[IC] Lightgivers - Volume 1: A Feeling

[M_Cowher]

Damon

Roy all but faltered under the crushing blow of the longsword's pommel, looking like he was struggling to stay on his feet. Damon felt kinda bad, but at this point it was nesecary, Roy's behavior was starting to get out of hand. Instead of calling it like most people would by this point Roy assumed an offensive stance, pointing his curved blade at Damon. 'He is determined I'll give him that.'

"Wind, to my blade" 'shit.' "Wind.. to my blade now!" Damon glanced at Hassar, hoping for some kind of aid if Roy were to unleash a windblast at him, then at the fountain in case he needed to dive into cover. But nothing happened. Damon clenched the leather of his sword grip, unsure what to do at this point.

"Screw this, this is a joke."

Roy then promptly struggled to sheath his blade and stagger away with what was left of his stubborn pride. Damon's stance didn't relax until Roy was out of sight. "The hell just happened?" Damon asked equally to himself and Hassar.

[Stalkerkain]

"No... I do not!" he said, as he slammed his fist into the metal bar that supported the upper bunk. His voice flared up in anger, but as soon as he realized what was happening, he immediately reigned in his anger. He had let out a little Lumen slip out by accident, causing his strike to leave a sizable dent in the metal bar. As a result, the upper bed tipped a little in response. Exile? What did that really mean? He was effectively exiled from society, his family, but that was in Medulla. He hadn't the faintest idea of what that meant or could mean, in Acquillo. And he would never know, if no one would tell him. It began to irritate him how Rame was never being direct, always referring to something or some other beyond his knowledge.

"I... do not..." he said in a softer tone this time. "I have told you... I don't understand... people. I am... slow to understand things. I cannot come... to understand you... if you do not say things... straight. So... please... explain it... for me."

[Sutoratosu]

She jumped at the tel tale ring of metal indenting, though before she could do much of anything on pure reflex, Braith was again there. The words that by this point had been hard wired to fly from her lips in the case of danger got stuck in her throat, swallowed back down as the boy calmed himself.

"I... do not..." he said in a softer tone this time. "I have told you... I don't understand... people. I am... slow to understand things. I cannot come... to understand you... if you do not say things... straight. So... please... explain it... for me."

"Gods..." Rame sighed "So it wasn't a joke, he really is that damn dense...screw it, still better than the rest of this lot. At least I can actually tolerate him..." "Fiiiiine...gods..." she again sighed. But rather than immediately launch into it, she dug around in her bag yet again, this time producing...

A set of thick Iron cuffs. Bound in chains, clinking with every motion, black as night. She immediately dropped the restraints onto the floor, landing with the resounding thud of their weight... which, given her brother had intentionally cut back on the metal used, was still far less than it could've been.

"If you still don't understand, then look at those. I'm supposed to be a prisoner. A Conscript. I am a murderer, you fool.... I told you that I burned my sister...the bitch was nothing but ash when I was done. So my father sent me to this place because he hopes that I'll end up dying in this war, since my brothers stopped him from outright killing me himself. I didn't choose to come here, alright? But I didn't fight it... because I trusted braith... and I really did want to get the fuck away from home by that point.

If they kicked me out, fine, good even... I'd literally have no reason to go back. It's for the best, probably; I know without a shadow of a doubt, I would've killed the rest of them after that, maybe not that day, or the day after, but very soon. And my brothers had tried to protect me my entire life... but they couldn't keep doing it forever. They both would've had to get wives and start their own families, soon enough...and when they did, I didn't intend to be a burden to either of them.

So there, that plain and simple enough for you? I'm here because I killed my sister in self-defense, and my father wants me dead for it, but my brothers got in his way and forced him to get... creative with the death sentence. I'm here because I fucking got tired of being treated as disaster and tragedy incarnate. I'm here because if I let her bash my skull in, then all the spiteful motherfuckers like her would've won. I'm here because for once, I decided to stand up, end that bitch's miserable existence like she fucking deserved, and show them all the true cost of everything they'd done to me; that I was never born a monster, but them constantly insisting and acting like I was made me into one. I'm here because instead of just waiting for the right time to do something petty that would only continue the cycle, I got myself out of it entirely."

The air again began to heat like an oven. Her shirt began to singe around the edges from her raw body heat, embers beginning to swirl about her with each and every word as she shook, hair rising and fanning out in the hellish air. Until at long last, she stood bolt upright from the bed, eyes fixed on the iron restraints as her fires concentrated into the palm of her hand, casting forth in a single hellish bolt of pure crimson that shattered the restraint devices as if they'd been smashed with a sledge hammer. The iron screeched and howled and hissed as it suffered under the assault, a small flame beginning to burn in the floor boards, though Braith was already on it, recalling the fire back into the girl's palm and banishing it in the same instant. All that was left of the things was a black scorch mark.

Rame did not look at the boy as she continued. Simply let her arm fall limp at her side and walked off towards the other side of the room before stopping... and turning back to him. And so too did her fires begin to die as she did... Braith didn't want to have to do it, seal them like this, but at this point, it was clear what she'd do without constant restraint.

"I'm here because I fucking broke my chains that day! and that shit eating bastard of a father only tried to put new ones on me, and a noose around my neck with it! I'm here because I have no fucking place and I never will; I'm destined to die as pathetic and worthless as when I came into this shit pile of a world! But I'm going to fucking burn my destiny, with his help... defy it. I will not die here! I refuse to let them win! It doesn't matter what I have to do, someday, they will all pay. And I will fucking play like I never have before as I watch their miserable world of cardboard burn down all around them. There... do you understand now? That's why I'm here. And that's as simply I can possibly put it, if you still don't get it, I can't help you..."

And like that... the embers and heat were gone around her. But the utter fury that permeated her entire being still remained, simply bottled, the lumen she'd managed to regenerate over this short period since the fight surging like trapped lightning. Braith's forcing of his own hand truly was the only thing preventing her from burning as hot and bright as she possibly could... and the light in her chest burned ever hotter from the exertion he put up...

It wasn't so easy for him... not when the call to manifest himself was so powerful, so inviting, her rage and hate like the sweetest nectar on his lips... but the entity of flame managed it nonetheless. As he'd told her before, they'd have their fill of vengeance someday...

[krim]

Hassar

At the end of the duel, it appeared that Damon had won. Roy stormed off in anger, apparently. He supposed it had to do with his ¨Wind to his blade¨ failing.

¨Well, that didn´t go quite as expected¨ he thought as the fight ended. Although to be fair, neither did the last one.

"The hell just happened?"

¨It appears he tried to use his lumen.¨ he muttered. ¨And it didn´t work. Anger got the better of him. Lack of control leads to failure...¨. He had experienced this himself, at times, but had since abandoned detrimental emotions for the most part. Anger got you nowhere in survival, nor did it help in a fight.

[Chevaleresse]

Haruki hopped up onto Baixue's back cheerfully, landing a bit more heavily than she probably would have liked despite his slight frame. "Getting hurt to learn? Yeah that makes sense, that was what those boring scientist dudes said, or something like that, I don't remember. They don't matter any more, they were super lame anyway. I guess if you really wanted to know what homework was like I could write out one of my old assignments, but like I said it's super boring - I have a really good memory, you know? I don't really forget a lot of stuff, what about you? I bet you do, most people do, I'm kind of jealous sometimes because I remember so many stupid things along with the fun stuff. What do you do for fun, anyway, do you just practice your Lumen or what? I used to do that a lot, I still kind of do."

[Stalkerkain]

Rame began rummaging through her bag, until she produced a pair of restraints. That, clued Felis into the cause behind the wounds on her wrists. But to murder one's kin, is something that saddened Felis. No matter how angry, how bitter, how resentful he was of his biological caretakers or his peers, he would never go so far as to commit an act of murder. Her brothers seemed like the only good thing in her life, but then she mentioned a name: Braith. Was that the name of one of her brothers? It had to be. But why would she suddenly differentiate him now, instead of colloquially referring to her brothers as a group?

Felis could feel Rame's Lumen begin to act up again, the air visibly shimmering due to the heat. Flames leapt out out of her hand, as every muscle in Felis' body tensed, screaming danger. To run away. But he forced himself out of sheer willpower to remain in the room. This didn't stop him from bolting upright, though. But unlike last time in the fight, she seemed to restrain herself this time. It seemed almost as if an invisible force had intervened, or maybe he was underestimating her sense of control, he wasn't sure. Everything steadily calmed down, daring not move until he deemed it safe. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his forehead, perhaps from the heat, or from fear; he couldn't tell at this point. A long silence followed, before

he slowly made his way to the window and let all the heated air flow out. He turned to face Rame once more, as he composed his words.

"It is... clearer, now," he began, his voice tinted with a hint of sadness. "Rame, I admire you... for your strength. Not the strength... of your Lumen... but the strength... of your mind. To be hated... by the world... but refusing to give up. Rame... you are strong. But I wish... you didn't hate the world... in return."

Loneliness was a terrible thing. It tore away at you from the inside. It made you long for companionship, but self-doubt always made you believe otherwise. And eventually, you would just stop believing altogether. His uncle had felt the same. He had isolated himself from everything else. He locked himself away, so he wouldn't have to feel anymore. Ultimately, the decision wasn't up to him. He couldn't change his uncle's lifestyle. He couldn't change Rame's either. For the only person who could do that, was themselves.

[M_Cowher]

Damon

¨It appears he tried to use his lumen.¨ he muttered. ¨And it didn´t work. Anger got the better of him. Lack of control leads to failure...¨

"Well I guessed that much, but to just leave without a word. Is he really so full of himself to just leave after failing. Are we not here to train, learn from our failures and the failures of others?" Damon said as he picked up his discarded sword sheath. "By the way, didn't catch your name before 'Roy' charged off into battle." Damon said.

[Sutoratosu]

"..." She stayed in silence. More because she couldn't really believe the last part of what the boy said than anything else. No. He still didn't understand, obviously. Fuck it, she wasn't lying when she said that was as crystal as she could make it. She looked out of the open window from where she stood, out onto this 'world' she was supposed to somehow not want to see a fair portion of- mainly the entire northern continent -consumed in hellfire.

"that's easy to say, for you." she said bluntly. the fury that once ruled her was beginning to calm in it's storm... calm, but not leave. No, for it could never leave... only go tranquil for a while. Like the surface of a still lake, hiding a fearsome beast just below the surface.

"Yeah... it's real fucking easy to say that..." with that, she walked past him and lay back down on her bunk "but it's never gonna happen. All I ever did was take a breath, and from that moment I was marked. And I'm always gonna be marked. You say that line about wishing I didn't hate it all, like this is just a dispute against neighbors, that 'hate breeds hate' and all that nonsense. Fuck that shit. This isn't some small conflict or misunderstanding or disagreement that can be talked out with a jarl." She moved on the mattress, turning her back to him.

"I never got a chance, so why the everloving, cuckolding fuck should I give one? That's not how it works for me and him, buddy... it's either an eye for an eye, or bust. we turn no fucking cheeks. we do not forgive... and we never forget."

and with that... she stopped. Simply lay there, eyes burning into the far wall. The conversation was over, as far as she cared, because without a shadow of a doubt, the amount of damns she had to give for anything else that came up about 'not hating the world'... was abysmally low

[Stalkerkain]

Felis shook his head. He couldn't come up with a convincing enough argument for Rame. He simply didn't know what to say to her, as his attempts seemed like hitting a wall. He had never had to deal with problems through talking before, and the more he tried, the more frustrated he became. But... he wouldn't give up. He would think about it some more, and try and talk with Rame more. But for now, he wished to leave. He moved back towards his bunk bed and retrieved his greatsword, before moving to the window once more. "I... am going to... meditate," Felis said. He figured some time meditating would clear his head after he had lost his temper there. It would also give him some time to think things through. "You are welcome... to join me."

With that being said, he leapt out the window, disregarding the need for a conventional exit. Whether Rame would actually follow him, he didn't know. Perhaps he would get some training in with his greatsword as well, it depended on how long it would take for him to finish meditating.

[Sutoratosu]

She did not get up. Nor even stir at the offer. Her body was inert as the steel of her weapon embedded deep into the floor boards. Silence ruled the room. And it's reign would've last forever, had she not finally opened her mouth, so long after he'd gone.... caring nothing if anyone walked in and perceived it as talking to herself.

"Braith..."

"..."

"Why is the only decent one such a damn fool?"

"Beggar's can't be choosers."

"I never asked for this."

"I know..."

"..."

"I asked for you."

"Why the hell did you do that, a bit too little, too late..."

"We don't have to kill everyone. Only all the one's who deserve it...I was hoping you'd see that."

"... you say that, but at the end of the day... who's really going to deserve it, and who isn't? Who makes that decision, you, or me?"

"They do. We are merely the executioners."

"...screw it. I guess that sounds fair enough..."

She turned back over in the bed, an arm laying over her forehead as she looked up at the other mattress, the other splayed to her side. the words poured from her like water as recited them all, one by one. Endless names, countless names, names who'd already proven beyond doubt what they deserved in the end...

"Ranaro Vicerte Van Nero.

Illium Nero.

Micah Nero.

Tyle Smither.

Snow Bleak.

Micai Blood.

Arwin Blood.

Inge Reinheild.

Freya Ignis.

Livina Cahwel.

Guido Vanson.

Winald Black.

Connor Black.

Walter Voltares.

Ivo Kyte.

Weiland Fletch.

Freya Storm..."

And she kept them coming, one, by one, by one. She wasn't going to join the boy in his meditation, but that didn't she wouldn't do any of her own.

One by one, the identities and clans of those yet to burn passed her lips.

And one by one, she imagined their faces and cries as they were consumed alive by the great beast that had found her...

that fiend in the night, that shepherd of fire, bringer of storm...

that old wolf named Braith.

[Bfroger6]

Tessa

Tessa smirked as she noticed the way the butler was struggling. Good. It made her feel better, just watching him squirm like that beneath her thumb, her almighty iron fist of command. But she was determined to show some courtesy herself and relieve the butler of at least a part of his torture. Because unlike his master, she was a woman of affirmed and clear status.

With a swift turn, Tessa rested her hands on her hips and looked straight at Alison. They were near the dorms already, so she could handle the rest herself. She seemed to have regained her calm composure. For now. "You were good." She said, cocking her head to the side as a grin spread across her face. Gently, Tessa placed one of her hands onto her cheek. "Ah, but I was kidding. It would be silly if I'd actually requested that you be constantly 3 and a half paces behind me, would you not agree? Anyways, I can do the rest myself. Except...one thing. Which dorm should I enter..? Tell me and you'll be relinquished. Just bring me my hairpins."

[InnocentSerenity]

Alison

“Wow, no wonder Master Marcus wanted to torment you for the rest of the year.” Alison shook the thoughts out of his mind, Eric nearly falling off his head onto the ground.

“Thank you, Miss Whipschnaps.” Alison gave a bow, dropping the girl’s luggage on the ground in front of her. It certainly took quite a bit of restraint to not throw the lighter bags at Tessa’s face. Maybe more restraint than the boy felt was necessary. “I’d say, um...” Alison didn’t really know if the dorms were really any different from each other. One thing was for sure, he had to make sure Karen wasn’t using the one he chose. Not sure of the contents of any of the buildings, Alison simply pointed in the direction of the dorms, not paying attention to where he was pointing. “That one looks good.”

Alison turned behind him, seeing the small army of spiders carrying those heavy pins. Alison gave a grin, trying to hide his own worry from the girl. “I'll return your hairpins another time, don't worry.” Alison only just realized the rather poor decision to have this many spiders around Tessa.

Edited November 18, 2016 by InnocentBoy

[krim]

Hassar

Is he really so full of himself to just leave after failing. Are we not here to train, learn from our failures and the failures of others?"

"From what I've seen, yes." he said with a sigh. "Something tells me he isn't going to be very good at that."

"By the way, didn't catch your name before 'Roy' charged off into battle."

Deciding to forgo the title this time - he didn't mind this guy - he said "It's Hassar." as he squinted upwards "Looks like it's getting dark. We should probably pick a dorm. Whether he'll follow or not is his choice, but given his fighting...skills...I don't think he'll be much trouble if it comes to it."

[M_Cowher]

Damon

"Looks like it's getting dark. We should probably pick a dorm. Whether he'll follow or not is his choice, but given his fighting...skills...I don't think he'll be much trouble if it comes to it."

"I never like to underestimate an enemy, but if he does learn to better control his Lumen I don't know if I could have bested him." Damon said, as he strapped his longsword on his back and glanced at the sky.

"Well I wouldn't count on him joining us, and I don't think it would be wise to follow him at the moment. Perhaps it would be best to let him go, regardless it would probably be best to pick a dormitory before the rest of our 'new friends' decide to." He said, as he picked up his bag that he had discarded when he originally went to look into the fountain, and threw it over his shoulder.

[anethia]

Sylva

If there was any indication of emotion on Sylva's face, one would be hard pressed to find it. She rhythmically tapped her staff against the oak planks, standing on a make shift stage, raised up and above the set of wooden chairs, with plush burgundy cushions atop them. Locus and Tempus were nowhere to be found. She herself was wearing a black and white dress; the frills - frills being a trait most adored by her - in alternating order. In truth, she looked like a character ripped out of Alice in Wonderland; though nobody with a desire to exist dared mention such a thing to her. The previously blue crystal affixed to her staff had been removed; and instead the staff clutched to a crystal of glistening ruby, but that then changed to the deepest lazuli; and finally to a lustrous peridot. The colours melted into each other; from tourmaline to turquoise.

Even as a biting wind slowly made its way through the auditorium, it's great doors of heavy metal coloured alabaster and adorned with prized jewels wide open, she did not shiver. It was as if she was frozen in time, a trick of the light. She awaited the arrival of the new students; whom had been given slips of wood, with words delicately carved into them, and it was unclear who possessed such impressive skill. The slips had detailed their instructions; be gathered in the auditorium at half ten. No excuses. Patience had never been her forte, but she knew that for once, it had to be. A flash of light behind her, hidden by velvet curtains of amethyst, that no light nor shadow could be glimpsed through. Her eyes finally moved, snapping to the clock as it's hand approached six; time waited for nobody.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Anethia

[Felicity]

Cindy had not slept soundly. She drifted in and out of a light daze as her mind kept forcing itself to stay awake with questions she didn't want to ask but dwelt on regardless. She had been grateful when dawn came to signal the start of the day and the end of her vain efforts. A light breakfast for an unsettled stomach and thicker clothes for the cold left her feeling halfway human as she arrived at the auditorium five minutes before the deadline.

Cindy entered meekly and took one of the seats set out for the audience, feeling incredibly awkward as she looked at Sylva. She liked the dress, though frills were hardly in popular fashion now. Weird. Someone with so much power had a fashion sense. That made her seem a little more human and thus, without a word being spoken, set Cindy at ease.

[Sutoratosu]

Rame

The white haired girl took one last look at the carved wood, as she stood before the open doors. The wind did nothing against the heat of body despite wearing little more than pants and the T-shirt from yesterday. From the looks of the empty seats, it looked like no one else had arrived yet... aside from the timid girl from yesterday. Not surprising that the rest of them were taking their sweet ass time, really. She stowed the slip into her pocket, walking in and taking a seat in one of the back rows. Not being able to hear was never something that'd been a concern of hers, hell, her ears had been far sharper than most to begin with, and they'd only grown better over the years as she'd started using that hearing to memorize and replicate notes...it was the only way to learn up north for those who used instruments, really; only the denizens of the ports had ready access to any type of sheet music or manuals. That and she didn't really want to be anywhere near the rest of them once they started to shambling in...

The conversation with the fool still hung on her mind, a super-heated puff of steam billowed from her mouth as she sighed in annoyance. Braith said nothing about the exchange, past what he'd already... rather, this morning he'd been more concerned with getting her to read the notice distributed to all of them and ensuring she didn't simply brush it off. She had started to pick up long ago that whenever the Wolf went silent or changed a topic, there was something he was hiding... but seven hells if she'd ever been able to pry it from him. But that was even less surprising than the fact that the others weren't here yet, really... given his legend. Braith, the scourge. Braith, the red fang... the most fearsome of all the wolves, tearing a path through the snow ladden earth, no matter how deep, taking from the hands of impudent men what he so pleased; fresh kills, tools, hunds... wives, first borns, even entire homesteads and all the property both within and without in some cases, giving what he stole from them to those of a better nature. Yes, Braith the undying, Braith the unyielding...Some said he had been the indignant wrath of the north given form, others that he was simply a dire wolf that'd been allowed to grow far too large and get far too close to humans.

But they were all wrong... for Braith had indeed been a wolf, true, but... not in the literal sense everyone attributed to the old tale. No, no... for Braith had simply been an ancient word to describe the inherent nature of Flames. The element that could just as easily seize as it could give. There had been no attacks from massive wolves who took what they stole and gave it to the less fortunate... only arrogant clansmen who'd not given the hearth the respect it deserved and found it growing beyond their mortal control. And just as in the old legends for which she had named the entity, where mortal men could not force flames into their bidding without some type of eventual backlash, so too neither could Rame truly force Braith to spill whatever he held from her... only request to be told, and nothing more.

And he was denying those request now more than perhaps ever.

[K_H]

When the swordsmen had started their sparring matches, Jev had gone into one of the dorms and selected his own bunk from those that remained.

Jev had arrived in the auditorium four and a half minutes before the deadline, and selected a chair at random. Cindy and Rame had already arrived and sat down when he got there.

Edited November 19, 2016 by K_H

[rustytengo]

Can arrived a little bit after Jev. Looking quite literally like he just woke up since his hair was even messier then usually and wearing the same shirt that he slept in. Nodding at Sylva with a quick "Howdy ma'am"to her with his apparently invisible hat he has He took a seat two rows a way from Rame and two chairs down."Well at least we get a cute teacher." He thought as he rested his head on his hand with a yawn as he waited for whatever was going to happen to happen.

[Swampellow]

Os was stilling rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he walked into auditorium, chewing an apple to help him wake up.

As he looked around he chose a seat a few away from Cindy.

[Amanojaku]

Leo arrived a few minutes before the deadline. Aside from minor dark circles under his eyes and the occasional yawning, he looked like he'd slept very well. Intending to listen attentively to Sylva's speech, he chose a seat in the front row and waited for time to pass.

[Bfroger6]

Tessa

Right on time, as always, Tessa was firmly seated in one of the front row chairs at exactly 10:30 a.m. She was proud of her punctuality in the face of such disarrayed chaos and the night she would rather forget. She hadn't even picked up on her dormmates...all she could think of was how the organization in this place could be so horrendous. She will most definitely be filing a complaint if this kept up. Someone had to take the matters into their own hands!

Anyways, she sat quietly with her arms laid solemnly upon her lap. Her greenish hair was tied in a small bun on her head and she wore a light, white dress which flowed elegantly around her trained form. All she had to do was wait now.

[Chevaleresse]

Haruki skittered into the auditorium. He might have slept well, or not at all - either way he looked as energetic as ever. Today he'd elected for a combination of bright green hair and blue eyes, both of which caught the light that hit them ever so slightly. He seemed to be looking for someone to begin his verbal barrage at as he skipped into the building and searched for a suitable seat.

[Hiss13]

After getting her burns healed and getting a good night rest, Aria walked into the auditorium in the morning feeling greatly refreshed. So, what if things went awry and well out of the margin of what she would have preferred to happen? Aria’s pride was not something that would break so easily. After all, she was still human.

Deciding to leave her longcoat at the dorms, she was only wearing her usual long-sleeved blue blazer, miniskirt, black stockings, and boots. There was no need to wear that fluttery piece of clothing everywhere, especially if it was not too cold.

Aria sauntered over to the front row and sat next to Leo. She definitely had to apologize for going ballistic before. Though, whether or not her pride would allow her to apologize was a different story altogether.

[krim]

Hassar

Having chosen the dorm on the far left with Damon, Hassar didn't get much sleep. Being within walls rather than the forest didn't sit well with him. He felt like they'd collapse at any moment if he wasn't aware. He mentally groaned upon receiving the message to go to the other building, even if it was for a meeting. "Maybe something will actually get done today though..." he thought as he walked towards the auditorium. Opening the heavy doors, he stood with his back to the wall nearest to them, not taking a seat.