#:highrankers ball

[gritsandbrits]

Balthazar's ultimate goal:

[kadeuxhyeonju]

@ara-kadeu

Kadeu, Joker, Highranker’s Ball

31 December 2020, Evening

Drink in hand, Hyeonju strolled through the crowd, keeping eyes peeled for faces he had no desire to greet. He’d already met one and he figured that was enough for one night. He took in the gowns and suits, humming in admiration at some, silently scoffing at others. He greeted a handful of familiar people, customers and acquaintances. He had just finished one round around the grand ballroom when he spotted a woman in a gorgeous, backless gown. Her back was to him and so he was free to gape at the raised scar that raked down the woman’s back. It made Hyeonju’s still tender wounds seem like playground scratches. Wonder what the story behind that is…

The woman turned her head and Hyeonju’s eyes widened in surprise. A story, indeed. He hadn’t seen Ms. Moon since he fixed her locket, but he had seen her off with a changed perception of her. It wasn’t everyday Hyeonju found himself respecting a Diamond. Which meant he may have been a bit concerned—but also very nosy.

“Ms. Moon,” he greeted with a polite bow and smile. “It’s been some time. I hope your locket is still in good condition?” He took a sip of his drink and inquired about something not at all to do with her injury. He did have manners, after all. “I heard your role for the upcoming Palace play.” He offered a genuine disapproving frown. “Something is wrong with the Palace owner’s head, not giving you the main role. Regardless, I look forward to any role you take on. You’ve always had a talent for making a character take flight.” Wow, how long has it been since I cracked a pun like that. Hyeonju smiled in humor.

[saygeko]

YEON NEN | HIGHRANKER’S BALL

Lady Luck, Sayge Kō will be attending the Ball fashionably late as she had to care for injuries she suffered days previous to Yeon Nen. She arrives in a silver low cut gown. With no restriction in colors to wear on this event as it’s not of importance to her kin, she has been free to choose the shades that would wrap her. The sparkle of the sleeveless garment encrusted with small crystals lets everyone know the wealth she represents (and may grant if in a good mood, but she does not anticipate this to happen for the festivities). Resting on her shoulders, she has a coat embroidered with the same gemstone her gown has, to protect her from the cold weather the Winter Ball is embracing before stepping into the ballroom. Down her cleavage lies a silver and crystal necklace gifted to her by her grandfather when she first crossed the portal to Kadeu, a piece of jewelry she holds close to her heart. Her signature makeup has a twist of grey for her sharp eyeliner, and her lips are painted red as always. Silver headpiece rests on top of her immaculate back hair kept down for her own comfort in this occasion, fringe untouched.

For the children, Sayge gifted Magical Music Boxes. Made of ceramic and silver, with handpainted Koi fish on top with a hue of blue. As a child holds the box in their hands and plays the soft melody, they make a wish and pray for good fortune. The box will accumulate the pleas and grant good fortune once the child is old enough to receive the touch of Lady Luck with wealth and prosperity. (Wealth can be collected at the Casinos when they are of age.)

[idolcandy]

Couldn't sleep last night because my mind wouldn't stop writing its own Nancy Drew game.

It takes place in the Koko Kringle factory after an act of corporate sabotage destroys stock of a new product and Nancy goes undercover as a line operator while she sets out to solve it.

Long post ahead

Koko Kringle releasing a new flavour chocolate bar and the marketing and promotional material for it is all over the building, and Nancy needs to solve this fast before a potential scandal overshadows their new launch.

Suspects Koko Kringle CEO/CFO/Someone highranking - He's a cranky old rich dude. The board hired Nancy and he really doesn't want Nancy here poking around his operation. At one point she snoops around his office and finds a report on how good pr and crisis management in the wake of a scandal can actually put the company in a better position than before the crisis actually happened. (Happened with J&J after the Tylenol murders) Suspicious? Is he manufacturing a scandal that he can then fix, making him a hero in the eyes of the board and potentially increase profits at the same time? No he's innocent, he's really just trying to save his job after the sabotage happened under his watch.

Line operator 1- She's working alongside Nancy and she's friendly at first, but the more Nancy snoops the less nice she becomes and the more suspicious she seems. She's not the suspect, she just thought Nancy was here to report her for constantly stealing candy off the line.

Product development guy - He's an older dude who's been developing new Koko Kringle products for years, and he invented the new flavour chocolate bar that's coming out. He's very upset that this scandal could overshadow his creation. Despite this, he's strangely uncooperative. Why doesn't he want to talk about his work? Why does he clam up when Nancy asks him how he thinks of new flavours? A lot of evidence points to him, but why? Why would he want to sabotage his own product?

Line operator 2 - She's instructed to train Nancy on the line and she's really eager to help and to prove herself. She's a bit of a gossip and it doesn't take much for Nancy to get her talking and her dislike for product development guy becomes obvious. Turns out she's the culprit, she's been trying to work her way up through this damn company for years and she's the one who invented the new chocolate bar. That old has-been hasn't come up with anything decent for years so he stole her idea so he could prove his worth to the company. But old bastard CEO/CFO didn't believe her. So if she couldn't get credit, she was going to sabotage the product and frame product development guy while she's at it!

Puzzles

There has to be some sorting puzzles on the product line. She's undercover doing the job and this fulfils some chore puzzles.

Some sneaking, breaking and entering challenges because CFO isn't going to just let Nancy into his office. He has a newton's cradle desk toy and that's a puzzle item. Maybe it's a memory puzzle and you have to click the balls in a certain order and then a compartment pops out with a key for some filing cabinets.

There should be lots of Koko Kringle history around the building and that gives clues to computer passwords. The login password will be something like the name of the dairy cow that modelled for the Koko kringle packaging

This premise is the perfect excuse for a cooking minigame

Other Stuff

Sonny Joon is a massive Koko Kringle fan so Nancy could find a letter he wrote asking if he could be a product tester. Found in the bin

[lukef]

strong like a diamond, you can’t break me

Friday 16 April 2021; Morning. You wake like any other morning. Your routine is as normal until you notice new tattoos along your arm. 

peaceful. everything is so..peaceful. luke is sitting in his open living room, one or two meters away from his kitchen table, which already has some fruit on it, ready to be sliced into a fruit salad. since the field trip with cassius his mana channels are rough, burned out, barely noticeable and luke is clever enough to not use them more (as if he could, anyways). instead, he’s meditating, for hours and hours. since airang, he has barely left the house, only for a few trips to check up on cassius. his back hasn’t healed fully yet, but it’s getting there. the fire elementalist uses the same method to meditate he’s used for asra, the one his grandfather taught him. his grandfather, he should probably visit him some time soon, he hasn’t seen him in a long-

there’s a small spark, one that emits one of his left finger tips and he looks down immediately, both confused and relieved, just to-

Instead of the Q you drifted asleep inked on your arm, a J is now present. Further down you see the Initials KH and three arrows pointing down. This represents the current state of your favor with Ace Kang Harold, Head of the Academy.

“oh, for fuck’s sake.”

luke looks up, then down again, as if that would remove the disgrace that seemingly appeared over night. the q has become a j, jack of diamonds, definitely not something he likes to see. it’s been years since he’s been at this point, years since he..

there’s not one, not two, but three arrows pointing down, down in the direction of his wrist, in the direction of-

Before you exit your home, a letter is delivered from Ace Harold. 

there’s a letter laying right in front of his door, has been slipped through the slit right in time, right before he was about to stand up and get ready for work.

It states: Luke, Your diminished capabilities and standing in society make you unfit to hold such an esteemed position within the illustrious institution that is our Academy. To have its honor marred with one filled with such scandal hurts not only our pride but distracts the pupils we are tasked with nurturing. And what use is a instructor who is now a cautionary tale. Of course, I have always been proud of your work with our students but parents are concerned. I am placing you on a brief suspension, with partial pay. For the time being, you are barred from entering the halls of our Academy.  Please use this time to consider the ethics we aim to instil in our pupils and detour the path you’ve taken to becoming a cautionary tale. Sir Harold

“your diminished capabilities? your standing in society? he has got to be kidding me. my standing in society is perfectly fine..!” he’s neither mad nor sad, he’s simply confused. he hasn’t been doing good, obviously, but this is not something he’s expected. luke is a proud queen, was a proud queen, he immediately corrects himself. it’s the stupid scandal, he tells himself, that stupid fucking rumor just because i wanted to help asra. does he regret it? hell fucking no. he hasn’t fully processed the seriousness of the situation yet, hasn’t realized what this means, hasn’t thought of the further consequences this might have.

and then, it happens.

first, there’s ambers in his veins, seething and burning ash right in his core. the temperature rises and rises, gets higher and hire until it’s fire, blazing and destructive fire and it travels higher and higher until it is pulsing underneath his skin. when he finally realizes that he’s not able to let the fire escape, that it’s ebbing out in the burned out mana channels he lets his anger out by punching his kitchen table, hard.

it slowly cracks, until it breaks into two halves, with all the fruit tumbling down and hitting the kitchen floor. he’s barred from entering the academy halls and there’s nothing he can do about it. nothing. and for what reason? for a simple rumor of him sleeping with one of his students - a rumor that was probably spread by glory ass himself, zuihuo juoi. zuihuo fucking joui, his radiance that luke would gladly like to radiate into some glacier in the alps so he can melt them down with his golden fucking fairy whatever. his anger should be directed at harold. and the second he thinks about him-

luke’s grandfather is a man that appears much less older (around 59 he says, around 65 or even older luke says) than his actual age. he’s going to be 151 in october, on october 25 to be exact. fifty years to go, he usually jokes around. like luke has lost his mother, he has lost his daughter only a few weeks ago. he seems to be doing fine, but luke knows for a fact that he just pretends and even he suffers from loosing so many people. “how were you able to forget your wife?” luke once asked him on a cozy evening, to which he simply replied to, “oh, the one that stole your heart better be pretty.” leaving luke exactly with what he expected. nothing. but now, his grandfather carefully reads through the letter luke just handed him. the younger elementalist is nervously prancing through the house (rather, the kitchen), hands crossed behind his back so he doesn’t have to see the new tattoos. 

after about fifteen minutes of silence, his grandfather holds a piece of paper in his direction. luke takes it.

“ dear motherfucker kang harold.

i hereby want to inform you that my foot will be going up your ass in meantime grandson parker luke is by all means a very responsible and way more tolerable persona than you are. he would never dare to lay hands on a student unlike you you stupid cunt. especially not ryu asra because that fire elementalist hobo cannot even take care of himself  who recently suffered from private issues. given the circumstances with his parents, the suspension is reasonable and more than just good for his health. however, banning him from entering academy territories is unreasonable, especially while his mana channels still aren’t functioning. you’re lucky they are not, or some houses in diamond territory would have been wiped out today. you would have deserved it, stupid stone face stonehenge monkey of an elementalist. i kindly ask you to rethink your decision and you better do because if not, i’m going to-”

the letter takes an abrupt end. luke slowly looks up, a rather concerned luke splattered across his face. “you’re not sending a letter.” going to his grandfather’s house is the first thing he thought of. there’s probably no one else that knows him better, has been with him through all the things he’s been through. he knows how to get him to calm down, knows what gets his fire going in the right direction. “and you’re not asking him for a duel just because of this. i think it’s only a warning for now, a warning to behave like they want me to.” the thought of punching something becomes more and more prominent with every word he says.

“i could-”

“no, grandpa.”

luke still doesn’t know how to feel about the whole situation. it’s a massive change (even if it doesn’t seem like it) and he still hasn’t gotten his fire back. it might take months, weeks, but he hopes for the best. he simply knows one thing, he doesn’t like the change. not at all.

so, he decides to write a letter back.

“ sir harold,

i send this letter regarding yours i received this morning. as an explanation, your wording is what makes me reply in form of this letter. 

i wonder how a simple rumor has led to having you think of me as a cautionary tale. i have been working at the academy for years and my grandfather is also no stranger to you. i only heard about the rumor from his radiance, zuihuo joui, at the yeon nen ball for highrankers.

the reason i was met up with asra once offside campus hours is the following: the student was suffering from a heavy depressive episode and completely disregarded classes. i wanted to make sure that neither he or someone else is in danger, given i already had experience with emotional outbursts including fire in my earlier years. after making sure he was fine, i gave him a quick catch up for lessons. i never contacted him with a purpose other than that. 

although there is nothing to worry about, i completely understand your reasons and will wait for further instructions in the future. i will stay absent from the academy as long as you want me to.

thank you for letting me clarify, i hope to see you again soon.

best regards, 

luke parker”

as soon as he gets his fire back, luke knows what’s going to happen.

fenris is going to happen.

*

mentioned: @croupiex @zuihuojoui

[enforcerbutch]

Blood & Noise

Blood: What’s the worst injury your muse has ever had?

Ugly Laugher. Bit of a difficult answer, this one. Butch has had more than his fair share of injuries in his life, especially growing up in Diamonds as a Human. Capers in his youth that went sideways, beatings from his mother when he lived under her roof, altercations with citizens and lea agents alike as an adult. Name a bone, he's probably broken it, sprained it, dislocated its joint, or fractured it at least one.

The worst injury he received that lasted was during his younger years. Freshly fourteen, he and his friends had gone for a joy ride in a Ten of Diamonds mana carriage. The carriage hadn't withstood the abuse of the group of teens and had ended up smashed into the side of a building.

While no one had been injured beyond bruises and the sum of money needed to compensate the wronged parties had been chump change to the Yoons, Maela had been furious. The building owner and the Ten had banded together, blackmailing the Yoons by threatening to go against their NDAs if they didn't receive a monthly stipend in platinum.

The two had been arrested and silenced, of course, but that hadn't quelled Maela's anger. She used her skills as a water elementalist to drown Butch in his room, repeatedly, always making sure she didn't go too far. When she was done, he was left in agony with burning, extraordinarily damaged lungs. They were not healed until the following afternoon, more than fifteen hours after she'd finished tolling out his punishment.

Noise: Name one sound your muse finds absolutely unbearable.

Highranker babble. The sound of schmoozing banter and inane chatter to the backdrop of harps and string instruments at highranker balls is hell to him. After moving out of the Yoon household, he hasn't been forced to attend any of these "networking" parties and he couldn't be happier about it.

[cherrykadeu]

Yeon Nen Highranker Ball;

Despite the severe complications that Nari endured due to a temper tantrum thrown by the infamous Ace of Diamonds Lee Valentina  that had her has the main target of her cruel actions. The results of the said attack were not in Nari’s favor, some of her servants had died in order to protect her from the imps and others, just as Nari, had ended up injured.

The Kumiho had been confused as to why that had happened, not understanding why The Villa District had been her main target since she could not recall a single time in where she had crossed paths with the demon. Fortunately, she was still alive and recovering, as well as the rest of those who had got injured, the damage to her surroundings could be easily fixed, but the deaths of those who had jumped in to defend her had yet to be forgotten and it left a bad taste in Nari’s mouth, a cruel realization that she was still weak and that she had failed to protect those that needed her. That she had failed to protect herself.

That coupled with her encounter with King of Hearts Sayge Ko (ongoing) and the re-emergence of her past now marked in her skin in the form of a club defector tattoo were all reminders of how the 10 in her wrist meant nothing if she did not prove herself worthy of it.

And what a better way to start proving herself than attending a ball, looking her best, appearing strong as if nothing could her knock her down? 

Outfit;

Nari picked her clothes with a great deal of thought. Once she became a 10 of Hearts, she believed that it would somehow magically erase all that she had ever lived until then, that Cherry would be long forgotten and that Nari would finally have her time to shine. But the truth was that her alias did not bring any change in her behavior, sure certain situations required different sides of her, but Cherry was still Nari and she was not prepared to say goodbye to her just yet.

She arrived dressed in an extravagant red coat, black and gold details making her stand out in the crowd, attracting all the attentions towards her, just like Cherry demanded. Still, she was sure that someone powerful would wear something like this and Nari hoped that one day, she would not need any clothes in order to feel that way.

Taking off her coat, reveals a beautiful long red dress, a plunging neckline that guides the attention to her chest and to the necklace she received as a gift from her dear Zuihuo Joui (@zuihuojoui​) and crafted (ongoing) by her long time friend (@kadeuxhyeonju), delicate butterflies and flowers make the central piece of her entire look, perfectly matching the silver details around the waist of her dress and the small silver flowers decorating her hair.

There is not much covering her face, in spite of her usual reddened lips.  

Toy Drive Gift;

Nari took her time to think about her childhood, which is something that she did not like to do very often. Then she thought about the day when she had decided to change factions and how rough it was for her to thrive in a new and unknown territory, alone in such a cruel world. Still, there were things that were able to bring her joy, things that made everything easier.

As a small fox and even now, she always liked thick, soft blankets where she could hide herself in during cold weather, so she picked the best ones she could find. Hopefully they would bring enough warmth to whoever received them.  

Nari never liked reading, sue her. So, she bought a few coloring books and pencils, which was something that she used to like doing in her younger years and something that helped her pass the time. But, that was not all, inside of the still uncolored pages, she hid a few tickets for the next play (Lion King) that would take place at The Palace for the first two week of January, as well as some small detailed cards that she came up with before talking with her mentor about her idea, anyone who received them would be able to read:

Trade this card for a free meal at The Fox Den. Heart Territory. No expiring date.

Lastly, Nari decided to arrange a collection of skin care products of good quality. She had always believed, since very young, that a good part of taking care of oneself and feeling good had a great deal to do with the way you treated your own skin. Makeup was great fun but that and rough weather were enough to damage your skin. Besides, it smelled good and who didn’t like to smelling good? 

[its-max-okay]

SNOW QUEEN || yeon nen highranker ball

Having had enough of chain mail trains and platform heels, Max is keeping it simple to close out the year. The ceremonial uniform is shiny-new and so is the accompanying sword, which may look ornamental but is, in fact, as sharp as any other sword she owns.

So, don’t spill anything on her outfit if you want to live.

Her slacks are an effortless, flowy fabric, and white leather oxfords have just enough of a heel to ensure that when (not if) she cons Jihoon into another dance, they’ll be a comfortable height match.

Max’s contributions to the toy drive are soft, soft, soft -- mostly stuffed animals fashioned after manabeasts and commissioned personally from a toymaker, as well as a handful of warm woolen blankets.

[passcridae]

INVASIVE SPECIES || yeon nen highranker ball

Sparrow will arrive at Asra’s side and is unlikely to leave it. Any resistance at the door for his name not being on the list will be met with Malfoy-esque my-father-will-hear-of-this indignance until he’s allowed entry.

(His father will hear of this -- hilarious.)

While his suit is of exquisite quality, the smudged eye makeup feels like leftovers from Samhain. It’s a halfhearted attempt to make himself less recognizable and/or less approachable.

When asked what gift he brought for the drive, Sparrow will simply give a haughty laugh and gesture dismissively with his drink flute, as if charity is beneath him.

In reality, he left a few gifts: practical, sturdy offerings he might’ve liked to receive as a child. A set of wooden blocks, neatly carved; a tin pegasus on wheels; and nesting dolls, each layer a different animal.

[generalkwon]

YEON NEN; HIGHRANKER BALL

The General is rarely seen without his uniform, but he always makes an exception for the final night of Yeon Nen. The first year he did this was to remind himself he was allowed to be a man as well as a General, but now it’s tradition. The first year he showed up to the Highranker Ball no one recognized him and his tattoo was checked more than four times before all the servants were informed of the mismatch between his status and his attire. While the incident resulted in an official apology from the Deck, rather than being insulted Jihoon had secretly laughed so hard he’d almost cried. Figuratively.

This year the Spellsword has opted for monochromatic and understated. Dressed in a plain white shirt with black slacks and a black overcoat, he looks like a midranker at best. While all the clothing articles are made of a fine material, this is impossible to tell without touching the garments. He is wearing no accessories.

Can’t forget the children! General Kwon has gifted several boxes of books to the toy drive. While some of these are adventure books, most are books on history, math, magic, or something else educational. Toys are today but knowledge is forever.

[kadeuxhyeonju]

Highranker’s Ball : Lee Hyeonju

Outfit:

There is nothing Hyeonju loves more than to dress up and this ball has given him the perfect opportunity to end the year on a high note. Given that the ball is Highrankers only, the Ten has no problem showing off a little. With a long, renaissance-style gown in stunning dyes of red and black, laced in gold filigree, Hyeonju will be the picture of grace and poise. Seeing as it is the middle of winter, though, he has also opted for a cozy but elegant black and gold overcoat to keep him warm. Finishing off the main ensemble is a pair of high-heeled black and gold boots. 

And what is the most famous jeweler in all of Kadeu without his jewelry to tie everything together? Hyeonju loves symbolism and what better way to represent it than in his accent pieces? A broach of silver and gold with an onyx core rest on his overcoat. It is shaped like a sun and moon to represent the transitions taking place in Kadeu and in Hyeonju himself. His favorite manabeast rests against his throat in the shape of a silver and gold phoenix, a hope for a new and stronger beginning to the new year. On the Heart’s finger rests a ring in the shape of a dragon, silver and gold save for the ruby eyes, a nod to his faction leader and his influence. And finally, how would anybody ever be able to recognize Lee Hyeonju without his signature fan being waved about. This particular fan is stunning in both make and design for it is clearly made of metals and gems. Gold forms the base and outer edges, as well as the lifted nature-themed design. Needless to say, Hyeonju couldn’t be prouder of this particular outfit and greeting the new year in style.

Toy Drive Gift:

Hyeonju remembers very clearly what it was like to live on the streets of Kadeu as a lowranking teenager. His struggles for food, water, and money took precedence over fun and games. He understands children who still suffer need necessities, but also some type of hope for better days. So in hopes it will help them, Hyeonju has donated a collection of board games, dolls, and figurines. They’re of high quality and quite sturdy so the children who play with them have little to fear of them getting damaged. What Hyeonju hasn’t announced or made obvious is that each toy has a small hidden compartment with a handful of coin. (Not gold, mind you. Hyeonju isn’t a Facecard and hasn’t the bank account to give out that much) Should the children find themselves in need of quick cash, he’d rather they lose a toy than their innocence, after all.

[kadeu]

RISE OF THE BARBARIANS;

HIM the Barbarian and his followers, dubbed ‘The barbarians’ due in part to their leader’s own moniker, and their actions rampage continues! The Barbarians continue their raiding, going house to house and confiscating all food and water supplies. Refusal is not an option when the patrol arrives at your door. A 10 of clubs refused after the patrolling Barbarians inspection found large hoards of dried and salted meats within his cellar.His body was left in the street with a sign around his neck, ‘Death to Traitors’.

Some had thought these Barbarians acted only in the Arena star’s name until the man himself was spotted leading a gang into a small home where he left food and water for a starving family. It seems HIM and his Barbarians are re-distributing what supplies they confiscate so no Club starves to death. 

Given the factions large death toll (the largest in the city) his actions, though extreme, have saved many. And a clear distinction from current Ace of Clubs Kol Thaggard.

HIM and his Barbarians have been reminding citizenshow Thaggard claimed to be nothing like his father, yet he owns two businesses and flirts with highranked at balls while his people starve and die. He threatens that even an Ace is not safe from him and Clubs will have to change. Tensions in Clubs run high as some disavow the robbing and forced rationing, and others call out the selfishness of their neighbors, ever happy for the assistance that none else would give. 

Given the freezing the weather that continues, it doesn’t look well for Clubs.

[saygeko]

A ¾ Waltz

Highranker’s Ball - Yeon Nen The Joker 31st of December, 2020 - 1st of January, 2021 At some point of the night.

@shuliing

Sayge was used to noisy and crowded places, and nights could seem endless or extremely short when a Ball was taking place. Similar to any gathering at one of her Casinos, people would find their place in society, starting a conversation with a known face or emptying their glasses in solitude, and some would dance, as they were expected to. Wasn't that the meaning of a ball? Yet, Sayge was not taking part in the dance at the moment. Her eyes were roaming around the room, landing on one familiar figure, walking away.

Sayge moved from her spot, getting closer to confirm what her eyes were seeing, but the silver figure only kept the same distance in between them. With every step she took, she saw the Jack take two farther away. It made Sayge grin. Shu-Ling was making it too easy to read what she was doing. Her attempt to run away from the King made the rushed pace of her heels obvious. The woman wasn't running, but the long strides did the job. Sayge would head to one side of the ballroom, and Shu-Ling would find her way to the opposite side, like magic. Too amusing for Sayge to miss.

It was a Highranker's ball. What did she expect? Not to see one of the most prominent faces in the Heart faction attending? The reason behind why she was hiding became the source of her curiosity. And Sayge was a very curious woman. Perhaps Shu-Ling didn't want her to see her appearance, what she was wearing for the night. So far, Sayge could spot her garments were once again nightwear, this time one with two pieces. She sighed half in disbelief, half in acceptance. Surprise wouldn't be a word she would use to describe her first-second impressions, but she might act like she was.

The Spades' guard must have been down, she engaged in conversation with some other member of her faction, and her dance around the room ceased. Perfect timing. Sayge's stroll, started from the other side, giving her enough time to surround them, the same way an ambush predator would do. She stood behind the man Shu-Lin was talking to and tilted her head to peek over his shoulder and meet the other's eyes. With the blink of an eye, the man's luck changed, and the liquid filling his glass ended up soaking up his coat. Oh, his bad luck. Sayge heard him excuse himself to clean his stained clothes. It took one second for the Fae to stand in front of whom has been avoiding her gaze part of the night.

"Oh, Shu-Ling. You have forgotten to dress properly again. Shall I expect to see you in your sleeping garments every time we cross paths?"

[lukef]

✵☁like a sparrow in the blue sky

⌖ @passcridae

being a fire elementalists did have advantages, but hating water definitely didn’t belong to them. of course, not all fire elementalists were like that, but luke wasn’t able to swim, something that lead to a terrible dislike for water in general. it simply reminded him of things he’d rather like to forget. today had been a cloudy day from the start, he left his house in suspicion. his imagination of rain pouring down the sky came true only a few hours later. usually, he would have used his powers to create something umbrella-like out of fire, but that was something that costed a lot of mana. thing was, he had helped the water elementalists earlier in the morning, lighting the area for them as they gave out morning rations. and with that being sad, he didn’t have enough mana left. also, he didn’t want to risk anything, because there could be something more important he might need to use them for.

if he was a sinking ship, his save haven was near. an alcove, a bit rural and seemingly shaped like an L, the perfekt hide-out from the rain. it was mid-day by now, but he had nothing left to do, it was a sunday after all, all classes forr the next day prepared already. without really thinking about it, he entered the alcove, walking to the corner of it and turning around - to see, exactly, nothing. it was quite dark in there, but he didn’t really care, he was neither afraid nor didn’t feel any other negative emotions. until.

a familiar shape - or rather face slowly started to be visible in the dark, a face that belonged to a body that he had definitely seen before - a few weeks ago in his bureau. the heart situation. “oh.” luke started, leaning against the cold stone wall, it’s you again. wouldn’t have expected to meet you somewhere like this. is this something that herts like to do, hide in the dark until someone finds your hiding spot? what do you usually do after? rob them?” 

he couldn’t stop himself from being a bit sarcastic, he would surely find a way to apologize without saying the words ‘i’m sorry’. he was also reminded of the highranker’s ball and how he and asra happened to be there..together? maybe there was more to the situation than them just being friends?

“in case you don’t remember, my name is luke parker. i am a dueling instructor at the academy. the one with the heart.”

[mrsarnasdelicious]

Number 26 with Syverson 😏

26. Jealous kiss

You have managed to convince Syverson to take you to one of those military balls. It is in Vegas and everyone is getting drunk. Sy’s seated himself with a few lads he’s known from his time as a private and is catching up.

You are chitchatting with Sergeant Harper and have a good time. You don’t drink much, but enough to be giggle. One of the very high ranked officers picks up on that and he comes over to share in the chitchat. He shows off his stripes and stands just a little too close to you. You try to be subtle and walk to Harper’s other side. But Mr. Highrank veers right with you.

Sy catches it and is having none of it. He gets up and comes right over. “How is my lovely wife doing?” He puts an arm around you and leans down for a slow, showy kiss. He let’s Mr. Highrank know you are his. You love that about him.Mr. Highrank huffs and stomps off. Sy breaks away from you and he and Harper begin to laugh.

[kadeuhq]

The Deck —

The return of the deities has driven yet another wedge between Kadeu’s ranks. Lowrankers are visited frequently by well-known deities where a scant few of the highrankers have been visited by rare (assuredly more powerful) deities. This has led highrankers that believe in the deities to use this divide as an example of their inherent superiority while lowrankers - more of whom believe in the deities - claim the frequency of their visitations highlights the disparity in life quality between ranks.

The Palace;

The Palace in Diamond’s theatre district will be preforming Beetlejuice twice a day every day for the next two weeks! Matinee performances start at 15:00 and evening performances are at 20:00.

Beetlejuice is a musical about a deceased couple who try to haunt the new inhabitants of their former home and call for help from a devious bio-exorcist ghost named Betelgeuse (pronounced "Beetlejuice"), who is summoned by saying his name three times. One of the new inhabitants is a young girl, Lydia, who is dealing with her mother's death and her neglectful father.

This reporter highly recommends visiting the Palace during the run of this play. Although it’s not for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan on seeing it again

Sunday the 9th and 16th;

Duels at the Arena! Starting at noon the Arena in Spade territory is having their weekly dueling event! Entry fee for observers is one silver and entry fee for fighters is one gold. Winners this week walk away with one gold for every victory. Win the whole tournament and walk away with five additional platinum! Food and souvenirs available

Thursday the 13th;

Birthday Ball! Ace of Hearts @zuihuojoui celebrates his palindrome birthday 626. Those invited to this event will be sure to remember it for months to come - it is a Heart soiree after all!

Friday the 21st;

Theme Night at Club V! The nightclub owned by @diabyeolical invites you to attend Casino Night! Attire is black, white, and a splash of red. Desserts and drinks will be served at the coins-only bar until four in the morning on Saturday. Cards and poker chips are limited, arrive early or bring your own decks to assure your chance to play