#TOAUnscripted2022

[ulirblood]

kurapika is now drowning

edain thinks she understands now who the enemy is, which only left her to deal with the guilt of attacking an ally. though she'd done what she could with the information she had, so she tries not to dwell on it.

the priestess sticks back to the rear as she always does in fights, focusing on taking care of the injuries that her comrades sustain. she ignores the ache in the side of her stomach, focusing on takumi first before anyone else. she'd let him get hurt earlier after all, her guilty conscious wouldn't let her do otherwise.

[ edain rolls to recover takumi, 8, +6HP, takumi: 12/12HP ]

"hang in there, takumi." she tells him as her hands glow faintly with the blessed light of her faith, his injury all but disappearing from his body. this would always be her place in battle— taking care of others. every time she healed a wound like this the thought cemented itself in her brain.

@prince-pineapple

[einjelique]

Queendom

It was finally time.

Nanna took a deep breath, walking towards the stage with the rest of the girls. No matter how much time they had to practice, Nanna couldn’t stop the nerves from creeping up with every step she took.

“I’m sure we’ll do amazing…” And though she says it loud enough for all of the girls to hear, Nanna knows that she’s mostly trying to reassure herself. Of course she would do all she could! But…what if she forgot a move? Or stepped on someone’s foot? Or—

‘Enough! You’re worrying yourself over nothing!’ She sighs, fiddling with the pink outfit that fit her like a glove. Jeez, they really planned this down to the final detail… I guess that was even more reason to do well considering how much work went into the production.

They’re in place, and Nanna can feel eyes on her before they’ve even begun to dance. Though her practices were poor, she knew that she couldn’t mess it up now— not when everything was leading up to this moment!

( And though she didn’t want any of them to be eliminated, the uncertainty of what would happen afterwards made her want to do her best. )

“Let’s give it our all!”

The music starts.

Roll 3d10. Technique: 11; Choreography: 8; Wow: 3; Total: 57

She moved professionally, almost as if she was a trained dancer— but just like the practice runs, Nanna couldn’t help but notice that she was too focused on perfection yet again, unable to connect to the audience. It was good, but it was missing something: personality.

@amitieos

[lalamines]

to win back springtime that we lost; edge of eden final battle

It had been years already. Mercedes had given up all hope of ever returning to life in Fodlan. A distant world, a lifetime forever out of reach. She had settled down into her life by General Malo’s side, aiding the woman in every mission that was thrown their way. It’s on one of those missions that Mercedes wakes up somewhere that is very clearly not a military base.

At first there’s a stage. Taunting. Then there isn’t a stage at all. It’s difficult to wrap her head around but she finds herself amongst familiar faces. Allies from Rhedrise. Other faces too, on the opposing side.

Now united against a common enemy. Even the glint in Melanthios’ eyes feels like a challenge. Makes her blood scream out. 

She takes the Ichor scroll in her hands, and the screaming is replaced by a chorus of muses. Mercedes knows what must be done.

Roll d20:12! Hit! 3 damage to Melanthios. Reduced to 1.5 by Agarthan Technology. Roll d20-4: 15! Hit. 2.5 damage to Mercedes. Melanthios recovers 1 HP. Deals 1HP out of Combat to Mercedes Melanthios has 13.5/14 HP remaining Mercedes has 6.5/10 HP remaining

Roll d2: 1! Crest of Lamine activates. Roll d20: 10! Mercedes uses Recover to heal Lyn. Lyn and Mercedes both recover 4 HP Lyn has 9/10 HP remaining. Mercedes has 10/10 HP remaining

It’s frustrating enough that her spells are weakened by something dark and ancient. Even worse when the Dark Bishop saps her own strength too. Thankfully, Mercedes feels the power of her Crest and takes the opportunity to do something useful. Lyn already looks exhausted and the battle has barely started. Slipping over to her side, Mercedes casts Recover, restoring her own health and vitality as well.

“Feeling better? Let me know if you’re injured again, okay?” Mercedes says to Lyn, giving the woman’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. This wasn’t going to be an easy battle but if they could rely on one another’s strengths, she was sure they’d prevail.

They had to, after all.

[ulircursed]

the best things in life are free

     Obsessing over every inch of the map, Andrei finds, does little to actually ease his nerves, but it at least gives him the illusion of being well-prepared, which he’ll take over nothing at all. To that end, he had asked Leo to go ahead back to the ship with the rest of their few supplies, and had chosen an out-of-the-way spot for the opportunity to sit down and commit as much of the map to memory as he can.

     The ‘treasure’ is, of course, located on the furthest area from their island, near the very edge of the map that ostensibly leads towards the ‘New World’. Multiple islands are scattered about between them, and markings that look suspiciously like deep waters and some sort of whirlpool stand in their way. His head pounds just staring at the paper.

     Worrying won’t help matters. Andrei grits his teeth, ignoring his own dread as he stands up and directs his steps towards the harbor once more, spurred by the rapidly darkening skies as night begins to fall. He can’t escape taking the ship no matter how much he wants to, and so he must face it, as he’s faced everything else.

     (He’s already lost the most important person in his world once, to his own despicable cowardice. What more can he lose here?)

     Consumed by thoughts of the upcoming journey as he is, Andrei hardly notices where he’s going until he runs into someone ahead. “My apol—” he stops, finally taking in the figure before him.

     “...Edain,” he says quietly, trying to hide how guilt stabs at him with the memories of their previous interaction.

@ulirblood

[alluxerim]

spirit blooms

     “Yes, finally!!” The moment they’re out of the town, Khalkós wastes no time in jumping from Lucius’ shoulder, a bright flash enveloping her body in midair. When the light clears, she is back in her full form, looming over Lucius in a gesture that would seem threatening, if not for the sheer glee on her expression. “Come on, let’s do the thing!” she immediately says in her natural, booming voice, holding out her four arms in an eager gesture.

     “M-must we...?” Lucius sighs, but obligingly grabs ahold of one thick, trunk-like upper arm, allowing Khalkós to hoist him into her arms. With a joyful shout, she rushes off before Lucius can do more than beckon to the other two to follow.

     But the spirit speeds up, and it’s only when they’re alone that she sets him down, regarding him with an oddly serious look.

The trees are dense, as is the fog, and it's hard to see through to anything but... darkness. There's the sound of the stream nearby, but everything else is... eerily quiet. Khalkos considers their options for a moment, then lowers her voice so that Daimon and Ophelia can't hear. "We ought to lose... them somewhere."

     It’s clear who she refers to. Lucius looks troubled for a moment, but then shakes his head, voice firm in reply. "We cannot," he says, gaze lingering on Ophelia in the far distance, "I won't leave them here, in the path of possible danger."

     Though, he can't say his curiosity hadn't been piqued by the other... spirit? Daimon, who in all honesty seems similar to Khalkós in some aspects. Lowering his voice further to match hers, Lucius asks, kindly, "Is it the presence of the other spirit that bothers you?"

"Something's wrong about him," she answers, frowning. "Something I can't quite put my finger on." Though perhaps that something is the fact that he's gotten under her skin by waving freedom in her face. "If I can't trust my eyes, then I can trust my guts. And my guts are never wrong."

     "I believe you," Lucius says, "And I'll be sure to mind him. But I have... a duty as well, and I can't give that up. Please understand." He cannot allow his student to come to harm if he could be there to prevent it.

Khalkós grumbles, but gives a nod of understanding. Where Lucius goes, she goes.

     Walking back within earshot of the others, Lucius gives an apologetic look. “The trees are too thick to pass through this way,” he says, “Maybe we’ll have to try another direction?”

@duskroine​

[hresvelged]

hashtag follow

[continued from here]

She takes Delancey’s words as a compliment- She may have no To-witter presence yet, but her name is a staple within the Adrestian Empire. Everyone there knows the next Emperor. “I’m afraid not. To-witter is new to me.”

With the registration screen now open, Edelgard begins to insert her phone number. She does so at a slow speed on the chance she happens to mistype. She can’t imagine what else to make her To-witter user information than the name she dons, and thus, opts to type in @edelgardvonhresvelg. To the point, but at least it’s clear who this account belongs to. That is her desire.

She is perplexed with the sight of an odd nothingness for a ‘profile picture’, hypothesizing that it must be a standard default. Turning back to Delancey, she nods in agreement: “It would look rather.. empty without a visual of myself. Thank you for the assistance.” Taking a good image on her phone evades her, but she will be sure to pick up on it sooner rather than later.

10,000 followers is a hefty number- Enough to make up something of a sizeable army, too. She can see the advantages in having a large following at her very fingertips. If the Imperial Princess can amass a following that size, perhaps it may prove much more useful than she had initially anticipated. “I see.. That’s quite the audience. It’s rather impressive. I expect you’ll be following me back, yes?” There’s a smile of confidence as she speaks, hopeful and wondering.

@amitieos

[vonochs]

why are you running!! why are you running!!!!!!

-- THE EXCHANGE WITH Malo to split up takes hardly more than a second, Monica offering a firm nod in response as her grip on Mercedes’ wrist slips and switches on over to Chrom’s.

“ C’mon, pretty boy, “ she chirps, “ it’s all up to us, now~! “

The gunshots have long faded, and while she’s sure that she’s in the right area, the specificities of the location have long left her. She glances around, cursing internally, but fails to see anything (a groove freshly carved into the ground, the scratched glance of a wooden beam) that would give anything away.

Frustrated, she slows to a stop as best she can in the middle of the staircase, surveying the stores in front of her to no real success. Maybe it’s the glare of the sun in her eye or the dust settling down around her, but she cannot get her eyes to focus.

“ Hey, pal, “ she claps Chrom on the shoulder as best she can, “ you mind giving this a good ol’ once over for me? “

@ylisseanstar @sacaeblade @shadoll

[amitieos]

strictly come dancing

“Don’t give the enemies ideas!” Delancey had chastised her earlier. Elincia paid her no mind, clearly.

She watches like a hawk as Ingrid, Merric and Shez go through the choreography. No matter her warnings, Merric and Shez were her friends. Her students. They were more her people than Delancey could hope to be. Elincia would help them with whatever she could, as both a dear friend and their teacher. 

Even if it felt like pulling teeth.

Merric wasn’t a bad dancer per se, although he lacked his own flair and groove. His movements were so focussed on being correct that they lacked individuality. A chance to show his personality on stage. Perhaps he was just trying to master the choreography before trying to add his own take, they could discuss ideas after. How and where to add dynamics, facial expressions, things to take his dancing from fine to great. Although that would clearly have to wait.

Ingrid and Shez kept colliding with one another, both of them getting the direction wrong in different sections. With limbs failing, Shez lacked any sort of tension or power in his movements and seemed to rush his way through the choreography. On the other hand, Ingrid was as stiff as a board. Her moves were restrained, jerky and slow. A far cry from her grace upon a pegasus, lance in hand. Elincia knew both of them could move well, had seen it with her own eyes. With a weapon in hand the pair were both fluid and controlled. However, with music in the background. They seemed to lose all sense of co-ordination entirely. She had to put a stop to this before someone was hurt.

“Okay, okay stop!” Elincia shouts, stepping forward and turning the music player on the kiwi phone off. “I’m going to need all three of you to separate, to start with. Merric, you’re fine. Room for improvement but you’re doing well enough. I’d like you to run through the choreo again but think a little less.”

The trio quieted and she took a moment to shoot Merric a reassuring smile. He was doing well, he could just do with being a little less calculated. The odd mistake was a worthwhile trade off for a more energetic and personal performance. So long as he didn’t degenerate to the level of his classmates.

“Don’t be scared about making little mistakes, you have this down. Try it with a little more bounce or charm - whatever feels comfortable for you. Dancing isn’t just about movement, it’s about personal expression!” Her shoulders drop as she faces Ingrid and Shez. If they could manage the movements it would be a small miracle. Elincia wasn’t going to give up on them though. Who knows what would happen if one of them was voted off? Would they simply cease to be in this tale? “On the other hand, you two need to get that down first. Then we can build up. You have opposite issues. Ingrid, you’re so stiff it looks like moving is painful for you. Shez, points for enthusiasm but your limbs are all over them. I know you’ve developed muscle control from your training but you need to apply it.”

“Let’s see, shall I go through the first count or two and then let you two have ago? Try to copy me and then I’ll give you some tips and personal help?”

Flicking the music app on her kiwi Phone, Elincia starts playing the music and stands still through the first few beats to create tension. Then she takes herself through the steps, trying not to overcomplicate it. A simple step back on her left foot then swinging the right out. An arc of her right arm as she brings her legs together, bending her knees and waving her hand through four more beats, until her arm was fully extended. Then she turned to her allies.

“Okay, now it’s your turn. Merric, just give me a shout if you need any help.” He was such a gentleman though, would he really feel comfortable interrupting them? Possibly not, she’d have to adjust her teaching methods to include him. It would be easier to keep track of all three of them if they were easily in her field of view, too. “Actually, come over here. You have this polished. Show them how you do it - I want them at your level by the end of today.”

“You’re doing really well, I think what you’re doing is perfectly fine. I do think you have the potential to really shine though, so please forgive me if I push you a little.”

As beautiful as they are, she hopes Ingrid and Shez have some other skills to make their mark in this competition. It looked like dancing was going to be an uphill battle.

@damegalantea, @zesevral or @windsheedme

[theofficersacademy]

Once upon a time, before the Heroes Relics, there was a weapon coveted by all. 

A pair of blades, chained together by steel and fate, were fantastic to behold on the battlefield. However, what impressed onlookers more was its strange instinct for loyalty, not just to its partner blade but to its wielder as well. Only the strongest were fit to wield its power, and lords and kings waged war over its possession, but the weapon did not grant its allegiance lightly.

When Fódlan’s enemies first attempted to plunge the land into darkness, they sought this weapon’s power. A sage foresaw a devastated future and chose instead to shatter the weapon and seal its pieces into a rift in space. Centuries passed...

Melanthios and his Agarthan allies pioneered the creation of labyrinths - realms that exist between worlds - in order to one day search for the seal behind which the sage had hidden the weapon. Books as catalysts, they thought, would allow them to traverse the rift more easily, but what they discovered instead was that the fragments had another layer of protection. They had adapted to the labyrinth to become its characters, and did not trust the Agarthans’ presence. So they sought victims - or volunteers, they would say - blessed by Seiros herself to gather the pieces.

The plan worked, but barely. One by one, the fragments were led together, and Melanthios - with the aid of the Projectionist - snatched up all that he could. Confronted by the very victims who had led him to his prize, Melanthios’ escape was merely stalled, as each iteration was but an illusion. Except one.

The weapon, though incomplete, has fallen into the wrong hands. The sage’s prophecy lingers on the horizon...

                                                                      — Unscripted, end.

Epilogues

They First Dreamed of Electric Sheep. You find yourselves in the infirmary, safely tucked away in your beds. What scars and wounds you endured during your final battle have healed over, as though they were never there to begin with. The book is not so lucky--Melanthios' forceful intrusion into that world ruined its paper and binding, with only a few strings left to keep it all together. Time and research may allow this book's world to recover enough for mages to safely retrieve these weapon fragments, but there are no guarantees. If worse comes to worst, your memories will be all that remain of that place…

Divas Don't Write Love Songs. With a final performance that rocked the audience to its very core, you were able to steal the show from Melanthios and protect Delancey and Julian! Of course, with the studio torn apart by strange supernatural phenomena, it’s safe to say that Stairway to Stardom will be delaying its Season 7 premiere… As for Delancey and Julian, don't expect passionate kisses in the rain a la Mikolas Clarks, but the hardcore Julancey shippers on To-witter insist that there's something going on between them! While they are sad to see you go, such is the way of show-business, and Delancey and Julian wish you luck on your next endeavors. But before that, they insist on giving you a proper "graduation" ceremony, with one last dual performance with the Red and Blue teams!

Quiet Wood. The standoff against Melanthios at the center of the forest forced the rot to retreat, but destroyed the offspring of the sacred tree in the process. Dhanvi, devastated by the loss and the dead end to her quest for immortality, disappears into the forest with Jurou, puppeting Morgan, hot on her heels. Now freed of his divine duty as guardian of the holy tree, Ji can return to his ordinary life in Quiet Wood. Still shaken by the revelation that he was never human, and that Su - along with the rest of Quiet Wood - had always known that one day he would be called to duty, he looks to Kiragi, Celica, and Askr for support in the coming years. However, it does not take him long to regain his sunny disposition, and urged by Kiragi, he makes his confession to Lachesis by the start of the new year. Micaiah comes to succeed Soh as village priest, and Lucius and Linhardt, though their quest had met a dead end as Dhanvi’s had, return to Quiet Wood to champion an alliance with the spirits of the forest. The villagers beg for Arvis to stay and funnel in his wealth, but he chooses to part ways with Hushen and return to his estate empty-handed. After nearly dying, Leif makes the resolute decision to retire from the explorer life.

Edge of Eden. While Melanthios had been forced to make his retreat, the book itself was not spared the devastating consequences of the fight. You have been unceremoniously spit from its pages, wounds and all, among a dozen pages, torn from the binding and singed by fire. The end of the book is the worst for wear, both physically and content-wise, with none of the rebel-aligned characters surviving by the end.

Queen's Compass. Freshly minted captain of the True North Kai-Marik stands tall before his carefully mended ship. Though he'll be losing three (debatably) reliable crewmates, it turns out he'll be gaining at the least one in return: with Captain Yngvi's pending departure, quartermaster Rivenn can't find it in his heart to steer the Ichaival back to glory. He's never been much of a leader after all, he claims. While Cameron is ecstatic to have another handsome lad aboard the ship (Kai-Marik himself being less than thrilled but perhaps more open to the idea after recent experiences), they both carry the weight and memory of their dearly departed captain close to heart. She was the Queen, and they promise to bear news of her passing to the King so as to tie a neat little bow on this story. Joining them is new mascot Egg, who protects and threatens in equal measure as it demands to be kept fed no matter what. 

As for Kass... upon being flung from the book alongside the rest of you, he did what he does best and made himself scarce. 

Villainess. While Sir Sveinn mourns the loss of a sibling, His Majesty Emperor Kadrian mourns the loss of a fiancée - though with any luck he'll have rekindled an old friendship in the process. Sir Blake dutifully continued his job, rising to the position of Court Magician upon the former occupant's unfortunate passing. He worked diligently at helping to mend ties between the Fenrichs and the Artels. Alongside the witch's defeat, it's said everyone's favourite charmer Ilya Gray vanished... Perhaps they've found another kingdom to sweep off its feet. Finally, it is said that with time, Lady Meaghan and Lady de Vaux became what some might call 'a power couple,' although Meaghan spent much time helping Anabelle's heart heal from the loss of her two closest friends. She is a true hero now - a mantle one may not wear without the burden of loss. None of them will forget any of you.

Closing Procedures (please read carefully!)

The events of Unscripted are over and regardless of your performance in the individual stories, you have successfully freed all of the students who had been swallowed by and trapped within the books! Unfortunately, you did not prevent Melanthios (along with the Projectionist) from fleeing outright, but at least they did not get their hands on all of the weapon fragments they were after.

Time will not reset this year and will transition straight into the Great Tree Moon. For many characters, this will be the start of their second “real” year at the academy. Characters who did not participate in the event can choose whether to refresh their characters as new to the academy starting this month, or can continue to write them as if they have been here the whole time. Whichever makes the most sense for your muse.

You are free to continue any Unscripted threads, but you may not start any new threads based on the Unscripted settings. Unscripted posts will no longer count towards the grand prize requirement.

Discord

All event channels will be closed on September 7th, so save what you want from them before then.

Prizes and How to Get Them

Regardless of failures, you still managed to stave off a tragedy, so the church will reward you accordingly. Please read the following carefully before claiming your prizes:

PARTICIPATION PRIZE.

All muses entering the event automatically received the participation prize described in this post. Please message the masterlist if you did not already claim it at the beginning. You will have until 9/14 to do so, but be aware that participation prizes not submitted alongside grand prize claims will be processed last.

Please send the masterlist an ask to claim your Grand Prize during the allotted days for your team (see below).

GRAND PRIZE.

This prize package will be awarded to any muse who reached a minimum of 10 IC event posts.

Knowledge Gem: A special gemstone that grants a drop of knowledge to the user. (One free skill point towards the user’s skill of choice.) Please claim the gem first and then allot your skill points.

Two event-limited prizes from this list. (Your muse must have the corresponding rank to claim.)

And a special edition of the Book you spent the last month in: Quiet Wood: Carrying this book grants a moderate boost to Defense. Edge of Eden: Carrying this book grants a moderate boost to Dexterity. I Became the Villainess and Now I Have to Break Her Curse!?: Carrying this book grants a moderate boost to Resistance. Queen’s Compass: Carrying this book grants a moderate boost to Strength/Magic. They First Dreamed of Electric Sheep: Carrying this book grants a moderate boost to Speed. Divas Don’t Write Love Songs: Carrying this book grants a moderate boost to Luck.

FINAL BOSS PRIZE.

If your muse participated in the final boss fight for their team, they will be granted a second Knowledge Gem, even if they died. Please claim this along with your Grand Prize.

SCHEDULE.

9/1-9/2: Dedicated to activity skill point claims and participation prizes. This is if you are ranking up in a skill after placing your August activity skill point into your stats page. This does not include skill point ranks from the grand prize, so please wait on those. 9/3-9/4: Quiet Wood participation and grand prize claims.  9/5-9/6: Divas Don’t Write Love Songs participation and grand prize claims. 9/7-9/8: Queen’s Compass participation and grand prize claims. 9/9-9/10: Edge of Eden participation and grand prize claims. 9/11-9/12: I Became the Villainess and Now I Have to Break Her Curse!? participation and grand prize claims. 9/13-9/14: They First Dreamed of Electric Sheep participation and grand prize claims. After 9/14: Normal activity (activity points, class access/mastery, etc)

1) The submission period is from 12:00AM EST the first day to 11:59PM EST the second day. We at least need to receive it during this time frame. Use the clock in the Masterlist’s sidebar to doublecheck the date and time if you are not sure.

2) Team submission periods are only for muses within those teams. If you have a muse in Queen’s Compass, you can only submit your Queen’s Compass muse’s claims during the Queen’s Compass period. You cannot sneak in your second muse from Edge of Eden during that time. Untimely submissions will be deleted without comment, and we consider this message your warning.

3) During the Participation and Grand Prize claims period, we will also process skill claims if you are getting your personal skill or ranking up from the Grand Prize skill point. Please combine these into one message, this helps us out!

4) If you miss the period to submit your Participation or Grand Prize, you forfeit these prizes. Do not procrastinate.

5) If you miss the initial period to rank up after an activity point, or if you claim your grand prize but forget to rank up with the skill point, you’re fine! However, please wait until 9/15 before sending in these claims.

As always, please feel free to ask any questions!

- The House Leaders

[toa-electricsheep]

0750 Hours : Sylvain, Brigid, Severa, Hinoka

“This is no place for civilians,” the officer responds. “As I’m sure you’re aware this is a restricted area, and nepotism will not get you far here. How you managed to slither in here is another matter.... right now, I am taking you all into custody.”

“I refuse.” 

“You seem to think you have a choice in the matter.” Sasha deflates. None of this should be a surprise, and yet Sasha’s heart races nervously. This is a betrayal of everything she grew up with, what she thought she could believe in. Or was it? The phaser weighs heavily in its holster. They are all at the precipice of a significant moment in this history. Sasha doesn’t know what she needs to wait for, only that she needs to buy a bit more time. Someone is coming for her. To reunite...

In a way, the officer is right. Sasha doesn’t have any choice. Though it’s more like, this is the right path forward, and she absolutely must follow it.

Shadows descend from the sky, pulling the soldier’s attention away from them. It’s the opportunity she needs to grab Severa’s arm and tell her to run.

0750 Hours: Soren, Lorenz, Marth, Byleth

That ambulance, behind his mission, is of the highest priority. Finding medical attention for Byleth is one reason, but there is something else that drives L-431475 to seek out this vehicle, this particular doctor. Something embedded deep into his code that he can’t quite grasp, only that he knows he must do it.

The emergency exit is free and clear, and L-431475 quickly takes the lead. These ‘Archivists’ don’t seem all that knowledgeable about the mechs they pilot, and so he takes great pains to demonstrate the process. The mech’s legs bend. His motor rumbles, flames combust within him. The AI launches upwards, past decommissioned checkpoints and sensors, into the familiar bright-blue sky of Outside. The KM300′s wings deploy, and they glide against the wind.

His next mission is to reunite with ‘her.’ Who is ‘her’?

“Enemy signals detected near our destination.” A meager force, two at best, but their body language appears threatening towards the two individuals outside, and perhaps the six within the ambulance as well. A quick scan.... odd. Four of these individuals do not appear in public records. But one of them is the doctor L-431475 located earlier, and that is all the reason he needs to intervene. “Eliminating threat.”

Administrator Marth tried to preach to him about the importance of human lives. But that still remains illogical. Allies and administrators must be protected at all costs. Anything that stands in the way of his mission is just an obstacle to overcome. L-431475 points his arm towards the targets and fires liberally, until the only heat he detects is the smoking engine from the Hummer and what little remains from the bodies.

He lands on the ground, scanning once more. The neutral parties seem to be alive. Turning on the coms, he addresses the civilians, “I require medical assistance.”

0750 Hours : Farina, Forsyth, Shez, Pelleas

“Good, you’re all here.” Raoul greets you at Section 7 as promised, relief clear in his voice. “I’m contacting you through the private squadron coms right now, so no one else present here will hear us. Of course, we’ll be found out once the higher-ups comb through our communications, but with luck, we’ll be too far from them to deal with the consequences...”

His voice turns grave. “Listen to me carefully. You’re... not from here, are you? From this city, I mean.” Raoul chuckles nervously, “I sort of sympathize. Not understanding these rules, these orders... Which is why I want you all to go. Now. Take the KM950s with you—they’ll be more than enough to break through the building. The military has their sights set on the collection right now, they won’t be able to handle escaped mechs at the same time.

“All I ask for in return... is that you go to that horde of AI roaming about in the city. And make sure my Jeanne is ok...”

What to know:

Practice team and Archives team are reunited! The circumstances are fucking terrible though!

Sasha’s first thought is to book it out of there. Holy shit??? What the fuck??? But also torn, because she can’t shake the feeling that she knows this guy...

Laelaps just wants a bandaid for Byleth, is that so much to ask 😔

Raoul wants his squadron to leave and he will absolutely NOT take no for an answer. If asked who Jeanne is, he says that ‘she’ is an AI from his old mech and not much else...

Yes, you can hear gunshots outside. No, you don’t know who fired them. Perhaps if you left to investigate...

Things to do:

Things are getting dicey over here... perhaps leaving Is the move. 

Practice team and Archives team are free to thread with each other and travel together.

Ask Mod Bren for additional information.

[saionofvalflame]

❀ enthralling tales

He’s so very tired.

It’s been months since he was sucked in, or at least he thinks that might be the case—for all he knows, time hardly moves at all in the real world while it flows free and fast here. If it were simply him being stuck here in this strange new world, it probably wouldn’t be so exhausting; however, he made the choice (mistake?) to get a job at an emergency clinic, and ever since then it’s just rush-rush-rush almost all the time. True, he’s helping save lives, but continuously treating injuries and consoling family members and patients alike while they await help and recovery, day in and day out? It’s taken a toll on his body and spirit, and he has no idea how much longer he can do this.

Saias carefully slips off his gloves (snapping them off like they do in TV shows, he’s learned, is a surefire way to spread whatever contaminants are on them) and deposits them in the garbage with a weary sigh. He cleans up with a swift efficiency gained throughout his time here and clocks out, scrubbing at his eyes with freshly-washed hands. Leaving the clinic with a wave tossed to his coworkers over his shoulder, the redhead makes his way to the nearby coffeeshop in search of a quick bite and a quiet place to read. In his current state, he won’t be able to deal with his roommates back at his apartment, and he takes his newly acquired drink and breakfast sandwich to a small table in the corner of the café that he’s come to haunt lately. Setting his meal down, he takes out his phone and unlocks it, finding a new message in the group chat with a few of his friends from this place. The three Marines are a frequent enough presence in his life, what with them living near his own place and often seeking treatment for themselves or their squadmates at his clinic. He’s interacted enough with them that they’ve become their own people to him, not simply characters in whatever story he’s in.

seraphimdown: ange found this, thought you might be interested.

seraphimdown: fictionfans.net/s/1234567/1/They-First-Dreamed-of-Electric-Sheep

Saias raises an eyebrow at the link name, but clicks it anyway; it opens to the familiar website and the first chapter of another unofficial story. Science fiction isn’t completely his favorite, but if his friend recommended it, then this particular piece must be up his alley in some way. With a shrug, he settles in to read.

The story’s fun so far, he thinks, though a few names here and there catch his eye as familiar. He must be really homesick if he’s finding his friend’s names in a bit of fanfiction; several of them have names that he’s come to understand as relatively common or normal in this world. But then he reads the name “Marth” and his heart stutters to a stop.

It can’t be a coincidence... right?

He continues on, recognizing more names from the academy, until he finishes the last chapter. The data for the story reads “Updated: Aug 19, 2022.” That’s today’s date. Checking the publishing date reveals the first chapter was posted on August 1st. There are nineteen chapters.

What are the odds?

Clicking on the author’s name, RBK Emblemers, brings up a profile and a list of other works by this person (or people if the name is any indication). The redhead counts six total works, then picks the one titled Queen’s Compass and begins to read that one as well. More familiar names pop up as he reads, and Saias has to return to the author’s profile to check some things. Six works, all of which were first published on August 1st, all of which have nineteen chapters, one for every day that has occurred this month. If he has his math right, this is around the same time as that fateful mission to the Sealed Forest and the other locations around Fódlan during last year’s Lone Moon, the one that supposedly never happened because time reset.

Mind racing, Saias reads and reads. He blasts through Divas Don’t Write Love Songs and I Became the Villainess and Now I Have to Break Her Curse?! and picks out more and more names from the academy. He gasps in delight when he finds Chrom’s name in Edge of Eden and breaks down sobbing when he finds Father’s name in Quiet Wood. Someway, somehow, they’re here in the Projectionist’s book too. The monastery must’ve put together a rescue mission of sorts to come get him and everyone else trapped in the enchanted tome. They’re coming for him, and the month is drawing to a close... when it ends, will they find him?

saionic: you’re a lifesaver, you know that?

seraphimdown: ... i assume you are not referring to my occupation???

For the first time in a long time, he has hope.

Saias smiles in anticipation.

[ulirblood]

crab rave

while the ichaival’s travel to almeiira is less than desirable, they at least seem able to dock at the shore just fine. though the same could not be set about the ship’s condition... rivenn stays back to work on the ship, but edain can’t let herself rest in the meantime.

rivenn, surprisingly, lets her go off by herself— but not without forcing a first aid kit her way and a warning to be careful. “don’t do anythin i wouldn’t do.” to which edain only gives him an exasperated smile. “i’m not a child, rivenn. i’m just going to explore the shoreline, alright? i’ll be back before you even know it.”

with his (apparent) permission to go explore, edain steps off the ship with the first aid kit in tow. the fog in the area is dense, and even straining her eyes she can’t seem to see very far.

with a fair amount of caution taken in each step, she makes her way down the shoreline while looking for anything even mildly interesting. most of it is anything you’d normally spot on a beach like the one before her... however a metal rod in the (seeable) distance catches her eye.

when she goes to pick it up, she knows what it is thanks to previous events at the monastery. she remembers pendrell using it on her before with a grimace...and if there was any doubt in her mind the magic that radiates off the rod gets rid of it. though she’d rather not have to resort to using it she keeps it on her person anyways in the case of an emergency. or maybe she could give it to rivenn later...

while pondering how she could make use of the dreaded weapon, she continues her way further down the shore.

@ulircursed @prince-pineapple 

[einjelique]

continued from [ here ]

Nanna sat down on the couch and made herself comfortable, nodding as Azama pressed play. She had no clue what a movie really was— but from her unlimited resources ‘online’ (what a wonderful tool!), she had learned that it was similar to moving pictures, not unlike the show they would be on.

It begins, and she’s still trying to grasp how horror can possibly translate off the pages of a novel— and it doesn’t take long. Each sudden noise makes her jump, trying her best to stifle her cries. “P— people watch this sort of thing for fun…?”

@carefreemonk

[lalamines]

daylight fading

​The stench of bleach burns in her nostrils as Mercedes tries desperately to scrub out the blood from the stark, white linens. A futile attempt to chase away the reality of death and decay the empire tries so hard to hide in places like this. It isn’t, however, her loyalty to the Empire that drives Mercedes to clean the infirmary wing from top to bottom with a single-minded drive. As if nothing else matters.

It’s a vain, pitiful attempt to hide her guilt. Cover up the feeling of inadequacy that creeps in day in and day out. There’s so little she can do here. So many lives cut brutally short - and what for?

The ones that do recover are sent back out there. To fight. To bleed. To die for the empire.

It’s a story that never seems to change. Mercedes finds herself adrift; floating in stormy seas, wishing the maelstrom would just pull her under already. There are no answers to be found here. No reasons to move forward. Young and naive as she had been, Mercedes applied herself to her medical studies with the dream of helping others. Now, she finds herself at the outpost, the years having worn her spirit down. Had General Malo always been so harsh and cruel? Had the recruits always worn such fearful expressions?

It was hard to say. Almost impossible to recall brighter, more hopeful times. It’s with a heavy sigh she gives up - time to incinerate these sheets and replace them. Bundled up in her arms, Mercedes makes her way to the exit in order to dispose of her waste. The doors however, slide open before she can even approach.

“Oh! It’s you!” Mercedes plasters a smile on her face. It doesn’t reach her eyes, not quite. Yet it’s better than demoralising the troops who work so tirelessly. Who risk their lives, for a future that may not ever be realised. “Is everything alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

@vonochs or @ylisseanstar

[ulircursed]

a pirate’s life (is not) for me

     Andrei half-expects to be thrust directly into a fight after touching the pages of the Projectionist’s book, as it had been in their previous attempt. He’d have almost welcomed it, in fact; after what’d occurred on the monastery’s grounds, he’d have taken anything as an alternative to dwelling on the unpleasant reunion that had occurred.

     Instead of a battle, though, the falling sensation and harsh landing are accompanied by the sound of crashing waves, and the archer opens his eyes to what seems like the square of a seaside town, a strident voice ringing through the area for all to hear.

“The King has ordered a new decree!” the town crier declares. “At long last! Our King has deigned descend from his tower to greet us with a challenge: ‘Find my queen, and never shall you want for anything.’ Ohoho, folks, the race is on!”

     Another part of a story, then. The bustle from the townsfolk immediately increase at the declaration, and Andrei hastily stands, picking up his bow (fallen, fortunately, just at his side) and trying to regain his bearings as he looks around for any others who are part of their newest attempt at a rescue mission.

     There’s a green-haired man not far away from where he landed, looking just as out of place among the scattered residents of the seaside town. Andrei takes a few steps in approach, before another figure in the corner of his vision catches his full attention.

     No. Why here, of all places?

     He freezes, eyes meeting Edain’s for a moment as the events of the previous meeting crashes back unbidden into his consciousness. He opens his mouth to speak — what more is there to say? — before aborting the motion with a harsh swallow. No. They have a mission here. There’s little time to continue their private squabbles, as he’s sure even she’ll agree with.

     And besides... She’ll be glad for an excuse to leave him behind again.

     Without a word, Andrei turns in the opposite direction and begins walking away.

@ulirblood​ & @dracofalchions​

[alluxerim]

a dirge of light and destruction

     “Come on,” Khalkós nudges Lucius as he remains standing at the foot of the great tree, staring at its flittering inhabitants with a mournful expression, “We can’t just stay here forever. I mean, knowing you, you probably can, but that doesn’t mean you should.” She leans in closer. “Remember that we need to keep looking for the magic; whatever will help save the forest might help save them as well,” she points out, one hand motioning to the beetle in Lucius’ palm.

     “You’re right...” Lucius turns, too, at Linhardt’s voice, noting the items held in the other’s hands. He makes no move to discourage taking these items; it’s true that they are of no use to their original owners any longer, and if Linhardt can find a use for them, even as mere entertainment... maybe that’s a way to perpetuate the memories of the those who had once held these same items. “Yes, let us continue,” he says with a weak attempt at a smile.

     The moment he steps out of the tree’s shadows, the beetle’s wings flutter, and in a moment it flies from his grasp to rejoin its brothers and sisters in a branch far above them. “Ah...” Lucius’ gaze follows it until it disappears, an inexplicable pang of loss in his chest. St. Elimine, I beseech you...

     ...What would, what could he even pray for on their behalf?                             (‘This is their fate for eternity.’)

     Peace. At least, at least, grant them that, he pleads silently as they leave the tree behind, the last traces of the once-children quickly fading within the fog and eerie stillness that envelops them on their way forward.

@pridelessdaydreamer