Fantasy 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒕 ━ ₁ₓ₁

[.miku]

code by ambiloquous

.miku + yakov011001

the frost

artist — genshin impact

​

 

[.miku]

@fluticasone@fluticasone

01

mariselle onmyoji ━ c. sheet

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TWENTY - FIVE

SHE / HER

HOARFROST ARCANIST

SENTINEL OF WINTER'S WRATH. in the hallowed halls of magic the name is whispered in reverence and fear. guardian of secrets-- they bury within the deep frostbitten heart of the chilling symphony. an enigma draped in the shroud of ancient spells, power and peril intertwine in an intricate dance of frost and shadow. the whispers travel, the scouring eyes loom. "have you heard? they say she's back."

art by

神秘优雅的卜者

&

HSR

code by fluticasone​

 

[Yakov011001]

"So I don't even get a name? This is all you have for me?"

To call Luce annoyed was a bit of an understatement. He was acutely aware of how little material he'd been given on his orders lately, but it was never this bad!

Hunting Order: slay or capture the Sentinel of Winter's Wrath.
Target last seen on the outskirts of the Stonewood just outside of the City of Erudition.

That was all he got. Not even a physical description of this 'Winter Soldier', as far as the Commission knew they might not even be a humanoid. Even worse, they had no way of confirming they'd even still be there when Luce showed up. Even on the Lightning Rail, this would be at least a two day trip. At least he'd have an excuse to get some proper sleep for once. Shaking his head, Luce refocused.

"Tell me this isn't everything, Taion." Luce waived the sheet in emphasis of its utter emptiness, not even a quarter of the sheet occupied with ink.

"Luce, you're the only person I can trust with this, man." Taion sighed from where he was leaned back on his desk across from Luce.

It was this kind of lax behavior that he wouldn't dream of showing anyone else that got on Luce's nerves, because he knew it was just a ploy to make him look softer, more vulnerable, and pitiable. And it always worked! It's not like he could say no to his brother anyhow, maybe only in part because of their blood relation but most definitely because he was Head Commissioner. And he only needed one guess as to what he would offer next: Luce didn't get to where he was because of nepotism, but nepotism did give him the jobs that put him where he was.

"If you get this done, I'll put in for your promotion."

Fuck, there it was, and Luce couldn't afford to say no. His experiments were starting to get expensive, and he'd foregone food for a handful of days to finance his most recent one. This one would push him just over the line he needed to hit: being high enough in the hierarchy for a salary instead of just commissions, and no more fighting for jobs with the other randoms. What choice did he have?

"Fine. But you're paying for my Rail ticket, bruv."

"First class, just for you." Taion offered a slick grin when he pulled a ticket out of his pocket. How is it he always has me right where he wants me?

---

"Much better." Luce huffed, his hand coming down over his stomach. Finally having had some sustenance on the trip out to the City of Erudition: Revelation. Now he wasn't keeling over from the pangs every few feet. How is it he keeps doing this to himself? Well, the case he was hauling was worth it to him. Not quite his magnum opus yet, but there's a reason why he was prioritizing his research so heavily, and even more so a reason why people call him—

"The God Shattering Star!" A voice called out to him as he stepped of the Lightning Rail's platform.

"Just Luce is fine," Luce offered to who he found waiting for him. It was the Governor of Revelation: Thestalos. "I take it you're the one who filed for the order, boss?"

"Just right, young man! I was given reports that she'd been spotted out in the Stonewood by some of the ecological researchers."

"She?" Luce let out reflexively. If they could confirm a gender, then she's most certainly humanoid. Luce dropped his case right then and there, cracking it open to retrieve its contents. Inside, a bulky great shield just barely bigger than his torso. Polished so thoroughly you could see his jet black coiff reflected in it. Lifting it into his arms with a bit of a heft, he pulled its harness out from the case as well and began to set up.

"Is that it?" Thestalos asked with some reverence. People always got like that when seeing his work for the first time. "So—wait. Does that mean all the stories are true?"

"Well, I suppose we'll find out if I'm the real deal or not." Having brought the shield onto his back, Luce tested the deployment action on the harness. It dropped from vertical on his back to horizontal by his waist so he could separate the sword from its sheath built into the shield. He brought the blade into his left hand and the shield into his right.

"Mr. Flynn. Sir. Maybe I could show you where you'll be staying tonight first?" Thestalos nervously started.

"No need, just do me a favour and bring this there," Luce kicked the case closed. "I need to get to work."

 

[.miku]

LOCATION:



INTERACTIONS:

mariselle

artist: honkai star rail

they say she walks with winter's breath upon her fingertips.

robes of deep violets cascade like shifting hues of twilight, billowing gently in the whispering breeze that stirs the leaves above. beneath the sprawling boughs of the ancient tree she stood, a sacred glade nestled deep in the heart of stonewood. gnarled branches reached towards the heavens, each limb a testament to the centuries of wisdom and strength that passed. it wasn't in mariselle's plan to visit revelation's ancient tree-- but she was never one to ignore nature's call. perhaps the tree could prove valuable; an ally to the secrets of mariselle's cause.

"welcome back, keeper of winter's heart," the forest whispers, "your touch stirs our spirits-- we thank you for the lament of winter's embrace."

slivers of sunlight seep through silk fabric, echoing the arcane threads woven with nimble fingers. runes, intricately etched in silver glowed softly with spectral radiance, pulsing in time with the rhythms of the forest. in a delicate veil of frost, the air shimmered-- crystalline shards reflecting dappled sunlight filtered through the canopies above.

palms smooth and unblemished laid flat against rough bark, mist rising from beneath. a ghostly serpent of magic spiraled in sinuous coils along the sunlight's ephemeral embrace. with each passing moment the air grew colder, the crisp scent of pine entwining with the subtle fragrance of winter's approach. the marks of countless seasons, bark weathered and scarred yet resilient all the same. the leaves sung a melody only the forest could understand, a gentle chorus intertwined in mariselle's quiet incantations.

voice soft yet resonant wove through the morning mist, a delicate thread through a labyrinth of dreams. with each syllable that parted her lips, the forest held it's breath, as if listening to the echoes of forgotten tales. the essence of autumn's farewell and winter's promise, the harmony and distant calls for creatures unseen. a language older than memory yet understood by every leaf that adorned the ancient bough. like an ancient tome it absorbed her invocation with a reverence of born time-- leaves rustling in approval, the air heavy with explanations of magic.

suddenly, she pauses.

a distant sound echoed through the woods-- the haunting melody carried on in the wind. once closed eyes flutter open, narrowed to slits to the interruption at hand. she stills, hand retreating to hover at her sides.

the glade itself was a haven of wonders; carpet of emerald moss cradling the silver ferns adorning the forest floor. delicate wildflowers bloomed in hues of frost-kissed blue and whites, dewdrops catching light of tiny stars. the cold aura unfurls like tendrils of frost, cascading outward in a search for what disturbs the silence. she senses him, the whisper of his footsteps like a knife through the grass. mariselle does not move, does not speak first-- but rather waits.

someone is here, someone is watching.

code by valen t.

 

[Yakov011001]

She was definitely still here, Luce didn't have to push too hard into the Stonewood's maw to see that. There was a frosting of various points in the forest, something that couldn't possibly be natural: it was still High-Sun and would be for at least another two moons. When was the last time I met an Intaker? What a pain in this ass this is turning out to be. Luce crossed his arms at the thought, what tools had he brought for Intakers? Anti-Theft Powder, Force-Stream Grenades, and not very much else. He had some raw materials, but he didn't think this Sentinel would allow him the time to whip out his workbench mid battle.

Luce sighed, turning back in the direction of the frost. He checked them for any irregularities, occasionally finding a spline of ice pulling up from the thin sheet that betrayed its master. Jackpot. I just hope she isn't in a hurry. The Intaker's biggest weakness is a weakness of direction: as the name implies, because they are taking magic in their casting they can't make their magic point in any direction except towards them. If he followed these irregularities, he would find his target soon as long as he kept his pace up. Taking some taps out of his back belt pouch, he spent a short bit struggling to get them into one of the Stonewood trees.

Fuck, not called Stonewood for nothing. A natural mutation they developed some years ago to combat the combination of deforestation from the nearby City of Erudition, and its natural ecosystem breeding a lot of collateral damage. For a Skulker like him? This shit was hard to deal with. Still, he managed to tap enough footholds in for him to get up into one of the trees, where he used the Stonewood's naturally higher branch density to move unseen from on high. Best he's not spotted, by his target or by any of the endemic wildlife. There are some heavy hitters out here on both sides.

After a short bit of progression though, Luce had to slow down. He could hear it, singing. A veritable siren's song, how nice. She was serenading him and covering for any noise he made, not to mention advertising her exact location. Luce had picked up his pace at that until he slipped on some of the moss up there with him. While he did catch himself and didn't fall, the shield on his back contacted the harness with a very distinct clang. Fuckin—ughh. Luce berated himself internally when the singing stopped at the noise. I was listening to that! Well, time to get to work I guess.

Unhooking a Force-Stream Grenade, he pulled the pin but held the striking lever in place. This was a stalling tool, once it went off then the Sentinel in question wouldn't be able to create ice until they absorbed all the energy from the grenade first. Even five seconds would be enough for him to push his advantage. Slay or capture, he wasn't sure he could risk capture, Intakers were much more powerful than other hits he's done. Finally reaching an overhang where he could confirm a sightline on the sentinel, Luce hesitated for a fraction of a second. Goddamn! Not the rickety old hag I was expecting. Maybe she doesn't need to die?

He made it as swift and gapless as he could, Luce jumped out long so he soared over her. He dropped the grenade early so that it would land opposite to his landing, her in-between. Upon hitting the ground, he actuated the harness to drop his blade and shield down into his left and right hands respectively.

"My name is Luce Laurent Flynn, and by the authority of the Southeast Phortt Caster Commission I hereby place you under arrest."

 

[.miku]

LOCATION:



INTERACTIONS:

mariselle

artist: honkai star rail

she hears it, a 'clang.'

senses honing in on the approaching figure, a chilling resolve settled within her like the first frost of winter. painting the world in crystalline hues, glaze crept from her fingertips, winding its way down her robes like ropes of frozen ivy. an icy mist swirled at her feet, whispering secrets of the ancient glade. air thickening with anticipation, each breath she took released wisps of cold, carrying the essence of magic used only moments ago before his arrival. inhale, exhale; a lack of fear evident in the slow rise and fall of chest.

the grenade’s metallic clink was almost lost in the symphony of the forest, but mariselle was attuned to every nuance– every note in nature’s grand opus. she felt its presence before it landed, a disruption in the harmony; an unexpected discord in the natural order. in one fluid motion, dark violet hues, sharp and unyielding as shards of ice, locked onto the object as it descended.

how peculiar, she hasn’t seen one of these in ages.

a firefly in the face of the night sky– the force-stream grenade, a futile attempt to extinguish her power, was almost laughable in its intent. a desperate flare to quell her strength, the grenade exploded with nothing more than a whimper; fleeting burst grazing like a whisper of wind– the mere annoyance of a mosquito bite that she couldn't quite itch. a flicker of amusement rather than irritation, tinted lips lifted upwards into a coy smile. allowing the belief that for a moment he had disrupted her serene defiance, mariselle indulged in his illusion of potency.

luce laurent flynn.

name carried on in the wind, a whisper of a threat mingled with the scent of pine and frost— a haunting melody of the winter breeze. as luce descended, his blade and shield ready, mariselle’s lips peeked down back into it's stoic frown. a gaze of pins; divesting of barriers, of mask-- the analytical stare of assumptions of whom he really was. they were unkind, her eyes. horribly, horribly unkind.

“the phortt caster commission, hm?” she began, tone serene yet heavy– each word a verse in the ballad of nature's enduring strength. a rasp in her syllables, an echo of a long-forgotten tune resonated through the forest. a light step forward, the slow unraveling of her guard and the forest held its breath. gaze unflinching, it did not waver– it did not break. the air grew colder still, the frost expanding like a symphony crescendo, a testament to her boundless power echoing through her bones. casting shadows like ancient runes upon the forest floor, the laced veil pinned to cascading lavender locks swayed in the breeze.

“and how will you arrest me if i am here,” she continued, her voice intertwining with the rustling leaves and whispering wind, weaving tales as old as time itself. “and you are there?”

with a subtle gesture, the frost at her feet surged forward, weaving ornate patterns along the ground– identical to the runes that etched upon tops of porcelain hands. serpents of ice with minds of their own, the magic coiled around luce’s feet, anchoring him in place. in mockery it stood, the ancient tree behind her seeming to hum with approval, its branches swaying in silent applause. she hummed, gears churning in the depths of her mind.

“i'm curious, what did they advertise me to be? what stories did they tell you, what nickname do i adorn now?” mariselle intoned, her voice a haunting melody in the cold, “or are you a fool, blindly accepting this mission without considers of death?”

code by valen t.