Fire Emblem: Crestfallen | IC

[Jessica]

LAPIS ZUVAL

Interacting with: Leon

Mentions: @Rouge Rogue


Lapis frowned as the situation turned worse. More foes made themselves present and the Chimeras scrambled to fight each person. Again, commands were given to her that proved difficult to follow, mainly because of the same people that gave it.

She had taken aim, but was forced to cancel the spell when her teammates would not give her an opening. Lapis tried again and once more it was impossible to attack without the high risk of friendly fire. Charge at the enemies, attack from a distance with no openings; The class really needed to sit down and rethink some strategies... Or at least, she needed to sit down and think of strategies for herself that revolved around the personalities of her classmates.

Thankfully, she was given a chance to do something more... productive.

She looked at Leon and listened to what he had to say, but, what she found interesting was that he wasn't speaking as refined as he had been. Rather, his manner of speaking was reminding her of the children she used to listen to stories with... Ooooh, this was interesting~ She would definitely ask him about this later.

For now, she needed to focus on the battle.

"Let us hunt the most dangerous game. Lead the way~"


With that, Lapis kept close to him, making a mental note of how fast on his feet he was. She would have marked this as training from nobility, but something was off. Lapis didn't know what, but something about Leon was bothering her. Well, she did have a theory, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions.


She focused on their whereabouts, quietly assessing where the remaining Falcons would be. All Leon had to do was say the word and she would strike.



​

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Alexander Zephaniah Ravaleth
The Verdant Crest
Interaction(s): @Astoria @Nim @Solace ​

Everything had happened so fast. Victor had a few tricks up his sleeve that had come off as a shock to much of the group. Alex however couldn't find himself very surprised. It was all to often that a dog who barked as big as Victor did might have a bit of bite to it. Maybe some might have been a bit below the bar in terms of ability, but Victor was a noble after all. Access to various resources that many didn't have. It seemed that his new allies were of the mindset of underestimating an opponent. Admittedly, he hadn't expected quite as much from Victor as he'd given, but he'd never have walked into battle expecting the man not to have something to show for his admittance into the Officer's academy.

Alex avoided damage from the spell of fire, though he'd felt the heat as it flew by. Luckily a couple of the the Falcons had been smoked out. One a little more literally than the other. Alex stifled a small laugh. He had to remain- Fuck! he mentally shouted as he leaped out of the way of a surprise ice attack. "Dastards," he mumbled as he readied his sword once more. He glanced in Sherry's direction. He knew something like this might happen. Maybe if he'd gone to help her in the first place, they might be in a different situation. He prepared himself to move out to help the "princess," but it seemed Theodoric would beat him to it.

There he went giving order's again. And not even particularly good ones. At least, not in Alex's opinions. All three of them focusing on one enemy at a time was a recipe for disaster, wasn't it? Especially when it seemed that there could be... No... There were more lying in wait. His "sister" was one of them. Even so, Parthenia was quick to make her own plan of action. Interesting. It didn't seem either of the two particularly trusted Sherry's judgement enough, or each other's for that matter. He wasn't exactly the "follow the leader" type, but from his readings working together, compromise, compliance... All of that was a necessary evil if it meant staying alive. What a shit show this was turning out to be.

"Right! I'll take the pretty boy." Alex glanced at Parthenia, at least there was one plan he could get behind as he ran alongside her, sword at the ready. That would leave the Kirlou boy to them. A simple task no doubt. Hopefully. "Just have my back if somebody else pops up." Oh what did it matter, she was already going after the the archer. "Good luck Laila, Parthenia." He wasn't very used to relying on anyone. He'd just have to trust the two girls.

Without another word, Alex shifted his focus to the man with the ice magic who'd announced himself with a cheesy one-liner. Alex glanced at the Sherry again, though only for a second. It seemed she'd been expecting more of a fair fight. Perhaps one in her favor? Stupid. Alex focused on the man who'd been referred to as Lucien. There was always the chance another would attempt to ambush him. He'd just have to remain on guard. "You're name was Lucy or somethin like that right?" he asked as he sped up, making sure to keep pace with Parthenia. With a grunt, he swung diagonally upward once the male was within range. It might have just been a training sword, but it'd hurt like hell if the blonde boy wasn't careful.

 

[Nim]

Laila Bellwood
Mentions: Chaos! ​

Things were becoming very chaotic very fast, at least in Laila's eyes. It was bad enough that Mael was still in the process of going head to head with Victor, but it appeared as though he began to be on the losing side now. And to make things worse, Victor flinged back a part of Doric's fireball right at them. Laila jumped to the side as the fireball came towards them, feeling the heat of the attack pass by, before getting up and looking towards the others again. Someone from the Falcons fell out of one of the trees that caught fire, which also attracted another guy. She had no idea what any of them could do, but she could tell it was becoming worse for Mael.

Sherry tried joining, only for the Falcon's leader to show her face and go right at her house leader. And quickly it turned into a two on one, with Victor also targeting Sherry. Doric decided to shout out more of his thoughts before charging to go help Sherry. Afterwards, Parthenia elected to charge the archer and called for Alex and Laila to help her. And Alex chose to ignore the command in favor or charging after the guy who sent an ice attack before. Giving a sideway glances, she saw Leon and Lapis move away towards the trees. She had no idea what those two had planned, but Laila hoped they will at least have each others backs.

Overall, their house was an absolute mess when it came to who called the shots and who did what. Deciding to act on her instincts, Laila charged towards Francette, as she felt as though the girl wouldn't give Sherry any chance to recover or go on the offensive, even if Doric was now holding Victor at bay. Holding her battle-axe in front of her chest, she turned it so the blunt side of the weapon was in front of her, ready to either hold back any attacks that may suddenly turn against her, or to clash full force against Francette's arm. The only thing that went into her mind was that even if it didn't hit, perhaps it could give Sherry the opening she'd need, and maybe even a distraction for Doric to take advantage of.

 

[Solace]

Mentions: @Nim [Laila], @Luminosity [Sherry], @Psyker Landshark [Theodoric], @Astoria [Parthenia], @Demon Shinobi [Alexander], @Jessica2477 [Lapis], @Rouge Rogue [Leonid]
​

It had taken a moment for the noble to come to, blinking through the searing pain which drummed with each heartbeat. Mael fended off his body's urge to crumple to the ground, his right eyelid wincing as blood trickled down the side of his face. The situation seemed to constantly teeter from their favor to the Green Falcons, unable to make much out of the battle's volatility. All of the Red Chimeras seemed to be on different pages; the Professor was not going to be pleased with their disorganization, that much was quite certain. He turned back, seeing a cross-armed Juno study the state of the battlefield with a narrow, displeased expression, confirming his suspicion. The flames that burned at the trees were propogating at a surprisingly alarming rate, making him wonder for a moment if they had broken an obvious but unspoken rule as it spread into the forest.

Mael was quick to cast away any concern from his mind, seeing that now was not the time to hesitate. As much as he disliked Sherry, they were still classmates, and there was a mock battle to win. Theodoric had broken forward to engage Victor, seeing the taller boy saunter back onto the defensive for the first time as they clashed swords. Laila had done the same for the other Green Falcon that attacked Sherry, and although the nimble Francette simply waved the axe aside with her rapier-styled sword, there was a brief window for an attack of opportunity.

"Can't stop, won't stop!" the noble sprung into action, closing the distance in a sprint before his right fist crashed into her face. His left arm swooped low for an uppercut, his knuckles grazing the girl's chin as Francette was sound enough to peel back from the second attack. Mael held a wide grin for a moment when blood spurted from the nose of the house leader, her shocked expression defusing his glee into apology. "S-sorry, Francette!"

Unable to defeat Sherry due to the Marlon boy's interjection, Victor scoffed as he found himself hard pressed in their engagement, carefully meeting each of his opponent's strikes with his greatsword. He was moderately slower from the unwieldy weight of his weapon, and while the noble was proficient enough to deflect most attacks, it was the last one that managed to catch his throat. "Ah, Theodoric," he croaked through a series of coughs, taking a moment to catch his breath. It was true that Victor had been quite the weakling when it came to fencing with Theodoric as a child, but his budding talent had emerged in the recent years. Upon observation, their style of swordplay was distant, yet eerily similar at the same time. "How the tables have turned," the boy gave Theodoric an impish smile as he tightened the hold on his greatsword, lunging it forward directly towards his opponent's face.

As Marcus was nocking another arrow to fire in the direction of Theodoric, his face contorted into a look of pure anguish as he found himself suddenly on the opposite end of Parthenia's charge. Completely caught unawares, the redhead tossed his shortbow to the ground and fumbled for the scimitar-styled sword on his belt. "S-s-stay ba- ooof!" the noble had just managed to clumsily brandish his weapon to no avail, feeling the wind swept out of his lungs before being knocked face first into the unforgiving ground. His fingers loosened their grip on the scimitar entirely, twitching against the hilt as Marcus was otherwise motionless. With his training weapons left behind, the limp body of the red-haired noble vanished into a column of light.

"No!!" Lucien chimed from a few steps away upon seeing his friend fall in defeat, turning to meet the blue-haired Red Chimera head to head. Unlike Marcus, however, he was not to be taken as a pushover. Gritting his teeth, the boy reached back, revealing a quarterstaff as he swung it over his head. Its longer reach intercepted the sword before it even came up halfway through its motion, hopping a few feet backwards and whirling the quarterstaff expertly in his hands. On closer inspection, his uniform was unique from the rest of the Academy-issued garbs, in that his coat and attire resembled the look of a knight-in-training. "I hope Lady Sherry won't mind if I win this battle," Lucien studied both Alexander and Parthenia, standing at a patient defense.

The fire threatened the rest of the forest as it was beginning to spiral out of control, with smoke rising into the atmosphere. Heat radiated across the wooded area and within the forest in particular, where Professor Talbot of the Green Falcons stood at ease. His hands rested at the top of a scepter, his eyes closed as if he were in deep focus. The professor took a long breath before his eyelids slowly opened, glancing towards the side where he had detected something; a girl from the Red Chimeras. "We professors are meant to be non-combatants for this mock battle,"whether or not she was alone, Talbot held out his right hand in the general direction of where she was sneaking through. Arcs of unstable energy began to swirl around his fingers, concentrating within his palm. "But I won't hesitate to defend myself. After all, there are more important matters than my own presence here."

The professor had finished charging the Thunder spell, but instead of sending it towards the girl in hiding, Talbot redirected his palm towards the entrance of the forest. A loud crackle followed the thunderbolt as it crashed into the earth, striking where Marcus had been positioned before being defeated. The Green Falcons situated on the battlefield were not bothered by this sight, though the seemingly sporadic casting of magic confused Mael.

"Those idiots really ran right past us!"

From the hilly outcrop that overlooked the Red Chimeras' starting position, had been a series of dense brushes that was more than capable of being used as concealment. Two girls sprung from the foliage and cackled from the top of the hill, bringing their respective weapons in tow as they high-fived one another. "Is that your brother over there, Namira?" Ariel Silke Valyra pointed towards Alexander.

The other girl with blue hair nodded as they leaped from the hill, landing gracefully. "Yes, that's Alexander," Namira Helena Ravaleth rolled her eyes, facing the pointy end of her long pike towards the backs of the Red Chimeras. "It took them so long to move from their starting spots!!"

"Ugh, his face needs a little work, I'll say. Good thing I can fix him right up," Ariel chuckled, tapping the flat head of her training axe, which was in the form of a massive hammer. Her eyes lit up with excitement when she recognized Maelys Ernst Pleiades from his hair, giggling as she bumped Namira on the shoulder. "Ooooh, that can wait, though! I already know what he's going to say when we ambush them!"

Just as Mael reached for Laila's shoulder to pull her back from Francette's counterattack, the loud battle cry from the combined voices of Ariel and Namira sounded from behind them. He wheeled around to see that the two Green Falcons were already upon them. "Yow! It's an enemy ambush!" the boy, completely thrown off by their sudden assault, gasped as Ariel's hammer connected with his face, sending him flying backwards to the feet of Sherry. His eyes were rolled back while his tongue hung out, with drool coming down the side of his mouth. "That's for punching her!" Ariel scoffed before the unconscious Maelys was warped from the battlefield, bursting into laughter towards Namira. "See? Told you!"

"Impressive," Namira complimented her fellow Green Falcon, following up their ambush by thrusting her long pike towards the back of Laila.

 

[Marlowe]

MENTIONS: All of y'all
​

Someone came to her aid, at least. That someone was Doric, the very person that completely dissuaded the others from doing as they were told. As she regained her bearings, she saw that Victor and the Marlon boy exchanged a few vicious blows. The battle was becoming more and more vicious, and more and more of her housemates went off and did as they wanted. Heavens damn it, didn't anyone listen to anyone? Mael was still off doing his own thing, and the others... well, it was hard to focus on what they were doing when two very angry Green Falcons stood in front of them. She gave Doric an exasperated and frustrated glare before she raised her lance once again in a attempt to strike the other house leader. She was only able to land a handful of blows upon the other house leader, for Francette was quite skilled with the blade and parried much of her attacks despite the distance between them.

The two of them clashed again and again. Even though Doric and her were both in a very tight spot, Sherry didn't back down. Sweat poured down her face as she held her ground, her expression contorted with anger, aggression, and frustration. For a brief moment, it seemed like Francette was about to gain the upper hand, which made her anger mix with fear. She was becoming sloppy, and little by little she felt more and more bruises blossom from beneath her light armor. I won't fall here! Not in front of Marlon! she told herself in an attempt to bolster her attacks. And yet... Francette was still better than her. If it wasn't for the commoner girl rushing in and knocking Francette away from her, she would have definitely succumbed to the blows. Francette cursed at the attack, raising her sword to land a blow on Laila, though Sherry took advantage of the woman's distraction. With a fluid movement, Sherry slammed the shaft of her lance into Francette's head. With a sickening crack, the girl fell back onto the floor and remained motionless. In an instant, she was teleported away. Sherry raised her gaze to give a curt nod to Laila, only to see that someone else stumbled to the floor. Mael.

"W-what the--" she began. But the enemy ambush was already atop them. Ariel had rushed forward and landed another blow on Sherry, flinging her onto her back and knocking the breath out of her. And yet, when she tried to get back up... she couldn't. Pain razed through her body with every breath she took, and already she began to feel the warp spell manifest around here. With the little breath she could spare, she cursed out, "Mael, you son of a--"

That was all her housemates heard before she was teleported away.

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Theodoric Branden Marlon
Mentions: @Luminosity @Solace
​

Theodoric's muscles strained as he traded blows back and forth with Victor in their duel. Damn it all! How had Victor been this much of a late bloomer? Skill and speed were the only reasons Doric was even keeping pace with Victor, and there wasn't exactly that much of a gap in their respective skills with a blade. As he forced Victor back with a strike to the throat, Doric chanced a moment to look about the battlefield.

What he saw was concerning. Mael and Sherry both taken out by another ambush, though at least Sherry had managed to defeat Francette before being knocked out herself, evening the score at two to two. As for Victor...Doric turned his attention back to his opponent only to see him lunging forward, greatsword outstretched towards his face.

Doric's nose cracked from the impact as he was knocked down onto his back, gasping for breath. Bloody Victor...they'd both traded enough blows to the point where the next one would likely decide their bout. The young noble rolled out of Victor's range, already chanting as he pulled himself up to his feet. By the time he'd come out of his roll and gotten up to a kneeling position, Theodoric took a chance and shot a Fire spell point blank towards Victor's chest, gambling that he wouldn't be able to pull the same trick he had earlier with so little warning and at so close a range.

 

[Rouge Rogue]

Leonid Hector Sylmare
mentions: @Jessica2477 (Lapis), @Psyker Landshark (Theodoric), @Luminosity (Sherry), @Solace (Mael, Talbot)​

Though Leon would not readily admit it, he was a bit taken aback that Lapis took his lead. Leon knew he didn't possess the charisma of a natural leader like Theodoric, nor the ability to inspire like Mael. He couldn't ride on superior birthright either, unlike Sherry. So for all Lapis knew, he could be leading the both of them to die in a burning forest with no plan whatsoever.

It was weird, in fact, to not be sneaking somewhere alone for a chance. Leon wasn't sure whether he should do something differently. It was kind of stressful, like he was responsible for two people.

He'd have to mull on that later. They weren't alone.

Through the smolder, Leon could make out the distant figure of a man. He stayed down, just about to glance back and make sure Lapis did the same when the man suddenly spoke. Shit. Had they been spotted?

Leon guessed that was a yes; the man, who Leon could now see was professor Talbot, held a hand out towards Lapis, magical energy gathering at his palm.

He flinched. Hadn't the guy just said he was to stay a non-combatant? What was he about to do? Leon fiddled with an arrow, contemplating. If Lapis got hurt now, it was because she'd followed his lead. So even if it meant injuring a professor--

"But I won't hesitate to defend myself."

Leon froze.

Talbot redirected his palm toward the edge of the forest, striking the ground with a roaring thunder spell. Earth and scorched grass flew every which way from the impact.

Leon lowered his arrow like it was hot steel. Never mind, he was definitely not going to piss that guy off.

Judging from the way the professor acted thereafter, he had either not seen what Leon was about to do - or had paid him no mind. Whichever the case, Leon was thankful. But if the professor wasn't an enemy, they had no time to be messing with him. They were supposed to find the--

The last of the Green Falcons, who were all of a sudden barreling down the hill behind the main group, weapons drawn. Those little-- so that's where they hid. But how? How big of a head start had they gotten to be able to hide behind them?

Leon groaned. He'd been bested at his own game, and he did not appreciate it one bit.

... But the game wasn't over yet, was it?

The two girls forced themselves into the fight, and soon people begun to drop like flies. Marcus must've been defeated earlier while Leon wasn't paying attention, since he was already gone. Mael followed, caught off guard by the ambush. Then the house leaders fell. The enemy's leader did so without a word, theirs did so cursing.

Typical.

But snark would have to wait. Theodoric was engaged in a duel with Victor, while the rest of the battle was a mess. It was an even four versus four, but the enemy had the element of surprise on their side - as well as two fighters that had yet to expend any energy. The situation was volatile, and could swing in either direction at a moment's notice. They had to act quick.

Leon gestured for Lapis to follow as he moved to find a spot with a clearer view. Somewhere further along the edge of the forest, where the smoke did not cloud their vision.

"They seem to like ambushes," he mumbled, "so how 'bout we give 'em one in turn?"

Leon settled into their new vantage point, reaching for his quiver. "Got the angle, got the distance. They've thinned out, so I ain't worried about friendly fire." He glanced back at Lapis, a mischievous hint to his words, "Now all I need is the wind to be in my favor, and they won't know what hit 'em. Literally."

He nocked an arrow. "You can aim from here, yeah?"

Good.

But who should they go for? Victor was a prime target - but he had been fighting for a while, and was at an awkward angle besides. If Doric stood up now, the arrow could hit him.

Lucien wielded magic, so Leon assumed he would eventually be overpowered in a close-quarter fight. He couldn't claim much knowledge on the subject, but he was pretty sure an axe to the face was effective in stopping any spell.

On the other hand, the two new faces were fresh to the fight and wielded weapons meant for shorter range. As things were, they seemed to be the biggest threats. If they could at the very least be rid of one of them... but which one?

"The girl with the hammer," Leon decided out loud, arrow pointed at her back. With something that heavy in her hands, she was less likely to be capable of fleet footwork. All she had to do was stay still for a moment. The wind would take care of the rest. "On my mark."

He counted down and released the arrow, watching in amazement as the wind magic gave it wings. It whizzed towards the battlefield faster than his eye could follow, so he gave up trying to see its trail and focused on the target he wanted it to hit instead.

Fall, he urged in his mind, as if hoping it would make her do so.

 

[Nim]

Laila Bellwood
Mentions: Chaos! ​

Things were certainly getting out of any control they may have had now. Laila saw as the opening she provided somewhat worked, as Mael took the chance and hit Francette. Before she could pay any further attention to the Falcon's leader, she heard Mael's exclaim that it was an enemy ambush, and slightly turned, only to see a flash of light and then getting hit in the side of her body by a pike. It was far from being a soft blow, and Laila cursed under her breath.

Looking up towards the one who hit her, Laila noticed at the side of her eye two more flashes of light. Seeing Mael had vanished after that flash of light, she figured that was a sign of people being taken out of the battlefield. Which meant at least two others were now out too. She decided to take a couple of steps backwards, looking at the warhammer wielding girl and the girl who hit her with a pike. Holding her battleaxe in front of her once more, she tried to think on what to do next, only to see a fast arrow pass her, aimed towards the warhammer girl.

Without looking at who shot the arrow, Laila charged forward, seemingly aiming to bring her battleaxe down on Namira, only to suddenly throw it sideways towards Ariel, hoping that it would still make a decent impact, before bringing her hands forward, ready to grab a hold of the pike should Namira tried to poke her once more as she tried to close the distance between her and Namira.

 

[Astoria]

Parthenia Harland Ciran
Mentions: People​

"You bloody fool!" Parthenia snapped a curse at Laila's departing figure. She might have been unusual for a noble in that she wasn't prejudiced by default against commoners, but her faith in meritocracy and the common man was being heavily tested by Laila. Her meticulously crafted plan was falling apart, not because of a failing of her own virtue or planning, but because these damned idiots she had for house peers refused to follow her orders. The idiotic blacksmith girl had veered off, ignoring her carefully planned plan to knock out the two ranged students before they could receive backup… and joined Maelys, Theodoric, and Sherry in what she already felt was a winnable fight.

At least Alexander was with her.

Thankfully, Parthenia's charge had been perfectly executed; in one fell swoop, the redheaded archer was out of the battle, leaving the small skirmish in a two-on-one against the Lucien fellow.

If Parthenia was able to witness Maelys and Sherry getting knocked out despite the favorable odds, however, she might have thrown a fit. But she didn't, and she quickly shifted to pressure Lucien alongside Alexander.

"I certainly would mind if you do," she retorted, training spear at the ready as she took a swipe at the golden-haired noble. "We have no intention of losing this fight. Isn't that right, Alexander?" She pressed her attack again, using her impressive speed to dodge his spells and make to jab at the magic user again.

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Alexander Zephaniah Ravaleth
The Verdant Crest
Interaction(s): @Astoria @Solace ​

"You're awfully confident in your ability Luci," Alex said with a small grin. His attack had been blocked and he found that the boy was quick to creat a little space between them. "Just what I would expect from a pretty little ice queen~" He wondered if such a simple tease would get a reaction out of the male magic user. Regardless, he'd soon be joined by Parthenia.

Unluckily for the boy, it seemed the ambush wasn't done. Two more Falcons emerged. One being... Ugh... his sister. Dammit, Namira was here. He glanced in their direction, if only for a moment, but remained focused on his current Opponent. But... "Damn." He sucked his teeth. He had to be careful.

Still, being careful didn't mean he'd put his focus on things other than his current battle. So, as Parthenia moved swiftly, speaking to their opponent and himself, Alex figured he may as well make sure his skills weren't wasted. No reason they should go down as shamefully as their leader and the big oaf had! Right?

"Well, I'd like to lose whatever it is that makes these fools look down on me," he said with a small chuckle as he weaved through potential attacks, endeavoring to match Parthenia's movements, avoiding getting in her way. "But you're right. I would not like to lose this battle." He smirked as he swung at Lucien in tandem with her jab. He was maybe a hair's length behind her in speed, pushing himself to keep up. But like this, it'd be harder to block the two consecutive attacks.

 

[Jessica]

Lapis Zuval
Mentions: Few people
Interacting: Leon (@Rouge Rogue )

Leon, to Lapis, was as good a leader as the rest of the nobles. She had no idea of his ability to guide others into battle, but he was leading her as he would carry himself. Keep a distance, attack from a distance; precisely Lapis's forte'. Sherry's plan would have been feasible if they had been the ones with the element of surprise, while Theodoric's plan had proven substantial for those who carried wieldable weapons such as swords, axes, and lances. However, both provided the same issues. Not moving out of the way!

She could understand why, but in times such as this, neither Lapis or Leon could afford to stand and wait until given the good graces of a split second opening to attack. Though she wanted to listen, both of the plans originally provided to her would have only ended in too much friendly fire.

Which is why she chose to listen to Leon. Lapis could assist him far more than any of the others.


She remained vigilant and focused, eyes scanning their perimeters for suspicious movement. Though the brief memory of Leon's speech kept coming back to distract her, she shook it off and kept her attention on the battle at hand. She would certainly ask him about that later.

Lapis felt the sense of impending doom, and upon catching sight of the threat, she froze. Her eyes were a bit wide as Professor Talbot's hand was aiming directly at her, the lightning of the spell crackling around his hand made her mouth go dry. A question ran through her mind. Why aim at her? Leonid was the nobility of the two, and far superior when it came to combat. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to defeat the more capable of the two and force the weak link to surrender? Or was this strategy to remove the follower and force the leader to surrender? Regardless, Lapis was ready to become Leon's meat shield. As she thought, he was superior when it came to combat and would certainly assist the class better than she could.

But... she didn't need to?

It seemed she was worried for nothing as Professor Talbot left them, leaving her and Leon to resume their plans.


Looking towards the battlefield, it seemed that neither side had an advantage. That needed to change, and Leon agreed.

Her magic tingled at her fingertips. "Guide me." She told him.


The plan was set in motion, with the assistance of her magic, the arrow had shot faster than she'd ever seen. She was certain that the arrow, whether it hit or not, would provide plenty distraction. She readied her magic with the idea that if the arrow could distract them enough, then her shot could land! She just-

Lapis had to cease her magic abruptly, quick enough that it left her hand in a slight bit of pain. Laila had jumped in to attack the girls on her own.

"This disorganization is giving me a headache..." She commented to Leon quietly. "I will propose a strategical meeting after this battle. For now, we must move. It is dangerous for a sniper to remain in the same location."



​

 

[Solace]

Mentions: @Psyker Landshark [Theodoric], @Astoria [Parthenia], @Demon Shinobi [Alexander], @Jessica2477 [Lapis], @Rouge Rogue [Leonid], @Nim [Laila]​

Whether the mock battle was in their favor or not, there was one thing that Juno learned from the students' exercise; her Red Chimeras needed a lot of instruction. The professor's tongue clicked with discontent as she continued to watch the two houses trade blow for blow, her index fingers tapping against her chest through crossed arms. While she had to admit that their counter to the Falcons' first stage of their overarching plot was clever, Juno was... unsure if her earlier suggestion in 'crafty use of the environment' involved setting the latter on fire, much less if the proctors from the Church would tolerate the destruction of someone else's property. Though, she knew for certain that that someone else would soon learn of the damages, and absolutely pay a visit to the monastery.

No matter, the professor thought to herself on the Red Chimeras' disorganization. You can only learn more from failure. Though, Juno felt a small ounce of regret for accepting Lord Augustine's request to instruct for this year. From first impressions altogether, it seemed like she had a total basket case of a class; at the very least, she was certain that only someone like her could reform such students into model individuals. It wouldn't have been the first time that Juno had to work extra hard, but hopefully, it would allow her to enjoy a drink from time to time. The huntress could ill afford to cull the entire population of critters to relieve stress, after all.

Victor was not one to let up on the offensive, knowing full well that he had dealt Theodoric a mighty blow. His feet shifted to close the distance, watching the other boy rise to his knees and begin the familiar channel of a Fire spell. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to undermine the Red Chimeras further, the noble came to a halt just a few footfalls away. "Go on, then," his left fist pounded against his chest, presenting himself for the Fire spell to directly impact the center of his frame. His eyelids twitched with the collision, his mouth full of grit teeth as Victor allowed the embers to singe away at his coat. "Goodnight, Theo," the fiery contender stepped up to the knelt Theodoric, scoffing before raising the greatsword high above his shoulder in both hands and swinging the blade towards his neck like an executioner.

Unlike his late hot-headed companion, Lucien was one to keep a cool head in an unfavorable clash from his ongoing training with the Knights of Yhirel. He knew that, even if he were to fall to Parthenia and Alexander, the others would claim victory for the Green Falcons; he just had to keep these two fixated away from the real juggernauts of their house. Watching his two opponents encroach upon his defensive stance expectantly, Lucien held out his quarterstaff firmly to intercept the first swing from Parthenia, pulling his weapon down to carry her training lance away from jabbing into his stomach. This left him exposed to Alexander's follow-up which followed after a short delay, only able to pull his head back a quarter of the way as the dull blade cracked against the side of his head. "Just a little more," Lucien retreated from their attack range, having prepared another Blizzard spell during their blitz and weaving the mounds of ice beneath their feet.

"Well, what can I say? I'm just the best!" Ariel chimed in excess pride, quite pleased with herself after tallying both Maelys and Sherry to her eliminations. A toothy grin was plastered on her expression as the noble turned to Laila, raising her hammer and preparing to attack the girl from the side while she charged for Namira. She was caught unawares when the blonde suddenly tossed her training axe in her direction instead of her classmate, feeling the crude weapon slam against parts of her hands before falling to the ground. This made Ariel fumble the hammer, and just as the noble sought to catch it, the weapon intercepted a Wind spell that seemingly came from the other side of Musentia, causing the blunt end of the hammer to smash into her neck. She found herself momentarily breathless as she crumpled onto her hands and knees, looking at the broken arrow which laid beside her hammer in a daze.

Ariel was quick to recover and come back to her feet, anger swelling beneath her chest. "Ugh, I am so going to enjoy beating all of you up!" the noble whined, pounding both of her tekko together as she leaped into a mad dash towards Laila. Namira was on the other end of a struggle for her training lance when the blue-haired girl saw her enraged companion, opting to keep the blonde distracted while Ariel's right stirrup lunged for Laila's face.

"Stop this at once!!"​

The shout of a stern, strong voice followed the unfamiliar yet recognizable sound of a war horn being blown from the distance. A platoon of cavalry rode in their direction from a few hundred feet away, its lead rider hoisting a flag which bore the sigil of House Sylmare; the head of a stallion with two daggers crossed between its forehead and muzzle. The mock battle had come to a halt as Victor's greatsword stopped mere inches away from Theodoric's neck, with Lucien's Blizzard spell fizzling out from beneath Parthenia and Alexander and Ariel patting Laila on the cheek instead of punching her.

Knowing exactly what this meant, Juno dropped her shoulders with a heavy sigh, watching as the proctors warped onto the center stage of the mock battle where the combat had been primarily concentrated. Among them were additional monks from the Church of Yhirel, and one Iris Aislinn Calandre, who began to dispatch orders to the present clergymen. It was then that the Sylmare horsemen arrived at the scene, with sharpened steel and howling glares in tow. "Our lands are not yours to sunder for the sake of exercise," the leading bannerman called out to those who were present, his blue eyes looking between the students and faculty alike. Creases of aging marred the handsome face of the paladin, the flag in one hand and a scimitar in another. "We saw the smoke from far away. I believe you are responsible for this."

Seeing Professor Talbot emerge from the forest which burned at an alarming rate, the cardinal of the church turned, nodding up to the bannerman. "I am aware of that, yes. It would be best to save the discussion for afterwards if we're to put an end to this wildfire."

"It would seem so."

Juno was quick to round the remaining students from both houses together alongside Talbot, rolling her eyes as she dodged Iris' scornful glances. Namira had worriedly run up to Victor to put out the embers across his uniform, prompting the two professors to begin seeing to their students' injuries.

"The mock battle between the Red Chimeras and the Green Falcons will not continue due to extenuating circumstances," Iris announced in an obviously begrudging fashion alongside her proctors before they joined the monks' foray into dealing with the wildfire.

"Where is Lady Sherry?" Lucien looked around with worried eyes.

An irritated Ariel tapped Lucien on the shoulder. "I knocked 'er out," she threw a pair of jabs into the air, throwing a small tantrum. "Ugh!! I was so close to knocking out another person too!" Her wording produced an offended expression and gasp from the other boy.

"So who's the winner?" Victor spoke directly to the two professor amongst the crowd of students.

"That does not matter right now," Talbot answered, tapping a finger against his cane as he looked to the firefighting efforts. "What matters is if we will incur punishment or not."

From Victor's side, Namira called out in disbelief. "But we didn't even start the fire!" the blue-haired girl pointed towards the assorted Red Chimeras. "They did!"

"Get your students under control, Leron," Juno held a hand out to stop any senseless arguing from beginning, turning to the rest of the Red Chimeras. Without their house leader present, the professor looked to Theodoric. "Since we're not trained to stop wildfires, we're going back to the monastery. To ease the nerves around both houses, we'll host a joint dinner in the cafeteria at sunset," Juno turned to address the rest of her students. "It's certainly been a turn of events, boys and girls. Is everyone ready to go?"

 

[Nim]

Laila Bellwood
Mentions: People
Interacts with: Alexander (@Demon Shinobi )​

As Laila managed to grab a hold of Namira's lance and started to try and ensure she won't get a chance to make any more attacks, she heard someone briefly drop on the grass. Keeping her eyes on the opponent in front of her, she then heard someone say something not long after. Before she could try and glance to the side, she heard a call to stop the fighting. As she let go of the lance, she also felt a cold tap on her cheek from something metal. Turning her gaze, she saw the same Falcon girl that she previously threw her battleaxe at. It seemed as though she let go of her hammer in favor of tekkos. That would've probably left a mark if she managed to hit her with full force.

Turning to look at the others, she went and picked up her battleaxe as she listened to the ongoing exchange. Namira was quick to go to Victor, who was apparently set ablaze at the hands of Theodoric. After the professors checked them for any injuries and gathered everyone, Laila looked at her remaining housemates. Sherry and Mael were the only ones gone. She approached Alexander, leaning her battleaxe on her shoulder as she kept listening to the ongoing conversation. Victor decided to ask who was the winner, which made Laila want to go and whack him on the head with her battleaxe for even asking that, considering what was happening right now.

When Namira brought up that the Chimeras were the ones who started the fire, Laila glanced to the flames. It was quite clear that some damage was already done, and she hoped that the people that came to take care of it would successfully put it out without the fire going out of hand. After Juno told them what they would be doing for dinner and asked about them, Laila nodded as a response before turning to Alexander "I wonder if a conjoined dinner will really be the way to go, considering how this fight went." She asked him in a more hushed voice, trying to make sure no one else heard what she said.

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Theodoric Branden Marlon
Mentions: @Luminosity (Juno), @Nim (Laila), @Demon Shinobi (Alex)​

Theodoric looked on in utter dismay as his Fire spell failed to take Victor down, leaving him too drained to resist as his foe swung his greatsword for his neck. Damn it. Gwendolyn would have handily defeated this bastard back when she'd attended the Academy. Even after all he'd been through the past several years, he still failed to measure up. Theodoric bowed his head in defeat as the training sword came for his neck, bracing for the pain...

...Only to be as equally as surprised as Victor when outriders of House Sylmare appeared. Ah. The fire. He very likely should have thought about that. Though a part of him chafed at the chastisement, wondering what Sylmare expected when they'd designated a training ground. Fire and Thunder magics alike could spark a flame, to say nothing of certain battle tactics such as explosive barrel wagons. House Sylmare's failure to anticipate proper battlefield tactics being utilized was utterly unfair to them, but he wasn't stupid enough to voice that complaint.

Instead, Doric gave Juno a brief nod as he rose to his feet, still gingerly nursing his wound. "Yes, Professor." Though a thought occurred to him. As the Red Chimeras began to gather up, Doric fell back to murmur quietly to Alexander, though in earshot of Laila still. Unavoidable, but it didn't matter. So long as none of the Green Falcons or the instructors heard.

"If they find out what caused the fire, I'll take full responsibility, considering I was the one who cast the spell in the first place."

 

[Jessica]

Lapis Zuval
Mentions: People
Interacting: Juno (@Luminosity )

"-Er, I suppose you may disregard what I said."

Lapis got out of her hiding spot and moved into the open with the rest of her classmates upon seeing that the fight had ceased rather abruptly, and for good reason. She could see the scornful looks in the other House members' eyes. Rivalries and hatred... What sort of mess had she and Laila gotten themselves into? Regardless, their distaste was recognized and Lapis took mental note of it. Was there any chance that the two Houses could one day work together? To set the rivalries aside for a shared goal? Or was that all wishful thinking, and this was the sort of behavior to be expected for the rest of her days at this academy?

Regardless, one thought came to her mind. The fact that they were utterly pathetic as a team in this mock battle. Had they been ambushed by actual villains, they would have been slaughtered. They needed to come up with something, and the strategies needed to be thought of soon 'less they wanted a repeated failure.

She would have to crack open her "The Art of War" book again and refresh her memory.

It was then the meal at sunset between the two Houses was mentioned, and Lapis couldn't help but appear concerned. She approached her teacher and spoke a bit quieter.

"U-Um, Professor, a question if you will. Are you sure a joint dinner is a good idea; so soon after battle? I'm aware it is to ease the tension, but I worry the damage from this mock battle and the rivalries will be too great for anyone to be in a jovial mood around each other. At best, the Houses will go their separate ways peacefully. At worst, blood will be shed."

Lapis's lips pressed together as she thought about other possible outcomes. She didn't want to be so negative, but... she worried for everyone. Some of the Falcons were out for Chimera blood judging by the battle...

Or perhaps she was worrying for nothing. She had a long string of her predictions being wrong before; whose to say this wasn't another one of those times?


"I trust your judgement Professor, and I am not completely opposed to it... Perhaps it is my mind and its worrisome thoughts getting the better of me."

​

​

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Alexander Zephaniah Ravaleth
The Verdant Crest
Interaction(s): @Solace @Nim @Psyker Landshark
Mention(s): @Jessica2477 ​

Lucien had been quick to double back, creating space between himself and Alex and Parthenia. Unfortunately, as he was charging his spell, Alex had begun to charge his own. He wondered if the Blizzard would beat out his own Thunder.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you were, the answer wouldn't come anytime soon as things were promptly shut down.

Alexander grumbled, the battle having been called off. Even if the odds didn't seem favorable, he'd rather have gone down fighting. Still, it had been partially his fault. After all, he had been one the ones to help in the starting of the forest fire. Being upset over it though seemed a moot point. Worst case, the land could be saved, so long as the fire was extinguished. Call it, preemptive slash-and-burn agriculture. As long as they weren't stupid enough to continue the process, the soil wouldn't grow infertile and the area would return good as new, perhaps better. Of course, that would only be if this were a professionally composed slash-and-burn effort.

The blue haired boy, however, was quickly pulled from his wondering thoughts by the voice of none other than his sister. Clinging to Victor's side, quickly attempting to shrug off any semblance of blame. It was enough to make Alex laugh. "Pointing fingers and casting blame. How very noble and lady-like of you Namira." He made no attempt to hide his sarcasm. "And I'm sure Victor's reckless redirection of the fireball earlier played no role in helping set the place ablaze." he shrugged.

He didn't wait to see if he garnered any sort of reaction from his sister. He didn't want to get himself into any more trouble than he was sure he and the rest of his group would be in. They'd performed poorly to say the least. He contemplated inwardly what could have been done differently, what could have been done better. A few of the Green Falcons had almost seemed to be at an unfair advantage. One in particular. It was almost like the Red Chimeras were never meant to win in the first place. And such an abrupt end to a fight. He shuddered to think of what may have been had their leader more competently surveyed the situation, had she made a call sooner, rather than later. Oh well... It doesn't matter...

Alex was pulled from his thoughts again, this time by Laila. He sighed at her response to the news of the dinner. "There's no way this'll end well. If it does..." he couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the thought. "Let's just say 'surprised' is just one of the words you could use to describe how I'd feel." Still, what was the worst that could happen?

"As for you," Alex glanced at Theodoric. He sighed, his voice still soft. "Don't worry about it. There are bigger things to worry about." In truth, Alex appreciated the gesture, but it was ultimately unnecessary wasn't it? Any number of things could have caused the issue. Besides, Alex was more than capable of take responsibility for his issues. Plus, he wasn't sure how much he felt like he could actually trust Doric at the moment.

"We need to do better," he said to nobody, or maybe to himself. Maybe it would have been easy to say it was his fault or her fault or whatever. At the end of the day, trust wasn't easily come by. But hadn't some of his Housemates known each other for years at this point? They should have been able to communicate at least. He looked at Doric again. Still just withing ear shot. Laila would likely hear him too. He didn't know who else might. "If we're gonna be able to succeed going forward, it can't be able how takes blame for what. At least not individually. We all have to take responsibility. Whether its for stepping out of bounds or not doing enough to try and fight for the most favorable outcome."

And yet, for all their private meeting, the brief discussion of the dinner and the battle... Lapis... that was her name right? She went right up to the professor. He brought his palm to his face. "She isn't wrong professor. It's enough to make anyone worry," he said hoping a slight bit of extra support for the girl would be useful. Even if it meant speaking out of turn. After all, he'd already done that anyway, hadn't he. What was once more?

 

[Astoria]

Parthenia Harland Ciran
Mentions: @Demon Shinobi @Nim ​

Parthenia's attack was predictably deflected by Lucien's guard. Her spear was parried away, but it left an opening for Alexander, who managed to get a good hit on the noble student. She began to complement him, but was forced to dodge to the side, a chunk of ice scraping against her as she jumped away from the brunt of the attack. Wincing at the pain, she scowled at Lucien, ready to pay back the blow…

Once she was interrupted by the authoritative that filled the battlefield. Although she was quick to recognize it was a call to stop arms, having not landed a blow yet, she surreptitiously jabbed another blow against Lucien before she finally stopped. For a moment, she was unsure why the battle had been stopped so early, but as the flames roared above the forest, filling the sky with smoke, she silently mouthed her understanding. It still made her question why, though. After all, if House Sylmare had acquiesced to hosting the mock battle on their land, and a forested one at that, they could hardly have expected mages to not practice their craft, especially in a tactical situation.

Returning to the rest of her peers, it was clear that Sherry and Maelys was missing. How were they defeated? She would have immediately asked somebody why, but arguments and legal defenses continued to swirl in her head as she found herself vehemently disagreeing with the Sylmare paladin.

After all the land was fine, and didn't they just do them the favor of clearing some meddlesome trees for more land to farm? Surely the damages couldn't amount to much. Either way, she didn't regret her support for the decision. After all, it had worked, and nobody told them they couldn't set fire to the forest.

It would be an immense injustice if they were punished, and Parthenia was prepared to fight back against it.
It was better to let it play out for now, though.

Right now, there were some other things on her mind, too, as she approached Laila.

"What the hell was that!?"

 

[Rouge Rogue]

𝕷𝖊𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖉 𝕳𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖞𝖑𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖊
mentions: @Jessica2477 [lapis] , indirectly all the remaining chimeras?
__________________________________________________
​

In the end, Ariel did not fall.

Well, she did - but only for a moment, and certainly no thanks to him. Lapis's wind spell crashed against her hammer, knocking it straight into her neck. She fell onto all fours - but was on her feet spouting boastful nonsense in no time at all.

Well then. That sure was disappointing. If only he'd known how she was about to move, that could have been a cleaner hit. But how was he supposed to know that, when it required him to predict the movement of his allies as well? Something told him even they didn't know what they were going to do next.

"This disorganization is giving me a headache..."

Leon sighed, exasperated. "Tell me about it."

She went on to say that she'd propose a strategical meeting after the battle - and Leon found his interest piqued. Oh? was she the strategical sort? He could believe it; the quiet ones often saw things others did not. He supposed he'd find out come the meeting. For now, she was right; they ought to move. He was about to do just that, when--

"Stop this at once!!"

It wasn't the words themselves that gave Leon pause - it was their source; a platoon of men on horseback. Sylmarean men, atop Sylmarean horses. The sigil was unmistakable.

But what were Sylmarean men doing... here?

Leon got his answer when the horsemen reached the site of the battle. Their leader spelled it out in no uncertain terms; this land was theirs, and they did not appreciate it going up in smoke.

... Oh.

It took Leon all but two seconds to realize the gravity of the situation. His gaze darted between the burning forest and the horsemen as if hoping one of them would disappear if he willed it hard enough.

No one told him they were fighting on his land!

Holy shit, once Chenoa found out, he was dead. The assassins guild be damned, she was the most terrifying person Leon had ever met.

By now, both the Falcons and the Chimeras had lowered their weapons and gathered around their professors. Leon really didn't want to do the same. He was fine hiding out in the forest for the rest of his probably-tragically-short life, if truth be told.

But Lapis was already leaving, and he still felt responsible for almost getting her blasted with a thunder spell. So he sighed and followed - very close to her.

It's not that he was hiding behind Lapis. He was just... walking directly behind her, with his form hunched and head held low so as to not be found.

He arrived just in time to find the Falcons deflecting blame. It was about what Leon had expected. What surprised him was that the Chimeras were not doing the same, neither towards the Falcons, nor among themselves. No way, were they just going to accept blame? Leon wasn't entirely sure how things worked in the world of nobles, but he figured burning another's property was likely a sort of big deal.

Leon bit his lip. He could stay quiet. The Sylmares were aware that he knew no magic, and the fire arrow he'd shot into the woods had no doubt long since burned to ashes. There was no proof left of his direct participation. With any luck, someone else would step up to play martyr and accept the blame altogether. The topic had already changed anyhow, with the professor asking if they were ready to go. If he just stayed quiet, he could hopefully save his own ass.

... But that wouldn't be very noble of him, now would it?

He sighed. Playing noble was going to be the death of him.

"As the heir of House Sylmare, I assume full responsibility for what happened here today." When Leon finally found his voice, he was still standing behind Lapis. But by then, he was no longer hunching; he stood straight, head held high, and looked the bannerman in the eye. When he continued, he did so while stepping into full view.

"Not only did I fail to prevent harm from coming to our lands, I had my hand in causing it." He must've gone crazy. He was practically digging his own grave. He could feel the soil under his feet give way. "I will discuss the matter with Lady Mother at her earliest convenience - alone. My classmates are tired and in need of medical attention. Pray excuse us for today."

In truth, he wanted nothing less than to explain the situation to Chenoa. He doubted his dear 'mother' had enough maternal instinct not to punch his face in.

But if he was going to get his ass kicked, he at least wanted it done privately.

 

[Solace]

Mentions: @Jessica2477 [Lapis], @Rouge Rogue [Leonid], @Demon Shinobi [Alexander], @Astoria [Parthenia], @Nim [Laila], @Psyker Landshark [Theodoric]​

"Ugh, what I would give for a bottle of booze right now..."

If it wasn't so plainly obvious from the expression on their faces, Juno could sense the mounting unrest from her students. A situation like this had been quite unexpected for a mere mock battle, so it wasn't like she could draw from any past experience to approach the scenario any better. At the very least, it was not the end of the world, and her Red Chimeras were overreacting quite a bit much with their fears of supposed infighting. "Blood will be shed?" she took her usual lighthearted tone, her honeyed words followed with a scoff. "Please, do not be so pessimistic. There was never any merit worth flaunting from 'winning' a mock battle that was meant for us to assess your initial martial talent to shape our instruction for the coming calendar."

Outside some of the Green Falcons' interesting tendencies, it was without question that the Red Chimeras were just as immature as they were, no doubt a common biproduct of cradled noble upbringing and inexperience outside of the box. It was going to be another long year, and while she was not sure how Talbot would handle things, Juno knew that the coming experiences would be invaluable to the lives of her students. "Any ire from the Green Falcons is the least of our concerns," the professor continued in an effort to ease them, offering them a smile as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. It was a bit of a short lived gesture when Parthenia approached Laila quite directly, most likely about the mock battle that everyone seemed so hung up over. The color seemed to leave her face as Juno slapped her own forehead, sighing when Leon declared responsibility towards the bannermen of his house.

Most of the horsemen, including the leading paladin, had already departed alongside Iris and the monks to answer the wildfire situation, but only a handful had stayed behind to maintain the roads for any possible travelers that would come by. Staring down at the supposed heir, they burst out into laughter at the display before another decorated horseman rode over to hush them, confirming the boy's claimed identity. His skin was sun burnt like the tribesmen of the country, with high cheekbones and a smooth face. His blue eyes were a spitting image of the previous leading bannerman, though the glaring difference was the small afro that his hair was styled into. The heir to Sylmare would recognize this man as Flint, the one who had caught him trespassing the estate many years ago which had subsequently led to his heir status, and the one who had once watched over him where Chenoa refused.

"Lady Mother? Full responsibility?" Flint cackled before succumbing to a coughing fit from the smoke, slinging a longbow over his shoulder. "Little lion, I suggest ye skedaddle. Ya already know she'll come 'round. Best leave it ta Qutie over there."

When the horseman pointed directly to Juno, the professor wanted to vomit from the sight of an old acquaintance. "Right," she stated flatly, her right eyelid twitching as she suddenly rose her voice incredibly loudly. "Kids, we're LEAVING. NOW."

---

Fortunately, the proctors and monks had been kind enough to not take away their original method of transportation, and both parties of students were allowed to travel back to the monastery on horseback. The brief journey was carried in quiet conversation, and Talbot made sure to keep the Green Falcons in check. Unless any of her students had had any questions that wouldn't lead to a stupid argument, Juno mostly remained quiet for the entire way, and before any of them knew it, the retinue passed through the still-unfamiliar gates of their institution. "Greetings, professor! ... Professor?" the gatekeeper was met with only a wave of her hand as they guided their horses back to the stables; while the day's events and the sight of an old acquaintance had soured her mood, the professor would have to strike up a conversation with the gatekeeper later to make up for her cold display.

Given that they were all expected for the dining hall soon, it only made sense to remain gathered altogether when they made the short walk to the infirmary. "Maelys and Sherry should have recovered by now, other than some bruises that magical healing can't fix," Juno surmised as they entered the infirmary at the same time as the Green Falcons, suddenly crowding the usually vacant location. Francette and Marcus were situated on the opposite side of the room, as expected, where the house leader was trying her hand at mending the red-haired boy's scorched uniform jacket. He was sniffling from supposedly crying, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Lucien when they were greeted by their classmates.

"Hey, guys..."

​

The familiar visage of Maelys Ernst Pleiades greeted the Red Chimeras, although in a particularly meek fashion that was unusual for the boisterous boy. His face was still bruised from receiving its punishment from several sources during the mock battle, and afterwards, when Sherry smacked him. "Thanks for dropping by. Oh, don't mind me," the noble was very obviously shirtless, something that seemed to bother their house leader a great amount. He looked over the gloomy expressions of his classmates, giving them a wide smile as he waved to Leon. "I'm just more comfortable like this after a good exercise!"

A fist suddenly crashed against his shoulder, producing a yelp from Mael. "Go put on a shirt, idiot!" Sherry shrieked.

"Fine, Cherry, fine," the noble sighed, reaching over to his stretcher for his clothing. Mael began to conceal his upper body and the tribal markings on his arms, keeping his uniform jacket loose for more comfort. "So, how did everything go, guys?"

 

[Marlowe]

MENTIONS: Whoever's present in the infirmary​

Well, that whole ordeal was something. The battle really didn't go as planned, did it? All Maelys did was pay attention to the directions at hand, and he couldn't even do that. And Doric? Telling everyone to hold back despite her orders? Pfft. What a mess that was. And from what she heard, they were in trouble with House Sylmare. Would her father hear about this? What would she even say? Already, she could imagine the man's cold stare, his gaze resting upon her in disappointment. The thought sent shivers up and down her spine. That just had to give her enough reason for her to smack Maelys around a few times, right?

When the Red Chimeras and Green Falcons finally filtered into the room and Maelys had finally listened to her and put on a shirt, she turned to stare pointedly at Leon and Theodoric. Those two were partly the reasons they had lost, too. That was why that when they approached, they would definitely notice the death stare that she gave them. The rest of the Chimeras... well, she couldn't really blame them. That one commoner girl from Galbia had done quite well, much to her surprise. Perhaps it was because of her that they had some semblance of losing with honor.

"How did everything go? How did everything go?!" Sherry finally allowed her frustations to show as she flailed her arms wildly. Her head screamed in protest, but she ignored the pain for the time being. "We obviously lost. We set the whole damn forest on fire and looked like fools-- all because some people couldn't follow simple directions!" She noticed that some of the Green Falcons were staring at her, along with some of the infirmary staff. Her face flushed with embarrassment before she turned back to Mael and Doric. "We would have won if you two had simply stuck with the plan. Now the whole house is in trouble because of improvisation."