A Hallowed Festival In Capital Crocus

Dressed in the same Journey Of The Crystal Champion armor that he had worn last year minus the sword, Leonidas wandered through the bustling city and thought that he might have been dressed a bit too gaudily for the event. The other costumes in the area were more subdued and ranged from anime "shipgirls" and sexy librarians to vampires of both genders, a werewolf, four girls in anime schoolgirl outfits, and males in detailed mecha costumes that were somehow less gaudy than his own. That impression remained until he saw a person dressed in bulky armor with a prominent skull theme complete with red cloak and helmet and decided that his was not so bad after all.

As he walked around the city he noticed that Capital Crocus had put a lot into the decorations. There were animatronic crows sitting on fences and on top of buildings peering at festival attendees with glowing red eyes and even occasionally crowing at someone they made eye contact with. He also spotted animatronic owls hidden inside carefully placed false trees glaring out at people and hooting every now and then. There were even skeletons leaning against the sides of buildings holding signs that pointed the way towards activities.

Leonidas was on his home turf for this event, but his mind was not focused on that. Instead he was wondering if he would run into his neighbor and one-time love interest Samantha Halsey here tonight. Even though the two were now friends instead of potential romantic partners he still felt a bit awkward around her, possibly because of how Sabrina had driven a wedge between them. He hoped that if they somehow met things would not be too awkward.

The scar-faced mage made his way towards a black sandwich board sign with orange print located at the approximate center of the city and began to read it. It was a list of activities and there were eight to choose from. There were offerings such as "Brewing Up Trouble", "Bobbing For Apples", and even a "Graveyard Tour." Leonidas was not sure why anyone would want to tour a graveyard, but he supposed that some people had an idea of fun that varied greatly from the norm. He could hardly throw stones because he got more excitement out of fighting than he should probably get.

After reading the list of activities the scar-faced mage now faced the problem of deciding what to do first. He folded his arms across his chest and began to read the list again. This was going to be a tough call.

Leonidas' Costume (minus sword):

[Post Word Count: 430]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 430/2,000]

Her normal outfit was considered to be a little out there but this was something else entirely. The sniper had messaged her mother about her lack of an outfit for this latest festival and her mother, being the seamstress that she was, had managed to create and send along to her a witch’s outfit, which Felicia was now sporting. It was certainly eye-catching and the black coloured outfit fit her rather well. All she needed now was a broomstick and she would fit the theme perfectly. Still, it was nice that she was able to contact her mother at least, now that her father had calmed down and supported Felicia’s decision to leave. It had taken a few rows and crossed words but eventually, the three had come to an understanding. Now, Felicia was free to explore without any of the baggage that had held back.

Capital Crocus was a marvel and Felicia was quite enjoying her day, exploring the various booths as she tried to get a feel for the event. Unlike the last time, she was fully prepared for this one and had managed to find a place to call her own in the city for a while. Her time in Fiore had been quite eye opening so far and the sniper thought that she was fitting in quite well. The people were nice at least and while she had not taken on many jobs so far, her early encounters had gone surprisingly well. Her father’s training had paid off well and more than a few criminals had found themselves in her sights, even if she had naively thought that perhaps she could have avoided violence. That had not been the case sadly but she had been prepared for it.

Her head was kept on a swivel as she moved, admiring the various outfits that those all around her were wearing. Demons, devils, werewolves, ghouls, there was plenty of variety and Felicia thought that she fit in quite well, even if her accent still stuck out like a sore thumb. That being said, she had not run into anyone who had made fun of her for it, which she was thankful for. It was not as if she was easily bruised or anything but it was still nice to be treated well. Her own people could be a little stiff in some ways and were not as open to new people.

So focused was she on looking around that she almost walked into the back of a tall figure wearing what appeared to be armour, who was reading from a board of some kind.

“Oops. I am sorry about that. I was not focused on where I was…” She paused half way and added, as she recognised the figure. “Leonidas? That you?”

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Leonidas was busy reading the sign and trying to make a decision on what activity to do first when he felt a bump on the back from behind. The scar-faced mage was not mad... anyone could accidentally bump into someone, even someone with armor as flashy as his, so he let it pass. He thought that that would be the end of the incident, but he heard a female voice address him a short time later. He carefully turned around and found that the voice belonged to Felicia Enfield, the Guildless mage he had met in Hargeon Town during a festival some time back.

"Hi there, Felicia." Leonidas greeted the young woman. She was dressed in a black costume that upon further inspection was meant to be that of a witch. It was no rush job thrown together at the last moment but an outfit that was obviously made with a lot of care and fit the wearer perfectly. Leonidas envied the craftsmanship that went into it because the simple garment looked a lot better than his armor, which was also well-made but a bit too flashy. Then again, the source of the armor was an anime that had a focus on larger-than-life characters and adventures, so the title character's armor had to be suitably flashy.

"Did you make that outfit yourself?" Leonidas asked Felicia. He hoped that he did not look like a creep for giving her outfit a glance or sound like one for asking about her costume. The truth of the matter was that the young woman was attractive and her well-made costume made her look even more attractive.

"Me, last year I had to buy my costume from a costume shop since I don't have any kind of costume-making ability. I used to be a blacksmith, not a tailor." Leonidas gave a brief rundown of how he had acquired the armor he was wearing. He did not go cheap because if he was going to wear a costume he was going to go all the way with it and have it as detailed as possible.

"And it's from an anime called Journey Of The Crystal Champion. You can probably see how the title character got their name." Leonidas added for the sake of conversation.

[Post Word Count: 378]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 808]
[Total Word Count: 1,272]

“I wish I had the skills to make an outfit like this.” Felicia replied with a chuckle. “I complained to my mother that I had nothing to wear for Halloween and she ended up sending this to me first class. Not sure how on Earthland the package found me but I reckon there was magic involved. It seems that things are improving back home too, as my father is not so upset about me leaving as he was when I left. He even sent a note along which was filled with praise for a change, saying I was an asset to the family. I bet he still wants me to marry as soon as I can though.” That was unlikely to happen, given her orientation and her lack of female friends.

Looking over his outfit, she would smile. “Your outfit is certainly quite striking but I reckon it suits you pretty well. I can imagine you defending the weak and innocent from the evil people of the world. You fit the mold of an anime hero, Leonidas.” Her words could have been taken in a multitude of ways but they were meant as a compliment. “The blacksmith backstory works pretty well too.” She remembered his tale from the last time they had met and hoped that things had been improving for him too. “How are things with the family? Any contact with them?”

As she spoke, she glanced at the board that he had been reading for a few moments, having a look at the various activities that could be taken part of it. She had little experience with the majority of them but was curious enough to have a go. The event made a nice change of pace from the endless travel and Felicia had to admit that she could do with a break from all that. She recalled the last time that she had been at a similar event, where she and Leonidas had spoken for the first time and looked back on it quite fondly. She had still been getting used to Fiore then, it having been her first day. A fair amount of exploring had been done since then and the sniper had found her feet in her new country, she had still not joined a guild though, preferring simply to live to the beat of her own drum, so to speak. Joining a group could come later, maybe.

(403 Words)
(1675 TWC)

"I might have told you this already, but my mother wants me to get married as soon as possible. She pressures both me and my sister to get married. And it'll likely get worse once I raise enough money to bring her to Fiore." Leonidas commiserated with Felicia on the topic of parents pushing marriage. He was not sure if he had told her that before, but he reiterated it because he did not remember. A lot had happened since the last time the two had met and one important event was his neighbor and potential girlfriend Samantha reconnecting with him and letting him know that she considered him a friend instead of a potential boyfriend. As a result Leonidas had trouble remembering what exactly he had told Felicia about his family situation.

"I try to be a hero, Felicia. I don't fight powerful villains every day or travel the globe, but I do what I can to help people. My most recent job took me to Sombras Manor and I had to rescue someone with a serious fondness for books from ghosts. They weren't exactly helpless because they had a weapon and a little bit of training on how to use it, but they were by themselves and would have been in deep trouble if the ghosts decided to go after them." Leonidas told her that his life was not filled with fights against supervillains like a typical anime protagonist.

"And by "serious fondness" for books I mean they literally camped out in the mansion's library in an olive green canvas tent. They slept in it. They even had changes of clothes and supplies of food and water with them." Leonidas explained what he had meant when he said the person he had been sent to rescue really liked books. Most of the people he helped had everyday problems that were not the stuff of heroic legends.

"As far as my family goes I haven't heard from my sister or my mother. My sister's a busy mage and my mother's still back in Desierto doing what she can to keep the household running. I definitely haven't heard from my father and at this point I don't want to hear from him." The scar-faced mage gave Felicia a rundown on his family situation. He was on neutral terms with his sister and mother and was on bad terms with his father Samuel, who was a deadbeat. Leonidas had no idea where his father was and did not really care to know because should they meet again the reunion of father and son would not be a pleasant one.

[Post Word Count: 438]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 1,246]
[Total Word Count: 2,113]

The sniper recalled Leonidas’s own issues with his homeland and naturally felt sympathetic towards him. They were not all that different when it came to such topics and she knew exactly where he was coming from. The blue haired woman cringed slightly when he mentioned bringing his mother to Fiore, knowing that it would probably cause issues for him but she hoped that he would be able to find a way to sort things out eventually. Parents could be so stubborn and she knew that he was in for one heck of a fight there, one that would take a long time to win or at least draw.

His story about his last job sounded like something he would get up to and Felicia was not awfully surprised to hear him talk about it in such a modest way. He spoke with a distinct lack of ego most of the time, which was something she could appreciate although maybe that was just her interpretation of him. She had never been one for those with big attitudes and a ton of pride, finding such people to be a bit of a put off for her. Her and Leonidas had got along splendidly though during the last event and she considered herself fortunate to know him and that it was he who she had met after landing in the country.

When he returned back to the topic of his family, Felicia was slightly saddened that he had not managed to make much ground with them but was hopeful that he would, as she had with hers. “Families are such a pain, are they not?” She replied simply, a short chuckle escaping her at that point.

Her gaze returning to the board, she would look over it a second time before looking back to him. “I take it that you are going to take part in some of these events, right? I admit that some of them are kind of new to me but if you want a partner then I will happily team up with you. If I learned anything from the last festival, it is that these kinds of deals are a lot more fun when taken part in together rather than alone. Does anything take your fancy? I am open to try out whatever you want to.”

There was the chance that she would make a fool of herself but if he was game then so was she.

(408 Words)
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"They can be at times, especially when you're supposed to be in charge of the household but the other family members have different ideas of how things are supposed to go." Leonidas confessed. Deciding to add some context to his remark, he decided to give Felicia a short version of the story.

"My father left home when I was eighteen and Leona was fourteen. All of a sudden I was the only male presence in the household. If that was supposed to give me any authority it didn't because my strong-willed mother immediately took over. You already know one source of the conflict between us." He told her the context behind his remark about family. Sophia Jarnefeldt was a strong-willed woman who had her own way of doing things and in some ways his sister was cut from the same cloth. The two Jarnefeldt women argued a lot over how Leona's life was going to go once she reached the age to marry... Sophia wanted her daughter to marry while the latter was adamant about staying single and exploring the world. Leonidas had been caught in the middle of many an argument on that subject and had come away from it with his ears ringing from all of the shouting that was a trademark of Jarnefeldt quarrels.

"My mother was determined that Leona and I were going to get married as soon as possible and Leona was determined that she wasn't going to find a husband. I can't tell you how many screaming matches on that subject I had to sit through. It's easily in the high double digits." Leonidas gave one of the most prominent examples of how his mother took over the Jarnefedlt household and threw her weight around.

Deciding to let the matter lie unless Felicia was interested in continuing with that subject, the scar-faced mage turned his attention to the topic of the festival activities.

"I don't mind us participating in the activities together, Felicia. And I was kinda interested in seeing what Brewing Up Trouble's all about, but I don't want to make you do something you're not interested in. If another activity interests you more let me know and we'll do that instead." Leonidas consented to them doing the activities together and told Felicia that she had an equal say in what they did... not that she needed his permission to suggest anything. The scar-faced mage was not the type to insist on running the show. He just wanted to attend the festival and have fun while in the company of Felicia.

[Post Word Count: 428]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 1,674/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 2,949]

“I had to listen to similar arguments between my father and mother so I certainly feel for you there. My father is very similar to your mother in that regard and wanted to marry me off to some military man. On the other hand, my mother would be all about me having the choice to make my own mind up about such things, which I am truly thankful for. If it was not for her guidance then I would not be here today, walking these lands as I do. The honest truth is that I could never marry, at least another man, as I simply have no interest in them. I am a lesbian and while I am sure my mother knows, my father seems to still be ignorant of the fact. One day he will come to terms with it but who knows when.” Felicia replied, speaking honestly about her own situation. “Some prejudices are hard to break. The only advice I would offer to you is to simply continue going your own way and that goes for your sister too.”

Pleased that he was willing to explore the festival with her, she would reply with interest. “Brewing Up Trouble, huh? Sounds like fun to me. I am looking forward to seeing what this festival is all about and it sounds like just the ticket for us. I just hope that it does not mean quite literally causing trouble. I think we have enough of that with our families.” Her tone contained the usual dry humour that she was becoming well known for and she briefly laughed.

Halloween was of course celebrated in Ca-elum, it was just that Felicia never got much of a chance to celebrate it much. It was considered nonsense by her father and he had never got into the spirit of things. She was used to that though and half the time he had been away with the navy anyway. Still, he had lightened up a bit and she felt that she could at least write to him from time to time, even if she felt that she was on shaky ground. She half expected him to send a contingent of troops after her to bring her home, as daft as that might sound.

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"Oh, I plan on going my own way all right. My sister and I have done so ever since arriving here and I wouldn't have it any other way." Leonidas stated in response to his companion's advice to keep doing his own thing as opposed to obeying his mother's demands. He liked Felicia because of her beauty and personality, but he did not see himself as marrying her. That was never going to happen after the young woman revealed her sexual preference... not that he really minded. He saw Felicia as more of a friend than a romantic interest and it was way too soon for them to start dating even if she were interested in him.

"If my mother saw us together she'd be pushing me to marry you and give her grandchildren. Just keep that in mind if she ever gets to Fiore and you meet her." Leonidas gave Felicia some advice of his own. He closed his eyes for a moment. While it was a terrible thing to think, the scar-faced mage was glad that his mother was not here right now to ruin the good mood between the two mages. In Fiore he was free to choose who he associated with and if he wanted to have a young woman or two as a friend without any romance between them he could do just that. He opened them again and faced Felicia.

In the meantime there was a festival to attend and activities to do, but before that there was one last minor detail. Leonidas was obviously amused by his companion's brand of humor and had to take a few seconds to try and come up with a response for her latest statement. When he finally thought of a decent answer he offered it.

"We certainly deal with our share of trouble, Felicia. But I think the only thing we have to worry about tonight is Halloween tricks." Leonidas offered his opinion on what they would be facing. While it lacked the good timing or comedic punch of Felicia's statement, he had made a sincere effort. Whether his remark amused his companion or fell flat was up in the air.

[Post Word Count: 364]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 2,038/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 3,692]

The sniper was happy to hear that he was free from his mother’s continual scheming, at least for now anyway and she hoped that eventually, a compromise could be made. That was how it kind of was now between herself and her family, even if her father was still a little oblivious about Felicia’s lack of interest in men. Perhaps he would accept it and maybe he would not but either way, it was the way things were and he would have to get used to it. “I am glad to hear that you are making the most of your new found freedom.”

A chuckle escaped the blue haired woman as he mentioned how his mother would react to the two of them. “Your mother would be in for a bit of a shock when she heard about my own preferences, not that it sounds like that would make any difference to her.” Keen to make light of things as best she could, the sniper would just smile. She could have looked back on her past in a negative way but what was the point? The woman had managed to survive it all and her sense of humour was still intact, so why complain too much?

She was glad to have a companion for the event and it actually made a change for her. Most of her time Fiore had been spent with her simply wandering the lands alone and while she appreciated the time to herself, it could get a little lonely at times. So to spend a little time with Leonidas again was certainly appreciated. “I hope that is the case as I certainly could do without anything more than that tonight. Mind you, with the way these activities work, we may end up seeing our families nonetheless.” It was another dry joke and one she hoped he got.

With a smile, she would then. “Let us see what trouble has in store for us.”

(327 Words)
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"We might have some explaining to do to our families once everything is said and done. Halloween's one of those times when things get unpredictable, after all." Leonidas tried to play off of Felicia's joke with his own attempt to be humorous. That one might fall flat, but he was willing to make it anyway. Once he said that he walked towards the Brewing Up Trouble activity area, which was manned by a young woman with waist-length blonde hair who was roughly two inches taller than his sister and had blue eyes. She was stirring a cauldron with a wooden stick and was dressed in a conservative witch costume complete with pointy hat: however, the outfit had a purple tint instead of the traditional black.

Leonidas listened to the young woman explain how the activity worked and pointed out where they could get ingredients the scar-faced mage was game. He walked over to where the ingredients were and picked out a blue elixir in a small test tube and a handful of some kind of blue candy with white lightning bolts printed on the small circular pieces. Leonidas poured the elixir into the cauldron, then gently let the candy fall from his hands. The liquid in the cauldron suddenly turned blue and began to crackle with electricity, making him wonder if he had made a potentially dangerous mistake somewhere in the process.

After a few moments of hesitation he took the plastic beaker that was handed to him and dipped it in the brew, letting it fill before he pulled it out. Once it was full the scar-faced mage raised it to his lips and drank the contents before lowering it. He jolted in place as he tasted a sharp sour taste on his tongue and his face tingled for a few moments.

He hoped that he was not turning into a woman again.

"Oh my... the scar on your face is gone! And your hair! And your... your eyes! You look so different!" The attendant exclaimed. Leonidas wondered what she had meant by that and chose to ask Felicia for a more detailed opinion of how he looked.

"How do I look, Felicia?" Leonidas asked his companion.

Leonidas' New Face:

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[Leonidas' Word Count: 2,406/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 4,387]

“If I did not know better, I would say that you were a Ca-elum nobleman.” Felicia replied with a smile, complimenting him on his new appearance. “The attendant is right, Leonidas, you look as though you have never been in a fight in your life. I have no idea what was in that potion but it certainly has done quite the number on you. You would fit right in at a ball or banquet.” She was not over exaggerating or anything and a laugh left her at this point. “You had better not catch your mother seeing you like that. Who knows what ideas she would get in her head?”

Curious to try and make a potion herself, Felicia would walk over to the ingredient display and pick up a few various items for her own creation. Neither alchemy nor cooking were her strongest suits but she was willing to try and soon enough, she was stirring her cauldron with vigour, the contents turning a yellow colour. It smelled nice enough and after a few minutes, tipping in the last ingredient, her concoction would be complete, leaving her with an amber coloured potion.

Looking at her potion, she would take a beaker and drink it in one go, quite enjoying the taste. Felicia felt a rush of magical energy run through her body and her appearance began to change. Her hair turned blonde and shortened, while her eyes turned green. That was not all though, as she actually lost a few inches in height and became rather more muscular. It felt incredibly odd and by the time her transformation was done, she looked like a completely different woman. In fact, if it was not for her accent, which was still as strong as ever, there would be nothing of the typical Felicia left.

The attendant took one look at her and smirked. “Well, I had no idea a Wizard Saint would be stopping by today.”

Felicia's jaw dropped and as she turned to Leonidas, both her eyebrows rose. “What is she talking about?”

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Leonidas was pleased to hear Felicia compliment his new appearance. Even though he did not make a big deal out of his facial scar every once in awhile the blond mage got a little self-conscious about it, especially when women gave him worried looks or suddenly gave him plenty of room whenever he approached. His new face was free of scars and according to his companion he now looked like an individual of high social class, a statement he took to be a compliment.

"I'm not sure about the properties of the ingredients either, but I'm definitely not complaining about the results." Leonidas informed his companion that while he did not quite understand how this came about he was pleased with how things had turned out. He was wary of turning into a woman again, but he need not have worried about such a thing because fate had had something else in mind for him. Leonidas ran his right hand across his face and learned that what had been said was true... neither side of his face had a scar on it.

He lowered his right hand away from his face and watched with interest as Felicia took her turn making a potion of her own. Once it was brewed Felicia drank it without any hesitation: he noticed that her creation was a beautiful amber color while his had been blue with a noticeable electric theme. Shortly after she drank the potion Leonidas watched what happened with keen interest and more than a little concern, but in the end his concern was quickly overshadowed by his surprise when he looked at the end result. His facial expression was one of unconcealed surprise.

"She's saying that you look exactly like my younger sister Leona, the Wizard Saint of Courage." Leonidas calmly informed Felicia who she resembled. Every physical feature was a perfect match for his younger sister. The hair color and eye color were the perfect shades and the young woman's height and build were spot-on. The scar-faced mage looked over the new Felicia for several moments before finally coming up with an appraisal of the change in appearance.

"You look like her down to the last detail. If I hadn't grown up with the real Leona and didn't see you drink the potion I'd think you were her." Leonidas told his companion that the look granted by the potion was virtually flawless. He looked over Felicia one last time to try and spot anything amiss that might mark her as an imitation but could find nothing out of place. His surprise remained unconcealed as he made eye contact with her again.

"I haven't seen her in years and it's like I'm looking at her right now." Leonidas said to Felicia in a statement that was equal parts compliment and expression of incredulity.

[Post Word Count: 472]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 2,878/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 5,202]

Amused by what Leonidas had said, Felicia would approach the mirror beside the attendant and take a good look at herself. It was a shocker for sure and the sniper could not help but smile at her reflection. There was nothing about her normal appearance that remained and the now blonde haired woman was truly amazed. She had to admit that she looked good in Leona’s skin, so to speak and that the Wizard Saint was incredibly attractive. Then again, Leonidas was an attractive guy, so it made sense that Leona would be too, A family trait perhaps?

Chuckling, she would return to Leonidas at that point. “Well, I must say that I was not expecting this result but I am not complaining. Your sister has certainly taken care of herself well over the years.” She could feel that in her well muscled frame and Felicia wondered just how many dangerous encounters the blonde must have been in to become so strong. The sniper obviously did not have Leona’s magical strength but for the moment, it seemed that she might have inherited some of her physical strength. It felt like she had more muscles then she could count at that point. “I feel like a completely different woman.” It was a joke, of course, one that could be easily missed.

The witch was impressed enough to hand over a ticket to her, looking her over with an amused eye. It was a glance that Felicia recognised and she replied. “I had better not. I would hate to put a dent in Leona’s reputation.” She was pleased with the attention though and on another day, perhaps something might have happened. “How long do the effects last, by the way?”

“They should be gone by the end of the festival. Take care of yourself until then though.” The attendant answered.

Looking back at Leonidas again, she would laugh again. “A good thing your mother is not here to see this.”

(328 Words)
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(1/4 tickets earned.)

"I don't know how Leona does what she does and still manages to look good. You'd think she spends a fortune on beauty products, but she doesn't. My best guess is that she won the genetic lottery before she started constantly traveling and fighting." Leonidas ventured a guess as to how his sister stayed so beautiful despite not putting any real effort into keeping up her appearance. Leona was no couch potato, so her lifestyle likely helped keep her in good shape too.

Leonidas overheard that all changes granted by the potion were not permanent and knew that his new flawless face would not last beyond tonight. That was OK, though. While part of him liked his new face, he had lived with his facial scar for quite awhile now and was used to the negative reactions he got from it, so losing the change would not hurt him very much. Speaking of negative reactions, Felicia's comment about refraining from doing something with the event staff member manning the activity area made Leonidas want to say something, but he decided against it. Felicia likely knew the consequences of damaging his sister's reputation would be without him having to say a word.

"Yeah. If my mother saw what was going on she'd probably get angry. Don't make her angry if you value your eardrums. Trust me on that." Leonidas commented about Felicia looking like his sister and warned her about how Sophia would react to the sight. He was still unnerved by how flawless the change was because it was... well, flawless. Everything about it was perfect and anyone who had not seen Felicia drink the potion would assume that Leonidas was with the genuine article, not a friend who had been transformed into a dead ringer for the Wizard Saint of Courage. Hearing Felicia's distinct accent come from an exact copy of his sister was a bit awkward for Leonidas, but he would soon get used to the unusual situation and it would not persist past the festival.

"What would you like to do next, Le-, er, Felicia?" Leonidas asked his companion right after receiving a ticket of his own.

[Post Word Count: 360]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 3,238/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 5,890]

Leonidas has earned one Spirit Ticket for completing Brewing Up Trouble. Leonidas now has oen out of four tickets required for event completion.

Another laugh escaped the sniper as Leonidas commented on how Leona managed to keep herself in good shape and look beautiful. The blue haired woman wished she was that lucky but had never honestly felt inadequate by her own appearance. Her mother said that she was beautiful and while it was obvious that she would say that, Felicia had taken her word for it. In her opinion, it was for other people to judge, not herself and the blue haired woman was happy regardless. That being said, she could not help but feel a tad jealous of the form that she was currently in. Leona was a beautiful woman although Felicia wondered if she was aware of it. The sniper bet that the Wizard Saint heard all kinds of compliments but that was what happened when you were famous, not to mention the haters that were probably out there too. “It looks like she hit the jackpot for sure.” She commented cheerfully.

Her smile grew as he spoke about his mother’s reaction and she took it with good humour. “I will not tell her if you do not.” She replied simply, not wanting to be on the end of one of his mother’s rants. It was bad enough when she had to listen to her father’s ramblings. Felicia must have spent her life listening to them, whenever he was home anyway.

She chuckled again as he almost called her by his sister’s name, amused by the near error but in terms of an answer to his question, she simply tilted her head. “I am not sure to be honest. I am unfamiliar with some of these games, so I have no real idea how they all work. If you have any other suggestions then I am certainly game though.” In a way, she was still coming to terms with her temporary new look.

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"I'm not going to say anything to my mother about what happened here. Trust me." Leonidas readily agreed to remain silent on the matter of Felicia resembling his sister. He was not particularly inclined to speak to her right now because he was enjoying his freedom a bit more than he should. He had been under Sophia's thumb for long enough... he was going to have some time and space to himself and he was going to aggressively defend both of them from her. If his mother was brought here the scar-faced mage would have to set some boundaries and keep them no matter how hard his mother tried to guilt him into relenting.

When asked about the next activity they would do Leonidas folded his arms across his chest and thought about it for a few seconds.

"Did you want to try something called Coffin Up Candy or did you want to go Bobbing For Apples?" Leonidas asked his companion. He was still unable to get over how Felicia looked now and it showed on his face. Maybe it was because he had not really tried to keep in contact with Leona and seeing Felicia look like his sister brought up feelings of guilt. Or maybe it was because the potion had worked so flawlessly that it brought up his guilt over being so busy living his own life that he could not be bothered to try and reach out to the Wizard Saint. Perhaps it was both reasons at the same time... at any rate he would figure that out later.

"I'm leaning towards Coffin Up Candy, but that's just me. I want to hear what you think we should do." Leonidas reminded Felicia that she had an equal say in what they did.

[Post Count: 296]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 3,534/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 6,499]

It was still a little odd in her new form and not seeing her usually long hair running past her shoulders in front of her was going to take some getting used to. Felicia wondered how form changers were able to adapt to such things so easily but since it was only going to last a few hours, she could deal with it. Already she was starting to get a few looks from people walking by and the sniper could not help but wonder just how popular these Wizard Saints were. She did not know everything there was to know about them, knowing only that they were like the most noble and courageous of Fiore’s mages. It said a lot about Leona that she was able to become one though and Felicia mused that she must be wickedly strong. In a way, the blonde haired woman could kind of feel that herself.

When Leonidas reeled off a couple of options, Felicia thought about it for a few moments and soon enough replied. “How about we try the Coffin Up Candy then? I would hate to embarrass Leona by taking part in the latter.” She was good with her hands but bobbing for apples required the use of something else so she was willing to pass on that option. Perhaps later, if time allowed but for now, she was happy to agree with Leonidas’s choice. For the time being, she wanted to take part in the simplest tasks possible.

Eager to get moving before too many people started to buzz around her, she would smile and add. “Lead the way, Leonidas, before this form starts attracting the wrong kind of attention.”

The last thing she wanted was for an old rival or something to appear and cause issues with both herself and Leonidas.

(302 Words)
(6801 TWC)

Leonidas Jarnefeldt rolls one Normal Die for Coffin Up Candy.

The member 'Leonidas Jarnefeldt' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Normal Dice' :

"Sure thing, Felicia. Coffin Up Candy's our next stop." Leonidas agreed to her request to do that activity next. He had no better ideas and people were starting to notice who his companion was... or rather who his companion looked like. It was time to move on before the rumor mill started cranking out rumors that his sister was dating someone.

Leonidas walked towards the Coffin Up Candy booth at a pace Felicia could easily match and when he arrived it was a small wooden one with a black sign with "Coffin Up Candy" painted in orange letters. It had a counter and behind it was a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair dressed as a conservative doctor complete with white lab coat over a white blouse and a black knee-length skirt with black dress shoes and a stethoscope around her neck. She also wore black-rimmed glasses to complete the look.

The young woman explained the rules of Coffin Up Candy and Leonidas watched as three small coffins were placed on the counter of the booth. They were opened up and two of them had tiny skeletal occupants while the third was empty. It was soon filled with a piece of what must have been cherry candy because the wrapper was a translucent red. The last coffin was closed and the booth attendant raised a hand glowing to get the coffins spinning with magic.

The three objects spun around one another, shuffling positions at random. Leonidas kept his eye on the prize and when the shuffling stopped and the time came to pick a coffin. He picked the one on the left and when it was opened the piece of candy was waiting inside. Leonidas was awarded both a Spirit Ticket and a small bag of the cherry candy. He was pleased with this outcome and thanked the young woman for hosting the game.

Tonight was turning out to be a good night so far. Everything seemed to be going his way and he was in the company of Felicia, a young woman with a dry wit and quite a bit of charisma. He hoped that the good mood would last throughout the evening.

[Post Word Count: 364]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 3,898/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 7,165]

Leonidas has earned a Spirit Ticket for completing Coffin Up Candy. He now has two Spirit Tickets.

Rolling too.

The member 'Felicia Enfield' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Normal Dice' :

Watching with interest as Leonidas took part in the game, Felicia did her best to follow the skeleton filled coffin but had to admit that it was rather difficult. Her companion for the festival did incredibly well though and managed to pick the right one. It seemed that he had an eye for detail and the currently blonde haired woman admired that. She was determined to try the game for herself and once Leonidas had finished and collected his prize, Felicia would approach and try it out for herself, wanting to see if her sniper’s eye would help her win.

After watching the attendant place the skeleton in one of the coffins, Felicia would follow as best she could as the items were shuffled around, her eyes locked on the right one. The attendant was good though and her sleight of hand was effective at making things difficult for the sniper, despite her best efforts. She was not sure how long the game lasted but soon enough, it came to an end and the three coffins would be before her again. After a moment of contemplation, Felicia would tap the middle one and open it to reveal that she had been wrong. The attendant gave her a smile and then opened the left one, revealing the skeleton.

It was unfortunate but the sniper simply laughed it off, taking the offered ticket and walking back to Leonidas, seemingly unbothered by her defeat. “I guess she was a little quick for me but I am glad that one of us managed to win. It is more difficult than it looks, that much is true.”

Finally seeming to become used to her new form and willing to joke about it, she cracked a smile and added. “I bet Leona would have got it without any trouble.”

(303 Words)
(7468 TWC)
(Felicia now has two tickets. Four in total with Leonidas's two.)

Leonidas folded his arms across his chest when he heard Felicia's assertion that his sister would have effortlessly won at Coffin Up Candy.

"Maybe. Maybe not. My sister's powerful, there's no doubt about that. But she's human like the rest of us." Leonidas mused. Deciding that he needed to add an explanation in a hurry so that it did not sound like an older brother bashing his famous younger sister out of jealousy, the blond mage soon came up with one.

"Leona's traveled to a lot of places and done a lot of fighting. She's been fighting since she was twelve years old. You might think all of that would make her a virtually unstoppable force. It's made her strong, but she still puts her pants on one leg at a time." Leonidas said in a sympathetic tone. Life in Desierto had made him strong and it had made his sister strong, but that strength did not come without cost. The Jarnefeldts had seen a lot of death and suffering and both of them handled it in different ways... Leonidas coped with it by resorting to sarcasm from time to time and Leona coped by keeping to herself and not getting to really know people.

Leonidas did not bring those issues up in front of Felicia because he did not believe in handing out his sister's secrets to just anyone. It was Leona's business as to whether or not she discussed them with anyone and she knew some of his secrets, so he did not hold all the leverage. Unless Felicia wanted to discuss the matter further he would let the matter drop, so he moved on from that topic to ask an important question of his companion.

"Is there an activity you'd like to do next?" Leonidas asked Felicia.

[Post Word Count: 300]
[Leonidas' Word Count: 4,198/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 7,768]