Lurker > MariaTaylor

"My eyes?" Hayes asked. "What was wrong with my eyes?"

What had been wrong with his eyes?
Aster hadn't been able to see it from this angle.
But the conversation seemed like it was starting to get interesting.

"Stop staring at her while I'm talking to you," Devan chided the Knight. "It's rude."
"Plus you're going to look like a total creep."

"Come on, don't be like that." Hayes smiled at his friend. "Let's make it a proper goodbye."
"I really will miss you. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Stop saying things like that," Blackwater insisted. "You'll ruin my image."

"Let's have it then," Hayes moved toward the other man.
He opened his arms, extending them in some kind of gesture that Aster didn't recognize.
"Blackwater and Hayes. Saying goodbye at last."

"What is this? Don't touch me!" Devan pleaded. "You'd better not-"

"I won't let you escape without at least a goodbye hug, my friend," Rutherford tried to grab the other man.

Aster was sure that Devan Blackwater would try to escape.
But, actually, he glanced around quickly.
It seemed like he was checking to see if anyone else was paying attention.
Then, reluctantly, he leaned in and returned the hug with a lazy one armed hug.
"I'll be fine, you know," Devan bragged. "You won't have to worry about me."

"Yeah, just try not to blow up your own allies," Rutherford told him.
"And I'm being serious. That shit from the other day? Something like that will not fly again."

"Relax," Devan replied. "You worry too much."
"Just go and work on your little secret experiment or whatever."
"We'll be waiting for you in High Point to set sail."

"Devan, you-" Rutherford began, but he was cut off.

"Actually, you lazy sod," Blackwater grabbed him. "Lady Lawlier, excuse me!"
"My idiot friend here isn't good for much except lifting heavy things."
"I'd like to submit him as my replacement to help with moving boxes."
"I assume this will be fine," Devan went on. "I should be excused on account of not giving a shit."

Aster found himself smiling at the antics of the Necromancer.
That one tried to put up a cool persona, but underneath he was really-

"Hey," Rainn said, grabbing Aster by the arm. "Let's go."
"I don't want to hang out here all day. Jeez. We've wasted enough time this morning."

Aster shook his head and allowed himself to be dragged off.
From where he was standing, Rainn had wasted much of his time.
But it was probably fine.
Lady Mocol likely had many other things to take care of.
It would be rude of Aster to arrive there and expect her to drop everything.
It wasn't as if she would want to depart first thing in the morning.

When they arrived, Lady Mocol was sitting outside.
There was a small courtyard in this wing of the palace, with an open ceiling.
She was in the shade, curled up by herself with some kind of book.
Strangely, she was already well dressed in her traveling clothes.
All of her things were packed and set up outside of her room.
She smiled at the two as they arrived, but, Aster got the feeling she wasn't happy to see them.
"Oh, there you two are. At last." Macina narrowed her eyes. "I was wondering if maybe you'd forgotten me."
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Jess got up to go and begin talking to the groups of Knights and Soldiers.
Rather than addressing all of them at once she made the rounds.
It was slow going but she found a way to speak to each of them individually and quietly.
Aster remembered how quiet she had been at the meeting, as well.
This must have just been her personality type.

Around this time, Aster heard the sound of metal armor to his left.
He glanced at the door frame and saw Ser Rutherford Hayes coming this way.
Aster was pretty sure that Hayes had not been assigned to the vanguard.
But he must have come here for something else. Perhaps to see someone?

"Ah-.. Ahem. Lady Lawlier," Rutherford called out.
He thumped his way over there, wearing loud and heavy metal boots.
His full armor was not on. That would not be suitable for travel.
But for some reason he wore certain fixtures like these.
Aster decided to quietly watch them and read their conversation.

"Mr. Hayes. Oh, sorry. Ser Hayes." Jessie laughed at herself. "Excuse me."

"It's nothing at all," Hayes told her.

Jess nodded. "They call you the Gentle Knight, don't they?"

Hayes looked quiet embarrassed. "Well, I-... I do know how to fight, you know,"
"I-... I'm not a coward or anything, if that's what you're thinking."
He sounded much less cool right now than when Sen had called him Beastmaster yesterday.

Aster wondered what the difference was. He tried to quantify it.

"Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that." Jess shifted her posture slightly, leaning on her cane.
"I thought it was kind of cool, actually. Too many people try to start fights over, you know,"
"Something that really isn't worth fighting over."

"I couldn't agree more," Rutherford told her. "Um... Hm."
"Well, i-in any even I came here to see Mr. Blackwater."
"Have you seen him about?"

That same Blackwater, Devan Blackwater, had actually come up behind Hayes at just that moment.
He put his hand on the bigger man's shoulder and leaned against him. "My, my. Ser Hayes."
"What brings you to a place such as this so early in the morning?"
"Is there perhaps a person you wanted to see?"

"Oh," Jess looked a bit surprised. It was likely that Blackwater did not come to train with the soldiers often.
Such was not really the way of the magically inclined. "It looks as though he's right here."

"Y-Yes. It seems he... is..." Hayes observed.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it, then," Jess told him. "I'm gonna help them sort supplies."

"Oh, maybe I should-" Hayes voice trailed off.
She didn't seem to have heard him as she was departing.
"What do you think?" He turned back to Blackwater. "Should I stay and help?"
"I suppose you all will need some help, won't you?"

"Who me?" Blackwater stretched out. "I don't plan on doing any work."
"Go help whoever the hell you want to help."

"..." Rutherford stared at him for a few moments. "S-So..."

"Come to see me off, did you?" Blackwater goaded him.

"Yes, something like that." Hayes looked evasive.
"Well, I figured you might miss me on the road if he didn't see each other again for a while."
"We'll likely be stationed on different ships as well."
"This might be our last chance to, you know, for a while, to-"

"Oh, enough with the act," Blackwater seemed grumpy.
"We both know why you really came here. You just wanted to make funny eyes at Ms. Hero over there."
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

"Huh? Um, I dunno." Rainn did not even know how to respond to such a question.
He glanced around the room, searching for someone. "Hey, I'm gonna-"

"Yes, yes," Aster said. "I know."

"Do you want-" Rainn was quickly cut off again.

"I'd rather just stand here and enjoy the sunlight," Aster told him.
He crossed his arms and leaned against the pillar, standing in the shade.

Rainn went off by himself to meet with Sen of Northern Rock.
To be frank, Aster had no problem with Sen in particular.
However, Sen had threatened to kick his ass the night before over what was, really, nothing.
For that reason, Aster didn't much feel like going to talk to him this morning.
Oddly enough, when he looked that way, Sen waved at him as if nothing had happened.
Truly he was that kind of mindless guy. Probably didn't even remember the event.

There were straw bales set up around the courtyard.
Some of them for seating, others stacked up to be used as archery targets.
There were also some practice dummies set up and weighted bags for training in arms.
Jessie Lawlier, who would command these forces, was seated at the far end of the courtyard.
She was wearing a one piece tunic that covered her thighs but not her knees.
Here in the open courtyard, the direct sunlight was shining down on them all gathered there.
Lawlier's right leg was a soft pale tone, the color of skin. Her left leg was close, but not quite.
A pale imitation. A prosthetic leg. There was a cane leaning on the bale nearby to her.
She'd probably use that to help with her balance if she meant to get up and walk around.
Did she come here to train as well?
Honestly, Aster had no idea if she even still fought or not.
Supposedly she had been a fighter when she was younger, though.
A Hero or something along those lines.

Some of the soldiers and knights here, shirtless, were battering away at the training aides.
Others were moving armor and weapons, and other gear, through the courtyard.
Aster supposed they'd be taking it to the convoy.
Martin Spade was with this group and he seemed to be pestering them about something.
"I'm telling you," Martin insisted. "It'll go faster overall if we move everything out into the Courtyard first."
"We can organize the boxes out here and then load them onto the wagons."
"If we start throwing boxes into the wagon now we'll have to unload them again later to-"
His voice trailed off as he followed the men outside.
They didn't seem to be listening to him much.
Then, Aster noticed something perhaps a bit unusual.

Jesslie Lawlier reached out her hand and grabbed one of the head porter's who was walking by.
The man stopped, turning to look down at her.
"We'll do as Martin says," Lawlier told him in a soft voice.
Aster was surprised he could hear her from across the courtyard.
But maybe he was reading her lips subconsciously.
He had a tendency to do that sometimes.
He could imagine what her voice probably sounded like.
"Bring everything out here. Tell the men to stop drilling. We'll need room to sort the supplies."
"Actually, I'll tell them to help you all." Jessie thought for a moment. "It'll go faster with more hands."

The Head Porter left her and went outside, presumably to yell at the other workers.
It was better that way. He'd be able to use language he shouldn't use in front of a noble lady.
Well, then again, such thoughts were often misguided and pointless.
Aster had found through study and real world experience most people used pretty foul language.
It all depended on when the mood suited them.
Anyone could curse when they were in a bad mood.
Whether they were born in the dirt or born in a palace.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

"Oh, I'm sure," Rainn said. "Hey, what do you think about this place?"
He stopped outside of a rather run down looking shop.
In fact, this didn't seem to be a tailor at all.
Rather, it was the kind of place that people came to dump clothes they didn't want.
The woman who owned this store would then resell the clothes at a cheaper price.
It was mainly for people who didn't have the money to buy fitted clothes,
but they weren't so poor that they were literally wearing peasants' rags.

"I think we'll find something that suits you well," Aster said politely.

They went inside and Rainn began to try on various different outfits.
Aster sat nearby, observing much more quietly for the most part.
He had expended a lot of energy this morning. Talked up quite a storm.
Though it had been a fascinating discussion.
Well, at least, from his point of view it had been one.
Rainn was probably exhausted too... for completely different reasons.

"By the way, Rainn, were you able to contact your Elders?" Aster inquired.
"You mentioned wanting to send word to Undercity. I wondered if you'd been able to."
"Getting in touch in such a short amount of time must have been difficult."
It had only been three days since Rainn arrived in the city,
That was the same day that the first Council had been held.

A few of the members had met since then but it was mostly only the Top Advisors and Queen Lana.
And, well, those who were specifically called upon for specialized bits of advice or tasks.
Aster, unfortunately, had not been called on again.
It was a shame because he would have truly liked to see that Sunday creature once more.

"It'll all work itself out," Rainn said.
That kind of non answer seemed very suspicious.
But Aster was honestly too distracted by his own thoughts to even notice.

After that they realized they had actually wasted quite a bit of time.
Though Rainn was looking a bit more fashionable now, in a sort of low way.
He certainly wasn't going to draw more attention than Reginald Bartlesby or a Knight in full plate.
But he at least looked like he might actually belong in the same room as other members of an important Council.

Aster wanted to go and meet with Lady Mocol immediately, but the kid had other plans.
"Oh, there's one place we gotta go first. Just one quick stop," Rainn insisted.
Crawford knew it probably would not be all that quick.
But, at the same time, it had been his idea to pair up with Rainn to make the morning go by more eventfully.
He had made his bed. Now he needed to lay in it.

Well, no, he'd been laying in bed restlessly for too long.
That was just an expression. What he needed to do was follow this kid around.
Keep his mind occupied until he could meet with Her again.
Lest she consume his thoughts completely and ruin him.

They headed together to the training yard, where apparently the men and women of the vanguard had been meeting.
Unlike Aster and his ilk, these people probably felt like they needed to prepare for something.
Battle, or whatever. Whatever those sorts of folks were always getting into.
Anyway to keep their bodies sharp and their swords fit they would meet early in the morning and run drills.
Today, however, a lot of the work involved breaking down their equipment and preparing it for travel.

"Do you think they do this often?" Aster inquired as they moved through the opening pillars.
"Year round?" Aster was imagining that it was hard work to exercise every day.
He'd rather read books. At this point, Aster realized why they were actually here.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Aster spent the time dancing on the balls of his toes impatiently.
Finally, after a few minutes (not just a second!), the younger man appeared out in the hall.
Fully, completely, he was dressed in what Aster guessed must be the traveling clothes of the North.
Well, he'd be stripping those off soon enough. Their journey was to a place far warmer.
The scarf and cloak, certainly, wouldn't be needed.

"You shouldn't drink so much, you know," Aster lectured him,
"The night before traveling. You'll get sick riding on your horse."

"Oh, so you were there," Rainn observed.

"Hm." Aster didn't say anything to that.
Acting responsible had always been a curse.
It seemed the person most likely to remember the night was also the most likely to be forgotten.
At least by those who were all having fun with each other.
"In any event," Aster went on, "Do you remember our plans?"

"Mm, let's see.." Rainn pretended like he was trying to remember.
Obviously this was a mere ploy.
If he did this for long enough, Aster would just tell him.
But it would seem as if Rainn actually knew and that Aster was just being impatient.

Knowing all of this, Aster knew he didn't have time for that kind of social fencing.
Best to just cut right to the heart of it.
"We'll go meet with Lady Mocol and escort her to the convoy."
"From there we should begin loading our things, and..."
Aster felt himself almost giggling with glee. "Our Primary Advisor should be meeting us there."

"Something tells me no one else is going to be up this early," Rainn grumbled.

"That's fine, there's plenty we can do to kill time," Aster observed.
"Why they have a wonderful library here. Shall we go and see if Lady Mocol wishes to join us."

Rainn couldn't imagine that she would.
"You know, actually, I've got a better idea."
He ripped off his scarf and threw it off a nearby balcony.
Damn it was hot out here. He'd put the thing on out of pure habit.
But he quickly realized it wasn't going to be needed.
The further south they went, the more he'd be in need of new clothes.
"Why don't you show me around the city? I need to find some traveling supplies."

"You'll..." Aster glanced over the balcony, to where the scarf had fallen below.
"I assume you'll be wanting some clothes?" he said in a dry voice.

Aster himself wasn't entirely familiar with Esland at Lake.
He was, after all, here from High Point.
But being a man of intellect it wasn't too hard to find his way around the city.
Why, all he had to do was stop and ask around until he found a guide!
Granted, Rainn was probably left feeling like he could have just done that himself.
Still, it was a jolly good time.
The two were able to bond over their mutual discussions of various subject matter.
Aster was doing most of the talking but that was probably fine.
This was probably because Rainn was just very interested in hearing what he had to say.

"-so even though such a transfer is theoretically possible, you'll lose about 30% of the converted energy as heat,"
Aster was just finishing up an explanation on the magic of Esoteric Conversion.
"Well. Ha ha. That assumes perfectly control and manipulation of all formula involved."
Aster smiled a cocky smile. "I'm sure we both know that such mastery of the arcane arts is rare indeed."
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

[Unquantifiable]

To say that Aster woke up early would be an understatement.
It was more like he had barely been able to get to sleep at all.
He remembered being up all night tossing and turning in anticipation.
He remembered his eyes closing at a certain point,
But his rest was brief.
And he woke up a puddle of restlessness.
Ready for the day to begin.
Only waiting for the sunrise to catch up.

Finally light shone through the crack between where his curtain only touched the bottom of the window frame.
He rose from bed and knew it would happen today.
Today was the day that would change the rest of his life forever.

Aster Crawford went to his mirror and checked his appearance.
There was a water basin nearby.
He used it to splash water on his face and wet his hair.
Then he looked himself seriously in the eyes.
"The truth is hard to accept sometimes," he told himself.
"But whether we accept it or not... the truth remains the truth."
His hand rose and he closed it to a fist.
He touched his fist against the mirror.
That was real. He could feel it. He couldn't forget it.

Ser Hayes and the Neonite would be staying here with Dalamar to prepare a "special project."
In any other season, in any other year, Aster would have killed to be assigned to such a task.
However, in this case, he had specially requested permission to do otherwise.
He had even been presumptuous enough to go and see the Queen directly.
That was because, above all else, there was one thing Aster Crawford wanted to study most of all.
His face began to grow hot just thinking about her. The rhythm of his heart increased.
Could it be? Had he found it at last?
That thing everyone always talked about...?
That thing which was so impossible to quantify?
"But you'll know it as soon as you feel it," Aster muttered to himself.
Of course he was referring to DARKNESS.
The power which had infected all of the Fairies since long ago.
It had turned the World of Love into a dead dimension filled with hate.
That was what he wanted to study up close.
A power so great that it could transform even energy itself into different types.

Now he was standing outside of the door to the bedchamber of a certain person.
Tap. Tap tap. Tap tap taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap.
He began rapping against the door quickly.
No longer could he hold back his anticipation.
No longer could he-

"WHAT?" Rainn shouted, flinging the door open.
He slumped through the open door frame, his clothes halfway pulled on.
The young man looked as if he had still been asleep. "Ugh..."
Rainn rubbed his eyes. "Sorry. What... what do you want...?"

"Oh, were you still sleeping?" Aster inquired. "Sorry, kid."
"I thought we agreed to meet first thing in the morning."

Rainn poked his head out of the door fully and looked up and down the hall.
"I didn't mean literally the first thing, from the moment the sun rises," Rainn grumbled.
Though, in a way, he was lucky that it had happened this way.
He had actually forgotten about making such plans as a result of, well, going out drinking with Sen.
The night before, most of it had been a blur. Was Aster even there?
Or had they made plans earlier in the night?
Whatever the reason, Rainn, honestly, was just glad most of the palace was still asleep.
He could imagine the embarrassment otherwise.
Standing out here half in the half, hall naked, and with people all around to see him.
So, yeah, luckily, it wasn't like that. The place was empty.
"Give me a second," Rainn implored. He closed the door on Aster and left him out there in the hall.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

season 2 is pretty interesting in that SO MUCH major stuff happens almost back to back and yet the way it is presented can really leave the viewer feeling a bit fatigued, like somehow nothing of importance happened either. I don't fully agree with what Leon or Jeff are saying but I can certainly understand it.

for the record, as someone who went ahead and started reading after this season ended, I can say that the next two major arcs are the best so far by a long shot. so as long as the anime continues it's only going to continue to get more and more insanely awesome.
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

I like how Corrik exists in a world where this dude would come back and immediately start posting on board 8 instead of being out celebrating
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

I haven't

we can do Sci Fi then
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

neato. saw this topic earlier, cool to see it actually going somewhere.
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

basil
tigger
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Aladdin
Alice
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Pirateking2000 posted...

I guess I'll send Y to Dalamar then due to current composition. Seems my guys tend to help out that little guy anyway

you don't have to feel obligated to do that. if Dalamar doesn't get assigned anyone he will still get a role and get his own chapter anyway. just pair up with whoever you want.

Pirateking2000 posted...

Blue W-

my man

NFUN posted...

It's always well-advised for royalty and politicians to get in good with people more powerful than them.

this is true. either way pairing them up will be really good here because I picture Reggie as having commanded forces during the Disputed Kingdom period, against the rebellion. with Erensworth and Reginald as her sub commanders this will make Liona's naval force pretty strong (Erensworth in particular is gonna be good for Navy because his expertise is in maps)
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

I didn't really picture him shmoozing but then again I envisioned him as being one of the older characters. for the record these are the ages I had in mind while writing so far.

Kennedy Erensworth: Early 40
Rutherford Hayes: Early 40
Devan Blackwater: Early 40
Reggie: Late30-40?

^ Older group of males, with Reggie being the youngest among this group.

Jessie Lawlier: 35
Aster Crawford: 33
Y: Equivalent of about 30?
Sen of Northern Rock: 29
Dalamar: 26

^ Competent group, experienced but still fairly young

Rainn of Undercity: 25
Liona Brezwicz: 23
Martin Spade: 22
Macina Mocol: 21

^ Young Group, talented but less experienced. Liona being a weird exception since she is also very experienced despite being younger than, for example, Rainn (who has no experience despite being near the competent age range).

Queen Lana is in the same age range as the Competent Group but I'd have to check some text from ITD7 to figure out her exact age. I can't remember if she's younger or older than Jessie, but I do remember Jessie's exact age (it's easy because she was 15 when she first came to Esland, then 25 in ITD7, and 35 here. 10 year time skips make everything easy!)

As for Sunday... yeah, her age is weird. It was discussed previously in this game so I don't need to go into more detail. She's apparently very old but she didn't spend a lot of time in this Dimension, so it's hard to say exactly what that means. Basically she will continue to be a big ???
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

for the record my current plan is to stick Reggie with Liona, and put Hayes and Y on Dalamar if the players don't pitch in to say otherwise.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Liona Brezwicz
Kennedy Erensworth


Jessie Lawlier
Martin Spade
Sen of Northern Rock
Devan Blackwater

Dalamar


Sunday
Aster Crawford
Rainn of Undercity
Macina Mocol

Unassigned
Reginald Bartlesby
Rutherford Hayes
Y
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

lizard with wings
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Menji posted...

this looks quite fun.

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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

speaking of awesome ITD7 materials and Jess, here is the battle where she loses her leg
https://pastebin.com/P7tgrmQN

Setsuna here is the one who goes on to become the Iron Knight and end the war between Northern Rock and Esland. it's no stretch to say that his friendship with Jess literally ended the war. man I really loved ITD7. what's also awesome about this battle is they are fighting multiple enemies each about as strong (or stronger) as Kaguya from this story. so yeah, not very great odds for the heroes to succeed.
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

I was looking through some ITD7 materials.

if anyone is curious, here is Elita Brezwicz:




these are the two pictures I did of her from the first topic. didn't draw her again after that. Elita is the aunt of Liona Brezwicz. they were mentioned as looking pretty similar so I guess I can save myself the trouble of drawing Liona by saying she just looks similar.

as for Jess, here was my drawing of her:


and pk2k drew her as well... don't ask why she's holding a guitar.


I don't pretend to understand the mind of pk2k
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Liona Brezwicz
Kennedy Erensworth

Jessie Lawlier
Martin Spade

Dalamar


Sunday
Aster Crawford
Rainn of Undercity
Macina Mocol
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

JeffreyRaze posted...

I can't imagine Aster would pass up the chance to observe a (half) fairy up close. Aster'll go with Sunday, even if it's not necessarily optimal.

do you want to get a POV chapter

because this is how you get a POV chapter
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

bonus question

who do you fancy
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

"Sorry, but," Rainn sheepishly interjected into the conversation.
"Is this supposed to be a surprise? She introduced herself earlier."
"Sunday, wasn't it?" Rainn asked.

"Yes, my name is Sunday," she said. "And I did, but-..."

"I didn't hear it either," Macina Mocol admitted. "Actually, I hadn't noticed her until. Well."

Aster Crawford was standing as well.
That man had also jumped out of his seat.
He'd nearly ripped off his glasses and he hadn't put them back on yet.
He must not have seen her right away, either.
Because he certainly would have had the same reaction earlier.
Aster Crawford was staring at her in complete wonder.
"You... you're a Fairy.... aren't you?"

"The, um, colorful half of me. Yeah," Sunday joked. She saw no one was laughing.
"I'm half a Fairy. Half... Demon..." she said at last.

"Unbelievable!" Aster exclaimed. "Fascinating."
"I have never seen anything like this before in my life."

"Mr. Crawford, please," Lana politely checked him. "Need I remind you, Sunday is my Friend."
"She is not some creature in a zoo."

"No, Yes. I... I'm sorry. I understand." Aster continued to stare on in wonder.
"My Queen, I did not know you had such a Friend."

"Consider it a recent development," Liona told him.
Blackwater could not tell if Liona sounded pleased about that or not.
Rather, it was very matter-of-fact. She was good at concealing her intentions.

"Regardless," Lana said. "Sunday here has never been to the World of Love."
"She is not like the other Fairies here who came from that place. But she has met with them."
"Treated with them. Spoke with them. In a way, she is our most valuable source of intelligence."
"Because... Sunday knows a great deal about the Fairies. Like no one else here."
"And I can trust her to give me good advice."

You can trust her?
How can you trust her?
How do you know that you can trust her?
Those kinds of thoughts were filling the room at that moment.

Rutherford looked at him for a moment.
Blackwater had to ask. "Did you see her?"
"Earlier, yeah," Rutherford replied. "I thought I'd keep quiet about it, though."
Rutherford was probably thinking something like this;
If the presence of Sunday was never brought up, that meant she was supposed to stay a secret.
The fact that her presence was publicly revealed meant that Lana always intended for everyone to know about her.
That meant Lana wasn't secretly being controlled by the Fairy or something like that.
If she had shown any indication of such, Rutherford had been planning on bringing it up again later in private.
"So what do you think?" Rutherford asked him.

Devan thought about it for a moment.
"I honestly have no idea what to think," he said.

[Chapter End]

No 'Choice' for this branch, but I'd like each person to assign their character to an advisor.

Liona Brezwicz

Jessie Lawlier

Dalamar

Sunday

The groups do not need to be perfectly balanced. You can assign characters to advisors based on what role you think they will be filling. However, ultimately, the roles will be dynamically decided based upon which characters they get to aide them. Basically, each advisor will simply be given a task that uses the strengths of the characters who join them.

If a player does not assign their character by tomorrow I'll simply decide based on who needs more characters to support them.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

"Wait!" multiple people seemed to cry out at once.

Blackwater felt the shadow rising in his palm.
It would be so easy to tear this room apart.
There might be some collateral damage but it was better than the alternative.

The creature before him had gray hair, but with black and neon green streaks running across.
Her eyes were cracked and splintered, almost like the eyes of a Demon.
But there was a glimmer in them, a magical little sparkle that belied her true nature.
And then, there, on her cheeks, she wore the signature blush of the Fairy race.
Without a doubt... there was a fucking Fairy in this room.
And he was going to destroy it.

"Eruptio!" His hand swelled with light.
That was needed.
Light was needed in order to cast a strong shadow.
And where you held a strong light, you could-

CLANG!

Sen of Northern Rock was standing on the table, in front of him.
The Knight's gauntlet extended and his hand opened.
Then, with a grabbing motion, he closed Devan Blackwater's palm inside of his own hand.
There was a CRUNCH sound as his fingers were crushed.
Devan hissed in pain and tried to fall back.
Rutherford stood, hoping to try and steady him,
But the Knight of Northern Rock instinctively kicked the Frantish Knight away from the table.
He fell on top of Blackwater.
Together, the two hit the stone floor, with the heavier and larger Knight on top.
There was a brief moment where the wind had been knocked out of him.
Then he went to suck in a breath and.

CLANG!

The sound of heavy armor as Sen's hand went over Blackwater's mouth.
No breath could be found. No air, at least not in through his mouth.
He sucked in air through his nose, his eyes darting around the room.
Was this some kind of set up?!

No... It was just...

No words could escape his lips. Therefore, he couldn't try to cast another spell.

"I think the Queen asked you to wait," Sen told him. "Sir."

"Gah.... Ow." Rutherford stood back up. He leaned on the table to support himself.
"Kid's got strong instincts. Knocked me on my ass. Pardon my language."
"I'm just a bit... frazzled..."

His instincts were strong indeed.
Sen must have sensed that Blackwater was just about to destroy that entire half of the room.
It's likely he moved not to defend the Fairy, but, rather, to defend himself.
Actually... no. There really wasn't much to it.
Nothing beyond the simple reasoning that Sen had given.

Queen Lana had ordered Blackwater to wait.
And, therefore, Sen had executed that order.
It was his duty as a Knight to make sure Blackwater waited.
That kind of guy was the most frightening of all.
He only needed to be pointed at a goal in order to achieve it, with no reservations.
A man of pure instinct.

Blackwater struggled for a moment and finally he was let free.
"S-.. Sorry. I was just alarmed."

The Fairy smiled at him. "You are strong. Fast. Well, there are faster men than you, it seems."
"We're probably all lucky for that, aren't we? I sensed a strong reverberation of magical energy."

Liona glared at Devan Blackwater at that moment.
"You meant to put the Queen in danger with that incantation?"

"I just... I..." Blackwater looked around the room.
Honestly, from the looks of it, he wasn't the only one surprised to see the Fairy.
There were others in the room who hadn't noticed her right away, either.
"I was caught off guard, okay? I acted without thinking."
I'm not as cool as I try to act. Did they want him to say it out loud?! Jeez.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Blackwater tugged on the sleeve of the man sitting beside him.
"Ruthe."
"Leave me alone."
"What do you think are the qualifications of being a top advisor?"
"Shh."
"Do you think I could become one?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"You can't."
"So you must know what the qualifications are."
"Devan, please-"
"Okay, okay. One more question."
"..."
"One more question, alright?"
"Go. Ask it. Just be quiet."
"Do you think the Queen is cool?"
"... She is kind of cool, yeah."
"I think so too."
"That's surprising, coming from-"
"Shh, Ruthe. They're trying to talk."

He laughed internally to himself at the expression that Rutherford made after being shushed.
Setting that up had taken quite a bit of effort. But he was proud of the fruits it had born.
The fruits of amusement.

Liona Brezwicz, the Sworn Sword of the Queen, was pretty well known to all here.
And even for those who had not known her before the meeting, well,
She was after all the one who had done a great deal of the talking.
Apparently she served the role as some kind of strategist. Whatever that meant.
It seemed like they had guys like Martin Spade to deal with strategy.
Maybe Brezwicz handled some other kind of strategy?
Like tactics for things that happened off of the battlefield?
Blackwater didn't know anything about that, or if it was a real thing.

Lawlier stood up and took a long drink from the flask in front of her.
It seemed pretty cool at first, but then Blackwater was pretty sure she was just drinking water.
It would have been much more cool if she was drinking rum or something.
"I'm Jessie Lawlier," she told them all. "I'm... um... not really that good at public speaking, so..."
She wobbled unsteadily and fell back into her chair.
Once again, it would have been a lot more cool if she was actually drunk or something.

Dalamar briefly rose and put his hand into the air.
"Name is Dalamar, I oversee the research and development of crown projects."
"I worked closely with the Iron Knight of Frantz while planning the recent expedition into Ishiene's Labyrinth."
"And I hope that we can accomplish great things as well, if we all work together."

Blackwater was sort of thinking that mission had been a complete failure.
However, he at least had the social grace not to say it out loud.

Lana Lake extended her arm to the right, for some reason.
Her fingers were pointed in a specific way.
She was, after all, directing their attention to a certain place.
"And this is-"

"HOLY SHIT!" Blackwater jumped out of his chair. He nearly fell on the floor.
"What the hell is that thing?!" He grabbed for the wand at his belt but his fingers were numb.
"How-How long has it been here?!" Shit. Shit. He couldn't get it free.
It was stuck. The stupid clip was stuck. He was spending so much time here.
Casually, just chatting with his best friend, cracking jokes. Trying to act cool.
And all the while that monster had been sitting across the table and he didn't even see her!
And because of that, he wasn't ready.

Unable to draw his wand, he raised his hand and spread his fingers wide.
Magical words which had been burned into the folds of his brain arose.
They were inflamed. He felt them resounding against his skull.
And once he recalled them, they were one with him.
And once he spoke them, they would become one with the world.
He would shape the world to his will.

Such was the spirit of magic.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

"Perhaps Mr. Blackwater would be more happy if you gave us the full story,"
Liona said to Aster as delicately as possible. She was polite, that was true.
However... Devan sensed it. She felt the same way.
She was not the type to simply accept something as true just because some guy said it.
She also wanted some kind of proof.

"To be honest I do not know much, but I know that it is true."
Aster looked desperate to convince the people here that he was not lying.
He probably cared whether or not people thought he was a liar.
Blackwater, if he had a choice, would rather have it so people didn't know if they could trust him.
That would make it much easier to mess with people.
However, Aster seemed to care about his reputation and honesty.
That probably meant he was telling the truth.
"I heard that the Priestess-.. Um, Alura. She had been engaged to the Silver Prince for some time."
"He came here in order to marry her and then something happened."
"His body double had been continuing to fight in Arland on his behalf,"
"But they decided it was better if he hide out here rather than returning to war."
"In the event that something bad happened. You know, like-"

"Like losing the war," Martin observed. "He was waiting for something."
Martin thought about it carefully for a while. "But what...?"

Of course this was something Martin Spade of all people would not understand.
Blackwater thought about telling him but he wasn't sure which way was funnier.
Macina broke the conversation by changing the subject quickly.
"We should go and meet with him as soon as possible, then."
"If losing the war is a possibility in his mind it means we should not waste time."

"I couldn't agree more," Martin said to her, already losing his previous train of thought.
The idea of planning a battle was more exciting to him than figuring out the love life of a prince.

"We shall make preparations to travel south by convoy, then," Lana Lake announced.
"But I think in the meantime everyone should rest and decide whether they can commit fully to this quest."
"It may be that if we ride south from here you won't return home for some time."

"My Queen," Macina asked. "Do you think it is a good idea for you to go as well?"
Lady Mocol, it seemed, was thinking the same thing as the Silver Prince.
Was it really a good idea for Lana Lake to go off to war?
If she got herself killed before producing an heir, the Lake dynasty would be gone forever.
However...

Blackwater looked at the Queen again.
He couldn't bring himself to think it.
Not even in his own head.

"I've been in war before," Lana replied. "I was on Catharsis as well."

That was something Blackwater did not know.
He was regarding Lana Lake with a different sort of respect at that moment.
She had actually gotten out of that place alive? Few had.
That was essentially ground zero for the invasion.

"In any event," the Queen went on, "before we part ways I'd like to formally introduce everyone."
"My top advisors will very likely be coordinating the efforts of the campaign as we move forward."
"And I think it would be best that you understand each of their roles in my administration."
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

"Shut up."
"No, really. I saw it when she entered the room."
"..."
"Fake leg."
"I said shh. I'm trying to listen."
"What, you didn't know? You fancied her and you didn't know?"
"Everyone already knows, you idiot."
"Yeah, I figured that was probably your thing."
"You're sick."
"Me? Sick? You're the one who-"
"Devan, be quiet. I won't warn you again."
"... Hm."

Devan got the feeling that Rutherford was probably being serious at this point.
He decided to sit back and soak in the conversation the others were having.
They had apparently decided against traveling through the portal to Sea-Quartz.
While it was the most sure tactical victory there also did not seem to be much reason to go there.
"It would be a symbolic victory, and nothing else," Y said.
He tried to sound cool, but his head hung low. "I understand that."

Dalamar put his hand on the arm of the Neonite and gave him reassurance.
"Your people will know salvation some day. Now is just not the right time."

As for going to Catharsis, well.
Kennedy Erensworth seemed quite enthusiastic about it.
However, there weren't many others here who even felt remotely comfortable.
There was an obvious elephant in the room, and people weren't even afraid to say it.
"If we go to Catharsis we're sure to face the Unstoppable Blue Wing," Martin Spade said.
"Honestly, I do not believe I am prepared for that. I don't think anyone here is."
There was no objections from anyone here. Well, nobody voiced them.
Blackwater guessed there were probably a few hotblooded people here who thought they could go.
Stupid assholes who believed they would be the ones to go and stop Blue Wing.
And, of course, they'd all get killed like idiots if they really went there.

"Forming an alliance with the Demonic Forces could prove problematic,"
Reggie reminded them all. "There are still Angels which patrol the region."

"I would not dictate my policy based on the will of a foreign power," Lana reminded him.

"No, of course not," Reggie agreed. "Still..."
"It might be better not to involve ourselves with Demons."
"In the long run it would just make us more enemies."

The sensible option, then, was the remaining one.
A campaign to Arland, past Vera's Cape and to the Silver City.
"We could even sail out of High Point," Aster reminded them.
"It would be a shorter journey than leaving from Haven and going around Catharsis."
They could assault the Fairy forces occupying this region.
This would have drastic consequences on a global scale, especially if the attack succeeded.
"This is an enemy who is already fighting a war on two fronts," Martin explained.
"They aren't prepared to divide their attention a third way. Especially not in Arland."
"And if we can coordinate our efforts with the forces there..."

"We can, I assure you," Aster told him. "I know it may be hard to believe,"
"But I speak the truth when I say that the Silver Prince is here in Esland."

"Hard to believe," Blackwater put his feet up on the table, "Cause it's bullshit."
He didn't actually care one way or the other. He just wanted to antagonize someone.
It would be funny if Aster got worked up over such a stupid accusation.
"What proof do you have?"

"Proof?" Aster inquired. "What, like with me? Right now?"

"Whatever," Blackwater said. He didn't get the reaction he wanted.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

The table calmed down and began discussing the strategic matters at hand.
Devan, finding it difficult to pay attention, leaned close to Hayes and whispered to him.
It was clear that Hayes was actually trying to participate in the discussion.
For that reason he probably found it annoying to have the man beside him keep tugging on his sleeve.
And for Devan to keep making remarks that divided his attention.
However, this only amused Devan further.
Especially since no one else in the room seemed to notice what he was doing.

"Rutherford. Hey. Ruthe."
"Shh. I'm trying to-"
"Do you think you could take him?"
"Take-... What? Who?"
"Sen of Northern Rock."
"Can I what-?"
"Could you take him? What about arm wrestling?"
"I don't know. Maybe?"
"... Hm. How about in a fight?"
"Devan, please-"
"Hey Ruthe."
"..."
"Ruthe."
"... What now?"
"Between Lady Brezwicz and Lady Mocol-"
"Please don't."
"-who do you think is cuter?"
"They are both too young."
"You think?"
"For me. And for you, for that matter."
"Who do you fancy, then?"
"..."
"Ruthe. Who do you-"
"Shh!"
"..."
"..."
"Ruthe."
"Be quie-"
"I can't, now. You have to tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me who you fancy, then I'll be quiet."
"You will not."
"... No, probably not."
"This is important, you know?"
"Eh."
"Devan, really. These are large matters."
"Large matters. So large."
"It's not funny."
"You're smiling."
"I am not smiling."
"You're laughing just a little bit. Someone will notice."
"This is not a joke."
"Then why are you laughing?"
"..."
"Matters so large. They invited a kid from Undercity who doesn't even know why he's here."
"Don't bring the kid into-"
"Large matters. Truly large."
"Devan, don't be like that."
"Who do you think is dumber? Sen from Nothern Rock? Or me, for coming here?"
"I think you're being very immature right now."
"Oh, I know that."
"Good, then-"
"You're not gonna ask why? Why Sen?"
"It's-"
"It's because he's dumb, right? Admit it. You were thinking it too."
"... Jeez. I didn't even question it."
"Ha. I made you think something bad."
"You are a terrible person."
"Saved your life, though. Annoying Frantish bastard."
"... Hmph."
"I bet it's Jessie Lawlier, isn't it?"
"You what? You bet, what?"
"She's the one you fancy."
"You are so delusional, Necromancer."
"Oh, so that's not it?"
"You know nothing about me. You don't know who I fancy."
"I know you. I so know you. I saved your life."
"Saved my life. Yeah, you saved my life. Enough with-"
"You know she is missing a leg, right?"
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

[Above and Below]

When Lady Mocol and the Spade began arguing, it was all Blackwater could do to hide his amusement.
But, no, he had an image and a reputation to uphold.
Thankfully, no one was looking at him right at that moment as he was smiling to himself.
Daven Blackwater was the Necromancer in the room.
When people looked at him they expected to be met with a gold stare and a creepy glare.
He was nearing forty years old and already had a dash of gray in his hair.
With his magic or some simply Frantish dye he could've easily fixed that.
But, honestly, he cultivated. That, too, was part of his image.
As amusing as this would he couldn't break a smile right at this moment.
Well, no one was looking. He could smile a little bit.

Unlike Mr. Rainn seated over there, Blackwater was actually pretty well informed.
And unlike the Sen of Northern Rock, Blackwater knew a lot about what went on in Esland.
Even though the Blackwater clan lived North of the mountain, they had eyes to the south.
Martin Spade had a very interesting history, a very amusing background.
Blackwater knew all about this.
Devan heard rumors about how he'd gone to several marriage meetings but never found a partner.
Now, granted, some rumors were no more than base gossip.
However, it was clear that the man was still unmarried and didn't seem to even be engaged.
It was highly unusual for a noble son of his standing.
But with his cold personality it made a bit more sense.
What was most interesting, however, was the dynamic in this very room.
At this very table.
Blackwater, very clearly, remembered hearing a very particular rumor.
It had always stuck with him because of how much it had amused him at the time.
This same Martin Spade who always had trouble with women had gone to the Mocol Estate.
And Lady Mocol was one of the potential matches that his parents had hoped to make for him.
However, Martin had not come back with the hand of Macina Mocol.
Instead, he came back with only a black eye.
Nobody knew exactly what happened.
But Blackwater wished he had been there to see it.
Definitely he would have laughed out loud then.

The very annoying Rutherford Hayes stood up and told a little anecdote to cool down the room.
Blackwater barely paid attention to what they were talking about.
Instead, he was thinking about Liona Brezwicz. She said "Martin" often, never Mr. Spade.
He wondered if they knew each other as well.
Was Liona one of the many young ladies of the court who had turned Mr. Spade down?
Their relationship certainly did not seem friendly, but they did seem familiar.
Then again Martin was cold to everyone. It was hard to tell.

"Gods," Blackwater was thinking. He glared at Rutherford.
"Did I really waste my talents saving the life of this guy?"
"He's ruining my fun by trying to help these two get along."
"My own good will has come back to bite me in the ass once more."

But there was no helping it.
Rutherford had that kind of nature. He was going to try and resolve the tension in the room.
And it looked as if he had succeeded.
And Devan Blackwater, despite his posturing, had that kind of nature as well.
When he found a Knight in a ditch, badly burned, bleeding to death...
Devan could not resist the temptation to save the life of that man.
So, from that point, Rutherford Hayes had been his friend.
Or something like that.

Blackwater preferred to think of himself as someone who didn't have friends.

That made him seem much more cool and mysterious.
The way a Necromancer should be.

"That was something my brother was always a natural at."
"For me," Devan Blackwater was thinking, "I have to work hard to maintain this image."
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

gets pretty cold in hawaii, I hear
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

tiny fence is pretty funny

I honestly didn't notice it until someone pointed it out

still funny, though
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Basil
Tigger
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

kirbypikachuhat posted...

Maria you met me too!

oh yeah, I forgot you were a board 8 user though
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

zea
eddv
genesissaga
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Aladdin
Alice
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

yeah there is a spectrum. people can show only some of the signs while still being high functioning and stuff. just depends on how far along the spectrum they are.
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

this is the picture I drew of her during ITD7



hard to tell how long her hair is due to stylistic choices, with it blending into the darkness around her
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

I think I'll go listen to it now, myself

what a strong endorsement!
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

'Waiting For Starlight' , a portrait of Blue Wing
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

JeffreyRaze posted...

Aster's been a lot of fun so far

thanks! I had a lot of fun writing the table scenes. tried to do a good job of giving every character at least one "distinct" moment. hopefully I can build on these traits later. managing a large cast like this is difficult but I have ideas in my head of how I plan to do it moving forward.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Sea Quartz : I

Catharsis : I

Silver City : II

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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

the reason maria acts younger is very likely because of her autism
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Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

SEA-QUARTZ
+ No need to use a Naval Force
+ Most tactically sound position to mount an invasion from
+ Most Fairy forces have likely abandoned the place by now
+ Secure the Portal just in case
- Not much to gain by capturing a dead, empty world
- Probably not likely to secure many allies this way
- Forces might feel like they are fighting for nothing

CATHARSIS
+ Capture the Hell Gate and free up the Demonic Forces
+ Those who suffered losses on Catharsis will feel inspired by this option
+ Demons are incredibly strong Allies
- Demons are not that reliable, and you can't contact them ahead of time
- Requires a Naval Invasion
- You'll probably have to fight against Unstoppable Blue Wing

SILVER CITY
+ Reclaim the Silver City and free up Arland Forces
+ People will probably feel happy about fighting to support human allies
+ Silver Prince can be negotiated with ahead of time
- Arland has been at war for ten years and their strength may already be depleted
- Requires a Naval Invasion
- Sending your ships across the Ganthian Sea is a bigger strain
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Macina, however, was starting to get even more annoyed.
For one thing she didn't even know that she could trust this bastard from Northern Rock.
After all, the war had only ended ten years ago.
Lana herself had still been alive and an adult while people were still killing each other over it.
And it should be noted that the Northern Rock dissenters had supported a Spade-Corridon dynasty.
Was it just a coincidence that the Spade and the Knight of Northern Rock had sat next to each other?
Or that they seemed to be ganging up on her now?
Maybe Macina was just a southern girl who didn't know much, but,
When Spades and men from Northern Rock started agreeing with each other so boldly, she-

"That expedition into Ishiene's Labyrinth, recently," Rutherford spoke up, out of nowhere.
The Gentle Knight seemed to be reminiscing on something, even though he hadn't been there.
"We sent some of our Frantish Knights. Good men. Talented, too. Trained by the Iron Knight himself."
"None of them came back, though. The only guy who made it out was a Sellsword we had hired."

"This is true," Y added. "I was there."
"I heard that your Frantish Knights fought bravely, but..."

"I hear it was a terrible place," Rutherford said. He shook his head in disgust.
"We're lucky anyone made it out alive, really. Anyway, my point is..."
"Sometimes you need more than just Knights to succeed."
"Sometimes you have to bring every single card you have to the table,"
"And hope that by the end you can make a full hand."

Macina felt herself cooling down.
She fluffed her skirt and shifted her position again.
She smiled at Rutherford.
"I agree, Ser. We should make use of every advantage we have."

"Ahem." Aster had to be the one to speak up at that moment.
That weird guy was probably going to say something else unusual, wasn't he?

"If we're talking about Arland liberation, there's something you may want to know."
Aster looked at Lana Lake, and he looked her right in her eyes.
That's because he was about to say something that sounded insane.
And he didn't want her to think that he might be lying.
She had to be looking into his eyes and know that he was telling the truth.
And for Macina, who could read him, she read this intention.
Therefore, she continued to watch him as well.
She would be able to tell if he was lying. It was important for her to watch.

"The Silver Prince of Arland... is actually in High Point right now."

[Chapter End]

2. Which Invasion Plan would you pursue?
A. Liberation of Sea-Quartz. [Ground Force]
B. Recapture the Hell Gate on Catharsis. [Naval]
C. Reclaim the Silver City of Arland. [Naval]
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Sen let out a sigh. "I mean... it's not the worst possible plan."

"It's a more tactically difficult position," Martin chimed in. "But I think it yields greater rewards."
"We don't have an easy way to contact the Demonic forces ahead of time, but,"
"I can't imagine a scenario in which they'd be ungrateful if we recapture the Gate."

"Not to be a bother, but," Rainn meekly interjected, "Isn't a Naval Invasion a problem?"
"We don't hear about much in Undercity, but, everyone knows. You know."
"About how, um, Blue Wing destroyed the Arland Fleet?"
"How exactly could we hope to win by sending ships against her...?"

Macina looked at Liona Brezwicz and then at Rainn. He didn't know?

"I have defeated the Fairies in Naval Combat," Liona Brezwicz said simply.

Rainn looked like he wanted to hear more about that.
And, really, who wouldn't?
If Macina didn't already know the story she'd certainly be interested to hear more.
Even knowing it she felt like she wanted to hear it again.

Martin, however, had already thought of something else.
"But, really, that just brings to mind another-"

"You're thinking of Arland, yes," Liona told him. "We have considered that as well."

Erensworth spun the map around and planted his finger on the southern cape of Arland.
"The Silver City, here, was the first to be captured by the Fairies."
"Right now they are struggling in the Untamed Lands of Western Arland."
"I doubt they're defending the Silver City with much gusto."

Aster Crawford sat forward in his seat, suddenly interested in what was going on.
Macina made a mental note of that.

"It'd be a more difficult battle," Rutherford pitched in.
"But I think we can better predict how Arland will respond than Demons."
"And it might be possible to contact them ahead of time."

"If we mean to mount an invasion by sea we should go from Haven," Martin remarked.
"It might be a good idea to start hiring mercenaries now, as well," he added.

"Mercenaries?" Macina couldn't help but give him an annoyed, sideways look.
"We have plenty of Knights and Crown Soldiers at our disposal, Spade."
"Must we really rely on Mercenaries for such an important task?"

"Are you too noble to fight alongside hired swords?" Martin asked her seriously.
"I assure you their arrows are just as effective at dropping foes."

Macina, rubbing her palms, tried to put her own personal feelings and reservations aside.
When she was younger her father had hired some mercenaries to help protect their lands.
But those men had simply taken the gold and left without fulfilling their end of the deal.
When tracked down later they claimed they had been out patrolling the region,
But it was obvious they had simply taken the payment and vanished.
Macina couldn't put those kinds of reservations aside.
"I would rather not rely on someone who is unreliable by nature."

"So you'd hire a man to repair the roof of your stable,"
Martin inquired, "but you wouldn't hire a man to hold a spear for you?"
"Why not? What is the difference?"

Sen, who was seated beside Macina, looked at her.
"Sellswords aren't really all that bad, you know. If we're gonna fight we'll need more men."
"Even more than Northern Rock and the houses gathered here can offer."
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

"Now, Blackwater." Rutherford turned and smiled at the man sitting beside him.
But his hand went to the other man's shoulder. There was a brief moment of extreme tension.
Between those two, for sure, Macina felt it. She wasn't sure if anyone else did.
Rutherford's tone was insanely polite, but Macina could read him. His tone did not match him.
"That's not any way to speak to a Lady, is it?"

"..." Blackwater didn't say anything. He removed the other man's hand.

"Fine, I'll say it," Sen piped in. "What do we get outta invading Sea-Quartz?"

"As long as that portal remains open, it could pose a threat in the future," Liona reminded him.
That was for Blackwater and all those gathered here as well.
"The portal is in Ishiene's Labyrinth, which is located near to Frantz."
"It should be of great concern to all those gathered here."

Martin looked to Sen, who was seated beside him.
"This is a great front of battle, to begin with. The portal provides a natural chokepoint."
"Think of it this way," he quickly drew the outline of a map on the table with his finger.
However, by the time he finished, Erensworth had already taken out a map to share with him.
"My thanks," Martin said. He'd continue, using the real map for reference. "Say we invade Catharsis from Haven."
"The Fairy forces, in retaliation, could land their forces anywhere on the western coast."
"Really, ultimately, they would be able to choose where to strike us in return."
"We'd end up fighting a battle on many fronts."

"Now, compare that to, say, fighting a war in that doorway right there,"
Martin pointed to the door. "As long as we post forces at the door, they will hold that position."
"Everything that we do can logistically operate outward from this point."
"As long as we hold the door, we have our foothold of invasion."
"And we can focus all of our resources on protecting this base without worrying about being attacked at other landing points."

"That-" Liona stared at him for a few moments. "Is a really good point, Martin."

Martin seemed to brighten up once the idea of battle was being discussed. "My thanks, Lady Brezwicz."

"This is why a Council is valuable to me," Lana told them.
She was more cheerful now as well. It took all of her focus to stop herself from smiling.
Her hand even went to her mouth, covering it to hide her teeth.
"Each person here has a unique perspective and can tell me things I wouldn't know on my own."

Erensworth leaned over to the map and moved it more toward the center of the table.
"However, I had some thoughts of my own." He pointed to the island region between Esland and Arland.
"Catharsis. The place where Fairies have staged their invasion into the Realm Gate that leads to Hell."
"They're already fighting a difficult battle here against the Demons."
"I say we hit them from behind, recapture Catharsis, and-"

"You want us to fight for the sake of Demons?" Sen asked him.

"Well, they would make powerful allies," Erensworth told him.
"Besides, the days of Demonic Occupation are long since gone."

Y looked between the two men as if he had no idea what they were talking about.
"I've only met one Demon since coming to this world," Y told him. "He seemed like a nice fellow."
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Aster let out a sigh and slumped into his chair.
"Well, perhaps seeing them will be enough."
He shrugged. "I think I'd still be curious to participate."
He muttered something quietly, and Macina found herself reading his words.
He made himself easy to read at that time.
"Even if Lana wouldn't let him do what he wanted."
Something like that.

"In the interest of moving things along," Lana said, looking to Blackwater. "I'd like to hear your final thoughts."

Blackwater did not squirm, even beneath her burned ivory eyes.
Even under the gaze of royalty. "I do not know where my heart lay, yet."
"But I think I'd like to stay a while and listen to what you have to say."

Lana gave him a slight nod. It seemed she approved of this kind of thinking.
Even though Blackwater thought her ambition was hopeless, he still wanted to hear it.
That's because he still held out some hope that it might be possible.
His view might be defeatist but he hadn't completely shut himself off to the idea of a better future.
Macina, reading all of this from Lana, found herself smiling as well.
She liked the Queen.

"Earlier," Martin cut in, "you mentioned one avenue of attack."
"Are you saying we plan to fight a war on multiple fronts?"

"Even with both our armies that wouldn't be a smart idea," Sen replied.

"I agree," Martin agreed. "But, maybe-"

"No, Martin," Liona told him. "Our plan is to discuss different potential theaters of war."
"And decide among ourselves where to best allocate our resources."

Martin frowned. "Yes, something along those lines is more tactically sound."

Macina found herself thinking the same thing but she didn't voice her agreement.

"Then perhaps we should start with the strangest notion," Lana told them.
She almost seemed like she wanted to laugh at herself in that moment.
"Um, this is my friend Y. He comes from a land called Sea-Quartz. Y, would you?"

And finally the gray man who had been sitting at the table stood up.
He was very anxious and uncertain, but also very easy to read.
His body was not like one that Macina might expect to see.
No, wherever Sea-Quartz was, it was not from around here.

"I come from a world that was conquered by the Fairies long ago," Y told them.
"Recently a portal between Sea-Quartz and this place, um, Purgatory, was discovered."
"I know... I know you guys don't have much reason to care about me or whatever, but..."
"With that portal still being there I thought maybe... Well, Dalamar and I were thinking."
"It might be a good idea to send a force into Sea-Quartz and recapture it."

"Your proposal is to recapture a world that has already been conquered by the Fairies?"
It was Blackwater who voiced his concerns here, and he had the same look on his face as earlier.

"It is but one possible avenue of attack," Liona curtly told him.

"It's easy to have all the answers when you use the same one for each question," Blackwater observed.
His tone was clearly sarcastic.
Disrespecting the Sworn Sword of the Queen was probably not-
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg

Macina sighed as politely as she could and tried to pretend that Sen didn't exist.
It really annoyed her that he had used her 'why not' catchphrase, as well.
Even though he was probably too dumb to have done it on purpose.

"I wouldn't do this for Arland," Macina cut in, bluntly, killing the mood.
"But I would gladly fight on your behalf, My Queen."

The scholar who had come here from High Point was the only one who hadn't really given his opinion yet.
It could be assumed that the others here must have spoken to Lana in private before.
It made sense, because most of them were her friends who stayed in or near the palace at most times.
Aster Crawford put a finger in his mouth and began chewing on it absentmindedly.
He leaned back in his chair and even put his foot up on the table.
It seemed he was aware that others were staring at him, waiting for him to speak.
But it also was apparent that he wasn't going to talk until he had formulated all of his thoughts.

Macina tried to read his face but it was too complicated.
Trying to predict a man who had this much intelligence was like trying to do calculus in her head.
Macina subdued her instinct to throw something at him.
After all, she was still a Lady. She had chosen that path as well.
"Mr. Crawford," Macina said in a sweet voice. "Your thoughts?"

"Mm mm mm..." He had an odd, hollow, quiet laugh that he kept to himself.
His eyes held a far off and distant expression. Was he thinking? Or fantasizing about something?
"Everyone in this room, can you all do me a favor then? My answer will depend on it."

The people here looked at each other.
No one said anything.

"At once, without discussing it. If you have an opinion, I want to hear them."
Aster's chair THUMPED as he let it fall and he sat up straight.
Then he looked each of them in the eye one by one.
"Remember this. I'll know if you're lying."
"But don't worry about speaking over each other."
"I'll record every single reply." He tapped his head. "My mind is capable of that."

"So, tell me, between everyone in this Council of Esland."
Aster took a deep breath. He closed his eyes.
It was as if he was really mentally preparing to absorb all of their answers at once.
Then, his eyes snapped open.

"Who here thinks it is possible to capture a Fairy alive?!"

The replies came as such:

"Heck, I dunno."
"..."

"Sounds dangerous."
"..Hm."
"I have no thought on it."
"By the Gods!"
"Aster, you-"
"No."
"Perhaps."
"Why should we?"
"It should be possible."
And Macina's own "Why not?"

Overwhelmingly, they seemed to think it was possible.
Aster slowly looked to the Queen. "With that reply it sounds as if you do not approve?"

"In war there are always prisoners," Lana replied tactfully.

"And if I request that we capture a Fairy so that I may-"

"I will not let you perform experiments on a prisoner," Lana cut him off.
She could be fierce when she needed to, that Queen.
---

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
http://i.imgur.com/1KnydFa.jpg