Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 12:05 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

"Yup, I'm done. Time to go home. I've checked everything off the list, and gotta think about what I'll do next. You can stay in the hot spring if you want, you probably won't be too keen on having me sent you back though a gateway portal anyways. If you wanna leave the island there's a dock on the southeastern shore that'll take you to the mainland." Myouga stretched, and recounted her inventory. Everything was accounted for, sans the snacks she had eaten. Thinking of what to do next she gave an exaggerated sigh and spun around in circles idly. "Huuuuuuhh….do I really want to go visit Bakulaw or should I try Komiteia? When's the cheese and wine tasting event supposed to be again?" So far it had been uneventful since the worldwide gem egg hunt, and who knew when the gods would decide to grace the world with their antics again? Being bored was something the little mage hated above all else, and never liked sitting still.

Her list of places to visit had decreased by one since that 'accident' in Kurayo where she had iced a man's nether regions unintentionally. Well it was a nasty place to go anyways, so it was no big deal. Vampires were so stuck-up just because they found a loophole in the death clause and now only could survive on a single food source. And werewolves were so angsty. She was pretty sure being angry all the time would cause cardiovascular problems, and seriously felt the whole city could use a chill pill. Hm…speaking of chill, Myouga now wanted something cold and sweet. Like flavored ice, or frozen cream with fruit chunks. But that would have to wait. The closest place that served flavored ice was back home and the trip would be at most fifteen minutes by portal. Thinking about food and fun things made her mood feel so much better.
 

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 5:46 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

- Broken bones are never fun after all. Bruises neither, thus I would prefer to have a bruise than a broken bone. Or at least I think so. - She responded, letting her eyelids close. Warm water was so relaxing… Blue was actually quite surprised that she would like it so much. Even if she was a born noble, she never really tried to fully live like one, usually spending her time on constant trainings, tactics learning and associating with people of her kingdom. Especially the first and the last one, after all what Princess would she be if she won't be able to defend herself as well as listen to her people? Still a Princess, probably, but a lot worse than she is right now.

Or rather was.

- Don't you worry about it. I feel tiredness striking me from inside, but I won't just fall asleep. Guardsman's curse, as they used to call it. - She smirked gently, opening one eye just to look at her mage companion. She was a bit surprised that she was already back in her clothes, and even a bit… unsure if Myouga will just decide to leave her there. She was a kind person for so long, so Princess probably didn't have a thing to really worry about, but that note of doubt was always a companion of hers.
- Haven't seen any monkeys around, or at least I don't recall any. Perhaps they have some sort of activity on the other side of island… Or they ran away from something. I would prefer the first option tho, not sure if monkeys are so easy to scare… Hey, you going somewhere? Already dressed up. Should I get out from the bath as well then…?

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 7:58 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Swinging her legs, Myouga listened. "Well yeah jumping in is kinda dangerous, but if the water's only a foot you'd know right away. Besides, everyone knows if the water's less than five feet you don't jump. Funny thing is, even if the water's deeper you can still give yourself some nasty bruising by doing a belly flop right onto the water's surface…and maybe break a few ribs." When Princess asked if she would mind if she stayed in the water longer, the arcanist shook her head. "Naah, I don't mind. Just don't fall asleep, ok? It's easy to drown when you fall asleep in a hot spring, and I can't pull you out." Speaking of death and horrible injury in a lighthearted tone, Myouga swirled the water with her toes.

"Hm…you know I've been wondering. Where are the monkeys? Last time I came here for a dip the pools were already occupied with a bunch of them, sitting around and cleaning themselves. They didn't mind me joining them, and even tried grooming me too." There were lots of things that were missing which she had expected to be present today. Was something special going on? Not to dwell too long on things, she shrugged and took her feet out to stand up. Using a spell she dried herself off, and began to put her clothes back on. Magic sure was convenient–she wouldn't know what she would do without it. It was a way for people without great strength or endurance to even the playing field in life, as was the case for her. Unlike the girls in Ataiyo, she never spent a single day working in Ainochi as a tayuu. With the last item in her checklist done, soon it would be time for her to either go home or find something else to do.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 8:00 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Princess raised her arm up in defensive stance, covering her face from water coming from Myouga's jump. She gave off a small laugh, eventually moving her fingers apart to look at her swimming friend. She found her action somewhat irresponsible, however.
- You do know that jumping into water like this is not really a smart idea, don't you? - She started, letting her hand drown into the water once again. She had a calm look, and even calmer appearance - but a little curve on side of her lips showed off that she was enjoying the natural bath. And the flowers! Really nice thing to sit in, let's be honest. - About year ago, I had a bunch of soldiers under my lead. Youngsters, just like me right now. - She closed her eyes, as she add a bit of dramatic tone into her voice. - After a whole day of constant march you don't really think about anything but some rest, not talking about such luxury as bath. However, we decided to set up a camp alongside the lake. As you can guess, I let my subordinates to swim a little. - She paused for a longer while. Her head slowly moved back, as she let it rest on the stone behind her. Pause in such place had a really dramatic, and it could be a sign that Princess knew how to hold her listeners in uncertainty. Not that she like to talk much, anyway.
- It didn't took long for a bad thing to happen. You know, water is a dangerous place, and you may never know if depth of it is a foot, or twenty. A group's apothecary named Jack decided to jump into the water without checking it first. Lucky for him, he just broke his leg - but who knows what could happen if the cliff wouldn't be just a half meter in height.
She raised her head again, now seeing her companion sitting on stones. She nodded gently in response to her comment, now looking back at the petals that started to surround her petite chest. she picked up a bunch of them, water pouring between her fingers as she lifted her hand up a little.
- You won't have anything against me sitting in the bath for some time, then? I kind of don't want to get out… So warm there…

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sat Jun 3, 2017 10:15 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

"Gimme a second." Myouga took off her clothes starting with her cloak and hat, then her dress, and finally her slippers and trousers. Underneath she had a cotton smock and a pair of white breeches, all in white. With her clothes now off, she leaped into the hot spring causing a splash. "Ahh it's sooo warm!" Using her hands she scooped a handful of flowers and tossed them about, making a shower of petals over her area. The water's warmth was nice and toasty like the underside of a kotatsu, and she let herself float to the water's surface as if she were in a pool. It was just like the smaller heated pools in the bath houses, sans the flowers. And unlike the bath houses, you couldn't bring your own shampoo or bathing products or else you'd taint the water.

After spending a few minutes soaking in the heat, she puttered around in the hot spring using the woven basket to scoop up the spring's contents and let it drip down in a downpour through the basket's weave. She then started to sing an Ataiyan song about summer rainy days, her cheerful voice standing out against the twittering ambient noises of the jungle. Once she was done, she climbed out of the spring to rest on the rocks around. "Whew, I can't stay in the water for too long. I'll get too warm, and then get sleepy." It was one of the few downsides of being who she was. Her small stature and build meant she had to spent only ten minute intervals in hot springs at a time to avoid the risk of her body temperature rising too high. Other kids soon grew out of it once they were adults, but she was a special case. Sure it wasn't fair, but she'd rather not make her parents worry about her suffering from hyperthermia and heat exhaustion. As she let herself cool down, she dipped her feet into the water and used her toes to move floating flowers around, creating ripples.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Sat Jun 3, 2017 7:00 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Princess did draw her sword, now weighting it in her hand and inspecting carefully as Iris suggested. Nothing happened with it, however Blue wasn't looking liked convinced about all of those teleports and portals. She sighed, now letting her blade rest once more in leather.
- Maybe it does work, but I still don't trust this sort of magic. I don't trust magic at all, but that's the other thing. Now, come back safe. - She waved gently towards her new friend, as she disappeared behind the circle of another portal. One second later there was only memory from that entrance, and Princess was all alone once again. Well, maybe except for a bug life that was surrounding her from all directions. And birds singing quietly up above the green trees. And maybe an eventual animal passing behind the visible part of jungle.
Actually, Blue looked around once again - she wanted to take a good look at her surroundings. So yes, hot springs - Big natural bath in the middle of volcano island. That actually explains why such place is a thing, after all magma was quite… close to the surface. Green jungle was the main thing that was visible - however, there was a bit of free space around the water surface. tall tropical trees were giving a really nice shadow over the clean blue, gently bubbling water. Blue-haired girl walked a bit closer to the surface of water, crouching nearby. She already took off rest of her clothes, now those were laying pitted on nearby stone. Wearing nothing but her undergarments - and a knife strapped to right leg - she let her left hand slide down into the hot water, deeper and deeper… eventually she would touch the bottom, her arm surrounded by water nearly to her shoulder as she was bending over the hot bath. Seems like a good depth to just sit and relax. When was the last time when she have done such thing?
Not wasting any more time, she sat on the stone edge, eventually letting herself fall into the liquid of life. She let the water reach her belly, then chest, shoulders… eventually ending on her neck. Her body relaxed a little already, even if she still felt pain from her jungle trip. She closed her eyes…

And then Myouga arrived once again, dropping a whole basket of flowers into the hot spring. A smell of exotic flowers started to fill up the air, together with gentle mist  right above the ground. Princess looked back at her friend, smiling gently.
- Shall I look away for now?

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 2:35 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

"Well?" Myouga grinned, looking at the girl who had doubted her moments ago. "What'd I tell you? See, totally fine. If you don't believe me, check your weapon and see if anything's changed." It was oh so satisfying to see the look of amazement and surprise when people realized she actually knew what she was doing. To be fair, it was their fault for setting their expectations so low. "Like I said, I'm a professional! I'd bet my tenured position as a professor on it!" Pleased at how things had progressed, she closed the portal and opened a new one, this one inside the village. "Be right back, I'm going to get the flowers for the hot spring bath! Take your time~" With a wink and a grin, she disappeared through and Blue was now alone. Myouga didn't want to risk having an animal pass through her portal into the village or vice versa, so she was quick to close it behind her. 

She had conveniently sent herself in front of the market place, and she strode down the stalls until she found what she was looking for. Paying the merchant, she thanked him in the local language and reemerged through a portal in front of the hot spring pools a few minutes later. Holding a large woven basket above her head, it was brimming with delicate flowers of all colors and shapes. She then threw it into the water, basket and all.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 12:05 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

- It's not like I'm going to even TRY magic by myself. And I can tell you it's already too late to listen to your words - actually, since you tell me about it, it's already too late. I wouldn't meet you other way… However I think that meeting you is a good omen. Hey, I'm not dead on the beach thanks to you, my Dear. - She looked once again at the portal entrance, unsure if she should use it or not. Well, Iria was quite convincing person, not that Princess was hard to convince into anything when you was nice towards her. Oh well, such type of person after all.
- Peeeeeerhaps it's a door, but tell you what, travelling through space and space or whatever you call that isn't my thing. Hey, it's time after all, messing up with time is a bad thing, isn't it? And what if I will end up as nineteen years old lady with a rusty sword after passing it? And why y– Hey! Don't pass it when I'm talking! - Princess looked at the space outside the portal, scratching back of her head. Well, the girl behind it seemed to be quite fine actually… Oh well. She left a hard sight, strapping her belt a bit harder, like it could change anything. Well, Blue felt a bit more confident about passing the strange portal thanks to that, so it actually worked.

One quick move, long step or even a jump - and Princess was on the other side. Sound of the waterfall has somewhat surprised her, as she looked around in confusion. She was in hella lot different place now - there was no sand, no sea, only gentle moves of leaves above her. She looked back at her new companion, squinting her eyes gently.
- Point for you, sorceress. Point for you.

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 3:32 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Listening to the girl's explanation for her distrust of the portal, Myouga winced. "Oh…that's awful. First of all, never ever agree to volunteer for an experiment when it comes to teleportation–especially from a novice. Where I teach you don't start by teleporting people, you start with inanimate objects. Teleportation is a very precise art, and it's not the same as magically flinging something. You need to know exactly where you plan to teleport yourself or something else, and have a good level of finesse and control over your magic. If you don't, you get accidents where people have been found suffocated inside walls or two people fused together to the point where it's nearly impossible to separate them. You're very, very lucky that you landed here instead of the ocean with all of your parts accounted for."

Hearing the girl's doubts, she addressed them accordingly. "This here portal isn't just some random hole that spits you out somewhere random. It's a door through space and distance. And like a regular door, once you go through you arrive at a specific place. How this works is that I imagine a place I have been to before, and I make a 'door' that lets me arrive there when I walk through. I know where I'll be going once I pass through the door, and the door only closes it when I want to close it. If you're still not keen on entering, I'll prove it to you." Myouga entered through the portal, and could be seen on the other side. She was standing in front of the steaming pools of water and waved. The portal stayed stable even though she wasn't on the same side as before, and she came back through with a flower in her hand. "See? Just like a door. I've been doing this for years. There's no way I'd be able to be a professor at the Mage's Academy if I couldn't pull off simple spells reliably." 

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 1:39 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

- I know how to survive in such environments, trust me. I may look like a Complete dumb pile of skin and bones, but I can handlu myself just fine. And I know how the mosquitos works, it was form of metaphore… Giant ones live for away from there after all. - She said, turning around to the girl once again. She gently started to clean her sword from sand with her Glove, making sure to noc cut herself. - Look, few hours ago I was hanging out with a sorcress called Natalii de la Flame. And guess what, she asked me if I couldn't help her with a simple teleportation spell. She said She will throw me at the second end of the field, hundred meters away. And just look where I am - At the sunny beach of volcano Island. Believe me or not, this is DEFINETLY not one hundred meters.away from my starting position. - She left a soft sigh, putting her sword in the leather scabbard, strapped on.her belt.- I believe this will work, and I don't want to be rude or anything, but… Ugh… - She rubbed back of her head gently. It was causing pain actually, her muscles were painful to move around in any way, not even taking about such stretching. She was a bit embarrassed to be honest, and the mage proffesor girl could tell that pretty well from her actions. - I just don't want to end up in some random place once again. I'm pretty Lucky to meet a girl like you after what I have passed. I will call that a reward for my troubles. Just… I'm not really sure if I should trust magic things like this… It never liked me, and I never liked magic. Are you sure that I will end next to a waterfall, not on the other end of the world?

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 12:50 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

"Well I don't use magic to take the food. I just use it to make it easier to take more in less time. I mean people would notice if a gaping vortex suddenly began sucking up the dishes like a living vacuum. Then I'd get banned, which would be a bad thing because I like crashing parties an'd getting free food." Myouga liked the way this girl thought. Practical and sensible, and efficient too. If all the nobles in the world were like that, then people would have to worry less about corruption and more about whether or not militant factions would be pulling territorial disputes. Most rulers did not like the idea of another group having a standing force large enough to rival their own, and that's when heads started rolling. Good thing she lived in a place where they had one person from every level of the social strata instead of a royal house in charge. Nisshoki was the best place in the world, and Myouga was proud to be a citizen.

Myouga found the girl's vehement refusal to use magical conveniences like portals to be puzzling. She wasn't one of those types that screamed 'witchcraft' when things happened and she couldn't understand them, was she? "Uh…so you don't want to use the portal? I mean…sure you can walk there but it'll take hours and you'll get lost. And I'm not really sure if you understand how mosquito bites work. You normally don't die from just getting bitten, it's the diseases and parasites they give you when they bite you that's the problem. There's some pretty awful blood-borne diseases you can pick up from insects…especially if you aren't from the area. There's stuff that can make your skin break out into boils that itch and bleed when you scratch, terrible fevers that give you the chills until you die from dehydration, diarrhea, nausea, jaundice, leprosy, worms that grow inside your stomach and leech your blood from the inside…just to name a few. It's not gonna be a quick death, trust me. And if you die, I can't resurrect your corpse."

Even for a mage like her, she knew the basics of  jungle safety. Always tuck in your trouser legs into your boots and seal them tight to prevent fleas, ticks, and leeches from getting at you. Don't touch brightly colored animals or plants, they're likely lethally poisonous. Don't drink water without boiling it first. Use a stick to make sure you don't accidentally grab a snake instead of a vine. Don't swim in the water, or you'll probably die from snakes or flesh-eating fish, and many other things. "Hey, why are you so scared of using portals? I'm not gonna pull a fast one on you and send you into the volcano if that's what your worried about." Maybe she would figure out why the girl was so adamant on taking the hard way around when she had a shortcut right in front of her.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 12:26 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

- True, majority of food from most parties is wasted right after. Personally, I would give the "leftovers" to the peasants, however it wouldn't have any logical sense. They would have to eat right after the party, since such prepared food tend to rot in a day or two. Instead, I just let my cooks know to make half of food that is planned to be made. Well, that;s when I was a princess of the land… Anyway, there still have been some leftovers, but still a lot less than from normal parties. That means less ingredients, what means less money spent on preparing parties, what gives us more money to spend on more important things like improvement of fields, or running up better equipment for soldiers. - And now let's name it  "How to success as Princess 101" and sell it around the world. You know, for money - what means better army, right?
Blue haired girl was walking and talking in the same time, still looking back at her companion. Even if slowly, she moved - Step by step, towards the shadow of tropical forest. Her back already started to hurt - sun was making sure that Lilith won't have a pleasurable day on beach, like, never. Unless she would come at night - What wasn't the worst idea probably. Gentle waves stroking the white sand of beach, soft breeze cooling down whole place, beautiful moon above, shining with it's silver plate…

- So you take dishes from parties with usage of magic? Another point towards not liking mages. I may or may not know you, I'm not an enlighten person after all. I like to read during travels, but… I don't think this form of knowledge could compare to yours, Dear Iria. But, who knows, perhaps I pose other useful things as a hunter.  - She chuckled quietly, eventually endings under one of the trees. She was tired as never, and walking towards a waterfall… thorough that whole jungle… once again…
And then, a portal opened up in front of her. She looked into it with blank stare, keeping quiet for a while.
- I'm not going through it. No way. I shall die bitten by giant mosquito and my dead body shall be food for the trees, but there's no way I will go with teleports. Nope. - And she walked aside, keeping away from that… thing, still keeping her blank stare.

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 11:48 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Myouga was relieved that the girl wanted to come along. For a moment there she had thought she'd scare her away with her enthusiasm. People tended to start smiling politely and slowly walk backwards or attempt to imply that they had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. "Crowds aren't so bad, as long as nobody's out to take your purse. I've never been somebody for dancing either, so that's one thing we have in common! Usually when I attend parties I go there for the food." The arcanist conveniently omitted the part that she would go whether she was invited or not, just for a chance to sample the buffet. After all, somebody had to eat the food prepared–it would be a shame to let such things go to waste. The rich were notorious for their lack of consideration of their wanton excess, having more than they needed and letting it rot than give it to those who wouldn't mind the blemishes on the fruit or the less appealing cuts of meat. It wasn't like she went to parties to fill only her own stomach. Once she had successfully smuggled several pastries, sausages, pieces of cheese, and fruit in a couple of trips from some lord's anniversary banquet. The anniversary in question was his pet cat's, and he had made a grand affair just for the sake of a sour-faced feline. She had been working on a spell that would create a portal that would connect her pockets to a set location that would receive the things she stuff into them, so she could stow away more food without arousing suspicion. She called it, the 'pocket dimension' and it would be perfect to send things to another location without having to go through a courier service and risk it getting lost or damaged. It still had a few kinks that needed working out before it could be considered reliable enough for use.

The girl called 'Princess' asked her name, which was long overdue for an introduction. "Hm, me? I'm a professor at the Mage's Academy in Iria–Myouga Ryou! Bet you never heard of me before, huh? Or maybe you have, I dunno. If you were a student there you probably have. I'm kinda famous you know!" More like infamous, but she never bothered with trivial details. She did a little dance of joy when Princess decided she wanted to try out the springs right now. "Oh, perfect! But I can't just let you waltz into the jungle with your skin exposed. Those mosquitoes and bugs will have a field day once they smell you. And lucky for you, I happen to be a certified expert in getting to places in a short amount of time!" With a wave of her hands, a swirling portal appeared. The lights showed the view of a place in the tropical jungle before a waterfall and several steaming pools surrounded by vibrant foliage and flowers. "Aren't portals great? You can go anywhere you want in ten seconds or less! And for someone like me making as many as I want won't isn't a problem." She waited for her new friend to go through first, as she had planned to buy a basket of flowers to use in the hot springs before rejoining her. For a normal person it would be a long hike from the village to the spot where the thermal springs were, but with portals at her disposal that would only take a few minutes.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 5:43 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

-  To be completely honest with you, I never liked crowds, and places filled with people. For example ballrooms and dancing was never my thing, especially when people look at you for the whole time. Since you're a princess,, most important person on whole "party" and stuff like that. I often left this to my sister, she was a lot better in socialising with nobility than me. - Apparently, Princess regained some of her energy, since she was able to talk a bit more… and without pauses every now and then. Still, she had closed eyes, while her hands travelled up at the handle of her longsword, now resting on it. She was looking like some kind of battle-prayer… Except for fact that she still was wearing only bra on her top. It was giving her more of hilarious appearance.
- Pota– Oh right, you proposed me one earlier. Thank you, my Dear. Actually, what's your name? - Princess took slowly her baked potato. She started to bite down on it - And tell you what, it indeed was delicious. Her eyebrows raised up gently as she was facing sea, really nice scenery to enjoy a delicious product of fire and time. Plus, Lilith was a bit hungry - past few hours has left a mark on her actual state.

She thought for a second about the vision of bath in the hot springs. Well, she definitely could use a little bath, especially when it was warm and nice for skin. Even more, idea of throwing a bucket of tropical flowers inside for a nice smell and feeling… She was up for that. Not that she had anything better to do, and perhaps she could use this while of relax to sharp up her now dull longsword. She was kind of sorry for it, so poor and covered in green marks from leaves…
- Don't worry, I can walk. I have passed through worse things. Just… Let me rest for a second more. And end my potato. It's delicious, by the way. Never ate one before. - She added, taking another bite of the sweet vegetable. She was already looking a lot better than half of an hour before, when she nearly fainted on the sand. She was looking from time to time at her conversation partner, listening to her every word that she had to pass - apparently that girl liked talking. Not that Princess had a problem with it at all.

After a few minutes, potato was already a memory. Lilith left a soft sigh. Then, a bit against her body's will, she lifted herself up slowly and heavily, supporting herself with blade. Regaining her ability to stand, she slowly turned around, eventually picking up her top, and moved slowly towards the line of trees.
- I have to hide from sun… My skin is quite fragile when it comes to sunburns. Skin of a Princess, you understand.  Move forward, my Dear. I will be right behind you. At least I hope so…

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 7:09 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

"It never hurts to come here during off-season, I mean you're never seen what the island looks like when boats are dropping people off every few hours. The beach gets the most crowded since it's easiest to get to, y'see." She nodded as the girl stated she was too tired to remember. A reasonable answer, as she was probably still recovering from near-heatstroke conditions. More water would help clear up that fogginess. Myouga shook her head at the suggestions given to her. "Naaah, that's not it. I already got all the samples I needed the first few times I visited the island. Besides, if I wanted reagents I'd get them myself. Hrm…hrrrrrm…what was it?" Closing her eyes she furrowed her brow as she retraced her train of thought before meeting the girl, baking the potatoes, and borrowing a chair from the locals.

"…Oh right, the sweet potato! Here you go, it's still warm." Handing the girl the baked sweet potato she had offered earlier, she resumed her attempt at taking a mental inventory of her actions up until now. She had pocketed the dragon scales, bought some flower garlands like usual, chatted with the locals in the village on anything interesting that had happened since her last visit, fed the monkeys, watched a woman weave a basket for two hours, ate some delicacies that she paid for, looked at some hats, skipped a few rocks across the surface of the water on a pond, caught some beetles, ate some banana-nut cakes she had brought with her, borrowed a chair from a villager, set up said chair beneath a tree next to a rock perfectly-sized to use as a table, made her pit for roasting sweet potatoes, waited for her potatoes to cook while eating more banana-nut cakes, and finally–she met the blue-haired girl named 'Princess'. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and they weren't out of order…but something was missing. Something related to heat, or was it water? No…that wasn't right. It was on the tip of her tongue, and she almost had it within reach.

" …Was it fire? No… Hrrrrrrmmm!!! What was it? What was that thing? Fire, water, steam–I got it! Hot springs! It was hot springs! Yes! I knew it was something related to heat! Oh yeah, that's what I wanted to do before leaving. There's a bunch of pools up in the jungle where you can enjoy some of the best hot springs on this side of Canelux, for free! I mean sure other places have hot springs or bathhouses but you have to pay to get in before you can do anything. Sometimes I sit in there for hours until my skin gets all pruney. It's so warm that it's easy to fall asleep too." Having recalled the last item on her travel to-do list, she turned to her new acquaintance grinning broadly. "Soooo, wanna come with me? We can go pick up a bucket of flowers before we go to make the water smell like a tropical paradise! The heat from the water makes the fragrant oils in the flowers come out, and it's like a day at the spa."

She then stopped herself, realizing that she had completely forgotten the girl was still to tired to move. "Oh right…uh, I guess you can't really get up and walk right now huh? Hmm… Do you want to stay here and rest up a bit on your own, or do you want to come along? You don't have to if you don't wanna. I won't be mad if you want to spend some time by yourself. I mean I kinda asked you all of a sudden, after just meeting you for less than an hour." A bit of a bad habit of hers, but she had always meant well. One of her friends often complained that she would drag him into things before asking his opinion, and that she was too pushy; making it difficult for people to say no unless they said it outright. Often she would get too excited before thinking it through.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 2:58 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Lilith listened to her beach - patner, getting up her strenght once again. She already felt better right now - cold breeze from the sea as well as coconut spilled over her body and throat were doing their thing. At least now she could place her hands on her lap, resting them in more natural position. So, she was on volcano Island, and what's more, it was a vacation spot for many toursits. Well, it was actually a good thing for her - a chance to get herself out of there with relatively ease way. But, for now she had to sit on the beach and recover a little. Technicaly she should move back to the forset, since her skin wasn't too happy with taking too much if sunbathing, but… She won't get hurt so much just after few minutes.- So you say that You're having vacation before the actual vacation period will start? I see that you don't like people around, hyhy… Sorry for disgusting you then. And those were two question - One about appear, and one about… - She shutted herself for a while thinking about how should she end her words right now.- … I can't remember now. Sorry, I'm probably overheated, and I can't see crealry. Or think Logicaly. I'm surprised that I'm still actually awake. - She laughted quietly, However it was kind of sad, perhaps… Even bitter. She though a little about her current status. She was exchaused, a bit hungry, hot as hell and half-naked. While her companion was a sorcress girl that seemed to be there from time to time. Something was.wrong with her - every sorcress after all was bad for Princess. And she didn't tend to trust them all tak much. Magic was a thing that she didn't really like, and above magic shot she preffered a good Crossbow bolt.- Well, since you helped me, Miss, I will Try to help you in advance. Depends on what you have to do, tho… I supoose You probably was looking for somewhere. Flower? Or maybe water Sample? Some monster part? I'm definetly up for the last one, slaying is a thing that I specialise in. Age smirked gently now, looking g back at white-dressed girl.

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Fri May 26, 2017 9:19 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

"Apoy!" Myouga replied, stretching out her arms as if to demonstrate the width of the island. "–This is Apoy Island. It's off the western coast of Canelux near the mainland's rainforest and Mamlak. It's a favorite tourist spot year-round, as Old Smoky over there keeps the place nice and toasty." She motioned to the large volcano, the most prominent feature of the entire area. It towered over everything, even the highest-reaching trees. It was relatively calm at the moment, but there were times when the earth would rumble causing the locals to panic. The people here seemed to worship the very volcano as a god, personifying its seismic activity as displeasure or anger. Somehow they thought that throwing people into the smoldering crater would make it less 'angry', but she didn't see how that solved the problem. Either way, it was thanks to the volcano that this was one of the most fertile places on all of Revaliir aside from the domain of the goddess of life. 

Looking down at her white dress with her magical cloak reaching past her knees and black leggings over her slippers, she was puzzled. "Hm? Yeah I'm on vacation, but I don't see what my clothes have anything to do with it. This is what I usually wear when I'm away from home. It's lightweight, and breathes well." Today she was without her hat, as she had left it at her house before opening the portal. If she ever wanted a hat she could just buy a straw one from the villagers, and she didn't want to spend time washing sand out of the fabric. "Anyway, I thought I'd try to come here before tourist season officially starts. This place can get pretty noisy during Ignius, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a nice quiet spot all to yourself. Say, what're you doing here? I mean you didn't exactly come prepared." Shifting from one foot to the other, she drew circles with her foot in the sand.

"I'm actually here for important business, but I decided spending a day lazing away on a chair in the shade would be more fun. There's not as many dragons around the summit now. Mating season just ended recently, so there's less dragon scales to find all the way up there. Plus, tiptoeing around territorial mothers keeping their eggs warm isn't exactly fun." Being small in stature, she'd hardly suffice for a filling snack to a large predator like a dragon. There was no way for her to outrun them if they decided to go after her unless she had a portal ready to hop through. Getting up and down the volcano was easy for her, as long as she wasn't actually walking. But there was another reason why she had come here, something just as important as collecting her daily fill of dragon scales–the hot springs. The Apoyan hot springs were one of the big three attractions on the island, the other two being the beach and the volcano hiking trail. Deep within the tangle of vines and tropical foliage, there were pools heated by geothermal vents that relaxed the body and soul. One of the popular options was to take a floral bath in the springs by dumping buckets of exotic fragrant flowers into the hot water, letting their aroma infuse the steam with the smell of the tropics.

"Hm…let's see what else I have to do before I leave. I'm sure there was something else that I had planned, but I'm drawing a blank…" Myouga frowned, putting her hands on her temples as if trying to forcibly bring the memory back using the power of her mind. 

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Fri May 26, 2017 3:31 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Blue closed her eyes now, patiently waiting for new meet girl to pull her out from her clothes. It was hot that Princess just felt like filling down.in any second now… She was both surprised and Thankful that the sorcress accepted her request. After all, you don't get asked by - literary - hot and random girl to undress her from her top.  - Even if I do, I feel too exchaused to even think about wiggling… - She tried to lift up her hands, trying to Myouga with taking off sleves of her travelling tunic. Not that it indeed helped much but it was always something. Soon Proncess wasn't covered by anything but her quite covering undergarments - at least at top, since bottom of her noble body was still covered in leather pants.- Thank you, good Lady. Place it next to me, I… Will just sit there and wait for energy… - She rather whispered than said, her hands loosely making little circles in sand on her sides. That was a Good thing for her - after all she knew she still can use her hands, even if just for little. She didn't respond for girl's suggestion about hydrating poor Princess with water from coconut. It was better than Nothing, so Complaining wasn't an option, and… Let's be honest now, she was too deprived to bring herself something to drink. All what she noticed was a slam of dirt, and sort of Ball Rolling down the sand towards her. She would probably find it fun how her beach partner tried to catch the escaping fruit. It probably knew it's fate… And it was quite surprising why did it tried to run away from it. After all, being poured into mouth of Princess? Who.wouldn't like to end like that?When Myouga has returned, she looked up at the green fruit, pierced by precious wand. She shrugged her hands very gently for the question, now opening up her mouth and trying to lift her head…Soon, a strike of refresh has passed through our lovely sworfmaster invidual, as a somewhat cold portion of water poured into her mouth. Of course she had to split some it, eventually covering her cheeks and neck in the cool substance. Yup, it was definetly refreshig, like nothing ever before. She waited patiently until whole coconut was empty, eventually closing her mouth, still running around her inner part of mouth while seeking for taste. She smiled up to the girl in front of her, wiping her mouth with back ofc right hand.- Many Thanks, my Dear… You Got some nice fruits around you as I see. May I ask… Where are we actually…? - She asked slowly, still tired from her actions from past hour or so. But she was able to talk and communicate - barely, but she could.- And… Why the suit? You're on vacations or something likee that…? 

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Fri May 26, 2017 9:50 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Myouga watched as the girl mumbled under her breath, and looked even more tired than ever. Noticing some bits of leaves and dirt on her boots, she deduced little Miss Blue had just come back from a walk in the rainforest. Why she had chosen to come in such thickly padded clothing in this sweltering heat was another issue entirely, and the arcanist couldn't approve of her choice in fashion. The styling of her clothes were cute though; horrendously impractical right now, but cute. It was just a hunch, but she was likely an aspiring adventurer, still a fledgling in the ways of walking the earth. Also, her favorite color was probably blue. It was just a guess. The exhausted and dehydrated girl asked her if she could help relieve her of some of her layers of clothing. Myouga was happy to oblige, and seeing that she didn't reject the offer for the baked yams either–was in good spirits.

"Sure thing Princess! Lemme see… You're not ticklish are you? 'Cause I don't wanna have you start wiggling when I try to pull those layers off. Here I go!" She carefully grabbed the bottom hem of the girl's garment and began pulling it upward like removing the peel from a banana.Once she got to her shoulders, she had to individually tug on the sleeves until the only thing left was to pull it over the girl's head. With the removal of the clothing item complete, she shook it out and held it for the blue-haired adventurer. When she had addressed herself as 'Princess', Myouga took it quite literally and thought that her name was actually 'Princess'. If people named their children things like 'Serenity' and 'Mason', then it was likely that someone out there would name their own daughter after a noble station.

"Hey, you're looking kinda red. You must be more overheated than I thought. Good thing we're on a beach! If there's one thing that can cool you down and hydrate you as fast as water, it's coconut water. Lucky for us there's tons of them all over the place. I'm gonna find a green one, and be back in a minute!" Myouga shaded her eyes, scanning the beach for the tell-tale sign of a coconut still in its prime. Young coconuts were green and fresh, and the water inside was one of the best ways to energize in the heat. Not to be confused with coconut milk, which was made from the flesh of the coconut and was rich and creamy. Finding a good-sized one, she teleported herself to the base of the tree and backed up far enough so she wouldn't suffer a concussion should more coconuts fall down. Focusing her power, she flung a ball of earth knocking the green coconut clean off the tree. Unfortunately it flew too far from the force of the blow and started rolling down the slope, and Myouga chased after it scrambling to catch it before it entered the water.

Returning to the girl named 'Princess', she triumphantly presented her prize, and then proceeded to jam a hole into the top of the thick-skinned fruit using her own magic wand. Eventually, she finally broke through and the clear cool liquid rushed forth from within. "Aha! Ok, try drinking this! Since you said your arms are too tired, just open your mouth and I'll pour a waterfall." The coconut water inside was refreshing and lightly sweet, a surprising contrast to the heat and sunny beach.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Thu May 25, 2017 1:31 PM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Princess didn't even move for an inch, just kneeling on sand and resting on her dark-metal blade. She was looking a bit pathetic to be honest, at least like for a Princess - Even wearing Royal colours and keeping her Noble appear, fact that she just got out from the jungle wasn't the best for her look. What's more, she lost her precious crown somewhere - fact, it wasn't expensive or anything, but she loved to wear one around all the time, even if it was a simple coloured metal ring with triangles.She slowly opened her eyes once again when she heard the sudden blast of wind - and then she realised that somewhere was shouting few seconds ago. Hell, she realised that she wasn't alone on that beach - her perception dropped so hard that she couldn't even remember how long she was sitting there for now. Normally she would start to worry about it, after all her perception HAD to be great if she wanted to be a monster-hunter Knight, but for now she didn't really care.Until Another realisation - Said person just teleported a half of meter away from Royal girl figure. Princess heavily lifted up her head, looking at the mage girl with tired eyes. She scanned her from head to toe carefully, then she looked up into her eyes. Well, she was done. After five or so hours of non-stop Grass cutting, she found herself next to a mage on vacations.Another brick to hate the magic-benders, even if said brick couldn't be really well reasoned.-… You… You Got to be kidding me… - She whispered quietly to the girl, letting her head Fall down on own arm. Her lips got somewhat dry - she had water stored in backpack, but she had to first take it out. It will be a hard task for now.- I… I have.. You… Why.. Ugh… - She kept quiet now for few seconds, before shaking her head with gentle moves. She was Completely down now, sight of yet another mage just right After being sent to this place… And even more, she was Enjoing herself with sweet Patatoes. Princess didn't liked sweet things, but Patatoes were always a good thing to eat, especially when you just got out from the jungle. Worst day ever after the denouncion day, that's already for sure.- Will you be so kind and help Princess get her top off… I'm too exchaused to even lift up my arms… A-Also thanks, I will take the Patato later… I have yet to regain felling in by hands…

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Thu May 25, 2017 8:04 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

The sound of someone cursing and metal clanking caught Myouga's attention to an exhausted figure clad in royal blue kneeling on the sand. Tilting her head up, she shaded her eyes and squinted at the moving dot of blue. It was about time that someone else showed up here. Usually there were at least a few other people already enjoying the beach whenever she came, but today she had it all to herself until now. Perhaps travel season was starting late this year? Finishing the last bite of her banana-nut cake, she shook the sand out of her slippers and put them on. The hearty sweet smell of freshly-baked sweet potatoes soon filled the air, telling her that they were now ready to eat. Skipping towards the rock pile where the roasting potatoes had been buried, the arcanist started tossing aside the rocks one by one. When it came to the heavier ones at the bottom, she mustered her strength and used telekinesis to lift them off the roasted starchy goodness they were covering.

Moving the coals and other burnt stuff aside, Myouga proudly produced a large red-skinned tuber and stabbed it with the end of her wand. Carefully peeling the paper-thin skin away from the top she blew on it before taking a small bite. "…It's done! Yesss! I should've brought some butter to spread on these, but I'd have to freeze it before coming here. Stuff like that melts in the heat. Mmm…" While she ate, a few seabirds landed nearby attracted by the smell. They squawked at her as they tried to steal a piece of the sweet potatoes which she had spent so much time waiting for. "Shoo! Shoo! Go away! No I'm not sharing with you, and leave my delicious roasted starchy tubers alone! Don't make me blast you all high into the sky!" The birds backed off, and she resumed eating. Soon enough, they tried to come after the potatoes again and this time she wasn't going to let them get away with it. 

"I warned you, now you're gonna get it! HYAAA!!" With a shout, she blasted the birds away with a gust of wind sending them squawking–feathers flying all over the place. They took flight and left, having received the message loud and clear. The commotion would be loud enough for anyone at the beach to hear, the shrieking of the seabirds carrying on the air currents. With her food safe, she took the rest of the sweet potatoes with her to ensure they wouldn't be nicked out from under her nose. Looking back she saw the person in blue was still there, and decided to go over and give a friendly hello. Not feeling like walking over, she snapped her fingers and teleported next to them. "Hi, whatcha doing? You look uncomfortably warm. Maybe you should take some layers off?" Reaching into her cloak, she offered the blue-haired girl a sweet potato. "Want one?" she asked her.

Author: Princess Conqueror, Posted: Thu May 25, 2017 3:31 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

In so-called meanwhile, somewhere behind the line of tropical trees that island was covered in, a semi mad girl was cutting her way through the thick flora. Her sword looked somewhat dull - after all, broadswords weren’t designed for cutting ways in tropics. Well, at least not her model.
Girl was looking tired, a bit of sad and most of all - angry. Her leather attire was looking a bit tattered, after all she just passed quite long way towards… undefined direction, hidden in deeps of green forest. Or maybe jungle. She didn’t even know where she was, including local place, country, or even continent. She didn’t even know that she was on island at first - but that big volcano behind her made her consider such option.
 - Darn mages, their spells and all this stupid magic stuff! Never trust a sorceress! - another pile of green plants were cutted off by swing of her sword. - I swear I will find her and put her in dungeon! - Another swing, she was breathIng heavily after every move now. It was hot after all, and fact that she was wearing quite thick leather didn’t help either. - Or even better, I will make her wear nothing but her toga for a week! Humiliation is always… - Slash! - … Better than being imprisoned… urgh… - Princess would fall down on the ground, sword falling next to her. It was all covered in green colour, same with her clothes, hands and even a bit of face. Exhausted after four or so hours of unending cutting, she just had to take a break. She wasn’t already able to move her arms, they were aching so hard. She didn’t even had had will to blame the girl who send her there. “New spell” she said. “I will just teleport you to the other side of field!”. It was even hard to say if she even took a good direction. Because distance for sure wasn’t good.
 
Laying there on ground, with backpack used as pillow, Princess took a little nap. However, she was soon awake - a gentle breeze has suddenly make her cold. Soon she regret her sudden standing up, her whole body was put in unpleasant pain.
No time to complain about - Blue moved towards the direction of pleasant wind. Few slashes later, Princess slowly moved forward, towards the beautiful sea, hot sand cracking under her boots. She would eventually fall on her knees, digging her sword in front of her, letting herself rest on it with closed eyes. Ahh, cold breeze…
And now the fun part - About 40 meters away, a girl with coconut drink was laing and sunbathing. Good for Lilith, she didn’t noticed her - but the girl had a nice look at the blue haired noble, who was looking like about to pass out in few minutes. She was now playing with white sand, rolling it around on her hand.  - … White… Quite pretty… I hate sand… - She said to herself, letting it fall slowly from hand. - I wonder of water is cold…? I would surely take a swim in it… I feel sweaty…

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 10:05 AM, Post Subject: Sand, Sun, and Seashore [P]

Somewhere on the white sandy beaches of the beautiful volcanic island of Apoy, there was a lone figure leaning in a reclining chair beneath the shade of a slanting palm tree. There was a fruity drink on one hand, and a plate of banana-nut cakes on a plate resting upon a rock turned into a makeshift table on the other. Her shoes were off and she was barefoot, enjoying the balmy breezes of Ignius by the shore. Apoy was one of her favorite places in the entire world for a vacation, especially since it was nice and warm all year round. She often would make portals just to come here in the middle of Glaciem while Nisshoki was covered in snow. She wasn't here for souvenirs this time–she had taken her fill of seashells, flower garlands, and jars of sand way back when she was just starting her job as a professor in Iria. She remembered at that time she wanted to compare the sand from Egjora to Apoy's, wondering if all white sand beaches were the same. She later turned the sand she pilfered into homemade decorations with the various sundries according to location.

Holding the cut coconut closer to her face, she sipped the mixture of lime water and coconut milk from a small opening she had made in the top of the hairy fruit. "Aaaah… Sand, sun, and the seashore–it can't get any better than this. All that's missing is somebody in a grass skirt plucking away at a stringed instrument and an outdoor barbecue." A few feet away in the sand was a pile of stones marking the pit she had dug for roasting sweet potatoes. If she had invited a few of her friends at the Mage Academy, they could start a clam bake and cook some crabs over hot coals. There was that one time when she had attempted to bring her classes to the island for a field trip using cultural study as an excuse. Unfortunately some of the other faculty caught on when somebody noticed the item list on the permission slips contained a suggestion of  50 lbs of live clams or shrimp and several bags of coal. In the end she had to host a seafood barbecue for the entire school, without any of the tropical atmosphere.

Biting into another banana-nut cake, Myouga was having a great time. The locals knew she was a frequent visitor, and due to her expertise in languages there were no misunderstandings when she asked about the local news or where to go. She still wasn't fluent in Apoyan, but at least she could form coherent sentences in their eyes. She had thought of going dragon-watching earlier, but there didn't seem to be many of them around at the moment from one of the Kinigoh scouts. If she was lucky, sometimes she could get herself a handful of dragon scales to use in experiments. Dragon scales were a highly valued ingredient in alchemy and magic, and also prized in making some of the best armor out there. Though she could simply sell them to make a small profit, it was rare that she'd find more than three on a single search. There were more during dragon mating season, but she didn't want to be around when that happened. Right now she was content with spending a lazy day at the beach.