MASKTOURN

3:01 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (threaded)

Naiyta turned from Aarni and Albanes, towards Ace, and put on a toothy smile. "Good evening. We meet again. How are you enjoying my citadel?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ah. He was noticed- and as luck would have it, by Naiyta. Ace tilted their head up slightly, not bothering to return their smile. "Good evening," he flatly said. "It appears we do." [They could just- walk. They could just leave. Who was stopping them? They weren't chained anymore.] "Your citadel," they mused, tapping their chin with faux wonder. "Hm. It's certainly a sight. Ruinous. Dilapidated. Ghostly." The scholar quietly hummed once, short and low- "I didn't know ghosts could manifest in your Citadel." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah. You've also seen it." Naiyta frowned, and looked annoyed. "The rotting woman? Her presence her is not of my control. She," It gestured with its head towards Albanes, "brought that here." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I see," Ace said, glancing at Albanes briefly. Well, they already had a hunch Albanes was more than 'affiliated' with that hiker when they first spoke, but it didn't hurt to have additional confirmation, either. "So that hiker was 'brought' here, as well." Not entirely natural to this cursed place. [Ha. And Naiyta looked annoyed this time, too.] "...Hm. In the same sense a child was brought here, or in a more 'ghostly' way," they asked in that same, flat tone as they looked back towards Naiyta. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The being you saw is not meant to be here. That's all you need to know. If you see it again, tell myself or Albanes." Naiyta replied dryly. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[They had no intention of telling them about the woman.] "Oh, certainly. That long-dead ghost has no right being here," Ace said, their lip curling upward. "And what of the child? The living, present fourteen year old who was 'accidentally' brought into this death fight?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, Evan? That's not an accident. He's here for the same reason you are." Naiyta rolled their eyes. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ah? Ace faltered for the briefest of moments, seemingly stunned into silence. They actually seemed a bit...horrified by this, though their mask seemed to hide it well enough. "You brought in a child to fight to the death?" Ace asked, managing to keep his voice even. The faintest shred of anger was unable to escape their voice, however "A child? For what purpose? How is this fair for him?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Is fourteen an age too young to suffer? You're all the same to me." Naiyta rolled their eyes again. "This isn't a matter of fairness, it's a matter of necessity. And besides, I'd think you'd revel at the knowledge of such a weaker contestants. You did tell me you aimed to win." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I- fourteen- yes? In what sense is a child's suffering a necessity? In what sense is a child's death a necessity? He's not a fighter, not a soldier, not anything of the sort." Their hands were shaking. Since when did that happen? Their nails press little crescent-moons into the palms of their hands. Elsewhere in the distance, there was a flash of light. He made the half-effort to turn to find the source before Naiyta began to speak again. Ace was about to retort, bite back- weaker contestants, not children contestants, but their voice seemed to die out in their throat before they could get the words out. 'You did tell me you aimed to win.' Ace fell silent. Their palms were starting to ache from. "I aim to win fair," he flatly said after a moment. "I said that when there wasn't a child involved in this." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Let me put this in a way your mind will comprehend- if that child doesn't die here, infinite more children will perish." Naiyta explained. "If my goals are not met, you will all perish. We will all perish. That is the necessity I am dealing with." A hint of disappointment flashed across their face. "You can try that all you wish. Pacifism will not get you far." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Trust me, I don't intend on being a pacifist," Ace hissed, "I intend on winning. But the circumstances have shifted now that there is a child present." [Were they going to idly stand by when it came his turn to fight? 'The less people the better'- they said back there.] [How cruel.] "You- you said 'we'," Ace suddenly said, their voice a bit quieter than it was before. "What do you mean by 'we'. The contestants, and you two included? Are you not essentially the god of this realm? The Lifebringer? @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"And how will it change how you act? Will you refuse to fight?" It leaned closer to Ace, and fell into a graver, almost conspiratorial hush. "Everything can die." Naiyta scoffed. "But I am doing everything I can to keep that from happening. Sacrifices must be made." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Would he? Would he refuse to fight? Would he refuse to fight, die, lose it all again?] [Was he above murdering a child?] Ace didn't have much time to linger on that thought before they were dragged back into reality by Naiyta's leering face. They bristled, shoulders rising slightly as it spoke. "Fascinating; not even the Lifebringer is bound by 'immortality'," Ace retorted. "Who are these sacrifices for. Or what are they for." "Or would telling me ruin the suspense, now?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Even if I explained it to you, your mortal mind could not comprehend my plans." Naiyta whispered. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"So in short, it would ruin the suspense. Why are you whispering." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta leaned back away from Ace. "Can't I wish for a more private conversation? You know, even I can't escape the... prying eyes that inhabit this place now." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"If you wished for a more private conversation, we could have easily gone elsewhere," Ace flatly said, silently relieved they backed up somewhat. They figured they were probably pushing their luck with being all rude and snippy towards it. They'd behave. "I...assume you're talking about Kairas, no?" he asked, a little puzzled. "Are you not, technically, her superior?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah, but I'm obligated to stay. A host cannot simply leave its own party, can it?" It hummed. "I am. But that doesn't mean I can escape her sight." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Hm. I suppose so. That wouldn't be a very good look on the host, simply up and leaving." So when Kairas meant that she could see...all, she could see all. Not even the Lifebringer could escape her watch, funnily enough. "I see. Apologies, but I was under the assumption that both leaders and incarnations of the Lifebringer were...ah, 'united' in this cause." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, we are," they drawled. "Or, we're less united, more... they're very submissive, you know. I don't have to worry about them undermining me. But that doesn't mean I enjoy her constantly watching me." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace had a hunch that Kairas wasn't as...hm, shifty?- as those two were. A bit quiet, yes, but not entirely malicious. Y'know. Unlike This Guy. It was still a bit difficult to fully sympathize with who essentially was watching them all die...though he kind of understood her plight about her longbow. And just the entire training thing, too. "...Submissive. I see," they said, and left it at that. "Hm, well, I spoke with her earlier. She's rather skilled at using a bow." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"She is. One of the reasons I value her as much as I do." Naiyta nodded. Their voice betrayed no emotion but distant amusement. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Ace liked to think he was a bit...decent at picking people apart. He wasn't so great at wording them when it came to discussing his findings; he preferred to just write it down and work on them from there- but he still felt he was somewhat good at reading people.] "I. I see." [Except Naiyta. Because naturally.] The longer Ace stood here listening to Naiyta's cryptic words while trying to pick them apart, the more their arm was beginning to ache. Right. That's why they didn't leave in the first place. Though, he would have preferred Albanes doing the healing compared to it. "...Is Albanes available?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta glanced towards Albanes, who was still talking with Aarni. "No." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace also glanced towards Albanes, still talking with that stranger. Agh. The odds of them having an infirmary here was laughable. The odds of them dying from an infection was not as laughable. They resisted the very tempting urge to ask, to just, y'know, double-check if the Lifebringer had an infirmary on hand and exhaled through their teeth, finally looking away from Albanes, "You do healing, yes," they flatly asked, "seeing as you quite forcibly ripped away mine." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I am a god of healing." Naiyta leaned close to Ace again. "So yes, it is something I do." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

It's very close again. Ace didn't pull away, eyes narrowing into a squint that could only be seen without that mask. [If they could get healing from Albanes, that'd be great. But, alas, they had a feeling they were a bit in too deep,] "How invasive is your healing. And what type of healing is it, specifically; physical, non-contact, et cetera." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I can't heal you without touching you." That could be a lie- but Naiyta didn't provide any other context to prove one way or another. It's brow creased in mock concern. "What have you let happen to you?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Miserable day. Miserable day. Most healing was physical; it required the transfer of mana between one individual and the next through contact in order to bury it beneath the skin, muscle, bone, et ceter] "I- no," Ace bit out, their squint deepening even further. They'd take the infection over that patronizing, pathetically fake look. "I did not allow anything to happen to me. You- you say say you can heal through contact, yes? Is it just healing and nothing else?" Well, they were...actually very easily convinced to let Roman bite him- and all he got was a baggie of marijuana. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm," Naiyta smiled, amused. "It's just healing. Healing, and nothing more. I'll ask you something simpler- where is the wound?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Sometimes, healing magic manifests in 'invasive' forms; usually referring it to the user needing to pierce the surface in order to properly heal- stitching being the most common form of Invasive Healing (dubbed IVHL) in most b] "Upper arm, left bicep." At least his sleeve was hiding it. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta leaned back, and gestured to the stage that separated them. "Get up here." It was a command, not a suggestion. And it was a test. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Eh. Ace faltered as Naiyta mostly disappeared from view, shifting their stance slightly as they stared down the stage. They were a bit taller than the stage, which kind of helped with their...case. 'Get up here.' They grasped onto the edge of the stage, trying to brace a foot against the side once, twice- before managing to get a good hold. More physical labor. It took a moment of struggling to fully get up, but they actually managed to pull themself up and onto the stage. His sandal caught on the edge of his robe as he stood up fully, and he was suddenly very aware that ow, his back was actually very sore and painful. Ace stumbled slightly- only a little bit- and firmly set both feet on the top of the stage. They were not wheezing. They were not. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta had risen to their feet before Ace got his footing on the stage, and stepped forward once he was upright. "Good. Good. So you can follow instruction." It neared Ace, and lifted the left sleeve of their tunic. "Let's see that wound of yours..." Their eyes lit up as they realized what the wound actually was- not in surpise, not quite in delight. "Oh! Are you certain you didn't let this happen to yourself? Hardly looks like an animal's attack, especially with no other wounds..." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace was starting to brush off the front of their robe, though they looked up sharply at Naiyta as it spoke. What. What. "I- w-what?" Ace blanked, clearly a bit thrown off. "Instructions? Who said anything about instru- argh." Hm, right, yes. The perfect bite mark on their arm. The scholar sharply inhaled as Naiyta lifted the sleeve of their tunic, leaning back slightly as something very unsettling lit up in their eyes. "Th- animal- I never once said it was an animal attack, or anything of the sort," they sputtered, keeping their voice as even as they humanly could. Avoid the question. Avoid it. "There's only goats and birds around." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You followed my instructions, didn't you?" It smiled. "No animals- you're right about that, at least partially. There are things here more inclined to bite- but they don't leave marks like these." It smiled up at Ace, making haunting eye contact. "So enlighten me, what made this mark?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

They'd gladly take the infection over this. "I," Ace tried to protest, falling silent rather quickly. Well. That was an instruction, wasn't it? "You- you simply requested I join you up here, and-" Their stare is still as unsettling as it was the first time. He refused to look away. He refused to. His free hand clutched tightly at his robe. "If- if not an animal, then what else?" he countered, voice surging with courage before he went silent again. "..A contestant." [It wouldn't be able to tell from their mask, but they were looking elsewhere now.] @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"A contestant," Naiyta repeated, both elated and mocking. "Yes- you let another contestant bite you, didn't you?" The laughed a sharp, cackling laugh. Naiyta placed their hand over the wound and bit too harshly than was comfortable. "You want me to heal you, yes?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Well, the bite marks seemed human enough, so- "Sst- ow," Ace sharply hissed, grimacing as Naiyta pressed their palm against the wound. "I- that. It was to understand more about their powers, so naturally." "...Yes, that would be...helpful." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

A harsh golden glow emanated from under Naiyta's hand, and the damaged skin on Ace's forearm quickly repaired. When Naiyta took their hand away, it was as if the flesh had never been damaged in the first place. "There. How do you feel now?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace winced against the golden glow as it began to heal him, still watching with intrigue as they felt the bite begin to heal over. While the nausea had not subsided, thankfully that itchy, crawling feeling had. They ran their fingers up along their arm, humming quietly as they felt it undamaged. "It certainly feels...better, now." Thank you. They're still not saying that aloud. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Good." Naiyta harshly let go of Ace, but didn't let him fall off the stage. "Do you require any more of my... services? I am quite busy, you know." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah- no. No, I do not." Hopefully, they wouldn't have to require their services any longer. Albanes would certainly be nicer. "...Was that all you had to 'request' of me?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Other than your participation in my tournament," They smiled. "No. I do not require anything more of you right now." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Hm. That smile was unnerving as it always was. "Right. Naturally. I'll be taking my leave now." Now that he was standing on top of the stage, he could see the actual staircases that lead back down to the ground. Huh. Ace adjusted their sleeve and stepped down from the stage, not bothering to look back at Naiyta as they left to wander it's gala. [Following instructions, you say?] @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs