Mystics Apprentice

--Genesis-- The tall redhead had been wandering the streets for a while, never feeling quite so aimless. Here he was, looking for a servant and his friend to befriend, and he had no idea who he was looking for, or where they would be. Could they be any friend and servant? Were there multiple options? Genesis didn't think so, but he thought everything happened for a reason, and if he put enough effort into finding these two people that his good fortune would be secured. "This is fine, my lady." A young lad bowed toward a similarly-aged female. "It's just Aya! You know that." Both young people entered a building, causing Genesis to pause in the middle of the streets, amidst carriages, shouting people, and several small children bustling about. It seemed that the young woman, Aya, held some kind of authority over the young man, who treated her as though he were a . . . servant? Possibly? Regardless, it was the best lead that Genesis had yet, and thus he followed the two into the store, which happened to be one selling fabric. Rolls of luscious cloth were propped along every wall, and in the background Genesis thought he could hear the hum of a sewing machine. The building had an odd aroma to it, as though it were scented with cinnamon and perhaps something else. He saw the pair a short distance away, though he didn't want to appear as though he were stalking them. He watched and waited, preparing for a good moment to try "befriending" them, hopefully at a moment where he could offer his services.

In the Toy Story universe I'm assuming that toys are simply alive. I don't think there's any true scientific reason behind it other than it being factual for the world. Like a lot of fantasy, some things just don't seem practical or make sense, but that is what separates it from reality, I suppose.

I'm so sorry for the lateness of my post! I wasn't feeling well over the weekend. I'll try to get something to tonight. So sorry!

I'm sure that I'm massively responsible for the slowness; my apologies. I wasn't doing well over the weekend, but I'm feeling worlds better and ready to get things going again! I'm going to try to post either tonight or tomorrow, though most likely tomorrow. Life has been a comedy of errors and time isn't my friend, but I am very determined to see this RP through to the end. I owe you all at least that much, and I'm very grateful to those who are so dedicated. : ) We have such an awesome team, and I think that's why Overworld has thrived, to be honest. But yes, I will hop to it, get things rolling, and hopefully be a better contributor in the days to come. : )

Genesis The wheels on the redhead's book cart clicked as it ran over the cracks between tiles, his red robe billowing behind him. It had taken him all morning to get the books back in their proper order, sorting them alphabetically, and now the young librarian was making his rounds to place them all back on their proper shelves. Genesis approached his first shelf and began to unload, slipping heavy leather-bound novels in their place, when he heard voices on the opposite side of the shelf. "I was wondering if you had anything related to...um...diaries? It sounds strange, but I was just wondering if there was anything on that...or of supernatural occurrences that maybe have happened in past around here? Like a record book or old newspapers?" His hand froze mid-air, heart hammering in his chest. A diary? Supernatural occurrences? That was when a horrible thought struck him: did others know of The Journal? Genesis had possessed it for as long as he could remember, feeling compelled to read each day's entry and stick to it. He thought it had been his little secret, and yet here was someone inquiring about it. This unnerved him. Immensely. "You mean the Journal, right?" It was James' voice, and then Genesis heard footsteps. He scurried away quickly, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed by his fellow librarian. They were definitely referring to the Journal, and they definitely knew about it. Genesis tried to think fast, wondering what he could possibly do. Would they turn him over to authorities if they knew he possessed it, or burn the Journal? Anything supernatural was heavily frowned upon, and he figured that his tampering with the journal wouldn't be much different. Out of a desperate urge to attempt calming his nerves and finding a way out of this, Genesis returned to his desk, sliding the Journal out of a secret compartment of his desk. Yes, he kept it at work with him, partially from studying it, and partially because he was just fascinated with it. "Befriend the servant and his friend. You should find them rather easily." It read. A frown furrowed Genesis' brow; he was terrible at making friends. Even still, this seemed promising; perhaps this servant and his friend would help him. He finished sorting away the remainder of his books before leaving the library, entering the streets in search of his new servant friend.

Maybe I'm just a horrible player, but I've used cure all of the time. : P I'd like to blame Donald.

No problem at all. Life happens. I'm wondering if you wanted us to post in the meantime, or would you like us to wait on journal entries?

Name: Genesis Rhapsados Sex: Male Age: 21 Appearance: Occupation: Librarian and poet Skill/Magic: Increased stamina, speed, agility, and strength, with basic fire spells. Personality: Prideful, arrogant, and self-centered. Genesis often keeps to himself and his books, writing whenever he managed to scrape up the free time when he is not working within the library. He has few that he calls friends, and has difficulty warming up to people to begin friendships. Bio: Genesis lives in a country home of his own, coming from wealthy parents and having an education that permitted him to obtain a substantial income as a librarian. Very few come and go from his home beyond himself, and even then he mostly only leaves to attend work. He isn't particularly social. As a boy he has always loved to read and write, desirous to become a famous writer one day as those whose work he cherishes. Origin: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII I'm going to do my best to keep up, even if the posts that I provide are short. : ) I worry that if I wait too long that I will miss out on acclimating my character into the world and with others.

--Queen Shiva -- Kilkis Seres camp-- The ride to the Kilkis Seres campsite was a brief one, perhaps less than a mile from the battlefield. Shiva wasn't sure where they stood in terms of troops, but one of their flanks had fallen in combat, and she needed to assess the situation to determine how to progress. Further, she hoped that Raiden would honor her request and meet with her in private. Perhaps it was a dangerous--no, foolish--idea, but she couldn't resist. It was time for her to step up and be the queen that she wanted to be, not the queen that she was forced to become. Not long after arriving she was greeted by her son's friend, the Palico. Her eyes grew wide as he uttered the condition of her son, her lips a thin line. Raiden had done this to him? After he'd promised to protect their son . . . . Her hands clenched into fists along her sides, which she had to pin to her body to keep from shaking. "Are there healers with him?" she demanded. "If not, take a couple of our finest with you to his abode. Keep me posted on his condition." A part of her wished that she could request to go with Dawson, to rush to her son's side, like she always used to if anything would befall him, but she knew it wasn't an option. She had to be the ruler of Kilkis Seres, and a ruler couldn't desert her army during the middle of war. Shiva strode toward Dawson and gripped his shoulders, looking into his young face with a solemn expression. "Tell him that I love him, and that I thank him for being by my side, despite everything that I've made him endure." --Yevgeni Malachite -- Departing the battlefield-- At least Draksis had a fair amount of sense to him, even if he were following Raiden. This man drew the line, determined how far he were willing to go for Raiden's cause. At least he wasn't a blind follower like the majority of the soldiers he'd encountered. Heck, he were probably more sensible than even Shiva. "The Overworld needs humans like you," Yevgeni said to Draksis at last. "And for that, I wish your endeavors a success. I only wish that it were someone other than Raiden leading it. The man . . . has a way of following his passions a bit too recklessly." "My name is Yevgeni Malachite, but simply Yev will do," he responded. "Till we meet again, Sir Draksis, to which I'm sure that we will." With a slight bow, Yev left Draksis and retreated from the battlefield. He had to know who blew the horn, and also had a need to speak with Shiva before it was too late. Things had a potential to either play out perfectly into his hand, or fail miserably, and he had to ensure that it was the former. --Alderon Niles -- Mystas Camp - near death-- The king barely made it to the healers in the back rank before collapsing. He didn't remember being brought to the healer's tent, or the spear being removed from his shoulder. It was bandaged heavily, making it nearly impossible for him to move that side of his body at all. When he opened his eyes he did not feel pain, but instead a numbness that crept over his entire body as well as his mind. Visco . . . . It occurred to him in that moment that, if he died now, no one would save his daughter. His kingdom would be without a ruler, and Visco would remained cursed forever. He had to at least ensure that someone would live on to accomplish his ends, but whom was there to trust? Draksis? The boy that fancied Visco? He couldn't see either from his position, but rather a darker-skinned fey sobbing over someone with bright-red locks. A frown furrowed the king's brow; he'd seen him from somewhere before . . . . It was then that he realized who Helios was, and a shower of guilt washed over him. He had been so superior, thinking nothing of putting the boy through torture and experiments only to benefit his people and save his daughter. Seeing him now, in his own world, it suddenly felt very wrong that Alderon had treated him like a mere creature worth experimenting upon. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came forth. His world became a blur of colors, and the numbness enraptured him entirely. A fuzzy warmth enveloped him as he greeted unconsciousness once more.

For me it is really the community. I have made such wonderful lasting friendships on this site, and I love coming on to people I know and sharing conversations with friends. : )

I would really like to join this, but the problem is that for the next two weeks my time is going to be pretty restricted. I definitely don't want to slow anyone up, though, or put a halt to the RP. Would it be best if I sign up in a couple weeks, or would it be okay if I post pretty sporadically and then once these two weeks are up I can post more regularly?

It happens, so no worries. I did just want to make sure that you saw Shiva's post where Kilkis Seres has blown the horns of retreat, and now troops are returning to camp and withdrawing from battle. If you did want to continue the fight, though, that's perfectly fine, but I just wanted to make sure that you hadn't missed anything. I quoted where I mentioned it in the sign-ups and tried to actually quote Shiva's post, but every time I try to switch threads and multi-quote it was deleting everything so I eventually gave up. : P

No team is safe from the recruitment of Lea. .

Thanks, Sigrun! : ) Good to see you online again.

I'm not really sure that it would fit. If looking back at all Mario RPGs, they have never touched DK, even though DK is indeed one of the very original and iconic Mario characters introduced in the very beginning. While it isn't impossible, I feel that Nintendo has taken the direction to keep DK in his own titles apart from the Mario universe, and I haven't seen them crossover in a long time, with the exception of Mario Party, Mario Kart, Smash, et cetera. They don't seem to blend the two together anymore, which I think is sad. I wouldn't mind seeing DK as a main character in a future installment, but don't think it's very likely.

Oh, the feels! Especially with that musical piece you chose for the death scene, Star. It was perfect, and so sad. So many deaths, and how tragic for Helios. This tale of three friends is not ending well, but hopefully Helios will manage to break the vicious cycle and live a fulfilling life for both of his friends.

--Ren Mordecai-- Healers Tent with Helios-- A bitter smile stretched Ren's lips, dark eyes locked on his dear friend. "Don't cry, Helios. We will meet one day again. My story is over, but you . . . have so much left to live for"--his fingers brushed against the wind drake stone around his neck, reaching it toward Helios to give him but lacking the strength to remove it--"live on, Helios. The worlds depend on you. Be my legacy, and do what I could not. I . . . Pray that there is a happy ending to this tale, one that I want you to see through to the end and beyond. I want you to share our story. Mine, and Ariana's. I love you as a brother, and always will." His hand tightened around Helios' hand briefly, before going limb and lifeless, the light fading from his eyes as he lowered his lids. "Stay . . . strong, Helios. My friend." And that was the end. Ren Mordecai had departed from this world all too soon, to join hands with Ariana in a place where Helios could not reach. Not now, but one day, one day the three would reunite, to rejoice and be together once more.

Aww, thanks, Veemon! I actually don't have my birthday in my profile, so it's perfectly understandable that you might've missed it. It's the thought that truly means a lot to me. Thank you for being a wonderful friend in like, from our RP, 3DS games, chats, and much more. : ) It's always and is a pleasure! Thanks, Neptune! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. Your birthday was this month, too, right? For some reason I'd been thinking it was near mine when I saw you mention it.

It is with deep regret that I believe I'm going to allow Ren to draw his final breath. It's such a hard decision to make, but I think his death here will be more meaningful than his life, even though I would love to see Helios and Ren's interactions. I was nearly in tears as I wrote it. I'll still hear opinions on whether he should really go or not. Also, Shiva has declared that Kilkis Seres troops withdraw, but it is up to you guys if you want to wrap up your current battles first or retreat. I feel that it is time to move forward in the RP, as we have approached the end of September and the initial timeframe for the war. Does that work for everyone?

--Ren Mordecai -- Healers Tent -- Final moments (I think) -- "Helios," Ren murmured, voice hoarse and he ran a hand along the back of his dragon friend's head. "I am sorry that I couldn't do more for you. I wanted to save you, truly, and yet I left you there to rot with the king. I am not worthy of being your friend, and even now I have asked you to risk your life to save me." The redhead was barely conscious as they landed in the tent, and he didn't recall any faces that helped him off of Helios' back and onto a cot toward the back of the healer's tent. He'd lost a mass amount of blood, and the wound gashing into his back was deep. He couldn't feel anything below his naval, though strangely he was in such a numbed state that it didn't bother him. "Please forgive me, Helios," said Ren, closing his eyes, his breath coming in rasped gasps. "For not . . . being there when you needed me. If I could do it again, believe me, I would. "I'm just . . . happy. Happy that I was able to see you once more." He extended his hand crusted in blood up to reach Helios' cheek, brushing it with his fingertips before his hand fell. The life was quickly leaving his body, much to Ren's regret. There was so much more that he wanted to do, so much that he wanted to say. And yet, does anyone ever complete their life, truly? Do they ever get to finish everything that they wished, or isn't death always unexpected and snatching you away? --Shiva de la Alexandria -- Center Flank: Kilkis Seres-- Unexpectedly the queen was brought in the path of her own ice barrage by being dragged over by Mariel. Distracted, Shiva extended her arm and shattered the ice before it could strike her, its slivers falling to the ground. It surprised her greatly that Soren still stood beside her, even though she dismissed him and cast him away. The man did seem to have a genuine heart, which she appreciated, and oddly enough reminded her of Raiden. But alas, she could not think of Raiden too deeply. That was the very last thing that she needed. A horn blew from many hundred yards away, yet it pierced through the forest as though it were close by. It was an indicator that one of their flanks had fallen in defense, which wasn't particularly a good thing at all. They would have to fall back and regroup, Shiva reasoned, though it didn't give her particular pleasure. She met Mariel's gaze sharply. "Tell your sovereign that I desire to meet with him, alone, tonight on the outskirts of Milos, at Lake Kresnik. There we will settle this war, but I will not have any more blood lost over this matter." At this she turned, half of her hair having fallen out of her braid during combat, striding toward her unicorn once more. She shot a glance over at Soren. "You may return to our camp, if you so desire. I have not yet come to peace with your betrayal, but I can assure you sanctuary and healing." It wasn't long before Meksis, too, had come to her aid, proffering her aid if she required it. She held up a hand. "I am well, thank you, Meksis. We are drawing our troops back. Sound the horn for your flank." And with that, Shiva blew loudly into hers upon her hip. It was that of the royal horn, one that all Kilkis Seres troops knew, and understood what it meant. The battle was over, or at least for now. Their numbers were dwindling, and Shiva now understood what she had to do. Even if it cost her life. Shiva has retreated from battle. --Yevgeni Malachite -- Left flank: Kilkis Seres-- Yevgeni rubbed his chin with a gloved hand as he listened to Draksis on how they operated down in the human world, intent and filled with curiosity. "Interesting," he said at last. "A part of me thinks life would be better that way, with everyone born equal. Here you are either born a gifted race, or within immense magic, or you are not. Depending on your birth, your entire life can be set for you before you're even given a choice. While it may sound glorious to be fey, it is not to all, especially those who are accursed from birth." Draksis then posed the question of what Yev thought of his queen, which struck him as curious and yet as an excellent question. He saw no reason to answer dishonestly. "I think my queen is weak," Yev stated bluntly. "She follows ideals that are not her own, and yet battles with her own desires and lusts. She is not happy, nor will she ever win. Shiva sees everything in shades of black and white; nothing is gray in her eyes, even though, frankly, this world is filled with many gray areas. I feel that she needed more guidance before she succeeded the throne, which I tried to provide, but who am I? Someone she can swiftly discard the moment she inherits the throne, casting aside any advice I may offer out of wisdom and years of serving her late father, the King." Yev drew in a breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But alas, I am ranting. I apologize, perhaps that was more information than you needed to hear. I believe that Queen Shiva is misguided, but at least workable. I do not trust Raiden, nor do I think he can accomplish what he seeks without much, much bloodshed and broken promises. This here is only the tip of the iceberg. I do not want to see what may come within a short few years if he reigns victorious." A horn echoed throughout the forest, one that Yevgeni recognized all too well. It was the royal signal, one indicating that they were falling back. Either the queen had been captured, fallen, or chose to retreat. A look of disappointment washed over the blond's face. "Hmm, it looks like it is time for me to go. Our troops are retreating," he said dully, as though bored. He glanced at Draksis, extending a hand to shake his. "Draw until next time?" -- Curvis Sourati -- Right flank: Mystras-- The Kilkis Seres mage looked like he were about to fume in fury at Aqua's defiance. He raised his staff menacingly. "You dare betray your queen?!" he roared. Before he could do anything, however, a horn echoed throughout the forest, calling back the Kilkis Seres troops from battle. The mage looked disappointed. "Go, run off with him!' he practically spat at her. "You are not worth killing, Traitor." All around Kilkis Seres troops began to disappear, retreating from the battlefield and escaping death. Curvis looked both relieved and surprised by Aqua's position. "You . . . defended me," he said, impressed. "Do you not fear what might await you when you return?"

Out of the ones listed I would probably have to say that Kuja and Zidane make for the better rivals. Both are so similar and yet different, and it's interesting to think that, had things gone differently, Zidane would've very much been standing in Kuja's position. I was also considering Caius, but I feel his rivalry is better suited for Noel Kreiss than for Lightning, personally.

I think it really depends on whether you prefer action games or RPGs. Personally I would vote for FF IX, as it is one of the best Final Fantasy installments, in my opinion, and if you like Final Fantasy you would probably like it. I think I saw that it also went on sale just recently for a limited time, so that may be something to consider. : ) Let us know what you end up deciding upon!

Thanks, Yuya! It's much appreciated. : ) No worries at all! Thank you for the birthday wishes, my friend, and my special day was a fantastic one. Interestingly your cupcake image wasn't working in your post, but upon quoting it I'm seeing the image now. Go figure! Thanks, Stardust! That looks like one awesome cake and pet that you're presenting me. Is that an ice cream cookie cake?

--Alderon Niles -- Mystras: Center Flank VS Eclaire-- The king held his claymore outstretched, prepared to take the brunt of her attack with his blade, when he suddenly found himself shielded by a genie instead. He'd seen Rufus briefly back at Lord Raiden's villa, though knew little about his abilities or background. Genies always fascinated him. "Thank you, Sir Contralto," Alderon managed, placing a hand on his chest. "You have spared my life, and it is with much regret that I shall take my leave." The king glanced around. His warhorse, Javelin, was seemingly down for the count, and there was no quick way for him to escape the battlefield. All that he could do was sheath his sword and press onward, though blood was flowing freely from his wound, and he felt weaker with every step. Even once he did retreat from battle, he wasn't sure if he were going to make it. Perhaps the Mystran healers were even more experienced than he'd imagined. Alderon retreated from battle. --Ren Mordecai -- Mystras: Left flank VS Meksis-- Blood poured from the wound that Meksis had made, cleaving bone, scale, and flesh all in one fell swoop. His darkened tail fell to the ground, separating Meksis from the black dragon who cried out something fierce. His form became unstable, and after mere moments the dragon's form had been replaced by the much-smaller redheaded young man, knees in the dirt and sword thrust into the ground. A wound from his lower back seemed to be bleeding profusely as he drew in shaky deep breaths. "You are unlike any fey I have ever researched," he murmured darkly through gritted teeth. "You are indestructible, and your magical stores seem almost unlimited. You could probably take on an entire army and be the last one standing. Unfortunate for me, I am no army, and have no way of penetrating your defenses." Releasing his sword, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted his friend's name at the top of his lungs. "HELIOS!" He hoped that his friend would answer his call, if he could hear him. Ren could barely move, and stood no chance of escaping Meksis on his own. If Helios were there, however, he could help him get away. While Ren was indeed prepared to die in battle, he wasn't envisioning it anything like this. --Queen Shiva -- Kilkis Seres: Center flank VS Soren and Mariel-- The queen stared as Soren humbled himself at her feet, a frown furrowing her brows. "I cannot trust someone who is so willing to have a change of heart, all to surrender his new ideals like the drop of a hat. There is no honor in switching allegiances so freely," she stated flatly, watching Soren, the Fool of the Ages, with a look mixed with disgust and pity. "However, I have no interest in taking your life. Leave here, and think long and hard about where your loyalty truly lies. Find a path you find worthy of fighting for, and then embrace it. If I were to welcome you back today you may betray me tomorrow, and that is no way for any man to live a successful life." Not that she didn't understand his wavering heart. No, hers wavered on a regular basis, and she wished that she could relay to Soren, perhaps more than he knew. Loyalty was something that had been engrained in her from a very young age, however, and the fact that he would switch his allegiance so willingly bothered her something fierce. Perhaps it was that very same loyalty that bound Shiva to her ways, despite her differing heart. She was dismayed, however, when Mariel treated her former comrade so brusquely, but had no time to react when both swords came upon her. Shiva brought hers up defensively, and it was a blade dance between monarch and angel for quite some time. Mariel's speed seemingly increased with each blow, and Shiva was hard-pressed to keep up. Eventually she missed a beat, and one blade met the thin sleeve of her upper arm, not hesitating for even a moment as it sliced it clean through and embedded itself into her flesh. She drew in a breath as ruby-red blood beaded upon her pale-white flesh before running down the length of her arm. The damage wasn't intense, but it was enough that would lower her sensation and reaction time within that arm, and perhaps cause more complications with a lack of blood. Shiva cried out and placed a hand on the ground, causing ice to crawl all along the soil and blades of grass. An ice pillar emerged from the ground beneath her feet, raising her into the sky with it. More spears made from ice formed behind the queen, before she leapt off the pillar in Mariel's direction, sword outstretched and spears a short distance behind her. --Yevgeni -- Kilkis Seres: Left flank VS Draksis-- The blond titled his head, weighing out what Draksis had to say. This man was perhaps the most intelligent human he'd met so far, having a sound mind not to trust Raiden, and with a loyalty he greatly respected. "Yes . . . . Even I cannot deny the points that you have made perfectly clear. There is no other way to attempt saving your world other than trusting Raiden, though I do hope he chooses to keep his end of the deal when this is all over. Or, perhaps I should rephrase that"--a smirk stretched the corner of his mouth--"if he has the means to keep his end of the deal. Does even he know how to lift the barrier between our worlds?" Draksis met Yev's rapier with his own longsword, shoving the blond back a few paces. He then sliced the air diagonally, to which Yev managed to bypass by hovering in the air, his wings fluttering slightly. "Not bad, not bad. They really train all of you how to use a sword down there, don't they?" Yev's heels hit the ground, his hands gripping his elbows as he watched Draksis with curious green eyes. "No match for our men. Kilkis Seres soldiers are useless when it comes to weaponry. I'm sure that your forces would have no issue crushing them, save for those actually trained in magic." "It's not too late to be hired on as a swordsman, you know. Not that I could ever see you betraying your king, but unlike the queen I see the usefulness of humans within our world. Your quality of life could improve, our resources could expand. It would be a win-win for us all. Don't you agree, Lord Draksis?"

I'm really sorry that I've been so unavailable. I have a work project that must be done by this weekend, along with oodles of other requirements of me. I'm trying to post now, but I have to say that I probably won't be available to post until next weekend due to events ongoing next week. I really apologize for this.