[Sandbox] Snippets

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 17th | Early Evening
Location: gRAVIty Dormitory
Wearing: Black turtle neck, Sleeveless brown coat, Matching beret
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
Lolo squeezed Lyreilynn close and nuzzled against. Her eyes squeezed shut, holding in the fear until the relief of the elf’s presence burned it all away. “Well you did worry me,” she protested quietly. Lolo could appreciate that Lyra wanted to learn, and she could even see the logic of doing it here, at Hammer, in an environment that was relatively well controlled. But without her present? On a whim like that? Lolo trusted Farrah to take care of her, but still. Lyra should have done this when she’d been there for her. What she didn’t understand was being scared. She almost asked what, but her eyes opened at the sudden tightness of Lyra’s embrace, and the words that followed. At first, she didn’t understand. How was going to dinner being taken advantage of? Lyra had made that choice, she had all of the power there. “What do you mean, Ocean took advantage of you?” But the response that came made her head whirl - for any number of reasons.

She’d never compared Haimehen and Ocean. And she never would have, if it were not for Lyra’s words. What Haimehen had done was unforgivable - or at least, Lolo had no desire to forgive him for it. Her anger at him was red hot when she allowed herself to think about it. But it wasn’t the same as Ocean. Haimehen was stupid and foul, he couldn’t be counted on or trusted. Ocean though, he was their enemy. Haimehen was not their friend, he wasn’t their ally, but he wasn’t their enemy. Unless he was. If he was taking the same actions as someone like Ocean…

Marlowe might have fixated on that particular part of the revelation for a lot longer, if the fact that Lyra had kept this from her didn't hit her harder. They had talked. Lyra had shared! It had been after the fact, but she had still shared. But apparently not all of it. Lyra pulled back and averted her eyes and… Lolo didn’t stop her. Some little part of her cracked. She’d been a lot of things at Lyra before. She’d been upset with her, and disappointed, and scared for her. But this was the first time Marlowe felt angry at her. All of the words about the consumption died before they registered in her brain. Her jaw quivered with anger. “You didn’t tell me…” Her anger sounded a whole lot like hurt.

Why did Lyra insist on holding her at arm's length? What more could she do to prove…

The angry feelings broke quickly and dissolved into sadness. Sadness that Lyra had been hurt. Sadness that she hadn’t been there to help her. Sadness that Lyra hadn’t come to her. Sadness that Lyra had kept this from her once they had talked. “I don’t care,” she snapped. Her eyes glossed, and then tears spilled from them. Lyra might not be willing to look at her, but Lolo couldn’t take her eyes off the little elf. “That’s not how you keep it from happening!” Marlowe’s whole body shook and she lunged forward, all but tackling Lyra and pinning her to the bed. She buried her face into the crook of Lyra’s neck, “You stop doing things alone! You’re not alone Lyreilynn! I’m right here. I’m right here!”

Sniffing hard, a sob wracked her entire body, “You promised… You promised you wouldn’t keep things from me, Lyra. Why did you…” why didn’t matter. Lolo rubbed her face against Lyra’s neck and squeezed her harder, “Please let me in. Please.” She managed between broken sobs. If something had happened to her while she had been out, and Lolo could have stopped it, but hadn’t known? It’d break her heart. “You said… You said you wanted me as your partner. You said… Please, Lyra, please let me in.”

[Rainbae]

Character Name: Koko Gero
Date | Time: November 17th | Early Afternoon
Location: Luxe Elegance Boutique
Wearing: Constantly Changing
Tagging | Mentioning: Meena @Crash | All of SWAGger
The unruly feelings that Koko felt while she held the jacket to the side and showed Meena the harshly scarred skin were familiar to the girl. The thing that wasn’t familiar was her somehow finding the strength to do it anyways. She wasn’t really sure what to attribute it to. Maybe it was Meena’s soft and kind personality. The way she practically felt like a mother to Koko at the moment, or maybe a big sister was more apt. Perhaps it was the strength she’d found in her training since joining hammer. Robyn had said to them multiple times that they weren’t just training their bodies at the school. Maybe it was the fact that she had people now. And not just any people but people who loved her and supported her. A network of friends that were there for her despite the trouble she often caused. Or maybe it was a bit of all three. No matter the true answer, it was a fact that she was showing someone else, and she wasn’t wanting to run.

Koko chuckled at the comment about Mir. Her opinions about him had changed so drastically since the other day. She was confused at how somehow who’d been so close beside her for so long had somehow gone unnoticed to her. She wondered who else was in her line of sight yet somehow hidden. She wanted to find out. But before that she had a hurdle to overcome. Standing she shirked the coat Meena had given her slowly and let it fall to the floor. Still very shaky Koko turned back around to face her friend now, still mostly naked. Her breath was caught in her lungs but she had to do this. She had to stand tall, with Meena watching her. She let the breath that she was holding back exhale and looked at her friend. “I reckon if its for you Mimi I oughta be able to manage.” She offered the biggest smile she could muster in the moment which wasn’t quite convincing but still, it had its own kind of strength behind it.

Koko took the offered skirt and the rest of the outfit and started slipping into the garments. She didn’t really bother ushering Meena out of the stall anymore. She had seen almost all there was to see and at this point Koko didn’t much care. Nudity had never been the thing she was worried about. That, like many other common worries, flew over Koko’s head as easily as the breeze. She felt awkward as she stepped into the skirt. It was such an uncommon feeling for her as she pulled it up around her waist and felt the air flowing freely between her legs. It almost made her shiver. “Alright Mimi, whaddya think? Is this woo the wonder boy material?”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 17 | Early Evening
Location: Hammer Academy - Infirmary
Wearing: White wrap blouse with black overcoat, white skirt with black overlay, and matching black sash
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe | Ocean

Lyra flinched from Marlowe’s sudden outburst, snapping at her even as she tried to explain her reasoning. She had rambled past the Ocean parts, trying to paint a bigger picture, trying to downplay her hurt and anger and sadness about the events, just to move past it, but Marlowe was so fixated on that point that the latter half of what the little elf had said didn’t even seem to register with her partner.

She looked over towards the brawler and her eyes widened in surprise to see those crimson orbs filled with tears. Lyra expected Marlowe to be glaring at her, angry and upset that she had hid something from her. Even if she had told her about Ocean the next day, she had kept that little part of it from the conversation, tucking it away like she had the other incident. She was expecting the anger, expecting the backlash, the disappointed, but she never expected the tears nor the tackle that pinned her to the bed. There was a tiny wince as Marlowe connected with her; her body still ached, but that pain was dull now, duller still in the face of the pain before her. “Lolo…”

Unsure of how to react, Lyra just laid there, stunned, with the larger woman wrapped around her tightly. Then, she let out a choked sob, her lower lip trembling as her arms found their way around her partner, holding her close as she pressed her face against Marlowe’s shoulder. “I… I am sorry,” she managed to get out, realizing just how much she had hurt her by not telling her. She had kept it quiet as not to anger her, not realizing just how much it would break her heart instead. She should have known. Marlowe had reacted so badly to learning about Haimehen’s kiss after the fact, why would this one have been any different? No, it was different. The anger was there, but there was far more sadness. Haimehen had been a teammate, an ally. Ocean was an enemy, and it could have turned out a lot worse. What if she hadn’t put a stop to it when she did? Or worse yet, what if he hadn’t stopped at all? He could have very well had his way with her, secluded as they were, despite her protests.

Lyra shivered, her hands clutching at Marlowe’s coat as she held on tighter. “I am… so sorry!” Artanis’s words about her partner echoed in her mind. The tears came then, unable to hold them back any longer. The shame she had felt that night, choosing not to go to Marlowe right away, instead finding comfort elsewhere. The embarrassment for letting it happen to her in the first place. The pain of keeping quiet. None of that seemed to hurt her as much as knowing what kind of pain she had put her partner through. “I-I do! I do want you! …I do,” sniffles interrupted her. “No more. I-I promise, no more… No more secrets. No more hiding.” Her arms encircled Marlowe even tighter, drawing her in close. “I will let you in, Lolo. Please. Forgive me, Lolo. Forgive me. I will let you in...”

- End Scene -

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 13 | Evening (~10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Study Room
Wearing: White sheer and opaque dress with appliqué flowers, green sash, white heels, teal Arcanite pendant
Tagging | Mentioning: Azir | Kiba, Ocean

It took a few more minutes for Lyra to gather her courage after leaving the study room with Kiba before she headed towards Mockery’s dormitory. She had been on the verge of losing her nerve to go see Azir, but Kiba’s insistence had helped to bolster her resolve. Azir deserved to know what happened and she didn’t want to hide it from him. Their relationship had only just started and already a crack had formed, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be mended. She had made a mistake, put herself in a bad position, but she knew what she wanted. And that was Azir.
 
Glancing down at her hand, where that string had been tied just that morning, there was a subtle smile that quirked at the edges of her lips. It made her heart swell, curling her fingers into a fist as she held her hand to her chest, closing her eyes as she stood there silently in the middle of the hall. He would understand. He had to. It was a mistake, but not one they couldn’t fix. Lyra had stopped it from going further, flashes of Azir in her mind. This is what she wanted. This was the path she chose, and she was determined to walk it.
 
Standing before his door was the hardest moment she had reached so far, lifting her hand to knock, but hesitating, like she had when she first approached Kiba’s. Her other hand clutched at the fabrics of her skirt. ‘He deserves to know,’ she reminded herself, letting out a deep breath as she knocked on the door. It felt like her stomach was doing flips, nervous about what she was going to tell him. How should she approach the subject? Does she just come out and say it? Should she take the long way around? What if she lost the will to speak after seeing him? What if he doesn’t forgive her?
 
With her mind going a mile a minute with various scenarios, the door in front of Lyra slid open, Azir standing there looking down at her with a puzzled expression. It was pretty late, after all. “H-hello, Azir. I… I am sorry for coming so late. I hope I-I did not wake you?” She tried to offer him an apologetic smile, but it came out strained, not quite reaching her eyes. She had tried to smooth out her hair and clothes before walking up to the door, trying to make her appearance a little less disheveled, but there was no hiding the red tint to her eyes from crying. “C-Can we talk? For only a moment.” Her voice was shaky as she extended a hand to him. “Come with me?”
 
Lyra led him away from the dorms and down the familiar hall she had just come from, back towards the study rooms. Thankfully, they came across no one else. Not even Kiba. Her eyes flicked to the door where Kiba had carried her through, noting that the sign read ‘Unoccupied’ and flashed green. Whether he stayed behind in the study and just didn’t change the sign after she left, or whether he had gone back to his room already, she didn’t know. Bringing Azir to a different door across the hall, she pulled him inside, flicked the sign to ‘Occupied’ and made their way over to one of the couches.
 
Sitting down with him now, she started to lose focus, twisting her hands in the fabric of her skirts in her lap. She was beginning to lose her nerve. But Azir’s hand being placed over hers made her pause, looking up at him. It helped to calm her and steady her thoughts, bringing a slight smile to her face. “I—” she began, then quickly shut her mouth. Worried, Lyra let her gaze drop to their hands, turning her hand over so that she could lace her fingers with his. “I… made a mistake.”
 
Kiba’s advice rang in her head. She needed to tell him the truth. All of it.
 
“I had dinner plans tonight.” It was obvious she had gone out, due to what she was wearing. “I met with someone for a... business deal.” It wasn’t a lie. They had talked business, eventually. “With Ocean Specter.” She wasn’t sure if he was familiar with that name or not, but did it really matter right then? “He wanted something from me, and I thought… I thought I could bargain with him.” Lyra closed her eyes and her grip on his hand tightened. “But he seemed more interested in me than the deal.”
 
Her shoulders shook slightly. She was struggling to voice the words on the tip of her tongue. “He… He kissed me. Put his hands on me.” Another pause, opening her eyes but she didn’t lift her gaze. Not yet. She was scared to see his reaction. “I-I did not prevent it from happening,” she swallowed that lump in her throat as she quickly raised her head, blue eyes meeting his green ones, glossy as they were. “But I put a stop to it! I did. I, I stopped it. I saw you, Azir… I wanted nothing more than to be in your arms then. I-I should have stopped it sooner. No, I should have prevented it from happening at all. I am sorry, Azir. I am… so sorry.”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Azir Venris Kil-Mitter
Date | Time: November 13th | Late Evening (~10pm)
Location: Study Room
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
It wasn’t like Azir - and even less like Lyra - to miss classes, but today had been an exception. Their night had been long and loving, and they had slept well past breakfast at Hammer. When they had awoken, Azir had protested leaving Eternas, but only because they had something to do. In the aftermath of their love making, Azir had performed the Vorotemnar, and bound himself to Lyra. He’d never been so happy - well, actually, the night before had been even better. By the time they arrived for Combat Training with Silk, Azir had been on cloud nine. Separating from Lyra had been nearly impossible. He was glad that she didn’t call him for a duel or demonstration, because he was for the first time not in the mind for it. The entire rest of the day, Azir had been floating. Basking in his joy. Even his team noticed something was different, but he was far too stoic to kiss and tell. So he just smiled when asked what was going on. Where possible, he’d stolen Lyra for a kiss, and when not possible, he’d looked forward to it - not in the least by reminiscing on the many, many kisses they had shared while together the night prior.

The rest of his team was asleep, or out, when the knock came. He had been slow to answer the door because he’d been meditating when it came. Centering himself so that he could sleep eventually, because as it was his mind was entirely too filled with this cloudy high on life feeling. He enjoyed it, but it was very distracting, and he knew he couldn’t live in that foggy bliss forever. Anyone at the door this late was unexpected and confusing, but Lyra more so. But not unwanted, “Lyreilynn,” his confusion had melted away into a smile, “No, I haven’t been able…” he trailed off, noting her dress. It was very fancy for a late night meeting. “What’s wrong?” He said, more seriously, as he took note of her eyes. Azir nodded and followed after her.

As they sat down on the couch, Azir took note of the apprehension in her. “Te amica molestat aliquid, quod est?” He reached out and set a hand on hers and squeezed, tilting his head. Azir’s hand molded to her movement, and their fingers were laced, “Tell me,” he encouraged her.

That at least explained the state of dress. It was strange, he thought, that she hadn’t told him about it. But things were new, and maybe they didn’t need to share every little thing that they did with one another. After all, she was still telling him now. He nodded for her to continue, “Business?” That was a little confusing because he didn’t know what sort of business she could be involved in, but that was clearly not the important part. The name made him tense some, “That’s the man from the incident at Dazzle and Dust, right?” Conversations with Meena, and Xiratana had informed him of the name. This only confused him further. What business could Lyra be involved in that could possibly involve someone like that. But he didn’t bristle, he just listened. He didn’t like what he heard though. “In you?” His tone shifted slightly. It deepened, and his hand tightened along hers.

Azir had been punched less hard than the revelation that this man had kissed her hit him. There was a strong, physical reaction. He jerked, suddenly more alert. His mouth opened to speak right away, but it stammered on soundless air - he didn’t even have any words. Bright eyes dropped to her lips, lips that were meant to be only for him, now touched by another. And the news seemed to just keep getting worse - she hadn’t prevented it? But why? His mind reeled with thoughts, and Azir looked genuinely clueless as he stared at her. He did find her eyes, and he recognized the tears that wanted to come. But was that because she felt guilty or because it had happened to her?

It was a lot to take in. This was like the campsite and Haimehen all over again. Azir blinked and looked down at their hands, saying nothing. What could he say? His brow clenched, as did his teeth. His grip on her loosened, “I,” he began, but he wasn’t ready to speak, so he shook his head. Azir pulled his hand back, away from her and set it on his lap. He pushed up and stood, looking here and there, anywhere but at her. His heart felt heavy, and his chest tight. Azir took a few slow steps backward, “How does this happen Lyreilynn? After…” he looked down and squeezed his eyes shut. How, after they had promised themselves to one another, how could she allow that? What did that say? His mouth hung open like there were words and questions that wanted to come, but he lacked the words for them.

“You’re sorry…” She had wanted to be in his arms. Should have stopped it, prevented it. Azir replayed her words. He was interested in her. He kissed her. He put his hands… Azir twitched and looked at her. Where had he touched her? “I don’t… Understand.” He shook his head, pained. “He took advantage of you? Like Haimehen.” It all slowly started clicking into place. “You let him kiss you.” Azir felt the pangs of a brutal headache coming on. “...Why?” She wasn’t helpless. He stared at her, looking for something to make it all make sense. She trusted Haimehen, he was her teammate. Him taking her by surprise could be justified that she had her guard down. But this man? She indicated that she knew he was more interested in her. And he was already a problem, she should have already been on guard. So there had to be more. Some part of this tale was missing, and he couldn’t move past it until he knew it.

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 13 | Evening (~10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Study Room
Wearing: White sheer and opaque dress with appliqué flowers, green sash, white heels, teal Arcanite pendant
Tagging | Mentioning: Azir | Ocean

The moment that his warmth left her, Lyra couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. They trickled from those red-tinted eyes, trailing down her cheeks to dripped down to her hands in her lap. Her bottom lip trembled, so she captured it between her teeth and bit down, hard, to make it stop. Anything to make the shaking stop. The pain grounded her, but it was nothing compared to the pain that pierced her heart as Azir stood up and walked away from her. It felt like a dagger through her chest. In fact, that might have actually hurt her less.
 
After that morning, after promising themselves to each other, it should have been a happy time for them. It should have been nothing but bliss! But then she had to go and meet that man. That terribly frustratingly, handsome, conniving, confusing man! She thought, hoped, the deal would turn out for the best. Her mother had agreed to do as Ocean wished, and he had promised not to mess with her team anymore, but she wasn’t sure what would come of the deal, or… even if he would abide by it. Ocean seemed like a man of his word; she hadn’t felt like he had lied to her or would double-cross her, but what did she really know? And was it even worth it? Worth the pain she went through, the pain she was putting Azir through now?
 
Lyra flinched as Azir mentioned her former teammate and her head lifted, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment, before she had to look away. The pain on his face was unbearable to see. Azir was disappointed in her. It was the one thing she feared the most. “It was… supposed to just be dinner and talking. Nothing more. I… I did not realize. I—” She paused, frowning. What had she been thinking? She’d gone there to protect her team. She never thought Ocean would hurt her. In every encounter, he’d never touched her before. “I let my guard down,” she murmured quietly. Had she let Ocean kiss her? She’d been worked up from that morning. She was still worked up! She had been overwhelmed by new sensations and Ocean had taken advantage of that. Exploited them. Squirming slightly in her seat, she clenched her hands into fists over her knees.
 
What Artanis had said back at the campsite rang in her head. And even after the other day, it was still there. Clueless. Lyra had been completely clueless about the danger she had put herself in. She hadn’t had her bracelets at dinner, her primary means of fighting. Sure, she might be stronger than a majority of people, but Ocean wasn’t a slacker, either. “I do not… know why… It was thoughtless of me.” She shut her eyes, shaking her head as she lifted her hands to wrap around herself. She hadn’t wanted that kiss. Not from him. There had been the temptation to know what it felt like, but the only person whom she wanted to kiss was standing in front of her now, looking like she broke his heart, because she had. “I never expected that to happen. It was not… what I wanted.” The realization that Ocean had been more interested in her than the deal had only come after the fact. But perhaps she should have been aware of that from the very beginning.
 
Lyra looked up at him with her eyes filled with tears. “I chose you, Azir. I wanted you! No one else! I put a stop to it because my heart wants you!” She lifted a hand towards him; not to reach for him, but lifted in such a way to mimic the way their hands were bound just that morning. “Te amo, Azir. Ego sum ita paenitet. Hoc non fit iterum. Placere… Placere ignoscas mihi amica mea.” She stood from the couch, but she was scared to take that step towards him, afraid that if she did, he’d only take one backwards, away from her. “I only want you and no one else. Always. We… we promised. I promised. Only yours.” Only if he still wanted her.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Azir Venris Kil-Mitter
Date | Time: November 13th | Late Evening (~10pm)
Location: Study Room
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
Azir didn’t doubt that it was supposed to be just dinner. He refused to believe that Lyra would deliberately do something like that to him, let alone herself. But it answered none of the questions about why she had agreed to this dinner, or what business she was involved in that Ocean might’ve wanted - that she’d be willing to entertain. But if he set that aside, what was he left with? She let her guard down. That could happen. Why would she have her guard up with someone she was trying to do business with? But she knew this man was a problem, so why… No, he couldn’t set that aside. It was such a major factor, and he couldn’t wrap his brain around why she would be so careless with it.

Because it had just been her. Azir closed his eyes to calm himself and to think about this - to think about all the things that he knew. He recalled talking to Lyra some weeks after Dazzle and Dust and asking her about it. Hearing her side of the story, and what she had done. Ocean had wanted Arcanite that night and been denied. Lyra was a squire, and involved in denying him that. He thought of Lyra telling him that Ocean had asked questions about Hammer, and if they had known about what he was doing - if they were sent to stop him. Suddenly the pieces started coming together. Lyra had talked to him before. “He wanted something from you,” Azir whispered, “He wanted you to do something. And you saw the opportunity to protect others.” Lyra was no mystery to him, and as he pushed past his emotions, following her logic wasn’t that difficult.

It had to be information on Hammer. That even tracked why he tried to seduce her. People who were blinded by feelings were easier to manipulate, more trusting, and more likely to turn a blind eye to the wrong right in front of them. “You let your guard down to try and keep the evening amicable, to make the best of it.” Azir watched her for an assurance that he was on the right path. It calmed him some. “No, of course it wasn’t.” He swallowed and the contortion of his face eased. “You offered him a situation without tension, and he took advantage of it.” Azir frowned deeply as the depth of that hit him. She hadn’t done this to him. Ocean had done it to her.

Peridot orbs found her tearful gaze as she proclaimed that she chose him. His heart still ached, but it ached for other reasons now. For her and what she had been through. Again. For them, and his own jumping to conclusions and not hearing her words. His hand twitched at his side as he recognized the gesture she made, and the vision of that morning pushed back into his mind’s eye. Her radiance in the dark filtered light of dawn, wrapped in naught but a sheet, tethered to him. She said it would never happen again, and he believed her - but he didn’t trust others. If Haimehen could do this. If this Ocean could do it. Who else might?

His eyes fell to the necklace around her neck. “Only mine,” he repeated, tasting the words.

He heaved a heavy sigh and looked down to the ground between them. He studied the tile. There was nothing interesting there, but the sterile vastness of it was great for letting things go. “Marlowe should have been with you.” Azir said, “I should have been with you.” Anyone, really, should have been with her. “You cannot—” his voice broke and he squeezed his eyes shut, “Te mihi pollicitus es. Non est idem quod prius.” Azir took a deep breath and looked up at her, stepping quickly up against her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and another around her shoulders and pulled her fiercely into his chest, “Tam temerarius iam non potes esse, Lyreilynn.” He laid his head beside hers and closed his eyes again, “Non solum tibi dolet qui si amplius laeseris?” Azir pulled back and stared into her eyes, “Una vita hoc est quod promisimus.”

Reaching down, she took her hand and threaded their fingers. He brought it up, and reversed them, leaning for their foreheads both pressed to the back of the other’s hand and closed his eyes. “You saw the best in a man with no honor. A risk, but not a mistake. Of course I forgive you.” Opening his eyes, Azir tilted his head and lowered their hands, “Are you okay my love?”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 18 | Late Afternoon
Location: gRAVIty Dormitory
Wearing: White blouse with embroidered flowers, dark blue skirt
Tagging | Mentioning: Farrah | Marlowe

Lyra had spent the remainder of the previous day in the Academy’s Infirmary, having woken up near the evening to Marlowe at her side, and kept overnight as a precaution so she could rest. By morning, she was cleared as being well enough to leave, with only minor lingering nausea from ingesting the Arcanite powder. There was no fire energy left in her system, but her body needed a bit longer to fully recover. There had been little discussion of her actions, but Lyra suspected that was because it had mainly been doctors and nurses attending to her, not staff that would reprimand her for doing something so dangerous. At least, that’s what she expected.
 
With it being the weekend now, there were no classes to worry about, so she had nowhere pressing to be, which gave her ample time to worry over other matters; like how she had lost them the mock battle because of her recklessness. She’d confessed to Marlowe she did it because she wanted to be stronger, but it had still been irresponsible. It wasn’t just her that lost that battle, but her teammate, as well. What did Farrah think of all this? They still weren’t on the greatest of terms with each other but it had been getting better. Did she think her worthless? Was she angry at losing? Lyra could have possibly gone up against Koko and came out on top without resorting to what she did, couldn’t she? Why had she pushed herself so far?
 
It took most of the day for Lyra to gather her courage, and to track down the much larger elf, finally coming across her later in the day back in their dorm room. She approached Farrah almost cautiously, preparing herself for the backlash she thought would be coming, or even the disappointment the other women would show her. “Um, Farrah? Could we speak a moment?” Once she had her attention and agreement, Lyra continued. “I-I just… Wanted to apologize. For yesterday. I am sorry that, that I caused us to lose the match. What I did was… Reckless. Lolo made sure to remind me of that.” Her gaze was downcast, unable to look her in the eye lest she see that disappointment she was so scared of. “I just…” Lyra swallowed that nervous lump in her throat. “I… was just tired of being seen as, as weak. But maybe I still am. I am not… Not as strong as someone like you.”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 13 | Evening (~10pm)
Location: Hammer Academy - Study Room
Wearing: White sheer and opaque dress with appliqué flowers, green sash, white heels, teal Arcanite pendant
Tagging | Mentioning: Azir |

Lyra nodded slowly as Azir started to piece together the picture she was trying to paint for him. Ocean had wanted a favor from her, luring her out with the promise of a deal they would both benefit from. He wanted the Arcanite shipment from her mother’s company, en route to Onyx, to be delayed in its arrival, thereby halting the need to go after it and saving quite a few lives in the process. Knowing she’d have to bargain for it, she’d tried to add on something in her favor to the deal, to keep him away from her team. “I-I just… wanted to protect them,” she whispered in response to his words, confirming what he was saying, thinking he had been on the same track as her.

Another nod as he continued, finally seeing the realization in his eyes and features that she hadn’t done this out of malice or to hurt him. The way his face softened as he looked at her helped to calm her tremendously, washing away her fear that he hated her. He might still be upset with her, but at least there was no hate, no disgust. When she finally stood, she was still fearful he would turn away from her. He had every reason to abandon her now, and she wouldn’t blame him one bit. Kiba assured her he’d understand and forgive her, but would be really do so?

Lyra flinched slightly as he said she should have had someone with her, someone like Marlowe, or even himself. She hadn’t told anyone her plans before she left for the evening, not even her partner. She’d been afraid that if Marlowe knew what she was going to do that she’d try and stop her, or ask to come with. Ocean specifically told her to come alone and she didn’t want to risk angering him or having him call it off should she arrived with company. “I-I know. I, I am sorry,” she muttered quietly, her eyes drifting to the floor, ashamed of herself. She’d been so stupid to go alone.

His rapid step towards her took Lyra by surprise, blinking as he crushed her against his chest. Her bottom lip trembled as he laid his head next to hers, his voice soft as he tried to get her to understand her position. Her hands twitched, hesitating, before she lifted them up and around him, fingers clutching the back of his shirt as she held him close. Ever since she was little, she always lived by it was okay for her to hurt, as long as she was the only one hurting. Even since coming to Hammer, she’d been going by that logic. She could handle the pain, the loneliness, the hurt, as long as it was just her. But his words… He was right. It wasn’t just her hurting anymore. They were bound together, and her hurt became his hurt. Somehow, she’d forgotten that.

Those tears came again, nodding as he pulled back enough to look into her eyes. There was a slight smile on her face. “Unus vita,” she repeated softly. “Nostra vita.” She pressed her forehead against their clasped hands as he threaded their fingers and raised it between them, closing her eyes as she found comfort in the gesture. She stayed like that as long as he allowed them to, opening her eyes only when he finally lowered their hands to look her over. Slowly, she nodded. “Y-yes, I think so? I am just… so happy to be in your arms again.”

Turning her head slightly, Lyra rested her head against his chest, that one arm still wrapped around him clutching at his shirt tighter. This is what she wanted. This is where she belonged. She knew it. “Could… Could I stay with you tonight? I, I do not want to be apart from you right now.”

- End Scene -

[Envious]

Character Name: Farrah Tinkerspan
Date | Time: November 18 | Late Afternoon
Location: gRAVIty Dormitory
Wearing: Uniform; earrings as pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra | Marlowe
Farrah glanced up from the table as Lyreilynn came into the room and gave a distracted nod upwards and hey as a greeting before looking back down at her homework. She seemed to register the look on Lyra’s face after starting to write the next word and glanced back up as the elf made her way over to the table.

”What happen?” Farrah questioned, setting the pencil down and placing the palms of her hands on the table as if she were ready to get up. It was unlike Lyreilynn to engage in conversation with her, so it must be serious! But the stuttered apology was not what she expected and Farrah gave a short bark of a laugh before she relaxed. She used her foot to scoot the chair to her left out from the table to invite Lyreilynn to sit.

”What you done was finally put in some effort. Should be proud fer it, not apologizin’,” she said, clearly approving of Lyra's choice. She leaned back and laced her fingers, placing them behind her head. She hadn’t thought about the situation since dropping Lyra off in the infirmary, truth be told. These things happened all the time - it was a routine part of training. ”Don’t think folks see you as weak. Reckon the problem is they don’t see you at all. The you, not the fussy thing you let on ta be. Iffin’ that was all you was, you wouldn’t be in Hammer. What this about truthfully? You should know darn well I ain't care a lick 'bout losin' or practicin' somethin' risky.”

[Crash]

Character Name: Ginger Eloise Fizz
Date | Time: 11.28 - After Dinner
Location: Onyx Prairie - Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq
Smack! Smack! Smacksmacksmack!

Eloise worked the heavy bag over like someone had just called her Ginger for the millionth time.  Things had started off rough for the newest member of gRAVIty.  It wasn't the team.  They had been reasonably accommodating.  Thessa, her partner and the new leader of gRAVity had been pretty open about what was expected of her.

Pop! Smack! Pop-Pop!

No. It had more to do with Eloise than it did with gRAVIty.   She leaned in close and launched a couple of heavy shots to the ribs if the bag had them.  Sweat was pouring from her body as she unleashed blow after blow.  Eloise could hold her own in a fistfight.  She wasn't a brawler like Marlowe or fucking jacked like Thessa.  Eloise just fought fucking dirty.  Where she grew up, you didn't fight for fun.  You fought to keep what was yours, and you fought to stay alive.  Glory and honor had nothing to do with it.  It was you or them, and you did what you had to do to ensure it wasn't you.

POP! POP!

The bag took a hard elbow followed by a knee strike.  Eloise hated feeling unmoored. Adrift.  She also hated the feeling that she somehow benefitted from Binx being hurt. The official report blamed Donnelly for the action, but it had been her suggestion.  She had egged him on and convinced him to do it.  A wins a win, right?

"UGH! UGH!" The blows became heavier and more erratic. Her form was slipping. All she wanted to do was hit something until it hurt or stopped hurting. She wasn't sure which.

"You don't think you deserve to be happy."

Eloise closed her eyes as the words echoed in her brain and leaned against the bag, breathing heavy breaths.  One…two…

"UGH." SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! There was nothing controlled in her hammer blows. Just pure emotion given violent form.  Why should she be happy?  Why should she be the one to benefit from her sisters' sacrifices?  Binx's injury?  She was nothing special.  Never had been, never would be. She had hurt so many people.  Willingly.  Better them than her, she had told herself, knowing all along it was wrong. Too scared to do anything different. 

"You did things you aren't proud of and punish yourself for it like you deserve to be unhappy forever."

Blow after blow after blow landed.  Her knuckles were bleeding, raw, and angry, but she didn't stop.  She missed Binx…missed Myx…hell, she would take Gunderson right about how.  How could she do this without them?  They had become the first stable force in her life. They were only a building away and it felt like an impossible distance between them. 

Binx.   

"I. Don't. Deserve. You." She huffed with each impact.

[Eye of Horus]

Character Name: Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 28th November | Evening
Location: Hammer Academy, training rooms
Content: Newbie
Tagging | Mentioning: Eloise Fizz
The end of a first week, and a punishing one. Dari prided himself on never shying away from a challenge, but even he had struggled with the new routine - lessons in more lore than he knew existed, followed by physical training against squires who were at least as skilled as he was, after which they were expected to recall and recite the morning’s lessons. Even Hammer Academy itself seemed designed to test and punish, from the identical spartan corridors that were tailor made to disorient the inattentive, to the frigid high altitude and the thin air that made an hour’s training ache like a full day of labour. Every time his muscles screamed at him, he imagined Mother and Mum reading the first letter he would send back to them at the Oasis. Once he figured out what he was going to put in it, at any rate. So much had happened already. But he knew one thing: after a month of agonising, of tossing and turning, of making plans and failing most of them, he had been given a golden opportunity. He would not throw it away.

He devoured the histories, and made every effort to ingratiate himself with his new team-mates. He had been pleasantly surprised to find that he already knew two of them: Koko from that eventful day at the Ninja Academy, and Bri’elle from the bar the previous night. It was almost as if the Brother of Light had laid out the path for him, and it was only in turning to look back that he saw the trail. And so far, he had survived. Dari rolled his shoulders to settle the persistent ache between his shoulder-blades, and turned left at a white-panelled intersection to take a long-cut through the training hall, instead of crossing the open courtyard to the dorms and facing the battering rainstorm that was currently blowing outside. He had proved himself enough this week that he didn’t feel obliged to take on the weather as well.

His rubber-soled shoes were quiet despite the recently buffed floor. It seemed to be the squires’ habit to walk softly, and Dari had instinctively copied it. He wore the simple black tracksuit with his name stencilled over the heart, and the squad name across the back. It was not mandatory, and in the evenings most squires went about in their civilian clothes, but Dari enjoyed the feel of the outfit; the small Hammer crests at shoulder and hip the proof that he was worthy of this place, as he had always known he should be.

The training hall was usually quiet at this time of night, but when Dari pushed open the door he was greeted by the sound of shoes squeaking against the gymnasium floor, and the heavy smack of knuckles against leather. The arcanite lamps overhead shone down on a lone squire, who was laying into a tackle-bag with furious intensity. Dari didn’t recognise her - which was notable because he had just been beginning to feel comfortable that he knew most of the Hammer squires by sight if not by name. Another newcomer perhaps? Koko had mentioned that it sometimes happened, with her friend Chee being another recent example, besides Dari himself.

The squire didn’t seem to have noticed his entrance. She was a bronze-skinned human with dark hair that spilled over a dramatic side-shave, and her arms were sleeved in black tattoos, though they were currently slamming the tackle-bag too fast for Dari to make any of them out. To Dari’s eye the blows were sloppy and getting more so - fewer precise, controlled strikes and more full-body heaves against the bag. Dari could see smudges of blood on the leather.

"I. Don't. Deserve. You." she huffed with each impact.

Dari approached, making sure this time to make some noise with his plimsoll shoes against the vinyl floor. “Don’t deserve what, newbie?” he interrupted boldly.

The other squire whipped round towards him, honey-brown eyes smouldering dangerously. Dari recognised the look instantly. It was the same one he gave people when he wasn’t ready to admit that something was bothering him, and a smile was too hard to fake anymore. He changed tack accordingly.

“Need a sparring partner? Or should I just piss off and leave you to it?”

[Crash]

Character Name: Ginger Eloise Fizz
Date | Time: 11.28 - After Dinner
Location: Onyx Prairie - Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq
The voice slammed walls down like an impenetrable soul.  All her old instincts took over.  Never show vulnerability. It will make you a target. Show them your will is stronger.  If all else fails…run.  Clearly, whoever this was saw the venom in Elosie's eyes.  His correction stalled the balled first but not her acidic tongue.

"Don't deserve to have some fucking slag who can't mind his own fucking business sneaking up on me," She shot back.

Having turned to face Dariaq, some of her tattoos were easily visible. On one sleeve was a black panther-like creature stalking through a jungle down her arm. On the other clashed an octopus and shark battling against swirling waves.  A phoenix burned across her chest, and on her left side, curled up on her ribs, was a small black cat.  Her tattoos had no color, just black ink and shadowy grays.  Other tattoos disappeared below the waistband of her sweats or peaked from her sports bra, but what they were was a mystery she looked in no way interested in letting Dariaq solve.

Eloise's instinct was to take this pretty boy up on his offer to piss off so she could get back to her violent self-hate, but his presence had already done much to snap her out of it.  She was breathing heavily, covered in sweat, and the ache of her knuckles was starting to work its way through the haze of her emotional anguish.

"What? You think I need more training?" Eloise looked the tall elf up and down, a practiced look of disdain in her eye.  "Psh. Like you could teach me anything."

On any other day, Eloise might have been more convincing, but combat training with Silk had been rough. Ellie was used to 10-person squad combat and often trained with rifles. Overlapping fields of fire, that sort of thing.  Sure, she had excelled at dueling in the military but fighting as a two-person team was so vastly different that she had been the cause of Regrafts' loss more than once today.  Farrah was nothing if not encouraging, but Silk was relentless. Eloise didn't hate their combat instructor for it.  Honestly, Ellie appreciated the ruthlessness with which she ran her sparring. Weakness was punished until your soul broke or you figured your shit out. Adapt or be killed. The woman would have ruled the streets if she ran a gang.

However, it didn't make Ellie's performance any better, and being green was not an excuse Silk accepted. Frankly, neither did Eloise. She hadn't survived as long as she had without learning to adapt. It was going to be painful, but Ellie was a survivor. Still, she knew that stepping onto the mat was a losing proposition in her current state.  She was tired, out of control, and so fucking lonely. 

Ellie rubbed her knuckles gently, but the venom in her eyes was gone, replaced with a mask of cool indifference. "I don't need no pity spar, okay, pretty boy. Go find a girl that'd be more interested in tumbling a mat with you, 'cause I ain't it. If you get my meaning."

[Eye of Horus]

Character Name: Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 28th November | Evening
Location: Hammer Academy, training rooms
Content: Newbie
Tagging | Mentioning: Eloise Fizz
"What? You think I need more training?"

No, Dari thought, But I do think you need a distraction. He didn’t say it aloud. He would have hated to have it pointed out if the roles were reversed.

Eloise looked the tall elf up and down, a practiced look of disdain in her eye. "Psh. Like you could teach me anything."

It wasn’t a no. In fact, it sounded suspiciously like a challenge. “Eh,” Dari mused, shrugging expansively, “There’s always something more to learn.” He tapped his chest twice with a fist. “Especially when your teacher is Dariaq Syvanios.”

And he had more to learn than he cared to admit. He was happy to let Ettinus and the rest call his battle with Loz a victory, but he himself knew that if it had gone on any longer, he would have been crowfood. And of all the moments that he played over in his head, the one that galled him most was the memory of when Loz had ripped Spitting Cobra from his hands and impaled Lolo with it. Humiliating. It was why he had been avoiding Lolo as much as possible since the incident. He would learn, he vowed to himself. He would improve. And when he met Loz Averan again, a different story would be written.

The human squire looked at him, unimpressed.

"I don't need no pity spar, okay, pretty boy. Go find a girl that'd be more interested in tumbling a mat with you, 'cause I ain't it. If you get my meaning."

For a moment, Dari considered taking her at her word, and leaving her to it. Perhaps the young human really did want to be left alone. But before turning away, he caught the almost self-conscious way she massaged her bloodied knuckles, and decided to try one more thing - the thing that he knew would have been guaranteed to work on himself in a similar situation.

“Alright,” he said, putting up his hands before grinning broadly and lowering them into a guard stance. “I mean, if you’re scared…”

T’es pas cap’, as we used to say back in Le Havre.

[Crash]

Character Name: Ginger Eloise Fizz
Date | Time: 11.28 - After Dinner
Location: Onyx Prairie - Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq
The guy talks about himself in the third person.  What a tool, Elosie thought with a hint of amusement. She had to respect the self-confidence, though.  That was top shelf.

“Who?” Eloise asked. The smirk on her face clearly indicated she knew he was referring to himself but enjoyed poking at him a little. Still, she wasn’t really in the mood, and it showed.  For a moment, Ellie thought she had done enough to send the squire home with his tail between his legs, but then he had to go and say that. 

“Your funeral, Pretty Boy,” Eloise said flatly, her honey-brown eyes narrowing. “Get on the mat.”

She watched him the entire way, only pausing momentarily to get some tape to tape up her hands.  It was going to hurt like a bitch to smack Dariaq around, but pain Eloise could endure.  She had been doing it her entire life.   

Ellie was dead ass tired and had spent the last hour beating herself up mentally and physically.  She ached in every sense of the word, but Dariaq had called her a coward.  There was no fucking way he was gonna leave without a mark or two, even if it meant getting her ass beat for it.  It said something about her: she would rather take a beating than have someone think she feared anything.

Ellie hopped onto the raised sparring mat and thrust her arms in two punches down by her side before raising two balled fists, elbows tucked to her side. She bounced lightly on the balls of her feat.  When Dariaq was ready, she motioned to “bring it.”

They circled one another.  Dariaq didn’t seem to have much interest in engaging right away, so Eloise was happy to oblige. She felt him out with a couple of quick jabs and a combination that he was able to block with ease.  He was definitely stronger than Ellie and quick to boot. His combo landed and popped against her soul, but she caught him with a rabbit punch that would have had an average person pissing blood for a day.  She danced away and gave him a wink. 

“So where are you from, newbie?” he asked as they circled. Eloise swiped a leg at his knee, but he lifted his leg and took it on his thigh. She spun to her left with a back elbow that he blocked with his right arm and locked in place. Definitely stronger than she was.

“Military Academy,” Ellie answered, clutching his arm with both hands. She dropped all her weight, pulling him forward, and planted a foot in his belly.  With a heave of her leg, she sent him somersaulting over her, forcing him to break his hold. He landed on his back and kicked up to his feet, brushing his curls of hair out of his face. 

Ellie continued her rolling momentum and popped back up on the other side of the mat. Eyeing the squire from across the room, that smirk was back. This was kind of fun. 

“So Pretty Boy.  Should I know that name? Syvanios,” she asked as they began to circle again.

[Eye of Horus]

Character Name: Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 28th November | Evening
Location: Hammer Academy, training rooms
Content: Sparring
Tagging | Mentioning: Eloise Fizz
Dari shifted from foot to foot as they circled, letting the adrenaline spread to the tips of his fingers and toes. His Soul reacted, buzzing into life and sheathing him in a haze of green for a brief moment before flickering clear.

The human, he was impressed to note, had much better form when her head was in the game, forcing him to ward the first few probing blows with his palms and forearms. He jabbed a longer arm over her first real punch, clipping her mid-strike and following up, but she recovered and hit him back with a punch that made his Soul buzz in protest. On the second pass he managed to bind her arm, but she dropped and broke it with a rolling throw. Her grim face cracked into a smirk.

There we go!

“So Pretty Boy.  Should I know that name? Syvanios,” she asked as they began to circle again.

“I’m glad you asked.” Dari said, unable to help smiling too as he surged forward. His opponent caught his first punch, and the kick that followed, but a strong hook from the opposite side knocked her off balance. She weaved with it, slipping to Dari’s right and smacking him hard in the kidney. He countered with an elbow that rippled green Soul-light across her face, and let her regain her footing before attacking again.

“You might have heard of my mother, Ivleen Syvanios, la défenseure. She killed twenty five kinds of Hollow with the blade I now carry.”

The human slapped his next jab aside - a little too hard, perhaps overcompensating for his strength. Dari took advantage of the overextension to go for another arm lock, and succeeded in turning her as he twisted it up behind her back, but a punishing elbow strike to his throat and then another to his nose forced him to let go. He cleared his throat as they stepped back, swallowing the pain. Without an active Soul it would have been much worse.

“Or maybe her wife Jenevelle DeNyrios, la conteuse. She keeps the histories of ten generations in her head.”

The human came at him again - scissoring both of her legs around one of his and taking it out from under him. Dari put a hand down to catch his balance and lashed out with his free foot, gaining enough space to spring back up.

“Smart tactic.” he allowed. “Height and strength don’t mean so much on the ground. That’s why you need a trick to keep your feet.” He put a hand to his shoulder and rolled it to loosen the joint. “There’s also my uncle Ilphren Syvanios, le taureu - kind as summer but no-one could beat him in a wrestle. Mother always said he was stubborn as a bull too.”

He stood back and folded his arms. The human was good, no doubt about it, but he could tell that she was also weary from punching the hell out of that tackle bag. A moment was only fair. “As you can see, I inherited the best of all three of them. What about you?”

[Crash]

Character Name: Ginger Eloise Fizz
Date | Time: 11.28 - After Dinner
Location: Onyx Prairie - Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq
She smacked away his blow, but he was quick, and her defense shaky.  She found her arm twisted behind her back as he expounded on his mother and grimaced at the height he bent her arm. 

"Sounds impressive.  Never heard of her," Eloise said as she smashed his neck with an elbow of her free arm and added another to his nose for good measure, forcing him to let go and gain some separation.  Dariaq seemed so enamored with his mothers that he didn't see the move to take his leg out coming. However, Eloise couldn't capitalize with a back fist that hit the mat just as he kicked away from her. 

"Why would someone do that?" she asked. That seemed like a lot of names to keep in your noggin' for no other reason than to do so. Like, is that an elven brag? Did they sit around drinking tea and seeing who could recite the most names from their family? How would you even know? If it were Elosie, she would just start making up names as she went. She could probably think of a lot if she tried. 

By the time Dariaq was on, his uncle Eloise was on her feet, breathing hard. It was probably a good thing the guy had chosen to fold his arms and seemingly end their little sparring session. Eloise would have passed out before giving up, but that was a line she would have been close to crossing had they gone on for much longer. Eloise didn't have much give-up in her, which was sort of a blessing and a curse. 

"Me?"  The question got a barking laugh.  Eloise raised her arms and placed her hands on the back of her head, fingers interlaced, so she could fill her lungs easier.  "Mom's dead.  Don't really give a fuck who my dad was," she said, maybe a bit harshly, but that hurt wasn't really aimed at Dariaq and more the world in general.  "So I didn't inherit a thing from nobody," Eloise offered, walking to the edge of the raised sparring mat and sitting down.
She winced as she started unwinding the bloody tape around her battered knuckles.  It would heal by morning, but that didn't stop the pain any.  When Dariaq joined her, she didn't look at him as she continued to unravel the white tape, but as soon as she saw he wasn't going to leave and instead sat down next to her, he would hear her sigh.

"Got me a couple of sisters and a niece.  Found a grandpa a couple years back. Seems decent enough," she said, unwrapping her other hand.  "Two moms, huh?" Eloise had been listening, after all, apparently. It sort of seemed unfair for someone to have two moms when she never got a real chance to have one.  Pop had tried. But it's hard to be a mom when you're just a kid yourself.  But Eloise had left holding a life lived with loving parents against someone when it had been the very thing she had wanted her entire life.  Some people just had it harder than others.  That was life.  It wasn't fair, but nothing in life was.  "Must have been nice."

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 18 | Late Afternoon
Location: gRAVIty Dormitory
Wearing: White blouse with embroidered flowers, dark blue skirt, teal Arcanite pendant
Tagging | Mentioning: Farrah | Marlowe

Lyra paused a moment as Farrah let out that bark of laughter, blinking in confusion, but the expression settled itself as she eyed the offered chair. With a slight hesitation, the smaller elf gave a small smile as she plopped down in the chair next to her teammate. Looking at Farrah closer to eye level was a heck of a lot better than peering down at her while standing up. It helped to ease her nerves a little bit, too, although it didn’t stop her hands from twisting in her lap, fingers coiling around bits of her skirt.

Her eyes had been downcast since sitting, that fear of seeing disappointment on Farrah’s face prevalent in her mind. But what she didn’t expect to hear was her to commend her, snapping her head up to look at the other elf; much less see that slight smile on her face. There wasn’t disappointment at all. Lyra tilted her head to the side as she pondered those words. People didn’t see her as weak? Then why were others always trying to protect her? She was constantly treated like glass, even if she didn’t want to be. Even her family had. She pursed her lips, letting out a deep sigh.

Farrah had a point, though. She wouldn’t be in Hammer if she hadn’t made the cut, just like the rest of them. “Then… what am I supposed to do?” ‘Fussy thing?’ Is that how Farrah saw her? How others saw her? “I… I did not know that, actually,” she started. Probably due to their avoidance of each other from the start. “We… Have not exactly seen eye to eye. I just… Did not want to disappoint you, I suppose?” Lyra shook her head. “No, that is not entirely true. I wanted to win, I wanted to prove myself, but I failed. I thought you would be mad at me, for trying something reckless and failing like I did. I just…” Another sigh.

Lyra glanced down at her hands in her lap, tightening the grip her fingers had on her skirts. “I was never good enough for my family. My mother, she… She sees me as weak, as a failure. My siblings, too, I would think. That is why she sent me here, to Hammer. So far from home, just so I could be useful to her somehow. I never earned that recognition. I was never good enough. I just… want to be wanted. Needed. I just wanted to be seen as useful for once, but I cannot even seem to do that right.” Letting go of the bunched-up fabric between her fists, she looked back up at Farrah. “I just wanted to be someone strong like you, Farrah. Like Marlowe. Or Meena. I do not want you to think that I am letting the team down. Let you down. I do not… I will not run Lolo ragged.” That last line was reminiscent of something Farrah had said to her before.

“I… I deserve to be here. I do not want to leave the academy. Mother might have sent me here, but I made this path my own. I am resolved to walk it. But I am… Afraid. Afraid that it is happening all over again… That I do not belong. That you do not want me here. That I ruined things and that you hated me for it. You might not think it matters, but it does to me. It does… I did it because… Because I wanted to show you that I do deserve to be here. To be part of this team. But then it failed and I… I was worried that you would think I was just being a burden to everyone instead.”

[Eye of Horus]

Character Name: Dariaq Syvanios
Date | Time: 28th November | Evening
Location: Hammer Academy, training rooms
Content: Sparring
Tagging | Mentioning: Eloise Fizz
"Why would someone do that?" she asked.

Dari crinkled his eyes, trying not to take offence. It was so obvious to elves that he hadn’t considered that a human might be confused. “It’s how we keep our history alive.”

All the great libraries had burned with the isle of Kalanos, when the Hollow came. Only what the survivors had carried in their heads and in their hands had endured. And since then, save perhaps in Tabor, most elves had been reluctant to write down more. The smaller, isolated enclaves were seldom in place for more than a generation or two, and even the more permanent ones like Cordes-sur-Ciel and Le Havre were ever at risk from the Hollow.

He didn’t want to dwell on it, and so he changed the subject to the human’s tactics instead, and then to her own family.

"Me?" The question got a barking laugh.  Eloise raised her arms and placed her hands on the back of her head, fingers interlaced, so she could fill her lungs easier.  "Mom's dead.  Don't really give a fuck who my dad was. So I didn't inherit a thing from nobody."

Dari pressed his lips together. Up from the gutter. There was pride to be gleaned from that, but it was also something that he himself would not have wanted to dwell on, and so instead he massaged his throat and joked: “Hell of an elbow strike, all the same.”

He put a palm on the edge of the crash mat and vaulted down into a sitting position, leaving a space between the two of them that his new acquaintance could use to break the conversation or not, as she chose.

"Got me a couple of sisters and a niece.  Found a grandpa a couple years back. Seems decent enough," she said, unwrapping her other hand. "Two moms, huh?" Eloise had been listening, after all, apparently. "Must have been nice."

Dari chuckled, and tossed his head. Family was far too complex a thing to reduce to the single word nice, but it served well enough. “Yeah.” he agreed. “Mother taught me to fight but her cooking was terrible. I’m talking the absolute worst.” He sliced a hand through the air for emphasis, smiling. “And you could never tell Mum if you were planning a surprise for someone, because she couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.” He shook his head slightly, still smiling, then frowned a little. “Dad I don’t remember all that well, and Mother doesn’t talk about him much, but you know how it is. Sometimes people are better off apart, even family.”

[Crash]

Character Name: Ginger Eloise Fizz
Date | Time: 11.28 - After Dinner
Location: Onyx Prairie - Hammer Academy - Training Room
Wearing: This
Tagging | Mentioning: Dariaq
Eloise was hardly versed in history.  It was just another thing she was stumbling through. It didn't help that Professor Beach talked at a clip that set Eloise's head spinning. Not to mention that she only started reading with any consistency and aptitude two years ago.  Still, it seemed strange to her that elves didn't just write it all down.  Everyone having to memorize everything seemed an excellent way to lose information, not save it.  But It was hardly something for her to dwell on, so she didn't. 

"Thanks. That's all street," Eloise replied, removing the last of her tape, balling it up with the rest, and setting it aside. She would throw it away later. She was honestly too tired to make the effort at the moment.

"Hmph," Eloise grunted at Dariaq's assessment of family.  She wasn't sure she agreed with the sentiment.  Losing her mother.  Cherry staying behind so she and Pop could get out. They weren't better off for it.  Not even close.  She didn't know a damn thing about her dad.  If her mom ever talked about him, she couldn't remember.   Maybe Poppy did, but Eloise hadn't cared to ask.  He was never a presence in her life, only a hole. A story so common among the children of Five Corner's that it was hardly worthy of note.  A neighborhood filled with Swiss cheese kids and broken families. 

Ellie turned her head to look at the affable elf and shook her head. Their worlds were nothing alike. Then again, neither had Myx's, Gunderson's, or Binx's. But she loved and missed them like family. Ellie extended a bloody-knuckled hand to him.

"Eloise," she offered, taking that first tentative step. Something she found so difficult to do.  Moving on from Squad 10 felt like a betrayal, just like letting Cherry stay behind as she moved onward. Even exchanging a name was hard, but she promised to honor her squad.  Honor Binx.  She had to try.

"Thanks for that," Eloise said, hiking a finger behind her at the mat. She understood what he had been trying to do, and a part of her appreciated it, but her emotions were too high, and her thoughts still too jumbled to extend herself much beyond that. Ellie slapped her hands down on her thighs and stood up with a long back-leaning stretch before picking up the ball of bloody tape.

"You're not a bad guy, Syvanios," she said, looking over her shoulder at the squire.  "I'll see you around."

~ End Scene ~

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 22 | Early Morning (~6:30am)
Location: Hammer Academy -> Oynx
Wearing: Light purple dress with a matching jacket and red sash, teal Arcanite necklace
Tagging | Mentioning: Kiba | Marlowe

It was one of those rare instances where Lyra was awake before anyone else on her team. Even more Marlowe had gotten up for her morning routine, which was saying something, since the busty woman got up at the crack of dawn it felt like to pamper herself. But the little elf had a reason to waking early that day, busying herself with showering and getting dressed as quickly as she could manage. The moment she woke up, peering outside the window next to her bed and seeing the pitch-black sky, she knew she was on a timer.
 
Pulling a medium-sized paper bag from the bottom shelf of her locker, she set it aside as she grabbed her satchel, slipping the strap over her head to let it lay crossbody, then picked up the bag again. Giving her sleeping partner a grin, knowing the work she had done for this moment and appreciating everything she had done thus far, Lyra clutched the pendant around her neck gently with her free hand as she made for the door, slipping outside quietly as not to wake any of the others and hastily made her way down the hall towards Prowler’s dormitory.
 
Lyra raised a loosely made fist and rapped the back of her knuckles against the door softly. Not enough to wake anyone inside; it was stupid early, but enough that she was sure a certain dog would hear it. She had asked Kiba at some point how he knew she had been outside his door the night she had been sobbing in the hall, and he had told her how Aujus had sensed and heard her, then woke him. While she had initially felt bad about it, he had assured her it had been fine. But it was those heightened senses she was relying on now. “Aujus,” she whispered softly. “Go get Kiba.”
 
She didn’t have to wait long until that familiar brown mop popped outside the door. Lyra spied his manner of dress and blushed furiously – he was as lacking in proper clothes as the last time she came to his door at an inappropriate hour. She quickly adverted her eyes as that rosy coloring covered her entire face and reached the tips of her ears. “G-good morning.” She cleared her throat with a cough and hid her embarrassment behind a raised hand, lifting it higher to brush a few strands of hair behind an ear. Doing so might bring his attention to a pale blue ribbon woven into the side of her hair in a simple braid. “K-Kiba, go get dressed. There is somewhere I want to take you.” She waited for the second time the door would open, smiling up at a now fully dressed Kiba. “That is better.” Lyra held out her free hand to him. “Come on. We do not have much time.” She paused, glancing at the door behind him. “Aujus can come, too,” she added as an afterthought. This was just as much for him as it was for Kiba, after all. She was still warming up to the giant furry creature, but she was making attempts to get along for Kiba’s sake. Any attempts he might try to get more information out of her was merely met with another smile. “You will see when we get there.”
 
Lyra led him out to the courtyard and then through it, towards the landing where they got a ride down to Onyx proper. She glanced up at the sky, taking a small bit of pleasure in seeing that it was still quite dark. She didn’t even notice that she was still holding his hand throughout all of this, using the hand holding that paper bag to point towards the far-off gate that led out of the city. “We are almost there, and with just enough time. I hope you like it.” Looking over her shoulder towards the much taller boy, Lyra gave him a soft smile, her powder blue eyes filled with excitement.

[Aethyrium]

Aujus

Character Name: Kiba Lurke
Date | Time: November 22nd | Morning (~6:30am)
Location: Onyx -> Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Beige long sleeve sweater, Cargo pants
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
Fortunately for Lyra, Kiba was a roll out of bed ready to go kind of person. Nor was he the type of person who had issues being woken up. So when Aujus came to get him, nudging at his hand that was spilled over the side of the bed, Kiba had opened his eyes and blinked only twice before his companion’s awareness flooded his mind. There were far worse ways to be woken up than Lyra. Quietly he got up and went to greet her - if she kept insisting on rousing him from bed without warning, she could keep suffering the state of his sleep-wear adorned body. “Good morning,” he replied, leaning against the door frame, “You know, if you want to see me in the mornings all you have to do is stay the night.” His eyes caught the ribbon in her hair - and then the full state of dress she was in. He was just about to question it when he was shooed. He briefly lifted a brow, but nodded, “Alright, gimme a minute.” He said without protest.

When he emerged, Kiba took her head, more curious than ever. A slight laugh, “Much time for what?” He followed her a step, then looked back at Aujus waiting patiently, sitting at the end of the hall. “Really?” Kiba said excitedly. He really hadn’t expected it, but clicked his teeth and the hulking hound came happily prancing out. Thankfully, Aujus rubbed his body up against Lyra’s side before circling over to Kiba’s left. He had been content to play along until they were leaving the academy, at which point he tried the first - and last - time to get her to tell him what was up. “Alright, alright,” he laughed with a headshake, following her into the jet. He trailed her through the city, letting her lead him wherever she wanted. He’d have followed her right into a pit of hell if that’s where she wanted to go. “I already like it,” Kiba replied softly as they left the city and he squeezed the hand that he had definitely not failed to notice had stayed linked with him the whole way.

They traveled out the eastern gate into the wilds surrounding Onyx. There was a quick two miles to go to get where they were headed. A lofty hill that overlooked a bend in the river that flowed out to the ocean - far too distant to be seen. But atop the hill there was a lone tree, ancient and strong, with thick roots that plunged into the earth and anchored it to the hillside. From there they overlooked a great stretch of flat prairie - for which the city was named - that faded into a seamless horizon in the distance, just starting to glow with the impending rise of the sun.

Aujus stared off into the distance, barked loudly into the quiet of the night, and then went happily tearing down the hill after something in the dark. “Owlynx,” Kiba explained, “He loves them. Speaking of,” squeezing the still held hand once more, Kiba gave her a yank toward him, wrapping his other arm around her to keep her from falling, “Are you going to tell me what we’re doing out here? Or do I have to guess?” He grinned. Taking a step back, he lifted her hand up over her head and gave her a small twirl, “I assume that it has to do with whatever’s in the bag?” Dropping their hands low, Kiba gave her a small tug to follow up to the very pinnacle of the hill. A nice spot for a picnic really, it was just big enough for a couple people before it started to slope on any given side. Onyx was just coming to life behind them, slowly lightning up in the background, with Hammer floating imposingly overhead. “We usually do more difficult climbs,” he said, with a little laugh, turning to face her, “But since it’s your first time, this’ll do.”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 22 | Early Morning (~6:30am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Light purple dress with a matching jacket and red sash, teal Arcanite necklace
Tagging | Mentioning: Kiba | Marlowe

Lyra’s face was still red from Kiba’s comments about staying the night when he returned fully dressed. He knew she was dating Azir! How could he say something so scandalous to her?! Despite the fast beating of her heart and the heat that rose to her face and the small flicker of that flame deep within her chest. Azir had been the only person she ever stayed the night with. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Lyra shook her head at his antics, dismissing them as merely jests, content that he did not continue ribbing her, but the moment Aujus decided to come up to her and rub against her side, she squeaked in shock, instantly jumping away from him and Kiba both, her eyes wide in terror. He still frightened her quite a bit and she hadn’t been expecting that at all. It took a few moments for her racing pulse to calm down, settling back in next to Kiba, with Aujus on his other side. And he remained on the far side of his partner for the entire trip, much to her relief.
 
In the week that had followed her own birthday, Lyra had spent a lot of time tracking down this location. She had been pretty intent on what she wanted to do for him. The gifts she had were acquired earlier, but this? The place she wanted to bring him to? That hadn’t come to mind until later, but it just felt right. Azir had spoke of a river outside of town, and she could only assume the one that the hill overlooked was one in the same. She’d have to remember this trail the next time she came out this way. But right now, her destination was the hill, not the river. And she regretted her choice of clothing. Most of her things were dresses and long skirts. Well, nearly all of them, save for an outfit or three that Marlowe insisted she get that were far too short for her normal comfort levels. Lyra made a mental note to see about other sources of clothing in the future for treks like these. Or even for her missions. Fighting in long skirts was not the easiest thing in the world, but somehow, she and Marlowe both fought in dresses and heels quite regularly.
 
As Aujus barked suddenly and loudly, before tearing off into the distance, the little elf turned her head towards Kiba with a tilt to the side. “Owlynx?” She’d heard of that before. In fact, she’d seen them back home, so she was surprised they were here, too. “I did not know they lived out here, too. We have them back home in Unovia, too.” However, her thoughts were disturbed as Kiba yanked on their joined hands, pulling her back towards him as she crashed into his chest, his free arm wrapping around her. She blinked in surprise, her face heating up as a blush spread across her cheeks, rising to the tips of her ears as she peered up at him. “I said you will see,” she replied with a tiny smile, but she was still embarrassed to be held in his arms like that, even if it felt safe and warm.
 
There was a giggle as he moved back and gave her a twirl, that small smile growing wider as she stared up into his eyes. This just felt so natural with him. Effortless. Her heart ached, a pain in her chest as they resumed the climb to the top of the hill. “You could say that.” Lyra gave him a grin at the teasing, glancing down at her outfit. “Well, next time, when I am more properly dressed, perhaps we can take on something more?” She wasn’t exactly the rugged type, but if it was something Kiba liked to do, she was willing to give it a shot.
 
Surveying the spot, Lyra gave a satisfied nod, then turned to face him fully. Finally releasing his hand, still not realizing how long she’d been holding it, she pressed the bag into his arms with a stern look on her face. “Here, hold this. And no peeking! You cannot open that yet.” With both hands free, she dug around in her satchel for something, withdrawing a small folded square of cloth. With a flick of her wrists, it unfurled into a much larger piece, a small blanket that she had tucked away in the bag that she now settled on the ground at their feet. Stepping onto it, she reached out for Kiba, tugging him forward onto the blanket near the center with her, before she reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders, pulling down slightly. “Sit,” she commanded softly, still with a smile on her face.
 
Once he sat down, Lyra settled down next to him, first crouching and then letting her knees hit first, sitting back as she tucked her legs off to the side away from him, so that she was leaning into him just slightly. Lifting the strap from her bag over her head, she set it in her lap as she dug around in it again, retrieving a folded piece of paper. As Kiba tried to lean over her shoulder to inspect it, she laughed, pressing a hand to his face and making him turn his head away from her, towards the distance where the light was growing steadily. “Keep looking over there.”
 
With a soft clearing of her throat, Lyra began to read something that should be familiar to him.
 
“Vos umquam aliquis sicut insanus occurrit
 volentem aeque iocum habere;
 aliquem saltare noctem
 simul et solem orientem spectare?”
 
With her cheeks growing redder by the second, she stole a glance at him from the corner of her eyes. “Reading that part made me think of doing this for you,” she said quietly, letting her hands drop to her lap with the familiar poem, written in Kiba’s handwriting. She repeated that stanza, but this time in the common tongue.
 

“Have you ever met someone just as crazy
 who wanted to have just as much fun,
 someone you can dance all night with
 and together watch the rising sun?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the first rays of the morning sun spilled over the horizon, lighting the world on fire in a mixture of golden hues, lifting her gaze from the paper to watch the sunrise with him. “Happy birthday, Kiba.” Carefully, Lyra folded the poem back up, but let it remain in her lap as she turned her head towards him to see his reaction. She was anxious. She knew it couldn’t be a bad reaction, but she didn’t know what to expect to see on his face. “You can open that now,” she offered, pointing to the bag in his lap.
 
The first object, right on top, was something fluffy but not very well stuffed, resembling a familiar animal. Surprisingly, it looked rather similar to an owlynx that he had chased after! However, there was a semi-solid object inside, and if given a squeeze, it’d squeak. Loudly. Lyra suppressed a giggle as Kiba experimented with it. “It is for Aujus. You said you celebrate his the day after yours, so I thought it only right he got a gift, too.” Below that was a smaller box, but Lyra reached over and stopped his hands from opening it. “Ah, wait! Open that last. Please. I promise it will be worth it.” She gave him an apologetic smile, pulling the small box from his hands.
 
The final item in the bag took up the entirety of the bottom, and there was some weight to it, but not too much. Opening it, he’d find inside a pair of binoculars, the newest model that had recently come out. Kiba had mentioned it to her a month ago during the gala at his home and she hadn’t forgotten that little detail. Once he was done fidgeting with his new toy, Lyra passed him the tiny box again. “Okay, now you can open this one.” Her voice was quiet, like she was unsure of herself, or perhaps of the gift itself. Once he opened it, inside was a single piece of jewelry. An earring with a stud of faceted black Arcanite, with a miniature chain dangling down, adorned with a larger elongated diamond shaped piece of deep red Arcanite, very much reminiscent of his weapon’s censor. It was accented with tiny rubies to the side and above.
 
“I… hope you like it. It has both black and red Arcanite.” Lyra glanced away, shily adverting her gaze. “Lolo helped with the design.” Fidgeting in place, she took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then released it as she quickly turned her upper body, shifting her weight so that she was on her knees and more aligned with his height, pressing her lips to his cheek in a quick kiss. “Happy birthday, Kiba,” she repeated once more.

[Aethyrium]

Aujus

Character Name: Kiba Lurke
Date | Time: November 22nd | Morning (~6:30am)
Location: Onyx -> Johtan Wilderness
Wearing: Beige long sleeve sweater, Cargo pants
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
He nodded softly, “Do they? That’s cool.” Kiba glanced out toward wherever Aujus was off to, “They don’t live up near Tan La, and saberdogs are pretty much the fastest things around up there.” He smiled, “When we came down here and he saw an Owlynx for the first time he was so excited. You should have seen him, he was like a puppy all over again.” Kiba laughed quietly, “They’re quick, and he loves to play chase with them. He’ll be back soon.”

The blush that spread across her face was, still, cute to him. He loved seeing her like that - more, he loved being the cause of it. He was ready to spend years making her flustered. “You did,” he admitted, letting it go again as he spun her. Off in the distance they heard Aujus howl in victory, drawing Kiba’s attention momentarily at the top of the hill. Following her eyes, Kiba glanced down her front at what she was wearing and how she looked. Beautiful as ever. A small, reciprocal grin played on his face. Whatever thoughts he had he kept to himself, but they were definitely there. “Yeah?” Kiba blinked, looking up to peer into her eyes. The offer surprised him, but he wasn’t going to turn it down, “You say the word, and Aujus and I will take you out hiking anytime.” He squeezed her hand one last time, “You’re always welcome with us, Lyra.”

Doing as he was told, Kiba took the bag and almost immediately went to open it. He grinned at Lyra when she told him to not peek, laughed, and nodded, “Alright, fine!” He crinkled the paper and held it up over his head in surrender, “Not until you say so.” He stepped back, watching her get the blanket out. That was actually more surprising than anything. What were they here for? He followed her easily, it didn’t take anything more than gentle guidance to get him to comply. Facing her, Kiba lowered himself down to his knees right in front of her, so he was damn near face with her chest, and looked up at her, “Like this?” He asked playfully, only to get the flustered push back to sit properly. His heart sang when she sat down to join him, sitting right beside him and leaning into him. He lifted an arm and draped it over her shoulders. His hand hung down her arm and fingers danced along the thin fabric of her upper arm, stroking her beneath it.

When she started digging around, Kiba peered over just in time to get a face full of her hand. He laughed and nuzzled her palm even as he allowed his head to be shoved away to face where she wanted, “Okay, I’m looking.” He stared into the distant horizon which was lighting up, it wouldn’t be long before the sun popped and spilled across the world. Aujus howled again, closer now, he was on approach. He blinked, resisting the urge to peek at her when she cleared her throat. The words that she spoke were familiar in a distant sort of way - he’d written them, but they were still foreign. They sounded good on her lips though. He smiled, curiouser and curiouser. “Reading…” he started, but it clicked just before she started reciting it in common.

Kiba was hard to fluster. But she managed it, if only slightly. His eyes widened in recognition before she finished the first line. A slight red took to his cheeks. This was… He stared out into the horizon as the warm flow intensified. Aujus padded up over the hill and trotted to his other side, laying down and snuggling close. Kiba set an arm on the dog, and squeezed Lyra to him as she finished. He was completely enraptured in the rising sun. As its light burst forward and streaked across the sky, Kiba felt wholly at peace. A gentle tear welled in the corner of his eye and slid silently down his cheek. He hadn’t expected this. Not anything like this. She had heard him when he spoke to her. She had felt it too, because here she was embracing it. Kiba closed his eyes and embraced that first wave of morning warmth. “Lyreilynn…” he whispered, a peaceful, joyous smile bright on his face.

Birthdays weren’t unfamiliar to him, but no one had ever done something like this. He wondered if she understood what this meant to him. If she understood what it told him about them? He was right. He knew it more now than ever before. He just needed to be patient. He could have turned and kissed her right there, and he wanted to. He wanted to badly. But he knew that it was coming. It would come all on its own, because… Because she had done this. She knew exactly what he knew. They were connected. Opening his eyes, Kiba looked at her first, even though she was directing him to the bag. There was a long pause where it was like he wasn’t even breathing. He reached up and cupped her cheek, and softly ran his thumb across her lips. He was talking himself down. He’d meant what he said last time. When they kissed again there’d be no turning back. Not for him, and he didn’t think for her either. He wouldn’t do that to her, not when she wasn’t done taking the journey she had started. No matter how badly he wanted it. “I can’t wait to see,” he murmured.

Pulling out the little owlynx toy, Kiba grinned and fumbled around with the hard thing inside. As soon as he was waving it around in the light, Aujus’ head perked up and his bright yellow eyes followed it. His heavy tail thumped eagerly against the ground. The loud squeak shattered the night and caused Aujus to bark and jump to his feet. Aujus scooted around in front of them and sat before Kiba, tail acting like a duster as it swept across the ground. He looked straight, fixated on the toy. “He likes it,” Kiba said with a laugh, “He wants to thank you.” Kiba held the toy out, and Aujus eagerly chomped down on it, causing it to squeak again.

Once more Kiba looked at her, smiling, seeing her deeper than most people ever saw anyone. “Thank you,” people rarely understood or appreciated the bond that Kiba had with Aujus. And here she was treating it with respect. That might’ve meant more to him than anything else. Kiba hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d described Aujus as his soulmate. Lyra treating Aujus well, remembering and including him, even though she was scared? It was everything to Kiba. His heart swelled, confidence in what he felt growing even deeper right there. “That… Was very thoughtful.” He was quiet, “You really are stunning.”

Going for the box, Kiba paused when she asked him too. He laughed and shook his head. She sure had a lot of rules, but it was worth it to see her anxious over him. Passing the box off, Kiba reached in and pulled out the binoculars, “Oh, this is awesome.” He set the bag down and flipped them around in his hand, checking them out before quickly pulling them to his eyes and peering out into the gradually more and more illuminated distance. “These are so cool,” he started fiddling with the dials, before stopping himself. They came away and he was grinning wide, “Thank you.” It surprised him that there was something else. These would have been pricey, and they were a real gift. So what was in the box?

Kiba took the box from her and ran his fingers along the seam. He glanced up at her, curious, and then back down to it and pushed it open. “Oh wow,” Kiba said quietly, lifting it up so he could study the piece. He caught the design similarity almost immediately. “Like it?” Kiba laughed and looked over at her, head tilted hard to the side, smiling ear to ear, “Lyra, I love it. It’s wonderful.” He’d have to thank Lolo for her involvement later. He closed his eyes when she moved and kissed his cheek. Warmth flooded through him. Happiness, and something deeper than that. When he looked out again into the horizon, this was almost everything he could have wanted.

Facing her once more, Kiba set the box in his lap and reached up for her. He hooked his hand around her head and pulled her close, leaning in and kissing her forehead hard. He lingered there for a long second before letting her go. “Thank you, Lyra. This is…” He looked out over the horizon, down at Aujus playing with his toy, the binoculars, and finally down at the jewelry. But that really wasn’t the most meaningful gift. He looked back at her with pure adoration, “I love it,” he swallowed. He was doing it, feeling her again, like their first time together. Like every time together. Kiba took up the box with the earring and held it out to her, tilting his ear to her, “Will you put it in for me?”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: Nobember 19 | Late Evening (~9pm)
Location: MoCKerY Dormitory
Wearing: teal Arcanite pendant, ivory wrap dress with pink trim, dark pink sash
Tagging | Mentioning: Azir | Marlowe, Kiba, Vesper, Meena

In the aftermath of the attack in the early hours of the morning, Lyra had been a jumbled mess of nerves, feelings she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with. First, there had been fussing over Kiba and his broken Soul directly after the Paladin incident and her concern over his well-being having been placed higher than her own self-preservation. That hadn’t been a conversation she knew how to deal with. Then, after returning to the academy, she had been notified of Marlowe’s condition. While Ocean had told her someone had been after her partner, she firmly believed she’d been safe at Hammer. Never did she expect that the busty brawler would take to jumping off the island to battle her opponent to near death!
 
After much fretting over her, Lyra had been informed that the last person that held her affections hadn’t made it back at all yet. Azir was missing and there had been no contact with him since they parted ways that morning. It was nearing evening now and still no word from her elven lover. Lyra had spent much of her time with Marlowe to keep her mind occupied, staying in the infirmary with her partner as long as possible until she had been chased out by staff. Which is why Lyra had finally retreated to her dorm, laying uncomfortably on her bed with her heart aching and unsure of how to ease the pain she felt, she was so distracted that she didn’t initially hear the knock at the door.
 
When Lyra finally got up to answer it, dressed in only her sleep robe for the evening, she had been surprised to find Doya there, taking deeper breaths than usual, like she’d been running recently, but not quite out of breath. The moment that Doya had informed her that Azir had returned, Lyra barely managed to mumble a platitude of gratefulness before the dainty elf snatched up a pair of slippers to slide onto her feet before she was out the door and trailing after the Mockery team member, who led her back to their dorm. Doya entered first to check the state of her team before ushering Lyra inside once it was safe to do so.
 
As soon as she laid eyes on Azir, Lyra quickly moved to his side, throwing her arms around him in a gentle embrace as she buried her face against his neck, careful not to squeeze too hard, lest he be injured. “A-Azir, I… Tu bene, amica mea?” She pulled back enough so that she could inspect him, before looking up at his face, removing a hand from around him so that she could reach up and cup his cheek, her thumb softly stroking his face. Her blue eyes glistened with unshed tears, that hand wrapped around his back gripping at his clothes. “Fui ita sollicitus cum non revertetur. Quid tibi?”
 
“Vesper got hurt. Meena, too. And Kiba… Kiba was nearly killed in our fight. I-I protected him, but I could not protect the others. And Lolo…” Lyra sniffled, that hand clutching at his back gripping the fabric tighter as her right hand on his face began to tremble before dropping to his shoulder. “Lolo, she… she was so badly hurt. I thought, I thought she might die. I was not there for her. I, I should have been!” Those tear-filled eyes stared up into his peridot ones. “When you did not return, I… I feared the worst. I feared for your safety, my love. There was already too much death today. I could not…” Lyra choked back a sob, moving her hands to grip the front of his shirt. “Could not bare to lose you, too.”