Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

"I'll bet~" Shiva replied sardonically to Celeste's joyous reaction and the assertion that she and Daniel were working on being more discreet about their future meetings. She seemed somewhat skeptical about it, but merely smiled at Celeste as she bounced around in joy.

The psychic quirked an eyebrow at her mention of another concern, but adopted an understanding expression when she mentioned Gravus. "Ahhhh, that!" she said brightly, though a definite tension had appeared in the woman's stance. "Well, there wouldn't have been a problem," she said, "...If he hadn't tried to mind control Katy. I had some problems with that, and he took insult when I pointed out his offense. Let it just be said that he survived the blast, and that I'm sure a demon can heal from that!"

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

"O-oh dear," Celeste said softly after hearing Shiva's explanation. She paused a moment, a bit of her bouncy joy removed from her demeanor as she nervously considered the information. "W-well," she said after a few seconds, raising one hand in a considerate manner, "As noble as your intent to protect Katy was, a less... aggressive response may have been more appropriate." Celeste laughed once, then added, "That said, I'm glad to hear you had such concern for your fellow researchers." She smiled apprehensively, then continued, "Perhaps if I meet this noble someday we can clear it all up and put all of this behind us."

With that matter hopefully resolved, Celeste began to return to her earlier exuberance. Clearing her throat, she happily asked Shiva, "As the new head researcher, is there anything you think I should know about yourself or the other researchers?" She cocked her head slightly and added, "Gravus gave me a report earlier, but he seems so concerned about the more... administrative concerns that he didn't tell me much about the people I would be working with." She looked around while making the comment to make sure the serious man wasn't in earshot, then turned back to look at Shiva sweetly. "So do you think there's anything important I should know? I suppose I'll learn more at dinner, but until then..."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Shiva's smile never faded, though a more perceptive person might have noted the slight hints that it was forced in the psychic's expression, or heard the strain underlying her voice. "I did what was necessary... And only as much. I need no more defense than that," she offered softly, "If I was in the same situation for anyone else on this expedition, I'd do the same. The only consideration that I'll offer to a rapist and a slaver like the demon that went after Katy is what is viable within the law. Self defense is perfectly legal in Acheron, particularly if one's attempts are as obvious as those of the demon that sparked this issue."

Turning to the issue that Celeste brought up next lightened the psychic's mood considerably, and after letting out a soft sigh she leaned back and explained; "Gravus is a decent accountant, but he's definitely not a people person. Not like you, at any rate. So, what would you prefer, the gossip version or the purely factual version?"

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Even as oblivious as she normally is, even Celeste could tell by Shiva's words that the subject was touchy, at best. She decided it best to let the matter drop, and delve further into a subject the both of them seemed interested in.

"Gossip! G-" Celeste began to almost shout happily, bouncing wildly until she suddenly caught hold of herself. She took a moment to clear her throat then smiled and continued, "I think it's essential for someone in a position like mine to know everything about the situation before making important decisions." Celeste quickly grabbed a nearby chair and set it down before the desk, sitting down and leaning forward with an eager look on her face. "A-anything you think I should know I would be happy to hear about!"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

For some reason, Shiva smirked at Celeste's excited reaction to her statement, and after she'd calmed down and taken a seat across from her the psychic glanced aside to ensure that no one else was listening before beginning to speak in hushed tones; "I can tell you and Annita are gonna get along just fine! Well, if it's gossip you want.... As you've probably guessed, Daniel's gotten into the pants of every girl on the expedition except for me, and Katy's a bit hung up on him despite that. She's his most recent conquest, and I believe he was her first too, though you'd have to ask them about that cuz I don't know for sure. He and Robert tend to get on people's nerves deliberately, mostly via childish pranks and the like, but they've been really getting to Gravus and Delvin lately. Delvin was the serious one with the big beard, in case you forgot. Cooper, the goody good who introduced himself as Andrew, has been trying to get people to work together, but.... He's not really very good at it.

"Delvin and Annita have been at odds for a while, mostly because he chewed Daniel out for dumping her for Katy while she still fancied the little prick, but they've been pretty cordial to each other for a while now. She started vectoring for girls after Danny boy's indiscretions, but so far hasn't made a successful pass at any of us as far as I know. Serena, the girl with the horns, is probably the only one she got close to, but then she ended up boning a satyr that had boned too many demons as soon as we arrived and earned her new appendages. She's a succubus, a natural one, which I'm told is pretty rare among pureblood humans, which she continues to claim to be despite one of the city guards immediately identifying her as kin when we walked into town. She's a bit of a flower child, but Annita's still a better alchemist than she is... Oh! And she and Gravus are fucking. They're keeping it a better secret than you and Daniel were, but me and Cooper both know at the very least, and I guess now you do too. I think that's everything.... Wait, Andrew almost went with Robert and Daniel to that brothel, but he chickened out at the last minute."

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Normally, Celeste was an open book to anyone she interacted with. This was no exception. Despite the young mage's attempt to appear professional and calm, she couldn't help but let her every emotion show openly on her face as Shiva explained the various goings on in the group. Celeste smiled when Shiva said she and Annita would get on well, then blushed furiously as she revealed the truth about Daniel's "relationships." Sympathy for Katy, curiosity at Daniel and Robert's pranks, and respectful appreciation for Andrews attempts at teamwork. They were all easy to discern on Celeste's face as she eagerly listened, enraptured, to the psychic's accounts.

The young woman's eagerness and open emotions continued as Shiva explained the web of drama that had formed among the group's members, but at the same time, Celeste was making mental notes of everything. As sociable as she was, the mage had become quite adept at learning and maneuvering through the complex intricacies of the various relationships that occur in the cloistered life of the Academy. Perhaps that would serve her well here, as well. Nodding at each of Shiva's pieces of information, she made a mental diagram of the group, committing it all to memory.

"Ooohh," Celeste cooed as Shiva finished her inventory, "So much drama!" Her smile brightened even further as she happily basked in everything she had learned. "Oh, I can't wait to meet everyone more intimately so I can learn more!" she said excitedly. Celeste immediately began to imagine how all this information could be used to improve the group's dynamic. Perhaps Andrew had some ideas on how to get the others to work together better. She would have to ask him. Serena, as a natural succubus, could also be a great help, though getting her to admit the fact and perhaps make use of it might be difficult. Celeste wondered if Gravus might be willing to help her with that. On the other hand, if Annita had almost gotten close to the horned druid, maybe Celeste should ask her instead. Delvin sounded like he cared about Annita, would he know something? Does Katy know something about Daniel that might be useful? There was no end to the questions!

As possibilities swam in her mind, Celeste suddenly had a thought. She smiled at Shiva, then said, "Hey, you didn't include anything about yourself in that list." She laughed, and then asked jokingly, "I wonder who I would have to talk to to get the dirt o you?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Obvious as the mage was, it was clear as day that Shiva was reading Celeste like an open book. She made no effort to hide it, adding inflection to the points that seemed to interest Celeste the most, basing her estimations on what had drawn the most reaction from the mage. It was a harmless affectation, but Celeste got the impression that the psychic was testing her, and when she was finished delivering the gossip on the group's interrelations it was impossible to tell whether or not she'd met the woman's expectations.

"Eheh.... Well, I'm sure a couple of them would be happy to, ahhh, get more to know you more intimately~" Shiva remarked lightly, retaining her mischievous smirk. "Robert and Annita for sure, and you might have some luck with Andrew and Katy after you got everyone's acts together earlier. I do hope all of that wasn't for show by the way, we're doing pretty poor right now and I'd hate to have to trek all the way back to Crolia on a pauper's salary. You even made me think that we could get this to work!" she added frankly, her eyes edging just slightly with concern despite her efforts to keep her tone light.

The question about digging up some dirt on her, however, caused Shiva to let out a quick bark of laughter. "Ohoho, on me?" she said jovially, though she then adopted a suggestive look and cooed; "All you've got to do is ask sweetheart~" She held that countenance for only a few seconds, grinning at Celeste with a coy smirk and half-lidded eyes, before giggling and losing it for a more bemused expression. "Well," she began once her fit of giggles was done with, "Gravus thinks I'm a troublemaker, though that's mostly because I don't care to bullshit people as seems to be required in polite society. Katy and Annita both think I hate their boyfriend, though really I just think he's a bit of a jackass. Robert and I get along pretty well, and I can say the same about Delvin and Serena. I haven't talked much with Andrew. IF you really want some juicy stuff on me though, you could start with Daniel if you want to risk close proximity again. He and I knew each other before this expedition. That smell of his though... You've got one sort of like it, actually. Almost makes me want to break my self-imposed celibacy and see if you're as good on a woman as you seem to be on a man~"

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Celeste smile only brightened as Shiva mentioned some of the others willingness for intimacy, obviously not understanding the joke. She was happy to hear that the woman thought some of the group would already be receptive to her, though she her expression did falter a bit at Shiva's concern. "Well, I certainly hope so as well, I'm still new to be a leader and all," she said, tilting her head and looking away self-consciously. "This mission is important to me, for more than just proving myself to the Academy, or research." She didn't continue, and nervously twiddled her thumbs for a second until changing the subject.

"Oh, really?" Celeste asked, her usual cheery mood returning as Shiva coyly teased the mage. Once again, she appeared oblivious to any more subtle meaning beyond the obvious, though when Shiva began to giggle, Celeste joined her, simply enjoying the woman's company. Once the psychic began to speak plainly though, Celeste was shocked enough by her admissions that she remained silent during her exposition. The mention of smell however, caused the young woman to sit bolt upright in her chair. "S-smell?" she asked softly, fear and embarrassment in her voice. At first, she was worried that perhaps the quick wash she had given herself in the store room had simply not been enough, and began to wonder if the house had a full bath she could use. It lasted only a second, though, until she remembered the strange sweet smell that had assaulted her when she first approached Daniel. Just as she began to ponder the implications of this realization though, Shiva's joke brought a quick blush to the mage's face, a sudden moment of clarity striking her like a sledgehammer.

"Ah-ha, well, m-maybe..." Celeste stammered, her form withdrawing slightly under Shiva's gaze, "I mean, I'm... it's just..." Unable to form a complete sentence, the young woman pushed her chair back and stood up suddenly. "K-Katy will probably be back soon," she said, "We wouldn't want to be sitting out in the hall flir-I mean-gossiping when everyone else showed up." Shaking uncontrollably while she made up her excuse, Celeste struggled to push the chair back where she had pulled it from, while glancing to and from Shiva constantly. "I mean, maybe we should discuss it... another time..." She trailed off, not really sure what she was saying, but feeling like she needed to say something.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

"Oh... Uhhh, alright then," Shiva said, evidently surprised by Celeste's sudden change in tact and demeanor. Putting the chair back where she'd found it, Shiva said; "Well, I suppose we'll have plenty of time to talk later." With that, Celeste was free to go wherever she liked, either going outside or somewhere in the house. She hadn't been upstairs yet, but could go looking around downstairs if she preferred not to leave the first floor. There was the kitchen, where she'd already been, Gravus' office (now technically also her office,) the store room, the dining room, and the door in the dining room that she hadn't been through yet.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Laughing nervously as she backed away, Celeste smiled and waved at Shiva, apologizing for having to leave so soon. It wasn't that she disliked Shiva, or even that she was offended or put off by her joke. On the contrary, Celeste quite enjoyed her short talk with the straightforward psychic. It was just that, after her "encounter" with Daniel, the young mage was feeling especially cautious about putting herself in a position where she might lose control of herself again. 'After all, I don't want to have more secrets to keep from all my new friends,' she thought, hoping Shiva wouldn't hold her awkward exit against her.

Deciding to worry about such things later, Celeste began to wander through the house. She had spoken to both of the "troublemakers" Gravus had told her about, and had learned that the two were actually quite nice once given a chance. Celeste was certain the rest of the group would be just as welcoming and enjoyable to talk to. In the meantime though, she chose to simply explore the mansion, to see how the group was making out in the demon city.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Departing the room, Celeste went for the only place on the first floor that she hadn't been to yet, the one room off of the dining room, and found a largely empty room with a rather nice wooden floor and an old painting that had been turned to face the wall, leaving only bare canvas showing. There were two stairwells there as well, one lead up and another leading down, meaning she wouldn't have to go back through the waiting room to search upstairs.

If she went into the basement, she would find it a fairly dreary and dank place, the entry chamber having an empty bottle rack and some stacked boxes that looked even older than those in the storage room where she'd had her encounter with Daniel. If she opted to explore deeper in, she'd discover the place had another chamber to the left of the stairs that was empty save for a wide stone water basin with some water pipes around it, and another empty small chamber connected to yet another long chamber that was filled with more old boxes and had a very nice old desk at the end. It was fairly dark down here, requiring some sort of magical light to navigate, but such was hardly a challenge for the Academy magus. Celeste found Serena examining a growth of mushrooms in a pot containing some ashy soil at the end of the maze of boxes, a small glowing light hovering over her head. "Oh, hell ma'am!" the blue haired, horny woman said brightly, offering Celeste a smile and straightening to face her as she entered the room. "Were you looking for something? There's not much down here, mostly just stuff left over by the last owners."

If she went upstairs, she would find herself in another similarly sized room as the one she'd just left, only thing one contained a number of tables with packs on them, many of them open and display a variety of things. This was where the Academy Expedition kept their supplies, apparently, and things were looking fairly sparse at the moment. Doorways opposite one another at the corners of the room each led into a hallway containing a number of bedrooms, one on the side closer to the room with the stairs and two smaller ones on the farther side, as well as a room with a door on either side that had a room connecting both. Another stairway led up from the same room containing the stairs that had taken Celeste to the second floor. She would find Delvin lying on a cot in one of the smaller bedrooms, at that point looking over a book written in a language that Celeste wasn't familiar with.

The third floor was the top, and was organized just like the second floor. Its rooms were mostly empty save for two of the small rooms on the far side, which had been cleaned and were being used as bedrooms. The opposite wing had two locked doors, one leading into the larger room and the other into one of the smaller rooms. Also, both of the doors leading into the large room connecting both hallways were locked.

(Maps:

You must be registered to see the links

)

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Hope you don't mind if I speed things up a little.

The rest of the main floor held nothing of interest, so when Celeste found the stairwells she clapped her hands eagerly at the prospect of both an up and downstairs to explore. The young woman hummed to herself as she pondered which she should search first, before finally playing a quick round of eenie-meenie-minie-moe and concluding with the upper stairwell. Continuing to hum softly, she happily bounced up the stairs and to the second floor.

At the top of the stairwell, Celeste noticed the stash of supplies, or rather the dwindling stash. She took a quick look over the pile, but decided that Gravus could probably keep track of such things better than she. With that in mind she began to skip around the second floor, peeking curiously into the rooms along the halls. They seemed to be serving as bedrooms, though the well-off girl seemed a little surprised that some were so small. Only one roomed seemed rather large, though it appeared to be taken already. Peeking into another room she found Delvin. Just as she was about to call out to him sweetly, she noticed that he was reading a strange book. Rather than disturb him, she merely waved and smiled if he looked up before heading up to the third floor.

The mansion's top floor seemed fairly similar to the bottom, though there were a number of locked doors. The idea that some of the rooms were locked seemed strange to the girl, and she decided to ask Gravus about them later. When she found the open door with a large master bedroom that seemed unused, she almost squealed in delight. 'At least I won't have to sleep cooped up in a tiny little closet', she thought happily as she went to test the bed by jumping on it experimentally. Once she had searched the upper floors, Celeste decided to head down to the basement, humming and skipping all the way.

Her joyful attitude dampened just a bit when Celeste descended into the basement. It was so dark and dreary, she was reminded instantly of why she disliked such places. A quick light spell made it easy enough to see, though the stale air and dustiness of the place remained. Still, it was someplace to explore, so she did, though her skips changed to small careful steps as she peaked around corners and watched her footing. The first room had a bunch of old boxes, which she was sure Gravus had accounted for, and not much else. The second had what appeared to be an old stone bath. Joy! She would have to learn how to work the ancient plumbing later. For now, she ventured further into the basement.

As she came upon Serena at the rear of the basement, Celeste smiled and returned her greeting warmly, though the pot full of mushrooms caused the proper young woman to keep a bit of distance. "Hi, Serena!" she said sweetly, "I was just taking a quick look around the place. I figure if I'm going to be living here, I should know what it's like." Celeste smiled then added, "And just call me Celeste! There's no need for titles with me." Leaning over to get a better look while still remaining far enough away from the mushrooms, Celeste pointed at them and asked, "Something you found? I hear you're into plants, anything interesting about those?" As she talked about the mushrooms, Celeste's voice took on a slightly squeamish tone, though her smile remained as bright as ever.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

(That's quite fine, tis why I posted as much as I did.)

Though she didn't interrupt his reading by speaking, Delvin did apparently notice Celeste's presence, as he glanced up at her and smiled, going so far as to return her wave. He happily went back to his reading after she left, however.

Up on the third floor, Celeste found that the bed was old and musty and unkept, her jumping producing an explosion of dust and grime from the musty old bedding. It wasn't anything that Celeste couldn't deal with if she had some time to clean everything, but the room obviously hadn't been lived in for a long time. Perhaps more unusual than the dust, however, was the pained animalistic yelp that emanated when she first hopped on, a startling noise quickly followed by skittering and the sight of some creature coming out from under the bed. It wasn't very large, perhaps the size of the average dog, but the orientation of its joints was... Strange, as if they could bend in either direction so that the beast could stand on two or four legs. Its skin was smooth and as black as night, and it possessed a pair of long pointed ears sitting about where a human's would, but its head was smaller and longer like that of an animal, causing them to stick out a lot more than they would on a person. It also possessed long, thin, sharp-looking claws on all four of its limbs, though thankfully it seemed more intent on running than on turning them upon her. If Celeste didn't do something about it, however, the creature would quickly be out the room's single door to who-knows-where, and if she wanted to stop it she'd need to act fast.

Her exploration of her room-to-be did reveal a few other things about it before the creature made its appearance, however. Firstly, the window, a wide round stained glass piece, looked very expensive and very nice, its support detailing for the scene transitions done in only slightly tarnished bronze. It displayed the story of the brothers Michael and Boris, two gods who had allegedly risen from men that were brothers. There was a bookshelf with some old musty books, mostly just story books and novels written in Badaria, though she did spot a dictionary in the bottom left corner as well. There was a rug that covered the area to the right of the bed, an ornate oak armoire, a nighstand beside the bed, and a desk with a dust-covered mirror to round out the room's furnishings. As for the bed itself, it was fairly nice despite how dirty it was, possessing fine down pillows and blankets, perfect for cold winter nights once they were properly cleaned, and was made up of a large mattress, a box spring for support, and a bedframe made out of heavy duty oak. The headboard was fairly ornate, carved to resemble a two dimensional representation of the branches of a tree and containing a number of dips and gaps to give it texture.

Finally, when down in the basement and questioning Serena, the demonic magus seemed delighted at Celeste's interest in her pet project, cracking a smile despite her evident distaste for the mushrooms. "Oh yes! These are very rare mushrooms that possess a number of useful medicinal and alchemical properties. They're actually very valuable, and it was a stroke of fortune that I found some growing down here when we were cleaning! They're pretty tricky to cultivate, but I managed to get them to spore with some prompting. Don't worry, they aren't dangerous or anything, and they're perfectly legal to grow even back North in Crolia. We had a stock of them back in the Academy darkhouses, where we grew most of our medicinal fungi." She evidently hadn't missed the squeamish look that Celeste had adopted, as her smile took on a bit of a knowing look and she quickly added; "They're actually fairly clean for mushrooms too! They prefer to grow on decaying plant matter, particularly ferns or other dead fungi, and they can't do anything to hurt a person. Honest!"

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

As Celeste inspected the room, she was delighted by the rather ornate furnishings throughout. She marveled at the delicate bronze-work and stained glass of the window. While she was somewhat familiar with the story of Micheal and Boris, Celeste wasn't much a history student. Similarly, the ancient books drew a quick impressed hum from the young woman. She ran her fingertips over the armoire and nightstand, pleased at the fancy woodwork, despite a slight grimace at the lines that appeared in the thick dust covering them. Celeste raised the mirror and softly blew some of the dust from it before looking at the faint reflection of herself she could see in it. 'This room is incredible!' she thought, twirling as she crossed the room and approached the bed just prior to jumping onto it.

The giant plume of dust rising from the bed did nothing to hamper Celeste's cheery attitude, though it did raise cleaning the room all the way to the top of her priority list. Before she could cough and laugh it off however, a piercing shriek and flurry of movement erupted from just underneath the bed. At first Celeste was too surprised to react, but as soon as the creature emerged into sight, the young woman let out a frightened scream as she recoiled away from the sight. When she realized how large it was, her scream became louder and higher. As her eyes took in it's strange appearance, she scrambled backwards, falling off the bed and onto the floor before she turned and crawled frantically towards the door. Before she could reach it though, she saw the creature heading straight for her, and she instinctively raised her hands in front of her face while her scream rose in pitch and volume again.

After a few moments, Celeste noticed that she wasn't being attacked by whatever it was that had been crawling around the room. Breathing heavily, she looked around the room, forcing herself to calm down. It was gone! She was safe! With one final sigh, she stood up, slapping her robes to clear the dust that had inevitably covered them. Should anyone come to investigate, she would apologize for the outburst and assure them she was fine. "There was just a... large r-mouse," she would say, not sure at all what she had seen, but not wanting to scare anyone else. "Does this place have a... pest problem?" Once calmed down and clean, Celeste would resume her tour of the mansion, though she would take extra care to check anything that looked like a potential hiding place for any... creatures.


Down in the basement, Serena's passionate yet calm explanation of her mushrooms made a clear impact on Celeste. The young mage's expression brightened, and she regarded the mushrooms in a much more positive, though still restrained, manner. "Wow, Serena, that's incredible!" she said, impressed at the horned woman's obvious knowledge and intense affinity for nature. "It's great to know we have someone so well versed in a subject like this. If you hadn't been here, we might never have found these!" She smiled brightly at Serena, then continued, "Maybe you and Annita can get together and whip up some potions! I'll bet that would help out our finances rather well!" Celeste bounced happily at how well the group's prospects seemed to be improving. It seemed like she was right with her earlier speech, everyone in the group had useful skills, they just needed someone to bring them together and give them some motivation.

With the two of them conversing rather comfortably now, Celeste wondered if now might be the time to broach a question that had been brewing since she spoke to Shiva. "So, Serena," she began, a hint of nervousness evident despite her still bright smile, "I have to admit that one of the reasons I requested to be sent to Acheron is that I have an interest in demons." She grinned sheepishly, then continued, "Especially... succubi." Celeste chose not to ask Serena directly about the rumors that she was indeed a trueborn succubus, since Shiva had mentioned the woman rather vehemently denied it. "I'm trying to learn more about them. Do you know anything about them?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Celeste's reaction to the strange creature bolting out was apparently heard from below, as Delvin came charging into the room with a startled look and a spell of some sort already half formed between his hands a moment or so later. "What happened? Are you alright?" he demanded, barely even glancing at the Celeste as he seemed to be searching about for threats. Her reassurance caused him to fix her with a blank look though, and he slowly lowered his hands and released the gathering energies. "Oh..." he said, and then moved to try and help Celeste to her feet, "Well at least you're alright! I haven't seen any mice around, but I wouldn't be surprised if we had some. Been using magic to keep pests out of the food anyway, so we shouldn't have to worry about that at least." He squinted at Celeste, "Are you sure that you're alright?"


Down in the basement, after finding no sign of the creature she'd encountered in her potential room, Serena warmed quickly as Celeste became more congenial. "That's what I was growing them for!" she said cheerfully, gesturing toward the mushrooms, "So long as we don't take too many at a time and I keep tending to them, we should have a steady supply of them for use as ingredients. I was going to work it out with Annita after dinner."

When Celeste suddenly became nervous as she thought on the subject that she'd really wanted to talk about, the vaguely demonic women raised an eyebrow but waited for Celeste to get the words out without any interruptions or apparent impatience. When Celeste asked her questions, she waited a moment before replying; "Is this an academic concern, or are you asking because Shiva told you that I was the subject of your interest?" There was an edge of accusation in her voice, and she wasn't smiling anymore.

(We can do ye Celeste-Serena conversation via a chat client of some sort if possible, as it will probably be a lot of back and forth. IRC would be my preference, but AIM and MSN work too.)

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Delvin's sudden aggressive appearance brought another quick jump and gasp from the still tense young woman, though the reaction was only momentary. "I'm fine, Delvin," she assured the large man, a smile lighting on her face yet again, though her nervousness after the encounter was still evident. "I-I think it was more scared of me than I was of it," she continued, giggling softly before her recalling the strange creature and shuddering slightly. "But still, it's nice to know we've got someone in the group ready to come to a girl's aid when she needs it. Thanks, Delvin." Moving forward, Celeste put one hand on Delvin's arm, then leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

Stepping away from the man, Celeste took a quick look around the room and out the door. "I only saw it for a second, but it was big," she said, tensely inspecting behind the furnishings and under the bed. The creature seemed to be truly gone, for now at least, which brought a sigh of relief from the young woman. "I'm a little more concerned it might be interested in eating more than just the food," she said, laughing, though with an obvious bit of fear in her voice. "We just need to keep an eye out for scary things creeping around the place, I'm sure!" she said, before thanking him again and moving to continue her exploration.



Shifting nervously under Serena's suddenly cold gaze and irritable tone, Celeste knew that she was treading on thin ice now. From the way Serena spoke, the young mage was afraid if she spoke truthfully about why she asked, the conversation would end immediately. "No no!" she said, holding her hands up conciliatory, "There's just something about you that sparked my interest!" Celeste laughed nervously, not sure her words would assuage the horned woman. "I've... had a run in with a succubus before," she continued, blushing and turning away from Serena in embarrassment from her confession. "I really need to learn more about them..."

(I would be fine with doing this in chat, though I'm pretty slow at it. PM with info for the IRC channel and when you might have some time to do it)

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Delvin blinked at Celeste following the peck on the cheek, but then smiled sheepishly and said; "Tweren't nothin! A man hears a lady screaming, he's supposed to come for her!" Seemingly unaware of the innuendo he'd just made, the man grimaced at her description of the creature that had so disturbed her, and nodded solemnly as he said; "We'll just have to keep a sharp eye out for it. Perhaps it wasn't just some rat, if it was so big? It could be dangerous." With that said, he seemed ready to escort her downstairs and out of apparent danger, thus leading her to go into the basement while he returned to his reading....

Chat:

Spoiler

[19:04] <Tassadar003> Selena gave Celeste a flat look, the busty mage's attempts to console thewoman evidently not very effective. Her admission that she'd run into a succubus before seemed toraise the woman's interests however, as she raised an eyebrow and didn't immediately turn away."When? Where? How?" she asked, almost demandingly.

[19:09] <xivvix> Serena's sudden barrage of questions caught the young mage by surprise. Celeste jumped slightly before haltingly trying to answer the questions without simply blurting it all out."W-well, it was not long ago, b-back in the Academy." She brought a finger up to scratch nervously at her cheek before adding, "A slight miscalculation of a summoning spell." She laughed nervously again,then continued, "It was an... interesting encounter, and now I want to learn more."

[19:11] <Tassadar003> "Why?" Selena asked impatiently, "Why do you want to learn more? And how did you botch a summoning spell so badly that you called up a demon?" Despite the tilt of her hasty words, there was very little accusation in the other woman's words.

[19:21] <xivvix> Celeste cringed at Serena's questions, even though the woman seemed less angry than before. What had happened wasn't a story Celeste particularly cared to retell, not only embarrassed about the trick she had fallen for, but also for succumbing to the demoness' bargain, which she was now desperately seeking to undo. "Well, the summoning part WAS the miscalculation," she said with a laugh, rubbing the back of her head. "Not mine though!" she added quickly, before continuing,"I've been... different... ever since that night." She looked down, tenting her fingers together for a moment before finally continuing softly, "I want to learn more so I can understand what happened tome."

[19:25] <Tassadar003> Selena pursed her lips slightly, her frown shrinking further, and after waiting fora few seconds after Celeste had finished, said; "You were fed upon." It was a frank statement, and one delivered with absolute surety. "How are you.. Different? Besides the pheromones I mean, I smelled those as soon as you got close to me."

[19:39] <xivvix> The young woman nodded silently at Selena's assessment, though she knew that that wasn't ALL that had happened. Selena might be a trueborn succubus, but Celeste knew the demoness she had run into was something more. Asked about the changes, Celeste pursed her lips, then looked sheepishly at Selena, "Yes, I've heard others talk about pheromones. And it certainly explains why people seem... lively, around me." She cleared her throat, then continued, "I seem to be better attacking to people, sometimes. They do things they normally wouldn't, if I ask them nicely." After a second she quickly added, "Moreso than usual, that is, haha." She gulped then continued, "And when I was fighting a criminal earlier, every time I hit him with a spell... I started to feel good." Her face flushed bright red and she quieted down for a few seconds, obviously not wanting to elaborate on that. "But the weirdest thing is... sometimes I feel like another side of me takes over. I do things, when I know I shouldn't. Dirty things. Things I would never have done before. It's like there's someone else inside of me..." She trailed off, looking down at her feet sheepishly as the embarrassment from explaining everything so clearly left her shaking fearfully of how Selena might react.

[19:54] <Tassadar003> Selena's frown softened into an introspective look, and she contemplated foranother moment before saying; "That doesn't sound like anything that I've ever... Heard of. Mind control can't make all of that happen, not that subtlely, and it's too much for it to have just been corruption....This succubus, did she do anything else to you? Anything that you remember?"

[20:12] <xivvix43> Celeste was quiet for a moment, shifting back and forth as she considered what to say. Finally, she looked at Selena with an expression of mortification on her face and said, "It wasn't just that she took energy from me. She gave me some of her own in return." She looked back down and paused a moment, then returned her gaze to Selena, her look now one of determination, her voice calm but strong. "She said she would give me a portion of her essence. It was like she only fed upon me in order to make room for what she would put in it's place. What she gave me... it isn't supposed to be there!" Celeste's firm gaze faltered after a moment and she began wringing her hands.Her voice returned to it's former nervousness, and she continued, "That's why I need to find her. Or another like her."

[20:16] <Tassadar003> Selena was taken aback by that admission, but perhaps even more so by the fact that Celeste had dropped her normally bubbly exterior. Her calm but strong tone was evidently impressive to the succubus, and she was quicker to reply now as she said; "I don't even have any idea what that might mean. Succubi.... We... Normally don't return energy when we drain our partners, and what she might have done to you is beyond the scope of my experiences. I'm not even sure what another succubus could do by now, if what she put into you has had enough time to be absorbed into you, I don't think one of us could even drain it out of you to reverse the changes."

[20:40] <xivvix> While Selena's admission of uncertainty was distressing, Celeste was still happy that she had managed to inspire enough trust in the woman for her to admit her succubus nature. "I've been worried about that myself," Celeste replied, a sad smile on her face, "None of the books I've read said anything about something like that." Feeling very relieved that Selena had opened up to her, if only in an informative sense, Celeste moved over to lean against a wall. "Even though I had never met a succubus before, I could tell she was a powerful being." She raised a hand to her forehead and brushed her blonde hair away from her face. "I think I may be turning into a succubus myself, but not in the same way that some of the victims of the invasion did. It's more like... her essence is taking over mine." After a few quiet moments, Celeste looked back up at Selena with her normal happy expression and said, "Thanks, Selena. It feels good to be able to talk to someone about this." With a joyful bounce, Celeste leapt away from the wall. She gave a quick nod to Selena before saying, "You've helped. If I thought any succubus could help me, I'd probably be checking out that brothel I heard so much about." She winked, then continued, "As it is, you've convinced me that I need to find a powerful succubus to help me out with this. And I'll bet the Queen of Acheron is pretty powerful, so once we get this whole money situation sorted out, I know just who I have to talk to!"

[20:59] <Tassadar003> "Uhhh...." Selenda looked somewhat frightened, "Well... I guess that's something to aim for! I bet dinner's almost ready by now, or at the very least Katy's back. How about we go upstairs?"

[21:00] <xivvix> Completely oblivious to Selena's sudden frightened expression, Celeste nodded happily. "Yeah, let's go see what she brought back! I want this feast to be great!"

Heading upstairs with Selena, Celeste found that the trueborn succubus had been correct in assuming that Katy had returned, though dinner wasn't quite ready yet. They didn't have to do much to help finish the meal, working alongside Robert to set the table with their meager dishware while everyone else scrambled about under Gravus' careful direction. Another twenty minutes later and everything was ready for them, prompting the magi to gather together in the dining room where Celeste had had her earlier pep talk. The group gathered together and sat down, and though it seemed to come as a surprise to the rest of the table, Gravus let Celeste sit at the head while he took the seat on her right, Daniel taking the one on her left.

Everyone was seated for their admittedly somewhat meager feast in short order, the captivating smell of food filling the air, and if Celeste wanted to she could say a few words before dinner.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Emerging from the basement, Celeste squeaked in delight when she saw Katy and the others had returned from their shopping trip with all the necessary food items. No trace of the intensity she displayed during her talk with Selena remained as she eagerly went about helping to set the table. The sight of all the different mages working together on something as simple, yet important, as a nice dinner brought a feeling of great pride to the young woman. Pride both for all of them, working together dutifully under Gravus' watchful eye, and in herself for inspiring them so. Once the table was ready, Celeste gleefully bounced up and down as the mages assembled and took their places. She nodded gratefully as Gravus gave her the head seat, then blushed and smiled as Daniel sat next to her.

Once everyone was settled, Celeste reached forward and held her glass up while softly clearing her throat. When she was sure everyone had turned their attention towards her, the young mage smiled and cheerfully said, "Hello again, everyone! I'd like to welcome you all to something that I hope will become something of a tradition: the first Acheron Anomaly Investigation Unit Dinner Feast!" Celeste said the last with a bit of flair, before giggling softly. "Well, first that I've attended, really," she said, her tone becoming slightly conciliatory in case she had offended Gravus or anyone else that had organized a meal before for the group. It was only a momentary lapse in her attitude however, and she quickly regained her composure and motioned to a number of the group members. "And of course, I'd like to thank Katy, Andrew, and Robert, for taking the time to procure all the lovely bits of food we have tonight. And to everyone who assisted in cooking this fine meal, as well!" She nodded to each in turn, then raised her glass and made a toast. "Acheron is a wonderful city, so let's all enjoy ourselves during our stay, and make our project the most successful the Academy has ever seen!" With her speech concluded, Celeste took a quick drink from her glass before motioning for everyone to begin.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Daniel didn't miss the blush that Celeste adopted when he stat down, and offered her a brief shift to his smile, making it a bit more of a knowing smirk for an instant before reverting to his usual jovial nature. While his pheromones were certainly lightly detectable on the air, just as her own were, the much more open space provided by the large room mostly mitigated their effects.

The whole of the gathering listened intently to what Celeste had to say, picking up much more quickly on her words now, and each raised a glass in toast despite her slight blunder, which thankfully caused no one to look hurt in any fashion. "Here here!" Daniel said, and the rest of the table mimicked him before joining Celeste in sipping from their glasses. It wasn't particularly great wine, but it wasn't bottom shelf swill either, and the mildly bitter taste didn't linger long enough to make the drink unpleasant.

The assembled mages dug in to the modest feast without hesitation after that, and Celeste would find that the food was at least marginally better than the wine. It was clear that none of them were a particularly proficient cook, but taken together the somewhat eclectic collection of dishes were all fairly good. Everyone was good about taking portions such that everyone got to try a little bit of everything, and though the gathering was relatively small the room was soon buzzing with conversation as her associates all spoke of their money-making ventures. Daniel would alternate between speaking to Celeste and speaking to Katy, who sat beside him, and sharing the occasional joke with Robert, who was across from Katy. At one point, however, the normally reserved and formal Gravus would put down his utensils and turn to Celeste, saying; "Ahem.... I don't wish to spoil your meal, but had you considered where you were going to be quartered? Most of the second floor rooms are taken, but there is still a room available up on the third floor. We'd have to clean it up a bit, but I'd be happy to help with that and I'm sure many of the others would be too."

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Seeing everyone enthusiastically enjoying the feast after the hearty reception her short toast received brought Celeste's normally bubbly mood to an all time high. She eagerly tried out each of the different dishes, enjoying the food despite it's lackluster quality, and even drained her wine glass several times. The blush on her face deepened, though whether it was from the wine, or from sitting close to Daniel was unclear. While the pheromones were not as strong in the open room, Celeste still found herself drawn to the attractive young man, laughing at his jokes and inching her chair closer to his as the meal continued. Thankfully, though, she managed to keep herself together, her worry about their earlier encounter and the rumors about him ringing in her mind. Every time he turned to talk to Katy, Celeste would look at the young woman as well, just a little concerned that her infatuation with Daniel might not end well.

Undeterred by the festivities, Gravus managed to break Celeste from her cavorting. Jumping slightly at his sudden serious tone of voice, Celeste smiled and laughed softly before pausing to think about his question. The third floor room was nice, but what if that thing came back? It had run away at first, but what if it was mad that she was sleeping above it's hiding spot? Celeste shuddered at the thought, but decided that, as a mage, it was unfitting of her to worry so much about something that could be solved so simply. "Oh yes, I saw the room on the third floor and it is quite nice. You're right about it needing a cleaning though! It's dustier than old lady McMackelry's hair!" Halfway through the name of the old, bordering ancient, teacher at the Academy whose hair was always one shade short of cobweb grey, the young mage couldn't help but dissolve into a drunken giggle at the memory. After taking a moment to wipe a tear from one eye, she continued, "If you're really willing, then I'd love to have help. I don't want to be a bother though!"