♛ ▌ＲＥＳＥＴ ❣

​

INTOXICATION
[ x x x x x x x x ]
​

Sangria giggled. This biological witch was a silly one! Getting her own state of mind ruined like that without her needed intervention, not that she planned to do this so early in the game. She stood up from her chair and looked at Kuru, gently waving a hand over her forehead.
"I'm quite sorry you had to go and do that to yourself, hun, but it goes to show that you must be careful with secrets. ❤" She lowered her hand. "This bloody castle is a real drain on powers, but hopefully I've numbed enough of your sense of pain so you'll be able to walk back to your seat, dear. It appears our sweet little popsicle will be starting her game soon. ~"

She turned back to Marina and smiled, putting her sunglasses back on.
Of course, of course! Fresh-meat always seemed so defensive. It was delicious. Sangria loved a challenge, but everything would come in time, wouldn't it?
She knelt close to Marina's ear, much too close for comfort, allowing the scent of sweet wine to trail upon the side of her face.
And with a giggle, she whispered in her ear.

"Watch your back, friend. Your mortal concepts of immortality are different from its reality. Do not put this much faith in your defensive barriers."

She retreated, her glasses askew, as she adjusted them slightly. Sangria let out a quick hiccup. Oh! Oop.
She gazed around. In her time, a few others had arrived to join the party. Ohoho, how pleasant! ❤
Sangria picked up the plastic bottle of weak vodka and walked towards the front of the congregation, taking care not to block Marina's view.

"It is nice of you all to be here," She called out to the crowd, raising her bottle. "A real party we have, don't we? It is sweet to see some familiar faces again, even the ones whom I rarely see myself." She gazed at a few particular ones in the crowd.
"None of you lovelies possess a drink in hand, for I expected enough only for myself, and my altruism was by chance. ❤"
"So instead, I propose a toast in spirit --" Sangria giggled aside at her little pun ""-- To our lovely coordinator Marina, whom I hope will integrate wonderfully in the ... new world, that she finds herself. And a toast to all of you little lovelies, who have gained the courage to come here. I trust we will all respect her in our little game. Isn't that right, Marina?"

She turned to Marina and smiled, before lowering her bottle and walking to the side. She took a swig from the bottle of vodka and gently rotated her finger in the air to increase its potency, before taking a quick seat besides one of the unfamiliar faces.

"I have never seen you at my parties, hun." Sangria offered the bottle of vodka to Ursa.
"There is no reason to be suspicious, dear. ❤ I am not looking to get anybody drunk on my own volition, and I do believe the nature of this particular drink suits you, wouldn't you say?" She yawned. "Business is a world of cheating, but I play fairly in a cheating world."

Sangria let out another snicker.

​

​

 

The pain was a little intense. A few minutes and she could have cut the wire's temporarily that sent signals into her brain. However, that wasn't necessary seeing as Sangria was kind enough to relieve her of such tension. The sudden relaxation was a simple joy. She sighed and began to allow the fog in her head to clear up.

That was one thing down. However, a sudden burst of heat had just been sucked away from her surroundings, forcing her to shiver. "N-n-now that'sss not fun-n-y..." She stuttered. Quickly, she reacted by causing blood flow within her circulatory system to advance in speed, raising her body temperature. She turned over to Ursa and glared. It was obvious that she was the culprit behind this.

Quickly turning back to Marina. "Welcome to the games Marina.Hope you break a leg... or two." She turned back around and angrily walked toward the girl who found it amusing to play little pranks. She walked over and placed her hand on Ursa's cheek and smiled. "You know, pranks aren't very fun, let me show you what I mean. I'm thinking, a nasty break out." She removed her hand and within seconds, pimples began to form upon Ursa's cheek. "I would do so much worse if I could. Lucky you though, we are under god's command in this castle." ((will remove if denied since she went to sleep))

 

Prism had gotten to the point where the only thing in the room fascinating him was Sangria doing her typical shtick. She was just one those people who always had something going on and it always made him keep his attention. Even if he didn't talk much through it.

Sangria had given him a bottle of some form of alcoholic beverage (what else was new) and she dared to call him tense. He was somewhat offended by it because he was in no way tense. He didn't even remember the last time he was tense. He noticed Daphne out of the corner of his eye and wanted to ask her about the eagles, but the bottle kept grabbing his attention more.

Prism opened up the bottle and took a small sip. It was relatively weak and he was a bit disappointed. He was expecting some actual hard liqueur. Even if she kept urging it was weak. He duped himself in the end. Now he needed to find something else to do.

Prism looked back over at Sangria and let out a little smile as an idea came to his head. He put the bottle on the arm of his chair and tapped it before disappearing into the reflection. He let out a cough, it was not one of the most reflective surfaces and it actually hurt him a bit. He focused on the bottle in Sangria's hand and quickly transported to it He cringed a bit as he looked up at the temptress and let out a quick,

"Psst."

She looked down into the reflection and that was when he caught her face. This was the fun part for him. Prism grabbed her reflection and held it still. This would most likely make Sangria feel like her face was being pulled, but not to the point of pain. He decided to distort her nose, and pulled at the reflection's nose. His eyes showing such a splendid happiness as he did so. The nose stuck up, was longer, and the point went upward. It was as if it was a broken Pinocchio nose, with the break pointed up instead of down.

When he was done, he let go and let out a whistle, and wanted as the real Sangria faced his little, harmless, change to her face. When he was done, he changed his own reflection to look like Sangria without the nose change.

When he was done changing himself, he jumped out of the reflection in the bottle and stretched for a moment before walking in front of Sangria, where he started to mirror her actions, while trying to stay as quiet as possible when he wanted to laugh as hard as he could. He needed to wait for her to talk so he could echo her, if he spoke, it would ruin the effect. ​

 

​

INTOXICATION
[ x x x x x x x x ]
​

What was that?
Sangria immediately frowned and looked around. She swore she heard a whisper in her ear.

INTOXICATION

[ x x x x x ]
​

Was one of these out-stepping immortals trying to play a trick on her?
Ah ... how dare they.
Sangria became quiet, and looked around, before briefly staring into her bott--ack.
That!! That was-- aaagh! Something tugged at her nose!
She looked carefully and saw only her own reflection. There appeared to be some trickery going on here--
Ah, lord.
She took a swig of the vodka she offered to Ursa.

INTOXICATION

[ x x x x x x x x x x ]​

That's better. ❤
"It's rather daring of someone to directly confront a Valen like this right before the game. ❤" She called out to nobody in particular, shaking the vodka in her bottle a bit.
She turned back to Ursa, but kept her defenses up. Did she go too far with her little speech, then? Nonsense, nonsense, Sangria. You had these immortals in the very end of your glass, didn't you?

She turned and--
Her eyes widened.
Right in front of her was a complete duplicate of herself.
She felt a jolt of shock run through her spine. What kind of mockery was this?
She sighed and took off her sunglasses, looking at the doppelganger. The other did the same.

"Well then," She mused, smirking a bit. She slowly twirled around the weak vodka in her hidden hand, turning it a dim pale green. "I have to say. I've never seen such a pretty looking lady in my life! ❤"
"Wouldn't you agree, Ursa? I think I'm in looove. ❤" She took a sip of the weakened absinthe and looked the doppelganger in the eye.
Ah.
Sangria leaned forward and quickly clasped her hands on the doppelganger's shoulder. She brought a finger to her doppelganger's cheek, twirling a single strand of the crimson hair that would be her own. She leaned in gently and placed a soft kiss directly on the lips of her doppelganger, leaving the dizzy taste of absinthe on her lips, letting the tip of her nose touch the mirror of her own.

Sangria slowly retreated.
"Oho! We have a wonderful imitation here, don't we? Impeccably accurate." She wiped her lips free of the alcohol. "If only I knew the identity of this here dear who brings herself to figure such entertainment and pleasure in the world. ❤"

​

​

 

Prism felt this reaction was a rather interesting one. He had certainly never faced someone who wanted to kiss him because he looked like well... them. Her statement about identity was going to have to be a no-no for now. For no real reason either. People should know about his powers by now, he doesn't hide them in any way. Maybe this wasn't done as often but he figured the Falsified Guise would be... the person pretending to be someone they aren't.

When Sangria spoke, he knew he had to catch the echo then. He shifted his palm and reflected it, mocking lip movement. She fortunately spoke a rather long sentence that was easier to modify.

"I amd your dear."

Unfortunately the echo didn't seem to have all the sufficient sounds, and he had to hide as much as he could in near whispers. If detail was checked in all it's seriousness, then it wouldn't work. He needed to finish before he lost the sound of the echo completely.

"Your jureuchsmt wonderful."

That just sounded like she really slurred...

He couldn't keep up quiet with her movements anymore as he started to stop reflecting her accurately. It was becoming more slowed the more bored he began to feel.​

 

The sound of an engine from a vehicle can be a deafening roar at close range; and that roar was magnified when Darren was right beside it, and soon it was revving and gunning to overcome him. But like every machine that was put up against him since his neighboring Valen moved in, it opened it's grill and ate his barefooted dust. He laughed, as the engine's thunder faded because of the distance that was growing between him and the mechanical speedster on wheels. His light laughter was snatched away in the wind he generated during his run until he crossed the two normal oaken trees that made the finish line. He purposely stopped so that his movement could deliver a series of cheek kisses to a fair haired child sitting on the shoulders of an equally fair haired woman. Both were horned headed like he, but the woman and child shared similar, normal human features. It made him smile to watch them giggle as they felt cheek kisses they couldn't see. His feet brought him to a stop before his wife and child. His fingers squeezed the older woman while he immaturely tugged on the ears of the of his only protege, before hoisting her up and onto his shoulders.

They were heading back to the bullet train station and he gazed up at the normal, sunny sky. The sun was up high, and it was also his personal alarm clock. He knew his time was ticking before he had to go to the Hall of Games. He sighed a bit inwardly for personal reasons, but he didn't let it show in-front of his kid. Instead he plucked her down from his shoulders as they boarded the fastest machine in town, courtesy of a bet wagered when his machine crazy, land owning neighbor took over the country beside his. His child was placed in his lap and idle chatter filled the silence as he leisured in the moments he'd miss most in the time he'd be gone.

The views from the window eventually made him draw into himself as he absorbed the land he essentially shaped to his hasty whims. long stretch of road that went from one end of his domain to the other, dotted with the blurs of others who loved to feel what he felt when he ran. Kindred speedster spirits lived in those homes he saw, along with the ones who loved them, zipping by him as the train ran through his town, Montona.

Geographically speaking, his town was a circle, that stayed cold in it's northern hemisphere and warm in it's southern. Trees dotted the modern landscape throughout it, a replica of the human suburbs but in varying contrasts to their human copies. After all, freedom of expression was valued here. One home had an average green lawn but a small stature and room enough for one bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, and it was painted one shade of emerald. Darren thought it was quaint, but his sprawling manor was his pride and joy. He would miss it so much that he couldn't go home to say his goodbyes.

When the train stopped and announced their drop off, he got off on the platform with them and gave them both, deep individual hugs. He set his little girl down on her bare-feet and dropped to one knee to be more or less at her eye level. Her eyes were a reflection of his own fiery red orbs, but hers were rimmed on the lower eye lid with tears.

"Ah, ah. What did I tell you last time I left?" He said in a soft voice, the soothing voice he used to narrate her bed time stories.

With a sniffle she replied, "If you ain't first...you're last?" His serious Daddy Mode mask shattered and he laughed hugging her again, eliciting giggle fits for all involved. When they'd calmed down her bopped her nose and told her.

"Noooo. I told you, I'll always come home." He said with a promise in his smile. To which he was rewarded with a confirmation nod from both his now teary eyed girls.

His wife handed him a pair of shoes which he sheepishly slipped on before vanishing before their eyes, a weak gusty vortex took shape around them, skewing their hair but doing nothing to soften the kisses on their cheeks.

He was in the Hall before his family had even taken their firsts steps. His fingers raked his hands through his wind swept hair, restoring it to it's natural, dark hued, bed head style. He didn't bother staring at the appeal of the structure that housed the Games. His stoic expression filled his face as he confidently strode into the room, searching for Sangria, and any drink she could make.

It was time for another race. To win this time.

 

​

A dull throbbing slowly started to bring him to his senses. His head was in major pain as he slowly started to move his arms around. The crimson-haired man slowly tried to open his eyes, though what little light came through his barely open eyelids was enough for him to shut them again. He tried to open them once more as he tried to force himself upright. His body was having none of it and he was lying on his side again on what seemed like the hard floor. As he lay there, he tried to remember exactly where he was and what he was doing. He tried again to sit up and open his eyes, with a little more success than last time. Barely open, his vision was greatly limited and the light that was there seemed brighter than staring into a floodlight.

He sat there, rubbing his eyes as the dull throbbing in his head continued on like the rapid-fire pecking of a woodpecker. Just what the hell was he doing that left him in a state like this? As he smacked his lips, his throat parched, he started to remember that he was in a bar. In fact, he was here quaffing a steady stream of any and all alcohol this place had to offer. He was there with a few others, though who the others were was a total blur. All he could remember at the moment was that he got pretty fucked up earlier. Anything beyond the fact he was drinking was all muddled up, thanks in no small part to the aforementioned drinking.

"Ah, you're awake," a distinctly female voice blared at him.

"Ah, not so loud!" the hungover Valen said in a hushed voice.

"So sorry," she responded in a much quieter voice.

"It's okay..." His eyes opened wider to look at the veiled face talking to him.

"So, uh... What the hell happened here?"

"You and a few others had a most wonderful time with the brewmistress, drinking her finest creations." She knelt down and offered another drink that was in her hand. "Here, this should help your hangover."

He held his hand out, motioning for her to hold on to the drink. "Just... Give me a minute." Slowly, he forced his fingers into his skull, as if he was going to pull something out. Sure enough, after a bit of fiddling, the red-haired Valen pulled out what looked like a disc from his head. A gaping slot stood in its place for a few seconds before filling itself in. "Ah, that's better." Just like that, the dull throbbing in his head, sensitivity to lights and sounds, and muddled thoughts were gone. Poof. "Well, thanks for the offer, but I think I like my own quick fix better." He casually spun the disk around as he stood up, full of energy.

"Oh my! How did you manage that?"

"Cool, huh?" He asked right back. "It's simple, really. I just plundered the hangover symptoms from my body. I don't really need to hang on to this though, huh?" He held the disk up in both hands before snapping it in half, the disc slowly crumbling away in halves.

"Oh, and the brewmistress went through the trouble of making this." The handmaiden commented on the drink she was holding.

"Ah, yeah. She probably shouldn't have." Garret said nonchalantly. "Speaking of which, where is your brewmistress?" He looked around but couldn't seem to find a trace of her.

"The brewmistress went to the Hall of Games." Silence fell between the two as the others around them went about their business. He kept staring at her, slowly realizing what she just said.

"Oh shit, I'm supposed to be there too. Well, thanks so much for the fun times, but I have to be on my way now." With a wink and a wave, he was out of the bar in seconds. He needed to make it over to the Hall as well, hopefully he wouldn't be the last one to show up.

As he approached the Hall of Games, he thought of sneaking in using his invisibility powers to see if he was the last one or not. Though, he remembered that powers were severely limited inside, so his imperceptibility may not be as strong as he would like. After thinking it through a bit, he waltzed into the hall, where he saw several other Valen already gathered. He hadn't participated in the last game, so he had no idea who won or what they looked like. All he really knew was that it was a she and that her name was Marina. He walked forward, closer to the group assembled in front of him, and scanned the faces for an unfamiliar one. When he found it, he was more than ecstatic to see that it was a pretty one.

"Well hello there," he said as he walked up to the new face. A wolf whistle escaped him as he admired her appearance. "I gotta say, you are one fine specimen."​

 

​

The majority of Ursa's attention was directed to Sangria's speech. However she did notice the witch angrily approaching her. The calculating Valen fixed her eyes on the foul smelling Kuru. "You know, pranks aren't very fun, let me show you what I mean. I'm thinking, a nasty break out," the woman said, touching her cheek. Ursa barely flinched as she felt the flesh grow and become acne.

"You need to just calmed down," she replied with a put on smile. "Don't be so hot headed." With a blink, a sheet of ice began to form on the affected spot. It wouldn't heal it, but at least it would stop the irritation and soften the blow a bit. With a dismissive sound, she turned to face the approaching brewmistress.

"I have never seen you at my parties, hun." One of the coveted bottles was offered to her, but she eyed it with uncertainty. "There is no reason to be suspicious, dear. ❤ I am not looking to get anybody drunk on my own volition, and I do believe the nature of this particular drink suits you, wouldn't you say?" Ursa had to smirk at that, touching the bottle to drop the temperature down to a manageable level.

"I am not one for parties, dear Temptress," Ursa replied civilly. "I do accept this gift however." She took it before the woman could drink it anymore, sitting back while sipping slowly.

The appearance of the doppelganger confused her greatly at first until she saw through the trick. "I have to say. I've never seen such a pretty looking lady in my life! ❤"
"Wouldn't you agree, Ursa? I think I'm in looove. ❤"

"It is a pity to the rest of us that you chose to love only yourself," Ursa teased in reply. Her ears were catching the echos in the copies speech. "Prism, dear? Is that you?" she called as she didn't notice the other Valen anywhere in the Hall and she doubted he left while Sangria was making her speeches.

​

 

His little conversation with Marina was starting off to be quite pleasant and Asterion was enjoying it, however it all changed the very moment the drunken idiot randomly appeared to join in. The whole entire hall was starting to be filled with Valen all around and the noise was starting to increase.

Asterion didn't mind getting drunk, but when it came to Sangira it was a whole different story. Marina was already annoyed by Sangira and Asterion was suddenly given a bottle of alcohol. The white haired valen merely looked down at the bottle of alcohol and his eye twitched. The last time the woman got him drunk he made a stupid and terrible decision and though it turned out to actually be the right choice, he still regret the action terribly.

He would have advised Marina to ignore her words, but those would have been wasted words as it seemed the high classed girl already knew this. One thing Asterion could say was that there were many unique valen around and though it was annoying, things wouldn't get dull.

Sitting nearby Marina, he merely crossed his arms and sighed as he leaned against his chair and closed his eyes as the mayhem unfold. The bottle that Sangira gave him was still in his hand and though he had no intention of drinking the liquid, he could always use it as a nice weapon of sorts if need be.

Asterion really didn't want to say much at the moment with everything that was going on and was just awaiting the start of the game to begin. There were many things that he took notice upon during 100 days and he needed to make sure he kept note of it if he wished to see the end result. As he thought on about this Asterion heard a whistle and he opened his eyes upon noticing Garret already head towards Marina "Hey...thats no way to greet a lady..." Asterion said holding the bottle of alcohol by it's neck as he pointed the bottom at Garret.

 

☾ Mood: Interested ☾ Location: Hall of Games ☾ Theme: ☾ Clothes: ☾

☾​

Something seemed to catch the eye of dear Rosaline. She looked around the room and saw a doppelganger. "What do we have here?" She wondered. She pushed up her glasses to make sure she was seeing things right. She walked over slowly, but then came over to them both to take a closer look. "How Curious!" Rosaline exclaimed. It truly was, she had never seen anything like this.

She looked over as another one of the competitors called the double "Prism". She wasn't isolated to the other Valens, but she liked books much more then people. Books helped her understand how things worked, and how to design a better place for her small amount of townspeople. She knew much about the world around her, but little about how to converse properly with others. She felt like that was one of her disadvantages she would have to deal with while playing in the game.

She took out her notebook and wrote down some things she noticed about the doppelganger compared to the real one, though she wasn't quite sure which one was which. She pushed up her glasses and then smiled at both of the Valen. "This is unlike something I've seen before. I've heard that Valens have different and diverse powers, but this is very very interesting!" She laughed. She covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have interrupted." She looked down. "My name is Rosaline, I am delighted to make your acquaintance." She said. She took a deep breath.

☾​

 

"Silence is a true friend who never betrays." - Confucious
Wearing - Mood: Nervous - Music - OOC
​

"Thank you to those of you that have already arrived. It is much appreciated. I do believe we should be starting soon, so just hold tight." Anthea looked over and saw the new Coordinator say that.

"Alright then," she thought, "that's fine."

While waiting for Sienna, Anthea strolled around the foyer, looking through some of her old game notes. She didn't interact with any of the Valens, since she distanced herself from most of them. Many people were greeting Marina, the new coordinator, but she wanted to wait until Sienna arrived to join the crowd. She didn't usually want to greet new coordinators (but she had to anyway, since Sienna dragged her to them), but she had an interest in this one. She didn't observe her much during 100 Days, but there was something about her....

A few minutes later, she heard a familiar voice: "Hey Anthea. Good thing I'm not late like last time, right?"

Anthea turned around to see Sienna, wearing a frilly black dress with a matching headband, "Hello there, Sienna," she started, "I've been waiting for you. Shall we greet the new Coordinator?"

Wearing - Mood: Excited - Music - OOC
​

"Hello there, Sienna. I've been waiting for you. Shall we greet the new Coordinator?"

That wasn't what Sienna was expecting to come out of Anthea's mouth. Greet the new coordinator? Usually, it would be her dragging Anthea to a new coordinator if there was one. They were always so exciting. It usually made Anthea nervous to greet someone new.

Sienna sighed, "That wasn't what I was expecting for you to say...." she started, "...but alright then." She then walked over to Marina, noticing that there were other Valens there too. One of them, Rosaline, already beat her to it.

That didn't stop Sienna, though, from walking to the other side of the new coordinator and saying, "Hello there, one-called-Marina. I am Sienna, and I am delighted to meet you."

 

​

✿ T H E x B E N E V O L E N T x S O R C E R E S S ✿

✿ location: hall of games ✿ mood: (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧ ✿ theme: sunshine ✿
✿ ooc: n / a ✿
​

"Mimi-mistress is extremely happy to see you again, Daphne! She completely understands, as mistress has also been distracted by her own plans and efforts. However, Mimi-mistress believes that a situation such as this will allow yourself and my mistress to bond further. Mimi-mistress believes that they should definitely bake something together when the time arrives. My mistress has traveled with her loyal companion, Gotterdammerung, to a number of different lands in Aether attempting to discover the best type of sweet. However, Mimi-mistress believes that they will only have a chance to do so if they are both able to successfully complete the game. Mimi-mistress reminds Daphne, with a smile, that she does not want her friend hurt or losing her land, that my mistress considers the purest and kindest of all lands among those she has wandered with myself, Gotterdammerung, in Aether, under the pretense of this particular game. Mimi-mistress enjoys games, but not when the conclusion of these games means less sweets for her. Mimi-mistress hopes that her friend understands."

What a mouthful.

Daphne nodded as Gotterdammerung concluded his-- well, Mimi's-- response. She smiled at the duo, a genuine atmosphere of cheerfulness around her. She was so glad to see Mimi! Obviously it'd been a while since they'd seen each other last, but it was unfortunate that they had to meet again in such... unpleasant conditions. The blonde titled her head slightly, a soft sigh escaping from her pink lips. Her eyes scanned Mimi and Gotterdammerung carefully, the golden pupils shifting between the two. She simply giggled.

"Of course! I appreciate your concern, Mimi!" Her voice lowered. "But, if... something were to happen, I would really, really, really miss your amazing and cute dolls! I would also... really miss your company, as well... because, you know, we are friends and all..." Immediately her tone picked up and she was back to her bubbly self, shaking herself slightly. "But enough of all that sad stuff! Despite these games, I'm really glad to see you again!"

...Mimi's dolls.

Her friend's dolls were, without a doubt, the most precious gifts she'd ever received. Most dolls she made great use of, whether it were around the bakery shoppe or around the hamlet. However, there were a few dolls-- very special dolls-- that Daphne found extremely cute or unique, and so she placed them on a shelf that displayed them to her shoppe goers and to herself when she was in own home. She cherished those dolls; if anything were to happen to them, she would never forgive herself.

And she was sure Mimi wouldn't either.

 

Oh how this had hurt him. The brown haired man had lamented over the loss of his pawns. Sure, they were just pawns and they were just in some sort of game, but he had the horrible feeling of getting attached to his game pieces. Oh but the feeling of loss he had, it was just too much. Ah well, life moves on. With the loss of his pawns he had lost the game and nothing he could do would prevent that. Packing up the game board he said goodbye to one of his other friends and left. "Man I suck at chess."
He was giggling to himself at the loss that he had just incurred. Win or lose, it was still fun to just be playing around and he knew that the person was better than him anyway. Challenges were the things that made games that much more fun to play though. Thinking on that kind of thought process made him think about other games he had to play. There were just so many things to do. And his land, Phantasmagoria, was one that he had made, while indeed it was heavily forested, also a hot spot for games of all kind. Though, Johnis had gotten a slight affinity towards sports over board games and video games and the like. They were so much more interactive and he did like the use of various equipment through out all the different kinds. What should he do at this time? Fencing? No, he was not in a blade kind of mood. Tennis? He couldn't really think of anyone to play that with at the moment. Rollerblading? Was that even a sport?

All these thoughts and more raced through his head as he let the rain fall down on his head. Though there was some sort of nagging feeling he had going on in his head. Almost like he was missing something, something important. He looked up at the falling snow to wonder what was it that he was supposed to do now. Then it hit him like a sack of celery sticks. How could he have forgotten? It was time for the largest game that he would ever partake in. One that was formed of God's Command. And it would have a new Valen as it's coordinator. How exciting. Though, looking around at himself, he realized that he wasn't entirely well dressed for the event. Pajamas were not the thing a man of immortality and game playing was to wear.

Thankfully, the clear sunny skies had dried him off before he figured it would be time to get going. He figured he was going to be horrendously late so he would have to get going pretty fast. He just hoped he'd get there in time so he wouldn't be the forgotten one who didn't partake in the greatest game of all time. Rushing to a house of his, he grabbed a bunch of clothes out to fit the occasion and got his method of transportation ready.

Clapping his hands together into one large fist, he spun around and sent a large tornado that started ripping through his lands. Unfortunately his transportation was quite the destructive one. He threw his new clothes in there and had large chunk of rock come out of the yard of his house. Flinging that in too, he himself jumped in to begin his transformation sequence.

Johnis took off all of his clothes within the vortex and grabbed all the passed by. Black dress pants. Caught and equipped. White short sleeve dress shirt. Caught and equipped. Black suit jacket. Caught and equipped. Boxers. Caught and...well he'd worry about that one later. Only thing left was his tie, though he had trouble getting it on in the midst of a tornado and simply wrapped it around his head instead. Only thing left was the rock...which after getting nearly impacted by, he stuck his feet on. With that done, his tornado mobile ended up shooting the now well dressed Johnis off and towards the hall of games, dissipating behind him.

Surfing through the air on his rock board, Johnis eventually hit the ground and skidded across until his rock board was no more and he was just kind of bouncing across the ground like a skipping stone. After controlling the ground to push him back, the man stopped shorter and directly in front of the hall of games. Man, that could've killed him. He then realized he didn't have anything to offer to the new Valen and that would be just no good. Looking at the ground, he made a rose pop out of the ground and bud. Picking up the freshly made flower Johnis walked into the Hall to see a large assortment of Valen already there. "Why hello there my immortal buddies." Johnis made his presence known, simply because he wanted all his friends to know he was here. All the Valen were his friends to, no question about it. Whether they liked him or not, they were still friends.

Looking around he eventually spotted the new one of the group. How did he know she was the new one? Well he didn't recognize her of course. Johnis needed to rectify this problem of not knowing each other and so he walked over to her and said, "hey there new girl." He clearly wasn't paying attention to the two men who were interlocked in something at the moment, right near her, and continued, "names Johnis. Sorry that I don't really know who you are, I didn't pay attention to the game you were apart of so yeah." He waited a bit before saying, "oh right! Here you go," he handed the fresh rose off to the girl and said, "a welcome present. Anyway, hope we can both have fun in this game."

With that, he walked off until he noticed that there were two Sangrias. Whoa. That was pretty trippy as balls. He looked at the two and did a double take towards both of them."Holy platter of shiitake mushrooms, there are two Sangs now? That's pretty weird. Is this like, some kind of new cloning drink you made, cause if so, it's bad ass." He was really addressing the both of them...since they were both Sangria.

 

​

INTOXICATION
[ x x x x x x x x x x ]
​

Sangria frowned momentarily at Ursa's response.
Ah, she didn't expect very much in regards to her invitation from this charming young friend. She understood well enough, that many of these immortals enjoyed keeping to themselves.

For a while, at least. ❤ Ehehe.
She smirked as the this warming ice queen accepted her little gift.
~
Sangria smiled.
Another one takes the cake.

At this point, the doppelganger wandering around felt unstable. Sangria turned back to the little friend, highly interested that her attempt to uncover an identity met with startling resistance. Now now, even she couldn't resist a kiss from herself, could she? ❤ This immortal in particular must be a particularly defensive one--

She heard the cold girl call out the name of Prism.
Oh, was it the boy she gave that remaining bottle to?
Immediately, a familiar face walked over to her, addressing both the doppelganger and herself.
"You, well--" She began, looking at forest boy, smirking.
"I am surprised to see you here, Johnis." She tapped the bottle on the end of her finger. "I hope this will not interfere with your shipment of oak caskets for the Merlot?" She frowned. "This ... game, I mean."

She was amused that nature boy made it here as well, but she kept it hidden. More allies. As usual, her tone turned a tad more businesslike, but she did not hesitate to offer some of the vodka to her friend.

"Don't be shy! Thank your beautiful Coordinator over there for being able to host such a party even I envy despite looking sour-faced as a lime mojito. ❤"

The doppelganger mumbled a few words, walking around. Sangria turned to look back, and turned back to Johnis. "It's not a drinking hallucination, hun. ❤ It appears a certain Valen here found pleasure in imitating our almighty brewmistress. Not that I would blame them!" She closed her eyes and smirked playfully, throwing her her hair back before raising her voice towards the doppelganger.

"Silly me. ❤" Sangria called out, sticking out her tongue and tapping herself on the head with her bottle. "Is that you, boy? Sometimes I cannot help myself when these things dull my own senses, you see. Ufufu, and one would think it would help someone see through to the truth, no?" She held up her plastic bottle and gazed through at the weakening doppelganger. She had rarely conversed with Prism, though she well enough knew that his power was famous in the rounds for its impeccable capturing of reflections. How silly of her to not even consider!

"If that is you," She began, looking through the rest of the room, gazing at the others entering around this time.
Oh, was the thief all fired and ready from his all-night table-dancing with her precious butlers? She popped her lips absentmindedly, gazing at the potential competition for this little game.
"If that is you," She repeated, "It would be sweet if your little power provided us with a little ... entertainment, down by my district. You're perfect for something like that, boy. ❤"

Oh?
At the very end, storming in with an air of seriousness, came the staunch-faced speedster, gazing around without a glint of amazement in his eye.
She clicked her teeth gently together and put down her bottle-telescope, turning to Ursa.
"If you'll excuse me, hun. ❤ Enjoy your time with the biological witch. A brewmistress must serve her most ... dedicated customers. It's all in the business." She winked at Johnis, hoping he would understand, stood up and smiled, before twirling behind and walking over to Darren.

"Now now, friend," She began, gazing at Darren carefully and resting her chin on her hand.
"You're a bit too late, I'm afraid. ❤ Out of stock, hun. Don't look so saaad about it!" Sangria made an imitation pout. Ah, she could probably imitate this bozo better than the doppelganger boy, she mused! "There there, dear. It's good to let loose before a big game, I understand. Tell you what!" She stood on her tiptoes, her eyes shining menacingly, as she reached over to his ear.

"Share the remaining drink with our new Coordinator, will you, hun? She's flowing in popularity right now, the little doll. ❤ I think another offer of alcohol would do her well to deal with it all, don't you think?" Her whispers were quiet and stark, caked with both a genuine sense of concern and feigned malevolence.

Sangria giggled, like bubbling champagne, but it was broken up by a quick hiccup.

​

​

 

​

[/url]

❥ Marina sat there impatiently watching the other Valen go back and forth like a bunch of children. Honestly, this was just annoying. For immortals, they were childlike. It rather infuriated her. Was this how they were while she and the others fought for their lives? They all just joked around and played pranks on one another the entire time? This really was just a game to them. She wanted to break all their legs after Kuru's last comment. Marina still had phantom pains over the snapping of her legs in Days. She winced before looking away with a sigh and reseated herself.

A large figure appeared in the room out of nowhere. It must have been one of his powers. Some of the Valen had rather interesting powers, while others were the typical comic book powers people usually pictured. Marina pursed her lips as he made his entrance to the room. She really didn't want to spend the rest of eternity with these people. They only filled her with loathing. Was this how it was going to be from now on? She would resent them all until enough time passed where she was the same as them and no longer viewed herself as the outsider? Marina did not wish to be anything like the rest of them.

⦇ Well hello there, ⦈ the man approached with a greeting. A wolf whistle escaped him as he admired her appearance. Typical. Marina forced a playful smile on her lips and batted her dark lashes at the man. ⦇ I gotta say, you are one fine specimen. ⦈

⦇ Hey...that's no way to greet a lady... ⦈ Asterion interjected.

Marina held a hand up, placing it lightly on Asterion's shoulder. She smiled graciously at him and gave a nod to the newcomer. ⦇ Thank you Asterion, but it is not necessary. I know how to deal with this type of behavior. ⦈ She rose to her feet and circled the red - haired man, one finger trailing lightly over his shoulders. She came to a stop in front of him, inches from his face. ⦇ It is a pleasure to meet you as well. ⦈ Marina gave him a wink before taking her seat once more in time for more unfamiliar faces to greet her.

⦇ Hello there, one-called-Marina. I am Sienna, and I am delighted to meet you. ⦈

⦇ Why hello there my immortal buddies. ⦈ Another voice joined the fray and Marina looked up to see a young brunette male walk in with a flower in his hand. She gave him a smile from across the room before returning her attention to the one that just greeted her.

⦇ It is a pleasure Sienna, ⦈ she nodded curtly. The boy approached Marina first and she looked over to him before holding a hand up. ⦇ If you do not mind, I have more players to greet. ⦈ She turned away from the girl to face the boy now beside her.

⦇ Name's Johnis. ⦈ he introduced himself. ⦇ Sorry that I don't really know who you are, I didn't pay attention to the game you were apart of so yeah. ⦈

⦇ That is just fine. I do not expect everyone to know of me. I am Marina, ⦈ she replied sweetly.

⦇ Oh right! Here you go, ⦈ he handed the flower to her -- a rose, ⦇ a welcome present. Anyway, hope we can both have fun in this game. ⦈

⦇ Thank you, really. That is a kind gesture. ⦈ Her thumb and forefinger ran lightly over the petals of the rose and she sniffed it light. Her lids drooped as she soaked in the sweet aroma of the flower and when her gaze lifted once more, Johnis had already moved on. The others seemed to go about their business as they had been. There were still a few key Valen missing and until they arrived, things could not start. She really hoped not to drag this out any longer.

⦇ Don't be shy! Thank your beautiful Coordinator over there for being able to host such a party even I envy, despite looking sour-faced as a lime mojito. ⦈

Marina glowered at Sangria with pursed lips before redirecting her gaze from the intoxicated dolt to the two men beside her. She looked apologetic as her blue eyes fell on the man that came in with forward flattery. ⦇ I am sorry. I do not believe I caught your name earlier? ⦈ She extended one hand to shake his with a bright smile on her face, the flower still held close to her lips.

A slight breeze swept through the room and her gaze lifted towards the doors to see a large - winged man entering with a shrug and a golden eagle on his shoulders. The raptor flapped its wings uneasily before soaring over the rest of the party - goers before turning back the other direction and heading out the door. Ambrose. He was her player in the last game. Marina was still uneasy about how she felt towards him. He was a nice guy, but was also the reason her existence and personal Hell was created in the first place. His wings tightened behind his back and he gave her a nod from across the room. Ambrose seemed to linger near the entrance, not bothering to greet her. She did not need him to approach her and wish her well on her first game anyway. It was bothersome and just made her feel like she was being set up for failure. She gave him a small wave before turning her attention back to Garret.♕​

XX XX XX​

 

​

IT WAS UNLIKELY, BUT ANNALYNNE FELT AS THOUGH SHE HAD NEVER IN HER ENTIRE EXISTENCE HATED ANYONE MORE THAN SHE DID RIGHT NOW. In this moment, with her muscles clenched and eyes locked on the pathetic sack of shit at her heels, she truly felt as though no man had ever disgusted her more. His cowering, crumpled form was pitiful, and the ever so subtle trembling of his bottom lip was the icing on the putrid cake that was his presence.

The smell of warm cinnamon wafted through the villa even still, despite her hasty attempts at airing it out with a few smashed out windows that she would have fixed later, and the sizzling of a rare and savory meat traveled through the arched kitchen and tickled her eardrums. He had even made a pitcher of serendipity lemonade^[1], which sat nauseatingly in the center of the sparkling diamond kitchen island, surrounded by a trickle of multicolored rose petals.

Finding him down here hadn't really been a surprise. With the tender way he gazed upon her last night - like a mesmerized moth to a flickering candle, a part of her knew her warning to leave before sunrise would go unheeded. It really wasn't too fair to him, honestly. Who would be able to stay away? She was rather beautiful. The kiss of a fleeting Autumn left a reddish tinge to her Rapunzel locks. Oceanic pools of beryl, despite their coldness, were softened by the long dark lashes of amber tickling her eyelids. She looked like a doe - but she certainly didn't share it's innocence. That must have been part of what drew him in in the first place.

Aah, she was irresistible. Poor guy.

Pfff.

All of this was fine and well on it's own, but to think that he had the audacity to blatantly disregard her request and even make her breakfast ... Hah~! He didn't even try! If she were him, she would have at least pretended to be under some sort of sleeping curse.

「 Just plain disrespectful ...」

「 Princess, I implore you! I was just - I wanted to - th - thank you! Show you how much it m-means to me!」

「 You mean pay me? Like I'm some whore? I'm hurt ...」

She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and took a step backwards to get a better view of him. The clack of her eclectic pink heels echoed shortly throughout the aromatic room. He took the opportunity to sit upwards as soon as she removed her shoe from his cheek and raked a thick hand nervously through his lavish red locks of hair.

「 I appreciate you. You know better. Anna, sweetheart, princess, I love - ...」

「 Don't you dare.」 The words flew off her tongue without restraint. She crossed over to the wood-fire oven and pulled the slab of oil oozing meat away from the flames. 「 Whatever passion you feel for me ... There is not a single combination of words a deplorable, talent-less, piece of garbage like you could EVER weave together that would make me feel the same. Hah! Not even a combination WORTHY of my listening to. 」

The redhead visibly slumped as Annalynne made her way back to the front of him. Her heart began to race as soon as their eyes locked and memories of their night together pounded at the forefront of her brain. Her tongue ran gingerly across her lips - slowly, as if to tease, and his eyes lit up ... and then without a shred of grace, she spit on him. He flinched and a miserable whimper weaseled it's way out of his throat.

「 You of all people should know that I deserve better than a spineless asswipe like you, Nolan. Now get the fuck out of my sight, pig. 」

« ♣ »​

Today was going to be a good day. A new game was starting and it was going to be coordinated by one of the two winners - Marina. She would be lying if she said she had had much faith in Marina from the start, but she wasn't a terrible choice ... Compared to all of the other idiots on that game board, at least.

Honestly she hated thinking about that game. The way her vessel met her end - and the infuriating linger of feelings for that stupid pawn, John.

Everything was all wrong last time.

This game would be different. Crestatia wasn't the leader anymore, which meant her presence wasn't to be shut out so immediately. It was a pain. A good part of her hoped that Crestatia and her could actually form some kind of alliance this time! Who wouldn't want to work with her? Her curse acted in her favor for destructive games, though she didn't know Marina well enough to assume that this game could be particularly destructive ... Aside from that, though, she had tons of experience and anyone would be honored to work with her.

Anyone.

The outside of her villa was surrounded by tall sunflowers, her favorite, and a long winding path of invulnerable white roses led her from her tall wooden door to a dark, thick pool of silvery liquid. Muttering, she gathered the train of her vanilla gown into her arms - avoiding the basket of treats she had hooked around her arm, and stepped into the basin. It seemed to part for her at first, avoiding her skin before it trembled and splashed up to fold and mold a translucent orb around her form.

Annalynne resided in Seyyador - a place of vivid magic and illusions. The general population was made of sorcerers and witches, but the land was opened to all. It was one of the most colorful regions of Aether, full of little pockets of individual magic like her own spell hidden villa, and larger districts, but also one of the most dangerous for travelers. Unfortunately the land was not her own, and was overseen by The Indulgent Witch of Grace, Alluette - a gentle witch who had never had any real intention of becoming God, and tended to her lands with care. Alluette was one of the only Valen aside from Crestatia that Annalynne had any real respect for.

Seyyador was a bit far from the Hall of Games, so Annalynne was using a quaint waypoint based teleportation spell^[2]. She had one stop before she made the trip.

... Pop! ...

The orb burst after a few seconds, dropping Annalynne just a few inches above a slab of cobblestone. She brushed her skirts off and dropped the train behind her.

「 Ugh, good God ...」 She shivered, forcing her eyebrows together in annoyance at the change in climate. The sun was gone. Dark clouds knitted above her and a deep fog swirled around her knees like the crashing waves of the ocean. Annalynne never liked it here. It was freezing, and perpetually dim. How it could appeal to Crestatia was baffling, but there was quite a bit about the demoness she didn't understand.

Her feet carried her down a steep footing of cobblestone and further down into darkness. Each breath left her with an accompanying puff of vapor that she tried to keep focused on. The kind of darkness here could really play tricks on you, if you let it, and Annalynne wasn't having any of that today.

「 Crestaaaaaatiiiiiiiaaaaa ...!! I know you're here.」 Her heels clicked with each step, and though it felt like she was going no where, within a few minutes a dim , familiar, purple light revealed itself to her and the steps stopped.

The brunette stood now on the uneven flooring of some kind of dungeon, clutching the basket in her arms a bit tighter for warmth as a shiver ran through her. Slowly, the light drifted closer and took form, revealing a poised and stoic looking demoness. Immediately, Annalynne straightened her posture and cleared her throat.

「 Wow, I can't say I actually expected you to show yourself, you never do.」

「 Interacting with you today is unavoidable. What do you want?」

The demoness' voice sent butterflies stirring in the witch's stomach. It was beautiful. Crestatia emerged from the darkness, passing Annalynne's stiff form and ascending up the stairs without waiting for an answer. Like a pup, Annalynne scurried closely behind as soon as she noticed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

「 I brought you breakfast.」

「 Nolan? You are still toying with him? I would have become bored of him by now.」

Annalynne pursed her lips. Toying with him was ... accurate, honestly. Nolan was under a memory curse. A witch Annalynne didn't know cast it. It was mild, really. Every night he could be found at a nearby tavern, The Looming Knave. Whatever happened to him between sitting down for a drink and sometime the next morning would be forgotten. Morning's like this one had happened between Annalynne and Nolan for what felt to be years, all depending on her mood.

Nolan was an elf. An artist who seemed particularly drawn to Annalynne, constantly asking to draw her portraits - which he had, hundreds of times - and becoming quite taken with her over the course of the night [ each night, except two ]. He praised her, worshiped her even and it was bliss when it came to improving otherwise lonely or disappointing nights. Then he would forget all about it. No commitment and quite adventurous. It started off rather gentle, but as she became more comfortable with the spell and the fact that it wouldn't be wearing off any time soon, she began to use him as a means to vent out her frustrations.

「 ... Regardless, think of it as a peace offering? I'd like to form an alliance with you for this match.」

Crestatia chuckled lowly, moving swiftly past the top of the stairs and through the fog to a tall black gate that she simply teleported past, leaving Annalynne on the other side. She turned around as gracefully as ever with a small smile tugging at her full lips.

「 Never. Now if you would excuse me, I have some things to take care of before the game begins.」

Without another word, the demoness vanished.

« ♣ »​

SLAM!

It was safe to say that Annalynne was not taking the rejection too well.

She never did.

The basket, with the canteen of serendipity lemonade, box of cinnamon scones and the pork was dropped in the center of the long white table of the foyer and Annalynne plopped down in a seat without acknowledging any of the others in the room. The Hall of Games was as elaborate and stupid as she ever remembered it being, and this time it was full of inexperienced Valen. The more prestigious ones took breaks from playing, often. They became content or distracted by their share of land and only cared to bet it on very promising games. Since Marina was a newbie, most of the hot shots would probably stay away.

No worries, less actual competition for her.

She snickered to herself.

Her legs stretched out under the table and she flipped the basket open, filling the room with the smell of food instantly and taking a bite of the sweet, warm scone Nolan had cooked up for her. She had no intention of sharing, though she almost hoped someone would try her today, she was in a terrible mood after that last exchanged.

She had had such a nice morning, too ...

​

[1]: an incredibly sweet drink made of serendipity berries. [2]: annalynne only has her two main powers, but a witch [ or someone like it ] can also do spells and other simple magics, depending on their level.​

 

He was never too sure but he speculated with his wife that Sangria had a power which enabled her to instinctively KNOW when a person wanted a drink. He knew the hall would tamper down her brewing skills, but for what was ahead, anything was better then nothing. Even if this wasn't his first dance and the alcoholic drink would serve no purpose but to give him slightly looser limbs. He gave his associate a small, reserved smile and he didn't hide the familiarity of knowing Sangria diminish from his eyes. He didn't have to say a word when she approached him and gave him the information he sought. Darren's chilling black sclera covered eyes found the winner of the last game he bet in. Marina. She seemed stronger, and that made him happy, and sad at the same time. He gave his pal a curt reply to her suggestion, "She seems swamped. I'll find a way to speedily say hello." He had no intent of doing so however, after all, after this game, she may not ever play again. Then what use would she be?

As gentlemanly as he could, he gave Sangria a polite excuse to leave her side, with a promise to visit her bar and to bring the family as well. While walking to one of the many seats inside the foyer of the hall, he surveyed the several valens he knew and did not know inside. He wondered how many more would come before he settled into a cushioned chair infront of a table. When the yummy scent of food struck his nose, his ruby eyes shifted to the right, and was delighted to see the little thunderbird that was emitting such an wonderfully fresh aroma from a prettily crafted basket. He squashed down the urge to smile as he helped himself to a lovely, piping scone. Without breaking his audacious stride, he stoically took a bite of the cake.

When the first bite was chewed and swallowed- at accelerated speeds so that he could speak clearly first. "Little Annalynne. Come to congratulate the newest winner of a game?" He asked with a tilt of his head to the right, so his blank face could gaze fully on her. He knew she was mad, the huffing atmosphere she created proved it. It was nearly palpable in a place like the Aether. But, Little Annie was his favorite Valen, unbeknownst to her, especially when she was upset. It reminded him of having a daughter. In the teenage stage.

 

"Each generation wants new symbols, new people, new names. They
want to divorce themselves from their predecessors." - Jim Morrison
Wearing - Mood: Curious - Music - OOC
​

Anthea watched as Sienna walked up on one side of Marina and say, "Hello there, one-called-Marina. I am Sienna, and I am delighted to meet you."

There were many Valens already there, yet she chose to ignore that fact. Oh well, Anthea sighed, Sienna is always impatient like that.

As she walked a little closer to the new coordinator, she was able to hear her response, "It is a pleasure Sienna," pause, "If you do not mind, I have more players to greet."

Well, that wasn't what she expected. Usually, when Sienna sort-of-snuck-up on new Coordinators, they were either scared or very confused. That was different.

Hmmmmmm.... Anthea thought, ...I wonder what her game will be, and how she will coordinate this game. Will she succeed in her very first game, or will she fail? I'm curious. I may not have paid much attention to her during 100 Days, but she seems intresting. Of course, I didn't pay much attention to her. Two of my pawns did little in the game, and the third one was killed during that flood....

Letting curiosity get the better of her, she walked up to Marina and said, "Hi there.... Marina, I am Anthea, and it is a total pleasure to meet you."

 

⎛WEARING ☁ OOC ☁ MOOD: Forgetful⎠​

The gentle breeze felt good on Gale's face as he laid on the grass. This was how his spent most of his days on his land, relaxing. To him this was the best way to spend one's day. Not worrying about anything, just kicking back and enjoying the sun, or whatever said person had. Still he couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting something, something important. Sitting up, he placed his hand on his chin as he pondered what it could be.

It took a few moments, but eventually he realized what he'd forgotten. Today was the day for Marina's game. This was something else that he always did, forget important information due to relaxing too much. A trait that Vex has said would cause him some trouble. When it came down to it, Vex said a lot of things like that to him and not many of them he actually listened too. Still he needed to hurry to the Hall of Games before he missed any of the action.

Gale took a second to roll on his back before leaping onto his feet. Then he headed off to the Hall of Games. Upon entering where everyone else was, he let his trademark gentle breeze flow into the room before speaking. "Sorry I'm late everyone." With a small chuckle he took himself a seat and waited.

​

 

​

So many things happening at once. Drinks? Disgusting. Too much socializing too. So much talking. It was all so much. Hardly anything of real interest, either. No way could she turn her focus on to something, not with how short it was especially. Not a good impression, here. That could backfire on her later.

But everyone was so loud. So stupid. Such disorder... And, well, she kinda snapped at the first person whose attention remained ungrabbed, as far as she could tell.

"Apologies are a waste of time."

Already wasted enough of theirs by being late, too. Time was too precious to waste, even for immortals. When it was her time, anyway. And he stole some of it! How insulting. He wasn't even the only one, either. Though he was the only one who had her focus, least for the moment.

♪ → ♪ → ♪ → ♪ → ♪​