The Citadel of Sorcery

[YOLF]

Edelgard

She kept her gaze low as they strode under the wonders and multicolored layers of this town level. In another time, the diversity and rich bluster of the Citadel would have amazed Edelgard. Today there was only a thin trace of envy, mixed with practical curiosity.

"Want anything, Sakura?" The warior asked, surveilling the many who were stuck with manual labor amidst the climate of opulence and fantasy.

[SINIB]

Sakura

Sakura slowly walked around starry-eyed at the opulent display of unrestrained knowledge and wealth, practically drooling at the sight of it all. She didn't really notice when Edelgard asked her question, simply walking forwards, looking for a shop that specialized in physical enhancements.

[Bern]

Neptune

"hahahahahah.... Now yield to me, acknowledge that you were utterly beaten by me! You're not getting away now!" Even being stuck under this giant cat couldn't deter her for her celebration, a winner was a winner was a winner after all. No need to care for the losers or their lost pages or whatever. No no no.... What she did do however was something far more diabolical and cutesy.... she begun scratching the feline that was on top of her.

[Aiden]

Sakura

Sakura slowly walked around starry-eyed at the opulent display of unrestrained knowledge and wealth, practically drooling at the sight of it all. She didn't really notice when Edelgard asked her question, simply walking forwards, looking for a shop that specialized in physical enhancements.

House Antioch

Many of the shop signs here were in languages that, at first look, neither girl could understand at all. But paying more attention to them revealed the genius behind them - translation charms imbued into the wood via carved runes which made them comprehensible to anyone with even a hint of literacy. Examples included "Ward's Wards for Warriors", "Matty's Specialist Reagents," and "The Hackity Hag's Poultices." None of them have window displays exactly, except for Ward's with show pieces for weapons and armor, but they were alluring.

There were also some lines outside the doors. The two of them could overhear conversation between patrons. "... get that bullet barrier touched up yet?" "I'm trying to bargain him down a bit, ya know? He charges an arm and a leg for fixing other peoples' work..."

"... son needs more of that ah, rash cream." Another pair whispered, hushed conversation. "Well it's his fault for not going to the Luscious Angel for his demon fun, lass. Discount whores just cause trouble!" "It's not exactly close."

And so forth.

[YOLF]

Edelgard

Edelgard didn't know why the name grated on her so much, but that shop for warriors got her interest. She understood the sign even though the script was unfamiliar because of magic, but the contents were more important. She felt slightly as she once did as a prospective commander, looking for the best that a new troop had to offer, despite herself.

Her companion seemed of a similar mind, and the Forsaken was soon enough near-stomping up to that shopfront, staring through the display in furrowed focus, practically looming on the two having an unrelated conversation about the price of a barrier. (The forsaken had long learned to tune out the constant buzz of chatter in big cities, a necessity of her once uprooted life.)

[Kotomine_Rin]

Neptune

"hahahahahah.... Now yield to me, acknowledge that you were utterly beaten by me! You're not getting away now!" Even being stuck under this giant cat couldn't deter her for her celebration, a winner was a winner was a winner after all. No need to care for the losers or their lost pages or whatever. No no no.... What she did do however was something far more diabolical and cutesy.... she begun scratching the feline that was on top of her.

Lawrence

The large lion purred and only sat down further on the lady, pressing down on her like she was its newfound bed and nuzzled her comfortably.

The ashen man panted and wheezed, but it was no use. His struggling vessel of paper could hardly lift the creature, let alone itself. His eyes shot at her, and yet there was no hopelessness to it. You could almost see a weak smile. "Hey. That's...not fair... I got you first this time... hehehehe..."

His expression was almost happy for a moment. Only after a moment was there hesitation; Then silence. And so it all falls back, back to how it is and has been and will ever be. And the faint smile turned into a sorrowful expression. The cat melted down into nothing, and Phenex returned into to him as well. His pale body was now again covered by tattoos that crawled into his skin, and his white hair turned black as a raven.

"Victory is yours, I suppose. May I get up?"

[Bern]

Neptune

"Awwww..."

You could hear the disappointment in her voice as the fluffy cat disappeared, but it did no last for long. She jumped back onto her feet and turned towards the downed man.

"You can get off him now."

"......."

"I said get off him, look I get you're jealous that he had pushed down, but that doesn't mean you can crush him."

"..........."

"Fine, you're unbelievable geez..... You can fuck me later ok mr. Dogoo~"

The slimey monster bounced away from the downed magician the moment those words were spoken with great speed.

"I hope you have something interesting for me after I basically sold myself for your sake~"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lawrence

His eyes narrowed for a moment.

With a pained struggle, he managed to get up with his feeble limbs. Lawrence coughed sickly, trying to hold himself balanced before he wiped the dust off his ebon coat. His hands ran across his disheveled hair a bit, only enough so that he could look at her in the eye for a moment.

"Who knows? My sake is quite the meager thing." Despite his weak body, the pale man spun his cane about and let it clack on the ground, and turned away from her. He smiled.

"That demon has spread its roots about like a disease, but his influence is spread thin... for now. Perhaps we could harvest some materials."

He stepped calmly towards the exit, slowly, not even so much as looking back at her before he picked up his book and re-opened it. Ah, yes, there. Of course...

"It's your choice, but I could show you around a bit. And of course, you would be rewarded for your assistance." As he said that, his other hand reached for his pocket and revealed something amazing. Something incredible. Concealed all this time, he revealed the nectar of the gods.

It was a convenience store pudding snack.

He didn't really like sweets, you know? He just wanted to get rid of it really.

[Bern]

Neptune

Her eyes lit up as he begun speaking off why he had actually arrived. "Oh materials? Harvest? Tell me more!"

Quick as a flash she caught up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "What makes you think I'll just let you leave without spilling the beans on exactly what you want. Surely it can't have anything to do with those sweets you're dangling around? Her breathe tickled his ear as she leaned closer. "And don't you dare think I'm giving up on you...."

She breathed in an continued with an even softer sounding voice. "You came in and sought my help, so I'll make damn sure you leave satisfied, even if it kills me."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lawrence

"Hrm, I thought you'd say that." He sighed, but really he didn't expect less. He counted on it.

...

...

He just stood there, incredibly stiff and uncomfortable.

...

He really needed to stop getting worked up about these things. "Very well. I suppose I'll make the first move." He raised his hand high in the air and snapped his fingers. In that moment, the ground beneath them caught fire, and in a moment they flew on top of a flaming bird at top speed. Dragged away without mercy! Where? Who knows...

"Gyahahahah! It's barbecue time!"

[SINIB]

Sakura

Sakura, without question, pushed her way through the doors into the weapons shop, excited to see what was inside.

[Aiden]

Edelgard

Edelgard didn't know why the name grated on her so much, but that shop for warriors got her interest. She understood the sign even though the script was unfamiliar because of magic, but the contents were more important. She felt slightly as she once did as a prospective commander, looking for the best that a new troop had to offer, despite herself.

Her companion seemed of a similar mind, and the Forsaken was soon enough near-stomping up to that shopfront, staring through the display in furrowed focus, practically looming on the two having an unrelated conversation about the price of a barrier. (The forsaken had long learned to tune out the constant buzz of chatter in big cities, a necessity of her once uprooted life.)

House Antioch

The inside of the workshop appeared somewhat larger than the exterior suggested. Each wall hummed with magical energy, and the sounds of pounding hammers and crackling lightning reverberated throughout the shop. The entry chamber itself was wide open, display stands for armor and weapons lining each wall. At the center was a large table where a tanned, muscular bald man with mystical tattoos up and down his arms chiseled something into hot steel plating.

"It bends, but does not break. It shares the load, stronger together..."

His words echoed with power. Two grey-robed figures held the plate in place with gloved hands, and appeared to be feeding heat into it with magic to keep it malleable while he worked.

Off to the side stood a red-headed woman in armor of her own. She kept her arms crossed, observing the process with a frown of concentration.

[YOLF]

Edelgard

Edelgard hadn't seen such intensive smithing work in a while. Even before they had been banished to the Wastelands, where their magical crafts had turned to warped and horrific relics, the most revered makers among the Forsaken did not use magic; they understood the art of creation in a different way, like Edelgard understood her blades and polearms.

She walked past the group and up to the red-haired woman. "Work here?"

[SINIB]

Sakura

"Haaah, it's like harry potter..." Sakura remarked to herself, smiling at this fun new experience. She contented herself to simply watching the magical smiths at work.

[Aiden]

House Antioch

"Unite, unite..." The smith chanted as they began to bend the material, revealing more fully the shape of the runes as they stretched across its surface. Then they started to graft more plates of metal, more ornate ones, to the piece.

The redheaded woman blinked at being addressed like that, then looked Edelgard over once. And twice, blinking a few more times. "Oh, no I wouldn't say that. I'm here waiting for them to finish putting the last touches on my order."

She smiled, and shrugged. "You know how it is; you want to celebrate your old apprentice taking on their first apprentice, but you can't get anyone in your own order to do it because they're all a bunch of gossips."

Her emerald jewelry and the gems inset in her armor hummed with an abundance of stored mana to Edelgard's eyes.