helswathed

[helswathed]

What kind of food place were they running here? It seemed like people were coming here for beatings more than they were for the food itself. Either this stuff was just that good that people were willing to brawl over it, or it was just that terrible that it was driving them to madness. Both options meant steering clear for now would probably be the most sensible course of action.

Too bad Lex had never been particularly sensible.

He wanted his waffle, goddammit, and there wasn't a man alive who would stop him from getting one. He wasn't the largest man in the world-- Sigurd, among others, had him beat in height, and his father outweighed him solidly-- but he wasn't small by any stretch of the imagination, either. Lex was definitely larger than the average man, and he was more than willing to use that size to shoulder his way through the chaotic crowds as need be.

His size also meant Lex had a better perspective to view the scene from, with his head up and out of the way from most of the fighting. Even someone relatively small could be spotted in the mosh pit from afar with his height advantage, and he sure did recognize a short blondie trying to beat her way through. When did she arrive here? Who knows, but like hell was he planning on letting anyone push one of his friends around on his watch.

Lex had mostly been minding his own business before, but the moment he spotted Lachesis among the crowds, his demeanor shifted drastically. He barreled straight into the throngs of people, more than willing to bowl over anyone who dared stand between him and one of his friends. She clearly wanted her waffle, goddammit, and there wasn't a man alive who was going to stop Lex from helping her get one.

"Heeeeey, Lachy!" Lex shouted, barely audible over the din from people going at each other. His words were accompanied by Lex shoving another man to the ground for the crime of standing in his path and not noticing Lex's approach. That guy knew the risk he was taking when he came to this place, so Lex didn't need to feel bad about it.

"I didn't know you were here too! You got any idea what's up with this place?"

Waffle House Is A PvP-Enabled Zone

Sep. Gauntlet +1 with @landsbluod

[helswathed]

Activity Check (August 2025)

Axe +1 (D+ -> C)

[helswathed]

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

Lex would have assumed that Forsyth would have realized he didn't want someone to attend to his wounds right now, that he didn't want to waste the resources they had. The fact Lex wasn't taking care of them himself with the first aid supplies Forsyth himself had purchased for Lex should have been enough of a hint. After all, Forsyth was the only one there who probably even knew Lex had them. He waved the knight off as best he could, grumbling a few words about being fine, but his attention was mostly on the others. Being pestered about his injuries wasn't the most notable thing going on.

He was actually a bit surprised by how everyone objected to Valter's suggestion. Sure, it was a bit tactless, but they had all been thinking it, hadn't they? It wasn't like floating the idea past Arlo and Masky-- no, Jayde-- in that manner was really going to hurt them. Why not get the take of the people who actually knew anything about the supposed curse? Any insight at all into the situation could be helpful, and frankly, it was probably a good thing to ask. After all...

"...We can't just deny the possibility that Eriella might not be able to be freed from the curse thing while she's alive," Lex surmised. "If she's trapping everyone here, it would be cruel to keep everyone trapped like that. We also can't be sure that removing her from the situation would do it, either. We don't know a damned thing about how this works, but I dunno if there's anyone around who does."

Well, there was one person who might, but Lex didn't think she would be spilling the beans anytime soon.

"Hey, Jayde, you got that coronet for becoming Rose Royal, yeah? Tell us about that. What was it li--"

And then Lex was unceremoniously dragged into the lake once more, cutting him off mid-sentence. Water invaded his still-open mouth, forcing its way into his lungs for the brief moment before he was spat back out on the other side. Coughing and spluttering, he dragged his body as far from the water as he could manage before throwing himself onto the ground. He shivered, feeling a wave of nausea quickly overtake him, body convulsing as he retched up some of the water that he had swallowed.

"Good god, fucking warn us before you do that!" Lex complained weakly, rolling over to lie on his back in the grass. "Jeez. I... fuck, dude."

Staring at the sky, he did at least have a second to think about things. They were back in their regular clothes, on what Jayde had called the "other side". They had passed through the water and wound up somewhere that they were in their usual attire? Huh, that was weird.

...Wait a second.

"Holy shit, wait, you can just leave?!" Lex shouted, waving his hand around as he pointed from Jayde to the lake and back again. "You-- but you shouldn't-- I thought this was-- you can leave! Hey, man, you just have a way out of this place! What the hell!"

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

So they were cursed, trapped to repeat the same days over and over, and each time they did, one of the "real" people converted into a member of the faceless masses. This place really did suck, didn't it? If this mirror world ceased to exist, that would probably be for the best for everyone involved. It seemed a pretty cruel fate to imprison someone in a repeating hell dimension like this. What could they possibly have done to deserve it?

There was another part of Masky's testimony that didn't sit quite right with Lex, either. If they were to meet Eriella in these woods, if that were the best time and place to confront her and try to get answers, could it lead to Masky attacking them again? Yucie could apparently wield a sword pretty well if she'd managed to beat this guy one-on-one. Arlo, too, had displayed an ability to fight. Lex had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't just those three people who were good at combat. It would be a bit rough to try and take on a bunch of people all at once, especially if they were even stronger than Masky had been. Ideally, they'd want to bring more allies to a fight like that, but it didn't sound like any of the faceful people were willing to listen to someone faceless. How were they supposed to get their other allies in on a plan like that?

"...Hey, Masky, tell me something," Lex quizzed him, eyes narrowing. "Couple things, actually. The final day before summer break-- that's right before things reset for you, yeah? I'm guessing we're on a bit of a time limit then. Any way we could speed things up? If we don't get good answers then, and then the whole thing resets, we might get stuck doing this over and over forever."

It was a harrowing prospect, but there was something else bugging Lex. There was one aspect to this whole thing that had gone unanswered, one he wasn't sure any of these people would be prepared to explain. Where had they come from? This prison was only designed for one person. Who were the others? Lex had a feeling neither Masky nor Arlo would really give a helpful answer if he asked that directly, and he didn't particularly want Masky to start attacking again. There was, however, another angle he could approach from.

"Where'd you learn to fight, anyhow? You, Arlo, Yucie-- seems like you all know how to handle a blade just fine. Seems like the sort of skill St. Elysium ain't really keen on teaching people. How come you all know how to do it, then?"

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

The masked foe had finally fallen, and revealed that he was... handsome? Okay, sure, whatever. He wasn't a demon, he was just a guy. Sure. Being nice to look at didn't mean Lex felt like kissing him or anything, though. Not after those stab wounds. It wasn't that being attacked was a deterrent to Lex or anything-- Lex could more than forgive that. He could even enjoy it a little. No, it was more that the guy had seemed pretty remorseless about trying to hurt Lex's friends that made Lex wary.

Lex sighed, planting his axe into the ground and leaning on it. He'd need to patch up his wounds, but he was far from the worst off out of the bunch. His eyes turned to Forsyth, a small frown crossing his face. Probably better not to end on such a sour note. He'd yelled at the guy a moment ago, but he could recognize Forsyth hadn't really done anything to deserve it. Lex was more just frustrated with the situation.

"Hey, you holdin' up alright?" Lex asked Forsyth. "You did a number on the guy, that's for sure. Nice job, by the way. I can grab out those bandages you bought if you need 'em, unless you think you're alright for now."

But he wasn't going to focus his attention solely on his allies. Blue eyes leveled at the handsome, sword-wielding stranger, the frown on Lex's face deepening. Something about all this didn't sit right with him. Why was he so frenzied? His answer to Forsyth's question was a strange one. After all, this guy had been the only source of proper violence Lex had seen in this world thus far.

"What were you babbling about before, anyway?" Lex quizzed the mollified Masky. "Protecting Yucie, was it? Why? What do you feel like you have to protect her from?"

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

Goddammit. Forsyth had to run his mouth and piss off the masked fucker. The blinding light seared Lex's eyes and wracked his mind with a crippling pain. For a moment, Lex found himself unable to move, gripping his head until the headache subsided. Even as it cleared, stars danced in his vision, his eyes refusing to focus on anything.

Legendary Forest activates! [Roll: 3] Lex is unaffected! [Roll: 1] Arlo is inflicted with Weapon Break! Masked Demon 1/20LP hits and hits Arlo 9/10LP with Trefoil. Aether activates! Momentum activates! [Roll: 7 - 2 = 5; 2 + 2 + 1 = -5LP, Arlo 4/10LP] Masked Demon heals from Aether [+2.5LP, Masked Demon 3.5/20LP] [Roll: 13 - 4 = 9; -2LP, Arlo 2/10LP] Arlo is unable to counterattack! Arlo is no longer afflicted with Weapon Break! Outnumbered activates! Masked Demon 3.5/20LP crits Arlo 2/10LP with Trefoil. Momentum activates! [Roll: 16 - 4 = 12; -5LP, Arlo 0/10LP] Arlo has been subdued!

And Arlo got his ass beat for Forsyth's blunder, too. Great. Well, at least it didn't seem intent on killing them... but why? As soon as Arlo couldn't draw his weapon, the masked opponent stopped trying to fight him. It seemed strangely honorable for a phantasm lurking in the woods.

"Hey, great job pissing off the demon, bud!" Lex grumbled. He hefted his axe, but with his vision still blurred from that blinding flash, it was hard to aim his strike properly. At least the forest itself hadn't managed to get in his way this time.

Lex (7/12 LP) attacks Masked Demon 3.5/20 LP with Iron Axe! [Roll: 2] (+2 from Dexterity+) 4: miss!

He struck, but his axe only found air. The masked assailant had danced out of the way, suddenly reinvigorated. It had seemed ready to keel over just a moment earlier. Maybe it was mean of him to blame Forsyth for this, but it sure did seem like the guy had only succeeded in making the thing angrier and more dangerous.

Masked Demon (3.5/20 LP) counters with Trefoil! [Roll: 10] hit! -2 LP to Lex 5/12 LP

Another stab wound to add to the growing tally. He had to wonder if this slightly-more-youthful body he'd been granted meant he wouldn't keep any scars he earned today once he returned from the mirror. He certainly hoped not. Scars made him look cool, after all. Not that "I whiffed really bad and got stabbed" was a great story to explain where he got a scar.

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

Once more the forest surged around them, the very terrain as much at odds with them as the masked assailant. Branches and roots swung at Lex, coiling around his arms and legs, swiping at his face to impede his vision. Either that or he had blundered directly into a bush without noticing, but he was pretty sure it was the terrain out to get him. Even as he swatted the encroaching foliage away, it refused to stay at a distance, trying to impede him at every turn.

Masked Demon uses Eternal Promise! [Roll: 2] (+4 avoid penalty) 6: Miss! Legendary Forest activates! [Roll: 2] Lex is inflicted with -4 Dex/Avoid!

Some kind of magical blast had swept the arena, but against all odds, Lex had managed to avoid it. He was so preoccupied battling the terrain that he scarcely even noticed it until the attack had well since passed. He wasn't going to let some measly plants and a mage who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn get the better of him, no sir. He'd seen an opening, and he planned on making the most of it.

Lex (10/12LP) hits Masked Demon (12.5/20 LP) with Iron Axe! [Roll: 17] (-4 dex penalty, +2 from Dexterity+) 15: hit! -2 LP Masked Demon (10.5/20 LP)

His axe hummed as it swept through the air, this time managing a clean hit on his foe. It was a hefty blow as well, letting Lex feel the satisfaction of his opponent staggering beneath him. That alertness the masked assailant had displayed before was absent now, perhaps too occupied with the spell he had cast, perhaps simply due to him being overwhelmed by the number of attackers. Either way, it didn't matter to Lex, so long as he could win this fight.

Masked Demon (10.5/20 LP) counters with Trefoil! [Roll: 4] (+4 avoid penalty) 8: hit! -2 LP to Lex (8/12 LP)

Close as the two were, there was no avoiding the mysterious enemy's riposte. His blade buried itself in Lex's shoulder, forcing the Dozel back and creating distance between them once again. The wound was deeper than he'd like it to be, but not serious enough to put Lex out of the fray. It wouldn't even slow him down. Not yet, at least. He could tell the same wasn't true of his opponent, though. That attack was far sloppier than the last. He was weakening, and quickly.

"What's the matter?" Lex taunted his foe. "Having trouble keeping up? C'mon, you can just give up. We won't take it personally."

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

This lake was a bit of an issue. It seemed like the terrain itself was out to get them. Before Lex could react, it had grabbed him, dragging him into the depths. He wasn't much of a swimmer, so feeling the current-- no, the tendrils of water grab at him and drag his head under the surface was a harrowing experience. It was one that Lex wasn't subjected to for all too long, though. As soon as he'd registered what was going on, as soon as his limbs had begun to flail against the water to try and wriggle free, it had spat him back out. Coughing and spluttering, Lex dragged himself away from the lake, trying to create some distance to keep whatever that was from happening to him again.

Legendary Forest activates! [Roll: 2] Lex is inflicted with -4 Dex/Avoid!

...Oh, hey, his gear was back to normal. That was good, he'd hate to have to actually fight with whatever garbage he'd been given on entering this stupid mirror. He still didn't have his horse, though, but he hadn't entered with one. He wasn't quite as used to fighting on foot, but there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment. He'd just have to make do with what he had, and Lex had no intention of doing anything less than his best.

He'd gotten an axe from a lake again, hadn't he? Why did that keep happening?

Well, no time to wonder about that right now. The enemy had revealed themself, hovering over the lake with blade brandished. As much as Lex would like to avoid that hazard, it looked like he had little choice for the time being. One of their teammates was flat on the ground, though whether he was simply still recovering from being pulled into the lake or if he'd been knocked out in the time it took Lex to scramble to his feet, Lex wasn't quite sure. He didn't look like he was in much shape to move. It would be up to him, then.

Lex (12/12 LP) attacks with Iron Axe! [Roll: 19] (-4 dex penalty, +2 from Dexterity+) 17: hit! -2 LP Miracle activates! Masked Demon survives with 0.5 LP!

With a mighty roar, Lex changed the foe. Hefting his axe above his head, he brought it crashing down into the masked opponent's body. He wasn't quite quick enough, though. That masked face whipped around to stare directly into him an instant before the strike. With impossibly quick reflexes, he managed to step aside, though not enough to avoid the strike entirely. Lex's axe still managed to strike a glancing blow to the combatant, who reeled, but remained standing despite Lex's efforts.

Masked Demon (0.5*/20* LP) counterattacks with Trefoil! [Roll: 15] (+4 avoid penalty) 19: hit! -2 LP to Lex (10/12 LP)

In a flash, the assailant's blade struck Lex, leaving a small gash across his shoulder. He grimaced, a pained grunt escaping him, but it was far from enough to knock him down. He was going to see this through to the end. After all, there was only one man fighting against five... or four, given that one of them hadn't gotten back up. Lex's eyes only now darted to Arlo, seeing that their guide, too, had a blade and battle attire. Good. Here he'd been worried the guy wouldn't be able to defend himself.

"That all you got?" Lex parroted Louis's words, grinning at his foe. "You're outmatched, friend. You don't really think you're getting away from all of us, do you?"

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

This little shopping trip certainly felt strange, and not entirely because the two had both become disconnected from the others around them. After all, most of the people in this mirror world were eyeless, just like they had become. It should give them more of an affinity for the average man in this place, if anything. Were any of them real, too? Had others ventured in here and succumbed to this curse? Maybe some of those still eye-having people Lex hadn't been familiar with could also be under the spell of St. Elysium. Maybe they were trapped.

If they weren't, though-- if they were inventions of this world, false people made to play a part-- would Lex be killing them by fulfilling his duty? Would taking out the target destroy this world and all of the people who resided in it? Were they truly alive, and had they done anything to deserve this fate?

These were prospects beyond reckoning for someone like Lex. Thinking wasn't his job. He wasn't the person to philosophize or make plans. His job had always been to support his friends first and foremost. They were the smart ones. Now, though, they weren't around. As much as he thought he was there for them to lean on, he was realizing just how much the opposite was true now that their support was absent.

Forsyth's words snapped Lex out of his thoughts, eyeless gaze shifting towards his compatriot. He certainly owed the other man for this, but how he'd repay that debt, Lex hadn't quite figured out yet. It wasn't like Lex really had much of a handle on the value of this world's money. Hell, even his own world's currency had always been fairly meaningless to him. He wasn't the favorite son, sure, but he still grew up rich. He'd never really needed to know the value of the gold he was spending.

"Magic? Nah, not me, I'm not smart enough for that," Lex answered with a shrug. "You talking about Yucie, though? I met her, yeah, but I don't really remember much of what she chatted about. I wasn't really listening, honestly. I don't think she even realized I was joking around when we talked. She just looked at me like I was crazy every time I said something funny. Can you believe that? I mean c'mon, I'm hilarious! How could she not notice that?"

we all have that one unemployed friend

[helswathed]

The world had forgotten him. With the knowledge of Louis (and the others who he didn't know or care about as much because he hadn't spoken to them before) suddenly returned to him, Lex was forced to immediately grapple with the realization that he, too, would be forgotten just the way the others had been. He would fade into the background, unimportant compared to the others around him due to some trait about himself that he had little control over. Strange, this was starting to sound somewhat familiar to the Jugdrali.

Most people would probably be slightly more bothered by these circumstances than Lex, but he was simply, as the youths might say, "built different". Perhaps he was built wrong. It was hard to say. Lex didn't find the situation all too off-putting-- he was more than used to being in the background compared to people like his father or Arvis. Fine by him. He wasn't too much of a fan of that kind of attention anyway. It just made it harder to get things done. It wasn't going to stop him from making a difference to the people around him, whether they recognized it or not.

...Not that he was particularly close to anyone who had attended this little mission, but hey, that wasn't going to stop him from giving it his all. A trip to the forest for the forgotten ones sounded like the perfect way to participate. Someone had asked for his help (or, well, Arlo had asked for Louis's help, which counted as asking for Lex's help by proxy). He wasn't going to let them down.

"Hey, no need to look so serious," Lex laughed, clapping a hand onto Arlo's shoulder. He might struggle to keep his demeanor upbeat in the face of these goings-on, but Lex had no such trouble. "We're here to help you out. Everything's gonna work out just fine, promise. So what if people don't remember us? That's not gonna stop us from getting things done. You don't have to be some big-shot popular guy to make a difference."

If the others were struggling to keep face, Lex would be there to cheer them up as best he could. He would shoulder the burden of keeping morale high as best he could. It was one of the two things he had to offer, the other, of course, being his strength, something he had already pledged by tagging along. A grin was offered to Arlo, then to the others assembled.

"Right, fellas?"

what lurks in the lake

         ⤷    anamorphosis:   team coronet third week  ( the eyeless )

[helswathed]

Lex hadn't been at Garreg Mach long, but he didn't waste a moment before ingratiating himself with the other knights, or at least attempting to. Training was probably the easiest way Lex knew how to make that happen. A nice workout together, some small talk, a few jokes here and there, and bam, new friend. Worked every time (except the times it didn't).

"Haha, yeah, I guess swordspeople are pretty impressive," Lex said, casually leaning on the haft of his axe, "but axe guys? C'mon, you gotta admit, we're pretty cool. I can think of maybe one swordy who's got me beat, but ain't no way she'd be here."

He wasn't sure if his compatriot was even listening to him. Lex was barely even listening to himself, really. He was mostly just yapping for the sake of yapping, making meaningless small talk to fill the silence. He wasn't gonna make any new pals by shutting his mouth, after all. That would just give them an inaccurate image of what he was like, and being himself was probably more important.

It's the clattering of metal on the ground that catches his eye. Long, raven hair streams behind the woman charging him. He's seen this specific sight more than a few times before, but there was a bit of irony to him having just said how unlikely it was he'd witness it here and now. Was he complaining, though?

Of course not.

"Heeeeey, look who it is!" Lex chirped, wasting no time in wrapping his free arm around Ayra's waist and pulling her in closer to him. His eyes briefly turned to the other knight he had been chatting up, just long enough to explain himself. "This is the cool sword lady I was telling you about! We know each other from, uh... she beat me up a few times, y'know?"

That was all the explanation he cared to give at the moment. He had more important matters to attend to, and they were right in front of him. His gaze returned to Ayra, broad grin spreading across his features as he looked at her. She had a few more scars than when they'd spoken last, or at least he was pretty sure she did. Then again, he hadn't exactly memorized all of her scars before. He could ask her how she'd gotten them later. They probably had fun stories attached, hopefully ones that weren't too painful.

"What brings you here, anyhow?" Lex greeted Ayra cheerfully. "If I'd known you were hanging out at this place, I'd've applied for a job here sooner!"

blood of my blood.

[helswathed]

Stop playing games? Who did Soren think he was talking to? Lex wasn't going to stop playing games until the moment he stopped breathing. If he was taking things seriously, then there would have to be something seriously wrong. Soren hadn't known him long, sure, but he had to know that by now. If he hadn't picked up on that by now, then he probably couldn't pick up on a single thing about anyone.

But fine, if Soren wanted him to come make himself known, then he would. Not that he was particularly good at hiding, of course-- hell, he wasn't really even trying to hide. If he actually successfully hid from Soren, then this wouldn't be anywhere near as fun. He wanted Soren's attention, and standing just on the edges of Soren's peripheral vision and occasionally ducking behind whatever object he could find accomplished that. It made him just conspicuous enough that he couldn't be ignored.

"Aw, man, I thought I was doing a great job at hiding," Lex complained loudly, though it didn't take much social aptitude to recognize he was kidding. "Hey, are you saying you want a second date? Because like, I'm down if you are. Unless you don't want to, haha."

+1 intelligence, +2 arts, -1 fitness, -1 style, +2 stress

hey babe are you a work of art? because you are in a museum

AMCoronet :: week 1 :: studying at the museum

[helswathed]

"C'mon, Louis," Lex snickered, elbowing the man in the ribs playfully to try and comply with the notion that they had indeed been friends all along. "I thought I was supposed to be the dumb one. You're giving me a run for my money at this rate."

These were his best friends now, huh? What about Azelle, though? How dare they leave Azelle out of things? Sure, he wasn't here, but that didn't mean Azelle didn't deserve to win this title more than anyone currently in the conversation. Man, he would so much rather have Azelle here. It would give Lex such an easy choice for who to support in this silly little competition. Maybe he could go for it, though, if there was some kind of prize to give to Azelle for it. Or Ayra. She'd probably appreciate it.

"Hey, if I did try and win the whole 'Rose Royal' thing, would I get somethin' for it?" Lex mused, rubbing his chin in thought. "A trophy, maybe? Or a cool outfit? How about a crown? Anything worthwhile, or is it all bragging rights?"

That would be some minor motivation to bother with the ordeal. He could bring a fun prize back home to one of the people he cared about. Or... well, it could also be a way to bring them to meet Coronet. That would technically also be a good reason to actually pursue this title. If not, then it would serve as nothing more than a distraction, nothing worth wasting their time on. The fact that this question had literally just been answered was lost on him.

"Er..." She looks with a bit of confusion at Lex now too. "Like I said, every Rose Royal has gotten the coronet... so if you tried and won, you'd get it too." That confusion turns to pity. "Maybe you all bumped your heads...?"

Dammit. He was finally punished for not paying attention. A small wince preceded his laugh, a smirk quickly spreading across his face. He wasn't going to be kept down too long by a silly little social faux pas. He committed those all the time, anyway. She was wrong to assume he'd bumped his head, though. Lex was simply always like this.

"I bet I'd look pretty cool in a crown," Lex mused, though in truth, he had little intention of actually wearing one. "You guys agree, right? Don't answer that, I know you do."

The train slowed dramatically with little warning, causing Lex to bump into Soleil once again. Much like when the train started moving, he at least managed to keep his footing. A loud screeching noise accompanied the vehicle coming to a stop, one that none of the faceless passengers seemed to have any reaction to. Guess the terrible sound meant it was operating as normal... or the faceless masses just didn't really care about whether this was safe. The doors slid open, and people began to rush out.

The vehicle comes to another stop and the doors open once more. "Oh, looks like this is our stop!" she turns towards the crowd of students wearing their uniforms flushing out of the train. "St. Elysium isn't too far from here. It was nice getting to finally chat with you all." She even does a little curtsy before she exits. "See you three around, hehe!"

"Ladies first," Lex insisted, gesturing towards the door. Only once the others had disembarked would he step out. There was only one way to find out if this whole "Rose Royal" thing was just a big waste of time, it seemed. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much of a pain to get to Coronet. Maybe they'd just be waiting inside the doors of St. Elysium, though it didn't seem particularly likely. Nowhere to go but onward, with his two "friends" in tow.

END (@sollegro @smilingshields)

Training Arc

Team Coronet (Lex, Louis, & Soleil)

[helswathed]

The Rose Royal? The hell even is that? Was Lex supposed to know? Had he just missed something in the briefing? Maybe that was some kind of running thing in this world that everyone who was actually from here would know. He could only hope his companions were as clueless about it as he was. If they weren't, then boy was he going to look stupid. Not that he really cared. Looking smart was never important to Lex-- he wasn't smart anyway. He was the muscle, not the brains.

Lex shifted as he half-listened to Yucie, mostly staring out the window as best he could with people in the way. This carriage was moving quite quickly. How far away was their destination that they had to ride this contraption to it? Surely it couldn't be too far of a trip if they expected people to make that trek daily, right? There was such a crowd here, too, which meant everyone had some destination at least the same distance out. They clearly weren't all students, but they all had to deal with this journey.

"Eh, I wouldn't be pursuin' that Rose Royal thing myself anyhow," Lex said, finally tuning back into the conversation. He hoped his thoughts were still relevant to whatever was being said. It was more than possible the discussion had moved past this while he wasn't listening.

"I'm not really the kind of guy to try and take a title like that for myself," Lex added, shrugging. "I'd rather do what I can to help my friends achieve that sort of thing. And as for doing what your old man inspires you to do, good on you, y'know? But don't be afraid to be your own person, too. Adults ain't infallible by any means. Plenty of 'em suck. Not sayin' your dad would, I don't know the guy. Just that you should prioritize followin' your own heart over someone else's. Do what you think is right."

...Wait, Yucie had introduced herself, but had they told her their names? Shit, they hadn't, had they? Maybe if he got that ball rolling, he could figure out what his two companions were called once they decided to introduce themselves.

"I'm Lex, by the way."

@sollegro @smilingshields

Training Arc

Team Coronet (Lex, Louis, & Soleil)

[helswathed]

Activity Check (July 2025)

Axe D -> D+ (+1)

[helswathed]

Well, her shot was a bit better than Lex's, that was certain. It actually made contact with the backboard. That was good, right? It meant it was closer to the rim. Of the various shots Lex had taken by himself, the ones that came the closest to going in had all bounced off the section of the backboard denoted by the small white square. Unfortunately, it seemed the girl had put a bit too much juice on it this time. It came flying back at her, and Lex only realized at the last second it was heading directly for her face.

An instinct in Lex activated, and he swung a hand out to try and stop the ball. All he caught was air, however, as the ball simply whizzed past him well before he was even in position to try and stop it. By the time he began his dive, it had already struck the girl square in the face... and then, seemingly out of nowhere from her perspective, Lex proceeded to topple over. He had been trying to catch the ball, of course, he just threw too much of his body weight into the action and unbalanced himself.

"Ah, jeez," Lex grumbled, slowly picking himself back up and trudging over to the ball as it bounced away from them. "Some pair of clowns we are, huh? You think we might be doing this wrong? Maybe there's a technique to it or something. Or maybe it's all a prank. Maybe it's actually impossible and we're fools for even trying."

+1 Fitness, -1 Intelligence, +2 Stress

Ball is life and I plan on living

Basketball Club with @missus-meg