Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Celeste's follow up to her introduction only seemed to confuse the mute girl even more, but when she stuck out her hand the girl managed to gather wits enough to glance down and then claim it. Her hand shake was fairly weak, but before the dumbstruck young girl could answer Celeste, or she could make any comment about the receptionist's apparent lack of confidence, the man broke in and interrupted. He gazed at her with a quirked eyebrow following her incredulous response to his question, and confirmed it by saying; "We were given no forewarning of your presence."

He simply stared at Celeste as she shifted about, trying to make her dress a little bit less revealing, and that distraction caused her to miss the contents of a whispered conversation among the group assembled at the door. The man speaking to her, however, didn't miss the exchange, and turned briefly to glare at the two while she explained what had happened. Turning back to her, he frowned and listened attentively as Celeste got down to business, to which he replied; "We only just got here. We've been settling in since, after the guard offered us the use of this building as an embassy. The demons seem to know a great deal about our political policies, which is... Concerning, but it makes things easier on us I suppose. We handled everything through a clerk, and no one's seen the Queen in person yet. We've been having some... Financial troubles, due to an incident along the way, but now that you're here that should be cleared up in no time!"

He squinted at her for a moment, "You wouldn't happen to have a letter from the Dean, or some way of notifying us that you aren't a demon in disguise or somesuch, would you? We have to be sure of your position, you understand..."

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Despite her normally carefree nature, Celeste listened to the man seriously, determined to take her position as ambassador seriously. It was interesting to learn that the demons already understood some of the Academy's procedures. 'That must mean they are just as eager to form a relationship as we are!' she thought happily. The fact that no one had yet to see the Queen made her even happier, gleefully anticipating the moment when she would be the first person from the Academy to meet her. She finally spoke, though, when the man mentioned their financial troubles. "Oh don't worry, the Dean gave me some money before I left, and I earned some earlier today!" she said, happily pulling out her purse and jingling it. "And my new friend Kiva even offered me a job if we need more!" With everything falling into place so nicely, Celeste was becoming giddy at her luck.

Of course, luck tends to run out just when things are looking best. Celeste was naturally forgetful, clumsy, and prone to losing things. As such, she had no idea if the Dean had ever given her something to prove her identity to the research team. "Uh, a letter?" she asked, suddenly nervous. "Does the Academy usually use such things?" she thought, beginning to think quickly of some way to convince the man of who she is, "Letters are pretty antiquated nowadays, right?." After pausing to think for a moment, she continued, beginning to fidget. "We're all mages right? So I can just show you some magic and you'll know I from the Academy." She grinned nervously, hoping that the man would accept that, but fearing he wouldn't. "And, after all, you know who I am, right?" she asked, hoping her reputation from the school would convince them. "I'm Celeste Seheraszad. Everyone knows me! You should be able to tell who I am just from looking at me."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

(She'd have been given some sort of identification to clarify her position by the Dean if she was actually sent by the Academy.)

"Yes, well... We have a number of expenses, and I'm not sure how long that much will last," he said, frowning. At her evasion of the request for identification, his brow furrowed and he sternly said; "Demons are quite capable of learning magic, any student of the Academy should know that! That I know of you makes little difference, given that I do not know you personally. I wouldn't be able to tell if you were simply a demon that had captured the real Celeste Seheraszad, taken a few memories from her, and then come in here to spy on us! A letter with the Academy's seal on it cannot be opened unless delivered into the appropriate hands - most likely mine as I was the head of this expedition - and will wipe itself clean if given by any but the one to whom they were initially handed." While she hadn't ever been told as much, Celeste had been handed a letter when she had left the Academy under orders, one by a person that was very careful to hand it to her via a gloved hand.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

(Ah, I wasn't sure since it was never mentioned before. I thought you might be setting her up for some trouble.)

"Ah, right, your right," she responded to the man's rejections of her proposals. It wasn't until after he began to describe the letter's magical functionality that she remembered just such an item being given to her just after her meeting with the Dean. "Oh, right, the letter, I remember that letter now!" she said, suddenly smiling and clapping her hands together. Without hesitation she immediately began rummaging through her packs, pouches, purse, and belt. Each time she moved to check a new spot, her dress threatened to fall off her, but surprisingly it remained in place. After a few moments of her desperate searching, her hands closed around the paper in question.

Celeste's journey had been long, and she was never really one to take good care of the things she deemed unimportant. Things like letters. As such, this particular letter happened to have suffered just about every kind of ill fate that could befall a piece of paper short of being set on fire, and there were even a few scorch marks that made one wonder about that as well. With a triumphant smile, the young mage held the wrinkled, folded, stained, and worn letter to the man, eminently pleased with herself. "I believe you will find everything is in order, Mr..." she paused for a moment, biting her lip, then continued, "Uh, sorry, I'm afraid I didn't catch your name..."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

The other mage furrowed his brow at the sorry state of the letter that Celeste drew out, and for a moment it seemed as if he would refuse to take it entirely, but after a moment of hesitation he reached out and took it from her. Handling the battered paper carefully, the man eyed it for a second before glancing up at Celeste following her question about his name. "Gravus.... Sir Gravus if you're one to care for titles," he responded sternly, and then returned his attention to the letter. After a moment he opened the envelope and retrieved a piece of paper that was in marginally better shape than the envelope, doing so in silence while frowning. After a moment he raised the letter and uttered a quick incantation, moving his hand over the paper, and then frowned harder.

He lowered the paper and sighed, before clearing his throat and saying; "Well, mage Seheraszad.... It seems as if you are our new primary representative to the peoples and leadership of Acheron."

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

"Gravus!" she said happily at hearing the man's name, completely ignoring his title. Despite the smile on her face, Celeste nervously shifted her weight back and forth as the man inspected the letter like one would inspect a dead mouse. When Gravus had finally announced his acceptance of her position, Celeste beamed, clapping her hands while cheering, "Wonderful! Wonderful!"

"Well, now that that's out of the way, let's all get acquainted and figure out what our plans are," Celeste said, a mixture of seriousness and cheerfulness in her voice as she looked at the assembled mages. "I'm sure each and every one of you has something to contribute to our task here and I want all of us to do our best," she continued. "So we should all get to know each other, as intimately as possible, so we can be a well oiled unit!" The big grin on her face was evidence that she didn't understand how she had messed up the common saying, nor the innuendo she had unwittingly made.

"First things first, I want to know everything that's happened since you all arrived," she said, crossing her arms and shifting her posture to imitate the way various teachers had taken when they were expecting her to explain whatever strange predicament she had landed in at the time. "Acheron is a strange new place and if we are to make friends here, we have to know everything about the residents and how we interact with them, in crystal clear detail, so that we can decide on how best to proceed." With that, she nodded her head and smiled, believing herself to have sounded like quite the knowledgeable authority figure. "So... Proceed!"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Gravus pursed his lips at Celeste and listened patiently as she went over what she wanted to do as leader, but before the man could offer any response something was seemingly decided over in the group by the door. Just a moment after she said the word "progress," a gust of wind suddenly tore through the room in which she stood. Her dress never even stood a chance. The shortened skirt flew up immediately, giving the assembled magi a flawless glimpse of Celeste's womanhood, and the sudden shifting caused her breasts to pop out of her top immediately. Indeed, it took a quick reaction on her part to keep the entire thing from falling off of her completely.

The reactions, at least, were something that she was probably quite used to. Most of them, including Gravus, simply gaped at her. Some giggled, and a glance in the hallway crowd would reveal money changing hands, but most remained silent otherwise. The man to whom she had been speaking was the first to recover, and though his face was still bright red he still put on a fearsome scowl and rounded on the observers, "Out" he roared, and the crowd immediately dispersed into the build. Rounding back to her, he said; "Come to my office, please. I'll explain everything there."

He didn't wait for her, instead striding into the doorway that had only just been vacated, moving down a fairly straight portion of the room along the right wall, and opened a door on the opposite side of the room. He held it open for Celeste, waiting for her. If she opted to follow, Celeste would attract a number of regardless of her state of undress, as about half of those that had been witness to her nudity were present in the room beyond. Some smiled, some frowned, and some tried to pretend that they weren't staring at her.

Gravus stepped into his office after her and closed the door loudly, grumbling something that Celeste didn't quite hear. "Take a seat," he grunted as he turned toward her, gesturing towards a chair that sat in front of the desk. He took the one behind it and leaned back, heaving a deep sigh and closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm... Sorry about that. We didn't exactly get the pick of the litter for this mission, and... Well, I guess a few of them have let Acheron get to their heads" he said after a moment, opening his eyes and looking over at her.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Thoroughly pleased with her speech, Celeste merely smiled at the assembled crowd, hands on her hips and feet planted wide in what she assumed was an authoritative stance. She barely even noticed the sudden burst of wind at first, taking the wide eyed stares and grins as proof that she had impressed them with her assertive attitude. It was only when the hem of her skirt flapped suddenly in her face that she realized something was wrong, and as she looked down her expression changed from one of extreme self-satisfaction to desperate embarrassment. Her breasts joyously bounced free of their almost nonexistent covering. In her sudden haste to cover herself, Celeste brought her hands away from her hips, though with the wind still blowing, that nearly caused her dress to fly off through the house. Luckily she managed to grab the flimsy cloth and hug it to her body just in time, using it like a small towel to hide as much of her nudity as she could.

Staring first at herself, then at the yelling Gravus, then finally turning to look at the mischief makers fleeing behind her, Celeste's shocked expression remained firmly in place. Her body twisted inwards as she tried to use the tiny dress to cover herself, the cloth barely long enough to conceal her nipples and her crotch due to her abashed clutching. Turning back to watch Gravus stalk over to the office, she awkwardly shuffled towards him. As she passed the still amused onlookers, she smiled nervously, and quietly said, "Th-thank you for your time. You can return to your duties now." Immediately after speaking, she hurriedly ran through the door, the cloth still clutched in front of her.

Once inside Gravus' room, Celeste let out a slight sigh, that changed to a yelp as the door slammed shut. At first, the young mage merely stared at the rather agitated man, but when he asked her to sit, she stumbled over to the offered chair. Just before sitting down though, she remembered her current state, and quickly wormed back into the dress, unwittingly giving Gravus another show of her body as she struggled to get the skimpy clothing situated correctly. Once finished, she gave another awkward smile and sat down.

"Oh, it's alright, I'm used to that kind of thing, really," Celeste replied, waving away the man's apologies. "Similar pranks happened a lot back at the Academy, as well, so it doesn't bother me much." She declined to mention that just before her journey to Acheron, the pranks had actually been getting much more daring and lewd than a simple wind spell. A quick blush lit up her face as Gravus looked at her questioningly, and she hastily cleared her throat and decided to change the subject. "So some of the research members here have explored the city already?" she asked, referring to his comment about 'Acheron getting to their heads.' "I've been told that repeated exposure to demonkind can produce unexpected physical, mental, and spiritual changes in humans," she continued, again not mentioning what has already happened to herself. "We should carefully monitor who goes where and what they do in the city, so we can properly understand and chart these changes."

With the situation calming down, so did Celeste. Having completely forgotten her recent embarrassment already, her smile beamed as she looked at Gravus. "So I take it you're in charge of this rambunctious bunch?" she asked, "Who are the trouble makers? I might have to watch out for them!" Though her statement was true, Celeste said it so innocently that she might as well have been talking about children stealing cookies from a jar.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

"Mmmm," Gravus made a thoughtful noise as he pursed his lips, "That doesn't make it excusable, and I'm truly sorry that you were subjected to such indecent behavior. I know how... Difficult... This city can be to get used to." He fell silent, allowing her to change the subject without complaint, and he nodded as she asked if some had explored the city yet. "Yes, some have been out already. We needed supplies, and... Well, they found a few things. Unfortunately, one of those things was a brothel, and obviously none of them are willing to tell me anything about it. Maybe you'll have better luck with it."

While Celeste smiled and beamed, Gravus initially frowned but then seemed to let himself relax around her, reducing his frown to a neutral expression. "All of them are either trouble makers or incompetent, but the worst of the lot are Daniel and Shiva. Daniel's a noble's son, and so he thinks the sun rises and sets on him. No one's admitted it, but I'm sure that he was the one that led the way to the brothel, and I know he was the one that cast the spell to, uhhh..... Muss your dress. Shiva's just nosy, and I'm honestly surprised that she was sent here at all. It doesn't help that she's a psychic, or that she tried to read the mind of a demon lord on the way in here and nearly got us all thrown in prison. I can't even imagine what prison would be like for a demon city!"

He shook his head sadly before going on; "Going back to an earlier question, yes I am technically the leader here... Or at least I was, until I read that letter. As the Academy's official representative to Acheron and its queen, that technically gives you authority over me and all the rest, along with all accompanying responsibilities. On that note, however, I'd like to request that I keep taking care of the regular day to day stuff, while you concentrate on the actual diplomacy aspects. I'm happy to keep doing the paperwork and such, and it'll free you from having to do all of the busy work that comes with the job. I've... Just sort of gotten used to doing it all by now."

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

As Gravus began his explanations, Celeste sat up straighter in her chair, her eyes staring forward at him and her hands resting on her knees. It was the same posture she had taken in classes back at the Academy when she was dutifully listening to a lecture. She couldn't help it, as even if Gravus was officially recognizing her as the authority in this endeavor, her seat before his desk and his commanding presence put her back into the mindset of a student listening to a teacher. Yet despite her natural response of deference to an authority figure, Celeste still seriously considered the issues he brought forward, and began to think of how she would approach them.

"Oh, if you would be so kind as to continue the day to day operations, I would appreciate it greatly," Celeste, offering the man another smile. "As for the brothel," she said, her eyes momentarily dropping away and a blush lighting her face in embarrassment, "I think it stands to reason that a city inhabited by demons would have easy access to... vices." She cleared her throat, then looked back up at him with a sly grin and continued, "I think it might be better to let some of the researchers indulge themselves, rather than become distracted by all the city has to offer." After a moment, she became more serious, "I would, however, like everyone here to begin keeping records of their activities in the city, even the activities in the brothel, as well as anything that happens to them. We need to collect as much data as possible for our report to the Academy!" She finished her order with some gusto, bouncing happily in her chair at the thought of submitting a serious and official report to the Dean.

"As for the trouble makers, I'll certainly have a word with each of them," Celeste continued, slipping back into her serious tone. "I'll be sure to impress upon them the importance of our duties and how essential everyone's cooperation and earnest effort is." Despite Gravus' words, it was obvious Celeste saw his concerns about the two as simply morale and discipline issues. She seemed about to say something, then stopped and brought a finger up to her lip. After a moment, she asked, "I seem to remember you saying something of financial problems, yes? That's something we should rectify quickly. May I ask for a bit of elaboration?" Once again she listened intently to whatever Gravus may say, sure she could solve any issues the research team may have.

"I think for now, though, I'd like to see just how everyone has been handling life in Acheron," Celeste said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "If you would be so kind, I'd quite like a tour of the team's headquarters. And while we're at it, you can point out Daniel and Shiva, and anyone else you think I should keep an eye on." She paused for a moment and looked down at herself, realizing again how every movement changed how well her skimpy dress covered her body. "And perhaps if the Academy supplied some extra uniforms, I'd like to change into something... less easy to muss up."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Gravus cracked a smile and nodded in thanks as Celeste allowed him to retain some of his responsibilities, relief showing clearly on his face. "Thank you ma'am, I will serve to the best of my abilities!" On the matter of allowing the others to enjoy themselves, at least to a degree, Gravus frowned disapprovingly but still nodded, "As you wish ma'am, though it may take some time to impress upon some of them the seriousness of keeping their logs." Though the man had been nothing but professional so far, his eyes dropped to her chest as the busty mage bounced, her breasts very nearly spilling out of her top with the motion.

"Yes, uh.... I'll... Do that," he said, his eyes slightly wider than normal for a moment before he seemed to recover. The other mage wiped his forehead as she returned to her serious tone, nodding. "I'll introduce them to you.... Later. As for our financial problems... Well, the stipend sent with us was enough to secure property, but we still have to pay the rent and the taxes on it, and property this close to the city's center is.... Apparently quite valuable. We have to pay forty denarii per week just to stay here, and that's before food and other supplies. We were almost out of funds before you arrived, and I have no idea what we're going to do in the long run. As near as I can tell, the only ways to make money in this city involve murder or sex! Never have I been to so wretched a hive of scum and villainy!"

His last words were declared loudly, and then he settled back with a sheepish expression, and then the subject turned to her request and Celeste rose to her feet. "Yes, we can do that now... " he stood up and added, "...after we get you a new set of robes, yes. Come on." He walked around his desk and out of the office, expecting her to follow. They turned right and went into a back room, passing the same people as before as they proceeded through the building's main roomm, which Celeste noted was filled with desks. The back room that Gravus led her into had a number of boxes in it, most old but some new and with the Academy's seal imprinted on the front. It was into one of the new ones that Gravus reached, pulling out one of the standard outfits for women at the Academy and handing it to her. "We brought plenty of extra robes, so if you ever need any just come in and grab some. Laundry day is on Wednesday, and Katherine's a decent seamstress, so you can give her your old robes if you want them fixed up or you damage your new ones."

And then, Gravus pointed over to a section of stacked crates though would offer some privacy and said, "You can change over there, and then we can get started on the tour!" Once Celeste was dressed, he would lead her back out into the main room and loudly say; "Alright everyone, listen up! The woman that you just so grievously disrespected is now the leader of the expedition, by order of the Dean himself!" He waved the letter at them, and a couple of people paled slightly, "She's agreed to let me handle the day to day stuff, but from now on she's in charge! That means that what she says, goes! Now, everybody introduce yourselves, and then she can say a few words."

There were eight people in the room, and the first to step up was a young looking girl with pale skin, the same that had been at the desk when Celeste had walked in, who bowed respectfully and introduced herself nervously; "Mm... My name is Katherine... Englerson, but people c-call me Katy! I... I manage the desk... Mostly... And, uhm... Take care of the supplies!" The next up was a young man, who had unabashedly stared at Katy's rear while she bowed, stepped up and held out his hand, wearing a cocky grin as he said; "Daniel Strevigiel, enchanter! At your service! Apologies for the earlier prank, but might I compliment you on your absolutely fantastic breasts!" Strangely, as the man stepped closer Celeste thought that she detected an odd scent in the air, and as he reached out his hand a mix of arousal and attraction to the man suddenly flushed into her system. He hadn't been particularly spectacular in terms of looks before, fairly handsome but nothing that Celeste hadn't seen better of before, but every second that she spent in proximity to him just seemed to make him more and more attractive. She wasn't alone in this affect, apparently, as Katy and one of the other women were now staring with wide eyes at Daniel's back. Gravus didn't seem to take much amusement in the young wizard's antics, however, as he quickly barked; "Daniel! That is not appropriate language when addressing your superiors!"

When the situation with Daniel was resolved one way or another, the next to introduce himself was the man that had exchanged money with Daniel, a fairly short, plain looking boy with blonde hair. "Robert the Stalwart, also known as Robert Innesmoth, professional slacker and part time page, at your service!" he said, bowing low to her, and though Gravus scowled at him too there was no outburst. Next came a mousy young girl with fiery red hair and large spectacles who's figure nearly rivaled Celeste's in terms of curvature. She introduced herself quickly, offering Celeste a curtsy; "Annita Blackmold, pyromancer and alchemist. At your pleasure milady!" Next came a taller, older looking man with a serious expression, his dark hair receding while an equally dark beard grew out from his chin, who offered Celeste a low bow with more gravity than Robert had as he said; "Delvin, Delvin Mackeroy, at your service. I'm an earthwielder, metallurgist, and stone mason by trade."

After him was the other girl who had eyed Daniel while he introduced himself, raven hair and exotic features including tattoos around her eyes marking her as a student from the Amazon, who offered Celeste a half-hearted curtsy and deadpanned; "Shiva Shinkliesto, mind reader, diviner, and better-slacker-than-Robert. I would remark that I couldn't help but agree with Daniel about your tits, but then Annita might think I was trying to make a move on you and get jealous." Her words caused Annita to blush brightly and drew a laugh from Robert and Daniel, though Gravus looked positively furious, "Gods dammit Shiva, can't you take anything seriously?" The girl just smirked and rolled her eyes, and then the next person stepped up, also scowling at Shiva as he stuck out his hand. He was young, tall, and had a finely sculpted face and proud demeanor as he said; "Don't mind them miss... My name is Andrew, Andrew Cooper, and I'm in charge of keeping this place tidy and intact." Finally came another woman, this one with blue hair and tiny horns curling up from her head, almost as if she were a demon herself, who introduced herself politely; "Serena Blake, druid. Yes, those are real." With all eight of them introduced, it was Celeste's turn to address them, if she desired to do so.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Once again, Celeste was oblivious to the effect her bouncing and near disrobing had on the man in front of her. She brought a hand up to her chin as Gravus explained their financial issues. Celeste laughed at his appraisal of the city, then grew thoughtful. "I saw shops and stalls on my way into the city, offering plenty of things besides murder and sex," she said, then sheepishly added, "Well, sex was still part of most of them." She gave a slight laugh, then offered, "Maybe we could have one of our own? I'm sure every city has need of magical services." She considered the idea for a moment, then shrugged and decided it could wait for later. Right now she wanted to meet the others.

First, however, Celeste needed some clothing that wouldn't fall off with a slight breeze. She followed Gravus through the house to the back room, waving again as she passed the assembled mages. 'It's so cute how they all follow me around,' she thought, stifling a giggle at the idea. Celeste nodded in thanks as Gravus handed her a robe once they reached the back room, and quickly stepped back to the stack of boxes meant to provide privacy. She slipped the skimpy dress off, making sure to fold it properly, or at least as properly as possible considering the style, and then placed it on one of the boxes beside her. She took a moment to look over the Academy's robe, remembering with a sigh just why she hadn't brought any with her. The robe was very old fashioned: bland and heavy. Still, until she could find a clothing shop, it would be better than giving off free peek shows to everyone around. Holding the robe up above her she let it fall down over her, then squirmed to get it into position about her. 'At least the neckline is buttoned,' she thought as she undid the top several buttons, allowing a bit of her cleavage to show through the heavy brown robe. Once done, she walked back out to Gravus and motioned that she was ready to meet the others.

Stepping out once again into the main room, Celeste smiled as Gravus introduced her officially as their new leader. When Katherine stepped forward and bowed, Celeste returned the gesture. "Nice to meet you, Katy, and it's good to know you aren't really mute!" she said with a laugh, before nodding her approval of the girl and turning her attention to the next mage to step forward. As the young man stepped forward, Celeste was struck by a rather peculiar scent, which had the most intoxicating effect on her. She couldn't help but blush as he smiled and introduced himself, reaching forward to take his hand instinctively. "Th-thank you," she responded to his compliment, her stance shifting slightly as she pushed her chest forward a little in pride. All the while, she considered the odd scent, it was strange, but familiar, like something she had experienced before. Celeste jumped at Gravus' angry yell, and quickly waved to the man while saying, "I-it's alright, Gravus, it's just a compliment." She turned back to look at Daniel, slightly at a loss for words before letting out a slight laugh and saying, "Nice to meet you, Daniel. I look forward to w-working with you." As the man smiled and returned to his place among the crowd, Celeste sighed breathily before the heavy arousal seemed to suddenly leave her. 'What was that?' she thought, taking a moment to straighten her robe and her hair before the other mages approached her.

By the time the next young man approached her, Celeste was back to her usual bubbly self. She giggled a bit at Robert's introduction, again returning the bow, then responded, "Nice to meet you, Robert, and I'm sure we'll find some way to make use of your skills." Celeste nodded as the curvy red head gave her quick curtsy and greetings, then replied, "Nice to meet you, Annita. Can I call you Ann? You look like an Ann." She smiled at the mage, then turned to face the serious looking older man who approached her. Once again, she bowed, then looked up at him nervously and said, "Nice to meet you, Delvin. It's good to know I have an experienced mage like yourself around."

Next to approach Celeste was Shiva, and her rather direct greeting caught the young mage by surprise. Once Gravus had scolded her, Celeste quickly waved away his concern. With a laugh, she responded, "It's nice to meet you, Shiva. And don't worry, I don't mind those kinds of jokes." She turned again to take the hand of the next mage, and replied, "Nice to meet you, Andrew, and it seems you've got your work cut out for with this place!" She laughed, then looked to the next mage. While she had noticed the horns before, Celeste now openly looked them over as Serena called attention to them. "Oh, they are cute, aren't they? How long have you had them? Nice to meet you, Serena."

With the introductions finished, Celeste took a moment to look around again and marvel at the fact that she was now officially in charge of such a large and diverse team of gifted mages. Inwardly she squealed in delight at the idea, but on the surface she managed to only smile brightly. "Well, in case you didn't hear earlier, my name is Celeste Seheraszad, hydromancer and aspiring demonologist, and I'm going to be your new leader," she said, her smile beaming as she looked over the mages. "I have a feeling that many of you have never taken on a project of this magnitude before. Neither have I, actually, but I can already tell that each and every mage here has the ability and potential to do more than simply succeed. We have the chance to excel here, and really show the Academy just how amazing we all are!" If possible, her smile widened as she continued her speech. Her expression grew more serious, though she was still grinning as she continued. "It won't be easy though. Doing proper research requires discipline, hard work, and attention to detail. Gravus has already briefed me on some of the issues facing us. Vital, serious issues. These aren't just issues, though, but tests. Tests of how committed and serious we are to this project. And once we pass these tests, I'm sure everyone will see just how dedicated we are." Her smile returned as she spoke the last sentence, and she placed her hands on her hips. "It will take all of us working together, closely, to solve these issues, and doing that will make us more than just a group of mages from the Academy. We'll be a real team. And with all of us working together as a team, I know we can accomplish anything this city can throw at us! So who's ready to get this project started?!"

Celeste paused for a moment after her last, nearly shouted, question. She was sure that was an inspiring speech, and the mages would need a second to let it all sink in and wash over them. After a few moments and they had all settled down, she held her hands up and smiled at them. "First things, first," she said, smiling and looking over at Gravus. "The money the Academy bestowed upon the team has gone to renting this nice house, but I'm afraid it's not going to be enough to keep us going for long." She looked over the assembled mages, then continued, "Everyone here has a specialty, and I think those specialties are key to maintaining the Academy's presence in Acheron." She motioned over at Delvin and said, "Delvin here is skilled with earth and metals. I think someone like him would be of great value to a blacksmith." She then turned to point towards Annita and said, "All great cities need alchemists and the potions they make." Celeste then turned to Daniel, a slight blush on her face as she said, "Enchanting has always been a desirable and valuable ability, in any setting." Holding her hands out wide, she continued, "Everyone here has a skill, and I think it's important that we all come up with ways to figure out how we can use them to earn a living in this city. I want all of you to come up with some ideas of side jobs you can perform while also doing your duties on this project."

With the financial matter and ideas for it's resolution discussed, Celeste decided now might be a good time to break up the meeting, since everyone was likely getting tired of standing around. Especially after her rousing speech. "That's what we're going to focus on for now, but I think we have something a little more pressing to deal with." She bounced slightly as she paused to add a bit of drama to her statement. "It's getting to be late, and I think dinner is order. I think we should all celebrate our newfound team spirit with a hearty meal. What do you all think?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

After introductions were out of the way, each of them responding to her return with about the same level of respect with which they'd introduced themselves in the first place, the assembled mages fell back and listened to Celeste's speech. At first even some of the respectful ones seemed fairly unimpressed, though Katherine, Andrew, and Delvin all made an admirable effort to be respectful to her. As she moved on from her titles and got down to business, however, the group became increasingly attentive, even engrossed in what she was saying. Many of them, Gravus in particular, seemed openly impressed, and Daniel, Robert and Shiva were all surprised at how capable the woman that they'd thought they teased and humiliated turned out to be.

As such, when Celeste took to handing out tasks, those receiving them responded immediately, Daniel giving a stunned but respectful nod while the other two smiled eagerly. Katy looked positively excited at the prospects of their future now, the mousy girl beaming and almost jumping from foot to foot with energy. When she suggested that they share a hearty meal, the entire collective smiled as one, obviously quite liking the idea, and then they broke to their various tasks. Katy then came up to her immediately and started talking extremely quickly; "We've got enough supplies left over for a few days, but if we can assemble a small budget I can go out and get some things that will make for a real meal! On the way, I can go and look for jobs for Delvin and Annita, and maybe see if there's anyone looking for enchanting commissions. With your leave, I'd like to take Andrew and Robert with me... To help carry things and for security."

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Celeste was thrilled at how well the mages received her speech, even as confident in it as she was. She almost squealed in delight as they all enthusiastically went about their tasks. When Katy stepped up to excitedly discuss supplies and money, Celeste became almost as excited as the formerly mute girl. She stated bouncing up and down on her heels as the girl explained her ideas, though thankfully, she wasn't in danger of falling out of her clothes anymore. "Katy that sounds wonderful!" she said happily. Wasting no time, pulled out her purse and shook it, jingling the coins she had been carrying around all day. "How much do you need Katy? I want this to be great!" Unless Katy asked for more than Celeste had, the young mage would happily hand the coins over. If she didn't have enough, she might have to ask Gravus.

For a moment, Celeste thought about joining Katy on her trip to the market, as she would have to look for a job for herself, and she still wanted a new dress. The thought of a new dress had Celeste subconsciously running her hand over her robe, smoothing it out in the hope that it might show off her body just a bit through the heavy cloth. After a moment, though, Celeste decided against joining Katy, as she had been wandering through the city all day, and really wanted to have a chance to meet the other mages and learn a little more about them besides their names. Smiling, she put a hand on the girl's shoulder and said, "I'm counting on you, Katy! I know you'll find everything we need!" Turning towards the interior of the house she called Andrew and Robert, explaining the task to them. "Take care out there, Acheron's residents can be tricky," she said with a blush.

Once the others had left, Celeste moved into the house, looking for one of her new assistants. She would have to learn more about them if she were going to successfully run this project. There probably wouldn't be much time to talk before dinner, but even if she only got to know one better, that would be great. She had told Gravus she would have a talk with Daniel or Shiva, so she would look for them first, though if she came across someone else, that would be just as well.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

"Twenty should be enough, but I could make something amazing with thirty denarii!" Katy replied excitedly, not noticing as Celeste smoothed over her robe, emphasizing her impressive assets via the motion. "I'll do my very best!" she declared confidently, and shortly thereafter she left with Andrew and Robert, who had been quite willing to acquiesce to her orders to escort Katherine through the city while she ran her errands. Gravus, in the meantime, excuse himself to go take care of some paperwork, but told her that he'd be in the kitchens when the actual cooking started to help. That left Celeste with a bit of free time on her hands, and the mage went about searching out her two problem subordinates.

It was Daniel that she found first, passing a somewhat dreamy-eyed Selena as she left the storage room in which she'd changed. The young nobleman was busy in the back, sorting through things, but glanced toward her and stopped what he was doing as Celeste walked up. "Hello," he said, grinning broadly as his eyes swept a little below her face for a second, "Can I help you with something... Miss Seheraszad?" A sweet scent caught her attention as she drew near, instinctively making her want to be closer to the young man, and every step closer and breath inhaled in his presence caused a slight ache in her loins to build, lust flooding her system slowly but surely as she breathed in his pheromones.

The enclosed space only made the effects more intense, and now she could see him returning her building attraction as well, as a bit more color crept into his cheeks and he moved to come closer to her, the end result being that they met in an alcove containing an old desk that left them hidden from anyone looking in from the doorway. "I hope you're not upset about my little joke earlier... You have a fantastic body, and I-Robert was curious as to what you might be wearing under your dress," he said, still smiling but allowing it to become slightly bashful and apologetic for a moment as he spoke.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Eagerly handing the thirty denarii over to Katy, Celeste bounced up and down lightly at the idea of the feast that was to come. She gave Andrew and Robert a pat on the back for the help, then waved as the trio left. With a wink, Celeste thanked Gravus for his offer to help, then set about her task of getting to know her new subordinates.

As she passed the horned druid Selena, Celeste raised a hand to greet her, but fell silent at the distracted look on her face. Shrugging, she made her way into the storage room, stopping short at the sight of Daniel and smiling without even know why. "H-hi, Daniel," she said, giggling as the familiar scent passed over her again, once again making her feel oddly light headed. The sweet scent was almost magnetic, and she began to approach Daniel even without meaning to. She blushed as the young man's eyes darted over her body, and arched her back forward slightly in an effort to show herself off despite the heavy brown robe. "I actually... just... wanted to talk," Celeste replied haltingly, suddenly having trouble remembering just what she was doing in the tight enclosed space with the handsome young man.

As the two drew closer together, Celeste began to feel warmth spreading all over her body, the heavy robes suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable. Unconsciously, Celeste began to smooth out her robes again as she looked at Daniel, not realizing that the pair had moved into an almost hidden recess in the out of the way room. She blushed as Daniel apologized again, her stance shifting as she tried to show off the body he kept complimenting. His cocky grin curved into the cutest shy smile she had ever seen, and the naive young mage found it impossible to harbor any resentment to him. "It's fine, it really is D-Daniel," she said, reaching forward slightly to touch his arm in a comforting manner, though she quickly withdrew her hand as soon as it made contact. Unable to look at him, Celeste turned her head down before continuing quietly, "I don't mind if you want to look at me." She paused and then added, "It was kind of cute that you'd go to those lengths to see me... naked."

Suddenly, Celeste laughed uncomfortably and tried to take a step back, inadvertently bumping against a stack of boxes. With the sudden jolt, Celeste remembered just why she had come to see Daniel. "Actually, Daniel, I wanted to talk to you about Gravus," she said, her blush and smile remaining, though her tone became slightly more serious. "He seems to think that you don't take your duties seriously enough," she said, adding a laugh afterwards. "I just wanted to talk to you, privately, about that." Licking her lips as she fought her sudden strange light headed urges, Celeste squirmed uncomfortably as she struggled to find the words she wanted to say. After a few seconds, she continued again, "It's very important that we all work together, to the best of our abilities, so we can succeed here." Feeling like she was just giving her earlier speech again, Celeste breathed in deeply to compose herself, unwittingly giving herself another helping of the sweet scent that was clouding her mind. With another laugh and a deepening blush, she looked up at Daniel and said, "So we need to find a way... to keep you focused." Unknowingly, Celeste moved towards Daniel, her body humming with arousal. "On... on your duties," she added, grinning with embarrassment.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Every change in Celeste's stance drew another admiring sweep of her clothed body from Daniel, who was increasingly looking at her as if the heavy robe that she wore wasn't there at all the longer they were in the tight, enclosed storage room together. When she looked away and made her remark about thinking it was cute about the lengths he'd gone to to see her naked, the boy gave a slightly nervous laugh and said; "Oh, ahah.... I'd probably go a bit further than that.... To see you naked, that is." His eyes were centered right on her chest, particularly as she puffed it out for his admiration, but he snapped out of his stupor as she laughed and backed into a stack of boxes. The half-step she managed in the enclosed space drew her no farther from the boy's increasingly potent pheromones, and he immediately stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip to help Celeste steady herself. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern edging into his voice.

At that range there was no keeping from inhaling it, and Celeste's body responded to the intoxicating scent even more rapidly than it had before as Daniel stood close enough that they were practically pressing against each other, the tips of her breasts even rubbing occasionally against his chest when she gave a particularly heavy breath. He listened to her words without moving, however, and as such when she finished and took a step closer they really were pressed together, her heavy breasts pancaked against his chest and their mouths only a few inches apart. They inhaled together, each breathing in the other's intoxicating scent at point blank range just as Celeste's shift caused her thigh to rub up against something stiff going down the leg of Daniel's right pant leg. "Uhhhhh...." he began blankly, arousal pounding through his body just as it was through Celeste's, but after a second he managed to recover some semblance of sense.

"Uhhh, yeah, don't worry... About that. Gravus is a bit too uptight, he doesn't like that some of us have a bit of fun.... And the truth is, we haven't really had much to do since we got here. I'll admit that he's a great administrator, but.... He's no leader. He doesn't get people very well... Not like you do," he said, but as he'd spoke his hands had been hard at work. Unless Celeste had opted to pull away, the hand on her hip had slowly circled around, rubbing slowly over her lower back, while the hand on her shoulder had slowly been shifting her heavy robe, revealing the blond's pale skin underneath, and a little more work combined with some on her other shoulder would easily allow the garment to start sliding down and off of her. Daniel licked his lips some time after his pause, blinking, and added; "Don't, uhhh... Worry about me! I'll be sure to, uhm, keep... Keep focused... I might, uhhh, need to do some poking... I mean! Need some poking... From time to time, so... Uhh, if you could help with that, it'd be... You know, this robe really doesn't suit you at all, does it?" He had started out stuttering, but now he was suddenly back to his old cocky self again even though the flush on his cheeks and his erection both remained fully in place. "You might be more comfortable if you.... Took it off!"

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Celeste's blush deepened when Daniel admitted his willingness to be even more bold to see her naked. She nodded quietly while shyly smiling at him when he asked if she were okay after her bump, then launched into her serious speech with vigor. As she spoke, she was acutely aware of how close the two were, and how her breasts would occasionally touch his chest. The sensation combined with the sweet scent was driving her crazy, and she was having a hard time concentrating, She couldn't help but step forward and press herself against him, sighing softly at his warmth. When she felt the stiffness against her leg, she gave a light squeak of surprise, but didn't pull away. In fact, she absentmindedly began to move her leg back and forth slightly, rubbing her hip against him.

Celeste smiled and giggled at Daniel's appraisal of Gravus, noting that it coincided with her own. "Yeah, Gravus could stand to relax a bit," she said, beginning to squirm as Daniel's hands began to rub her back and shift under the shoulder of her robe. As if imitating him, Celeste brought one hand to rest lightly on Daniel's shoulder, while the other drifted down to his thigh, rubbing up and down lightly on the outside of his leg, in contrast to her own thigh on the inside. She began to giggle as Daniel haltingly spoke about staying focused and wanting her help. She nodded, not even noticing his change of topic to her robe as she began to stand on her tip-toes, inching towards his face, her eyes slowly closing as she went to kiss him.

Just then Celeste felt her robe clear her shoulders and fall down past her arms. Due to their proximity, the robe was pressed between the two lust-struck mages, keeping Celeste's breasts covered, but threatening to reveal them should she step back from Daniel. Her eyes shot open, and she suddenly had a wave of embarrassment run through her, causing her to fall back on her heels and away from the impending kiss. Shocked by their actions, Celeste could only think to continue what she was saying before. "Ah, about keeping focused," she said, her voice shaking with confusion and arousal, "Gravus told me about the brothel." She laughed nervously, then added, "I told him it was okay for you and the others to visit it if you wanted. Everyone needs... release... sometimes" As she spoke, she unwittingly began breathing in the heady fumes once again, though she was now a bit more wary of their effect. "W-we need to know everything that happens to all of us in town,' she continued, licking her lips as the hand on Daniel's hip drifted back to slide lightly along the curve of his bottom. "Everything... even what happens in the brothel," she said, giggling in embarrassment. "Ah, about me helping you..." she started, then paused, sighing softly, "It's my duty to keep everyone focused... Is-is there something you... had in mind?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

Spoiler

Celeste Seheraszad: HP = 44, PP = 57, EP = 47, Status = Fine

Daniel gave a tiny gasp when Celeste began to rub her leg against his stiffened manhood, shivering only once due to surprise before getting a hold of himself. He'd had been leaning into the kiss as well, such that their lips almost touched before Celeste suddenly pulled away slightly, at which point Daniel momentarily froze. He laughed off the sudden jarring shift lightly, joining her in laughing at the brothel for the sake of convenience, though his laugh was slightly nervous still. "Oh, ahhhh.... Yes... That. You, uhhh, don't need to worry about that... Too much," he said, smiling sheepishly again though as he spoke his body still moved on its own. His hips shifted toward her, causing her to feel the base of his shaft rubbing against the mound as it stretched down his pant leg, straining the material and desperate for escape, while the hand on her waist gripped her gently and the other on her shoulder rubbed gently against her shoulder and down the curve of her breast.

That journey took his fingers a tiny bit farther down each time before starting to caress its way back up, slowly but steadily pushing the hem of her robe farther downwards in a manner that Celeste barely even had a chance of noticing with the flush of pheromone-induced arousal pounding through her. Her hand trailing down his ass caused him to tense just slightly, shifting his hips into her lightly and momentarily grinding a portion of his shaft against her petals through the thick barrier of her increasingly repressive robes. "Uhhh, well... I hadn't ever really been to a brothel before," he began awkwardly, "Not that it was my first time or anything! But, uhh.... Well, I paid, and taken to a room, and this woman was there... A demon. She took off my clothes - she was already naked - but I was damn near hyperventilating by then, I was so, uhhh.... Excited."

His shaft twitched against her, as if even the memory of it was enough to excite the young man further, "She just laughed though, and she... Well, she pushed me into a chair, and knelt down in front of me...." Celeste noticed an old wooden chair more or less right behind him, one that she could easily push him into if she wanted to, "And she... Well, to be frank, she took her mouth to me... It wasn't like anything I'd ever felt before..." He'd adopted a slightly dreamy look and started to gently push himself against her, the hem of her robe now dangerously close to the excited peek of her breasts. "Every time she touched me it felt like I was cumming, but she just teased me... It felt like hours she was at it, just kissing and nibbling and licking.... I thought I was going to die! But then she.... She... Uhhh," he paused and adopted a slightly embarrassed look, "She took me into her mouth, and I just... Exploded. Three or four times, actually... She was a mess by the time I was done, but I still remember those eyes, when she was smiling up at me....

"I always thought a man could only go once, but she proved me wrong... I'd only paid for one, but I guess she liked me... She told me she did, because then she took me to the bed and climbed on top of me, and... Well, after she was done with me I think I musta came close to twenty times altogether. I woke up a few hours later in a little cot, clothed and cleaned, and other than a splitting headache I was fine. The brothel even gave me a free meal before sending me on my way. Rob had it a bit worse off - he went with me yah see - but yeah." Another pause as he released a sigh, his motions ceasing just short of revealing her breast as Daniel largely went still against her, "That's the brothel story. Ever since then I've wanted to go back, but I haven't had the coin to spare and Gravus has worked us ragged trying to get this place in order. I've been having... Urges, really strong ones, and I haven't been able to concentrate since then..."

It was only then that he seemingly realized the options made available to him by Celeste's offer for "help" in maintaining his focus, as he blushed even more deeply than before and gave her a long look of naked lust. His grip slowly tightened on her shoulder and waist, and after a moment he simply leaned down and kissed her on the lips, only waiting moments before his tongue thrust out to flick against her bottom lip, seeking entrance into her mouth. Celeste could easily avoid the kiss or push him away afterwards if she wanted, though her body hungered for him so bad that it would take a colossal effort of will to not simply give in right then and there.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Wizards are Easy (xivvix)

A slight whimper escaped Celeste's lips as she felt Daniel's manhood pressing against her, her lust addled mind having a harder and harder time focusing on anything else. She made a short high pitched gasp every time his hand drifted down to her breast, her back arching every so slightly to allow him greater access. The same motion ground her lower lips against his shaft, and she shuddered slightly, almost ready to surrender herself to lust. She would have, had it not been a tiny, almost imperceptible feeling of doubt, an idea that this was not how she should be acting.

Celeste licked her lips, then gulped, trying to calm herself to figure out just why she was having these doubts. Her focus was diverted though, as Daniel began to recount the tale of his journey to the brothel. As he spoke, she began imagining him, entering a seedy, rundown building, expectant but nervous, shaking with both arousal and uncertainty. Then the woman entered, the demon, but it was not a succubus, like Sevilla or Kiva or even the unnamed demoness that Celeste had been searching for. No, the woman was herself, her blonde hair framing her naked body as she approached Daniel and began to remove his clothes.

Daniel's member suddenly twitched as he recounted his meeting with the woman, and Celeste gasped as she felt it poke in between her folds for just a moment. As he continued his story, so too did Celeste continue to imagine it playing out with herself in the woman's place. While the young woman was prone to daydreams, they had never before seemed so real. She could feel the muscles of his legs as she knelt before him, the texture of his member as her tongue pressed against it, and the warmth in her mouth as she brought him to release. His musky scent, the bitter taste, the sticky aftermath on her face, it was like she was there. She could feel herself climbing on top of him and sliding his searing hot manhood into her nether and bringing him to orgasm time and again until he passed out. It was only when Daniel finished his story and paused that Celeste shuddered and exhaled lustily that she came back to the real world.

"Urges," she said breathlessly after him. She realized that her hand on his shoulder had drifted down to his waist, and was busy worming it's way into his trousers, it's target the stiff rod pressing up against her, while her other hand was on his ass pulling him towards her. As such, when he leaned in to kiss her she had no way to resist it, her lips parting to accept his tongue inside while she moaned into his mouth. She held the kiss for as long as she was able until she finally had to pull back to catch her breath. As she did she pulled away enough that her robe fell down to her waist, exposing her breasts, though she didn't notice.

Panting and gasping for breath, she pleaded with Daniel, "Y-you have to control your urges, Daniel." In her lust addled state, she was barely aware of what she was saying. "Something about this is wrong, we shouldn't be... doing this," she continued, though with as far as she had let their act continue she was having a hard time believing her own words. "We've... we've got to stop." Despite her words, she could barely stop herself, and if Daniel continued his affections, she would never be able to stop him.