Knights of Magica

[tastygoldentaters]

Knights of Magica

​

In the bustling metropolis of Magica, people live all sorts of busy lives, sheltered from the monsters that lurk outside the city walls. Or so they think. The Order of Knights protects the common folk and keeps the true dangers of the world a secret. In Magica, a new group is formed to protect the south sector of the city. This is their story.
​

________________________________________________________________
CAST

Russel Lee

"Fudging hell, just because I'm Asian doesn't mean I'm good at math. And no, Seth, I can't fix your hover board for you. Stop stereotyping me, you lump of moldy lasagna."​

Name: Russell Lee
Age: 17

Personality:

Down-to-earth and a bit too uptight for his friend's liking, Russell is a person who tends keep other people at arms length. An introvert and a bit of a pessimist, he likes his space and will snark at anyone who tries to forcefully enter his bubble. Don't get him wrong though, he's not a bad guy and is almost never looking for a fight, he's just not very good with people and has got next to no tolerance for unnecessary drama or BS.

If one gets to know Russell well enough, they'll find that beneath the icy glares and snarky retorts, Russell is a pretty decent guy. And if people treat him right, he'll do the same and they'll find he's a polite individual who values respect, honesty and determination. If someone is important to Russell, he'll try to make sure they know it. And while transparency is a bit of struggle for him, he tries to tell things straight, good or bad, he won't mince his words or sugarcoat his feelings. He's a sincere individual who won't hesitate to call people out or give credit where credit is due.

Brief Bio:

• Only son of a university professor. Russell's dad teaches advanced Calculus, something he could never really comprehend even before the word advanced was added to the equation.

• His mom left them when he was nine for an artsy guy who directed community plays. He's still rather sore about it, and it might be where he got his trust issues from. She left with the guy soon after he and his dad heard the news.

• His dad got into a car crash three months ago and was rushed to the ICU, this was when he met the old man.

Wish: "He isn't perfect or anything, but I don't want him to die. He's... he's important to me."

Power: Telekinesis - Russell only has a fraction of control over said ability, but he tries to use it smartly. Pulling in objects to trip up foes or sending things flying in an attempt to lash out. He's not exactly a powerhouse, but it's good enough to keep him alive.

Weapons: A yo-yo, he also carries around a standard broadsword. He's more fond of the yo-yo, really.

How long has he been a Knight?: Two months and a week.

Florence Hart

"Maybe that's why I made my wish, I wanted someone to show me that there could be more to life than just dinner parties and college applications. I wanted to be more than just some caged canary. I must sound so silly..."
​

Name: Florence Hart
Age: 18

Personality:

Hardworking, friendly, and kind , Florence is the girl grandparents and teachers adore. The sort of student who submits projects days before the deadline, and the kind of daughter who always does what she is told. She is the perfect goody-two-shoes—or at least, that's what it looks like to the people around her.

In reality, Florence is lonely. Her parents are CEO's of a big sugar manufacturing company and are always away, and it seems as if they have the rest of Florence's life planned out for her as well. When she graduates, she'll take up business and then take over the company, but that's not what Florence wants, not in the slightest.

She doesn't know what she wants or she wants to be, and beneath the confident smiles is a lost girl who hopes to find her way and maybe a friend or two in the process as well.

Super brief bio:​

• Heir to a rather large and successful sugar manufacturing company, Florence lives on the wealthier side of life.
• Met the old man at the park on one November evening.

Wish: "I want something more the this. Maybe I want to make a difference, to do something that will matter."
Power: Mettalurgy
Weapon: A pen that turns into a Halberd
How long has she been a knight: A week ago.
​

Seth Ryans

"I feel alive, and it feels fucking fantastic."​

Name: Seth Ryans
Age: 22

Personality:

Impulsive and loud, Seth is the skateboarding hooligan in the leather jacket, the delinquent parents tell their kids to avoid. And you'd be right to stay out of Seth Ryans' way, hotheaded, hotblooded, with a pinch of mean and obnoxious. Seth likes getting on people's nerves and being an absolute douche, and there's just something about getting people all fired up that puts a wicked grin on the trickster's face.

But while unpleasant, Seth has a softer side he keeps hidden behind the cool blades and smug smirks. He likes cute animals, literature, and art, something most members of The Order find contradictory and weird coming from the guy who gets his kicks out of escaping near death situations and brawls.

Super brief bio:

• Got into an accident when he was hiking in the mountains with his dad. Seth was twelve at the time and suffered from a bad fall. He was wheelchair bound ever since. Seth's parents tried to make things better for him, but he fell into a depression, he was the outdoorsy sort and being inside and unable to walk crushed him.

• Seth grew bitter but ran into the old man when he was sixteen. He was able to walk again and was the happiest and most enthusiastic knight in the order. However, he's been through several groups now and has seen many people succumb to monsters and witches, the trauma dimmed his enthusiasm and made the bright, sunshiny boy grow cold and distant.

• Depression hit once more when Seth turned 18 but he ended up coping by distancing himself from his teammates and living in the moment. This eventually turned him into the daredevil he now is.

Wish: "I want my life back. I want to walk, and run, and skateboard down the longest fucking rail in existence. I want to feel alive again."

Power: Lightning. Seth has great control over it often using it for offensive and defensive purposes.

Weapon: Two Katanas

How long has he been a knight: Five years and four months, Seth has been a part of many different teams during his time in the order. He's grown somewhat cocky, but people would be lying if they said he wasn't skilled.

Daniel Westley

"Oh come on, don't look at me like that! It's no fun talking alone!"
​

Name: Daniel Westley
Age: 18
Personality:
Daniel is smarter than he looks, since he hides behind his goofy façade. He enjoys a good mental sparring and playing Devil's advocate, what becomes annoying very quickly to others around him. Despite his carefree behaviour, he genuinely cares about his colleagues and his missions, but he takes it upon himself to make things more exciting - he wants to have fun, after all.
Super brief bio: ​

• He's the oldest son of a single mother and has a younger sister. At home, he's also the one trying to bring cheer to them, since life can be very hard for them.
• Sometimes he picks up part time jobs to help around at home so he can buy his little sister nice stuff.
• His mother has had more than one job from as long as he can remember, and never had time for herself, until she found a good job six months ago - it's demanding and she still works a lot, but she is less exhausted now and has more stability, for which Daniel is glad. He just wishes she would take some time for herself more often.

Wish: "I don't want her to work so hard anymore... I wish she could have a stable job where she wouldn't need to be so exhausted all the time"
Power: Teleportation.
Weapons: He uses a gun. Simple but effective.
How long has he been a Knight?: He's been a knight for six months - long enough to see that life as a knight isn't actually that great, but not so long as for him to lose hope.
​

Carrie Swann

"Let's just get the job done, alright? You'll have plenty of time to chitchat later."
​

Name: Carrie Swann
Age: 17
Personality:
Carrie takes things seriously. She works hard and always does her best, and expects the same from her colleagues. She's kind and playful, but never beyond professional boundaries, since she doesn't trust others too easily. She had learned to trust some older Knights who took her under their wing when she first joined them, but now they're gone. She aspires to be a worthy successor, and despite her young age, tries to be an example to newer knights.
Super brief bio: ​

• She's an orphan who lived in poverty for the first twelve years of her life, and learned to be independent and detached.
• She values hard work and doesn't take anything for granted. When she found an opportunity to change her life, she took it. Even though there was a price to pay, she would make it worth it.
• Her trust is hard to earn, but three knights took her under their wing when she joined and taught her everything she needed to know - that is, they made her a highly responsible and effective Knight. She doesn't know how much they shielded her from in order to keep her motivated, though, and when they all died in a mission and left her on her own, she started questioning if the price for her wish was right.

Wish: "I want a shot at life. I want the chance to study at a good school and prove the world that I can make it, if only someone gives me a chance."
Power: Fire and explosions.
Weapons: A spear.
How long has she been a Knight?: She's been a knight for five years, but she has been shielded from their true nature until her comrades died in a mission three months ago. She still doesn't know the truth, but her faith has been shaken.
​

Ellie Stone

"Are you sure there's not anything else you need? Okay then! Call me if you need help!"
​

Name: Ellie Stone
Age: 18
Personality:
Ellie is cheery and thoughtful, and values teamwork. She's good at making plans and making sure everyone's abilities are put to the best use, but she isn't a leader. She wants to be useful, but thinks that she can't do a lot in a battle.
Super Brief Bio: ​

• She's an only child, and has lots of acquaintances but few friends.
• She wants people around her to be happy, and goes out of her way to create a peaceful environment.
• Her parents got married due to an accidental pregnancy, and their relationship has always been difficult. Until two years ago, when they suddenly discovered they valued each other, and their family became as happy as they could be.

Wish: "I just want them to stop arguing and give each other a chance."
Power: Telepathy.
Weapons: Knives.
How long has he been a Knight?: She's been a knight for two years.​

________________________________________________________________
The beginning
​

Hello, there! If you've got this message, it means you're being transferred to a new group in the Order. My name is Ellie Stone and I'm going to be your assistant from now on! Please meet me and the rest of the group tomorrow, at 3 PM, in the Cafe Des Amis, in the Southern Sector. Cheers and see you there! Ellie Stone ​

 

[Fox of Spades]

Russel Lee
Cafe Des Amis, 4:28pm
​

The wheels of his bike went round and round as he zipped down McKinley Street. He'd given himself an extra hour just in case something like this happened, and yet, he was probably going to be late. Great, just great. As much as Russel hated to admit, he was lost. He'd lived in the city for as long as he could remember, but for the life of him, he didn't know where Cafe Des Amis was. It was probably one those places. Fancy, frilly, expensive, and not his style. Not because he was a snob or anything—if the food was good, he'd gladly eat it up no matter where it came from—but because places like that were expensive, because the coffee would probably cost an arm and a leg, and the cake a pint of human blood.

Yeah, if it were one of those places, then it wasn't a surprise that he didn't know where in the flipping hell it was located. Russel continued cycling down the sidewalk, looking left and right at the many buildings that stood side by side.

Truth be told, he rarely frequented this part of town, simply because he could get everything he needed on the north side.

Ziggy's barbershop, Susan's Pizzeria, St. John's funeral parlor, none of them rang a bell. Russel had cycled past building after building, but still, there was no sign of the cafe in question. He spared a glance at his watch only to inhale sharply when the numbers registered in his head.

4:28 pm. The meeting was going to start in two minutes. He had to be there because punctuality was something he valued, and the last thing he wanted to do was give his teammates a lousy first impression. Keeping one hand on the handlebar, Russel's free hand began searching the messenger bag by his waist. He stopped when he felt the rustling of paper and pulled out what looked like a map. He had taken down notes when they called. This meeting was important after all, and important things more often than not required some level of preparation.

Russel prided himself in being prepared, and after flipping the map open, his eyes flitted from the sidewalk in front of him to the sketchy pencil marks on paper. Okay, maybe he should have done a better job marking things, but it looked like the Cafe des Amis was supposed to be right—

BANG.

The front wheel of his bicycle collided with a bright, red fire hydrant, and Russel was sent flying off his seat and skidding across pavement. His glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose, but he didn't need 20-20 vision to tell that bystanders were staring at him. A couple of voices called out, asking him if he was alright. And while the gesture was appreciated, his face burned.

"I'm," he hissed through gritted teeth as he lied on his side on the pavement. "I'm fine, great. Don't worry about it... fudging jalapeno."

And there it was, written in elegant cursive, hanging on a signboard above his fallen body—Cafe Des Amis.

Going inside after people had seen him fly off his bike was going to be a real treat.

Disheveled and red-faced, Russel slowly picked himself off the pavement and made his way towards his fallen bike. If anything was hurt or bruised, it was his pride... and maybe his knee, but mostly his pride. He chained his bicycle to the nearby bike stand then slowly dragged himself towards the door. A bell sounded as he shuffled inside, and as he laid eyes on the fancy table cloth and pristine chandeliers, things became a little clearer.

The Order probably chose this place because they knew it would be packed. The Knights would be harder to remember, and their conversation would be drowned out by the chatter around them. It was a smart move.

As Russel slid into one of the seats, a waiter in an outfit fit for a french nobleman approached.

Russel eyed the menu. "Uh, I'll have one Creme Glacee Vanille." He didn't know if he was pronouncing it right, but hey, the menu said it was Vanilla ice cream. It was also significantly cheaper than all the other fancy sounding treats.

"Of course, sir. It should arrive in five to ten minutes."

"Sure, I'm in no rush." The boy ran a hand through his hair and mustered up a smile. "Thanks."

The waiter replied with a firm nod then disappeared into the crowd and back into the kitchen. Once he was gone, Russel scanned the cafe for a familiar face. It was a little difficult, considering the crowd, but he kept at it, only pausing to stare when a black limousine stopped in front of the cafe. He stared for a moment then chuckled. Talk about flair, it wasn't like they were at some wedding or anything.

---

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Florence Hart
Cafes des Amis, 4:38pm

"Are you absolutely certain you don't want me to wait, Mrs. Hart?"

"No, no, absolutely not, Ted—I mean, yes, I'm sure. As I said earlier, I'm meeting up with friends from school. We have a Science project due on Tuesday and Mrs. O'Connor is a stickler for deadlines. We're going to have some dinner first, but after, Sarah's dad will come over to pick us up. And we... we might not finish till late evening." Lying had never been Florence's forte, and as she tried not to ramble, the smile on her face faltered. All this lying was starting to make her feel terrible, especially lying to Teddy who'd been with the family for as long as she could remember.

"If you say so, Mrs. Hart. As usual, I'll be just a call away."

The frown on the man's face almost made Florence giggle, everyone from her parents to their staff could be so overprotective.

Though once again, the smile faltered. With everything that'd been going on for the past two weeks, they probably had every right to be.

The Order of Knights, monsters, soul gems, it was all something out of a fantasy novel. And yet, here she was, a part of the madness that was about to unfold. Uncertainty rippled through her stomach as thoughts of the past two weeks began to resurface. Today, she'd be assigned to her first ever team, and after that, the real missions would take place.

Now wasn't the time to second guess herself. "Of course. Thank you as always, Teddy. I'll see you later." And with that Florence made her way into the crowded Cafe des Amis. The girl chose one of the corner tables. She hardly knew anyone at The Order, but she was confident that whoever was assigned to meet them, would know them all by face. She waved a waiter over then waited for both her parfait and the fated meeting.
​

---

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Seth Ryans
Cafes Des Amis, 4:45pm
​

"Dammit, Ellie," Seth hissed as he strolled up to the cafe. "This place sucks."

Seth would have rather met someplace more his style. Maybe that new BBQ place by the mall, or that burger joint by the hardware store on seventh street. Whatever, they were here on business not because they wanted lattes and creme bules and all that fancy sounding shit.

He spent another good second staring at the cafe with contempt then strode through the door, atrocious hat-hair and all.

Most of the well-dressed individuals tried not to look at him, but a few people found themselves staring at the leather-jacket-wearing, skate-board-toting young man with an ice pop in his mouth. In such a pleasant, frilly place, Seth stuck out like a sore thumb. But he didn't mind, and instead, began wandering through the cafe in search of familiar faces. Some people from HQ told him there'd be a bunch of newbies on the team, and it pissed him off a little because he figured he wouldn't really be able to recognize them, and that meant sticking around longer than needed.

After a bit of wandering though, he found Ellie. Without pausing to greet her, Seth pulled out the chair across from her and sat himself down.

He paused to narrow his eyes at the secretary. "You've got really shitty taste in cafes."

 

[tastygoldentaters]

Daniel Westley
Cafes des Amis, 4:15

Daniel checked his wallet before ordering a coffee with cream and sugar. This place was very fancy, and he didn't feel he should spend all his money on coffee. He ordered some macarons, though; his sister would appreciate the surprise when he got home. When the waiter arrived with his coffee, Daniel saw the perfect opportunity to pry around and see if he could figure out how exactly he was supposed to meet with this Ellie girl.

"Excuse me. Is there someone called Ellie here? Ellie Stone? I'm supposed to meet with her, but I have no idea what she looks like."

The older man gave him a smile that was nothing but polite, and lowered his head before answering.

"I apologise, sir, but I'm afraid I do not know whom you talk about."

"Well, thanks anyway. If you do meet her, please tell her Westley is waiting here."

The waiter nodded and took a step back. "Sure thing, sir. Have a nice date!"

Daniel chuckled. It had been months since his last date - a girl from school who kept calling him afterwards, but he could never really meet with. He was always too busy juggling his double life to bother with snogging, even if it were with a cute blonde. He took a sip from his coffee and looked out the window just in time to see some nerd falling off his bike. He laughed.

***
​

Carrie Swann
Cafes des Amis, 4:30

It had been over an hour since Carrie arrived, and she was growing annoyed. She had never had this problem with her old team. Everyone was punctual and respectful, and if they said in a message they would meet at 3, then they would meet at 3. She wondered what kind of joke this new team was - she wasn't even told how she should recognise the assistant. Every fifteen minutes, Carrie got up from her seat at the café's second floor and walked around to look for familiar faces or people that stood out. That turned out to be useless, since the place was crowded with people around their age, some of them dressed up very nicely, others displaying unnatural hair and weird clothes. Looking for Knights there was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

She saw a young man reading a book upside down, a couple who just looked out of the window without talking to each other, a girl tapping her fingers on the table while looking around, waiting for someone... Maybe some of these people were Knights from her new team. Maybe none of them were. She felt lost. If only they had been here...
​

***
​

Ellie Stone
Cafes des Amis, 4:45

"You've got really shitty tastes in cafes."

Yeah, Ellie was waiting for that.

She handed Seth an already opened pack of chips from under the table when the waiters were not looking. "Hey, there's a reason why I chose this place, and it's not cupcakes and tea!" After almost two hours waiting, the group was now complete. And scattered around the café, but she could fix that. She closed her eyes and opened up her mind as she tried to reach all of them.

"I'm glad you all could make it. I'm on the second floor, you'll find me sitting at the same table as a guy with an ice pop."

Ellie smiled at the guy himself and smiled apologetically, but she couldn't think of a better reference point that wouldn't go unnoticed by the rest of the group.​

 

[Fox of Spades]

Seth Ryans, Russel Lee, and Florence Hart
Cafes Des Amis, 4:45pm

"Guy with an ice pop, huh? Is that the best description of me you can come up with, El? Couldn't you have mentioned my devilishly handsome features, my god-like smolder, and all my other wonderful qualities? I'm hurt, truly hurt," Seth groaned as he clenched a hand over his chest for dramatic effect. "Oh the pain, the burning pain," he went on. "It stings almost as much as this place's taste in everything." He didn't care that a waiter was standing right by their table, Seth always spoke his mind, and he wasn't about to stop for anyone. "Anyway, where are they? The sooner we get this over with, the better." Leaning back into his chair, he narrowed his eyes at the people passing by them.

Each minute felt like an hour, and Russel was the first to appear.

Seth noticed that the boy looked paranoid as hell, often pausing to glance over his shoulder. The kid stopped by their table, and after staring at the ice pop in his hand, mumbled an uncertain greeting of sorts.

"Uh, excuse me and sorry to interrupt, but you wouldn't happen to be Ellie Stone, would you?"

Seth laughed. "Hey, kiddo? You see this ice pop? Anyone else here have one of these bad boys? No? Well then yeah, this here is Ellie."

"Oh," Russel's response was short. He didn't know how to feel about Seth's attitude, but in less than a minute, he'd come to a realization: he wasn't going to enjoy working with this man. He seemed not only rude, but also condescending. Anyway, he ignored Seth and focused on Ellie instead. "I'm Russel, I had a bit of trouble finding the place, so I'm sorry if I'm kind of late. Yeah, I'm usually really punctual."

"Sure you are, kid."

Seth was promptly ignored as Russel chose to pull out a chair for himself instead of answer. So what now? It was the question that hung on his lips, but he was far too polite to ask. One rude jerk was one jerk too many.

"N'aw, you're no fun." Seth tried, but instead of eliciting a response, it caused an awkward silence to fall over the group. At least, until Florence came walking up the steps, looking a little lost.

Russel noted she was the girl from the limousine, and he spent a good moment staring... was she a Knight too?

His question was answered when she approached them with a bright smile.

"Pardon the intrusion, but are you Ellie Stone and her friends?"

Seth nodded his head. "It's about time, so where the hell is everyone else? Ellie can we get this show on the road sometime before Christmas?"

 

[tastygoldentaters]

Daniel Westley, Carrie Swann, Ellie Stone
Cafes des Amis, 4:45 pm

Ellie lightly tapped Seth's hand and laughed. He could be such a child sometimes, she forgot he was older than her. She sat back and waited for the other Knights to arrive. The first one was an asian boy who seemed quite nervous - she smiled and offered him a handshake. Shortly after, a pink haired girl arrived, and she was a striking contrast to Seth's rudeness.

"Hi, I'm Ellie! I suppose you're Florence?" Ellie smiled at the girl and offered her a seat.

"It's about time, so where the hell is everyone else? Ellie, can we get this show on the road sometime before Christmas?"

Ellie rolled her eyes and chose to ignore Seth. His rudeness was always worse when he was around newcomers and strangers.

A blonde boy wearing glasses walked up to them, grabbed a chair, turned it around and sat with his legs apart. He looked at the other Knights at the table and smiled. A short girl with copper coloured hair followed, and stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"'Sup?"

"At least introduce yourself, gee... By the way, I'm Carrie. Nice to meet you all, I hope we can work well together." She sat down next to the blonde with glasses.

"Oh, yeah, I'm Daniel Westley. Is everyone here?"

"Yes, we can start now. I suppose you all know why we're here?" Ellie took a breath and continued, not giving anyone time to reply. "By the way, I'm sorry about the mental intrusion earlier. I had no other way of contacting all of you discretely enough. You should get used to it. Anyway. The team taking care of this sector has been dismantled for reasons unknown, and Headquarters gave me the liberty of choosing a new team. I believe you're all very good at what you do, and I think we'll make a good team." She glanced at Seth and Carrie, obviously the most experienced ones. Seth was one of the first people she met when she joined the Order, but she had never talked to Carrie (and rumours had it she never talked to anyone not in her team).

"So, what's our first mission?"

 

[Fox of Spades]

Seth Ryans, Russel Lee, and Florence Hart
Cafes Des Amis, 4:45pm

Introductions were made and once everyone had said their names, Ellie got down to business. Seth understood why she'd chosen Knights like Carrie and him, but he had to arch an eyebrow at the three newbies seated across from him. He'd seen the Westley guy once or twice, but the kid never struck him as Knight material, and the other two, he'd never seen them before in his life. HQ had said something about fresh knights, but Seth had to wonder, just how fresh were they? The young man wasn't going to place his confidence in them until they lasted a year in The Order, or unless they proved him wrong. Some people said it was stuck-up and elitist of him, but in this line of work, you had to get good or die.

"Straight to the point, I like you." Seth's eyes flitted from Daniel to Ellie and he shrugged. "I heard it was some boring fetch quest." Tedious and beneath him. Why he'd been assigned to a sector with three newbies to accommodate, he'd never know. "You sure HQ gave you the right info, El?" Or could it be this was something bigger than that? The higher-ups could be ambiguous when they wanted to be, something Seth didn't like at all.

It was bullshit really, the way they sometimes told half-truths.

And in the past few months, it'd been happening more and more. It was starting to get under his skin.

Russel watched quietly as Seth sneered. The guy had a serious attitude problem and it was a little troubling, but he seemed to be a veteran. In a way, having an older member in the group was somewhat reassuring. "Is it safe to discuss the mission to openly here?" Maybe it was a silly question, but he was a cautious guy and non-knights weren't supposed to know about the orders and the dangers that lurked in darkened alleys.

Florence nodded her head. "Ms. Stone, could you perhaps give us more information regarding this quest and the item we are to obtain?" She fiddled with the sleeves of her coat. This would be her first ever mission, and it didn't help that she didn't know how to address her superiors. Formalities were important to Florence but the Order was neither school nor her parents' company, and she was a little lost.

"I'd like to hear about more of the details too," Russel added. "And... is this item going to be," his voice fell to a whisper, "dangerous?"

 

[tastygoldentaters]

Daniel Westley, Carrie Swann, Ellie Stone
Cafes des Amis, 4:45 pm

"You sure HQ gave you the right info, El?"

The girl smiled at the nickname, then turned to look at Carrie. She looked quite serious and reliable. Her choice was getting clearer now.

"Our task is to find and retrieve an amulet - I don't know much about what it does, so we should be careful. It was in possession of a Knight before he went missing, and HQ reported that it is now in the hands of a top-tier monster somewhere in this sector. Our goals are to locate its hideout and retrieve the amulet. Oh, and 'Ellie' is just fine!" She smiled at Florence, and hoped it looked reassuring.

The mission caught Carrie's interest. She had been craving some work to get her mind out of things, and she needed to feel useful. "When do we start?"

"If you all agree, I think we should split in two groups and start our search tomorrow night. I think it's enough time for us to get ready." Carrie nodded her agreement, and Daniel just shrugged - he just wanted them to get done with the talking, it was no fun. "Well, so I think we need two group leaders, and that Seth and Carrie would be the best for the job, since they're the most experienced ones here." Ellie didn't say it, but she wanted to split them so they could look after the newcomers... some of them looked like they have never even seen a battle, let alone fight one.

Carrie straightened her back and decided to get straight to business. "Can I pick first?" She asked out of courtesy, but to Ellie instead of Seth. The other girl just smiled and nodded. Carrie studied each one of them. Seth looked strong enough, but he was already the other group's leader, so he was out. Ellie... she had no idea of what her abilities were besides telepathy, and she didn't look much like a fighter. The other kid with glasses, Westley, seemed sharp but reckless, and she didn't like his attitude. The pink haired girl wasn't even considered, Carrie knew she couldn't protect anyone again so soon, and the girl definitely needed protection. The asian guy looked sensible, though. "You," she gestured to him.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Seth Ryans, Russel Lee, and Florence Hart
Cafes Des Amis, 4:45pm

"Alright," Russel nodded, unsure of what else there was to say. He'd been on a few missions with his first team, but none of them ever sounded as serious as this. Mostly they just chased away smaller monsters or retrieved things for other members of the order. So when Ellie said they were going to be up against a top-tier monster, he tried not wince. He noticed that Florence was fighting back a look of hesitation was well.

"Hey," Seth spoke up, interrupting the boy's train of thought. "If you're going to pick first, Carrie, you might as well get it over with." He didn't wait for Carrie to respond and his eyes flitted to the remaining three. "El, blondie, you guys are coming with me. I say we meet back here tomorrow night," he paused to shrug. "Then we can go somewhere, more, private." From there, they could patrol this part of the city and keep an eye out for the monster. To be honest, Seth was excited about the mission. It was the first good mission in awhile, but he was a little annoyed by the fact that they'd be bringing along a bunch of newbies. If they really were going after a top-tier monster then whoever was in charge was being an idiot.

You don't send newbies after top-tier monsters. That's just not something you do.

Newbies were supposed to chase the lil' fellas away, go on fetch quests, the tedious stuff that wouldn't get them mauled to disemboweled. Well, not like he cared. But still, he didn't like the fact that he was going to lead a bunch of kids who didn't really know their stuff. He shot Ellie a look that was part doubtful and part irritated but didn't say anything else. Surely the higher ups had their reasons, right?

Oh well, stupid reasons, but reasons nonetheless.

"Hey, looks like you're going to be on our team. Florence, right?" Russel mustered up a smile.

"Yes, I'm very new to this, but I'll do my best," the girl replied.

"Hey, I've only been here for two months, so not exactly an expert." Russel turned to Carrie. "So where and when do you want us to meet tomorrow?"

 

[tastygoldentaters]

Carrie Swann
Faraday Academy rooftop, 17:00

Carrie checked her watch and closed her book. The others should be arriving soon - she had been very clear yesterday when she told them she expected punctuality - and she didn't want them to catch her in the middle of studying for a test, that was not professional at all. She put the Biology book back in her backpack and stood up, looking down at the street. She could see a limousine stopping by the school entrance, and the pink haired girl, Florence, getting out of it. Well, she was punctual, at least.

***
​

Daniel Westley, Ellie Stone
Café des Amis, 23:00

Ellie got down the bus and held her white sweater closed. The night was not particularly chilly, but she was used to covering her body when walking alone at night, even though the South Sector looked way safer than the one where she lived. Oh, the wonders of being rich. She walked torwards the café, stopping every now and then to look back and listen up, when she saw a blonde boy leaning against a lamppole. Her stomach fluttered a bit, but then she saw it was the boy with glasses, Westley. She sighed and walked up to him.

"Yo, Ellie, right?"

Daniel saw the girl approaching him, and almost felt sorry for her - she looked like a shrinking violet, trying to make herself small under her sweater. What a weird behaviour for a knight. She got closer and waved, and he thought he heard her say 'Hi', but her voice wasn't really clear. He started making some smalltalk about motorcycles - the only thing in his mind since he saw a beautiful model this afternoon, white, strong, 800cc, a dream. Ellie paid enough attention to understand when to nod and give monosyllabic answers, but she kept checking her watch. Were they early or was Seth late? He had asked them to meet him at the café at night, but he really could have been a bit more specific.​

 

[Fox of Spades]

Florence Hart and Russel Lee
Faraday Academy rooftop, 17:00

Upon exiting the limo, Florence flashed Teddy a smile. "Just another late night project, I promise to call when we finish." And because the girl had never been particularly dishonest, he believed her and drove off. She still felt somewhat guilty for lying, but it was for the best. The girl took in a deep breath then disappeared through the school doors. Roughly ten minutes later, she arrived at the rooftop and gave Carrie a wave.

It wasn't until then that she realized why Carrie looked somewhat familiar.

Oh, they were schoolmates. They were schoolmates and she hadn't realized until tonight.

A little embarrassed by her blunder, Florence made her towards Carrie in an attempt to strike up a conversation. "Silly me, I didn't realize we were schoolmates." She gave the girl a sheepish smile. "Though, I thought you looked rather familiar yesterday." She tried to keep a conversation going, but Carrie wasn't the chattiest person in the world, so time crept by rather slowly as they waited for Russel to arrive. Thankfully, they only waited for ten minutes. Soon enough, the boy arrived, panting as he rushed up the steps towards the rooftop.

"Ungh!" He panted as he doubled over, hands on his knees and face red with exertion. "I swear, I'm an early bird. It's not what it looks like. I'm just really, really, unfamiliar with this side of town." The fancy side. He didn't say that last part and instead spent a few moments catching his breath. When he was finally standing upright, he resumed. "Anyway, I'm sorry if I kept you two waiting."

"I don't think you're too late, Russel," she reassured. "I just got here myself."

"Oh," he answered. "That's good, I hate keeping people waiting." And with that said, both waited for instructions from their designated leader.

---

Seth Ryans
Café des Amis, 23:00

"Boo!" Emerging from a dark alley was Seth, a cigarette in one hand and burger in the other. "I see you guys finally made it." He gave both Ellie and Daniel a nod. "So, you two have been Knights long enough. I mean, I went through some files the other day. And while Danny-boy here is kind of a newbie... you two should know the drill by now, amirite? We're going to roam around the town, and keep an eye out for that monster. If we find it, good, we kick its butt and take back that amulet. If we don't, well, we'll be stuck on boring ol' patrol duty until we do. It'll suck, so we better find that monster for HQ." He threw down his cigarette and stomped it out before casually making his way towards his teammates.

Once in front of his teammates, Seth pulled off his black hoodie to reveal a black skintight bodysuit. "Like what you ladies see?" He asked with a smug smirk before snapping his fingers. Out of thin air, a chest plate and two pauldrons materialized over his chest and shoulders. "Okay, chop chop, team. Let's get dressed then roll out."

 

[tastygoldentaters]

Carrie Swann
Faraday Academy Rooftop, 17:10


Carrie smiled at the two other knights. She was their leader now, but if she wanted to keep that position they would have to trust her.

"Now that we're all here, let's talk business. I think our best bet for finding this amulet is searching the Sector for any labyrinths, then reporting our findings to the other group so we can decide which labyrinth to tackle first. And, I imagine you already know that, but we shouldn't be seen."

She threw her head back and closed her eyes. A fresh breeze made its way to the rooftop, and ruffled Carrie's skirt and hair. Her navy blue school uniform turned black, and her shoes became combat boots. She opened her eyes and adjusted her neck tie. "Whenever you're ready, guys."

***​

Daniel Westley, Ellie Stone
Café des Amis, 23:00

As she felt another presence join them, Ellie's jaws tensed up. She relaxed when it was Seth who came out of the alley, but Daniel was startled and jumped in front of her before recognising the other blonde. He scratched his head and chuckled.

"Gee, old man! Don't scare us like that."

"You were the only one scared," Ellie said with a smile.

"Shush shush. Now, where to?"

They both listened while Seth told them his plan. Ellie nodded at his every word, but Daniel just looked around, seeming disinterested. He was the first to get dressed, however - a chuckle and a backflip and he had his outfit on, a bright green jacket and black fingerless gloves, with a belt made of bullets around his waist.

Ellie took longer to get changed, while she tried not to stare at Seth - he didn't have those muscles when they last worked together, back when she was a rookie. She looked at Daniel instead and laughed at his theatrical transformation, putting her heavy backpack on the floor so she could get dressed too. She simply twirled around and her jeans turned into thigh-high black socks, and her sweater into a white and lilac dress. With a light tap of her now gloved fingers, her round glasses became protective eyewear. With a blush and a smile, she tied her hair in a high ponytail while she looked from one blonde to the other.

"I told Carrie I would call her if we found any labyrinths, and she said she'd do the same - I think the three of us will be fine, but we're not sure with what kind of monster we're dealing with, and the rookies might need some help... Oh, and I brought a first aid kit and some snacks," as always, Ellie added in her head.
​

 

[Fox of Spades]

Florence Hart and Russel Lee
Faraday Academy rooftop

"Of course," Russel said with a wry smile. "If normal people so much as see us they'll freak and we really don't want them calling the cops on us." Thankfully, with their transformation came an invisibility that lasted as long as they were in their monster hunting gear.

"Um, I'm really sorry for the silly question, but..." Florence tilted her head to the side. "How do we do that."

"Right, right, I almost forgot. It's your first mission, isn't it, Florence?" The boy's eyes flitted from Carrie to Florence as he tried his best to explain the magic that went into all this. "I don't really know how it works, but you see, when we summon up our costumes... we kind of become invisible to regular people. And it's really strange, but very, very useful." He nodded to Carrie and her outfit switch. "We can still see her now, but others can't."

There was a moment of silence as Florence processed the information. "Oh, and how do you summon your clothes?"

"Maybe Carrie will be able to explain things better. I still kind of have trouble with it myself," he admitted. He'd only succeeded twice after all, the other times, he'd had to find a place so he could shimmy into his gear. "Let me try to demonstrate." With eyes shut tight in concentration, Russel tried snapping his fingers. The first time it failed, but by the third snap, a white Disney Prince-like tux materialized over his regular clothes and a giant top hat fell onto his head and over his eyes. "Yeah, I'll leave the explaining to Carrie."

---

Seth Ryans
Café des Amis

Snacks? Ellie's declaration made Seth grin from ear to ear. The last time he'd worked with her, she'd done the same. And that was a couple of years ago, it was nice to know that some things stayed constant. Almost everything in The Order changed rapidly, so it was nice to feel like some things would always stay constant too. "This isn't some grade school field trip, you know? But good ol' Ellie, I knew we could count on you to bring us the snacks. Anyway, sounds like a plan to me. Let's get this show on the road, yeah?"

Before Ellie or Daniel could say anything, he smashed both his knuckled together and two katanas flashed into existence. Both swords combined with each other to form what looked like a floating hoverboard and Seth jumped on with a wicked grin stuck to his face.

"Race you guys to Fifth Street? What do you slowpokes say? Loser buys everyone a good midnight snack?" And without waiting for them to agree he was zipping off with a gleeful howl. Hopefully something fun would pop up on tonight's mission.