Oh, Alethea. Hey." The Whitecloak with Fang nods to her, to which she nods back in acknowledgement.

"What is troubling you?" Alethea asks, indicating that she was indeed apart of the group that pays attention to detail.

----

"I don't know if Crimson is going to be on the battlefield anytime soon..." Arcan comments. As Marsh approaches the group, she shifts on her feet and crosses her arms, "Nothing. Really. Some girl denyed acess to Patil and Ozark." she decides to refrain from using the word "us".

((Was Ozark's name ever mentioned to the others? 💀))

Last edited by Time (August 30, 2023 15:04:17)

"Not a real mirror. A metaphorical one, silly." Alethea responds with her smile, accompanied by a wink. But then, she briefly drops her smile, tilting her head, as if studying Fang, "You look like a fish out of water." While her smile temporarily vanished, there was no sense of ill will or anything of the sort in the comment. More like just stating an observation that she found interesting.

Marsh wrote:

Time wrote:

As Arcan catches up with Patil and Ozark, she whispers to both of them, "Well, that wasn't really successful." she sighs, "I didn't that know he had companions to keep an eye on him."

Patil looks back, perhaps attempting to catch another glimpse of Fang, there's an odd expression on his face, almost wistful. "Of course he wasn't alone, there's no way he got here on his own in that state, I just wasn't expecting his companion to be so...loyal." He shakes his head, sighing, "Oh well, it could've gone worse. Hopefully we don't meet them on the battlefield, Crimson isn't someone I want to fight."

Since the provisions tent is right next to the medical building, Marsh would be watching the entrance, waiting for the gang to exit. Afterall they're here for a reason, even if they're regretting multiple life decisions right now, and a promise is a promise. Walking over to the group, they ask, "So, what happened in there?" Intentionally sticking closer to Arcan than Patil. 

“Turns out the guy had an overly protective friend, or bodyguard. It’s a shame, he seems like the type you want to get rid of early.” Ozark looks around, trying to figure out if there’s any indication when the next round is starting.

A sudden voice pierces your mind… or is it, voices? A cacophony of voices. Some are only a wisp of a whisper, others are a roaring cry. Some are like nails on a chalkboard, while others are melodious chants, some reverberate and reflect like echos while others sound like they are speaking directly into your ear. Joy, sadness, fear, anger, nearly every range of emotion speaks to you. But they all form together to speak.

You, chosen by The Flower. 

We have observed, and we have selected you.

Ahead lies an icy wall, surrounded by countless dangers. If you travel forth, you will die.

You are charged with a task. To complete it is to be given a chance to compete in the challenges to come.

A distinct monologue, followed by a brief image, crosses each and every one of your minds, each different from the last.

—

Marsh

You see a brief image of a young woman, dark hair, dark eyes, petite features, and a kind smile on her face. A name appears in your head: Alethea.

You must learn of her past. Her secret.

—

Flare

You see a brief image of a young woman, light brown hair. Her expression conveys a nervous, yet determined look. A name appears in your head: Arcan Rhind.

There is something that she holds close to her heart. Take it.

Another brief image, and it shows a bow in her hands. Engraved with runes, and tightly held. As if it was her only lifeline.

—

Lycaon

You see a brief image of a tired looking person. Dark, cheek length hair. But a notable detail is the large wings on their back. A name appears in your head: Marsh. Novice Deity of Passion and Love.

This one has not experienced the weight of deityship yet. Not even great conflict. Be the one to help incite it. Have them hurt someone.

—

Alethea

You see a brief image of what you could only think was an average person! Wavy black hair, and a general messy appearance about himself. What are you going to do with this info? A name appears in your head: Patil

Have him tell the truth. Have him bound to the truth. To never tell a lie.

—

Crimson

You see a grim looking man. Tall and pale, he bears many scars upon his face. He is covered in a tattered cloak, with piercing red eyes. A name appears in your head: Ozark

He is holding a secret. Learn from it. It resides in his left arm.

—

Fang

You see a knight. Eyes wrapped in cloth, he still carries a confident gait. You could swear that he may look like just another participant as you, something in your gut tells you something is amiss. A name appears in your head: Lycaon.

This one holds a secret. Uncover it by any means.

—

Arcan

You see the image of someone with heterochromatic eyes. Yet still, they have a clouded appearance about them that would indicate blindness. The feeling he gives… It is one of a foreigner. A name appears in your head: Crimson Kasani.

Prevent him from passing. Kill him, if it is ideal.

—

Patil

You see the visage of a woman with wolf-like ears adorned on top of her head. She wears a face that looks seriously protective of something. A name appears in your head: Fang.

We see potential in this one. Make sure she passes through the wall.

—

Ozark

You see a figure that wears what appears to be clothing of a royal court. Red hair and golden eyes, he carries himself as a wise advisor: A name appears in your head: Flare.

We see potential in this one. Make sure he passes through the wall.

((I spoiled everything so people can make the choice of looking into the tasks or not. There's definitely rp benefits to both))

((Oh btw @ Eliza, I didn't include Naiyan since she has not been as active in the thread. If you want her in the tasks, just ask, but she can also just go around and cause mischief or help other participants))

“Ouch.” Ozark rubs his head, his ears ringing from the piercing tone of his message. Protect someone? I would have assumed that the flowers wanted to narrow down their candidates. He looks around, trying to see if he can spot Flare in the crowds. Well, if the other option is death, guess I’ve got no choice.

(That’s really cool Time)

​She tilts her head with her gentle smile, "Nothing. And that's the most beautiful thing about it." It was quite hard to tell if Alethea had experienced the voice of the Flowers. It's either she had not, or, she had an amazing poker face.

Arcan grimaces her teeth, and rubs her temple, "Ah. Tsk. That hurts." She tries to ignore the task given, and looks to the others around her group, trying to study her reaction. Truthfully, while she is trying to ignore her assignment, her face show clear that there's some indication of worry on her face.

"Oh! Apologies. You may have heard my name, but I have never properly introduced myself to you yet." she takes a small bow, "You may call me Alethea. I am a traveler."

"I already explained my reasoning as to why I wish to help. It's beautiful, and it helps others. Surely simple motivations can be accepted, yes?" She continues on, rising from her bow, "Please do not misconstrue this as disrespect, but to me, these acts are not special or specific to anyone. It's simply something I wish to do as much as possible."

---

The man watching Alethea and Fang lingers a bit, shifting on his feet, before finally saying, "Um, sorry miss, but I have to get moving soon. You know, maintaining the town and all that." He takes a few starting steps in the direction of the exit before stopping and turning back around, "You know the way out, right? Otherwise Alethea can help you with leaving." He hovers a bit more, as if waiting for a confirmation from Fang before splitting off.

---

The two guards rose their eyebrows again. Seeing that they just had received a group of visitors concerning the man in question, it felt suspicious that there was yet another person wanting to see him. However, they relented, and figured they'd just work with the same system as last time. Sighing, they open the door, and one of the two guards beckon Flare in, acting as his guide and escort.

---

I'd most definitely say that if Ozark was looking out for Flare, he would have spotted him at the entrance to the main building.