SuperFush

Oh man you guys are actually still going at this. That at least is impressive.

He became a Magus by...being an avid D&D player?

No. Just...just no. That hurt my brain. Arc, please say no. Please please say no. I'm probably not even joining this RP and still ow my tender brainmeats.

This differs from Mad Enhancement how, exactly? Oh, right, it only activates when you need it to, so it's not an inconvenience when having normal faculties of reason would be helpful.

Yuki was, to put it lightly, rather taken aback by the priest's...boldness. He was charming, and if he was younger and better looking, she'd have no doubt been charmed. Instead, she was somewhat off-put, and very, very grateful when Stark suddenly appeared to pull her away. "Phew, thanks. Ugh, that guy gave me the creeps!" She shuddered rather theatrically, then threw her arms around Stark. "Much rather stay out here and see the rest of the city than...eh?" Her blue eyes widened. "M-my father? Here?! How? Why? Ah...let's go, then!"

There isn't even any time to make. Ha ha ha ha ha.

Some inside jokes can be dangerous. And it's not a LotEr invasion. It's a LotEjack.

e_s has never been one for the subtle approach.

"Let's go, daddy, come on!" The man's young son pulled at his hand as they walked down the street in the brisk fall air. His term of military service had ended with little more incident than simple bandits, and he was incredibly glad to be home. The war had never managed to reach the garrison that he'd been stationed at, and the tales he heard of wars past and present from the veteran career soldiers that trained his troop left him more than glad to deal with boredom in exchange for peace. Now he was home, back with his beautiful wife and charming son, and all was well once more. In celebration of his return, the man took his son for a special treat. As luck would have it, not long after he returned, a renowned puppeteer visited their village. It was to this show that the man now took his son, who had always loved puppet shows of all sorts. The entirety of the village had shown up for the show, it seemed, or at least all the villagers with young children. They gathered around the brightly coloured wagon, waiting in anticipation for the show to begin. Some of the less patient children had begun to fidget, but they soon stilled themselves as, with the sound of piano and horns, the wagon opened and the puppeteer walked out onto the platform. While the children surely were fascinated by her incredibly lifelike and beautiful marionettes, the various older boys and men in the crowd were no doubt more interested in the puppeteer herself. Tall and shapely, with long blond hair, and a surprising amount of skin bared for the weather, she certainly struck an imposing figure. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! I am Lucrezia, the Marionette Mistress! Let yourselves be carried away by my dears here~" She gently stroked her hands down the faces of her marionettes, "And give yourselves to the fantasy of my show~!" With those words, she stepped back and took up the strings of her puppets, and with control granted, she made them dance. They moved so gracefully it seemed to be impossible, as though they were not wood and glass, but flesh and bone, with all the agility of the greatest of dancers. The crowd ooh'd and aah'd at the wondrous display, and erupted in furious applause as their dance finished, and both puppeteer and puppets bowed in gratitude for the display of appreciation. The crowd grew quiet once more as the beautiful puppeteer stepped back into the darkness of her wagon. Soon, a single puppet popped out of the side and made a face at the crowd. The air filled with the sound of children's laughter as the puppet comedy continued. Despite the overall sense of wonderment, however, the former soldier couldn't shake the feeling that something was...off. The music, while beautiful, was somehow also...eerie. The puppets moved too smoothly, and it seemed impossible for one woman to be able to control all of them at once. He pushed the thoughts away, though, telling himself that he just wasn't familiar enough with the music, and that a famous puppeteer would surely have only the very best of puppets, and that some sort of clockwork mechanism could be used to control the less important puppets. Yes, surely there was an explanation for all of these unsettling thoughts. He once more turned his focus to enjoying his time together with his son. Nearly two hours after the show began, it finally ended. the crowd stood, applauding and cheering as Lucrezia and her marionettes bowed once more, smiling. She waved and thanked the crowd for their patronage, and wished them all a good day. One man, however, standing aside, laughed rather than cheered. The puppeteer locked gazes with him, her eyes narrowing. He yelled epithets and insults at her, and her show, and even the crowd. Most ignored him, a few yelled back, but he left before any more meaningful action could be taken against him. The crowd dispersed, their pleasure at the wonderful show far too great to be affected by one single idiot. The former soldier and his child walked away, his son talking excitedly of how amazing the show and puppets were. They would spend the rest of the day together as well, before returning to their home as night began to fall, and enjoyed a delicious meal together with his wife, her mother, and finally, the man set his son to bed. They woke in the night to a horrific sound - yells and crackling flames. Not merely yells of urgency, though - these were screams of utter terror. The man jumped out of his bed and reached underneath it, pulling out the sword that he had brought back with him from his service. He picked up his son and pushed him into his wife's arms. They left their house - not yet touched by the roaring flames - only to witness a sight more horrific than they had imagined. Their peaceful village had become a battlefield, but it was no mundane foe they fought. The streets and fields teamed with independently moving dolls, puppets and marionettes, wielding knives, wickedly curved blades and mundane object like scissors and hammers - objects that could easily be perverted to implements of death rather than tools of creation. The man turned to his wife and told her to run, far way from the village, and not to look back. She nodded, terrified, and he turned to the burning village, intent to save as many of his friends as he could, and to create a diversion great enough for his family to escape without notice. It was difficult and horrifying. Many of the puppets, small though they were, seemed possessed of strength as great as a full-grown man, while others...the marionettes especially, bled when cut. This was simply not natural. He fought and struggled, and many of the villagers were able to escape thanks to his efforts, but he was gradually worn down. Rather than simply butcher him as they had many others, however, the puppets and dolls restrained him, and brought him to the village green, where the puppeteer's wagon still stood, untouched amidst the blaze. Standing on the platform, still dressed in her beautiful dress, was Lucrezia, and before her, kneeling and restrained by puppeteer's strings, was the man who had insulted her work. Her previously beautiful face was twisted into a terrible visage of anger. However, she calmed herself and instead focused her gaze on the former soldier. "Ah, you are the man who fought so valiantly against my dears, are you not~? Such skill! Such bravery! A man such as you is too precious to waste, therefore..." She reach out her hand, and strings floated around the man's arms, legs and neck, burrowing into his skin. He tried to speak, but no words would come. He tried to escape, but his limbs made no movements. Lucrezia giggled. "Stand, my pretty~" She rose her hand, and with her motion, so too rose the former soldier. His body no longer belonged to him - he was but another marionette. Jerkily at first, but more smoothly as his mistress solidified her control over him, he stood and drew his dagger. With every motion, his mind screamed for him to stop, but he continued nonetheless, helpless in her power. He approached the restrained man, who looked to him with terrified, remorseful eyes. "Now, my darling...cut out his tongue~" The former soldier's hand shot out, grabbed the restrained man's jaw, and with unnatural strength forced it open. Slowly, he inserted the blade into the man's mouth, and with careful movements, dragged the blade through the heckler's tongue. His screams seared the former soldier's soul, but no power he possessed could allow him to stop. Finished, the pulled the severed member out of the man's bloody mouth and presented it to his mistress. "Ah, wonderful, much better~ Perhaps he will think twice before insulted a poor performer next time! Ahahaha~!" Lucrezia threw her hands into the air with glee, her insane laughter echoing over the empty village. The former soldier tried to force himself to move, to kill the beautiful demon that had deceived them with her wondrous tools, but it was useless. He could never be free of her again.

"Eh? Darrian!" Yuki waved over to the boy. After traveling with him for a while, she'd gotten to know him a bit better and realized that maybe, just maybe, she was being a little unfair with him back in Corthrone. She sure as hell wasn't going to admit that to him, though. "Dom's showing me and Fargo around the city. I guess he knows the place pretty well. Are you coming along? Great!" She took her cloak off and shoved it into his arms. "Here, carry this for me, thanks. Alright, Dom, let's go!"

Pity, his was such a well-written and thoughtfully created character.

Also, I hope you don't type like that in character.

"...No, I suppose I won't." Eltiar remained where he sat. There wasn't a lot of time he had left. And still so much he had hoped to say...of course, it was all his fault for not saying it sooner. Even so, they deserved to be told the truth, after so long. And furthermore...Yuki, here? That was not something he had foreseen. Perhaps it would be for the best, though, if he could tie all his loose ends at once. ~~ "The arch, huh." The giant monument was visible from anywhere in the city, it's silhouette always looming over every other building. "I guess. You know the way, right?"

Yuki is travelling with the only person she happens to know that isn't missing.

"I'm sorry that the only part of the organization you've seen so far has been...less than pleasant, but you must understand. The organization it has fallen in recent days, but it wasn't ever what I would call "evil". Nor is it at all monolithic. At any time, two members of the organization might be working completely at odds with each other. Many of the members, myself included, dedicated themselves to protection of the people. That was...how I came to meet you." Eltiar hesitated a moment, then continued. "Truth be told, I had hoped to initiate you into their ranks as well. Your retirement forestalled that plan, though I had hoped you would eventually recover your will. As for Yuki..." Eltiar turned his eyes away. "She is genuinely my daughter, and I genuinely love her. I...my greatest regret, perhaps, was not being there for her as much as I should have. For you, as well." Eltiar rubbed his face and took a slow look at Stark. It wasn't just Stark that looked tired. Eltiar, to, was more weary than he had felt...he'd never felt this weary before. "There are...elements in the organization that have subverted it. Further and further it has drifted from the ideals I once held and still do hold dear. I do not know who it is, though I have suspicions. And I'm afraid that I, as well as likely you, know why Oakheim was destroyed by the Prophet.The phylactery...that is to say, the strange cube...that is the key to this mystery. Keep it with you at all times." ~~ Yuki followed Dom outside, mouth still twisted in a pout. She glared at the sky and pulled her cloak around herself. "Well? You seem to know this place. Where are we supposed to go?"