12/02 Might as Well be the Tallest

 Andreas says, "Shadows make me reeeal slippery."
 Poppy Fields says, "I dunno, I didn't even resist. Was a slow day and I wanted to see where it was headin'"
 Maertock Reave says, "As a notoriously slippy being, I respect that."

"Learn from this."

Despite his victory, Lightcutter hadn't been placed on it's rightful position on it's back, far from it. His grip tightens, as he glances over the crowd of people that had apparently formed, his gaze narrowing in on one man in particular.

Maertock.

"Captain." The great ebony blade of his, found itself pointed at the Occultist. "It would appear that you've made an enemy of my teacher." His usual dull tone shifted. His mentor had told him to think deeply about the reason behind his lack of emotions. Where it all stemmed from.

From his father's death, by the hand of a group of occultists. Ever since that day he had closed his heart to the world. Buried his emotions deep within himself, never to resurface.

Until of course... Today.

So for perhaps for the first time in his life? There was rage in his voice, and it showed as the usually calm flames that enshrouded him began to lash out at his surroundings.

"And thus, you've made an enemy of me."

Without missing a beat, the Astor would lunge at the Reave. No hesitation, no fear.

"Hic Sunt Leones."
(Adrastos ven Astor)
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 Once she'd posed her request, Celicia had fallen silent. Numerous thoughts relevant to the festival were clamoring about in her mind and left her reasonably distracted. Such a daze is disrupted when the Astor, in an unpredictable turn of events, rushes at the Captain.

She blinks several times and frowns, reaching back for her bow. It wasn't all that hard to guess that someone would likely try and jump him.

"Sheesh, Addie. Couldn't you have like warned me or something?!" The small acolyte was practically fuming.

But it was hard to just leave him alone.
(Celicia)
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 Jack is leaning against a tree, too messed up to fight anymore. Such is life.
(Jack Harlock)
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 Maertock would appear to be amused by the Astor's fiery display; the Captain of the Deep Company in high spirits despite the stitches that went up his abdomen from being impaled upon Balmung's edge. However, his attention would flick to the tiny Astor with a sudden bark of dark laughter at his words.

"Hmm, if we're considering recent people I've pissed off....you must mean Haruki. Yes, he was rather displeased with me waking him up to his useless lifestyle; I sure hope he didn't mentor you in the same light. His willful tolerance of corruption in the world under the guise of pacifism despite his strength was impressively pathetic."

The captain did not appear to move from his place however. Yawning, he'd simply dredge his clawed digits into the depths of his inky darkness before withdrawing a bottle of rum; sipping firmly from it with a snicker as he shook his head.

"Sorry, I don't have any enemies below six feet. Grow taller, then come back trying to act tough. Andreas, short king? Have fun."
(Maertock Reave)
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 It's bold, really, but he could respect the play himself! While it's disheartening to see Jack laying on the cold hard ground, everyone had to face a loss from the tolls in time. Andreas had suffered a handful himself but was making rather decent recently! Bar, of course, the holy slash upon his shoulder but...

Well, who was keeping track?

The blade's pointed and in response the shadow beneath Andreas spills upwards. Inky mana flows up in strands, swaying away on an unfelt breeze much like seaweed. Slowly reaching for his bow the other Occultist amongst the sideline eyes his Captain for a time.

"See, this s'why I ain't wanna 'elp 'em with the festival. Ya got people like this dick'ead 'ere! Osrona's full of 'em..!" Well, partially. He hadn't the faintest where Layfon was from still, but the glove still fit. "Prolly tryin'a bait us in there ta collapse on us all, 'nyway."

Yet his path was clear from the Reave. The short king's free hand fills with inky mana, the air dropping temperature significantly as he fell deeper into the Deep One's blessing. As a snarl cross his mug he'd conjure up an arrow, resting it upon the drawstring as it's pulled back.

"Fuckin' gladly, captain." Andreas hissed before promptly letting the inky arrow fly towards the swordsman. "C'mere, blondy! I want'cha ta see 'em too!"
(Andreas)
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 Short.

The Captain's words seem to put the Astor into a worse state, his grip on his blade tightened, as he exhaled sharply through his nostrils. Any attempt to contain himself had soared out the window with that particular comment. Oh, and the insults towards his teacher certainly contributed.

In the midst of his dash, he'd feel it. That horrible gnawing sensation within the back of his mind. A presence that he hadn't felt in sometime now.

The taint of the occult.

On instinctive alone his blade moved, not to strike the Captain. No, it's purpose was to rend the inky arrow that soared towards him in two. Something he did, as his emerald hues, glared at the man who dared to get in his way.

"Occultist." The anger the youth felt was practically palpable, as he moved towards Andreas instead. Each step he took, his flames grew wilder, and wilder, spreading from himself, reducing anything within his path to Ashes.

It would appear he was quite miffed. To the point that Celica's words, and presence isn't even registered by the Knight.

"The taint that clings to you will be purged from this world." It seems he had chosen a new target.

"Prepare yourself, fiend."
(Adrastos ven Astor)
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 "Wow. I really hate being ignored."

More than words could express, truly. Not a single person, even her own traveling companion, appeared to be paying her any mind. Genuine anger comes to settle upon her features as she slides her fingertips along the thin string of her bow.

A trio of arrows crystalize into existence, all a stark, shimmering ruby color.

"I guess I'll have to fight you myself if Addie's distracted with someone else now. What an absolute pain," the child snaps.

He'd left her to a battle she realistically stood no chance in. However, for the sake of not being completely useless, she'd bravely bite off more than she can chew.

All three arrows are launched straight towards Maertock himself.
(Celicia)
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 Maertock would reawaken from the depths of his brief lapse of consciousness as he glanced over towards Celicia, the Captain of the Deep Company finding her sudden ferocity more interesting than the Astor's by far. So much so, in fact, that when she fired those three crystal arrows at the captain?

He didn't even move a muscle. Taking the hits directly to his torso as serrated structures pierced his thick sinew with a splatter of ichorous, black blood. The pain appeared to draw a serrated smile upon the shark's face, amusement in his eyes with certainty. He'd simply cross his massive, sinewed arms over the open wounds with a soft click of his teeth.

"I also hate being ignored, so I feel you there That said little lady, I have no intention of attackin' you."

The captain would sip at his rum with cheer before splashing a bit upon the crystalline wounds.

"One, because technically you'd be attacking me for the boy, who's attacking me for Haruki, so that's like three degrees of separation. Secondly, because I made an agreement with the fairy Gryn not to harm his folk in return for lucrative terms. Ones I'd rather not betray and have to kill that fairy because of somethin' so meaningless."

Two fingers raised, but finally a third.

"But lastly? Cause I like ya kid, I'm not goin'ta be the one that maims you."
(Maertock Reave)
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 Violence was something she expected to be met in kind with further violence. Perhaps she was doing poorly in practicing the mercy she was expected to preach, yet it seemed like the best way of venting her current frustrations while doing something good for the Astor.

After dragging him around for so long, Celicia oddly enough felt like she owed it to him. Even if he'd completely left her in the dark here.

It was hard not to be bitter about that.

What she hadn't expected as for the shark man to do nothing to her in response to the trio of colorful arrows that dug into his torso. Utterly perplexed, she lowers her bow and stares at him as if he'd completely lost it. Nothing about this situation made a lick of sense to her.

"What the Hel is wrong with you...?"

Celicia scowls. It was all so hopelessly frustrating.

After stuffing her bow away though, she turns on her heel to face the direction the Astor had scampered off to. Her main concern.

"Ah, whatever! If you made a deal with Gryn and you're not going to fight back, I'll leave it be. Beating someone up when they won't defend themselves is lame when I don't entirely know what's going on."

Not even she could do it in good faith, given that she didn't bear any personal grudges towards the man.
(Celicia)
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 Maertock would take a deep breathe as his form suddenly became flowing shadows, the black blooded crystals tumbling harmlessly to the ground before him as he offered a light wink to Celicia as his wounds dripped ambiently. It might become suddenly apparent to her that her crystals, while leaving large gaps in the shark's muscle, paled in size to the LITERAL HOLE GOING FRONT TO BACK THROUGH HIS STOMACH.

It appeared he'd been recently impaled by a very, very large sword. It was likely on fire, which narrowed things down to be frank.

"We'd need a lot of scotch and more time than we have to list all that, little dove. But I AM a fearless sadomasochist. And alcoholic, and drug abuser. So I don't FEEL that much."

The captain would bark out in laughter at that, cackling as he slapped the arcanium plate of his cuirass.

"But in truth, this is a lesson for you. It's important that I offer you guidance in these dangerous frontiers. Don't fight for something you don't believe in; it'll make any wounds you take sting long after they heal. Pick your battles that, win or lose, you have no regrets!"
(Maertock Reave)
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 Celicia grimaces when the arrows slip through his form and collapse to the ground. They disperse into fine, sparkly little red shards right as she catches a glimpse of his dramatically worse injury.

There was definitely something to be learned from this all. He was, at her current level, likely not someone to be trifled with. Though she'd already been mostly aware of such.

"Normally I don't get involved in other people's business, but it's Addie we're talking about here and-" She pauses as a trail of purple flames distantly searing the grass comes into her field of view.

The sight stuns her into silence for a good long moment.

"Oh. He ditched me."

Lingering irritation stirs within her though her shoulders slump as she resigns to her unpleasant circumstances. The poor Acolyte.

Rather than solely being grumpy, if one didn't know any better? She might verywell appear a bit disheartened.

"...I guess I'll keep it moving for now. Just know I don't pick fights I'm not confident I can win without reason. I can't promise it's a good reason, but it's a reason all the same."

Hopefully it wasn't actually a bad reason.
(Celicia)
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Maertock would offer a paternal, surprisingly soft smile to the youth as he lowered his massive palm, ruffling the girl's hair ambiently as he continued to sip at his alcohol to properly dull the pain. Impalement wasn't as easy to shrug off as he cared to admit, and he'd been impaled TWICE in Esshar.

Third time, he gets a coupon.

"Your instincts are normally right then. Other people's business, especially personal business, is messy. Blood feuds, quarrels, ain't my cup of tea. Especially moralistic bullshit."

The captain would nod firmly at that.

"That kid? Addie? Doesn't even know why he's fighting. That is how you die pointlessly in this world. You act based on the compulsion of others without finding your own answers."

Maertock would tip his cap up at that.

"It doesn't matter how good or bad your reason is little lady. It matters that it's YOUR reason.That's the freedom of choice. And so concludes today's life lecture."
(Maertock Reave)
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 Andreas had bested Adrastos by a slim margin. Slinking out from the shadows with bruises, cuts, and burns alike the winded goat-man huffs and puffs away. By all means he shouldn't have won...

Meandering forth he'd jangle a bag of coins triumphantly. "Got 'em… Fuckin' 'el..." The man wheezed, soon doubling over for a time. Gods, when was he this tired again..?

"Ain't gon' ask... Hwhat the 'el caused all this-- Figurin' s'the toll?-" Right, Jack had just said that. The rush of battle was still heavy in his head and, with a light shake of his head, he'd saunter on over to deposit a bag on their lap.

"Ya cut. Fuckin' beast of a man, ain't 'e..?" Chuckling lightly he'd soon flop back down onto his back. Honestly, it was nice to get another win tossed to him oh so soon.

"Fuck I'm tired..."
(Andreas)
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 Whilst her hair was being ruffled by the much larger, wiser individual, her eyes drift over to Jack. She was reasonably a tad grouchier than usual.

"Hiding behind your relations with others to avoid trouble sounds cowardly. Besides, I'm not just Gryn’s friend- I'm his best friend. His hoardkeeper.” Though perhaps he wouldn’t grasp the intrinsic value of a fairy's hoard.

She sighs and turns her attention back to the shark man.

"If we're being honest, I've never been fond of the whole 'hero' mentality. But, ironically enough, it's my job to save people as a member of the church. It's just easier to help fae rather than humans because they're more... sincere, I guess you could say."

"As I've mentioned to many people before, nothing annoys me more than bad actions masked with good intent. It's so fake, cheesy, boring, and meaningless. Rather than making up excuses for how righteous what they're doing is, people should just do things because they feel like it. Transparently."

A weary shrug.

"That's how I see it anyways. Murder someone because you actually feel like it'll change something for the better or just feel like it, not because it's heroic or whatever. Something like that anyway."

It was possibly an unusual perspective for someone in her position to have. Someone obligated to live by the code of what was morally correct.
(Celicia)
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 Jack's eyes lit up at the mention of hoardkeeper. There was a glance towards Andreas if he heard that too. Of course, Jack just stared at Celicia for a moment.

"Wait, you're the one in charge of his whole stash and hoards? Cor, I guess I'm a wee bit sad we can't just grab you then. Imagine what can be done with that. Why, I might be able to afford a right proper house."

And so the hamster wheel turned.

"Wait... What does a fairy need a hoard for anyways?"
(Jack Harlock)
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 Maertock would nod considerately as he mulled over Celicia's youthful, but with certainty educated response as he bobbed his head lightly. The jade haired hoard keeper was nothing if not impish in quality; a trait he could appreciate.

"That's trouble. Heroes don't exist because morality is a subjective, artificial construct manifested from personal values and those of your culture. Osrona believes in the stars and their purity; but this zeal has lead them to kill wantonly and hide behind divinity as justification for monstrosity."

The Captain of the Deep Company would take a long, considerate drag from his cigar at that.

"The same could be said for Haruki. He seeks my death for my practice of dark arts, and yet Osrona is allied with the very nation that taught them to me. As Vesper's old flame, the witch seductress, was spared by him out of lust and affection for her. That is what we call a moral coward."

Maertock would spit a glob of black ink upon the ground at that.

"I am not a good man, Celicia. But I live by my values day in and day out. I don't rightly give a damn what someone does with their free time, but I do give a damn about people who do. Freedom is the most important thing in the world."

Another ruffle of the hoardkeeper's hair.

"At the end of the day, only the survivors tell the story."
(Maertock Reave)
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 Their perspectives were strikingly similar, oddly enough. It wasn't a conversation she could easily have in Osrona where everyone was bright-eyed, optimistic, and held the concept of justice in high regard above all else. It was embedded into their very society.

Yet, for all the time she'd spent living in the shadows, it'd never quite blinded her.

"Mm. I personally don’t have anything against the use of blackmail, poison, and deception when it comes to killing someone for the ‘better good’, but I know in the church it’s forbidden. I may just end up becoming the most lousy Stellus in all of Osrona’s history. Or maybe Atticus will make me better behaved before then…" It was hard to say. Surrounded by well meaning people, she tended to stray away from such methods.

Though it didn't mean she didn't ever consider them.

"I’m probably this way since I grew up in the streets, I guess. Results are more important to me than how people look at what you're doing or how you go about it, but when you’re a fancy public figure you have to think about stupid stuff like that too."

Celicia folds her arms over her chest, eyes shifting upwards to the night sky. A sea of stars.

"At the same time, I'll never be blessed like Geztelle nor chosen by any crazy important angel. If I'm going to kill anyone later on, it'll be because I think it'll save more people in the long run, they got on my really bad side, or because I feel like it's right. I can't lie about it being some divine necessity because the only people who buy into stuff like those are the people who desperately want to believe in it."

She draws in a deep breath, turning on her heel back to Maertock fully now.

"People don't believe in the truth, Captain. They believe in the individual. That's something I live by."

With such matters addressed, she'd swiftly spare Jack an answer.

"A fairy has a hoard to make coin. Me? I've got a lot more of it now than I ever did. We've almost met our fairy powder goal, too. Through hard work alone."
(Celicia)
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 Jack largely zoned out the chatter of morals and life goals. In the end, he was just as aimless as ever. It almost felt like there was no grand purpose to anything in life. He couldn't even say he met the general life view of Maertock either.

He was just a hired sword.

His lips curled into a frown as he crossed his arms, trying to ignore the pain in his chest from the cut. Maybe he was just in the wrong line of business.

"Yeah but... why would... Nevermind, I ain't gonna think about it. Ain't gonna help anything. It don't matter. None of this matters. Ain't even about no important goal or gain."

His head pressed against the tree.

"Just in it for the coin."

(Jack Harlock)
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[ Maertock would cackle upon hearing Celicia's response as he tapped his chin, the Captain of the Deep Company finding the young lady's sensibility to be more than satisfactory. She understood the reality of the world, at the least.

Perhaps there was more to this hoardkeeper than met the eye.

"Sounds to me like you'd be the best Stellus they ever had. The most fun at the least. Fact of the matter is, protectin' your own means pullin' out all the stops. If you can take out the enemy from the dark before they harm those in the light, you're doin' your job."

The Captain would cackle at that; perhaps because while the lesson itself was more in a symbolic regard, he was also quite literally a master of appearing from the shadows and stabbing people in the back.

"Ain't nobody that has any expectations of yourself more important than your own. You live by your own code without fear, with determinatebravery, and they'll get in line regardless of what theater they might expect you to put on."

Maertock would hum a soft, siren song at that.

"I'll let you in on a lil' secret my dear. Ain' nothin' blessed about Getzelle Pelleaux. She's just as bloodthirsty as her husband. And her husband's just as bloodthirsty as her. Angels don't live in our world; that's why killers love hiding behind them."

Another dark chuckle at that, followed by another ruffle of the poor, frazzled hair of Celecia.

"When people don't believe the truth? You make them believe. There's no shame in failure, only in giving up."

Maertock would smile softly.

"But in the end? Coin will help. Coin ALWAYS helps kid."
(Maertock Reave)
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Celicia nods. It was almost odd to consider that they likely wouldn't have been able to have this conversation if one of her closest friends hadn't left her for dead without second thought.

The world worked in strange ways.

"That's how I see it too. So long as you're getting your job done, the methods shouldn't matter. People are being saved whether they know it or not. It's the people trying to be heroes that want everyone to know how amazingly helpful and good they are. Pointless and stupid, basically."

A critical analysis on her behalf. Though her hair's tidiness is further ruined, she was undisturbed. It reminded her of the good old days when she couldn't freely bathe nor lower her guard.

It was around a couple months ago, at this point.

"Whether people believe in the truth or not isn't totally important, but I mean to say that's why appearances matter. For example, the leaders of a city can do just about anything with their people not caring after a week. Why? Because they earned their people's trust. The flimsiest excuses become ten times more convincing when people believe in you."

It'd certainly account for Osrona's long history of morally questionable acts. For now, the young girl needed more time to digest it all.

"I'll admit that coins are nice too. Though... thanks for giving me some stuff to think on at least."
(Celicia)
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 Maertock would nod steadily in cheer of Celicia's good sense! It was obvious he'd had the right idea about the jade haired youth; at the end of the day she was clearly the pragmatic sort. Pragmatism got things done.

"Exactly so little dove. True heroes aren't the knights in shining armor standing at the top of the bloody pile. They're the quiet, humble workers that do not brag about the dirty work they do to hold society together. That is life."

The Captain would nod once more, taking a steady drag from his cigar again with a smile.

"But yes, you've gotten to the core of it. As long as you're charismatic and have devout supporters? Reality is irrelevant. You can warp it to suit your whims with a flick of your finger and a whispered word. The realm is a fluid thing, and more have died from tongues than blades."

A final and firm nod at that as he yawned to himself.

"But yes, anytime little dove. There is much I suspect I can teach you, assuming you are willing to listen. A Stellus that knows of the shadows can stand more surely in the light."
(Maertock Reave)
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 Andreas says, "I'm... I'm gon' go rest at the ship."

 "I'm glad we've come to an agreement here. Maybe I've still got a lot to learn, but this? It was a nice lesson. A whole lot better than some of the things I could learn at home."

She'd make a genuine effort not to be blinded by all the distracting lights around her in the time to come. So long as the core of her beliefs held true, Celicia was convinced she'd do just fine as Stellus.

Though who knew if others would come to think the same.

"I guess I better head home now. I can either ruin his reputation a little or hear him out, depending on how spiteful I'm feeling."

In the past, it never would've been a question. It only went to show just how much things had changed.

The Acolyte frowns and starts forward.

"...I'll think on it on the way home. We can talk more later after I see how much of a mess is made from this. Depending on what Addie tells them, you might be in for a lot of trouble in the near future. Just keep that in mind."

She'd briefly pause, peering back over her shoulder.

"You'll probably become the villain, so thanks for sparing me."

The heroes had been awaiting a proper villain, hadn't they?
(Celicia)
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 Maertock Reave says, "Ohohohohoho."
 Maertock Reave says, "There's no probably. But the world needs villains my dear."
 Maertock Reave says, "Someone has to do the dirty work."
 Maertock would tip his hat, allowing her to leave freely with a smile.
(Maertock Reave)
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Celicia says, "Someone has to take the blame for everything that goes wrong, too. I guess that's just life..."
Maertock Reave says, "Might as well be the tallest."